Gobble (Gobble) Up Your Veggies: Edible Veggie Turkey Craft

In need of a festive, yet light, appetizer to ensure everyone gets a serving of nutritious veggies this Thanksgiving? Here’s an idea from parenting expert Jim Higley for creating an edible veggie turkey. You’ll need toothpicks, an acorn squash, crooked yellow squash, a mix of your family’s favorite vegetables and black olive slices. Follow these instructions, add a side of Hidden Valley Garden Vegetable Dip and watch the turkey get gobbled! 1) Ingredient prep: Wash the squash and the veggies, such as baby carrots, celery, grape tomatoes and snow peas you’ve chosen for feathers. Cut the baby carrots in half lengthwise and the celery into 1-inch pieces, keeping the celery leaves on a few for extra tail feather flair. Cut your toothpicks in half and set aside. 2) Create the body: Turn the acorn squash on its side with the stem facing right. Use a paring knife to cut a small hole toward  the bottom of the yellow squash. Insert the acorn squash stem into the hole in the yellow squash to create the neck. If the neck leans away from the body, insert half a toothpick in the acorn squash above the stem and press together with the yellow squash to attach. 3) Add feathers: Starting behind the turkey neck, insert the half toothpicks in 4–5 rows across the acorn squash, leaving enough of the toothpick visible to skewer the vegetable feathers. Space the toothpicks far enough apart so your veggies won’t overlap. Once ready, start inserting your veggie feathers by spearing them onto the exposed toothpicks. Jim recommends starting with the shortest veggie in the front row and moving back. 4) Create a face: To make the face, cut the ends of a toothpick to create two very short toothpick pieces.  Insert these on either side of the yellow squash turkey head and place a black olive on each for the eyes — cloves can work in a pinch, too. Insert a half toothpick between the eyes and skewer a small slice of carrot or tomato to create a beak. When your masterpiece is complete, place your veggie turkey on a platter with additional sliced vegetables for dipping, if desired. Add a side of your favorite Hidden Valley dip and watch your guests gobble every last bite! About Jim: Jim Higley is an award-winning author, blogger at Bobblehead Dad, host of weekly radio podcast Bobblehead Dad Parenting, and a national advocate for fatherhood and men’s health issues.