Brownie Snacks Badge

There are 5 requirements for earning the Legacy "Snacks" badge for Brownies.

1. Jump into the world of snacks.
2. Savory Station.
3. Make a sweet snack.
4. Snacks for energy.
5. Slurp a snack.

Part 1: Jump into the world of snacks.
Maya selected 3 items from the pantry and looked through the ingredient list to identify items she didn't recognize.  She selected Peas Please (and knew all of the ingredients), Gold Fish Pizza Crackers (she couldn't identify yeast), and gluten free spinach egg noodles (she didn't know what tapioca starch or xantham gum were).  Together, we searched online and learned that: yeast is used as a leavening agent in cookie and allows dough to rise; that tapioca starch is the flour made from cassava root and can make gluten free baked goods soft or chewy; and that xantham gum is a natural thickener which, used in small amounts, is fine and safe, but can cause stomach issues when eaten in large amounts.

Our food to investigate

Part 2: Savory Station
Despite loving to make guacamole, Maya decided to create a "vegetable man" to then eat as her snack.  She made the eyes from avocado, the hair from romaine lettuce, the ears from grape tomatoes, the nose from a carrot, and the lips from a red bell pepper.  He was delicious!  (And cute, too.)

Making VeggieMan

VeggieMan

Part 3:  Make a sweet snack.
We love brownies, and Maya decided to make a batch of gluten free brownies.  Instead of using fat, she decided that her secret "healthy" ingredient would be a banana-avocado mash.  The brownies were very chocolately and soft, although not chewy, and the addition of banana gave them a very slight banana aftertaste.  Maya and her brothers inhaled them!  We ate half the batch after dinner!  (U have a feeling they wont survive tomorrow!)

The secret ingredient: banana-avocado mash

Pouring the brownie batter into the pan

Part 4: Snacks for energy.
Using the recipe for Sweet and Salty Nuts found in the handbook, Maya roasted a combination of cashews, pecans, and hulled edamame with honey, dairy free "butter", cinnamon, paprika, and salt.  She opted not to use the fresh herbs.  We roasted them for 15 minutes.  The combo made a delicious snack and a perfect accompaniment for our field trip (the next day!).

Combining the nuts and seeds by hand

Whisking the honey, melted "butter", and seasonings together

Mixing the seeds/nuts with the seasonings before roasting

Part 5: Slurp a snack.
Maya loves smoothies and makes all sorts of concoctions.  To carry on her brownie theme, she made a smoothie with banana and added raw milk & frozen blueberries.  Yum.... Her brothers loved it, too!

Making her smoothie

Thumbs up!  It's a keeper!

Beyond the Badge:
This was the first Brownie badge Maya earned and she was super excited!  To celebrate, she made the family dinner, using the gluten free spinach egg noodles.  With her dad, she prepared White Clam Pasta (the pasta tossed in a white clam sauce), with her healthy, secret ingredient brownies for dessert!  (I would have gotten a picture, but we were too busy eating!)