barefootmamax4

I need some ideas of what to put out for monkey platter foods. I used
to do a standard sliced apples,crackers,cheese and carrots. That
usually went over well,but my 11 yr old has started getting distressed
aabout the apples bruising if they are not eaten right away and it
turns him off of all the food. I've been thinking that really all of
these things need to be eaten quickly or refridgerated anyway, so I'd
like some ideas of food that will last out longer and more variety. So
what do you all suggest?
-Kelly

Lisa

--- In [email protected], "barefootmamax4"
<barefootmamax4@...> wrote:
>
> I need some ideas of what to put out for monkey platter foods. I'd
> like some ideas of food that will last out longer and more variety.
So
> what do you all suggest?
> -Kelly
>

When we moved we made a concerted effort to organize food so the boys
(6 & 7) can reach items that they enjoy for grazing. We keep grapes,
bananas, nuts, pretzels, and Kashi bars on the counter within the
boys' reach. We also have apple sauce, yogurt, and cheese within
their reach on the fridge door. The boys know where to find cereal,
crackers, raisins, and marshmallows in a lower cabinet.

About 2-3 hours after breakfast and lunch, we put out a plastic tray
of veggies: grape tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, and green peppers.
After 30 minutes or so, when grazing has stopped, I put the lid on
and refrigerate the remainders. (We bought one veggie tray from the
grocery and then replenish it ourselves with the boys' favorite
veggies. The tray has lasted a long time.)

You mentioned browning of apple slices causing distress. One solution
is to sprinkle a bit of lemon juice on a plate and then coat each cut
side of the apple with the lemon juice. This delays browning. (Or,
you can shake the apple pieces in a bag containing lemon juice if
that is easier.)

Good luck! Lisa

BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

cereal
dried fruits
pretzels
popcorn
string cheese
chocolate chips
nuts
grapes
grape tomatoes
almost anything can become a snack
rotate stuff- don't offer the same stuff everyday or they wil get tired of it -wouldn't you?

for apples not to turn brown use some lemom/lime juice on them and they stay white

AP


barefootmamax4 <barefootmamax4@...> wrote:
I need some ideas of what to put out for monkey platter foods. I used
to do a standard sliced apples,crackers,cheese and carrots. That
usually went over well,but my 11 yr old has started getting distressed
aabout the apples bruising if they are not eaten right away and it
turns him off of all the food. I've been thinking that really all of
these things need to be eaten quickly or refridgerated anyway, so I'd
like some ideas of food that will last out longer and more variety. So
what do you all suggest?
-Kelly






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Karen Swanay

Apples and browning Lemon juice works but SPRITE works too! Cut,
dunk, strain and done.

Karen

Debra Rossing

Or, toss the apple slices with something like cinnamon that might help
mask the browning temporarily if lemon juice is not an option flavor
wise. We rarely use apple slices unless they're going to be the first
thing eaten precisely because of that issue. Maybe spend a couple hours
on a weekend and make some pocket pies (check out Alton Brown's recipe
on the food network website - it's easy and tasty and the baked in
cinnamon apples don't have quite the same issue as the fresh).

Oh, also, one of those apple wedgers might be good - they make plastic
ones that don't cut skin readily but they core and slice apples in a
flash - maybe just have that handy and the fresh apples so the kids can
get a sliced apple at will without letting it sit out.

Deb


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Debra Rossing

A trail mix of nuts, dried fruit and chocolate chips/M&Ms (even mini
marshmallows) is a handy thing (if combining things is acceptable). I
make small containers of 'ogre mix' for travel - through some nuts,
dried fruit, chocolate chips into the container but DON'T mix it or toss
it the way you would a regular trail mix. It has to have layers, ogres
have layers :-)

Also, dipping fat pretzel rods into Nutella is yummy, PB is also good.
And if you've got some time and want to make a really cool treat, melt
some chocolate chips in the microwave then dip the pretzel rods into it
leaving just enough space for a hand hold, place on parchment or waxed
paper and refrigerate until firm, store in zip top bag (in the fridge in
the summer heat). Even cooler - use white chocolate chips and a couple
drops of food coloring to make edible 'light sabers' in blue, green
and/or red.

Deb


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BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

And if you've got some time and want to make a really cool treat, melt
some chocolate chips in the microwave then dip the pretzel rods into it
leaving just enough space for a hand hold, place on parchment or waxed
paper and refrigerate until firm, store in zip top bag (in the fridge in
the summer heat). Even cooler - use white chocolate chips and a couple
drops of food coloring to make edible 'light sabers' in blue, green
and/or red.

=-=-=-=

Oh my Deb! Thank you for the idea! My ds wil absolutely love this. He just became a Star Wars fan!
This will be a hit!


Alex Polikowsky
http://polykow.blogspot.com/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

barefootmamax4

Thanks everybody! I especially like the pretzel light saber idea!
-Kelly

[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: barefootmamax4 <barefootmamax4@...>


I need some ideas of what to put out for monkey platter foods. I used
to do a standard sliced apples,crackers,cheese and carrots. That
usually went over well,but my 11 yr old has started getting distressed
aabout the apples bruising if they are not eaten right away and it
turns him off of all the food. I've been thinking that really all of
these things need to be eaten quickly or refridgerated anyway, so I'd
like some ideas of food that will last out longer and more variety. So
what do you all suggest?

-=-=-=-=-

deli-sliced meats, rolled up. also filled with cream cheese---the one
with pineapple was a hit with Cam when he was little. Dunc doesn't like
it though

steamed broccoli (good cold too) with dip

cold asparagus with dip

grape tomatoes with salt

pickle spears

cashews, almonds (depending on age)

chocolate chips

celery---also with peanut butter & raisins

cukes cut into "fingers" with dip

red, orange & yellow peppers, cut up with dip

pita chips & hummus

pears don't brown as easily. neither do Golden Delicious apples

pineapple chunks (served with toothpicks)

tortilla chips smothered in cheese (and beans and salsa)

quesadillas---usually bean and cheese---cut into small triangles

edamame (in frozen section---just heat, salt, and serve)

boiled peanuts (but that's mostly a Southern thang! <g>)

crackers with peanut butter, nutella, hummus, babaganoush---anything
that's spreadable

pretzels

goldfish

chunks/slices of different cheeses

bananas dipped in chocolate or peanut butter

Strawberries, served with sour cream & brown sugar (dip in sour cream,
then dip in brown sugar!)

marshmallows

blueberries---any kind of berry!

mini-muffins

cookies---the tiny ones are big hits---like min-oreos and such

M&Ms

grilled cheese cut up small---in "fingers" or bite-sized pieces











~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org

keetry

--- In [email protected], kbcdlovejo@... wrote:
>
> celery---also with peanut butter & raisins

My 4yo has been experimenting with celery. He doesn't like peanut
butter and reasins but does like marshmallow fluff or honey.


Alysia

Debra Rossing

LOL I did those (with DS' help) for a Bible class I was teaching - just
me, DS (he was just turned 9 at the time, now he's a few short weeks shy
of 10!) and one other boy (he's 5) who thinks DS is the coolest because
he knows all about Star Wars. It was a short term sub thing because the
teacher for that group and the rest of the older kids (the class I was
usually teaching with DS in it) were going to be gone for a couple
weeks. So, I did a Star Wars themed 3 week plan - I made quick'n'dirty
light sabers by opening up brown paper grocery bags, rolling them up on
the bias for extra length, then wrapping that with blue (or green) duct
tape with black duct tape for the handle area. Cheap, simple, fast, AND
they don't even sting when you get hit with them, they mostly just bend
if you hit too hard. Also, I went to wikipedia and they had a list of
both the original Jedi code and the 'revised' Jedi code that Luke
Skywalker developed when he re-built the Jedi order. What was pretty
cool was that I could (given it WAS a Bible class and all) match up each
and every one of the points (5 or 6 points) to a Bible verse or passage.
We did all sorts of cool stuff - me and my padawans :-)

Deb


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Debra Rossing

If you want to go toward something "hors d'ouvre" like and spend a
couple minutes prepping, take some flour tortillas and slather with a
thin layer of cream cheese, add a couple slices of thin deli ham, then a
dill pickle slice. Roll it up tight and cut it into bite sized pieces.
YUMMY! We've also done cream cheese, lox (smoked salmon), and avocado
but that's a bit more expensive (and avocado tends to brown when it
oxidizes).

Deb


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Debra Rossing

Celery with cream cheese is my favorite, not so fond of the ants on a
log thing though DS has gone through times that he loved it

Deb


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guideforthree

>my 11 yr old has started getting distressed
> aabout the apples bruising if they are not eaten right away and it
> turns him off of all the food.

Soaking in Sprite slows the browning by a couple of hours (depending on
the variety of apple). You just let the apple slices soak in a bowl of
Sprite for a few minutes before you put them on the plate. Lemon juice
works better, but doesn't taste as good.

Tina

BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

(and avocado tends to brown when it
oxidizes).



=\=\=\=\=
just use some lemom juice and it will keep it green, and it makes it even more yummy!
YOu are making me hungry as it is 10:30 and I have not had breakfast yet!





Alex Polikowsky
http://polykow.blogspot.com/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Debra Rossing

Lemon juice (or lime juice as in guacamole) works but it doesn't always
blend well flavor wise and if there's a kid who is averse to either the
slight citrus tang that could be a problem just as the browning could be
a problem.

Deb


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