Monday Munchies: Simple Snacking Surprises.

So, occasionally I'll see something like this:

 or this:

....and I start feeling pretty crummy about the lame Wheat Thins or Goldfish I threw in a baggy at my kid just before heading into the van.


And while it is awe inspiring and really nice for a party or special occasion to spend an hour creating a snack masterpiece that will be devoured in approximately 5 minutes, I've discovered that just a little twist on an old (and inexpensive) favorite can result in a big smile and an unspoken understanding of love between me and my kids.


So, break out the Pretzel sticks.


Sometimes (especially for family movie night) I give my kids pretzel sticks for a snack.  After Easter we had lots of egg candy lying around.  When I dumped a few pretzels into the bowl and it looked like a nest, I put a few Robin Eggs chocolates inside and voilà! An exciting bird's nest snacktime was born.


Since our first bird's nest snack, I have tried a few different twists with things we have on hand. Marshmallows also make a fun surprise in your nest.  And sometimes I arrange the pretzels to look like a little bonfire with a few marshmallows stuck to the ends like we are going to roast them on the fire. The kids LOVE this! 

While I hope to keep aspiring to a level of superior child snacking such as this:

My kids are pretty happy with our little pretzel nests and pretzel bonfires.  What are some simple snacking favorites in your family?

Super Quick Snack on a Stick!

Do you ever need 5-10 minutes to finish wrapping up your kitchen cleaning or baking? Here is a quick idea that I have successfully tried with my 1 (almost 2!) year old.  

All you need is a piece of pipe cleaner and a bowl of fruit loops.

My daughter was happily painting, but my little guy was ready to go play outside. While I finished unloading the dishwasher, I handed him a bowl filled with fruit loops and a pipe cleaner and showed him how to put a few loops on. He was thrilled with the new game!  Obviously I knew he would eventually start eating the fruit loops, but the "game" seemed to make snack time more fun.  My little guy was busy putting loops on and off the pipe cleaner for about ten minutes.  

Your own Toucan Sam will enjoy making snack time last a few extra minutes while also working on some fine motor skills. Bonus!

How to Entertain Your Dragons.

As we all know, school is back in session for the big kids. 


Here at home, we have been busy playing with blocks, reading books, jumping on the trampoline, etc. I thought today I would take a few minutes and spice up our mid-morning snack by making it much more formal for our hostess, my daughter, and by inviting a special guest--our little dragon.  We also used some tiny glass dishes that were super fancy to make the occasion even more special. 

By this time the dragon was overheated and he became a little boy again.

Since my kids (and most kids!) love to dress up, this was a quick, free, easy way to make our morning a little more exciting. I have a feeling we will have many more special guests at snack time in the near future. Princesses, Star Wars characters, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.....

After our fancy dress-up snack, we took our crayons over to the Easel, which is the great Ikea Easel--love it, and we made a little portrait for Daddy to enjoy later.  It was an exciting, culturally-rich morning for us all.  Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to make the little ones feel special!

And remember:  "Always speak politely to an enraged Dragon."