Category: Snacks

Butterfly Candy Craft

It’s funny how parents have to go from simple pink party bags to more elaborate birthday themes as their kids grow. I, for one, have a little pre-tween approaching a 2-digit birthday in just a couple of years, and the easy cupcake and party bag birthday just doesn’t cut it anymore. This year, I managed to convince her to turn her party bag into a fun craft, and when she saw the adorable outcome, I didn’t have to say it twice. We used two types of candy (candy corn & individually-wrapped chews), which I actually weighed for 24 of her classmates. I prepared the supplies in little DIY baggies, and did a quick demonstration for the big-eyed 7 year olds. Paired with some ices, it was the perfect goodie bag that doubled as a fun craft. I’m sure your kids will enjoy it too!

The best part about this adorable butterfly craft is that it’s easily customizable. If you’re not a fan of cavity-laden candies, feel free to fill them with fresh fruit, crackers, cereal, or nuts. You can also decorate the butterflies to your liking, choosing from different types of card stock and decorations. Whatever you decide, your students, campers, or kids will be thrilled to create this fun and creative edible craft.

What you’ll need:

snack size Ziploc bags (6 1/2″ x 3 1/4″)
candy, cereal, crackers, fruit or nuts
pipe cleaners
clothes pins
card stock
sequins, gems or other decorative accents
glue

How to:

1. Fill the Ziploc bag halfway with candy.
2. Seal the bag, pressing out all the extra air as you go.
3. Push the candy to one side of the bag, and place a pipe cleaner in the center.
4. Loop the pipe cleaner around the bag and twist tightly to secure.
5. Open the empty side of the bag and fill with a second type of candy. Close securely.
6. Twist ends of the pipe cleaner around your finger to create swirls.
7. Place a clothes pin over the center of the bag, covering the twisted pipe cleaner.
8. Place glue along the length of the clothes pin and cover with card stock.
9. Decorate the card stock as desired.

NOTE: If you are only using one type of candy, you can fill the bag up all the way and just twist the pipe cleaner around the middle.

Related Posts:
rainbow cupcakes
candy sushi
ice cream clowns

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S’mores Cookies

It’s funny to see just how crazy people are about cookies. Me included. Recently, I posted a review of my day at Governor’s Island. I mentioned, in passing, what we brought along for our picnic, s’mores cookies included. I was so excited to receive lots of feedback on my post – but it was all in the form of a recipe request. “Did you say s’mores cookies?” Why, yes I did. “Can I have the recipe?” Well, of course.

So, here I am sharing my accidental recipe for s’mores cookies.

When it comes to cookie making, I’m always in sort of a dilemma. And I’m going to be frank here. So please don’t run away after you read my serious foodie confession, ok?

I don’t like butter.

There, I said it.

I don’t like butter.

Now before you close the screen and punish me for my culinary blasphemy, let me explain. It’s not so much that I don’t like it. It’s just that it doesn’t sit well with me. Anything too creamy or buttery just makes me feel sick.

And there’s something else too, which makes baking entirely difficult.

I HATE margarine.

If you’ve read up on it, you probably know just how bad margarine is for you. In fact, it’s just ONE molecule away from plastic! When I was in culinary school recently, we only had a meat kitchen (it’s a kosher school and under kosher dietary guidelines, milk and meat are not eaten or prepared together), so whenever a recipe called for butter, we used margarine instead. I had a habit of teasing my instructor about all the “plastic sauces” we were preparing.

So, back to cookies. When you can’t use butter or margarine, cookie-making becomes quite a difficult task. It’s hard to get that perfect crumb when using oil, but I try anyway. In this case, I succeeded. Filled with chocolate chunks, marshmallows and graham cracker pieces in every bite, these smores cookies have become a family favorite. And you know what the best part is? They’re not made of plastic.

S’mores Cookies

2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of canola or melted coconut oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 graham crackers, lightly crushed
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1 3 0z. bar chocolate, cut into chunks

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to form a dough. Add graham cracker pieces, marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Form balls with approximately 2 tbsp worth of batter and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (8 per sheet). Try to form the cookies so that the marshmallows and chocolate chunks are mostly covered in the dough (you may need to press it together with your hands). Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Yield: approximately 18 cookies.

Related recipes:

Chocolate & olive oil Chanukah crinkle cookies
S’mores chocolate toffee bark
Cowboy cookies

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Vegetarian Chili & Cornbread

For one week of the summer, I welcome the opportunity to put on my dairy apron, which usually collects dust until Shavuous comes around. Lighter meals of grilled fish and salads are also appreciated on these hot summer days. But for some serious meat eaters, the nine days* can be a challenging time. I know, because my husband is one of them. If he comes home from a long day of work to a pot of mac and cheese, he takes a bite and then asks for the next course. To him, a meal without meat is not a meal at all. The good news is, meat-eaters can still enjoy some hearty dishes, albeit without the 6-hour wait tag.

Vegetarian chili is a great option for the nine days because it is so versatile. You can serve it up in a burrito, over baked potatoes, or as a base for shepherds pie. You can also go the classic route and eat it alongside cornbread, or go Mexican with a tray of enchilada’s. Usually, chili needs to cook for several hours, but because I don’t like to sit over a hot stove in the summer, I’ve come up with a great recipe that doesn’t require endless hours on the stove.

For more great Nine Days ideas, including other meat-lovers recipes, visit the new Nine Days category.

You can also check out my new Nine Day Album on Facebook for great dairy and pareve recipes that are not on the blog.

*The Nine Days is a mourning period over the destruction of the Holy Temple. During this time, observant Jews abstain from eating meat and drinking wine as well as other joyous activities.

Vegetarian Chili

1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds and veins removed)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
3 heaping tbsp tomato paste
3 soft plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup veggie stock or water
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add onions and garlic. Saute until translucent. Add the jalapeno (keep some of the vein and/or seeds for more heat) and saute for another minute. Add the chili, cumin and garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally so that the chili doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add additional veggie stock, if needed.

To me, chili without cornbread is like a hot dog without mustard. It’s just a must-have! It took a long time for me to come up with the perfect cornbread recipe that is moist, not too sweet, and, well…corny (you know I mean that in the taste of corn sense). The combination of coconut milk and creamed corn keep the cornbread moist and pareve. That means you get to whip them up with some REAL meat chili when the Nine Days are up!

Moist Pareve Cornbread

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk (I use Coconut Dream Original)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 14.75oz. can creamed corn

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, oil and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. Add the creamed corn and mix to combine. Pour into  a 9″ square pan, cast iron skillet, or 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes (less for the muffins, more for the pan) until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cornbread may be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days and will keep for an additional week if refrigerated.

VARIATION: to make these dairy, substitute the coconut milk for whole milk and half of the oil for melted butter.

I mentioned lots of fun ways to use chili earlier in the post, but I especially love this one-dish-meal option. You can choose to layer the chili into a square baking dish, or serve them up in individual mason jars for a fun twist. Since the cornbread is cooked on top of the chili (and will rise during baking), I only use half of my cornbread recipe for it. You can use the remaining batter for cupcakes or double up the chili recipe, and make 2 pies.

Layered Chili Pie

1 recipe vegetarian chili
1 8oz. bag shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 recipe cornbread batter
1 scallion, chopped

Method:

Pour the chili into a 8″ square pyrex dish. Top with shredded cheddar. Mix the scallions into the cornbread batter and pour on top of the cheese. Bake, at 350 degrees, for 25 minutes. or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

To prepare individual servings in mason jars, fill 1/3 of half pint jars with chili. Top with a tablespoon of cheddar cheese, and 1/3 cup cornbread batter mixed with scallions. Repeat with approximately 6-8 more jars. Bake at 350 (without the lid) for approximately 15-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

1 year ago: Corn Flake crunch ice cream
2 years ago: sushi salad II

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Moscato, Honey & Vanilla Poached Apricots


When the Kosher Connection team (a group of Kosher Food Bloggers that I belong to) decided on the theme of “cold soups” for this month’s Link-Up challenge, I was thrilled. I had made these poached apricots a few times already, and I knew I just had to share them. Granted, poached apricots in moscato, honey & vanilla bean syrup is a bit of a stretch for a soup, but I think we’re covered. Cold fruit soups are all the rage in the summer, and this elegant take on a fruit soup is the perfect way to celebrate apricots – summer’s sweet and tart bounty.


Fresh apricots are available from mid-June to mid-July and are best tree-ripened (it doesn’t ripen after it’s picked). Try to find them at your nearest farmers’ market for optimum flavor. Apricots should be purchased ripe or slightly under-ripe, yielding slightly to gentle touch.


Poaching is one of the best ways to prepare apricots, but they can also be grilled. The addition of honey helps to balance out the apricot’s tartness. Vanilla bean and Moscato wine add an amazing depth of flavor that complements the apricots perfectly. The syrup is so unique and flavorful, you’ll want to drink a cupful all by itself!

What is your favorite way to prepare apricots? Share your ideas with me in the comments below.

For more great cold soup recipes, check out the Kosher Connection Cold Soup Link-Up Challenge below! You can also view my recipe for cold strawberry rhubarb soup here.

Moscato, Honey & Vanilla Bean Poached Apricot

10 fresh apricots
2 cups Moscato wine
1 cup water
1/2 heaping cup honey
1/2 vanilla bean
juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Cut apricots in half and remove pits. Scrape the seeds off the vanilla bean and place the seeds and the bean in a pot. Add moscato, water, honey, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to make sure the honey and vanilla bean seeds are incorporated throughout. Add the apricots and reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 5 minutes (depending on ripeness) until apricots are fork-tender. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the apricots from the pot. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook over high heat until it is thick and syrupy (reduced by half). Set the apricots and syrup aside to cool. Add to a jar and refrigerate until chilled. Serve with frozen yogurt and chopped nuts.

NOTE: If desired, you may gently remove the skins of the apricots after poaching. I prefer to leave them on as they are quite thin and don’t bother me.

VARIATION: To make apricot sauce, do not remove the apricots from the sauce. Instead, let the apricots continue to cook until they fall apart and the sauce begins to thicken. If you prefer to peel the apricots for the sauce, poach for a few minutes, remove and carefully take off the skins. Return to the pot and continue to cook until apricots fall apart and sauce thickens.  Serve over ice cream or yogurt.

1 year ago: shlishkes
2 years ago: tuna salad with a twist

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Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites

When it comes to summer, especially here in Brooklyn, I think most people are about eating light and healthy foods that keep them from feeling heavy. Fruits are especially welcome on a hot summer’s day, as long as they’re cold, or my favorite way – frozen.

If you’ve ever bit into a frozen grape, you know just how a little time in the freezer can turn a simple grape into a sweet and creamy frozen snack. Chocolate-dipped frozen banana’s are another popular guilt-free delicacy. And then there’s the fruit-filled ice cubes, and the all-fruit Popsicle blends. But have you ever tried a Greek-yogurt-covered-frozen-blueberry?

Frozen blueberries are good enough on their own, but dipped in vanilla Greek yogurt, they’re simply outstanding. The yogurt freezes to form a creamy coating over the blueberries, making it the perfect snack on a hot summer day. Once you give these delicious frozen treats a try, you’ll be dipping everything from apricots to raspberries in your favorite Greek yogurt flavor. So have fun, get creative and enjoy the best that summer has to offer!


Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites

1 container vanilla Greek yogurt
1 pint blueberries (or your favorite fruit for freezing)
toothpicks or spiral dipping tool

Method:

Wash blueberries and drain. Working one at a time, dip the blueberries into the yogurt (with a toothpick or dipping tool) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you are using toothpicks, you can use a second toothpick to help slide it off. Freeze the blueberries for 1-2 hours, remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a Ziploc bag. Return to the freezer and keep frozen until ready to eat.

1 year ago: loaded baked potato omelette
2 years ago: strawberry rhubarb soup

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