Category: Recipes

S’more Energy Bites

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Camping out and making s’mores got us thinking about other ways to combine the timeless combo of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. My husband loves these before a run, and my son loves them for dessert. Sure to be a family crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy mini chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life)
  • 8 to 10 Dandies mini marshmallows
  1. Combine all ingredients except the marshmallows in a large bowl; chill for 30 minutes.
  2. Shape the mixture into balls, placing a mini marshmallow inside each. You’ll have enough for 8 to 10 servings, depending how large you make them.

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Fun to make and fun to eat!

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Red, White, and Blue Berry Shortcakes

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Red White Shortcake (6)

It’s not Independence Day until we make a flag-colored recipe from High 5 magazine! To wit, see our recipes in the past for Flags for Breakfast or Red, White, and Blue Nachos.

This year’s candidate: easy shortcakes in the colors of the American flag. We made a few vegan substitutions from High 5’s original recipe, but stayed true to the spirit of the dish.

Instead of refrigerated biscuit dough, purchase frozen pie shells (such as Wholly Wholesome) or make your favorite pie dough recipe. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to make 12 stars from the crust (you’ll have to re-roll your scraps a few times to have enough dough).

Red White Shortcake (1)

Travis loved playing with extra dough!

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Place the stars on a baking sheet, brush with about 1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes; cool completely.

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Meanwhile, combine 2 cups blueberries, 2 cups raspberries, and 2 tablespoons agave nectar in a bowl. Set aside.

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Rather than make our own yogurt cream from scratch, we purchased a can of SoyaToo whipped cream. (Note: there are vegan substitutes that whip up like dairy cream, but I didn’t have enough time to plan in advance and order online).

To assemble each dessert, place one star on a plate, along with a heaping spoonful of berries.

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Add a dollop of whipped cream to taste, and enjoy!

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Patriotic Popsicles

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Need a red-white-and-blue snack for this Fourth of July – or any day this summer? These adorable popsicles fit the bill!

First up was using a small cookie cutter on slices of melon. Ideally, we would have used a small star for truly star-spangled popsicles, but a heart was just as cute.

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Travis was so proud of the shapes he made! Cut out enough so you have 2 watermelon slices per popsicle mold, and add to your molds.

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Fill the molds nearly all the way with lemonade, then top off with a few fresh blueberries.

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Freeze completely before serving. Ha, he seems to be asking, “Hey Mom, how do I get to the fruit?”

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Cantaloupe “Ice Cream”

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Here’s an adorable way to delight your kids for dessert this summer, with a treat that’s both healthy and delectable.

Use an ice cream scoop to make balls from a whole cantaloupe (honeydew would work well, too). Scoop the melon into ice cream cones – we love the vegan cones from Let’s Do Organic.

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Voila! Dessert.

Kids don’t like melon? Equally as easy is to give them a bowl of vanilla non-dairy yogurt with stem-on cherries for dipping – just make sure to pop out the pits with a cherry pitter (through a non-stem part of the fruit) first.

Vanilla Cherries

BBQ Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Here’s a great, almost no-cook dinner option – and the first way I’ve gotten my preschooler to enjoy spicy barbecue sauce! A summer win for all.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Gardein chick’n strips
  • 2 tablespoons bbq sauce (such as Organicville)
  • 1 avocado
  • Bibb lettuce leaves
  • 2 tablespoons ranch dressing (such as Organicville)
  1. Cook the chick’n in a skillet according to package directions, omitting the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in the barbecue sauce.
  2. Thinly slice 1 avocado and set aside.
  3. Place the lettuce leaves on plates, and fill each lettuce cup with 1 avocado slice and 2 to 3 strips of chick’n. Drizzle evenly with the ranch dressing before serving.

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Tuna Boats

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There was a very cute recipe in our summer issue of Ranger Rick Jr., for a sandwich in the form of a sail boat. The recipe called for tuna salad, and happily there are multiple choices on the market for vegan tuna these days. Using a can of Loma Linda Blue fishless tuna, we were ready to set sail!

First we mixed up a batch of basic tuna salad: 1 can of vegan tuna, 1/4 cup Earth Balance mayonnaise, and 1 chopped celery stalk.

Divide the tuna salad evenly among 2 hot dog buns (or 1 sub roll cut in half).

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Cut carrot sticks that are about 5 inches tall and stand upright in the tuna salad. Tear off two leaves of romaine lettuce and poke two slits in each lettuce leaf; slide onto the sails.

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Sail away!

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Frozen Grapes

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Frozen Grapes (1)

Are frozen grapes the perfect summer snack? Pretty much. But my preschooler found a way to make them even better – read on!

To prepare, slice purple grapes in half and place in zip-top plastic bags in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Let stand for a few minutes at room temperature before serving, and then just enjoy!

When I told Travis that he would be having grapes that were as cold as a popsicle, he was initially disappointed to learn it wasn’t an actual grape popsicle. Before I even had time to spin the delicious summer treat, he suggested eating them straight out of a popsicle mold. Genius!

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Want even more summer fun with grapes? Try turning grapes into raisins by leaving them out on a hot patio in the sun.

Strawberry Picking and Basket Weaving

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Summertime! This season is synonymous with so many things, and one of those is berry picking. Last year we headed out late in the season for blueberries. This year we made sure not to miss the strawberry window. Kids will love gathering the sweet red berries, and discovering the baby green strawberries still on the plant.

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The fun doesn’t end at home: Fruit baskets are great for fine motor skills! We picked a few pretty colors of ribbon and wove through the holes in the basket.

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If you already have strawberry crates at home, do this project ahead of time, and bring your one-of-a-kind basket when you do your picking.

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Then of course comes the bonus: strawberry vanilla pancakes for breakfast.

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Ener-G egg

1 cup vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped strawberries

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.

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Cook on a griddle or skillet for 3 minutes until bubbles form on the top. Flip over and cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.

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Pancakes have never tasted so much like summer!

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Crack-of-Dawn Muffins

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When your preschooler wakes up at 5.30 in the morning and immediately says, “Mom, let’s make a recipe!” you need something that only relies on pantry staples. Thinking quick, we put together this basic-as-can-be muffin recipe, and had warm muffins for breakfast about 30 minutes later. The perfect start to the day!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Ener-G egg
  • 1 cup plain or vanilla almond milk
  • 1/4 cup melted Earth Balance butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates (optional)
  • Brown sugar for dusting (optional)
  1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
  2. In a second, bowl, whisk together the Ener-G egg, almond milk, and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  3. Stir in the dates (if using), then divide the batter evenly among 10 to 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Dust each muffin with a little brown sugar, if you have it on hand.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

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Build-Your-Own Grain Bowls

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Grain Bowl (1)

The ingredients for this recipe are inexact on purpose – it’s the perfect dinner for family members who have different tastes and preferences. Set out the various componants, and everyone can build their own. Bid kids and grown-ups can assemble a true grain bowl, everything piled togheter. My preschooler prefers to keep everything separate on the plate!

Ingredients:

  • Cooked quinoa
  • Cooked brown rice
  • Black or kidney beans
  • Vegan feta (such as Violife)
  • Shredded vegan cheddar (such as Daiya)
  • Chopped avocado
  • Tortilla chips
  • Lime juice
  • Olive oil
  1. Grab a bowl and assemble your favorite ingredients!
  2. If desired, family members can toss their grain of choice with a little bit of lime juice and olive oil before making it the base of their bowl.

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