Caprese Ladybugs

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mondelēz International Group. All opinions are entirely my own.

My 18-month-old daughter has an (understandably) limited vocabulary. Amongst the usual suspects like ‘Mama’, ‘Dada’, and ‘bear’, there is one word that is at the forefront of her burgeoning literary vault. ‘Cracker.’ Yes, my little one has made it a priority to perfect the pronunciation of the one food item that she would gladly eat exclusively. And when the gorgeously formed word comes out of her tiny mouth, it is only referring to one particular round treat… RITZ Crackers. One glimpse of that red and yellow box and she flips her lid! So, you can understand my enthusiasm when I was approached by RITZ Crackers in association with Kroger to team up with them on today’s post. I have to pay for her cracker habit somehow, okay people?!

Due to my daughter’s obsession with RITZ Crackers, I have had to become quite innovative during snack time. When the ‘cracker!’ chime rings, I scramble to throw some nutritious ingredients on top like a frantic SWAT officer detonating a bomb. ‘Cracker!’ – where is the avocado paste?! ‘Cracker!’ – someone grab that sliced mango! ‘Cracker!’ – cream cheese and chia seeds, stat! It is a situation that is quickly devolving into a complicated creativity dance between mother and toddler. So, I was thrilled to find out that RITZ Crackers actually have recipes and snack ideas posted on www.FamilyRITZpiration.com. In theory, they are foodie projects my little one could start to create herself. So, to give her a little inspiration (and expand her palette horizons), I marched on over to my local Kroger with a list of ingredients to one of the kid-friendly recipes. May I present to you the cutest snacks to have ever existed? Caprese Ladybugs!

CAPRESE LADYBUGS

INGREDIENTS

24 RITZ Crackers

6 bocconcini (1-inch fresh mozzarella cheese balls), each cut into 4 slices

24 fresh basil leaves

12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

6 pitted black olives, quartered

1 green onion, green part only cut into 48 thin strips

2 Tbsp. balsamic glaze

1/4 tsp. black sesame seed

DIRECTIONS

1. Top each cracker with 1 cheese slice and basil leaf.
2. Decorate with tomatoes, olives and onions to resemble ladybug as shown in photo.
3. Brush with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Let’s break this down step-by-step, shall we? First, head on over to your trusty Kroger… Dillions and Ralphs do just fine. Once there, it’ll be easy to find the aisle with all the RITZ Crackers goods. Purchase all the rest of the fresh ingredients at Kroger and then you’re ready to create.

Prep all the ingredients and start on the assembly. Place a bocconcini slice on a RITZ Cracker and top with a fresh basil leaf.

Add the halved cherry tomato, quartered black olive, and green onion strips.

Brush the tomato with a bit of balsamic glaze and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Enjoy!

This is a super easy and delicious foodie project to do with the little ones. Plus, they’ll get a little variety in their diet. Visit your local Kroger to pick up all these ingredients and find more RITZ Crackers inspiration here. Uh oh, I hear the ‘Cracker’ call of my people! I have to go. Have fun!