Snack Platter for a Crowd #2: Fuits and Veggies

Here is another snack platter that I used to prepare for the daycare children. They always loved the snack platters that I would prepare for them.

Children don’t care if they share a platter with others. Few of them will even ask for their own plates. It is great.

Remember to have a pitcher of something cold to drink available, as well as some napkins. We used cloth napkins.

Ingredients:

peanut butter stuffed celery

orange sections

grapes

yogurt for dipping, in a bowl

carrot sticks

strawberries

broccoli

cauliflower

watermelon cubes

1. Be sure to rinse all fruits and vegetable before cutting.

2. Prepare fruits and vegetables as indicated.

3. Arrange everything on a platter, with the bowl of yogurt in the center.

Yum!

Shannon

Snack Platter for a Crowd # 1: Meat and More

I used to do snack platters when I babysat during the summer months. They are very easy to create, and I would have the younger daycare children help me as much as possible.

They had a lot of fun, and we had the platters ready and on the picnic table for the older children when they got here from their day camp. It was great to have these platters ready for them after they attended sports camp all day, then walked to my home from the bus drop-off location.

To Serve:

Best served outside, and to have a pitcher of something cold to drink available.

Ingredients:

sandwich meat: ham, turkey and chicken

cheese slices: white and yellow American cheeses

melon cubes: watermelon, honey dew and cantaloupe

berries: strawberries and blueberries

yogurt to use for dipping

celery, stuffed with peanut butter

 

1. Roll the cheese slices and meat slices up and poke a toothpick through each roll. Put on the platter.

2. Add a bowl of yogurt to the platter, then place the melon cubes around them.

3. Add the stuffed celery to the platter.

4. Rinse the berries and sprinkle them around on the platter.

Happy eating!

Shannon

Snack Platter for a Crowd #3: Crackers Plus

This is a yummy one.

I wanted to mention that all three of the snack platters that I am posting are the main tray for the entire get-together, whatever it may be. Your only expense is the platter ingredients and something for everyone to drink.

Ingredients:

crackers

peanut butter

cheese slices, cut into quarters

sliced pepperoni

cream cheese

strawberries

grapes

celery sticks

carrot sticks

1. Make peanut butter cracker “sandwiches” and place them on the platter.

2. Make cheese cracker “sandwiches” and place them on the platter.

3. Make cream cheese pepperoni “sandwiches” and place them on the platter.

4. Be sure to rince all fruits and vegetables, dry them and arrange them onto the platter.

5. Rinse strawberries and pat dry. Add them to the platter.

Delicious!

Shannon

Fruit Plate Breakfast or Lunch

This would make a great early in the day meal:

Serves 4:

1 apple sliced

1 orange sectioned

grapes

1 banana, sliced

yogurt or peanut butter to put into center of plate and use for dipping.

Shannon

Toast Treats

Sometimes we have an over abundance of breads and condiments in the pantry, but not much else. This has led me to making  ‘treats’ from what is on hand. These are for snacks, or can be used for breakfast and lunch if you add a bowl of fruit.

 

Toast

Appropriate fillings

• Cinnamon and sugar
• Peanut butter
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Peanut butter and fluff
• Butter and jelly
• Cheese and meet
• Sliced banana and peanut butter
• Thinly sliced apple and peanut butter

Each treat will consist of two pieces of toast and your chosen filling. Make the sandwich and cut into one of the following:

• 4 squares
• 4 triangles
• 4 strips

NOTE: You could also use a cookie cutter to cut out the center for your child. You could then eat the outside yourself.

Shannon

Yogurt Toppers

I usually only eat one kind of yogurt. I am aware that this is a pickyness factor for me. I like Dannon Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt. I buy the large containers when I can, which is generally cheaper than buying multiple smaller containers.

I do many things with this yogurt. Besides eating mixed with mellons and using it in smoothies, I also put toppers on it. Here are some yogurt topper ideas for you:

• Mixed dried fruit
• Granola
• Fresh berries
• Fresh fruit
• Crushed pineapple
• Tuna and diced apple
• Tuna, diced apple and diced celery

How about sharing your yogurt topper successes with us in the comments section. Thank you.

Shannon

Fruit Parfaits

I love Parfaits. I put them into the sundae cups for a nice treat. I have real tea spoons with long handles that I place in the cups.

My daughters and the daycare children love these, as do I.

• You can use any type of fruit that you like, and you can mix and match the fruits.
• You can choose between low-fat vanilla yogurt and whipped topping.
• You can also add toppings such as cherries or granola.

All you do is:

• Put a tablespoon of yogurt in the bottom of the cup.
• Then layer yogurt and fruit until you get to the top.
• Finally, you can add your choice of topping.

These parfaits are great for:

• Daycare children to make.
• Hot summer days.
• Party treats.

They make great:

• Snacks.
• Breakfast ideas.
• Desserts.

Enjoy!

Shannon

P.S. If you have any other parfait ideas that you would care to share, please post them in the comments section. Thank you.

Holiday Trail Mix

This one is cheap when buy store brands and on sale with coupons.

cinnamon cereal

white chocolate covered pretzels (homemade may be cheaper)

cheap Christmas candies

dried cranberries (maybe even yogurt covered)

 

Just mix everything together and place around in bowls at your next celebration.

Autumn Trail Mix

This is good as a snack, and would be great as an addition to your Thanksgiving celebration. It is easy for children to put this together by themselves. Store in a jar.

I use store brand items whenever possible to make this as cheap to make as possible.

	2 cups sunflower seeds, raw
	1 cup peanuts
	1 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
	1 cup Craisins or other dried fruits
	2 cups Chex type cereal

Throw everything into a mixing bowl and mix with your hands.

* Also good as an on-the-go breakfast.

Freezer Mix-Ups

I feel very blessed to have been able to freeze some produce for winter us. Today I froze:

• 3 bags vegetable mix-ups
• 1 bag fruit mix-ups

So, what are mix-ups?  Well, to make a mix-up, all you do slice/chop fruits or vegetables for freezing. These will likely be different each time you freeze, with different types of produce and different amounts of each.

Here is how I make a vegetable mix-up:

• Take out a large mixing bowl and a cooking spoon for mixing.
• Get you your cutting board and a sharp knife.
• Take the vegetables out of your refrigerator that you are worrying about going to waste. Produce that may not be the freshest, but could be used in a stew or something.
• Chop up all of the vegetables and throw them into the bowl.
• When you are done with the cutting, throw out the trash (or compost it!) and then mix up what is in the bowl.
• Judge how many freezer containers you will need, get them ready and label them veggie mix-up.
• Spoon the vegetables into the container(s) and freeze.

To make fruit mix-ups, take the same steps above and use the fruit mix-ups for smoothies.

These are great ways to help your frugal life along. It is frugal to also use leftovers in the same manner, adding even as little as a teaspoon of corn or pees to a freezer mix-up will save you money in the long run.

Shannon