Apple Swan tutorial

Wow time goes by so fast, I haven´t posted anything here since april, I have just been so busy with school exams and I have now started working again after almost 2 years home with my little beauty. I have decided to change my line of work as a hairstylist and started working as a temp for preschools in my town and even though it is more hectic I am enjoying my work for the first time in many years :)

Now that summer vacation is soon here and my daughter had her last day at preschool before the summer the school celebrated my little ones birthday a bit early, she will be two in July. So I fixed a fruit plate for them instead of sending her with ice cream or cake.

I have become much more lenient on my daughters food intake, because we have had such issues with her weight, however now that she is eating well and her weight is following I would like to get us back on track for more of those healthy yet high calorie (for her) meals, and what better way to start the summer blogging then by sharing a fun way to serve fruit. This could be for those special occasions, a birthday party, or to awaken your child for a nice and fun fruit snack :)

The preschool found this fruit plate so fun, and since they have had a bird theme this semester it was quite fitting. The idea came by googling HOW TO SERVE FUN FRUIT. Don´t you just love google sometimes!

By a request of a friend I decided to do a little tutorial on the small apple swans. Check out her norwegian blog here http://kreativechattem.blogspot.se/ this woman is so creative and I just love her style!

APPLE SWAN TUTORIAL:

What you need:

good cutting knife

small carving knife

bowl with lemonwater

apples

cutting board

toothpicks

tips: Any apple can be used, however the green apples oxidate slower so they last longer without turning brown. The lemon water keeps the apples from oxidizing too fast, and so you can carve the apples a day ahead without them turning brown :)

Start be removing the stems

 Cut the apple about 1/3 of the way from the top and set smaller piece to the side(dip in water)

 With the apple laying on the part you just cut find the top and use your carving knife to make a small wedge

 keep on cutting a larger wedge around the first one setting all the wedges to the side. This will be the top of the bird

 once you reach the center of the apple dip the wedges in the water and set aside

 start a second set of wedges on one side of the top, this will make one of the wings

 last but not least the last set of wedges for the second wing

 This is how the wedges fit together

Then you spread them a bit to make the wings

 Find your piece that you cut off at the beginning and cut a piece out the middle

 Then carve the beak of your swan as so

 Place a toothpick through the neck of the swan and place on top of the apple along with the wings (remember to dip all apple pieces in lemon water)

TROUBLE:

Do not worry if you cut through one of your wedges, do not panic, the apples are so moist that the wedge will fall into place like so...

And wolla, you got yourself a nice table decoration, fun way to serve fruit at a birthday party or awaken your picky eaters!

BON APPETIT!