granola bites

Looking for a healthy and lightly-sweet treat to pack in your child’s lunch?  These granola bites are perfect!  A combination of oats, honey, nuts and dried fruit makes this compact little snack a super-charged, yummy addition to their lunch box!  This recipe is easily adaptable, so feel free to modify with your favorite ingredients (mini chocolate chips, cocoa nibs, banana chips, chia seeds, sesame seeds or rice crispy cereal would be tasty additions!).

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4-5 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup of dried fruit & nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spread the oats and coconut on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. 
3. Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, honey and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until combined, stirring continuously so as to prevent scorching. 
4. Turn heat off.  Add the toasted oats and coconut to the peanut butter mixture along with dried fruit & nuts, and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. 
5. With a small ice cream scooper (or dampened hands), shape into 12 one-inch balls and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

recipe modified and photo courtesy of Whole Foods

watermelon lemonade

A little bit sweet, a teeny bit sour and a whole lot delicious!  Kids love sipping on this refreshing summer drink!  Parents: you can easily turn this into a cocktail by adding your favorite spirit. 

To make ice cubes, place 1 seedless watermelon ball and 1 mint leaf into each of 36 ice cube tray holes.  Fill with water and freeze.

6 cups 1-inch seedless watermelon (from about a 5-pound melon)

1 bottle (10-ounce) Whole Foods 365 Everday Value® Organic Lemon Juice

6 cups water

¾ cup sugar

Crushed ice

Mint sprigs, for garnish

(1.)    Working in batches as necessary, puree watermelon and lemon juice in blender until smooth; transfer to a large container.

(2.)    Add water and sugar; stir until dissolved. 

(3.)    Pour over ice in tall glasses, garnish with mint sprig and watermelon icecubes or thin slices of watermelon, if desired, and serve.

Recipe adapted & photo courtesy of Whole Foods

sweet (spinach) mini muffins

Shh, don’t tell your little shamrocks that the ‘green’ ingredient is spinach!  Kids will love the muffins because they are sweet & scrumptious!  Parents will love them because they are made with wholesome ingredients like spinach, apple sauce and almond flour.  These mini bites are super moist (thanks to the almond flour) and the perfect combination of healthy and delicious.

I like to throw in some raisins and/or coconut (chopped walnuts would be a good addition too!), but this recipe is perfect as is. 

1 cup fresh spinach, packed

½ cup organic applesauce
1 organic egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 ¼ cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1.      Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.      Place the spinach, applesauce, egg, vanilla, maple syrup and melted butter in a food processor and puree.  Add the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pulse until combined.

3.      Drop batter into 24 lined or greased mini muffin tins. 

4.      Bake for 11-12 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes approximately 24 mini muffins

We are loving these reusable produce bags!  No more plastic bags :)

Chocolate cherry breakfast cookie

Our children’s easy, go-to breakfast on weekday mornings are organic cereal bars.  They love them and request them every day.  After a little label reading it became very clear why they love them so much!  They are LOADED with sugar.  I am trying to reduce our family’s sugar intake, so I decided to come up with a cereal bar alternative that was low in sugar and high in protein and nutrition (and of course, deliciousness!).  This breakfast cookie fits the bill!  It is so scrumptious that they are almost addictive.  They also are far more nutritious than the average cereal bar sold everywhere.  Made with almond flour, oats, walnuts, cherries and chunks of dark chocolate, this recipe will quickly become a family favorite!  Feel free to tinker with your families personal preferences!  Replace the cherries with cranberries, dates, raisins or banana chips, or the chia seeds with flax, pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds. 

Who knew that a breakfast bar alternative could be this tasty and good for you!

½ cup butter, melted

2-3 Tablespoons honey

2 organic eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free)

¾ cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup walnuts, broken in half or quarters (I like them chunky, but cut to your preference)

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1.)    Preheat oven to 350°.

2.)    In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, honey, eggs and vanilla.  Add the almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda and baking powder until just combined.  Add the oats and stir until just combined.  Add the chocolate chips, cherries, coconut, walnuts and chia seeds until just combined.

3.)    Using a small scooper, drop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.  Lightly flatten the dough.

4.)    Bake for 11-12 minutes.  Once cooled, store in an air-tight container.  I pop most of these in an air-tight freezer container.  12 seconds in our microwave will thaw and warm them.

heart fruit kabobs with yogurt dip

Your sweethearts will love this snack!  Pull out a heart shaped cookie cutter and use it on apple slices, sandwiches and cheese slices… anything that can be cut. 

1 cantaloupe
1 honeydew melon

1/2 watermelon

1 6 ounce container plain yogurt

1 tablespoon frozen orange-juice concentrate, thawed

1 tablespoon honey

1. Cut fruit into 1-inch-thick slices. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut hearts from melon slices. Poke a hole in each heart with a toothpick, going from top to bottom. Then thread fruit on ice-pop sticks.

2. Make dip: Stir together yogurt, orange juice concentrate, and honey until well combined. Serve with hearts.

recipe & photo courtesy of parents.com

banana gingerbread muffins

This delicious muffin is the tastiest gift or treat for the holidays!  The blend of cinnamon, ginger and clove spices is the perfect addition to the sweet banana batter.  Top with a dusting of powdered sugar or our cream cheese glaze.

muffin recipe 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup banana, mashed (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup buttermilk
¼ cup molasses

cream cheese glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons milk

for the muffins:
1.) Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-14 muffin tins with liners (or grease and flour 12-14 muffin cups).
2.) In a large bowl, sift or stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside.
3.) In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for two minutes.
4.) Add the egg and beat for one minute.
5.) Beat in the mashed banana, buttermilk and molasses.
6.) Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Beat for 30 seconds, until ingredients are combined.
7.) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
8.) Bake for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the muffin.
9.) When completely cool, lightly dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with cream cheese glaze (optional).

for the glaze:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese and butter for one minute.
2. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla. Mix until combined.
3. Add the milk, and mix until a smooth consistency (the icing may require an additional ½ - 1 teaspoon of milk to reach drizzle consistency).

apple chips

Feel like trying a fun, easy and yummy new snack?  These apple chips are the perfect thing!  My four year old can’t get enough of them!  Every time that we run out (which seems like every other day) he wants to make more.  They are so healthy and simple to make that it’s no problem… the hardest part is finding a three hour chunk of time for them to bake. 

This is a great recipe to make with your kids!  I do the mandoline cutting and I always let my son arrange the apples on the tray (and then I correctly arrange them afterwards :)    I let him help sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top and the chips taste just as good where he doused the cinnamon sugar as well as the ones that he completely missed.  This recipe is uncomplicated and hands-on.  It is great to make with children of all ages.

One thing to note, when slicing into the middle portion of the apple, I try to get the seeds out with a knife, but leave everything else in tact… I like the natural star shape in the center of the apple.

2-3 granny smith apples

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 200°.
2. Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
3. With a mandoline (or very sharp knife and great cutting skills), thinly slice apples. 
4. Arrange slices in a single layer on the baking sheet pan.  Be sure not to overlap. 
5. Combine sugar and cinnamon.  Put in a fine sieve and sprinkle evenly over apples.
6. Bake in the top and bottom third of the oven for 1.5 hours.  Pull apples out and turn them upside down and rotate baking pans positions when putting back in the oven.
7. Bake for another hour and a half (if your apple slices were a little bit thicker, it may take them a teeny bit longer to crisp up.  After 3 hours, if you have a combination of completely crisp and some that are a little chewy/crisp, take the crisp ones off of the baking sheet and put the rest back in the middle of the oven for another 20+ minutes).
8. Remove from oven and cool chips before transferring to a sealed container.

want to get your kids in the kitchen? our e-cookbook has 56 yummy, healthy & quick recipes for kids & grown-ups! Shop Amazon

Recipe adapted & photo courtesy of Ontario Apples

roasted pumpkin seed recipe

What vegetable is high in Vitamin A, potassium, beta carotene and fiber?  The great pumpkin, of course!  Pumpkins are so much fun to pick and carve… and they have the added bonus of delicious seeds!  Roasted pumpkin seeds are tasty, but they are also loaded with nutritional value.  Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of minerals (particularly magnesium, potassium and phosphorus) and are loaded with iron, zinc, fiber & protein.

Below is a simple roasted pumpkin seed recipe, but trying adding chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, or your favorite spice.  For a sweet change, toss the seeds in the melted butter, a teaspoon of honey and cinnamon.

2 cups pumpkin seeds

2 Tablespoons olive oil (or melted butter)

salt

1.)  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.)  Toss seeds with oil & salt and evenly spread on a baking sheet.

3.)  Bake for 20-30 minutes; stirring every 10 minutes, until golden and crisp

Look out for an apple chip recipe next week!

photo courtesy of marthastewart.com

mini whole wheat banana walnut muffins

Bananas are my youngest son’s favorite fruit, so we always have plenty of them on hand and that usually means that we also have plenty of ones that browned too quickly.  This recipe is the perfect (and tastiest!) way too use up ripe bananas (by the way, you can freeze ripe bananas...  just peel and place in an air tight freezable container). 

Try swapping out the walnuts with sunflower seeds, raisins or chocolate chips.  These are perfect for breakfast, snacking or packed into a lunch box! 

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

1 large ripe banana  

½ cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted

½ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Grease and flour or line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl; sift or stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
4. In a medium bowl; beat the egg, banana, brown sugar, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla together.
5. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Beat for 30 seconds, until ingredients are combined.  Stir in the walnuts.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin.

What is your favorite way to use up ripe bananas?

Want to get your kids in the kitchen? our e-cookbook has 56 yummy, healthy & quick recipes for kids & grown-ups & is only $3.99!  Buy at Amazon

quesadillas

Quesadilla night at our house could also be called, “clean-out-your-refrigerator-quesadillas”!    These savory tortilla bites are so versatile and a great way to use up a hodgepodge assortment of ingredients on hand (or better yet, fresh vegetables from your garden!). Cheese is the unifying factor… choose one that compliments your ingredients.



2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated (or cheese of your choice)
flour or corn tortillas
Optional Mix-Ins (make sure the ingredients are cut into small pieces):
Chiles
Avacados
Corn
Tomatoes
Black beans
Zucchini
Red onion
Spinach
Scallions
Caramelized onions
Tomatillos
Grilled chicken, cut into thin strips
 

1. To fry the quesadillas:  Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat.  Lightly grease with oil.  Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook for 10-15 seconds on each side; until air pockets begin to form.  Evenly spread on the cheese and lightly top with any additional ingredients.  Reduce the heat to low.  When cheese begins to melt, fold the tortilla in half, remove from pan and cut into wedges.
2. To bake the quesadillas:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the tortillas on a baking sheet.  Spread the ingredients on the tortilla.  Add a layer of cheese.  Top with an additional tortilla; pressing down gently to make the filling adhere.  Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes.  Cut the quesadilla into wedges and serve. 
3. Serve with salsa and sour cream

fruit kebabs w/ raspberry dip!

Dip fresh seasonal fruit into this sweet & creamy dip!  Even non-fruit loving kids devour these juicy bites!

1 ¼ cups organic raspberries
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 7-ounce jar of marshmallow crème
1 cup vanilla yogurt

Fruit of your choice (bananas, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, blackberries, oranges, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes, honeydew)

To make the dip:
1. Place the raspberries, cream cheese, marshmallow crème and yogurt in a food processor.2. Pulse until thoroughly combined and pureed. Transfer to a bowl.
 To make the fruit kebabs:
3. Cut the fruit into 1 ½-inch chunks. Alternate fruit on skewers. Arrange the fruit on a platter with the fruit dip in the center.4. The skewers (except for banana) can be made ahead. For a garnish, use fresh mint or toasted coconut.
 
 
want to get your kids in the kitchen? try our e-cookbook- Cooking FUNdamentals: yummy, healthy & quick recipes for kids & grown-ups!  Buy our e-cookbook here for only $3.99!

three cheers for CHERRIES!

Super great news for all of you cherry lovers… cherries are considered to be a super fruit… and for good reason! These little ruby beauties are super high in antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.

Cherries are on the dirty dozen list, so purchase organic to avoid the pesticides!

Cherry season is brief so enjoy these little beauties before they’re gone!

banana date bread

So many banana bread recipes… why make this one? It is downright delicious, so moist, and it literally melts in your mouth! The wonderful combination of bananas, dates and almond flour is scrumptious. This recipe will instantly become a favorite! To take it over the top, serve warm with butter.

Almond flour is essential to this recipe. It is not always easy to find (most natural food stores & some large grocery stores carry it) and it is expensive, but it adds a delicious flavor, texture and moistness to this bread. For some variation, add cinnamon or nutmeg and ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tablespoons) butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
1 ripe organic banana, mashed
1 egg
7 ounces (almost 1 cup) buttermilk
¾ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup almond flour
¾ cup all-purpose or wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup organic dates, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds. Add the sugar to the butter and mix for 30-60 seconds, until combined.
3. Add the banana, egg, buttermilk and vanilla; mix for another minute until thoroughly combined.
4. Add the almond flour, all-purpose flour and baking soda. Mix for 30 seconds until combined. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
5. Stir in the dates.
6. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan.
7. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.  
 
want to get your kids in the kitchen? our e-cookbook has 56 yummy, healthy & quick recipes for kids & grown-ups! Buy at Amazon... shop here!

popcorn trail mix

Trail mix gets a new twist with popcorn!   Salty popcorn, tart cranberries, crunchy nuts and chewy dried fruit make the perfect combination; add lightly drizzled semi-sweet chocolate and you have a decadent snack {and it's perfect for a child's birthday party treat bag}. This super simple trail mix can include any of your family favorites (pretzels, dried cherries, raisins, apricots); I’ve listed our favorite combination, but the recipe is very easily modified. Get poppin’!

8 cups popped popcorn*
1/2 cup honey roasted nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried banana chips
1/2 cup m&m's
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. Place the popcorn on the paper.
3. Evenly top the popcorn with the nuts, cranberries, banana chips, m&m's and sunflower seeds.
4. Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for an additional 30-40 seconds.  Drizzle over popcorn and toppings.
5. Allow chocolate to harden.  Break into pieces and keep in an air-tight container.

* I usually make my own popcorn and add salt.  I also have made it with Trader Joe's Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil and it works great.

asparagus

These mighty green spears are a favorite spring-time vegetable!

Did you know that asparagus is one of the only plants that have distinct male and female versions? The male plants are skinny and the females are plump! The younger plants are the tastiest and most tender. As asparagus matures, it becomes fibrous and actually develops a fern. Asparagus is a member of the lily family and is grown in sandy soils.

Eat up! Asparagus is high in folic acid, is a good source of potassium, thiamin, fiber, Vitamin A, C, K and B6.

follow eco ike on facebook and twitter!  eco ike... raising eco kids to grow, live, eat & play green!

greek yogurt ranch dressing

Swap out your bottled ranch dressing for this easy & nutritious recipe!  Most vegetables taste delicious dipped in a little ranch dressing.  This recipe is well-loved & a popular choice by all age groups.  The yogurt adds a nutritious twist with the probiotics and the use of fresh vegetables is a great way to get more veggies into the daily diet. I use whole fat greek yogurt but a low-fat version would work just as well. 

1 cup greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon organic dill, minced
2 teaspoons organic parsley, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon celery seed
garlic salt & pepper, to taste

1.) Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed.



follow us on facebook & twitter for more delicious recipes!

chickpea crunchers {roasted chickpeas}

Snacks are a big deal at our house. Someone is always hungry and looking to munch on a little something.  We can now add these delicious nutty-tasting crunchers to our snack rotation. These roasted chickpeas are the perfect thing to nosh on… they pack a serious & satisfying crunch, have a wonderful savory flavor and are loaded with nutritional value (chickpeas are an excellent source of vitamin B6, folate, fiber, manganese, iron, potassium and protein).

This recipe is super easy to prepare! It comes together in a couple of minutes and bakes for 60 minutes. You just have to set the timer and stir every 15 minutes. Some ovens run hotter than others… if you sense that they are getting too dark, too quickly; pull them out and give them a stir and if need be, reduce the heat to 375° or 350°. I’ve listed our family’s favorite version, but try your favorite seasonings (rosemary, curry, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, more salt) and experiment with your own version.

One 15-oz can of organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or approximately 2 cups of prepared chickpeas
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
couple dashes of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Rinse chickpeas and drain. Lay on a tea-towel and allow to air dry (or pat dry with a towel or paper towel).
3. Place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove chickpeas and stir/toss thoroughly. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and drizzle the olive oil and seasonings of your choice. Thoroughly stir. Place chickpeas back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and stir/toss thoroughly. Bake for the last 15 minutes, being sure to keep an eye on the chickpeas if they seem to be roasting or browning too quickly.

Store in an air-tight container.


Follow us on facebook & twitter for more recipes!


Let us know what you think of these chickpea crunchers!

kale chips

Potatoes, move on over!  There’s a new chip in town.  It’s lean, green and a powerful antioxidant machine!

Kale chips have been getting a lot of press lately.  I have been intrigued with the feedback stating that they are, “addictingly good, were completely consumed within minutes of coming out of the oven, the new favorite household snack”.  I was curious!  Could they really taste like a chip?  Do children really gobble them up like their fried counterparts?  I’m happy to report that they do taste like a fried chip (not exactly like a potato chip- it has a mild kale taste with a satisfying crunch!) and my 3-year-old son did immediately eat a bowl of the chips (I think he was intrigued by the deep green color and crispiness).

Let your family crunch and munch away!  Kale is a nutritional powerhouse; it has a mere 36 calories per cup and contains more than twice the level of antioxidants in other leafy greens.  One serving has nearly 8 times the Daily Value of Vitamin K and twice the Daily Value of Vitamin A.  It is also a good source of folate, fiber, Vitamin C, and the minerals manganese, potassium, copper and calcium (information from the Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet book by Tonia Reinhard).
Store the chips in an airtight container. If the kale chips lose their crispness after a day or two, throw them back in the oven for a couple of minutes.

1 bunch of organic kale
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce

(1.) Preheat the oven to 250°.
(2.) Rinse the kale and air dry. Cut the kale into bite-sized (2-3 inch) pieces being sure to cut away from the stem. Discard the stem.
(3.) Toss the kale pieces in olive oil and soy sauce; being sure to thoroughly coat each piece of kale.
(4.) Evenly place on two baking sheets. For kale pieces that curl over, turn upside down and flat so they can cook evenly.
(5.) Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate baking sheets. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.

applesauce, carrot & walnut mini-muffins

Muffins are typically little sweet cakes disguised as a nutritional breakfast option… not with this recipe… It’s loaded with natural & nutritious ingredients to make them the perfect breakfast or snack!

I’m always tinkering with ways to make muffins a little bit healthier while still retaining their moist, sweet deliciousness. I think this recipe is win-win… it’s sweetened with maple syrup, loaded with good-for-you foods like organic applesauce, carrots and walnuts and kissed with a little cinnamon and nutmeg!

This recipe can easily be doubled. I love this yield, though... the muffins always get consumed while they are fresh and at their best.

 1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 organic egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup organic applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil* or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup organic carrots, shredded
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup organic raisins

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a mini-muffin tin with 18 liners or grease and flour 18 mini muffin cups.
2. In a mixing bowl; mix the egg and maple syrup together.  Add the apple sauce, coconut oil and vanilla.  Mix until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.  Add the flour ingredients to the egg mixture.  Mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Add the carrots, walnuts and raisins.  Mix just until combined.
5. Spoon the batter into the 18 prepared mini muffin cups.
6. Mix together the Tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Lightly top each muffin with the sugar mixture.
7. Bake for 11 minutes. 

* coconut oil is usually solid, I sometimes lightly heat the oil for a couple of seconds in the microwave, but I also sometimes put it in solid and let the mixer break it down- whatever you prefer.

want to get your kids in the kitchen? our e-cookbook has 56 yummy, healthy & quick recipes for kids & grown-ups!  Buy at Amazon!


follow us on facebook & twitter!

Getting kids to eat their colors!

Red apples, orange carrots, green kale, purple eggplant… eating our colors is good for us and growing little bodies!  A great way to get kids excited & interested in fruits and vegetables is to talk about it's connection to color!  Eating a rainbow-colored diet instills wholesome eating habits that are essential for a child’s health, growth and development.

Kids love colors. Have them a draw a rainbow {red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple} and then discuss what fruits & vegetables share the same colors.

Teach them the importance of nutrition by explaining that the different colors provide different nutrients! It’s a great way to get them involved in the foods they are eating {or hopefully about to eat!} and to help them understand that natural plant pigments signify certain health benefits:

Orange/yellow fruits & vegetables- are colored by a plant pigment called “carotenoids”. Carotenoids produce Vitamin A, which helps to make the eyes healthy. Eat your carotenoids with carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, mangos and winter squash.

Red fruits & vegetables- are colored by “lycopene”. Lycopene helps boost immunity so your body can fight off colds & viruses. Eat your lycopene with tomatoes, watermelon, red peppers and pink grapefruits.

Blue/purple fruits & vegetables- are colored by “anthocyanins”. Anthocyanins are a powerful antioxidant that help protect your bodies cells from damage. Eat your anthocyanins with blueberries, purple grapes, eggplant, figs and blackberries.

Green fruits & vegetables- are colored by “Lutein”. Lutein is loaded with antioxidants, essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that help protect our eyes and skin. Eat your folate with broccoli, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts and asparagus.

Every color of fruits & vegetables contain different vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that help nourish little bodies and help them grow and stay healthy! 

For more fruit & vegetable fun, read "Eating the Alphabet" by Lois Ehlert
'Apple to zucchini, come take a look, start eating your way, through this alphabet book.'



we love helping kids & families grow green!  follow us for more helpful tips, recipes & articles!  facebook + twitter