Spaghetti with Lentil Bolognese

July 8, 2017Leave a comment

Spaghetti Lentil (1)

This recipe is great for mixed households with meat-eaters and vegans alike – the hearty lentils are a fantastic meatless twist on a classic bolognese sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup French green lentils
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (1-pound) package spaghetti
Vegan Parmesan sprinkles
Fresh basil leaves

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the tomato paste.
Add 3 cups water and the lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. Uncover and stir in the tomatoes, along with 1 cup water, the salt, and the black pepper. Simmer for a final 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions in a pot of boiling, salted water. Drain and return to the pot. Add the lentil sauce and toss to combine.
If desired, top with the parmesan and fresh basil just before serving.

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Seashell Friends

July 7, 20171 Comment

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After a week at the beach, we’ve come home with treasures galore to turn into crafts! Some of our best clam shells were the perfect base for making these little “friends”, and now they are a fantastic reminder of the summer fun we had at the shore.

Start with any relatively flat, whole shell as your base – clams worked great, but we tried a mussel shell that we’d found as well.

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After a week away, Travis couldn’t wait to get his hands into our craft bin, meaning this was a before-breakfast undertaking!

Seashell Friends (1)

Use anything in your craft box to make silly, friendly faces on the shells – I thought pipe cleaners or ribbon would make great smiles, but Travis had more fun adding mouths in sparkly glitter glue and paint.

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Pom poms made adorable noses, and googly eyes were the perfect finishing touch.

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Spread Your Wings

July 7, 2017Leave a comment

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Butterflies are everywhere this time of year, whether flitting past us on the beach, at the playground, or in the nearest batch of pretty garden flowers. If your little one wants to bring home the butterfly beauty, try out this creative suggestion from High Five magazine.

To start, grown-ups need to cut a butterfly wing shape from a large piece of cardboard.

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To make our wings shiny, we covered them first in strips of aluminum foil – this part was a huge hit, since Travis loves the way foil looks and feels. Plus glue is always fun!

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Once the glue dried, it was time to decorate our aluminum foil. Use anything crafty you have, including markers and paints.

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Butterfly stickers added a whimsical touch.

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To attach the wings to your little butterfly, punch holes in the middle where the wings meet. Thread string through the holes, and then tie over your child’s shoulders.

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Time to flutter away!

Butterfly Wings

Red, White, and Blue Nachos

July 4, 2017July 4, 2017Leave a comment

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My favorite way to bring the colors of the American flag into our home on Independence Day is by concocting something in the kitchen! If savory nachos aren’t your freedom fare of choice, try flags for breakfast or a sweet flag-colored sundae instead. However you celebrate today, Happy 4th of July!

Ingredients:

6 ounces blue tortilla chips
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Daiya mozzarella
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced olives
Black beans

Let your little chef spread the tortilla chips in an even layer on the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking sheet.
Spoon the salsa evenly over the chips. (Note: rotating the baking sheet was very helpful so Travis could reach the chips evenly).
Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top.
Adults: Broil the nachos for 3 minutes.

We added extra toppings of chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, and black beans to turn the nachos into a full meal, but you can stick with the trio of read white and blue ingredients if you prefer!

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Red, White, and Blueberry Sundae Cups

July 3, 20171 Comment

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Get in the 4th of July spirit with this star-spangled dessert! If you want to go for something a little more gourmet, try pureeing the blueberries with a bit of water, cornstarch and extra sugar for a syrup on top instead, but we just liked our sundaes with fresh red and blue fruit!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 tablespoon canola oil
Non-Dairy vanilla ice cream
Fresh blueberries
Fresh strawberries, sliced

Red White Sundae (1)

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
Use a 4-inch round cookie cutter or glass to cut 3 circles from each tortilla. Brush the tortilla rounds evenly with the oil and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Press the tortilla circles into six cups of a muffin tin, and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
To assemble each sundae, scoop non-dairy vanilla ice cream of your choice into each tortilla cup. Top liberally with strawberries and blueberries!

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Quinoa Tacos

July 2, 2017Leave a comment

Quinoa Tacos (1)

If you’re looking for a way to mix up taco night, this just-spicy-enough quinoa-filled version fits the bill!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion
2 red bell peppers
¼ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 avocado
¼ cup non-dairy sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Fresh cilantro leaves (for garnish)

To prepare the quinoa, place in a saucepan with 2 cups water and the taco seasoning; bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook a final 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Halve and slice the red onion and cut the bell peppers into strips. Add to the skillet, along with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; saute for 12 minutes, until lightly charred.
Halve, peel, and pit the avocado. Mash the flesh in a bowl with the sour cream, lime juice, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. (Note: You can also do this step in a food processor).
Warm the tortillas, and top each with the avocado sauce, quinoa, vegetables, lettuce, and cilantro.

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Beach Memento Wind Chime

July 2, 2017July 2, 20172 Comments

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If your summer plans take you to the beach, bring a bit of the beach home with you with this neat project!

The first step of course is finding your treasures, so the next time you head to the beach, bring a shovel and pail; take a walk in the sand to comb through for the prettiest finds. We only found small pieces of shell at this particular beach, but they were a gorgeous assortment of colors – purples and whites and even gold!

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At home, find a sturdy stick and use twine to wind around your treasures, and then knot onto the stick. Travis loved “helping” with the winding and knotting.

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Once we had our treasures dangling in a row, we hung them outside where they could click and clack against each other.

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A super windy day made this project even better!

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Tree Jewels

July 2, 2017Leave a comment

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Here’s the perfect upcycling project for all your old CDs. This pretty and easy craft will make any tree sparkle.

Travis adores gem stickers, so I simply provided him with a few sheets of them and a pile of old blank CDs. He didn’t even pause before going to town.

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