We had a wonderful time this weekend celebrating our son’s 4th birthday! I struggle when it comes to birthdays because I want the kids to have a wonderful time and have all the sweet treats they can enjoy, but at the same time, I want them to experience some healthy foods that taste as good as the junk we could offer.
This was my first attempt and it was a lot of fun! We did a “bug theme” that was fun to make foods look like bugs! As you try to recreate these recipes, please make sure you buy the best ingredients such as local and organic veggies when possible.
Here’s what we did…
Ants on a log:
Celery
Peanut Butter (pipe it out of a plastic bag for a straight line)
Raisins
Butterflies:
Whole Grain Bowtie Pasta Salad
Assorted veggies added
Italian Salad dressing or make your own
Snakes:
Whole Grain Bread dough made into curved “sticks” and marinara sauce to dip
LadyBugs:
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Black paste food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon minced chives
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1/8 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
- 36 Triscuits or other whole grain cracker
- 18 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 18 large pitted ripe olives
- 72 fresh chive pieces (about 1-1/2 inches long)
Directions
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Remove 1 tablespoon to a small bowl and tint black. Place tinted cream cheese mixture in a small plastic bag; set aside.
Add the chives, garlic salt and parsley to the remaining cream cheese mixture. Spread over crackers. Arrange two tomato quarters on each for the ladybug wings.
For heads, halve the olives widthwise; place one half on each cracker. Insert two chives into olives for antennae. Use tinted cream cheese mixture to pipe spots onto wings. Yield: 3 dozen.
Critters in Dirt:
Crushed oreos (the unhealthy part 
)
Vegan Chocolate Pudding
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Combine milk, cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. Whisk smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until pudding is very thick. Let set in the fridge. When set, layer crushed oreos and pudding in small cups and top with gummy candies.
Gummy Worms & bugs (you can find the all fruit, no food coloring added ones)
Caterpillars: (not pictured)
Skewer with green grapes
Chinese chowmein noodles for antlers and legs
Beetle Juice: (Not pictured)
- 1 Bunch of Green Grapes
- 1 lime juiced
- Agave or Stevia to sweeten
- ice
Blend all ingredients well and make a “lemonade”
Honey Bees:
- 1 cup plain, vanilla, or chocolate Shaklee Protein
- 1 cup oats, + more oats as needed
- 1/3 cup flax meal
- 1 cup almond butter or PB
- 2/3 cup raw honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
- Almond Slivers
- Melted Chocolate for Stripes and eyes in a baggie.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt together the Peanut Butter & Honey in a sauce pan. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and mix. Mold into 1 inch ovals and lay out on a tray. Let cool. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Place in a baggie and drizzle lines for the bee’s back. Lay almond slivers on their backs and cool!
Walking Sticks:
Straight Honey Wheat Pretzels
Roly Polies:
Raisinettes
Cupcakes:
These were just homemade Yellow Cake and Buttercream icing. I love all the recipes on www.annies-eats.com. She uses real ingredients and they taste amazing! I figured we had enough food coloring everywhere else! I HATE food coloring 
so bad for the kids. I got the idea from one of the cupcake books.. to drizzle melted chocolate on wax paper and make bug shapes. You then add all shapes of M&Ms to make bugs
ENJOY!!!
About Rachel Brewer
I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. My journey is to find balanced health in my life spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Reaching out to others through the sharing of information and encouragement through daily life and my website www.puregoodness.net.
Loved these! Everything was so tasty and all the kids loved it…including the “big kids”