I love making healthy and fun snacks for the holidays that kids will enjoy.  With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to make a few “green” snacks and a Rainbow snack with a pot of“gold”. Instead of just wearing green for St. Patrick’s Day, make sure to EAT Healthy GREEN food too!  Below are some easy, healthy and very delicious ideas.

 Zucchini, Celery & Cucumber Boats with Avocado Hummus
Adapted from Veggie Kids blog
 
1 medium zucchini, 1 Celery Stalk, 1 Cucumber
 (original recipe just used zucchini but I love it with celery and cucumber too)

 1 large ripe avocado
 ¼ cup Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 Tbsp Tahini
2 tsp water
 ½ tsp garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic
 ½ tsp sea salt
Juice of ½ lemon or lime
Optional Toppings:
Green bell pepper
Basil Green olives
 
In food processor, blend together avocado,  garbanzo beans (chickpeas), tahini, water, garlic powder (or garlic clove) sea
salt and lemon or lime juice.  Scrape down the sides as you go to keep the consistency  smooth.

Prepare the zucchini by rinsing, drying and trimming off the ends.  Slice it in half length wise and use a small spoon to scrape out the  inside.  Peel the cucumber then slice it in half length wise and scoop out the seeds.   Wash celery and cut stalk into 2-3 pieces.

Fill the inside, hollowed out portion of the zucchini, cucumber and celery with the avocado-garbanzo mixture and smooth
out.  Have fun adding more green toppings like green bell peppers, basil, green olives or whatever healthy green ingredients that you have on hand.

Next is my recipe for Guacamole to use in this fun Rainbow Snack that I saw in Parents Magazine. You could also use  the Avocado-Hummus recipe above in place of the Guacamole.

Rainbow Veggie Bowl with Guacamole
Guacamole:
1  Avocado
Juice of 1 Lime or Lemon
 ½  tsp  cumin
Handful of cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 Jalapeno pepper finely chopped (optional)

With a fork, mash the avocado in a bowl.  Add the other ingredients and mix well.  Transfer guacamole to a small bowl.  Cut red, orange, green and yellow bell  peppers into rainbow shapes and place over guacamole in bowl.  Add cauliflower on sides of rainbow for the clouds.  Cut carrots into “coins” for the gold at the end of the rainbow.  You can also use golden raisins for your pot of gold.

Holidays don’t have to be filled with unhealthy traditional choices. Add some of these new healthy ideas to your menu.  Hope you all have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day and remember to not only WEAR GREEN but EAT lots of Healthy GREEN food!  

Enjoy!

Make It Healthy and Make It Fun!

I love granola bars for a quick, easy, on the go snack.  My brother gave me a recipe for granola bars that he found in Sunset Magazine a long time ago.  It’s become my favorite granola bar recipe.  I substitute raisins and almonds if I don't have peanuts or cranberries.  My son and I both love these. 

Peanut Butter Cranberry Granola Bars, based on recipe from Sunset Magazine, October 2008.

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup oat bran
3 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup each chopped peanuts, dried cranberries and finely chopped Mission figs
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
¾ cup chunky or regular peanut butter
¼ cup milk (I use soy or almond milk)
1 large egg
½ cup honey or agave nectar
Finely shredded zest from 1 lemon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Line a 9x13 inch pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on the 9 in. sides, and coat with cooking spray. 

1.  In a large bowl, stir together oats, oat bran, flax seeds, flour, baking powder, salt, peanuts, cranberries and figs until well blended.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, milk, egg, honey, lemon zest and lemon juice until well blended.
3. Add the flour mixture to peanut butter mixture and beat until completely blended.  Scrape dough into pan and, with wet fingers or a rubber spatula, pat to fill pan completely and evenly (dough is sticky).  Chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat over to 300 degrees.  After dough is chilled, invert pan onto a work surface, lift off pan and peel off plastic.  Cut straight down lengthwise through middle then crosswise to make 16 bars, about 1-1/2 inch wide.  Place bars about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake bars until lightly browned and somewhat firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

I use snack size baggies and place a bar in each bag, then freeze.  Or store all in airtight container.

Enjoy!

Make It Healthy and Make It Fun!

This post isn’t about fruits or vegetables or anything that is edible, but it’s about something fun you can make in the kitchen with your kids:   Play-Dough!    Play-Dough is a modeling compound used for arts and crafts and has been popular with kids for over 50 years. My mom always made us homemade play-dough when I was growing up.  It is so quick and easy to make. It can keep kids entertained for hours as they use their creativity and imaginations with this fun substance.   

This recipe is cooked over the stove so be careful with the kids.  They can still be involved with the measuring, adding food coloring and kneeding it together at the end.  You can store the play-dough in a glass jar or plastic container in the refrigerator. 

Homemade Play-Dough 
 1 cup flour
 ½ cup salt
 1 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
 1 tsp cream of tartar
 1 cup water tinted with a few drops of food coloring
 Add all ingredients to pan and cook over medium heat until it gathers together like puff pastry.  Stir constantly.  

Knead, Cool and Play.  

Enjoy! 
Make It Healthy and Make It Fun!