All-Star Fudgy Baseballs and Bats
1 c Carob powder
1 c Water
1/4 c Honey
1/4 c Peanut butter (smooth or cru 3/4 c Wheat germ
3/4 c Rolled oats
2 tb Dry milk powder
1/2 c Unsweetened shredded coconut 1 ts Cinnamon (optional)
1/2 ts Grated orange rind (optional)
In a small saucepan, combine the carob and water. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the honey and peanut butter and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until syrup is smooth and slightly thickened.
In a large bowl, mix together the wheat germ, oats, milk powder, coconut, cinnamon, and orange rind (if desired).
Pour about one cup of the carob syrup over the dry mixture, or as much as is needed to make a pliable, dough-like consistency. Store the remainder in the refrigerator and use as an icing or to make great milk shakes.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll each piece between your palms into 2-inch-long tubes about the circumference of a fountain pen, tapered at one end in the shape of a baseball bat. Roll the rest
into marble-sized balls.
Apple Smiles
1 Red medium apple; cored & sliced about 1/3" wide, not skinned! Peanut butter (creamy works best)
Tiny marshmallows.
Spread one side of each apple slice with peanut butter. Place three or four tiny marshmallows on top of the peanut butter on one apple slice. Top with another apple slice, peanut butter side down.
Squeeze gently. Eat right away..makes 8-10
Bunny Salad
1 Chilled pear half
2 Raisins
1 Red cinnamon candy 2 Blanched almonds -cottage cheese ball
Place crisp lettuce leaf on plate. On top of it, place pear upside down. Make bunny, using narrow end for face. Two raisins for the eyes, 1 red cinnamon candy for the nose and 2 blanched almonds for the ears. The cottage cheese ball makes the tail.
Butterfly Bites
2 Stalks of celery
12 lg Three-ring pretzels
6 tb Peanut butter or cream cheese About 18 raisins or currents
12 Slivered almonds or enoki mushrooms
Wash the celery. Using plastic knives, cut the celery into thirds. Fill each celery stalk with one tablespoon of either peanut butter or cream cheese. For the wings, gently push 1 pretzel into the filling, running parallel to the length of the celery stick. Do the same on the celery's other lengthwise side. Arrange the raisins or currents as the eyes, nose and mouth. For antennae, push the slivered almonds or mushroom cap into filling. If using mushrooms, arrange the spaghetti- like mushroom tips upward, like an antenna.
Cat's Eyes
1/2 c Peanut butter
8 Ritz crackers
1 Banana; cut into 8 slices 8 Raisins
Spread peanut butter on crackers and top each with a slice of banana. Place a raisin in center of each banana to form a cat's eye and repeat for all banana topped crackers.
Chocolate Spiders version #1
4 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips
Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Let stand over the water until water is cool, about 10 minutes. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Pour chocolate into a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/8-inch or 1/4- inch tip. Squeeze chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of spiders. If chocolate is runny it needs to be cooled longer. Chill the spiders for about 10 minutes. When hard peel off wax paper. Store in refrigerator laid flat.
Chocolate Spiders version #2
12 oz Twizzlers; chocolate flavor 4 oz Milk chocolate candy melts
Cut twizzlers into 1 1/2" pieces. Slice each piece in half lengthwise. On waxed paper place 4 legs (pieces) on each side and then drop 1 tsp melted candy in middle for body. Use a toothpick to smooth to uniform circle and connect all candy pieces. Cool completely before removing from waxed paper.
Clown Faces
Large Pancake
3 x Orange Slices
2 x Poached or fried Eggs 1/2 Cherry Tomato
Make the pancakes in advance and set them in oven to keep them warm. Poach or fry the eggs. To assemble the faces, place the pancakes on a plate, with eggs for eyes, orange slices for ears and mouth, and a tomato half for the nose.
NOTE: For a lighter meal, omit the eggs and use apricot or peach halves for eyes and half a fresh cherry for a nose. Or, omit pancakes, assemble eggs directly on plate, and add a smile made from chopped, sauted potatoes.
Daisy Apple
2 Tbs. raisins
2 Tbs. crunchy or creamy peanut butter
1 Mcintosh apple
Peanuts, for garnish (omit if making for small child)
Set aside a few raisins for face. Stir remaining raisins into peanut butter. With apple corer or paring knife, remove core and seeds from apple. Using a small knife, push peanut butter mixture into center of apple. Make a happy face on top of peanut butter using reserved raisins. Arrange peanut halves around edge of peanut butter forming a circle. Chill before serving.