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Edible Crawlies for Kids

By Amanda Formaro

From our provider:

Want to really impress your kids and their friends? Serve them bugs. That's right… edible creepy crawlies. Here are some great recipes to have a blast with, whether for a special weeknight treat or for a child's birthday party!

Fun with bugs!
Usually ants, beetles, and other creepy crawlies are not welcome in the kitchen. But that's not the case with these fun snacks. Grab the kids and eat some bugs!

Note: Where peanut butter is used in these recipes for "gluing" edible body parts together, frostings may be used as a substitution for those children who are sensitive to or allergic to nuts.

Ants in the Sand
What you’ll need:
graham crackers, crushed
chocolate sprinkles
snack sized resealable plastic bags

Directions:
To crush graham crackers, place inside a large (gallon size) resealable plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, smash crackers through bag by rolling back and forth over them until they are all in crumb form.

Fill snack sized resealable bags halfway with graham cracker crumbs. Add a small handful of chocolate sprinkles to the bags and seal.

Bugs on a Log

What you’ll need:
celery stalks
peanut butter
raisins

Directions:
Spread peanut butter onto washed and drained celery stalks. Top with raisins. For children who are allergic to peanuts, try using cream cheese or processed cheese spread in place of the peanut butter.

Cookie Spiders
What you’ll need:
black or chocolate licorice twists
fudge sandwich cookies
chocolate frosting
red cinnamon candies

Directions:
Cut licorice in half. Remove the top of each sandwich cookie; press 8 licorice pieces into the fudge center to resemble spider legs. Spread a little chocolate frosting over the licorice; replace cookie tops. Frost the tops of the spider cookies with frosting. Place red cinnamon candies on top for eyes.

Muenster Beetles
What you’ll need:
crunchy chow mein noodles
muenster cheese (or other soft block cheese)

Directions:
Cut cheese into 2″ x 1″ rectangular blocks. Gently insert three chow mein noodles on each side of cheese block for legs. Using two broken chow mein noodles, insert into "head" as antennae.

Note: Cheddar makes a bright and colorful beetle, but can be very frustrating for little fingers as the cheese is a bit too hard to press the noodles into without breaking. Use softer cheese such as gouda, havarti, monterey jack, or even mozerella.

Peanut Butter Caterpillars
What you’ll need:
bananas
peanut butter
grapes
chow mein noodles

Directions:
Peel and slice a banana. Join the slices together by "gluing" them with peanut butter. Carefully poke two chow mein noodles (or break a pretzel stick in half to make two pieces) through the top of the grape. Use more peanut butter to attach the head (grape) to the front of the body, with antennae (chow mein noodles) pointing up. About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine. This article appeared on ChefMom.com, a web site offering recipes, menu planning ideas, food tips and more for the family chef! ChefMom is part of the SheKnows network of websites. Some popular recipe categories: Slow cooker and Quick dishes.