If you didn’t know it before, you know it now: I hate cooking! I’m working really hard to broaden my horizons though, and a few weeks ago I made bowties with snap peas and ricotta. And it wasn’t a disaster! (takes a bow)
I know, I know, a simple pasta dish isn’t exactly going to make me Rising Star Chef of the Year. But it’s a big deal for me, okay! You can watch me make it here.
This week I made my way back into the kitchen and I brought a sous chef. Jasper is a total foodie and he spends plenty of time rifling through the pantry, so I figured it was time he did some of the leg work. Watch us make my true specialty, ants on a log!
-Jasper’s food follies
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Materials:
To be quite honest, finding snacks for kids isn’t very hard in my household because Jasper does all the finding himself. 🙄 He’s been known to eat an entire stick of butter, chunks of garlic (why??), whole tubs of ice cream (though who can blame him)…you get the idea. Say what you will about the boy, he’ll never starve!
Still, I’d rather he ate food a little less…chaotically. Like, wouldn’t it be nice if instead of just finding an empty butter wrapper and lots of greasy fingerprints, then putting together the clues I handed him a plate of something healthy? Even better, wouldn’t it be nice if Jasper were able to assemble some reasonable food on his own? It sounds pretty great to me.
I know that it can be hard to think up intentional snacks for kids when you have a hangry toddler hanging onto your leg. So why not give the toddler some ideas so he can come up with his own snacks? Nothing could go wrong, right?
Without further ado, I present:
Cooking with Jasper: Ants on a Log
Watch me teach Jasper to make my culinary magnum opus, ants on a log!
It will probably be a few years before I can set Jasper free in the kitchen with total confidence (did you see that knife grab? 😮 Yikes!!). Still, ants on a log is definitely a snack that kids can make without too much help.
My 5 go-to snacks for kids
Ants on a log
- Wash and slice celery into 3-4 inch lengths.
- Spread some peanut butter into the celery divot.
- Top with raisins. Tadaa!
Apples and cheese
- Slice your favorite cheddar cheese.
- Slice some apples.
- Put the cheese on the apples. A salty and sweet symphony.
Snack-uterie board
Okay, this one takes some more time. But I’d much rather arrange food than actually cook it, so I don’t mind.
- Gather your and your kid’s favorite snacks. I like using crackers, dried and sliced fruit, a few cookies, popcorn, cheeses, a few candies, and some sliced ham.
- Arrange your treats on the board. This is where the craftiness kicks in!
- Enjoy the tasty spread of snacks and treats together.
Snack-uterie boards are perfect for movie nights, game nights, or other times when the family is all sitting around and snacking. Check out my most recent one, the Char-boo-terie board, and my original Painted Charcuterie board.
Babybel and wheat thins
You know those babybel cheeses that come in the cute red wax wrappers? I think they’re great snacks for kids because they’re compact and don’t require any knives or slicing, and they’re delicious. They’re delicious, and the wax wrappers are also fun to model into little shapes.
- Unwrap your cheese.
- Use a stiff cracker (like a wheat thin) to chop of some of the cheese, and enjoy.
hummus with pita strips, carrots, and celery
- Spoon some hummus into a bowl.
- Slice a few pitas into strips or triangles (bonus points if you toast them first, but it’s not necessary).
- Wash and slice a few carrots and celery sticks into 3-4 inch sticks.
- Dip, then relish the combination of creamy and crunchy.
What are your go-to snacks for kids? I’d love to hear what your favorites are (and add them to my snacking arsenal)!