Friday, March 14, 2008

the big crunch

I think we have all been there, the big crunch. It is a race between your stomach and the clock... or at our house- five stomachs, three sets of loud lungs, and the clock. What can you possibly put out on the table in 3.5 seconds that will work?
This week we have endulged in the power of apples slices and peanut butter...
They love to "frost" it them themselves and a thin apple slice can go a long way in dealing with that sweet tooth- not to mention the protien from the pb. (besides the fact that I can get them going on one and deal with the details as they frost...)
Please add your favorite healthy quick snacks... even moderately quick will do. Snack time is approaching fast :)

I did a little hunting online and this is a cute recipe I found to spice up my plain apple pb combo... It doesn't say what kind of yogurt to use... but I like the low sugar content-


Fruit Critters with Yogurt Peanut Butter Dip
Recipe courtesy Kathleen Daelemans
Show:
Cooking Thin
Episode:
Mother & Daughter Health

1 1/2 cups lowfat yogurt
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar


1 pint strawberries
1/2 cup raisins
3 apples
1 1/2 cups seedless grapes
3 bananas, peeled
Thin pretzel sticks
Sunflower seeds

In a food processor, combine yogurt, peanut butter and dark brown sugar and puree. Pour into a decorative bowl and chill in the refrigerator, about 20 minutes.

While the dip is chilling, make fruit "critters" using the fruits for bodies, pretzel sticks for legs, and raisins for eyes. Here are some suggestions, but use your imagination!

Quarter and core an apple. Place the flesh side down so the peel is facing up. This will be the shell for a "beetle". Cut 1 raisin in 1/2, place the inside down towards 1 end of the apple to make "eyes" for your beetle. Break 4 pretzel sticks in half and insert into the bottom for legs.

Carefully thread grapes onto a pretzel stick to make a caterpillar. Stick 2 sunflower seeds into one of the end grapes to make eyes. You can also use 2 kinds of grapes to make a multi colored caterpillar.

For a fly or bee: Cut off the last 2 inches of a banana, so you have a piece with a slight curve and a tapered end. This will be the body. Carefully stick a pretzel stick into the cut surface so half is in the banana and half is sticking out. Core a strawberry and carefully stick in onto the other half of the pretzel stick to attach the "head". Cut a raisin in 1/2 and stick the cut side onto either side of the strawberry to make "eyes". Cut 2 slices of apple and carefully stick into the banana to make wings.

Dip the critters in the dip and enjoy!

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