I know what you're thinking..."HERMIT CRAB EYE SALAD? What??" But in order to explain hermit crab eyes, I have to discuss frog eyes first...If we have a family gathering, you can bet there will be Frog Eye Salad somewhere. Frog Eye Salad isn't actually made from frog eyes. It's a fruit salad with a pineapple custard and Cool Whip base. The addition of tiny round pasta called acini di pepe is how it gets it's name. These little pasta balls actually resemble the size and shape of a frog's eye. I cannot tell you the astonished looks and comments that I've gotten from people before I tell them that I did not, in fact, use real frog's eyes! The recipe came from the hubs' aunt who got it from the back of the acini di pepe box many moons ago. Although very very delish, it's not very healthy.
So, a few years ago when I was on Weight Watchers, I came across a recipe called Four Cups and an Apple. It reminded me so much of Frog Eye Salad but I couldn't really add pasta to it and consider it a healthy choice. I guess I was too famished from dieting to think about the marshmallows? Anyway, at the time it made sense. So, I added some cooked quinoa to it and the texture was really really close. I ate it whenever I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth. Quinoa is a bit smaller than acini di pepe so the chics decided that it looked more like their hermit crab's eyes (shout out to Hannah, Carly, and Lily!). So mommy's diet version became "Hermit Crab Eye Salad".
Sliced strawberries, sliced red bell peppers, boiled 'chick' egg, frog eye salad, turkey and asparagus wrap with whole wheat barnyard crackers..
the chick for my chic (nori eyes, bell pepper beak)
the chick for my chic (nori eyes, bell pepper beak)
Hermit Crab Eye Salad
1 cup Crushed Pineapple
1 cup Mandarin Oranges
1 cup Mini Marshmallows
1 cup Fat Free Sour Cream
1 Apple, diced - tart apples taste best
2 cups Quinoa, cooked and cooled
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit in refrigerator several hours before serving.
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4 comments:
LOL! I love the salad story, that's a super cute family story =) Your egg chick came out very nice too!
You have a beautiful blog and creative ideas. What a pleasure to visit here.
Hi Michelle, my next post will be egg chick bento too. I'm going to post it two days later. So surprised and happy to find another cute lil chick egg here :D
I made Hermit Crab Eye Salad tonight! I stumbled across your recipe while searching for frog eye salad with the goal of making a healthier version, and you did the work for me! Thanks!
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