Recipe #4--Bell Pepper Jacuzzis!

Good morning Readers! Today's recipe is completely geared toward our Littles because it's delicious, nutritious and tons of FUN! You might be wondering, what the heck is a bell pepper jacuzzi? Is that even edible? Don't worry--they are absolutely edible and a great way to include a variety of foods into your Littles' diets.

For starters, let's "define" the bell pepper jacuzzi idea. Basically, you're going to remove the seeds and top from a bell pepper, take that cleaned out bell pepper, fill it with a dip (we'll get into what kinds of dip are perfect for this in a moment) and add other veggies, cheese sticks and crackers into the "jacuzzi" of dip! The fun preparation and presentation makes this snack a total hit for Littles, as well as for grown-ups (they're a GREAT party snack, especially if you let guests fill their own bell pepper with different dips).

For dips, hummus is my top choice but you can be creative here, using anything and everything that you and your Littles like dipping veggies into. Below are a few more ideas for delicious fillings for those jacuzzis:

· Salsa (prepared is fine, but from scratch is awesome. Combine stewed or fresh tomatoes, diced onion, diced jalapeño peppers *optional*, fresh cilantro, garlic powder, salt and some lime juice).

· Ranch Cream Cheese Dip (Combine a package of softened cream cheese with diced green onion and a packet of “Hidden Valley Ranch” salad dressing and seasoning mix. Mix well).

· Bean Dip (Combine refried beans, diced tomatoes, diced white onion and some fresh cilantro).

· Guacamole (Combine mashed avocadoes, diced tomatoes, diced onion, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt to taste).

The next step is to add your jacuzzi "occupants". We often use baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli florets, pretzels, cheese sticks or pita chips. Whatever dipping pieces you choose, make sure they're stiff enough to hold up the dip, but soft enough that they don't cut your Littles' mouths. Foods like tortilla chips are notorious for this problem and can pose a choking hazard in smaller children so please, choose your foods carefully!

This is a fun snack to prepare so include your Littles. Let them help fill the peppers and choose the dipping foods. I sometimes make up a funny story about how tired Mr. Celery is from working all day and how he needs a nice rest in the jacuzzi (insert loud and exaggerated relaxing sounds here--you'll be rewarded with lots of giggles!)

Have fun, be creative and, as always, ENJOY!

Cheers!