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Flying “Tomato” Saucers

Flying “Tomato” Saucers

¼ cup reduced-fat cream cheese (tub)

¼ cup Hidden Valley® Ranch Light Buttermilk Salad Dressing

½ cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

½ each: red, green, yellow bell pepper, finely diced

¼ cup grated carrot, finely diced

5 slices fresh tomato

1 tube (7.5 ounce) refrigerator buttermilk biscuits (10 per tube)

1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tablespoons water

flour for dusting surface and rolling pin

 

Suggested decorations for flying saucers:

Grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Sliced black olives

Multi-color bell peppers – cut into shapes like stars, half moons, zig-zags

 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl mix the cream cheese, Hidden Valley® Ranch Light Buttermilk Salad Dressing, mozzarella cheese, diced bell peppers, and carrots until well combined; set aside. Open the biscuits and separate. Sprinkle flour over a clean dry surface. Take a rolling pin, and roll each biscuit into a 4” circle. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the egg yolk mixture around the edge of each circle. Spread a heaping tablespoon of the cheesy-ranch mixture onto five biscuit circles, then put a tomato slice on top. Place one of the remaining biscuit circles on top of each filled circle. Stretch the top circle to completely cover the bottom circle; press around the edges with the tines of a fork to seal. Use a spatula to place each of the flying saucers onto a greased baking sheet. Decorate the tops of each flying saucer with sliced veggies – use your imagination to create fun designs. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Transfer the flying saucers to a wire rack and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Stars

Peanut Butter and Jelly Stars

 

2 slices white bread

2 slices whole wheat bread

Peanut butter

Jelly

1 1/2-inch star cookie cutter

 

Make two PB&J sandwiches by spreading peanut butter on one slice wheat and one white piece of bread. Then spread jelly on one wheat and one white piece of bread. Make one wheat sandwich and one white bread sandwich.  Carefully use mini cookie cutters to cut puzzle pieces out of white and whole wheat sandwich. Swap the whole wheat shapes with the white, and then press them into place.

Healthy Pasta Birds Nests for Kids

Healthy Pasta Birds Nests for Kids

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 tsp garlic paste or one crushed clove of garlic

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp onion salt

12 oz package of spinach fettuccine noodles (or other long noodles that are either green or brown, like whole wheat noodles)

1 container of cherry tomatoes

1 package of pre-made puff pastry or can of Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations (basically unscored crescent roll dough)

 

You will also need a bird cookie cutter

Combine the butter, garlic, basil, oregano and onion salt together, and stir into a garlic butter paste (yum.)  Next, roll out your puff pastry or crescent roll dough and cut out as many birds as you can fit (with my cookie cutter and the Pillsbury dough, I got 10 birds out of it). Place them on an ungreased nonstick cookie sheet. Spread the garlic butter on the top of the birds as shown. You won’t use all of the garlic butter, save the rest for the pasta.  Bake the birds according to the bread package directions. Check them early, as I baked mine for about 11 minutes and the package called for 13 minutes. The smaller your birds, the less time they need to bake.  Cook the spinach fettuccine according to the package directions. Drain and toss with the remaining garlic butter and salt to taste. Place the noodles onto your plate and spread out the noodles a bit to make a well in the center. Place your cherry tomatoes and baked garlic bread birds into the “nests” and enjoy!

Build a Better Lunchbox

Build a Better Lunchbox

 

Even the most finicky little eater won’t be able to resist these pretty sandwiches. To make them, use large cookie cutters to cut bread into fun shapes like the star, flower, and hand pictured here. Then spread on natural peanut butter; instead of jelly, top with dried cherries, golden raisins, or sliced dried apricots. Tuck the sandwiches into children’s lunch boxes or serve them at a party. There’s no doubt kids will eat them; the question is how many, and which finger will they bite off first?

 

Apple Cup

Cut an apple crosswise, about one-third of the way down. Scoop out the flesh with a melon baller. Using a lemon stripper, carve the child’s first initial into the flesh. Rub the cut areas with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning, then fill the cavity with chicken salad. Refrigerate inside a plastic container.

 

Pita Bread

Zip up an everyday lunch by experimenting with various breads, such as pita. They come in many flavors and can be filled with everything from tuna salad to fresh vegetables to chicken. Olive breads or sweeter breads add flavor to old standbys like the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.

 

Cookie-Cutter Sandwich

Add a playful twist to standard sandwiches by cutting them, once assembled, with large cookie cutters. Stars, flowers, diamonds, and hearts are all delightful shapes, especially for kids who like the crusts cut off.

 

Crunch Caterpillar

This crunchy creature is an ideal treat even for children with an aversion to eating greens. Slice a cucumber crosswise into discs about 1/2 inch thick. String them, slightly apart, onto a flexible drinking straw. To complete, give your caterpillar a plump cherry-tomato “head.”

 

Pre-Peeled Orange

Oranges are a lunchtime favorite, but they can be tough for little hands to peel. Help out by doing the following: Slicing the tip off the orange top, then scoring the peel downward using a knife. Do this at four points around the circumference of the orange. Then, gently peel back each “segment,” leaving the orange skin attached at the bottom, so it can be easily removed later.

 

Frozen Juice Box

Make sure juice stays cold after a long morning in the classroom by keeping juices boxes in the freezer. Once frozen, simply pop one into your child’s lunch box as he sets out for school and it will melt by lunchtime.

 

Cereal Bracelet

Send a special note from you to school by stringing Fruit Loops or Cheerios onto an elastic string, then tying to make a bracelet. Attach a message such as “Have a great day” to the bracelet, then pop the tasty jewelry into the lunch box

Citrus Sun

Citrus Sun

 

Thick circular slices of grapefruit (with peeling removed)

The separated sections of an orange

Two slices of kiwi

Bing cherries or strawberries or kumquats

 

Wash all ingredients with care before cutting them. Use a thick circular slice of grapefruit as the base of the “sun.” Use the separated orange sections for the sun’s rays. Cut crosswise slices of kiwi for big, round eyes. Use a Bing cherry or kumquat or strawberry for the nose and a curve of cherry or kiwi or strawberry for the smile.  Your youngsters will love creating their own suns from the ingredients you prepare or teaming up to make a community platter!

Freakish Frog with Fly

Freakish Frog with Fly

2 thick apple slices

1 slice of green pear or apple (tongue)

peanut or nut butter

sunflower seeds

raisins

dried fruit (eyes)

 

Use peanut or nut butter to “glue” both apple slices together to shape a mouth. Poke sunflower seeds into frog’s mouth for teeth. Place a green pear or apple slice in mouth for the tongue. Use peanut or nut butter to “glue” dried fruit pieces to form bugged eyes. Flies: Stick sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds, or almond slivers into raisins to form wings. Place fly on frog’s tongue.

 

Welsh Rabbits

Welsh Rabbits

Welsh Rabbits

1/3 c grated Cheddar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp cream or milk

2 or 3 drops Worcestershire sauce (or to taste)

Pepper, to season

1 English muffin, split and lightly toasted

Peas, thin slices of carrot or snow peas, 1 black olive (pitted and halved) a few fresh chives and scallion, to garnish

 

Preheat the broiler to high. Put the cheese, egg yolk, cream and Worcestershire sauce into a bowl and mash together. Season to taste with pepper.  Spread the cheese mixture on the cut sides of the toasted muffin, spreading right to the edges. Place the cheese-topped muffin halves about 3 inches away from the heat source – don’t have them too close, as the egg in the mixture can make them brown very quickly. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is golden and bubbling. Decorate the cooked muffin halves with peas for eyes and strips of carrot or snow peas for ears, half an olive for a nose, chives for whiskers and scallion for teeth. Serve immediately.

 

From Top 100 Finger Foods

Scrabble Letter Tile Cookies

Scrabble Letter Tile Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softenescrabbled
3/4 C. superfine sugar
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tsp. fresh Meyer Lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Finely grated rind of 1 Meyer Lemon
Salt

Put the butter and sugar and mix well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then add the egg yolk and juice and beat in. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and stir until combined. Add the lemon rind and combine once more. Divide the dough into 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator to chill until firm, about 30 min to an hour. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line baking trays with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough, roll to 1/8 inch thick and use a chef’s knife to make straight cuts. (A pasty wheel dragged my dough to skewed it, find out what works best for you. If the dough becomes too warm or soft to be transferred to the baking tray, return dough in the refrigerator to chill, 5-10 minutes. Bake for 6-7 minutes, or until edges turn light brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool. To frost the cookies, I used royal icing thinned with a little water. Letters were written using edible markers.

Birdie Yogurt

Birdie Yogurt

Greek yogurt

cantaloupe

honeydew

almond butter

mini chocolate chip (eyes)

pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds (leaves)

 

Apple Waffles

Apple Waffles

Waffle Batter
2 Grated Apples
Red Food Coloring
Gummy Worms
Pretzel

Add apples and food coloring to waffle batter and prepare as normal.

Pretzel Pop Snakes

Pretzel Pop Snakes

10 pretzel rods
10 oz. yellow-green Candy Melts (or color of choice)
1 red Fruit Roll-Ups
4 green/blue Fruit Roll-Ups
20 – 3/8 inch round yellow candy eyes

tall glass
spatula or spoon
parchment paper lined baking sheet
pizza cutter or kitchen scissors
optional, a small “Y” alphabet cookie cutter

Peachy Parrot

Peachy Parrot

2 Peaches
1 Square Marshmallow
2 Chocolate Chips
1 Pretzel Stick

You cut the peaches in half. Place one half on a plate for the body. Place the other half on the plate for the head. Take another peach half and slice it. Place the slices on the sides for the wings. Take the other half and cut that half in another half. Cut thin slices to make the feathers on the bottom. Take the other half and cut out a beak, top feathers, and feet. Cut the eyes out of the square marshmallow with kitchen scissors. Place on 2 chocolate chips for the pupils. We place the parrot on a pretzel stick.

Dinodilla

Dinodilla

For this one we just cut one spinach tortilla into this Dinosaur shapes & used that piece as a guide to cut out the other tortilla. We put shredded cheese, black beans, & brown rice inside & grilled it. I put a little bit of sour cream in a baggie to decorate & used 2 black beans for the pupil & mouth. We broke off the tips from guacamole chips for the spikes.

Peachy Piggy

Peachy Piggy

1 Peach
Raisins

Start out by washing your peach & then cutting it in half using a knife. Cut a little bit more from one half. This will be the head & you will use the cut off slice to make the ears, nose, & feet. Cut raisins in half to make the nostrils, mouth, eyes, & tail. Place raisins on the bottom of your plate to look like mud.