Banana Muffins

3 or 4 Large bananas, mashed (the more bananas the moister, so I use 4)

1/2 cup white sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup, but I don’t like them too sweet)

1 slightly beaten egg

1/3 cup melted margarine or butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

 

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together! Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees F oven for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Deviled Egg Boats

12 hard-boiled eggs

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons vinegar (white or cider)

1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 red, orange, yellow, or green bell peppers

Paprika

 

Peel the eggs, then slice each one in half to make boats. Place the yolks in a medium-sized bowl and mash them with a fork. Add the mustard and the vinegar, then add the mayonnaise, stirring until the consistency is smooth but not soupy.

Next, make the sails. To do this, cut each pepper into 1-inch-wide strips, then cut the strips into 1-inch squares and slice each square in half diagonally.

Fill the egg-white halves with the yolk mixture. Stick the sail upright into the filling and sprinkle with paprika. Makes two dozen. 

Sunny Pineapple

1/2 pt. heavy cream
Few grains salt
1 tsp. pineapple juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups mini marshmallows
Fresh or canned pineapple slices

In a chilled stainless steel mixing bowl, combine the heavy cream, salt, pineapple juice and vanilla extract. Whip until soft peaks form. Fold in the mini marshmallows, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The marshmallows will sweeten the cream as it sets.)Just before serving, trim the outer edges of the pineapple slices to resemble sun rays. Place each pineapple slice in the center of a plate and top with a generous dollop of marshmallow cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Date Bars

1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup sugar

Salt

1/2 cup whole natural almonds, chopped

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine

 In 2-quart saucepan over high heat, heat dates, orange juice, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very thick. Remove from heat; stir in almonds.  Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour a 9" by 9" baking pan. In medium-sized bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Pat half of oat mixture onto bottom of pan. Evenly spread date mixture on top of oat layer. Pat remaining oat mixture onto date layer. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. When cold, cut into 18 pieces. Store in tightly covered container.

Fish in the River

celery
cream cheese or cheese spread
goldfish crackers

Assemble as shown in picture.  For fun you can use flavored cream cheese or tint it with blue food coloring before spreading in the celery.

Caterpillar Sandwiches

medium carrots or green or yellow bell pepper
6 spinach tortillas (7-8 inches)
3/4 cup peanut butter or cream cheese
1/3 cup jelly (or sub tuna salad for peanut butter and jelly)
6 cherry tomatoes
cheddar cheese, cut into matchstick pieces
(Serves 6)

This is a fun snack idea that kids can help assemble for a fun activity!

Peel carrot and cut carrot crosswise into fourths. Cut 1-inch matchstick pieces of carrot or pepper (you should have 48 sticks). Spread cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly or tuna salad on tortilla, about 2 tablespoons. Roll up tortillas to form spirals; press lightly to seal.  Cut each tortilla crosswise into five pieces.  On each of the six plates, arrange five tortilla pieces side to side, in a wavy line, with cut side down to resemble a caterpillar. To make a caterpillar head put a tomato at the end and insert pieces of cheddar cheese in tomato for antennae. To make legs, arrange four carrot sticks on each side of caterpillar.

Go Fish Snacks

Peanut Butter
Hard Breadsticks or Pretzel Sticks
Goldfish crackers

Put one tablespoon of peanut butter, 2 breadsticks and a few crackers on a large plate for each child.  Children can dip their breadsticks into the peanut butter and then "fish" for the crackers on their plates.

Lucky Clover Snacks and Magic Milk

Cucumber Slices (wedged)
Celery Sticks
Cream Cheese
Green Food Coloring

Milk

Tint cream cheese with food coloring
Place scoops of cream cheese in the center of snack plates
Place cucumber wedges around cream cheese to resemble a four leaf clover
Use celery sticks for stems

Place a drop of food coloring in the bottom of cups before giving them to the children.  When you fill the cups with milk, it will magically turn green!  You may want to give the children "magic wands" or spoons to mix the color into the milk.  

“One Fish, Two Fish” Yink’s Pink Ink

1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free strawberry, strawberry kiwi or strawberry mango yogurt
1/2 cup sliced fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice or V8 Splash red juice (makes it more pink)
Pineapple chunks, orange slices, strawberries or kiwifruit slices, for garnish if desired

In blender, place yogurt, strawberries and juice. Cover; blend on medium speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. 

Traffic Lights (with Yogurt Peanut Butter Dip)

Strawberries
Pineapple Chunks
Kiwi, cut into big chunks
Popsicle Sticks

Slide fruit onto popsicle sticks to make "traffic lights."

1 1/2 cups vanilla or plain yogurt
2 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar

Blend yogurt, peanut butter and brown sugar well.  Chill in refrigerator.  Serve in little cups or bowls to dip traffic lights (or pretzels, graham crackers, apple slices) 

 

Valentine Heart Breadsticks

1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated soft breadsticks

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

 

Twist 2 pieces breadstick dough together; form into heart shape.

Place on cookie sheet.

Repeat with remaining breadstick dough.

Sprinkle hearts with cheese and thyme.

Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Apple Butterflies

1/2 cup peanut butter
4 fresh baby carrots
1 large red apple
8 pieces celery, thin strips (2-inch-long)
colored decorator sugar, cinnamon, raisins, craisins, peas, fruit loops or Cheerios (optional)

Spoon 2 tablespoons peanut butter onto center of each of 4 individual plates. Shape peanut butter on each plate into a mound about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Place 1 carrot down center of each mound of peanut butter.

Cut apple into quarters; remove core. Cut each quarter into 7 thin slices; cut 1 slice in half crosswise. Fan 3 apple slices on each side near top of each carrot to form upper wings. Place 1 half-slice on each side near bottom of each carrot to form lower wings.

Place 2 strips of celery at top of each carrot to form antennae. Sprinkle apple slices with decorator sugar (optional).

Decorate wings with raisins, craisins, peas, fruit loops or Cheerios.

*add cinnamon to peanut butter for an added kick