Category: Kid Food


Apr
2018

Strawberry, Blueberry, and Beet Applesauce

categories: Breakfast, Dessert, Kid Food, Lunchbox, Snacks

I love making applesauce! I feel like such a queen when I do. It always comes out so beautifully and I can’t seem to mess it up. I usually make it during the Fall-time, and it perfumes the house with a warmth of cinnamon, and apples; tart and sweet. But, because it’s now Spring and I want to get more veg down my kids’ gullets, I came up with this recipe.

I happen to love beets. I always have. I was the weird kid (#weirdkidsrock) that would eat beets straight out of the can. And alfalfa sprouts with ranch as my after school snack. I meannnnn…  But beets are really quite good for you, earthy  and dirt-tasting as they are! They are great for heart and liver health and full of fiber.

Bonus: you let the crock pot do the dirty work (unless you consider coring and cutting apples dirty work. and then, I can’t help you. *I leave the skins on the apples for extra fiber.).

Once everything goes into the pot, the beets lend their beautiful, jewel-toned ruby-red color to the apples. Then, the entire thing becomes that same gorgeous color when blended together!

I hope you enjoy!

-Kristin

Print Recipe
 Strawberry, Blueberry, and Beet Applesauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. After fruit is thoroughly washed, core and cut the apples, cut the beets into quarters, and hull the strawberries. Place them, along with the blueberries (you can add in the beet juice, if you'd like) in the Crock Pot. Add the water, lemon juice, honey, and salt. Turn on to high heat for 4 hours. Once the apples are tender, turn off the Crock Pot. Use a wooden spoon to mash to the desired consistency. You may also use a hand mixer. Enjoy hot or cold!
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Apr
2018

Date Paste

categories: Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Holiday, Kid Food, Lunchbox, Snacks

I have struggled with sugar addiction for a long time. Perhaps, forever. I like to call it a sweet tooth, because that’s cuter. But, it can get out of hand, rather quickly. I’m on a mission, now, to eat less sugar and find plant based alternatives. I don’t believe in withholding things that make me happy (as long as it isn’t destructive), but I’m so glad there are so many other delicious ways to indulge!

I find myself using more maple syrup and local honey as sugar alternatives, where I can. I’ve also starting using date paste. And I found a way to make it myself. It’s another easy recipe that is full of health benefits. Dates are rich in protein, many vitamins (magnesium being one of them, which helps with migraines!), and aid in digestion (they are full of fiber).

This is good ANYWHERE…spread on toast, mixed into batters where sugar would normally be, stirred into oatmeal, blended into smoothies, baked into Sweet Potato Casserole (recipe coming soon!). It’s so good. And easy!

Enjoy!

-Kristin

Print Recipe
 Date Paste
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes (plus, if needed)
Passive Time 12 hours
Servings
1/4 C
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes (plus, if needed)
Passive Time 12 hours
Servings
1/4 C
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pit the dates. Soak them in the water overnight (warm up the water first). Then put all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. It will take a while, but it's worth the wait. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, up to 3 months...if it lasts that long!
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Dec
2016

Angel Themed School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2:8-14

Angels hold a special place, both on the Christmas tree and in the Bible. This passage in the Bible, above, tells us of the beautiful moment an angel came down to foretell of Jesus’ birth. I imagine that after the initial shock, this great news gave the people such hope.

Below, the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her that she would give birth to Jesus, the son of God. I can’t imagine the fear she must have had. She was so young. She had to trust in God and put all of her fears aside. As part of our nightly Bible study, this Advent season, my sons and I discuss how Mary might have felt that night when Gabriel came down. As fearful as she might have been, she knew she needed to put all of her trust in God. She knew she did not have an easy road ahead of her, literally, physically, and emotionally. But, she did it. It’s quite a lesson for us.

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:26-38

In both of these special times, God sent an angel to tell of His great news. I love the sweet image we associate with angels, here on Earth, too. For today’s lunch, I went with an angel theme. I made peanut butter and jelly angels. That silly image is not lost on me. I added some details with my food safe markers. I also packed Wheat Thins, some oatmeal raisin balls, red grapes, mandarin orange (Biggie), and some Trader Joe’s marshmallows for dessert.

May you feel the warmth of God’s truth this Season,

Kristin


Dec
2016

Christmas Wreath Themed School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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For tomorrow’s lunches for my boys, I went with a Christmas wreath theme. In many churches, the Christmas wreath, circling five candles, is used as a way to celebrate the Advent season, which counts down the four Sundays in December leading up to Christmas (which is the symbolized by the fifth candle). This season is so important to many families as we gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to rejoice in His glory! I know my boys might just see a wreath (with red hots!)…at least I HOPE they can see that it’s a wreath HA!…but, it was fun for me to connect it to the precious and everlasting love of Jesus.

Back to those red hots…

I used food safe spray and markers to add color, and red hots as holly berries on the wreath. There’s PB&J inside. HA! I also packed Triscuits, yogurt raisins, mandarin orange (Bigs), red grapes, and a slice of spice cake with some fun sprinkles for dessert.

In His love,

Kristin


Dec
2016

O Christmas Tree! School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches

If you celebrate, has your tree been up for a while, or do you wait? Do you have multi-colored lights, or all white? Do you have a real tree, or fake? Classic ornaments or hodgepodge? Me: been up for a while, I switch back and forth between the multi-colored and the while, all the while wishing the tree designers gave me the option for having both on at the same time, fake tree, and hodgepodge. And between you and me, I love seeing everyone’s trees through their front windows, in a non-creepy way, of course. I just LOVE that everyone has their own tree style. If you feel so inclined (and I hope you do!!), tell me about your tree in the comments! I’d love to hear about it!

For my boys’ lunches tomorrow, I made a Christmas tree shaped sandwich. I went hog wild with my colors (food safe spray and markers). I used a flower shaped sprinkle for the star. I also packed veggie crackers, a cheese stick, mandarin orange (Bigs), yogurt raisins (Smalls), red grapes, Kinder chocolate, and some red, green, and white chocolate covered sunflower seeds (Bigs) for dessert.

Happy Christmas!

Kristin


Nov
2016

Happy Friday! (And some turkey themed lunches)

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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Well, you’ve almost made it to Friday! Yippee! That’s always cause for celebration in our house. For tomorrow’s lunches for my little turkeys, I went with a turkey theme. This just might be my altogether favorite themed lunch from over the years. I’ve probably done this one over a dozen times and it never gets old to me. I think that little turkey is so darn cute! I made a turkey shaped PB sandwich. Ain’t nobody (re: me) got time for jelly today. I used my food safe markers to add some details. I also packed some crackers, a mandarin orange (Smalls), fresh berries (Bigs), red grapes, half a cheese stick, and a pumpkin brownie with a candy corn for dessert.

Hope your Friday isn’t too fowl! HAHAHHAHA

Kristin


Nov
2016

Hooo Goes There?

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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I’ll tell you hooo goes there – owl themed lunches! For tomorrow’s school lunches, I made owl shaped ham and cheese sandwiches. I added googly eyeballses, and used my food safe markers to add wing, beak, and claw talon details (do they have claws or talons? EDIT: they have talons, as per my non-extensive research determined). I also packed dried apricots, applesauce, mandarin oranges, Good Thins veggie blends crackers, and Trader Joe’s chocolate sunflower seed drops for dessert.

Oh (hoo)! And Happy Friday!

Kristin


Nov
2016

Happy November and Squirrel Themed Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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Happy November! I love this month! It has my favorite holiday in it! And while I admit, the weather here in Sunny Central Florida doesn’t match the month, it still just feels different. There’s a different feeling in the air.

Oh yes, boy, it’s Fall alright!

Anywho. Here’s my first fun lunch of this glorious month, and it’s got tree rats in them, as my Mom call them. 😀

I made squirrel shaped sandwiches (PB for Bigs, cheese for Smalls), bread acorns for the tree rats, Good Thins veggie blends crackers, a mandarin orange, green grapes, and a Trader Joe’s pumpkin pie for dessert.

Get to it!

Kristin


Oct
2016

Happy Halloween! School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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Happy Halloween, Friends! For today’s lunches, I made Jack O’ Lantern sandwiches. On the inside is cream cheese and Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter. I used my food safe markers to add some details. And just like real Jack O’Lanterns, each one is different! HA! That bottom one looks like one that’s been sitting out for a week already, but hey, I don’t think my Smalls will mind too much! I also packed raisins, red and green grapes (sliced in half for Smalls, because he still likes to shove them into his mouth all at the same time), some Trader Joe’s Inner Peas, some veggie straws since I ran out of Inner Peas, an apple, a Kit Kat, and some black and orange chocolate covered sunflower seeds. Whew!

I hope today is a BOOtiful day for you, and that you don’t fly off the handle if you’re feeling witchy, and that you have fun trick or tweeting if you’re a bird, and that you enjoy your i-scream if you’re a ghoul.

Okay. That’s a wrap on my puns now. You know, if you’re a mummy.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Kristin


Oct
2016

Halloween Party Kid Food – BONE Appetit!

categories: Dessert, Dinner, Kid Food, Snacks

Are YOU having a Halloween party? Do you still need some food ideas? Boo, do I have some for you! Read below…if you dare…..mwahahahaha!

About a month ago, I received a call from a sweet friend of my boys (who also pretty much has me done in for, precious as she is!). She told me she was throwing a Halloween party and wanted me to be her “Chef”. How amazing is that!? She poured her heart into this party, planning every last detail – the decorations, the games, etc. She even had my husband, who is a DJ, provide the music. This was a party for the ages!

So, as the Chef, I pulled together some menu ideas with her wonderful Mama, and our planner approved them ( 😛 ). Each of the other invitees offered to make the items on our list.  And here they are, in all their Halloweeny glory!

 

Horrors d’oeuvres Time:

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To make this, you simply carve a pie pumpkin to look as if it’s barfed/vommied/puked…the nastier, the better! Put your dip (guacamole worked best for us because…guacamole) in front of it’s gaping barfy mouth.

 

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These are Bugles! And how cute is this sign? A lot of thought was put into that sign.

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This “Pumpkin Poo” went over well with the kids! Also, how can you go wrong with cheese balls? Every party needs cheese balls.

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This sweet and fruity Jack O’Lantern was gobbled down in no time! It’s made with orange segments and grapes. You can use blueberries in place of the grapes or do a mixture of the two.

Dinner Time:

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These Mummy Dogs are so easy to make, and leave quite a spooky impression! All you need is hot dogs and crescent rolls. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Dry hot dogs with paper towels. Cut or rip the crescent rolls into strips. Wrap the strips around the hot dogs in a random pattern. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake until the crescent rolls have become golden brown (as per the package).

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For these cutie Jack O’Lanterns, you’ll need clear plastic cups, a Sharpie, macaroni and cheese, and some celery. Draw the faces on the cups before filling with the macaroni. Once you have added the macaroni, place a small piece of celery in, as the pumpkin stalk.

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These Bat Nuggets are sure to scare! Bake your chicken nuggets, add tortilla chip wings, ketchup eyes, and make sure you eat them before they fly away! Bats fly quickly and erratically, you know.

Dessert Time:

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Nothing will gross you out and make your kids laugh more than these graham cracker bandaids!! All that you’ll need are graham crackers, icing, and red gel. **Yeesh!**

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Our ghostess with the mostess put these donut monsters together, right down to the eyes and teeth! Super scary!

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These were my contribution – Trick or Treat Brownies and Meringue “Ghosties”. For the brownies, you’ll need one box of brownie mix, a bunch of candy (I used Kit Kats, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and M&M’s), and candy eyeballs. Prepare the brownie mix and pour into a 13×9 prepared pan. Chop up the candy (not the M&M’s) and sprinkle randomly. Bake as directed. I found that my candy sank a bit as the brownies baked, so I chopped up some more and squished it into the freshly baked brownies. Do the same with more M&M’s and the eyeballs. Let cool and cut into squares.

For the Meringue Ghosties, I used the following recipe.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/meringue-ghosts

I used a food-safe paintbrush and hand painted the eyes and mouths, using black gel coloring.

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This party was so much fun, thanks to the wonderful party planning and effort put forth by our cutie gHost! I hope your Halloween parties are as much fun and that you can use some of these ideas!

Happy Halloween!

Kristin