So, Earth Day was coming up, and I got this idea to make some themed food for a little get-together. Nothing too fancy, just something fun that kinda looked like, you know, earth stuff. I figured it’d be a nice touch.
Getting Started: The Ideas
First thing, I sat down and thought, what screams “Earth Day” food-wise? Dirt, plants, maybe some bugs (the gummy kind, obviously!). I didn’t want anything too complicated because, let’s be honest, I’m not a pro chef. I just wanted something easy and recognizable.
I settled on two main things:
- Dirt Pudding Cups: Classic kid-friendly stuff. Chocolate pudding for mud, crushed Oreos for dirt, and gummy worms. Can’t go wrong there.
- Veggie Garden Crudités: A bit healthier. Basically, veggies sticking out of a dip, made to look like a mini garden bed. Seemed fitting for Earth Day.
Hitting the Store
Alright, next step was shopping. Made a list so I wouldn’t forget anything. Needed chocolate pudding mix (or maybe just buy the pre-made cups? Yeah, easier), milk if I got the mix, a pack of Oreos, gummy worms, clear plastic cups to show the layers. For the veggie garden, I needed hummus for the ‘soil’, broccoli florets for ‘trees’, some baby carrots, celery sticks, maybe some bell pepper strips for color. Grabbed everything at the local grocery store. Pretty straightforward trip, actually.
Making the Dirt Pudding Cups
Back home, I started with the dirt cups first ’cause they seemed the most fun. I decided on the pre-made pudding cups – saved me a step. Laziness wins sometimes!
First, I took a whole sleeve of Oreos, tossed them in a big ziplock bag, and just started crushing them. Used a rolling pin. It was kinda therapeutic, banging away until they looked like fine dirt. Had to be careful not to smash holes in the bag, though. Almost did once.
Then, assembly time. Opened a pudding cup. Sprinkled a good layer of the Oreo ‘dirt’ on top. Then, the best part: sticking a couple of gummy worms in, making it look like they were crawling out. Repeated this for all the pudding cups I bought. Stacked ’em up on a tray. Looked pretty cool, actually. Very ‘earthy’. Took maybe 15 minutes total. Super easy.
Building the Veggie Garden
Next up, the veggie garden. This took a bit more effort with the chopping.
I got out the carrots, celery, broccoli, and a red bell pepper. Washed everything really well. Then, chopping time. Cut the celery into sticks. The bell pepper into strips. Kept the baby carrots whole. Broke the broccoli into smaller, bite-sized florets – these were gonna be the ‘trees’ or ‘bushes’. This part definitely took longer than the dirt cups. Maybe 20 minutes of just chopping and prepping the veg.
Then I grabbed a rectangular glass dish. Spread the hummus evenly across the bottom – about an inch thick, maybe? This was the ‘soil’. Then I just started sticking the veggies upright into the hummus. Stood the broccoli florets up, planted rows of carrot sticks and celery sticks, added some red pepper strips for colour. Tried to make it look like a little vegetable patch. It actually turned out looking pretty neat! Quite colourful.
The Final Result
So there they were. My Earth Day snacks. The dirt cups looked perfectly messy and fun. The veggie garden looked bright and healthy. It wasn’t gourmet cooking, but it fit the theme perfectly and didn’t take all day to make.
Took them to the gathering later. The dirt cups vanished instantly, especially with the kids. The veggie garden was a slower burn, but people definitely picked at it throughout the afternoon. Got a few compliments on how creative they looked. Felt pretty good! It was a simple thing, but making food tied to the day felt like a nice little way to acknowledge Earth Day.