KID-MADE SNACK: BAGEL SNOWMEN

I think it is safe to say that my kids’ favorite Christmas movie is Frosty the Snowman. Since the time they were wee things that is the Christmas show they would want to watch over and over and OVER again. And, let’s be honest, I remember watching it more than a few times myself as a kid. In fact, I still have a lot of the dialogue memorized!

Since everyone in our family is apparently obsessed with Frosty, I decided we should come up with a fun food activity to celebrate our love. Enter Bagel Snowmen.

There are a few reasons I loved making these bagel snowmen with my kids. First, bagels slathered in cream cheese look like snowmen in the most perfect way. I don’t know how I never noticed this before! And, if you get mini and regular sized bagels, it’s even more perfect. It’s like bagels and cream cheese were made to be snowmen.

Second, making Bagel Snowmen is way easier than making and decorating cookies. That’s an automatic 100 points in my book.

Third, they taste good! Who doesn’t love a bagel coated in cream cheese and topped with yummy things like chocolate chips? Only crazy people, that’s who.

Lastly, I can’t even tell you how much fun my 4-year-old Owen had making the snowmen. All the kids had fun, but Owen was especially enamored with this snack! He was so engaged the entire time, from when we were gathering the different accessories to decorating to eating. He was fascinated with the various ingredients and what they could be used for, and he even helped me brainstorm a few I hadn’t planned on, like the dried cranberries and nuts. I hate to say it, but making the Bagel Snowman with Owen was even more fun than watching him watch Frosty the Snowman, which is pretty darn cute to begin with.

Bagel Snowmen

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Makes: As Many as You Want!

Ingredients:

• Regular and mini bagels
• Plain cream cheese
• Licorice rope or sour candy belts (for scarf; the latter was perfect because it has a coating of sugar, which makes it look like a fuzzy scarf)
• Red hots and/or decorating candies (for buttons, eyes, or mouth)
• Dried cranberries or raisins (for buttons, eyes, or mouth)
• Small, roundish nuts, like pistachios or peanuts (for buttons, eyes, or mouth)
• Pretzel sticks (for arms)
• Chocolate chips (for muttons, eyes, or mouth)
• Mini carrots, cut into discs then carrot shapes (for nose)

Directions:

• Spread cream cheese generously on one half of a regular sized bagel and one half of a mini bagel. Cream cheese should go to the edges and cover the hole in the middle of the bagel.
• Place bagels on a plate, with the smaller bagel on top.
• Decorate however you like with the accessories provided.

Source: Babble.com