Ladybug Picnic

Ladybugs have been gracing our home in recent weeks. I'm never sure why people complain that they're around; we happen to love them!

And they're not just the real kind. We've introduced a new kind of ladybug into our cooking repertoire: Apple Ladybug Treats. As you know, I'm always open to new ways to enter

tain my hungry kids and teach them cooking skills. After all, food doesn't have to come out of a box or window in a drive-through!

I stumbled on a cooking challenge through FitCityIndy this month, and we decided it was a great way to introduce new food ideas now that the local farmers markets are slowing down for the year.

We started first with the apple ladybugs, which they claim are for ages 6 and older but can easily be done (the non-cutting part) by preschoolers as well.

Here's the scoop: Halve an apple, scoop out the seeds, and provide your chefs with a small scoop of peanut butter (or alternative if there's an allergy), raisins and pretzel sticks. The peanut butter serves as "glue" to stick on your raisins. The pretzel sticks with some practice (if you're not heavy-handed like me) become the antennaes, and you can put raisins on top.

What's not to like about this recipe? My kids love the ingredients, it occupies them while I'm making dinner and it's a healthy snack option.

Have other great ideas to share for getting your kids involved in the kitchen? Post them here!