VEGGIE BUGS

You’ll need:

• A few sturdy celery stalks, cut into 2-3” pieces
• Half a cucumber, cut into slices of varying thickness
• 1/3 cup cream cheese or hummus
• 1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
• Chives
• Small can whole black olives
• Turkey or ham slices, cut into quarters and rolled tightly
• A piping bag or large zipper-lock plastic bag
• Star piping tips of various sizes (available at craft stores)
  

How to:

1. Place the large star tip into the piping bag or plastic bag and fill with your choice of cream cheese or hummus.
2. Carefully pipe the hummus or cream cheese into the hollow side of the celery slices.
3. Place cherry tomatoes or olives onto the celery to form the bug’s heads.
4. Make the bugs’ wings or shells using cucumber slices, the rolled lunchmeat or lines of cherry tomatoes and olives. Mix and match to customize the critters how you like!
5. Cut chives to the appropriate length and place into the piped filling as antennas.
6. Adding the eyes is optional, but it’s a fun touch. To do so, use the small piping star and use cream cheese to create small dots on the heads. To form the pupils, use a small piece of olive or chive. Insects often have lots of eyes, so add as many as you like!