Football Cheese Ball

What You Need:

• 3 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 pretzel sticks
• Cooking spray
• Mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Serving platter
• Paper towels

What You Do:

1. Have your child place the cream cheese, garlic, nuts, cheese, onion powder and salt in the mixing bowl.
2. Help her her mix the ingredients with the wooden spoon. Encourage her to be patient. The cream cheese, in particular, might take a while to soften.
3. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, let your child dump the cheese mixture on the serving platter.
4. Have your child hold out her hands, palm-side up, over the sink.
5. Spray her hands with a mist of cooking spray.
6. Let her use her hands to mold the cheese mixture into a football shape. Help her with the edges if she's having a bit of trouble.
7. Show your child how to place the pretzel sticks on top of the cheese ball so that they resemble football laces. You may need to take out an actual football (or a picture of one) to remind her just how the laces look.
8. There will probably be some excess cheese and pretzels on the serving platter. Have your child use paper towels to gently wipe the platter clean around the cheese football.
9. Set your athletic snack aside until kickoff!