When I was growing up, my father always opined that he could combine any three things and an egg and create a satisfying snack, if not a meal. He admits that he has turned many a stomach over the years with that recipe, but it has served him well. Although I cannot say for certain if I ever actually consumed any portion of his creations (perhaps I blocked the memory out), I do recall slathering peanut butter on nearly all things breakfast: toast, pancakes, French toast, waffles, crepes, and more pancakes. My parents said that as a child, it was the only way they could get me to eat pancakes and the like. To this day, my preference for bready breakfast items is to use peanut butter and maple syrup as toppings. I suppose the bread-based substances are really just a delivery mechanism for peanut butter drenched with syrup.
With such a legacy of culinary creativity, it comes as no surprise that Reina herself gets creative with food from time to time, especially with snacks. For a long time, her favorite snack consisted of wedging a Goldfish cracker on top of every bite of a ripe banana (also known as banana Goldfishing). Cheddar cheese flavor (naturally) reigned at the top of her list of banana toppings, but she dabbled in original and chocolate Goldfish too. When banana Goldfishing lost its appeal, she started making Goldfish sandwiches with raisins. Or rather, raisin sandwiches with Goldfish ends (also know as making a mess with your snacks). Her penchant for playing with Goldfish culminated this week when she chewed up chocolate Goldfish and deposited the masticated packets daintily (or not) into her glass of milk. When I looked inquisitively at her, she simply informed me she was making chocolate milk. “Yummy!” said she. “Pass the peanut butter,” said I.
I’m sure there are lots of kids out there creating interesting snacks and I’d love to get some ideas. So please share what unusual eats your little ones (or older children) enjoy eating at snack time or otherwise.
Bon appétit.
