School parties can be an easy excuse for unhealthy junk foods and sweets ending up on your child's plate. You can gain popularity among the other parents while ensuring all the kid's still enjoy all the festivities with some healthy party snack solutions. Try these easy to make homemade and nutritious recipes at your next school event or children's party and you won't have to worry about unhealthy eating habits.
Magic Fruit Wands Similar to kabobs, try using a popsicle stick, coffee stirrer, or chopstick (a less sharp option) to create these creative snacks. Line up your favorite arrangement of fruit on the stick, finishing it off with a cut out fruit star at the top. To get step by step instructions to on make these healthy treats take a look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKxA8SOM-0k Pita Pizzas Forget delivery and make these easy and healthy Pita Pizzas. First spread tomato sauce on whole-wheat pitas. Use reduced fat mozzarella and top off with meats and veggies. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in the toaster oven until the cheese is melted and the veggies are cooked. Monkey Food A fun take on trail mix. Individually bag banana chips, almonds, and raisons and label the bags as “Monkey Food”. This sweet treat also make a great packed lunch snack that can replace potato chips or cookies. Turkey Pinwheels Instead of boring sandwiches try making pinwheels wraps. Spread hummus, mustard, or reduced fat cream cheese on whole-wheat tortillas. Pile on turkey breast, spinach, and veggies. Roll up the wrap like a burrito and cut them into slices. Lastly, secure them with toothpicks and serve on a party platter.
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The Alpine Village is a little slice of Bavaria transplanted right into the heart of sunny Southern California.
The home of the biggest Oktoberfest celebration in Southern California, The Alpine Village plays many roles, as part restaurant and bierhall, part event center, part nightclub, and part import food market. Needless to say, there is a lot to do, see and eat at The Alpine Village. The restaurant and bierhall, dubbed the Alpine Village Inn, is truly a step back in time. Open six days a week for a casual dinner, stop by for some standard German fare – sausages, schnitzels, potatoes – and live entertainment on most nights. The highlight of the week is the Sunday Champagne Brunch, where you can sample the menu and create your own omelet for $20 while enjoying bottomless champagne. What The Alpine Village is most known for is its annual Oktoberfest celebration. While it doesn’t exactly feel like you’re in Munich, the eight-week celebration has been going on for more than 45 years and was chosen by USA Today as one of the best Oktoberfests in the World. The bands are flown in from Germany, traditional German food is available and several types of beer from Warsteiner and Konig Ludwig are on tap. You can even bring your own stein to drink out of! The party is loud and crowded, but that’s exactly what you should expect. What is lesser known is that The Alpine Village houses an authentic European bakery, a butcher shop making fine sausages and an import grocery featuring other imported products. If you’re looking for anything German and authentic that you can’t find anywhere else, you will likely find it here. If you pay a visit to The Alpine Village, you will likely find yourself browsing one of the number of quaint little shops, where you will find much more than you would ever expect, from clocks and antiques to collectible children’s books. For more information on Oktoberfest, or to get a better grasp on all of the things to do and see at The Alpine Village, check out their website and Facebook page. The Alpine Village 833 Torrance Blvd Torrance, CA 90502 Phone: 310-327-4384 [email protected] http://www.alpinevillagecenter.com/ Seriously, when it comes to ice cream and gelato, there’s nothing better than a hot spot to cool down. For those in the South Bay area, a few established neighborhood spots are the heavy favorites. While there's not a lot to dislike about ice cream or gelato, options certainly help, and these favorites pretty much have it all. Here's a short list:
Yelpers love Handel's Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt in Redondo Beach, which earned 4.5 stars in 375 reviews. This place is popular -- it's been open since 1945 -- so expect long lines, but with Banana Cream Pie, Graham Central Station and Blueberry Cheesecake Chunk among the 100-plus ice cream flavors, it's tough to go wrong. For gelato lovers, Paciugo Gelato Caffe in Hermosa Beach has become a neighborhood favorite since opening in 2008. A block from the beach, this chain – there are only three locations in SoCal -- has more than 300 flavors of gelato and sorbet to choose from and features about 32 each day. Manhattan Beach Creamery is a quaint setting also located steps from the beach and offers 28 flavors daily, plus other flavors not currently in rotation in a pint freezer. All of the ice cream here is made by hand, and among other ice cream-related menu items, the cream'wich is a house favorite. For those who are health-conscious but still want the satisfaction gelato, try 22 Degrees in Redondo Beach. Described as the nation's first prebiotic gelato, this version offers no corn syrup, preservatives, gluten or artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors. With 80-plus flavors made from scratch in-house choose from, it's no wonder 22 Degrees gets a lot of publicity. Notable comedian Paul Reiser once called the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach the old Yankee Stadium of comedy, referring to it as a “shrine to comedy.” Indeed, this venue is quite legendary in comedy circles, and luckily for South Bay residents it has been right under your noses since 1978.
If you’re looking for a new form of entertainment and haven’t been to a comedy club since Eddie Murphy was staring on Saturday Night Live, The Comedy and Magic Club is the place to go. The 250-seat venue has been in business for 35 years for a reason and gets high marks among Yelpers for the food and comfortable ambience. The club is most notable as the place where Jay Leno performs nearly every Sunday night at 7p.m. But the lineup of regular comedians is like a who’s-who list, including Reiser, David Spade, Rob Schenider, Dom Irrera and David Attell among others, and many will take the stage with little or no advanced notice. On Friday and Saturday nights, the club hosts a lineup of 10 comedians per night. When headliners are in town, tickets range from $30-35 with a two-item (any combination of food or drink) per person minimum, which makes it convenient to order from a menu that gets strong reviews. The seating is first come first serve, so make sure to arrive early. Check out the club’s Facebook page for updates and photos of past performers. 1018 Hermosa Ave Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 Phone: 310- 372-1193 www.comedyandmagicclub.com If an upscale dining experience is in your future, South Bay residents have a number of options that come in all shapes and sizes.
Whether your wish lists starts with an amazing ocean view, impeccable service, the best seafood in town or an intimate setting for a special occasion, the best of the best in South Bay have a lot to offer. Looking for the local hot spot with the best dining experience everyone seems to be talking about? Here are four suggestions that span from Manhattan Beach to Palos Verdes: MB Post This popular local Manhattan Beach hot spot has earned a 4.5-star rating on nearly 850 Yelp reviews, putting it among the favorite destinations in South Bay. Advertised as an artisan menu of small shared plates, an interesting and eclectic menu that changes often compliments an atmosphere that strikes a balance between laid back and upscale. The brunch menu is immensely popular at MB Post, as are the bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits. 1142 Manhattan Ave Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 310-545-5405 www.eatmbpost.com Chef Melba’s Bistro The quaint and intimate setting at Chef Melba’s Bistro is highlighted by an open-air kitchen that shares its aromas with the cozy dining area. With a fine lineup of seafood that includes Dungeness Crab Clusters, natural sea scallops and three varieties of wild Alaskan Halibut, it was voted best seafood in South Bay by The Beach Reporter in 2012. Yelpers agree, giving Chef Melba’s Bistro a four-star rating in more than 150 reviews, raving in particular about the signature dark chocolate bag on the dessert menu. 1501 Hermosa Ave Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-376-2084 www.chefmelbasbistro.com Japonica Dining Considered by many to be the home of the best sushi and sashimi in South Bay, Japonica Dining offers a cool, casual ambiance. The intimate setting might be unexpected, as bamboo shades give tables a private feel to enjoy monthly specials and an extensive two-page Sake list. An Izakaya restaurant, the food is served in tapas-style portions so you can enjoy many different foods with your drinks. “The food here is delicious – it reminded me of being back in Japan,” said one Yelp review. “The sashimi is probably the best I have tasted in the States.” 1304 1/2 S Pacific Coast Hwy Redondo Beach, CA 90277 310-316-9477 www.japonicadining.com Mar’sel Located at the Terranea Resort, the first thing to notice about Mar’sel are the stunning views overlooking the Pacific Ocean that create an elegant setting. Not to be outdone, Chef Rebecca Merhej has created a seasonally rotating menu that features locally-sourced ingredients, including herbs from their own extensive garden. The menu isn’t extensive but changes daily, and might include items like baked orecchiette, Mediterranean branzino or roasted California duck breast. For a burger that has been voted among the best in America, go off-menu for the down low burger. 100 Terranea Way Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 310-265-2701 www.terranea.com |
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