Healthy Easter Snacks, Bunny-Themed Treats Recipes

Holidays involve way too much candy and too many sweets. But what's an Easter basket without jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and candy eggs? A lot healthier. With one in three kids overweight or obese, says KidsHealth, it's time to rethink our sweets craze. I've been dieting and lost 96 pounds by substituting sweets with healthy alternatives. Here are good-for-you Easter treat and snack recipes. 

Easter Fruit basket. Who says the Easter bunny must deliver candy? Why not fill it with juicy red strawberries, plump blueberries and blueberries, succulent green grapes, golden mango, yellow bananas, jolly oranges and cheery apples? Toss in a few 70-percent cacao (good for you) dark chocolate Easter candies. But you don't have to with this festive fruit rainbow. Or omit candy and give toys. 

Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon basket. To carve melon into a basket, make two cuts down halfway into melon lengthwise, a about two inches apart. This is the handle. Continue around to meet at the other side of the handle, to carve out  a little under one quarter, on each side. Use a melon baller to remove melon or a knife to cut in chunks. Clean out the rest to form the basket. Mix melon balls or chunks with other melon balls. Add pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes, strawberries, mango cubes, blueberries. Or whatever fruit you like in your fruit salad. 

Hunny Bunny Cookies. Skip chocolate Easter bunnies and make healthier bunny cookies. Mix half cup butter or light margarine, half cup of honey or blue agave syrup, two cups whole grain flour, one teaspoon baking soda and half teaspoon cinnamon. Roll out and cut like sugar cookies. For bunny shape, cut circle head and two small ovals for ears. Blend peanut butter, nonfat yogurt and honey for frosting. Or blend coconut sugar, yogurt and light butter for white icing. Decorate with raisin eyes, pretzel stick whiskers, raspberry or cherry nose and apple pieces for buck teeth.

Happy Bunny Basket. What would the Easter bunny like in his basket? Veggies! Make a bunny-friendly Easter basket by filling a salad bowl with lettuce and your favorite vegetable toppings: carrots, radishes, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts and, of course hard-boiled Easter eggs!

Sure it might not substitute for a candy-filled basket, but kids will love eating what the Easter Bunny eats!

Easter Egg-stravaganza. After dying hard-boiled eggs, return them to the fridge to keep fresh. Use in these yummy treats.

--Angel eggs (like deviled eggs only better!) Cut egg in half. Carefully remove yolk. Mash with celery seed, pepper, horseradish mustard, dill pickle relish and light mayonnaise. Refill yolk cavity. Sprinkle on dill and paprika.

--Healthy bunny-wiches: Spread Laughing Cow light cream cheese on slice of rye bread. Tint some cream cheese pink with berry, grape or beet juice. Cut cooked egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolk. Cut semi-circles from base of whites. Fill yolk cavity with pink cream cheese and place on bread for ears. Place cut off bits on bottom for paws (make little slits for toes). Slice yolk. Place olive slice in center of slice for eyes. Use grape tomato for nose, matchstick carrots whiskers and almonds or pumpkin seeds for teeth.

Our kids are very healthy and none has weight problems. They loved these fun Easter candy alternatives as much as sugary treats! 

Disney's 'Frozen' Party Food Recipes, Winter-Themed Snacks

 If you see one movie this winter, make it "Frozen." It's an arctic adventure like Hans Christian Andersen's "Fairy Snow Queen." It's the top-grossing cartoon of all times. Disney's Frozen is a perfect theme for a winter birthday or just-because party. Here's a menu of Frozen-inspired snacks kids will love. BTW, Olaf is probably my favorite Disney sidekick ever. 

Disney Frozen is the perfect theme for Halloween, winter, birthday, solstice or just

because party. Here's a menu for a Disney Frozen party with Olaf the Snowman snacks, recipes and

beverages kids will love!

Olaf the Snowman snowballs: Let kids help make this snack. Melt marshmallows and add popped

popcorn. Have kids rub light margarine on hands and form popcorn (snow) balls. Roll in sprinkles if

desired.

Disney Frozen party: Melted Olaf the Snowman : Uh-uh, Olaf's melted. But fear not, like with Frosty

the Snowman, he'll be back. In the meantime, enjoy this yummy melted Olaf beverage. Mix 2% milk,

melted white chocolate chips, a dash of vanilla and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman cookies: Have kids roll sugar cookie dough in three

different balls for snowman body parts (good for fine motor skills). Attach in snowman shape and

bake. Frost with vanilla frosting. Add stick pretzel arms, candy corn nose, black jelly bean eyes, red

frosting mouth and Chiklets gum for teeth. This will melt the heart of Queen Elsa!

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman malts. Mix vanilla ice cream, milk, French vanilla pudding

and malt powder. Top with mini marshmallows arranged like a snow man and colored sprinkles for

eyes, mouth and nose.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman snacks: Here's another interactive snack craft featuring our

favorite snowman, Olaf. Make popcorn balls above in different sizes: small for head, medium for

middle, large for snowman base. Use raisins for buttons and eyes and matchstick carrots for nose.

Cut Fruit Leather or Fruit Roll-Up for scarf and smile. Add candy corn cob pipe. For hat, place round

chocolate candy like Brach's Star on head. For hat top, affix gumdrop, Hershey's Kiss, or Reese's

Peanut Butter cup with dab of frosting

Superfood Artichoke Vitae Plus Fat Burner, Antioxidant

 I've been dieting for about 18 months and have lost 96 pounds. I've trimmed fat from every part of my body and dropped from size 20 to 4. My BMI has gone 34 to 24.7 (normal). One way that I keep diet momentum is to change it up. Every time I hear about a new diet superfood or supplement on a reputable source (Dr. Oz is my go-to). I give it a try.    

This weekend I took my girls shopping at T.J. Maxx. I always snoop out their gourmet section. I found a nutritional supplement powder called Artichoke Vitae Plus  (made by Chimex of California). This powder is a blend of fat burners, antioxidants, fiber, aminos, energy boosters and vegan protein sources. It contains artichoke (blood sugar stabilizer, liver and artery cleanse), acai, apple, oat bran, nopal cactus, flaxseed, L-lysine and L-carnitine. 

Two tablespoons has 4 grams protein, 6 grams fiber, no fat, 1 gram sugar, vitamins and minerals and only 25 calories. I add it to oatmeal or non-fat yogurt. I'm going to try adding to my bread recipe. It's crunchy and tasty. I believe it's gluten-free, but since I don't follow that diet, I recommend further exploration. 

Diet Tip Abandon the Diet Sometimes

I'm going out to dinner with my husband tonight. He has to work another six-day week (nights) and may be working seven nights a week again (why do they not hire a new person when someone quits??) Anyway, I have been dieting intensely for 18 months and my advice is to occasionally abandon the diet for a day. Or at least quit calorie counting. Enjoy food! 

Leftover Use Up Pizza Casserole with Pizzazz

Grocery shopping day--time for my weekly Waste Not, Want Not refrigerator clean out, leftover use up meal. Today's was Pizza Casserole with Pizzazz. Here's how I made it cleaning up all those bags of cheese, veggies, and leftover meat and pasta.  

Grocery shopping day--time for my weekly Waste Not, Want Not refrigerator clean out, leftover use up meal. Today's was 

Pizza Casserole with Pizzazz (here's how I made it)

Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 
Spread leftover noodles, any kind even spaghetti, in pan (drain first). 
Mix any leftover cottage cheese, ricotta, plain yogurt or sour cream with Parmesan cheese. Blend in 4 eggs. Spread mixture over pasta. 
Place a layer of leftover cheese (any kind) chopped. I used up several chunk sand bags of shredded (you know how six get opened and half-used?)
Season with basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, garlic, pepper.
Pour leftover spaghetti sauce over cheese.
Add layers of leftover spinach, green peppers, sliced zucchini, mushrooms, onions, scallions, summer squash.
Use up sausage (links, patties, ground), pepperoni and hamburger.
Pour another cup or so of cheese on top and sprinkle with more Italian seasoning and Parmesan. 
Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees. 

Serve with stale bread garlic bread (spread bread with margarine and minced garlic and bake till crispy). For dieters, use lowfat cheeses and omit meat. These recipes are designed to be flexible and use up what you have on hand. Don't buy special ingredients. This meal is quick--10 minutes to assemble. 

Lowfat Garam Masala Butter Chicken or Tofu Masala with Veggies

Our family has developed a devotion to Indian food. An Indian restaurant opened near us. We ate there once and were instantly in love. I've always been a curry hound. But the curry was only the beginning. I can't get enough butter chicken, masala, tikka, vindaloo, tandoori and other fragrant dishes. I don't need meat--just the spicy sauces is enough, but only level one heat please. Here's my vege-fied diet tweaked garam masala butter chicken recipe for calorie counters.  

It's Lent for us Catholics. I'm not giving up any particular food, but I am dieting. I have lost 95 pounds. And my husband and daughter have given up meat. So I made a vegan Indian masala. Each one-cup serving has about 100 calories, little fat and 10 grams of protein. It's similar to butter chicken. 

Cube one pound light silken firm tofu. Chop leek, celery (leaves and all) and green pepper. Saute in olive, coconut, safflower or sunflower oil. Season with garam masala, celery seed, turmeric, curry powder, ginger and salt-free Spike to taste.

Add two teaspoons Better Than Bouillon vegetable soup base, six ounces of tomato paste, one can coconut milk, one can sweet peas, and two cups light soy milk. Blend. Add dash of Bragg's Liquid Amino if desired. Serve with jasmine rice and fresh greens salad. 

This recipe is therapeutic for those with arthritis, as turmeric and ginger are anti-inflammatory. Enjoy.

Baked Bean Soup with Holiday Leftovers

 Is your leftover holiday ham glaring at you, saying "eat me!" Are the sweet potatoes threatening to go sour? Are you sick of eating them but out of recipe ideas? Well before those leftovers go bad, stage a refrigerator coup and take the other food hostage, here's a healthy, lowfat, high protein and fiber recipe to use them up. Great for dieters. Vegetarian options, too. 

Baked Bean Soup

 

Place in large kettle, ham bone and any leftover ham meat or fat you want to use up. You can even use spiral honey baked ham. It will give the bean soup that sweet-smoky baked bean flavor. You could use bacon or sausage, too. Had a vegetarian holiday? No matter. It's just as good meatless. Skip to step two. 

 

Rinse, sort and add one package dried beans. Navy, pinto, kidney, garbanzo, turtle or any combination (about two cups total) My favorite is Hambeens 15-bean soup mix. Simmer in lots of water.

 

Season with bay leaves, celery seed, black or red pepper (or pepper blend).

 

Dice up leftover or fresh sweet potatoes, carrots, yams or pumpkin.

 

When beans are about half cooked, add mirepoix: chopped onions, celery, green peppers (any combination).

 

If desired, add pineapple toward the end for that Hawaiian baked beans taste.

 

 I made mine with sweet potato and green pepper. It was a lovely yellow color and it's chock full of vitamin A.

 

This soup is great for dieters. Just let it chill and remove surface fat--about 150 calories a one-cup