Chocolate Pomegranate Dip

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Chocolate Pomegranate Dip (2)

Sneak a little pomegranate into your family’s repertoire with this yummy snack dip!

Ingredients:

  • 1 package dairy-free chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 and 1/2 cups oat milk
  • 1 cup non-dairy sour cream
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
  1. Combine the pudding mix and oat milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until blended.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and beat to combine. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill for 1 hour.

Chocolate Pomegranate Dip (1)

We love this served with fresh fruit like orange segments for dipping! You can also dunk in slices of pound cake. Or just eat it up with a spoon!

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Kwanzaa Decorations

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Kwanzaa Chain (9)

Travis learned about winter festivals of lights in school this month, including those we don’t celebrate like Diwali and Kwanzaa. I thought it would be fun for Veronika to jump in on the lesson, and the most age-appropriate way to do so for a toddler is to introduce a holiday’s colors or themes. These two easy Kwanzaa decorations fit the bill.

For the first, I cut shapes from black construction paper. For extra sparkle, we used construction paper that already had glitter on it, which Veronika loved! She helped dot glue all over the paper.

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Next, we ripped up tissue paper in traditional Kwanzaa colors of green and red, and I showed her how to stick these onto the glue.

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Once the glue dries, punch a hole in the top of each shape and hang up for a sparkly decoration. If your family celebrates the holiday, these would be perfect to give as gifts, too, since handmade gifts are another Kwanzaa tradition.

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When she saw the shapes dangling, Veronika was thrilled. “It’s the shapes! Look at the circle! And the rectangle!”

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For the second craft, we once again used the traditional Kwanzaa colors, but this time to make a paper chain garland. I cut strips of red, green, and black construction paper, then looped a red piece into a circle and taped it shut. (Note: You can also staple or use glue for this step).

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I showed Veronika how to thread a second strip through the first, and loop that one into a circle. She loved helping with this step.

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For an early pattern lesson, I helped her arrange them in order: red, green, black, repeat! She named all the colors as we worked, and loved that we were making circles.

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She also was a big helper with the tape!

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Make as many of these garlands as your family likes, and hang up as decoration!

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Happy Kwanzaa to those who celebrate!

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Corn Husk Dolls

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Corn Husk Dolls (9)

All you need to make these adorable dolls is a package of corn husks from the international aisle of the supermarket. They’re easy to make and turn out so cute!

To start, Travis helped layer four husks for each doll. Secure near the top with a rubber band.

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Now fold the husks over so they hide this first rubber band. Attach a second rubber band near the top, so the doll is now divided into a head and a skirt.

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For the arms, the kids helped roll up one husk tightly. Secure with three rubber bands: one in the middle and one near either end to form two “hands”.

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Slot this arm piece up the middle of the doll’s body. Add a final rubber band under the arms, delineating where the waist would be.

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Time to decorate! Veronika loved coloring a rainbow shirt on hers, while I drew eyes and a mouth on the face.

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Travis turned his into Baby Yoda with some green marker and black eyes! The dolls were soon involved in inventive games for the kids, meaning this project was fun both as a craft and for the imagination.

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Box Flap Car Bridges

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Box Flap Ramps (8)

Leftover flaps from Christmas packages were the perfect way to mix up Veronika’s car play today!

For set up, I simply pulled out an assortment of box flaps I’d saved, having cut the longest ones from packages we received in the run-up to the holiday. Ideally I would have liked to prop all of these flaps on top of still more cardboard boxes, but I only had one box left that was tall enough. In a pinch, chairs from our craft table could be additional supports for the ramps and brdiges.

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Anywhere I needed to attach two box flaps together, I clipped them with a clothespin. Veronika loved helping out as we set up this configuration, which turned into a neat triangle of bridges. I placed her directly in the center of all the flaps and then let a few cars loose along the ramps. She got the idea right away!

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The bridges are great for kids to experiment with, getting a little STEM lesson in the process. Anywhere they sag in a downhill, cars will roll with the force of gravity. Anywhere with an ascent, kids will have to push up.

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Veronika narrowly saved this car from disaster!

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She loved pushing cars along, zooming them down, and occasionally tossing them right off the ramps.

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In addition, the “fort” itself was a delight, especially once she discovered that she could crawl under the box flaps or back in all by herself, without me needing to lift her out.

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What a super fun way to recycle boxes and fit in car play.

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Paper Plate Skating

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Paper Plate Skating (5)

All the ice in town melted after an unusually warm day. So today we decided to pretend ice skate indoors, instead!

This gross motor activity couldn’t be easier or more fun. To start, Veronika and I decorated paper plates with crayons. You don’t actually even have to do this part, but it was fun to add an arts & crafts component to the game. Veronika scribbled in her favorite colors while I drew something that sort of resembled ice skates on a few other plates.

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Time to lace up! By which I mean, simple help your child place one foot on each plate and start to glide.

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Veronika got the hang of it immediately; I was impressed with how sturdy she was, and how quickly she mastered the motion.

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She loved holding hands for a few loops around the house but soon was brave enough to strike out on her own.

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The only frustration was that her feet popping off the plates. I asked her if she wanted to wear socks and have me fasten her in with a strap of tape, but she preferred bare feet. So we just dealt with this minor inconvenience.

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Here she is carefully putting her “skates” back on after coming off the plates. She was one determined skater!

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Mini Shepherd’s Pies

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Shepherd's Pies alt

Although we’re not a religious family, we do love reading the the story of the nativity each Christmas, with familiar characters like the angels, three Wise Men, and shepherds. Hence why these shepherd’s pies make the perfect entree for a special Christmas dinner!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (12-ounce) packages meatless crumbles
  • 1 white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped carrot
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 and 1/2 cups frozen peas
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. To prepare the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatless crumbles, onion, and carrot; cook for 7 minutes until the crumbles start to brown. Stir in the flour, followed by the tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add the broth and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, or until the liquid thickens. Fold in the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Divide the filling mixture evenly among ramekins.
  3. To prepare the topping, peel and cube the potatoes and cover with water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pan. Add the sour cream, butter, and salt; mash with  potato masher until smooth.
  4. Spoon the potato topping evenly over the filling in each ramekin.
  5. Place the pies on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Candy Cane Cinnamon Rolls

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Candy Cane Rolls (4)

You’ll delight your family on Christmas morning with cinnamon rolls not only shaped like a candy cane, but flavored with them, too!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 and 3/4 cups flour
  • 6 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 3/4 cup plain soy milk
  • 2 Ener-G eggs

For the filling:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons Earth Balance butter, softened

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup non-dairy cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1/4 cup plain soy milk
  • Red food coloring
  • 2 candy canes
  1. To prepare the dough, combine the sugar, yeast, salt, baking soda, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough attachment blade.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the milk and cook until the mixture comes to room temperature.
  3. Add the butter mixture and the Ener-G eggs to the flour mixture; beat for about 3 minutes, until a dough forms. Knead with your hands to form a smooth ball, then return to the bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 and 1/2 hours.
  4. To assemble the rolls, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Roll the dough into a 13-inch square on a lightly floured surface and brush with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture. Roll up tightly, then cut into 10 slices crosswise. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the shape of a candy cane. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 2 days in advance.
  5. In the morning, place the rolls at room temperature while the oven preheats. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: whisk together the cream cheese, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the peppermint extract and soy milk, whisking until smooth. Divide the frosting evenly among two zip-top plastic bags, adding a few drops of red food coloring to one.
  7. Arrange the cinnamon rolls on a platter in their candy cane shape. Snip a small hole in the corner of each frosting bag and drizzle the rolls evenly with the red and white frostings. Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes.

Candy Cane Cinnamon Rolls (1)

Santa Hat Pizzas

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Santa Hats (2)

Put a Christmas spin on pizza night in the days leading up to the holiday with this quick recipe!

To start, we stretched out a store-bought pizza dough and then cut into triangles with a pizza rolled. Fold up the bottom edge of the triangle to make a cuff.

Next, we spooned tomato sauce over the triangles, leaving the cuffs plain. Add non-dairy cheese along the cuff for Santa’s white trim. We used vegan feta, but next time I would probably dollop on crumbled tofu instead for a fluffier look!

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Bake at 430 degrees F for 8 minutes, or until the crust just starts to brown. This made pizza night a ho-ho-holiday treat.

Reindeer Mix

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Reindeer Mix (2)

Really this is just an ordinary snack mix that you could make any time of year. But if you tell your kids it’s “Reindeer Mix”, all of a suddenly ordinary becomes extraordinary!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2 cups pretzel twists
  • 1 cup Puffins cereal
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips
  1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, thyme, salt, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, just until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
  2. Arrange the almonds and walnuts on a baking sheet lined with foil and pour half of the brown sugar mixture over the nuts, tossing to coat. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7 minutes.
  3. Toss the pretzels with the remaining brown sugar mixture. Add to the baking sheet and bake for a final 3 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.
  4. Transfer the nut mixture to a large bowl and add the cereal, dried cranberries, and white chocolate, stirring to combine.

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Be sure to snack on this mix while you track the reindeer and Santa across the sky on Christmas Eve!

Cute Winter Snowman Sensory Bin

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Snowman Sensory Bin (4)

Instead of painting a snowman today, it was time for a 3-D snowman that was all about sensory play. This little sensory bin of winter goodies was pure fun for Veronika.

To set it up, you’ll need an empty plastic bottle. One with a wide opening will work better than a narrow-necked water bottle in this case; we used a dry-roasted peanut jar.

I added two wiggle eyes and 3 black buttons with hot glue, attaching them roughly where they would be a snowman’s body, then twisted on a sparkly green chenille stem for a scarf and drew a carrot nose with orange marker.

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Next, I added lots of cotton balls to the tray. Once stuffed inside the bottle, it looks just like a little snowman, and one that will never melt!

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The fun (and challenge!) now was for Veronika to put the cotton in and then take it back out again. I added chopsticks to the tray for her to use as a tool (tongs would be great, too).

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But after a few tries, she preferred to use her fingers.

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Or just to upend the bottle and dump it!

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To round out the tray, I added a collection of plastic arctic animals and lots more black buttons.

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After she tired of transferring cotton balls in and out of the jar, she loved putting the little animals inside and then practicing screwing on and off the lid.

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All in all, this was great little bin full of wintry fun.