Gobble gobble! I’m Marina from Marina Makes (marinamakesblog.com). Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to think of all the people we are thankful for and the blessings they’ve brought to our lives. I’m personally thankful for my family and the fact that I get to enjoy so many wonderful moments with them on a daily basis. Moments like being in the kitchen with my daughter, who loves to cook just as much as I do are the ones I hold most dear. We had so much fun making the very grateful caterpillar and preparing our gratitude bags for family and friends. Please read on to see how you can also enjoy these heartwarming projects. As always, I encourage you to involve your kids in the process of cooking, whether you have them form the caterpillar, dip the pretzels in chocolate, or just taste test. The directions section includes specific ways that children can help out. I hope you have fun cooking together! I’d love to see how your treat turns out, so please feel free to share pictures on social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #marinamakeseats. Happy eating!
CHECK OUT MORE EATS - DIY - LIFE POSTS FROM MARINA MAKES OR FIND HER ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM!
Shopping List If you choose to make any of the recipes, you can print out a complete shopping list! Enjoy!
DOWNLOAD & PRINT
Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 15 minutes
• • • • •
Knives Cutting board Food processor or blender Small bowl Spoon
Feel free to experiment with the peanut butter - add melted chocolate, dried fruit or flavored extracts to jazz it up!
• • • • •
1 green apple 1 red apple Candied eyes 1/4 cup of raisins 4-5 stalks of celery • 6 cherry tomatoes
• 1 baby carrot (plus more for serving) • 1/2 cup of raw broccoli • Veggie dip • 2 cups of salted peanuts • 2 tablespoons of honey
First, let’s make the peanut butter. (Note: if you have a peanut allergy, feel free to substitute with another nut butter or cookie butter.) It’s going to be a great treat for the very hungry caterpillar! Using a food processor or blender, blend the peanuts and honey until smooth and creamy (4-6 minutes). Have your child help to scrape down the sides as you go along. You’ll notice the texture of the blended peanuts will go from dry to thick to creamy. When done, set aside. You can, of course, let your little turkey taste test. You can store the peanut butter in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Next, using a sharp knife and cutting board, cut your green apple in half and then slice each half into thin pieces. From the core of the green apple, slice a curved sliver for the mouth of the caterpillar. Slice one side of the red apple to use for the head of the caterpillar. Have your child help you to form the body by lining up the slices next to each other. Place the head at the front. Now, on to those cute caterpillar feet! Have your child grab three raisins to make each “foot” for the caterpillar. Repeat to make as many feet as you like. Use the same technique to make two antennas on top of the caterpillar’s head. Finally, using peanut butter for adhesive, top the head with two candied eyes and the apple sliver for the mouth. To make the “ants on a log,” fill each stalk of celery with peanut butter then top it with raisins. To make the grass, thinly slice celery and cut broccoli florets. To create the flowers, halve the cherry tomatoes and dice the baby carrot. Place a thin slice of celery to make a stem. Let your child get creative with the caterpillar’s surroundings!