Tip: To make the bugs more “lovey,” place them so they face each other on the stalk (not shown).
Lovebugs on a log stuffed celery sticks
Give your little lovebugs something to smile about—an adorable, bite-size treat. Make dainty ladybugs with cherry tomatoes and olives and then let them roam free atop cheese-filled celery sticks. This cute stuffed celery appetizer is a fun—and stealthily healthy—alternative to sweet Valentine's Day party treats that kids are sure to love.
Yield: Makes 12 lovebugs on 6 logs
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @Hallmark_Canada.
Ingredients
- 6 Celery stalks
- Cream cheese or other spreadable cheese
- 6 Cherry tomatoes
- 6 Pitted black olives
- Fresh chives
- Toothpick
- Food colouring (optional)
Directions
- Spread or pipe cream cheese or spreadable cheese into celery “logs.”
- Cut each tomato in half, lengthwise and then quarters.
- Slice olives in half, crosswise, and cut chives into 1-inch lengths.
- Arrange 2 tomato quarters as the wings on 1 end of a celery piece, angling the bottoms of the wings outward.
- Add an olive half as the head, centred, above the wings. Poke 2 holes into the olive half using a toothpick. Then insert chives into the olive holes for the antennae.
- Further down, add another lovebug to the celery stalk.
- Repeat steps 4 to 6 on remaining celery stalks.
- Add food colouring to remaining cream cheese and make little dots on the lovebugs’ wings using a toothpick (optional).
Jennifer Fujita
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Artistic style: Easy peasy
Inspiration: A family of good cooks and big eaters!
Happy place: Cooking in my kitchen with the music blaring.
Favourite project or work of art: Any art you can eat