Pizza Snails
Kiddos in the Kitchen – Kids’ Activities
Like Eating Food? Thank a Pollinator!
Pollinators in the Willamette Valley include hummingbirds, bees, beetles, butterflies, and other insects. These busy neighbors provide a very important service. Over 75% of all flowering plants depend on animal pollinators. The list includes native plants as well as over 100 crops. Unfortunately, pollinators are struggling for survival at the moment. One partner working toward improving the odds for our local pollinators is Benton Soil and Water Conservation District (BSWCD). Here is a link to learn more about how to help our pollinators do their important work in our environment. Click below to watch a presentation on the native pollinator, the Mason Bee, by BSWCD director Jerry Paul. Be sure to check out the visuals at 02:18-02:44 to see how our produce and dairy sections at the Co-op might be impacted if we no longer had pollinators taking care of our crops. Is your family interested in becoming a “Bee Buddy”? Learn more here.
What’s on Your Log?
If the sun is out, think about taking a little walk around your yard to see what critters are wandering, slithering, skittering, hopping, or flying around today. How many different critters can you find? Try looking on flowers, in the dirt, or under things. Look in the air, what is flying around? Can you find any spider webs? Click the button below for a Scavenger Hunt checklist to help you track what you find. After an afternoon of looking for bugs and critters, you may need to refuel with a healthy snack. Crisp, juicy celery with yummy peanut or almond butter make a great snack with these fun critter-like additions:
- Ants on a Log (add raisins)
- Ladybugs on a Log (add cranberries)
- Worms on a Log (add cashews)
- Gnats on a Log (add chia or poppy seeds)
- Beetles on a Log (add pumpkin seeds)
Now Let’s Make the Recipe!
Here’s a fun variation on pizza! Instead of rolling your pizza dough into a circle, and baking it flat, why not make some “snails” for tasty bite-sized snacks? You can make this with whatever your favorite pizza toppings are, though softer/flatter toppings roll up the best. This recipes calls for a tomato-based pizza sauce, but you can also use barbecue sauce or basil pesto!
- pizza dough (if you don’t have pre-made dough, here is a recipe that works well)
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- pepperoni, to taste (optional)
- other pizza toppings (optional)
- additional Parmesan (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425. Roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread pizza sauce over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch dry at the far end. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and position other pizza toppings evenly in a thin layer. Begin rolling at the end closest to you. Try to roll as tightly and evenly as you can. When you get to the end of the roll, moisten the dry end of the pizza dough with a little water and seal the roll closed. Carefully slice the roll cross-ways to create the “snails,” about 3/4 inch thick. Place snails on a greased baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until dough is gold brown. Sprinkle tops with additional Parmesan if desired.