Scrumptious Bible Snacks

Transcription

1 W W W. T E A C H S U N D A Y S C H O O L. C O M Scrumptious Bible Snacks 48 Easy Snacks to Go with Popular Bible Stories, Teachings, & Holidays 1

2 Table Of Contents Introduction 9 Popular Old Testament Stories & Related Snacks #1 - #14 13 Snack #1: Garden of Eden Fruit Salad s Day 14 Story: Creation Scripture: Genesis 1 Snack #2: Animals on Board 16 Story: Noah s Ark Scripture: Genesis 6:9 Genesis 9:17 Snack #3: Traveling Satchel S mores 17 Story: Father Abraham Leaves His Homeland Scriptures: Genesis Snack #4: Pretzel Ladders 18 Story: Jacob s Ladder Scripture: Genesis 28:10-22 Snack #5 Treasure Chest Mix 19 Story: Joseph s Slavery Turned to Great Fortune Scripture: Genesis Snack #6: Burning Bush Cookies 20 Story: Moses at the Burning Bush Scripture: Exodus 3 2

3 Snack #7: Rice Krispies Commandment Tablets 21 Story: Moses and the Ten Commandments Scripture: Exodus 20 Snack #8: Jericho Wall Bricks 23 Story: Joshua Brings Down the Walls of Jericho Scripture: Joshua 6 Snack #9: Sling Shot Chocolate Bites 25 Story: David & Goliath Scripture: 1 Samuel 17 Snack # 10: Braids of Strength 26 Story: Samson & Delia Scripture: Judges 16 Snack #11: Fiery Furnace Pickles & Cheese Crackers 27 Story: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: Scripture: Daniel 3 Snack #12: Snore Cookies28 Story: Daniel and the Lion s Den Scripture: Daniel 6 Snack #13: Wheel of Time Chocolate Pie 29 Story: Ezekiel and the Wheel Scripture: Ezekiel 1-3 Snack #14: Plankton Salad30 3

4 Story: Jonah & the Whale Scripture: Jonah 1-3 Popular New Testament Stories & Related Snacks, #15-#30 31 Snack #15: Promises of Angels Cake 32 Story: Mary sees an Angel Scripture: Luke 1:26-38 Snack #16: Fruit Roll-Up Scrolls33 Story: Jesus in the Temple Scripture: Luke 2:41-52 Snack #17: Desert Dessert 34 Story: Jesus in the Desert Scripture: Luke 4:1-13 Snack #18: Wedding Grapes & Cake 35 Story: Jesus at the Wedding of Cana Scripture: John 2:1-11 Snack #19: Fishers-of-Men Banana Boats 36 Story: Jesus calls Simon Peter & Andrew Scripture: Matthew 4:19 Snack #20: Samarian Sun Chips & Messiah Salsa37 Story: Jesus and the Samarian Woman at the Well Scripture: John 4:13-30 Snack #21: Carrots-Are-Good-For-The-Eyes Salad

5 Story: Jesus heals a blind man Scripture: Mark 10:46-52 Snack #22: Sea Foam Jell-O 39 Story: Jesus Walks on Water Scripture: Mark 6:45-52 Snack #23: Bread of Life Loaf 40 Story: Jesus Lets the Children Come to Him Scripture: Matthew 19:13-15 Snack #24: Rice Up and Walk Pudding 41 Story: Jesus Heals the Paralytic Scripture: Mark 2:1-12 Snack #25: Carrot On a Stick Donkey Snacks 43 Story: Jesus and the Donkey on Palm Sunday Scripture: Matthew 21 Snack #26: Resurrection Fish over a Fire 45 Story: Jesus eats Fish with His Disciples after the Resurrection Scripture: Luke 24:36-45 Snack #27: Lightning & Clouds Cracker Snack 46 Story: The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven Scripture: Acts 1:1-10 Snack #28: Gospel Spread on Crackers 47 Story: Peter Spreads the Gospel after Pentecost 5

6 Scripture: Acts 2 Snack #29: Illumination Lemon Creation 48 Story: Phillip Helps the Ethiopian Understand the Gospel Scripture: Acts 8:26-40 Snack #30: Shipwreck Stew 49 Story: Apostle Paul Gets Caught at Sea Scripture: Acts 10: Snacks to Go with the Parables of Jesus, #31-#38 50 Snack #31: Popcorn Ball Rock & House 51 Parable: House on the Rock Scripture: Matthew 7:24 Snack #32: Fertile Ground & Sunflower Seeds 53 Parable: Parable of the Soils Scripture: Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8 Snack # 33: Wheat & Tares Oatmeal Cookies 54 Parable: Parable of the Weeds Scripture: Matthew 13 Snack #34: Mustard Seed Bites 56 Parable: Faith like a Grain of Mustard Seed Scripture: Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 13 Snack #35 Jewels for Jesus Kabobs 57 Parable: Parable of the Treasure 6

7 Scripture: Matthew 13 Snack #36: Fish N Nets Tuna Melts 58 Parable: Parable of the Nets Scripture: Matthew 13 Snack #37: Equal Pay Pretzel Nuggets60 Parable: Parable of the Harvest Workers Scripture: Matthew 20 Snack #38: Celery & Carrot Lamp Stands 61 Parable: Parable of the Ten Virgins Scripture: Matthew 15 Snacks to Serve on 5 Special Holidays: #39 - #4462 Snack #39: Halloween Jacolantern Cheese Ball 63 Snack #40: Thanksgiving Apple Turkeys 64 Snack #41: Easter Basket Cupcakes 65 Snack #42: Valentine s Day Chocolate & Strawberry Treat 66 Snack #43: Christmas Chocolate & Peppermint Dipped Oreos 67 Snack #44: Thanksgiving Apple Cider68 Five Fun & Easy Beverages 71 Beverage 1 Midnight Juice:71 Beverage #2 Desert Juice: 71 Beverage #3 Land of Plenty Juice:

8 Beverage #4 Passion Juice: 73 Beverage #5 SonShine Juice:

9 Introduction Most Sunday School teachers have thought longingly, while pouring yet another bag of pretzels into a plain old bowl, Gee, I d like some really interesting snacks for my students. If only I had the time! Teachers have a lot on their plates already these days before having to think up creative snacks to go with Sunday School lessons! We have tried to take care of that task for you. We ve taken the most popular Bible stories and teachings of the Old and New Testaments and designed easy, economical theme snacks to go with each. Snacks like Burning Bush Cookies and Rice-Up-And-Walk Pudding will provide interesting and yummy ways to further interest children in the lessons. Most Snacks are Extremely Easy These recipes will rarely require you to turn on the oven or the microwave. You ll do more spreading than baking, as these involve many items that are already-made, such as store-bought cookies and cakes. You re often merely adding theme frosting, sprinkles and touches that are symbolic to the lesson. All ingredients are purchasable in basic supermarkets, and there are no weird ingredients. Where an ingredient borders on weird (i.e. lime juice for quick-easy kid salsa), we have noted short cuts or ways around it. Average Prep Time is Fifteen Minutes We have not included prep time on our snacks, because that will largely depend on how many children you have. However, hardly any should require more than fifteen minutes to prepare for an average class of eight students. Be sure to read all instructions before starting, however, as some will require time for chilling or softening. All Fit the Average or Less-Than-Average Budget Some Sunday Schools provide a budget for snacks, and none of these should exceed the average budget. If your Sunday School doesn t budget for them, many can be made with objects found in your cabinets or refrigerator. Some ingredients you can use over and over. For example, if you keep a sizeable container rainbow sprinkles, chocolate morsels, and chocolate syrup, you won t have to buy them 9

10 each time! Many ingredients can be substituted for others that you might have in your refrigerator. For example, Garden of Eden Fruit Salad calls for walnut pieces. But if you have pecan pieces or even peanuts, they can be used instead. Part of being economical is having an eye for substitutes and finding what in your cabinet might work instead. Many will work with our snacks! That is because most involve the use of premade items; hence, you won t be fudging the ingredients of a recipe. For example, Pretzel Ladders, used with the Jacob s Ladder story, call for peanut butter to make the ladder rungs stick. If you re low on peanut butter but have cream cheese, voila! Themes Will Appeal to Kids Taste Buds While kids can be picky eaters, we find that most will eat snacks that look interesting and are part of something bigger, such as a story you ve made real in a lesson. They re not likely to say, I don t like cream cheese with pretzels; I want peanut butter! Hence, substitutions are fine, and don t be concerned about the use of things that might be new to younger children, like sprinkles of coconut. The main goal with theme-related snacks is to make the lesson more real to students. You may get a few who will try to pick the coconut off, but more than likely, you ll have young children trying something new so that they can stay part of the story! Intro Lines We have provided lines of introduction to each snack for the teacher to say, so that it s clear how the snack relates to the story. A few are slightly involved, helping to shed more light on the lesson, while others are fairly straight forward. The teacher s lines are in italics at the end of each snack. Serving Needs Stated As sometimes teachers have to prepare snacks in the classroom or in less-than-adequate church kitchen conditions, as total list of needed supplies is included. You can gage out what your church might have or not have if you re preparing snacks on-site instead of at home. Flexible Use 10

11 There are many Bible stories and while we ve picked the most popuar Sunday school, it could be that you re teaching a story we don t have included. The snack themes are broad enough so that they can be used with several stories! For example, Snore Cookies are suggested to go with Daniel and the Lion s Den as told in Daniel 6, because the lions snored off to sleep instead of eating Daniel. But they could also be used in the story of Apostle Peter escaping from prison in Acts 12, when the angels caused the guards to snore off to sleep. A little change in your introduction could provide a snack that goes with several tales. Snacks are designed so that your imagination is a welcome part of preparation if needed. More Snacks: 8 Famous Teachings of Christ We re not always teaching stories in Sunday School. Sometimes we re teaching the famous words of Jesus, such as the parables. Therefore we re including eight snacks to go with the parables of Jesus that are most used in Children s Sunday School. They follow the same format as the story snacks being easy to prepare, economical, flexible, and requiring about 15 minutes prep time. Each also includes mentions in the Table of Contents of how the snack could be used in other stories. Five Holiday Snacks Most teachers like to do something special for the holidays, and hence we have put snacks in a special section to go with Valentines Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. While a little more involved than snacks for regular lessons, these will not turn your kitchen upside down or create yet another holiday cyclone of your oven or countertops. The most difficult requirement is to make cupcakes from a mix or thread gumdrops on toothpicks. Several of the recipes mention pictures that are available online, as these came from teachers who had scoured the Internet for things that look extra pretty as well as being fairly easy. These last five special recipes do not include Intro lines or scriptures, as lessons are diverse on these. However, think up your own before class time, using the snack to reinforce the lesson your youth ministry has chosen. Finally: Five Easy Beverages That Go With Most Any Sunday School Lesson. 11

12 Many Sunday School teachers like to serve a beverage with a snack, but they don t need yet another complication. These beverages rely on easy tricks using fruit and colored ice cubes. While tasty, their value is more in the symbolism you can create that has to do with the lesson. They involve easily purchased juices, such as Gatorade and iced tea, and will put the final touches on the snacks you have thought out and prepared! While the main goal with our snacks was to bring the special stories of the Bible into snack time, we think you will enjoy the speedy, easy, and economical elements to all! 12

13 Popular Old Testament Stories & Related Snacks #1 - #

14 Snack #1: Garden of Eden Fruit Salad s Day STORY: CREATION SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 1 Pineapple chunks Orange or tangerine sections Strawberries or dried cranberries (depending on time of year) Walnut pieces Coconut Lettuce leaves Chocolate syrup in a squirt bottle Combine together in a fruit bowl chunks of pineapple, orange or tangerine sections, and strawberries or dried cranberries (depending on the time of year or what s available). Add in walnut pieces. To give your salad a Garden of Eden look, take iceberg or romaine lettuce and line the outer edge of your serving bowl. Add the filler so that the leaves stick up. Finally sprinkle the top with coconut, then using chocolate syrup, draw four or five zig-zag lines across and back. Serve on paper plates. Be prepared to add a dab of chocolate sauce to each child s plate if they wish to dip their fruit. Mixing bowl Can opener Serving spoon Paper Plates, one for each child Plastic spoons 14

15 Adam and Eve ate wonderful things like fruit from the plants and trees that God made them. Today, we re going to do the same! (Point out items in your salad dish.) They probably ate from pineapple trees, strawberry bushes, orange trees, and cracked coconuts from their coconut groves. Only difference: We have chocolate, and they probably didn t! 15

16 STORY: NOAH S ARK Snack #2: Animals on Board SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 6:9 GENESIS 9:17 Bran loaf or ginger bread loaf (a loaf will serve approximately 8 children, so you may need two.) Cream cheese Animal crackers Raisins Cinnamon Cut the loaf into eight pieces, and lay them flat. Spread with cream cheese generously. Stand four animal crackers on each piece, using the cream cheese as your sticky standing tool. Sprinkle each piece with raisins, then a light sprinkle of cinnamon. Bread knife for cutting and spreading Platter Paper plates or paper towels for serving Noah saved the real animals in the flood but it s okay for us to eat ours served especially on small arks! 16

17 Snack #3: Traveling Satchel S mores STORY: FATHER ABRAHAM LEAVES HIS HOMELAND SCRIPTURES: GENESIS Marshmallows Chocolate Hershey pieces or candy kisses Graham Crackers Place the bag of marshmallows, chocolate Hershey pieces and graham crackers, and enough napkins for each child into a small overnight bag or back pack. Using the words to the introduction below, serve the students one graham cracker square, four squares of Hershey chocolate, and several marshmallows. Abraham had to do something really nervy; most of us would probably not have the nerve. God asked him to leave his home and everything he knew to go somewhere that would be promised to him. Abraham packed all his belongings, probably in sacks and bags. If we had to do such a thing today, we might have to leave certain toys and favorite things behind and fit everything we d need into something like this. (Hold up satchel.) But God wanted Abraham to know that he would take great care of him until he got to the place God promised. Abraham did not go hungry. God wants us to know he would always take care of us (unzip the satchel and show the s more items) and He promises us great things, too, if we believe! 17

18 STORY: JACOB S LADDER Snack #4: Pretzel Ladders SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 28:10-22 Rod pretzels, one for each child Stick pretzels, four for each child Peanut butter Chocolate morsels Break rod pretzels in half. Smear a line of peanut butter down one side. Line both halves up beside each other, an inch or two apart, with the peanut butter facing up. Line up four rod pretzels across both rods as ladder rungs, using the peanut butter to make them stick. Press chocolate morsels into the peanut butter between the ladder rungs. Repeat for all children. Butter knife for spreading peanut butter Large platter Paper towels (Lay platter of ladders on table and start handing them out.) These are sort of like the ladder Jacob saw. Only thing is we can eat ours! Let s enjoy them, remembering that the ladder to God is in our hearts, and we need to remember to climb it every day! 18

19 Snack #5 Treasure Chest Mix STORY: JOSEPH S SLAVERY TURNED TO GREAT FORTUNE SCRIPTURE: GENESIS ½ cup almonds ½ cup peanuts ½ cup raisins ½ cup dried cranberries 4 cups Chex or Life Cereal ½ cup M&M pieces Mix all ingredients in together except M&M s. As kids tend to argue over who got more chocolate, once they are served, spoon out five M&Ms onto the top of their mixture. Paper plates for serving Serving spoon Two cereal boxes: One filled with the mix, one empty. They don t have to be of the same cereal. Hide the full one away in the cabinet and bring the empty one to the serving table. (Hold up empty cereal box.) Joseph knew from his dreams that God planned to bless him with many treasures. What he didn t realize was that God s plan would have a lot of twists and turns. Just when Joseph thought he was coming into his riches, he became a slave. It seemed to him (turn the empty box over and shake it to show it is empty) that his life had become an empty container, filled with nothing at all. What happens sometimes is that we re looking for our treasure at the wrong times or in the wrong places. (Put the empty cereal box down, go to the cabinet and bring out the full one. Shake it.) When the time is right, God intends us to have the fullness of his blessings. Right now, let s eat the treasure he sent us today. (Serve mix, then put on M&Ms) 19

20 Snack #6: Burning Bush Cookies STORY: MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 3 Vanilla Wafers or plain sugar cookies Vanilla icing Orange food coloring (red and yellow mixed together) Rainbow Sprinkles Lay enough cookies out on a flat surface so that you have two for each child. Mix the food coloring into the vanilla icing so that it is orange. Spread in any wild fashion across the tops of the cookies so it looks like a fire flame. Dust lightly with rainbow sprinkles on top of icing Serving platter for cookies (do not stack, as icing will grow messy) Paper towels for serving. When Moses saw the flames on the burning bush, it took him a moment to realize that the fire was not destroying the bush! In the same way, the flames on our cookies are not burning them. They ll taste just right as we eat and ask God to be part of our lives as well! 20

21 Snack #7: Rice Krispies Commandment Tablets STORY: MOSES AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 20 6 cups Rice Krispies 3 Tbs. Butter or Margarine 10 oz. bag of marshmallows Squeezable container of chocolate syrup In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or wax paper, evenly press mixture into the shape of a tablet, with rectangular corners at the bottom and a dome shape at the top. Add on mini chocolate chips or mini M&M pieces. Using a chocolate syrup container with a spout, make an attempt to scribble ten lines across the tablet is if they were the Ten Commandments. Platter for the scroll Mixing bowl Big spoon for stirring Bread Knife for cutting Plates or paper towels for serving Moses brought the tablets with the Ten Commandments down from the mountain so that the Hebrew people could know about His nature, and what He considers right and wrong. Let s go over them again while we enjoy our own edible tablet. Announce as you cut and serve, one at a time: 21

22 1. Have no other gods. 2. Have no idols. 3. Honor God's name. 4. Honor the Sabbath day. 5. Honor your parents. 6. Do not murder. 7. Do not commit adultery. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not perjure yourself. 10. Do not covet. 22

23 Snack #8: Jericho Wall Bricks STORY: JOSHUA BRINGS DOWN THE WALLS OF JERICHO SCRIPTURE: JOSHUA 6 Graham Crackers Ginger Bread House Icing (see recipe below) Gum drops or M&M pieces The Walls of Jericho can be made in two ways: One is for those who would like to make the walls stand up, and is one for the busy teachers who merely want to get the snack served to the children. Ginger Bread House Icing is very sticky and it dries, serving as the glue that holds the house together, but it is also very yummy and very easy: Whip together using a mixer: 5 cups of confectioner s sugar 2 egg whites Whip until stiff peaks form. Lay out a piece of wax paper, three feet long. Lay graham cracker squares one beside the other with only a slight space between them, maybe a quarter inch. Spread icing over the spaces evenly, using a plastic bag with a hole in it or a professional icing writer. Press in gum drops or M&Ms lightly. Allow to dry until hardened. Repeat three times, so that you have the four walls of Jericho. As in the story the walls came tumbling down, we will not attempt to attach the walls and stand them (for experts only). Just try to keep them in four pieces throughout the lesson. Paper plates Napkins Broom to sweep up crumbs! 23

24 Remaining M&Ms or gumdrops Joshua brought down the walls of Jericho, with a trumpet and a shout! (With clean hands, try to break off squares without losing icing or gumdrops. Give each child a few squares.) Now we can eat our Walls of Jericho and feel like we re part of that story! (If they don t get equal gumdrops, add a few on their plate to make things even.) 24

25 STORY: DAVID & GOLIATH Snack #9: Sling Shot Chocolate Bites SCRIPTURE: 1 SAMUEL 17 Chocolate Pound Cake Vanilla Pound Cake Red licorice strings Sprinkle Topping The bite size pieces of cake will serve as the rocks David used to slay Goliath. Cut both pound cakes up into bite size squares, 1-inch by 1-inch. Place two of each color into a cupcake holder, which will serve as the sling where David put each deadly stone. The licorice is an imitation of like the leather lengths of King David s slingshot with which he slew Goliath. Using a knife, punch two holes on either side of the cupcake holder, near to the top. Run a piece of licorice string through one hole and tie a knot on the outside so that it won t pull through. Run the other end through the other hole and again, tie it on the outside. Sprinkle with whatever you have available: Confectioner s sugar, M&M pieces, gum drops, raisins. Bread knife for cutting cake pieces Paper cupcake liners Serving platter Paper towels or plates Bring in all slingshots on a serving platter and give one to each child. David had a sling shot, and now we do too! Only the rocks should taste pretty yummy and go down easily! 25

26 STORY: SAMSON & DELIA Snack # 10: Braids of Strength SCRIPTURE: JUDGES 16 String licorice, three pieces for each child Fruit Loops, a half-dozen for each child Life savers, one for each child With clean hands, take three strings of licorice and tie one end. Work four various colored fruit loops onto each of three strands, stopping at differing points. Careful not to break the fruit loops, braid the licorice pieces. Tie off the bottom by working all three pieces through a Lifesaver. Serving platter Plates Bring all braids out on a serving platter and give one to each child, careful not to break the Fruit Loops. Delilah stole away Samson s strength by cutting off his braid. We re going to gather strength today by eating braids (even though there s not much nutrional value in this one!) 26

27 Snack #11: Fiery Furnace Pickles & Cheese Crackers STORY: SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO: SCRIPTURE: DANIEL 3 Bread & Butter Pickles, cut round Cheese Nips or Cheez-It Crackers Store-bought Dip Olives or Raisins or Nuts On a clean serving platter, make three stick figures out of pickles. Use the dip on a knife to create eyes, mouths, and hair without too much smearing (just do your best; it s supposed to look funny). You ll want to use enough pickles so that every child can have a couple. If you need more, lay some around the sides. Fill in around the three with cheese crackers. Put the dip container on the tray and, using olives or raisins, make a smile face on it to portray the angel. Older children generally like olives, whereas younger children will like raisins or nuts. (Do not use olives with pits!) Dot the rest of the tray with the olives, raisins or nuts. Platter for the fiery furnace Knife for creating faces on three men Small serving fork for pickles and dip Large serving spoon for pickles and crackers Plates for children (Put down fiery furnace tray and pass around plates). Here we have Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and the angel whom the Lord sent to visit with him. We re going to ingest them into our lives with this yummy snack! 27

28 STORY: DANIEL AND THE LION S DEN Snack #12: Snore Cookies SCRIPTURE: DANIEL 6 Vanilla Wafers or Sugar Cookies Vanilla Icing Food Coloring: Blue, Red and Yellow The snack is prepared to be colorful, using three food dyes, but if you are in a hurry, any color will suffice (or none!) Separate the icing into three dishes. Mix into each a few drops of food coloring, so you have some red, some blue, some yellow. Using a professional icing writer or a plastic bag with a hole, create the letter Z on all of the cookies. Place them on a serving tray (do not stack, as the icing will get messy) Platter for serving 3 plastic bags for squeezing icing or professional icing writer Bowls for separating icing Fork for stirring in food coloring Daniel was in serious trouble when he went into the Lion s Den or so everyone thought. But God was good. He put the lions to sleep. Maybe God fed them snore cookies that made them Zee-out a little like the cookies we re serving today! 28

29 Snack #13: Wheel of Time Chocolate Pie STORY: EZEKIEL AND THE WHEEL SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 1-3 Graham Cracker Pie Crust Instant Chocolate Pudding Cool Whip Chocolate Chips Rainbow Sprinkles Note: If you would rather, you can buy a chocolate pie in the supermarket and simply add chocolate chips and sprinkles to it. Whip up instant chocolate pudding mix and chill until it no longer moves in the dish. Spread evenly over the graham cracker pie crust. Top with cool whip. Create a wheel of chocolate chips by sprinkling them along the circumference of the pie. Create an inner wheel with the sprinkles, an inch or two in from the outer wheel. If you have more than 8 students, repeat to feed all. Chill until ready Bowl for making pudding Spoon for stirring and spreading Knife or pie cutter Plates for serving Ezekiel 1 describes the wheel Ezekiel saw in some very mysterious terms. Some think Ezekiel actually saw four wheels. Some think he only saw one, but it had wheels within its wheel. Sort of like this pie! Someday we ll get to the know the truth about what Ezekiel saw, but for now, we just need to trust God and love chocolate! 29

30 STORY: JONAH & THE WHALE Snack #14: Plankton Salad SCRIPTURE: JONAH 1-3 Raisins Sun Flower Seeds Peanuts Dried cranberries Corn Pops Cereal Add together 1 cup raisins 1 cup sun flower seeds 1 cup dried cranberries 2 cups peanuts 4 cups of Corn Pops Cereal Serving bowl Large serving spoon Bowls, plates or paper towels for serving Jonah was quite an unusual meal for the giant fish. We re assuming it was a whale, and as big as whales are, they generally eat microscopic sea life called plankton. Under a microscope, it would look very much like our snack today. However, we like to see what we eat! 30

31 Popular New Testament Stories & Related Snacks, #15-#

32 STORY: MARY SEES AN ANGEL Snack #15: Promises of Angels Cake SCRIPTURE: LUKE 1:26-38 Angel food cake Strawberry or raspberry jam Chocolate sauce Spread the jam generously on top of the angel food cake, maybe a half-inch thick. Let it sink in for a couple minutes. Cut the cake into pieces and lay the pieces on their sides without spaces in between when possible. (Use a sharp knife to cut angel food cake, and saw it back and forth without putting pressure on it.) Just before serving, make squiggly lines across all pieces with the chocolate syrup. Serving platter for cake pieces Knife for cutting and spreading jam Plates and forks for children Today we learned how an angel came and visited Mary and told her about the birth of Jesus through her. So now, we re eating angel food cake which isn t really food for angels. It s just soft and fluffy like angels are! Enjoy! 32

33 STORY: JESUS IN THE TEMPLE Snack #16: Fruit Roll-Up Scrolls SCRIPTURE: LUKE 2:41-52 Fruit Roll-Ups, one for each child Strawberry crème cheese Strawberry or raspberry jam Gumdrops Unroll Fruit Roll-up. Spread with a thin layer of cream cheese Spread on top a thin layer of strawberry or raspberry jam Roll up again Hold together with one or two toothpicks, kind with the blunt end Cover the sharp end by sticking a gumdrop onto it. Repeat for each Roll-up Platter for serving Knife for spreading Tooth picks (the kind with the blunt end) Paper towels for serving Jesus was in the temple when his parents found him. What did the people study in temples? Scrolls! So, here are some scrolls for us to enjoy 33

34 STORY: JESUS IN THE DESERT Snack #17: Desert Dessert SCRIPTURE: LUKE 4:1-13 Large bran muffins Strawberry cream cheese, softened Jar of cherries Remove bran muffins from their packaging. Lie each on its side and cut four circle shaped bran pieces out of each. Put the circles on a serving tray. Place a dollop of cream cheese on each, maybe a tablespoon full. Put a cherry on top of the cream cheese. Leave at room temperature so that cream cheese will soften and kids can spread it. Serving platter Knife for cutting & spreading Plates A few plastic knives so students can spread their cream cheese When Jesus was tempted in the desert, he was hungry. Satan told him to turn the stones nearby into bread and eat. Jesus said, Thou shalt not live by bread alone, in reply, or the temptation may have yielded something that looks like what we have today. 34

35 Snack #18: Wedding Grapes & Cake STORY: JESUS AT THE WEDDING OF CANA SCRIPTURE: JOHN 2:1-11 Angel Food Cake Raspberries Cool Whip Green Grapes White grape fruit juice (or fruit juce) chilled Cut the angel food cake into slices and lay flat on serving platter. Try to make slices flat instead of very angled (smaller slices). Mash a half cup raspberries until they are a jelly-like substance. Add them to the cool whip, stirring until it turns light pink. Put 2 tablespoons of cool whip on each slice and spread smooth. Snip bunches of grapes off in small clusters of about six grapes each. Lay a cluster on top of each slice of cake. Platter for serving slices Fork for mashing and stirring Plates Napkins Cups for juice Plastic forks Jesus changed water to wine at a wedding. We re going to have our own celebration, serving wedding cake and our own version of wedding juice! 35

36 Snack #19: Fishers-of-Men Banana Boats STORY: JESUS CALLS SIMON PETER & ANDREW SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 4:19 Bananas (one for each child) Large Marshmallows (four for each child) Small chocolate chips Chocolate syrup Cut the knotty end of the banana peel off, then slit the peel on the inside of the curve. Loosen the peel but leave it on. Between the peel and the banana, spoon in some chocolate chips. Spear three marshmallows with three toothpicks, then attach them to the banana at the slit by spearing the banana. Lie the boat with three men on its side on a serving tray and repeat with each banana. Serve onto plates. Add a bit of chocolate syrup to each plate for dipping. Knife or scissors for cutting off knotty tail of banana peel Toothpicks (buy kind with one blunt end) Paper plates for serving We tend to think of the disciples as very holy and very special people. Truth: they were normal guys, just like us at first. When Jesus called them to be disciples, Peter and Andrew were out fishing in boats. So we ve made Fishers-of-Men Boats to celebrate how they were called! 36

37 Snack #20: Samarian Sun Chips & Messiah Salsa STORY: JESUS AND THE SAMARIAN WOMAN AT THE WELL SCRIPTURE: JOHN 4:13-30 Bag of Sun Chips Can of diced tomatoes 2 Tbs. minced onion 2 tsp. minced garlic 2 Tbs. finely chopped Cilantro 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. Lime Juice This will feed approximately 6 students, so double as necessary Place sunchips around on a serving tray. In the center place a dish for the Messiah Salsa. Messiah Salsa is actually a recipe for homemade kid salsa, mild, without the jalapeño peppers! If you are pressed for time, you can buy fresh salsa in most supermarket s fresh vegetable section. Empty the tomatoes into the dish. Stir in garlic well. Stir in minced onion, salt and lime juice until all is even. Add cilantro last and save a few sprigs to sprinkle on the top for a fresh look. Add to dish. Serving platter for chips Dish for salsa Bigger dish for stirring in ingredients Knife for chopping Plates for serving When Jesus met the Samarian woman, (hold up on chip) she was surprised that Jesus would even speak to her. He told her that he would give her rivers of living water, (hold up bowl of salsa) implying it was perfectly all right for Jews and Samarians to mix up together. (Dip the chip in the salsa). Let s pretend that Jesus is the Salsa, and we are the chips, so we can mix our lives together with His! 37

38 Snack #21: Carrots-Are-Good-For-The-Eyes Salad STORY: JESUS HEALS A BLIND MAN SCRIPTURE: MARK 10: lb. of grated carrots 1 cup crushed pineapple 1/2 cup raisins 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, or to taste 1 dash lemon juice Crackers, Ritz or Triscuits Mix carrots, pineapple, raisins, honey, mayo and lemon juice in together and stir until smooth. Place in a serving bowl. Line a serving platter with crackers and put the serving bowl in the middle. Serving platter and bowl Mixing bowl Large spoon for mixing and serving Plates Forks (as they may have trouble scooping onto crackers) When Jesus healed the blind man, we re not sure why he used his own spit as part of the healing. We re just glad it worked! Today we re also glad the physicians don t use spit when we visit them. But modern science does tell us carrots are good for the eyes! So, let s celebrate the blind man s sight by taking good care of our eyes with carrot salad. 38

39 STORY: JESUS WALKS ON WATER Snack #22: Sea Foam Jell-O SCRIPTURE: MARK 6: pint containers of Green or Blue Jell-o 1 container of Cool Whip Rainbow Sprinkles Empty jell-o into a mixing bowl and break with a fork until mushy Slowly add in cool whip and stir Pour into a serving dish Sprinkle rainbow sprinkles on top in the shape of a rainbow Mixing bowl Serving bowl Serving spoon Fork Plates and plastic forks Jesus walked on the water when it was very stormy. At certain times in our lives, things get stormy and hard. But we can always be certain that He is there, walking along beside us, and that eventually the sun will come out again. That s why we have the rainbow on top of our sea-foamy snack! 39

40 Snack #23: Bread of Life Loaf STORY: JESUS LETS THE CHILDREN COME TO HIM SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 19:13-15 Pound cake 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup creamy peanut butter 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed 2 cups confectioners' sugar 4 strawberries This will serve approximately 8 children, so double as needed Cut the pound cake into 8 slices and lie flat on a serving platter In a mixing bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, milk, and confectioner s sugar for a tasty peanut butter spread. Spread a thin layer on top of each slice. Top with half a strawberry. Serving platter Mixing bowl Knife for cutting strawberries and spreading spread Paper towels for serving Jesus said, Let the children come until me, because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these. Because Jesus also referred to himself as The Bread of Life, it would be a fine idea to serve our fancy Bread of Life to children! 40

41 Snack #24: Rice Up and Walk Pudding STORY: JESUS HEALS THE PARALYTIC SCRIPTURE: MARK 2:1-12 Rice Pudding 32 oz. Cinnamon Graham Crackers Cool Whip Cinnamon Raspberries Pour rice pudding into serving bowl and spread evenly. Sprinkle cinnamon fairly evenly over pie. Break graham crackers into smallest rectangles and stick them halfway into the pie along the edge of the serving bowl so that they are distributed evenly. Using the raspberries, make a stick figure of a man jumping, similar to this one: Sprinkle chocolate chips around him. Chill until time to serve. Serving bowl Serving Spoon Bowls for serving Plastic Spoons 41

42 When Jesus healed the paralytic, He said, Your sins are forgiven. Rise up and walk. The healed man probably did a dance something like this little fellow on our Rice-Up-And-Walk pudding. 42

43 Snack #25: Carrot On a Stick Donkey Snacks STORY: JESUS AND THE DONKEY ON PALM SUNDAY SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 21 One for each student of: Clean carrots with outer layer peeled Stalk of celery, long String licorice, red Peanut butter Garden Vegetable Dip can be purchased in a store, or if you have time, you can make this easy recipe, a favorite on allrecipies.com: 1 cup light sour cream 1 cup mixed herbs, such as, parsley, chives and dill 2/3 cup light mayonnaise 2 tbsp. rice vinegar 4 tbsp. milk 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 24 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature Assorted vegetables, such as, baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, cucumbers For making dip: In blender, process sour cream, herbs, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons water, vinegar, salt, and cayenne pepper until smooth and pale green. Cut cream cheese into chunks. Add to blender, one at a time, processing until smooth. Transfer mix to serving bowl. Place serving bowl on the center of a clean serving platter. For making Donkey snacks: Wash all carrots and celery sticks. With a sharp knife, draw a small hole near the top center of the celery stalk. Thread the licorice through and tie a small knot at the back. Take the other end of the licorice and tie it around the carrot, about an inch from the top of the fat end. Tie a secure knot. Take the end of the celery stick not tied with licorice and dip it in a good sized glob of peanut butter, maybe a tablespoon full. 43

44 Dip all points of the carrots into the dip bowl so that they either stand by themselves or rest against the sides of the bowls. Stand the celery stalks against the outside of the dish evenly, all the way around. The peanut butter will help ground them. After the introduction, let the children each take a Donkey Snack onto a plate. Add dip to each plate for further dipping if they wish. Clean serving platter Clean serving dish Blender if you are making dip from the recipe Serving spoon Plates for serving As Jesus is Lord of the universe, He could have rode into Jerusalem on a big, shining stallion. But Jesus is humble, and so he chose a donkey. His donkey was touched by God and behaved very well that day, but generally, donkeys can be very stubborn. Sometimes the only way to move one forward is to hold a carrot on a stick in front of him. Let s remember to be humble and not stubborn as we eat our snacks 44

45 Snack #26: Resurrection Fish over a Fire STORY: JESUS EATS FISH WITH HIS DISCIPLES AFTER THE RESURRECTION SCRIPTURE: LUKE 24:36-45 Pepperidge Farm Fish Rye Bread Cream Cheese, softened Cheddar sprinkle cheese Spread cream cheese on slices of rye bread and cut the slices in half. Lay them on a serving platter. Place six or eight Pepperidge farm fish on top of each half slice. Sprinkle cheese on the top of all. Serving platter Knife for spreading Plates Jesus ate to prove to his disciples that he was really and truly resurrected in body. He was not a ghost. It was important that His disciples know this, because it proved that someday they would be resurrected, too, and Jesus had won over death! The thing he ate was fish, and to celebrate that, we ve prepared a tasty, fishy snack for you also 45

46 Snack #27: Lightning & Clouds Cracker Snack STORY: THE ASCENSION OF JESUS INTO HEAVEN SCRIPTURE: ACTS 1:1-10 Graham Crackers Marshmallow Fluff Cheese curls Break graham crackers into perfect squares Spread Marshmallow Fluff on each square Top with Three cheese curls in the shape of a lightning bolt Spread remaining cheese curls on a clean platter Lay the graham cracker squares evenly on top. Serving platter Knife for spreading When Jesus left the earth last time, He went up into the clouds. He said that when he would return, it would be in the clouds again, with lightning flashing from east to west. Let s celebrate his ascension and his return with our own fluffy clouds and flashes of lightning! 46

47 Snack #28: Gospel Spread on Crackers STORY: PETER SPREADS THE GOSPEL AFTER PENTECOST SCRIPTURE: ACTS 2 Bagel chips (whole not pieces) Lipton onion soup pack 8oz container of sour cream Stick pretzels Small Olives Combine onion soup mix with sour cream and refrigerate 20 minutes until it hardens. Place liberal glop of dip on each bagel chip carefully so as not to break. Stand 5 pretzel sticks so they stand up in the dip on top of the bagel. Take a 6 th pretzel stick and thread an olive through it. Then stand it with the other pretzels so the olive is near the base. Place each on a serving platter Platter for serving Bowl and fork for mixing dip Knife for spreading Paper Towels for serving After Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter has so much to share about Jesus. (Hold up a cracker with pretzels sticking out). He told the crowds about Him with a suddenly accurate memory of all Jesus had taught him. Jesus had said he was the Bread of Life, sort of like this cracker. He had said You are the salt of the earth, meaning people, so we re sort of like these pretzels very salty! The Holy Spirit had come upon Peter, which was making us stick to Jesus (point at dip, pretzels and bagel respectively). The Olive is for the place Jesus died the Mount of Olives! Let s eat and remember to let the Holy Spirit help us stick close to Jesus! 47

48 Snack #29: Illumination Lemon Creation STORY: PHILLIP HELPS THE ETHIOPIAN UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL SCRIPTURE: ACTS 8: graham cracker pie crusts 1 can lemon pie filling 8 oz. cream cheese softened 2 tablespoons sugar 1 container of Cool Whip (regular sized, not large) Bag of Mini M&M pieces This will serve approximately 16 children Combine lemon pie filling, cream cheese, half of your Cool Whip, and sugar in a bowl and mix until even. Spread evenly into the pie crust. Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the tops. Using the M&M pieces, form a sun on each pie a circle with lines coming out of it. Try to form the sun circle with 8 lines, and that way, each child s piece will have a line of M&Ms on the top. Mixing Bowl Fork or mixer for stirring Knife or pie cutter for serving Plates and plastic forks The sun was not the only thing that was bright when Phillip helped the Ethiopian in the desert to understand the gospel. The Holy Spirit was also lighting both their minds. In honor of that day, we have a bright sunny dessert for you made of lemons and sunshine! 48

49 Snack #30: Shipwreck Stew STORY: APOSTLE PAUL GETS CAUGHT AT SEA SCRIPTURE: ACTS 10: loaf of cranberry bread 1 loaf of banana bread (note: other fruit breads will do if these are not available, but try to have one dark bread such as banana and one lighter such as cranberry) 1 can vanilla icing Blue food coloring Coconut Cut both cakes into bite-sized pieces. Mix vanilla icing with blue food coloring until it turns sea-blue (Don t mix too much; it s okay to leave white streaks that will look like waves.) Put dollops of blue icing on all cake pieces Stack on a serving tray so that the light cranberry pieces and the dark carrot pieces are mixed together. Sprinkle the whole arrangement with coconut Platter for serving Bowl for mixing icing Knife for spreading and cutting Plates for serving Paul told all on board the ship that they would be saved but their ship would be shipwrecked. In the end, it may have looked a lot like our Shipwreck Stew here on the platter. Let s eat in memory of Paul s desire to share all things that God told him! 49

50 8 Snacks to Go with the Parables of Jesus, #31-#

51 Snack #31: Popcorn Ball Rock & House PARABLE: HOUSE ON THE ROCK SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 7:24 14 Marshmallows 14 candy kisses Vanilla or chocolate icing, one readymade container 2 cups sugar 1 1/3 cups water 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 18 cups popped corn Make popcorn balls as following. This should take approximately 20 minutes. If you don t have time, you can use store bought rice cakes instead of the popcorn balls: Microwave enough popcorn to make 18 cups of popped corn, either 2 or 3 bags, depending on their size and how they pop. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar, and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture bubbles, then stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn, tossing gently until the mixture is even. When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 3-inch balls with lightly greased hands. The popcorn balls make the rock. One marshmallow with a candy kiss for a roof will make the house. Drive a toothpick into the marshmallow and drive the sharp end into the popcorn ball until the 51

52 marshmallow sits on top of it. Coat the top of a marshmallow with icing. Unwrap the candy kiss and put it atop the house, using the icing as a glue. Cool completely on waxed paper. Put all on serving platter. Stove and saucepan for heating popcorn ball mixture Spoon for stirring Toothpicks Serving platter Paper towels for serving. Jesus wanted us all to build our houses on the Rock. That means we should believe in Him for the good things in life instead of believing in the power of money or the power of important people. HE is our house on the rock, so let s eat these in honor of Him! 52

53 Snack #32: Fertile Ground & Sunflower Seeds PARABLE: PARABLE OF THE SOILS SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13, MARK 4, LUKE 8 4 cups granola cereal 2/3 cup honey 1 cup sunflower nuts This recipe should yield 12 bars, so add or subtract accordingly Spread a piece of wax paper, a couple of feet long, on a counter. Place granola in a bowl, gently shaking and breaking apart any large clumps with a fork. Heat honey in microwave for 30 seconds. Mix granola and warm honey in a large bowl. Spray wax paper with cooking spray. Put the granola mixture on the wax paper, spreading with a spatula until it lies flat. Sprinkle with a thin layer of sunflower nuts. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cut into individual portions and refrigerate wax paper on a platter. Wax paper Bowl for mixing Fork for stirring and breaking Small container for warming honey Microwave Spatula for spreading and serving Paper plates for serving Jesus said the seeds that were sewn on the hallow ground would grow into strong plants. Just like we want to grow into strong Christians. Let s eat and remember to grow strong in Christ. 53

54 Snack # 33: Wheat & Tares Oatmeal Cookies PARABLE: PARABLE OF THE WEEDS SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13 This snack calls for making easy homemade oatmeal cookies, but if you re pressed for time, you can buy oatmeal cookie mix at the supermarket. Buy raisins also. 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups oatmeal 1 ½ cups raisins Combine ingredients in large bowl. Mix with electric mixer. Add about half the raisins and mix in. Make small balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Using the other half of your raisins, make a line of five or six raisins. across the top of each cookie to represent the tare. Flatten raisins into the mixture using the bottom of a glass if needed. If you are doing this with a store-bought mix, make a line with the raisins across the top of each cookie. Bake at minutes Bowl for mixing Mixer Cookie sheets for baking Platter for serving 54

55 These cookies remind us of the wheat and the tares parable that Jesus told. The cookie is like the good wheat and the raisins are like the tares. If you try to pick out the tares, the whole cookie will crumble! Let s just enjoy the cookies and let our digestive tracks do the job that God will do one day separating the wheat from the tares. 55

56 Snack #34: Mustard Seed Bites PARABLE: FAITH LIKE A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13, MARK 4, LUKE 13 8 granola bars, any kind that is soft and chewy Natella chocolate spread Sesame seeds (Note: Nutella is fairly new but growing ever more popular. It is a chocolaty nutty spread that works like jelly, such that you are making a peanut butter and chocolate sandwich as opposed to peanut butter and jelly. It is often found in the PB&J section of your supermarket, though sometimes in the baking aisle.) Cut granola bars in half so that they are bite-sized. Spread the tops with a thin layer of Nutella. Spread sesame seeds on top. Place on a serving platter Knife for cutting and spreading Serving platter Paper towels for serving Jesus described the mustard seed as the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree. It might look as if the tiny mustard seeds on top of our snacks grew into the bars underneath! Let s let God grow our faith in just the same way. We can start out with just a smidgeon of faith, but we want to grow, grow, and grow! 56

57 Snack #35 Jewels for Jesus Kabobs PARABLE: PARABLE OF THE TREASURE SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13 Small Marshmallows Gumdrops, varying colors Dried Cranberries On wooden hors d oeuvre kabobs, string marshmallows, gumdrops and dried cranberries. Use a marshmallow between each, so that every other item on the kabob is a marshmallow. Make enough so that each child can have two. Kabob sticks (small, for hors d oeuvres) Jesus described the Kingdom of Heaven like a great treasure. He said that when a man found a great pearl, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. The ended up with great jewels of wisdom and an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ. Let s enjoy our jewels and pretend they are treasures sent from heaven especially for us! 57