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Mini Pumpkin Pies

10/15/2018

7 Comments

 
A fun fall cooking activity for all ages!

Melissa from Sweet Beets Wellness has joined us to share plant-based recipes and inspiration for cooking with kids. She is a vegan wellness coach who also teaches cooking classes for her son's homeschooling cooperative. 
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Watch the video below for inspiration on how to introduce this recipe to kids!
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 Crust Ingredients
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
  • 1/2 tsp salt (omit salt if you're using salted nut butter)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted nut butter (we used almond)
  • 2 tbsp milk or mylk 

​Puree oats, dates & salt in the food processor until crumbly. Add nut butter & mylk and pulse until it holds together when pressed. 
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Filling Ingredients
  • 15 oz pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup raw cashew pieces
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 2 tsp + 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1.5 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg + 1/4 tsp allspice + 1/8 tsp ground cloves)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup milk or mylk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract​

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and puree until well-combined and very smooth.

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Baking Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
  • Press crust into pie tins (this recipes makes enough for 1 large pie or 3 small pies)
  • Pour filling into crusts
  • Bake pies for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20-30 more minutes (until top is golden and filling is almost fully set). 
  • Let cool completely before slicing. 

Tips for Cooking With Kids! 
  • Kids who are too young to measure still enjoy pouring measured ingredients into bowls, food processors and blenders. 
  • Let the kids pulse the food processor. Have them count out loud, something like: "Push 1 - 2, Stop 1 -2" or "Down 1 - 2, Up 1 -2"
  • This plant-based filling is perfect for taste-testing because it contains no raw eggs! 
  • Show the kids how to press their crust around the sides of the tin and spoon in the filling. 
For more kid-friendly, plant-based recipes, follow Sweet Beets and check out the "Plant-Powered Families" cookbook: "Burton shares over 100 whole-food, vegan recipes—tested and approved by her own three children."
7 Comments

Easy Pancakes Video ~ Cook with your Tiny Chef!

4/17/2018

0 Comments

 
The Tiny Chef in this video is 4-years-old and has been preparing food since he was 18 months old. He loves to eat the food he makes! For more ideas and recipes preschoolers love, check out the Tiny Chef recipe book. 
These pancakes are refined sugar-free and gluten-free. You can make them with just 2 ingredients (eggs & bananas) or add a few extras (oats for texture & cinnamon for flavor). Sprinkling blueberries or chocolate chips on top is extra fun for the kiddos! Using coconut oil on the pan and covering them on the first side makes the pancakes easy to flip. 
0 Comments

Orange Gummies - Refined sugar-Free!

8/29/2017

0 Comments

 
Ask your young kids to join you in making a tasty treat! These gummies are a great snack (refined sugar-free) and work well in lunch boxes. Kids love whisking, squeezing a dropper to fill the molds, and testing the mixture as it gets stickier and hardens. 

What You'll Need:

(some of these are affiliate links)
  • bowl
  • whisk
  • molds & dropper
  • orange juice
  • gelatin
  • honey
  • stevia (optional)
  • placemat (optional)
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Directions:

  1. measure out 3 cups of orange juice
  2. whisk in 1/2 cup of gelatin
  3. heat on low-med heat until warm to the touch (do NOT boil)
  4. add 1/4 cup of honey while heating (& dash of stevia if using)
  5. remove from the stove and cool to room temperature (about 1/2 hour)
  6. portion into silicone molds (non-stick cupcake pans work too!)
  7. refrigerate until set (about 1/2 hour)
  8. keep in fridge for up to a week

Tips for cooking with kids!

  • Let them pour the OJ into the bowl.
  • Let them whisk while you add the gelatin.
  • Let them use a dropper to portion out the liquid.
  • Let them test to see if the mixture has cooled down.
  • Ask them questions about what will happen when the gelatin mixture cools down in the fridge.
0 Comments

TASTY CAULIFLOWER FOR A COOL DAY

6/8/2017

4 Comments

 
After a few days of hot weather, today's cool rainy weather inspired me to roast veggies. Our Tiny Chef loves roasted cauliflower, but it has to be nicely caramelized and soft.

​Here's what we did:
1. preheat oven to 400f
2. wash & core 2 small heads of cauliflower.
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Here's a photo of a cored cauliflower from Nom Nom Paleo (I forgot to take a pic!).
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This is a fun way to core cauliflower for kids because you can just hand them the whole thing and ask them to break it into pieces!
3. set a sheet tray out and ask your child to break the cauliflower into pieces
4. while they are breaking, pick out the big pieces and cut them down (aiming for florets all the same size)
​5. drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over the cauliflower (I held my 3-year-old's hand on the bottle and we did this together)
6. sprinkle seasonings (give your young kids just the right amount of seasonings - they tend to want to put them ALL on the food) - we used salt, pepper, garlic powder, & smoked paprika 
7. with clean hands, mix the cauliflower, oil and seasonings on the pan and then make sure they're covering the bottom of the pan in a single layer
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8. when the oven is preheated, put the cauliflower pan on a middle rack and set a timer for 20 minutes
9. after 20 minutes, use a spatula to flip the cauliflower over & set the timer for another 20 minutes
10. when the timer goes off, flip the cauliflower over one more time (it should be browning now)
11. after a final 10 minutes, take the cauliflower out to cool down (it would be a good idea to test it with a fork to see if it needs to be in any longer to get soft)
12. adjust the seasonings as needed and serve warm (we added a bit more salt to ours)
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Happy cooking!
4 Comments

SQUEEZE THAT CITRUS!

6/6/2017

5 Comments

 
I'm always looking for ways to help my preschooler develop hand strength (to make his pencil grasp easier to learn). Squeezing citrus is a great exercise! It's fun, productive and tasty, all while building important gripping muscles. 
What you'll need: 
  • a cup or bowl
  • unflavored water or sparkling water
  • lime, lemon, &/or small oranges
  • a kid with clean hands
  • damp towel
You or your child can massage and roll the citrus on the table before you cut into it (to loosen up the juices). Wash the citrus (it's likely the juices will run across the peel on their way into the cup) and then cut it in half. You may need to start the squeezing process before handing it to your child (if the citrus is still stiff). Help them pour water into a container and demonstrate a little squeeze into the container. Then set them loose! Ideally, they'll enjoy squeezing and tasting the different juices.
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Quick Tip: Check your child's hands for cuts & scrapes before you hand them a citrus half (I'm sure you've experienced that open cut burn!). They may want to avoid one hand or just watch you squeeze the first time, until their cut heals. Use the damp towel to quickly wipe your child's hands if they start to hurt or if they just don't like how sticky they feel. 
5 Comments

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Raisins

4/6/2017

5 Comments

 
We made some quick and easy oatmeal in our Instant Pot pressure cooker (affiliate link) and my 3-year-old LOVES IT! It stores well in the fridge and is hearty enough to keep you full for a few hours. 
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1 cup of steel-cut oats
2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk (any variety of milk will work)
pinch of salt
handful (1/4 cup) of golden raisins
maple syrup & other toppings to taste

Mix all of the ingredients (except the toppings) together in the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and cook on Manual for 4 minutes (10 minutes natural pressure release). Add toppings and enjoy!

Kid Tips! 

  • pour the (pre-measured) oatmeal and liquid into the pot
  • pinch the salt out of your hand or a container and sprinkle it into the pot
  • pour or scoop in the raisins 
  • stir the ingredients together (before cooking)
  • scoop the leftovers into a serving bowl (see video below!)
5 Comments

What Kitchen Skills Can My preschooler Learn?

2/17/2017

9 Comments

 
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All kids develop abilities at a different rate, depending on a mix of genetics and environment. However, check out any mommy blog and you'll notice that we still want to know what kids can and should be doing at certain ages. Below, I've included some examples of activities many preschool-aged kids can to do in the kitchen. 

​REMEMBER, these skills are things kids can do WITH HELP and they will only build on their abilities with practice. That means your 4-year-old will likely need to start with the activities in the 1-year-old section if they've never cooked before (although, they'll certainly learn them faster than a 1-year-old). Now go have fun in the kitchen!

1-year-olds

  • Washing produce (in a bowl)
  • Snapping fresh beans
  • Dipping vegetables and fruits

2-Year-Olds

  • Scrubbing vegetables and fruits with a brush
  • Tearing lettuce and salad greens
  • Using tongs
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3-year-olds

  • Brushing oil or butter on food or a pan
  • Skewering fruits & vegetables
  • Cracking raw eggs

4-year-olds

  • Making balls & forming patties
  • Using a garlic press
  • Measuring ingredients
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Ages 5+

  • Cutting safely with small knives
  • Using a can opener
  • Peeling fruits and veggies with a vegetable peeler

​Please remember these activities all need to be SUPERVISED, especially learning to use sharp tools and machinery!
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Looking for more ideas?

​I created a free chart with EIGHT more suggestions in each age range. I’d love to email it to you! 
Send me the chart!
9 Comments
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