Use dabs of cream cheese to attach six bing cherries in a curved line.
Sandwich cherry-stem antennae between the front two cherries.
For eyes, roll two small balls of cream cheese, press them flat onto the head cherry, and top them with decorators' gel pupils. Be sure to warn snackers about the cherry pits.
- Ingredients
- Cheese sticks
- 1/2-inch-thick slices of bologna
- Mustard
- Bugles corn snacks
- Raisins
- Instructions
For each pencil, cut off one end of a cheese stick so that it's flat. Use a paring knife or apple corer to cut a 3/4-inch circle out of the bologna.
Dab one end of the circle into the mustard, then attach it to the flat end of the cheese stick.
Snap off the end of a Bugle so that its edges are even, and gently press it onto the other end of the cheese stick. Slide half a raisin onto the Bugle for the pencil tip, and you've got a snack that's just write!
- Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers
- Radish
- 2 black-eyed peas
- Toothpicks
- Knife
- Instructions
Decide where you want the driver's seat on the cucumber body -- in the middle or slightly toward the back is best. Using a sharp knife (a parent's job), slice out a radish-size wedge that has a slightly slanted front (the dashboard) and a curved back. "Be conservative in cutting," warns Freymann. "You can always remove more cucumber later." If you like, test the fit of your radish at this point.
Slice 4 wheels from the second cucumber. Make them roughly the same diameter and about 1/2-inch thick. "It works best to slice these from the very center, or two from opposite ends, depending on the shape of the cucumber," Freymann says.
Using 4 toothpick axles, attach each wheel separately. "This is not a functional set of wheels," says Freymann. "The goal here is just to get them to stay put."
Pick a radish for your driver. The root end will be the nose and should poke into the air at a jaunty angle. Using a toothpick, create 2 holes and press in 2 small black-eyed peas for eyes. "You don't even have to bother with a mouth," says Freymann. Slice off the other end of the radish at a slight angle so that your driver sit comfortably in the seat. For added safety, attach your driver to the car with a toothpick. Now we suggest a race to a bowl of dip!
- Ingredients
- Tortillas
- Toothpicks
- Small veggies -- we suggest peas, baby carrots, baby corn ears, grape
- tomatoes, and cornichons (or any small pickle)
- Dip or dressing
- Instructions
To create each cornucopia, cut a tortilla in half. Roll it into a cone with the rounded edge at the open end. Secure the cone with a toothpick, then fill it with small veggies. Serve with your favorite dip or dressing.
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 4 cups of mini marshmallows
- 5 cups of puffed corn cereal
- 1 1/3 cups diced dried fruit (we used raisins, papaya, cranberries, and apricots)
- Popsicle sticks
- Fruit leather
- Ingredients
- Green apple (such as a Granny Smith)
- Cream cheese
- Chocolate chips
- Green grapes
- Instructions
Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core. Cut a thin wedge from one quarter for a mouth. For the eyes, shape cream cheese into two half-inch balls, and set them in place. Insert a chocolate chip, point-side in, into each cream cheese ball.
Use the grapes, cut in half, for the legs and feet. Slice four halves to create toes. Arrange the pieces as shown and serve on a paper lily pad.
- Ingredients
- Any kind of fruit of relatively the same size
- OPTIONS
- Apples
- Pears
- Oranges
- Instructions
Slice two pieces of fruit that are relatively the same size and alternately stack the pieces, as shown.
- Ingredients
- Kiwis
- Black-eyed peas
- Toothpick
- Instructions
Tip the kiwi so that the stem points toward you. The stem will become the nose in the middle of the face.
Using a toothpick, make 2 small holes for the eyes and press 2 black-eyed peas into them. "Experiment with different eye placements on different kiwis," says Freymann. You can even use a pea on one side and a slit on the other to make your kiwi wink. Or skip the peas and just use the toothpick to create small slits -- for sleepy and happy faces.
Use a toothpick to create the mouth. A single small hole makes a surprised look. Connecting series of tiny holes together is an easy way to make a smile. "You can excavate as much as you want -- and even build green kiwi teeth by creating a deep hole and leaving a ridge of kiwi fruit along the top," Freymann says.
When you're done, take a snapshot if you like, but then peel and eat the kiwis. "That's very important," Freymann says. "These faces don't stay fresh for long -- and kiwis are delicious."
- Ingredients
- Large pineapple
- Small skewers (we used 50 6-inch bamboo skewers)
- Assorted fresh fruit (we used grapes, strawberries, star fruit, and honeydew)
- Instructions
To make the tree trunk, remove the top and cut 1 inch off of the bottom of a large pineapple, then peel it (all a parent's job).
On the skewers, thread three to five pieces of assorted fresh fruits.
Starting at the bottom, insert the skewers into the pineapple at a slight angle. Top the tree with skewered slices of star fruit. After the branches are eaten, don't forget to slice up the tree trunk.
- Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries
- Mini chocolate chips
- Black decorators' icing
- Almond slivers
- Toothpick
- Red lace licorice
- Wedge of Cheese (Your choice)
- Instructions
For each mouse, slice a small section from the side of a strawberry so it sits flat.
Press a mini chocolate chip into the tip for a nose, using a small dab of icing to secure it in place, if needed.
Add icing eyes and stick 2 almond slivers into the top of the berry for ears.
For a tail, use a toothpick to carve a small hole in the back of the berry and push the end of a piece of licorice lace into the hole. Serve these berry cute treats with small triangles of cheese.
- Ingredients
- Store-bought pizza dough (half a bag)
- 2 white button mushrooms, sliced
- Olive oil for brushing
- Toppings, such as peppers, carrots, olives, fresh basil, and pepperoni
- Sauce of your choice (we used both pesto and tomato)
- Mozzarella (we cut deli-style slices into disks with a biscuit cutter)
- Instructions
Heat the oven to 400 F. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet so that it extends slightly beyond each end. If needed, let the dough rise according to the package directions. Divide the dough into 15 one-inch balls and combine 3 balls to make the head. Have your child dust her hands with flour, then let her arrange the balls on the cookie sheet and flatten them slightly with her palms.
Press the mushroom slices under the dough for legs, as shown. Brush the dough and mushrooms with olive oil, then bake until the dough is starting to crisp around the edges, about 10 minutes.
While the dough bakes, create the caterpillar features from your choice of toppings. We used green peppers and carrots.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Using the parchment paper as a carrier, lift the caterpillar off the cookie sheet and set it on a wire rack. When it's cool enough for your child to touch, let her paint the surface with sauce and arrange the Mozzarella and toppings. Again using the parchment, set the caterpillar back on the cookie sheet and bake it until the cheese is just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Let it cool slightly, slice, and serve.
- Ingredients
- Cocktail pumpernickel bread
- Vegetable cream cheese
- DECORATIONS:
- Peas (eyes)
- Red pepper
- Pepperoni
- Cheese
- Cashew
- Slivered almond
- Parsley
- Instructions
For each sandwich, spread vegetable cream cheese between 2 slices of cocktail pumpernickel bread.
For the head, use a small drinking glass or round cookie cutter to cut a circle from another slice of bread, then stick it to the top of the sandwich with a dab of cream cheese.
Likewise, add facial features such as pea eyes, a red pepper or pepperoni snood (above the beak), and a pepper, cheese, or cashew beak. Finally, wedge pepper, slivered-almond, or parsley-sprig feathers between the bread slices.
