Marshmallow Bones

    For our Halloween “Boo” plates I made marshmallow bones. They’re ridiculously easy to make and they are SO yummy.

You need:

stick pretzels

mini marshmallows

white chocolate chips

 Take two marshmallows and stick one on each end of the pretzel. You can break some of the pretzels so you have bones of all sizes. You put the marshmallows on the pretzels so that the flat sides are parallel to the pretzel (so it looks kind of like a hammer).

Melt the chocolate chips on the stove or in the microwave. I did mine on the stove by taking a big pot and filling it with water, then placing a large glass mixing bowl over the top of the pot. Put the chips in the glass bowl and bring the water to a boil (this is also called “making your own double boiler”). Stir the chips and they will start to melt. When they are almost completely melted, remove the glass bowl from the pot of water (and turn off the stove, obviously). Keep mixing up the chocolate until it is completely melted.

Dip the pretzel/marshmallow bones in the chocolate. I used a fork and tapped the fork on the side of the bowl to help the extra chocolate drip off. Another tip – before you drop the bone into the chocolate, press the marshmallows onto the pretzels again. Otherwise you might loose marshmallows in the chocolate.

Lay the bones on wax paper and put them in the fridge to cool.

We also shaped skulls out of large marshmallows and stuck chocolate chips in for the eyes, then dipped the whole things in white chocolate.

Eat and enjoy munching on some crunchy Halloween bones.

5 a day

I have decided to start planning meals around the vegetables that we will eat for that meal instead of planning vegetables as a "side dish." Vegetables have always taken the back seat when it comes to meals. Or I guess you could say the side seat! Well, no more! We are bring vegetables to the front. From now on, our main dish is going to be vegetables, with a side of grain and a side of meat.

About 1/2 of your plate should be fruits and vegetables at each meal, 1/4 should be meat/protein, and 1/4 should be grains. Something tells me that is rarely the case at most people's meal time.

Tonight I made roasted veggies. I just chopped up a bunch of veggies that I bought at the farmers market yesterday - Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, white potatoes, broccoli, and onion. Tossed them with olive oil, vinegar, and some spices, and roasted them in the oven for about 45 minutes. The were scrumptious. As a "side"I grilled some chicken breasts and cooked a few cups of brown rice. It was the perfect meal for a cool evening, and very filling.

See how many more vegetables you can incorporate into your diet by making the focus on the veggies!

I'll try to post "veggie-spotlight" menus in the next few posts.