Tuesday
Jun102008
CAMP MOMMY 2008 - All Abuzz About SNACKS!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 08:45PM
My friend Jill, the Purple Monkey Soap Company body goodie maker and bound-to-be bestselling author (someday very soon) sent me a bunch of great ideas and thoughts on summer snacking, which I am passing on with her permission and blessing:
1) Awesome VEGGIE PLATTER with homemade dip: Use the standards like baby carrots, celery, cauliflower, etc., but don't forget about sugar snap peas, broccoli, lightly steamed green beans or zucchini and raw mushrooms. Make a dip from 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese and half cup of fat-free ranch salad dressing whirred up in a blender. Leftover steamed veggies can be put right in the dip before processing; this gives it extra flavor and another boost of veggies. Hummus is a wonderful and easy dip to make, too.
2) Ice Cream ALTERNATIVE: Ice cream is a special treat, but you can achieve the same cool, creamy deliciousness with low-fat frozen yogurt or sugar-free pudding made with nonfat milk. Turn them into freezer pops: Place clean, re-usable yogurt cups on a cookie sheet. (Or use new yogurt, but save those empties for later!) Fill with yogurt or pudding, and then cover the cups with a large sheet of cling wrap. Carefully insert a plastic spoon, handle-end first, through the wrap (you may have to cut a small slit in the center of the wrap over the cup with a knife) and into the yogurt or pudding. The spoon-end makes a cool handle, and it's also more stable for little hands. Freeze. Let them thaw for a minute or so at room temp, and they're easy to remove from the cups. Don't forget to re-use the spoons as well as the cups.
3) Heavenly Delicious: A big, fluffy slice of angel food cake is low in calories and kids love it! Top it with fresh fruit to add some vitamins and fiber, or cut it into cubes for dipping in fruit-flavored yogurt for an extra dose of calcium.
4) Mini-pizza Family Fun:
Basic Ingredients:
One or more tubes of refrigerator biscuits
Jar of canned pizza sauce or marinara
Bag of shredded cheese
You can add any topping you want, like thin slices of hot dogs, veggie dogs or smoky links. Inexpensive thin-sliced ham or any lunchmeat also works well. (Pineapple tidbits with the ham make an awesome Hawaiian Pizza!) Of course, pepperoni is always a favorite.
Smash the biscuits flat on a baking sheet, spread on a small spoonful of sauce, and then top them however you want. Bake on the same non-stick baking sheet at recommended temp for biscuits until the cheese melts and they look done -- usually takes about 8 minutes, depending on how much topping you use. Bake a large batch, let them cool, and then place them in individual zip-top bags. Remove as much air as possible and then freeze. These mini-pizzas can be heated in the microwave for about two minutes or so for a great summer snack.
5) Great excuse to buy one of those fancy new silicone cupcake pans:
Use a six-cupcake tin and put a different treat in each cupcake spot. Some choices include: cheese cubes, vegetables, cereal, raisins or fruit, pretzels, crackers, nuts, bagel pieces, etc. The kids like that they have a wide array of things to choose from and mix & match. What isn't used can be covered with cling wrap and refrigerated. The next day you can always add new selections.
6) Fun build-your-own idea, use with #5: Using toothpicks as skewers, thread on fruit and cheese of your choice, like pineapple, strawberries and chunks of mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Or try grapes, cheddar and apples. The choices are endless and you can cater to each child's taste. Make a big batch and stick them in an airtight container in the fridge where kids can reach. Use seasonal or canned fruit and big chunks of cheese you can cube down to size. Of course, if they are very young, watch the toothpicks! Any Dollar store has cocktail skewers that might be more colorful and fun. [7yo ADHD Phenom did this as an activity at camp for snack, and he loved it! He was especially interested and proud of different patterns they did (i.e. blueberry, blueberry, banana, grape, etc.), which is a great learning and small-manipulative activity.]
1) Awesome VEGGIE PLATTER with homemade dip: Use the standards like baby carrots, celery, cauliflower, etc., but don't forget about sugar snap peas, broccoli, lightly steamed green beans or zucchini and raw mushrooms. Make a dip from 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese and half cup of fat-free ranch salad dressing whirred up in a blender. Leftover steamed veggies can be put right in the dip before processing; this gives it extra flavor and another boost of veggies. Hummus is a wonderful and easy dip to make, too.
2) Ice Cream ALTERNATIVE: Ice cream is a special treat, but you can achieve the same cool, creamy deliciousness with low-fat frozen yogurt or sugar-free pudding made with nonfat milk. Turn them into freezer pops: Place clean, re-usable yogurt cups on a cookie sheet. (Or use new yogurt, but save those empties for later!) Fill with yogurt or pudding, and then cover the cups with a large sheet of cling wrap. Carefully insert a plastic spoon, handle-end first, through the wrap (you may have to cut a small slit in the center of the wrap over the cup with a knife) and into the yogurt or pudding. The spoon-end makes a cool handle, and it's also more stable for little hands. Freeze. Let them thaw for a minute or so at room temp, and they're easy to remove from the cups. Don't forget to re-use the spoons as well as the cups.
3) Heavenly Delicious: A big, fluffy slice of angel food cake is low in calories and kids love it! Top it with fresh fruit to add some vitamins and fiber, or cut it into cubes for dipping in fruit-flavored yogurt for an extra dose of calcium.
4) Mini-pizza Family Fun:
Basic Ingredients:
One or more tubes of refrigerator biscuits
Jar of canned pizza sauce or marinara
Bag of shredded cheese
You can add any topping you want, like thin slices of hot dogs, veggie dogs or smoky links. Inexpensive thin-sliced ham or any lunchmeat also works well. (Pineapple tidbits with the ham make an awesome Hawaiian Pizza!) Of course, pepperoni is always a favorite.
Smash the biscuits flat on a baking sheet, spread on a small spoonful of sauce, and then top them however you want. Bake on the same non-stick baking sheet at recommended temp for biscuits until the cheese melts and they look done -- usually takes about 8 minutes, depending on how much topping you use. Bake a large batch, let them cool, and then place them in individual zip-top bags. Remove as much air as possible and then freeze. These mini-pizzas can be heated in the microwave for about two minutes or so for a great summer snack.
5) Great excuse to buy one of those fancy new silicone cupcake pans:
Use a six-cupcake tin and put a different treat in each cupcake spot. Some choices include: cheese cubes, vegetables, cereal, raisins or fruit, pretzels, crackers, nuts, bagel pieces, etc. The kids like that they have a wide array of things to choose from and mix & match. What isn't used can be covered with cling wrap and refrigerated. The next day you can always add new selections.
6) Fun build-your-own idea, use with #5: Using toothpicks as skewers, thread on fruit and cheese of your choice, like pineapple, strawberries and chunks of mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Or try grapes, cheddar and apples. The choices are endless and you can cater to each child's taste. Make a big batch and stick them in an airtight container in the fridge where kids can reach. Use seasonal or canned fruit and big chunks of cheese you can cube down to size. Of course, if they are very young, watch the toothpicks! Any Dollar store has cocktail skewers that might be more colorful and fun. [7yo ADHD Phenom did this as an activity at camp for snack, and he loved it! He was especially interested and proud of different patterns they did (i.e. blueberry, blueberry, banana, grape, etc.), which is a great learning and small-manipulative activity.]
Reader Comments