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snack

American Flag Graham Cracker Treat for Kids

July 4, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Happy 4th of July! Today I am bringing you a last minute patriotic snack that you can make for your kids (or have them help with).

The American flag graham cracker treat is ultra simple and you probably have everything that you need on hand to make this fun and mostly healthy treat.

Star Spangled American Flag graham cracker treat 4th of July Patriotic DIY Activity for Kids

Patriotic Graham Cracker USA Flag Snack for Kids - 4th of July and Memorial Day

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

One of my new goals this year is to do “things”. For whatever reason, I have a bad habit of making beautiful Pinterest boards, loads of lists and tons of projects in my mind but then I don’t do them.

So this year, I am doing.  Even if it isn’t perfect. It might not be Pinterest “worthy,” heck, it might even be a complete fail. But I am making it happen. You know what? My kids are loving it and so am I. It feels good to start and finish something. Even if it is a just a graham cracker that looks like a flag.

Want More Red, White & Blue Treats? Try this Kid inspired 4th of July Trail Mix.

American Flag Graham Cracker Treat

You only need a couple of ingredients to make this easy American flag graham cracker snack. I used organic graham crackers, cream cheese, strawberries, blueberries and strawberry jelly.

Snack Assembly:

Ya’ll, this is so easy. Just take a graham cracker and spread slightly softened cream cheese across the entire cracker.

Next, place your blueberries in the top left corner. Spread a couple of lines of strawberry jelly across the flag to create some stripes. See how mine are not perfect? Not Pinterest worthy. Not award winning. Just do it.

My kids didn’t care that it wasn’t meticulously drawn out. It was fun and holiday themed. It was a tasty treat that was out of the norm and that is what they like.

Add the sliced strawberries onto the strawberry jelly to complete the American flag graham cracker treat.

You can really adapt this idea to whatever you have on hand!

Use toast instead of a graham cracker.

Vanilla icing in place of the cream cheese.

Dried cranberries instead of strawberries. Or Red M&M’s if you are a fun mom! The icing and M&M combo sounds like something I may need to eat! Sorry Kids.

I hope you love this Red, White & Blue American flag graham cracker snack. What is your favorite American themed food to eat or make on this holiday?

Filed Under: Featured, Play Tagged With: 4th of July, American, craft, flag, food, kid food, patriotic, red white and blue, snack

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

November 2, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Simple Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos for a quick lunch or snack on a low carb lifestyle.

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos - Low Carb and Trim Healthy Mama S Meal - Diabetic Friendly - Easy and quick lunch or dinner for keto diet

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

My most popular recipe so far has been the Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken with Cauli rice (pinned more than 100k times!). Since I usually have the ingredients on hand, I was thinking about making it yesterday. But then I saw some mini bell peppers in my fridge and another idea was born!

I decided to make some keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos inspired by the original recipe. With a little meal prep that I had done earlier in the week, these came together very quick for a tasty lunch. Just because you are following a low carb diet doesn’t mean that you don’t want some cheesy nachos in your life!

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

Just like the original recipe, you need just a few ingredients to make this easy keto friendly lunch. Mini bell peppers, cream cheese, chicken and salsa verde are all you need.

I used the microwave for the cheesy salsa sauce for this recipe but you could also use one of those small crockpots to melt it down if you wanted to throw it together earlier in the day. Melt the salsa with the cream cheese for about a minute in the microwave.

Cream cheese and green salsa verde - keto low carb recipe

For the chicken, I used my instant pot  to shred up a bunch of chicken thighs earlier in the week. If you don’t want to cook your own chicken, a rotisserie chicken would work well with these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos.

Mix the cream cheese/salsa mixture, the chicken and the shredded cheese in a medium bowl.

Add the mixture to your cut and prepared mini peppers. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. I then broiled it for 2 minutes on high so that the tops would get a light brown crust on top!

Salsa Verde Chicken Mini Bell Pepper Nachos for an easy Keto - Low Carb lunch or snack

The cheesy chicken filling has a slight kick from the salsa verde and the mini bell peppers serve as the perfect vessel to get that yummy goodness into your mouth. Don’t forget some extra salsa verde and sour cream for dipping.

If you need some variety in your Keto or Trim Healthy Mama (S) lunch routine, I hope you try these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos. If you love the low carb lifestyle, don’t forget to try these smoked salmon, cream cheese roll ups and cheeseburger soup.

And don’t forget to make yourself a 2 minute keto breakfast in the microwave in the morning.

Print Recipe
Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos
Servings
Ingredients
  • 5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
  • 2 oz Cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup salsa verde
  • 1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
Servings
Ingredients
  • 5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
  • 2 oz Cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup salsa verde
  • 1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prep the mini bell peppers by cutting off the top, slicing lengthwise and removing seeds.
  3. Place the cream cheese and salsa verde in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 minute. You may want to do this in 30 second increments to ensure it doesn't burn.
  4. If your precooked chicken is cold, warm it slightly in the microwave .
  5. Add the salsa/cream cheese mixture, warm chicken and shredded cheddar cheese to a small mixing bowl and combine.
  6. Stuff the sliced peppers with approximately a tablespoon of the cheesy chicken mixture. The exact measurement will vary based on the size of your peppers.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
  8. Broil for 2 minutes until the tops are slightly browned.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Plan, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: bell pepper nachos, diabetic, dinner, easy, Keto, low carb, lunch, recipe, snack, THM S, Trim Healthy mama

Apple Cinnamon Trail Mix

August 11, 2018 by Stacy Craft 6 Comments

Real (freeze dried) apples, cereal, and notes of cinnamon make up this simple to assemble Apple cinnamon trail mix.

Fall Inspired Apple Cinnamon Trail Mix

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Back to school is just around the corner and I have had apples on the brain. The grocery store is gearing up with all their apple flavored snacks and I even saw some pumpkin spice out today. Fall is coming ya’ll! So while I was shopping, all of those new apple cinnamon products were calling my name. I picked up a few things to create this super simple apple cinnamon trail mix.

So, you know the trail mixes at Christmas that everyone seems to make? It is very yummy but you have to turn on an oven or a crockpot, melt butter, mix everything up, wash a dish. You get my point – it is time consuming and best if someone gifts it to you! I know that probably sounds lazy but sometimes we just need a simple treat.

This apple cinnamon trail mix is a fun, seasonal treat without a lot of fuss. It is no cook and so simple your kids can assemble it.

Apple Cinnamon Trail Mix

A snack mix is fun because you can easily add or subtract ingredients without having to worry about a recipe. Find another apple or cinnamon item, throw in a handful or two. Hate something shown? Just omit it. Easy as pie.

Shopping List:

Apple Cinnamon Cheerios

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Freeze Dried Apples

Cinnamon Apple Straws (Aldi)

Mini Bear Grahams Apple Cinnamon (Aldi)

Apple Cinnamon Trail Mix Products

If you wanted to add in something extra, some white chocolate chips would be great. If your kids eat nuts, I think cashews would be a great addition to this apple cinnamon trail mix.

Assemble The Snack Mix

Add one cup of each item into a large bowl. I measured out a cup of each but when I make more, the handful method will be used!

Once you have all your items in the bowl gently mix to combine. I just used my hands but you could use a plastic spoon or spatula.

Store in a large ziplock bag. I am going to test out how the Freeze dried apples do with the rest of the crunchy items and will update in a day or two!

I had a disaster last year with my apple cinnamon trail mix so I just want to make sure that does not happen again. And in case you see the cute, apple shaped fruit snacks at the store that I saw, do NOT add them to your crunchy mix. The moisture in the gummy treat will make your crunchy items taste stale within a day or two. I am hoping that the freeze dried fruit doesn’t do that.

*Update* The freeze dried apples did just fine. After two days, everything is still crunchy and delicious.

The apple cinnamon trail mix is also a tasty back to school classroom treat. Add 1 cup or 1.5 cups to a clear favor bag, attach a super cute apple label, write “Apple Cinnamon Trail Mix” on your label, and tie it up with a red ribbon.

Need some more Fall & Apple in your life? Check out this fun Apple Cinnamon and Oatmeal Sensory Bin.

Fun Apple Finds:


 

 

 

Filed Under: Featured, Plan, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: apple cinnamon, fall, kid food, kid friendly, kids in kitchen, lunchbox, no bake, school, snack, trail mix

Red, White And Blue Toddler Trail Mix

July 4, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Looking for a healthy treat for your toddler on this 4th of July? I love trail mix snacks because they are super easy to put together and very versatile. It is a great way to use up things in your pantry.

This red, white and blue toddler trail mix is a cute way to celebrate patriotic holidays with your little one!

red, white and blue toddler trail mix

Patriotic USA Trail Mix for Kids and Toddlers

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Another fun 4th of July Snack – USA Graham Cracker Flag

Red, White and Blue Toddler Trail Mix

For this red, white and blue toddler trail mix , I used some of our favorite snacks that are always in our pantry. My 4 year old even joined in to help me put it all together. It is a great activity for a younger child to help with because you don’t even need to measure.

Ingredients

Since it is July 4th, a patriotic theme was on my mind. I wanted to select red, white and blue things for this mix that would be appealing to young kids.

The Red

Dried Strawberries

Dried Cranberries

The White

Greek Yogurt Covered Craisins

Cheerios (Frosted Cheerios would be even more fun!)

The Blue

Dried Blueberries

Star Shaped Blueberry Puffs (I didn’t have these but they would be a great addition since they are in a fun Star Shape)

Red White and Blue Toddler Trail Mix Ingredient List

Of course use your judgement and don’t feed your babies something that they are not ready for at the stage that they are in. I picked out select things that my 8 month old could safely eat and allowed my 4 year old to eat as she pleased.

Red, White & Blue Toddler Trail Mix Assembly

Trail mix is the best to make because you literally just dump everything together. I used about 1 cup of cereal and about a 1/2 a cup of the other items. To be honest, I didn’t measure. I just grabbed handfuls of things but if you want to measure, that is the ratio that I would use.

My little helper assisting in the process. Check out the cute little photo bomb. He was wanting to help but was satisfied by a few Cheerios instead.

Healthy Trail Mix Assembly

Here she is snacking on her red, white and blue toddler trail mix.

Preschool Kid eating healthy trail mix snack

If you are looking for other healthy ideas for your kids, check out this No Sugar Added Georgia Peach Oatmeal. It has a great texture for kids that hate mushy oats and is naturally sweet.

What is your favorite, healthy 4th of July snack?

Filed Under: Featured, Play Tagged With: 4th of July, America, blue, healthy, kids, patriotic, red, snack, toddler, white

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