Tag: beans

Black Bean Indoor Sandbox

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Black Bean Sandbox (1)

Perhaps I should have held off on this particular indoor sandbox for a couple of days until October is officially here. But when I spotted my bulk bag of dried black beans, the color instantly made me think of all the Halloween decor I just stocked up on. So it was a spooky indoor sandbox a few days early!

I poured the beans into a shallow tray and added a few Halloween items that lent themselves well to sensory play. These included cupcake liners (with spiderweb and black-and-orange print designs), as well as felt skeleton figures.

Black Bean Sandbox (2)

First her attention went to the little skeletons, and she loved putting them in the cupcake liners, or burying them under the beans and then digging them back up again (spooky!).

Black Bean Sandbox (5)

She could also use the cupcake liners for scooping and pouring, which was great for fine motor skills.

Black Bean Sandbox (3)

She spent quite some time transferring beans back and forth this way.

Black Bean Sandbox (4)

I had planned just to let her use her hands, but she requested a spoon to scoop through, too.

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Then to my surprise, she first sat in the beans…

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…and then stood right up in them! This gave her the giggles.

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In sum, the bin was a great one for keeping her busy and for introducing the upcoming holiday!

Black Bean Sandbox (6)

Arroz Verde con Frijoles Negro

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Arroz Verde (1)

Rice and beans are a match made in heaven, with so many variations to keep kids from getting bored. This recipe gets its beautiful green color from fresh spinach sauce. Use brown rice in place of the white rice, if you prefer.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water, divided
  • 2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can black beans
  1. To prepare the rice, combine the broth, 1 cup water, rice, and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the spinach sauce: combine the spinach in a blender or food processor with the remaining 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, and garlic. Process until smooth.
  3. Add the spinach mixture and black beans to the rice, stirring to combine.

This is delicious on its own, but even better wrapped up in a tortilla!

Arroz Verde alt

 

Sensory Bean Astronaut Box

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Sensory Bean Astronaut (2)

In honor of SpaceX’s would-be historic launch today, I set up this easy astronaut-themed sensory bin for Veronika!

All I used were two different colors of dried beans, which I poured into a shallow tray. I originally had the box half filled with dark red beans and half with white, but they very quickly were mixed together.

Sensory Bean Astronaut (4)

Then I simply added a few astronaut toys, including aliens and a little space rover for Veronika to play around with. It was an instant hit!

Sensory Bean Astronaut (1)

She loved the sound that the rover made as it drove over these bumpy “moon rocks”.

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Of course we could also collect samples of rock to take back to Earth.

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She moved the little figures around in the beans, enjoying the way this made the beans scatter. I also showed her how to bury the alien underneath them, and she could then go digging.

Sensory Bean Astronaut (5)

A sensory box like this would work with just about any toy of course, whatever your toddler currently likes best! Or just add scoops instead of toys, for practice pouring. But the astronaut theme felt perfect in conjunction with today’s historic event, even when we later learned the launch was a no-go for bad weather.

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Towards the end of her play, she discovered that if she raked her astronauts quickly through the beans, they scattered over the edge.

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So then this happened.

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Which is just fine because dried beans are one of the easiest sensory items to clean up ever! You can do this activity over a towel for even faster clean-up, but I find it just as easy to sweep all the beans into a dustpan. They sweep up with zero mess, unlike other materials I could name.

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We are wishing the astronauts good luck on their voyage!

Black Bean Brownies

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Bean Brownies (3)

Black beans in brownies? Yes! Sneaking a can of pureed beans into brownie batter means they’re packed with protein and added nutrition, but kids will never notice among all the chocolate-y goodness!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can black beans
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
  1. Combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips in a blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
  2. Transfer the batter into a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.
  3. Spoon the batter into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Bean Brownies (2)

Red Beans & Rice

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Red Beans and Rice

This mildly-spiced take on the classic pairing of red beans and rice is a sure winner with kids!

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup carrot puree
  • 1 tablespoon wheat germ
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 cups cooked brown rice
  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the beans, marinara, carrot puree, wheat germ, oregano, basil, and thyme. Cook for about 5 minutes, until warm.
  2. Meanwhile, place the cooked rice in a large bowl. Add the bean mixture and stir to combine.

Black Bean & Carrot Mash

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Black Bean & Carrot

This mash of beans and carrot puree will thicken as it cools. Once thickened, it’s perfect to pick up by the handful for little ones who are baby led weaning!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can black beans
  • 4 ounces carrot puree
  1. Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until warm.
  2. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

White Bean Pasta Sauce

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White Bean Sauce (1)

Here’s the easiest hack ever for sneaking more beans into your child’s diet. They’ll never know what makes this sauce so creamy and thick… and adults love it, too! For extra appeal, use a fun pasta shape like wagon wheels.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned cannellini beans
  • 3/4 cup jarred marinara sauce
  • 1 cup uncooked pasta
  1. Combine the beans and marinara sauce in a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
  3. Toss the pasta with the sauce, let cool slightly, and serve.

White Bean Sauce (2)