Spicy Bagel Face

This is a bagel face with spices instead of just vegetables.

What you need:

• Half a bagel

• Cream cheese

• Chives

• Chili powder

• Toasted onion flakes

I chose chili powder and onion flakes for the flavor but you can use any spices that you want.

What you do:

1. Spread the cream cheese onto the bagel.

2. Cut the chives into 1-inch pieces and stick on for hair.

3. With the spices, you can design a face with two eyes and a mouth, and the hole in the bagel acts as a good nose. I used chili powder for the spicyness and for red cheeks.

4. Eat and enjoy!

Simple Fruit Salad

This is a good snack for when you don't have much time.

What you need:

• 1/4 of a Pineapple

• 2 Clementines

• 1 1/2 tsps. Sugar

• Fresh Cilantro Leaves (for garnish)

What you do:

1. Cut the pineapple into bite-size chunks.

2. Peel and section the clementines.

3. Put the fruit into a medium-sized bowl, add the sugar, and stir it together.

4. Divide into glass serving bowls, and sprinkle a little extra sugar on top. Then add cilantro leaves for garnish.

5. Enjoy!

Serves about four.

Ruth's Corn Cake

What you need:

• 6 Tbsp butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup corn kernels (best if fresh)

• milk

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 vanilla bean

• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

1. Beat butter and sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer.

2. Crack the eggs and beat them into the mixture.

3. Cut open the vanilla bean. Scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds in the food processor with the corn kernels and vanilla extract. Puree until nearly smooth. Add enough milk to bring liquid up to the 1 cup line.

4. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and coconut if using it. Add to batter from steps 1 and 2, alternately with corn mixture, beating after each addition.

5. Pour into 9 by 9 square cake pan.

6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Prick with toothpick to see if it is done. If it comes out clean, then it is done.

ENJOY!

Deviled Eggs

This recipe makes a great snack or light lunch.


What you need:

• 1 or 2 eggs (depends on how hungry you are)

• 3 of your favorite spices, for instance chili powder (not too much), paprika, Sate, Fajita spice (anything savory).

• Parsley (optional)

• Small triangular pieces of sweet red pepper

• A piece of grated carrot or another grated vegetable

• Two small edible seeds

You also need a small mixing bowl and a spoon.

What you do:

Boil eggs for about 13 minutes.  Peel off the shell under cold running water (that makes it easier).  Then cut them in half.

Remove the yolks and put them with the spices in a mixing bowl.  Mash the yolks and mix everything together with the spoon.

Put the yolk mixture back in the egg whites.  You can use a pastry bag to squeeze the yolk mixture back into the whites to make it fancier.

Then you take the red pepper pieces and stick them on the top ends of the egg to make ears.  Put the seeds right below them to make eyes, and the grated carrot or vegetable for the mouth. If you want, you can add some parsley on top for a garnish.

Eat and enjoy!

Celery Snack

This recipe makes a great celery and dipping sauce snack for after school.

What you need:

• Celery stalks

• Mirin (or corn syrup)

• Soy Sauce

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Vanilla Sugar (or just sugar)

• Fajita Spice (or your favorite spice)

• Chili Powder (optional)

• Molasses

You also need a small mixing bowl and a spoon.

What you do:

Pour the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and mirin into the bowl.  I use about the same amount of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (but not too much), and a little more mirin than the other two, but you can adjust it by what you like.

Mix the three ingredients in the bowl.  You can taste and see if you like it so far.

Then add the vanilla sugar (about a pinch) and the same amount of your spice and chili powder.  Mix in the bowl.

Finally, you add the molasses (about a spoonful).  If you think it needs more, you can add more.  Mix everything together in the bowl and taste.

Then get a few celery stalks (pull them off the bunch) and wash them in the sink.

Sit down at the table and dip the celery into the sauce.

Eat and enjoy!