Tag: vegan

Ice Cream Science

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Ice Cream Science (4)

Although this is pretty much a repeat of homemade ice cream that Travis shook up back in March, we had no qualms doing it again on a 95 degree day! The recipe was a fun addition to Travis’s Edible Elements kit from Raddish Kids.

For variation, we decided to make two different flavors this time, turn the project into a blind taste test, too! We poured 1/2 cup non-dairy creamer and 1 tablespoon sugar into each of two small zip-top bags. Then we added 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to one and 1/4 teaspoon mint extract to the second.

Ice Cream Science (1)

We placed both these small bags in a gallon-sized zip-top bag filled with 4 cups ice and 1/2 cup coarse salt. Seal and shake!

Ice Cream Science (2)

Travis took a few shakes, but then he passed it my way for some mama muscle.

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Get ready, because you may need to shake for as long as 10 minutes. Luckily, by the five-minute mark, our liquid creamer had turned into ice cream. (Note: we used oat milk creamer, and we’re curious to hear if other plant-based milks take less time or more, so please share in the comments!).

During all that shaking, we talked about the science behind what was happening; because salt lowers water’s freezing point, it makes the ice melt. As the ice melts, it absorbs heat from the cream. The cream, conversely, becomes colder. And here’s the important bit: because it’s churned, not just resting still on the ice, tiny ice crystal form. These give you smooth ice cream instead of a big chunk of ice.

All that aside, now it was time for the taste test! I spooned a scoop of each flavor into Travis’s bowl, and he proudly deduced which was which.

Ice Cream Science (5)

If your child prefers, you can add other toppings, too, like sprinkles, crumbled cookies, or candy. However you flavor it, this project is sure to beat the heat.

Ice Cream Science (6)

Mango Cole Slaw

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Mango Coleslaw alt

Mango adds a fun tropical note to this summery side dish. If your kids are older, you can prepare it raw like a traditional coleslaw. I like to cook the cabbage mixture first, though, so it’s easier for my toddler to chew. For an added nutrition boost, stir in chopped collard greens, too.

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups packaged coleslaw mix
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 3 cups chopped mango
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  1. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the coleslaw mix and red onion; cook for about 10 minutes, until tender. If desired, add the mango in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
  2. Combine the coleslaw mixture with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Chill until ready to serve.

Mango Coleslaw

Make Your Own Reading-Inspired Activity

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MYO Reading Activity (1)

I am loving storytime with Veronika these days; at long last she’ll sit in my lap and snuggle for a story (although she still prefers to “read” solo!). One other way to keep her engaged in a book is to add a hands-on element, bringing the story to life. Books about food are especially fun for this, so here’s how we played today!

We started out with a read of Blueberries for Sal, one of my personal favorites. I gave Veronika a plastic cup and some blueberries, intending for her to ka-plink ka-plank ka-plunk along with the book. Lots of dumping and pouring of blueberries, ensued!

MYO Reading Activity (2)

I had enough extra berries on hand that my intention was to make blueberry muffins thereafter, cooking in the kitchen just like Little Sal and her mother. But a certain big brother ate all the blueberries!

MYO Reading Activity (3)

Oh no! I had already promised the kids muffins, so I searched online for a recipe that was quick and used only pantry staples. Veronika loved scooping flour and spices with a set of kitchen utensils while I did the real baking.

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Well, it turned out these last-minute muffins were so good that the kids delighted in running back and forth from living room to kitchen for bites with huge grins on their faces, while shouting out, “Mama Moose’s Muffins!”

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That made us think of another kiddie lit classic, If You GIve a Moose a Muffin. So we read that book over our muffin snack!

MYO Reading Activity (7)

As a result, here is my recipe for “Mama Moose’s Muffins”, which might just become a classic around here.

Ingredients:

  • 3 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 and 1/3 cups sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Scant 2 cups plain almond milk
  • 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance butter
  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup raisins
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  2. Pour the cider vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, and add almond milk to equal 2 cups. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the almond milk mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter, Ener-G eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the raisins.
  3. Divide the mixture evenly among 12 jumbo muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

MYO Reading Activity (6)

 

 

Barley with Bananas & Blueberries

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Barley with Blueberries (1)

This warm breakfast cereal is a nice alternative if your kids are tired of oatmeal.

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup cooked barley
  • 2 tablespoons blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons sliced banana
  • 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
  1. Spoon the barley into a bowl, and top with the remaining ingredients.

Note: If the barley was cooked the night before, rewarm each portion briefly in the microwave.

Barley with Blueberries (2)

You can also try this recipe with strawberries…

barley strawberry var

peaches…

barley peach

…apricots, or any other fruit, instead!

Barley Blueberry Banana alt

Earth Science Pudding

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Earth Puddings (11)

Is this project a healthy snack for your kids? Absolutely not. But when Travis declared mid-way through the activity that he was in paradise, I knew I’d brought some magic into a summer morning.

The idea was to show all the layers of the earth, using just about the most amount of sugar imaginable.

Earth Puddings (1)

I laid out a tray with all of the supplies, and we talked about each layer of the earth as we worked, filling clear plastic cups with each step. First up, we needed bedrock, which I explained was the solid rock deep underground. We used a mix of mini chocolate chips and crushed ginger cookies. The crushing is half the fun; place the cookies in a zip-top bag and smash with a rolling pin until you have big crumbs.

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On top of this, we spooned the “subsoil” (a dense layer of clay and and iron). Chocolate pudding was perfect of course.

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You’ll notice my taste testers had wasted no time and were busily crunching into cookies and spooning into pudding. They couldn’t believe I was letting them have this free-for-all!

Earth Puddings (3)

Next we needed topsoil. I explained that this is the dirt we see as we play: dirt, bugs, and minerals. Now we needed oreo cookies, but not the creme filling. I showed the kids how to scrape out the creme with a craft stick so we could crush the chocolate cookies.

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“Can I eat the frosting?” Travis asked. I nodded. “Plain??” This is when he declared the activity paradise.

Earth Puddings (5)

We sprinkled on our crushed “topsoil” and then added a few “worms”. It’s easy to find gummy worms at the store but most contain gelatin. Instead, we sliced pieces of licorice in half to be our worms.

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Finally, top with green sprinkles for grass, twigs, and leaves. I wasn’t able to find green sprinkles at the store, but a few drops of food coloring on white sprinkles was a quick fix.

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Now it was time to dig into the Earth.

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Veronika plunged her spoon right in and began snacking. It made her so happy she began to do a sugar-fueled dance around the kitchen.

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Travis loved working his way carefully down the layers, almost like he was excavating. He wanted to stop and talk about which strata we were in, and carefully selected which bite should come next. He was ecstatic when he’d gone deep enough to reveal the pudding under the topsoil!

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Welcome to paradise on Earth, and thanks to Raddish Kids for this great lesson.

 

Cucumber Tomato Salad

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Cucumber Tomato Salad (2)

Just a few simple ingredients come together in this vibrant summer salad. My kids love it plain, with chips for dipping, or served on top of fresh bread! It’s the perfect side dish with your favorite vegan chick’n or other easy protein.

Cucumber Tomato Salad alt

Ingredients:

  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  1. Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, and place in a large bowl.
  2. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt, stirring to combine.

Cucumber Tomato Salad (1)

Summer Boredom Bucket List: Day 1

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Boredom 1 d

Highlights magazine had a great feature in its July issue of 30 ways to turn your kids’ words around when they come harping to you that they’re “bored” this summer. Yes, sometimes it’s good to be bored. But also: it’s summer; they’re kids; coronavirus means camps are cancelled or starting late; and you as a caregiver deserve to stay sane. I’m guessing you are as hungry as I am for ways to keep the littles entertained!

Tonight I’m kicking off a week-long series of posts, a full week’s worth of activities to stymie the statement, “I’m bored”. We’ve tested all of these in the past month, so I can guarantee they work!

Idea 1: Make a Jumbo Jump Rope. The first time I heard, “I’m bored”, I pulled out every scarf from my dresser and tied them into one long rope. A giant jump rope!

Boredom 1 a

Because Travis hasn’t had much practice even on a regular jump rope, first I encouraged him simply to work on his jumping skills, back and forth over the dangling scarves. This was a super fun challenge!

Boredom 1 b

Well then little sister grabbed on, and it became a shaking scarf for musical play. Use a rope like this to shake shake shake, then stop/freeze, teaching your child about pauses in music.

Boredom 1 c

Then Travis pretended he was climbing a rope up, hand over hand, like a ninja! And then mommy got captured. Uh oh, I hadn’t quite planned on that one.

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As you can see, one long line of ropes busts boredom.

Idea 2: Bake a Giant Chocolate-Chip Cookie. If kids announce they don’t know what to do and it’s only 8.45 in the morning, then it is definitely time for a giant cookie. “Let’s make a cookie as big as a pizza!” I said, and I instantly had two happy faces, even my toddler marching around the kitchen chanting “cookie cookie!”

Boredom 4 a

Luckily I had a mix in the pantry, making this easy for me too. The mix, a dash of almond milk, a little oil, and a little vanilla, and we were ready to pat our cookie into a circle on a pizza pan. After it baked, we even sliced it with a cookie cutter for a snack time full of chocolate smiles.

Boredom 4 b

Idea 3: Balance a Pen on One Finger. This little challenge turns out to be quite a moment of zen. What worked best? By trial and error, Travis and I worked out the following formula: elbow supported (either on one knee or on the table); pointer finger crooked back; cap removed from the pen; and then finding the fulcrum. Balance!

Boredom 5 a

I was proud of Travis not getting frustrated, too!

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Idea 4: Do Stuff with Tiny Stones. What couldn’t we do with tiny rocks? This boredom prompt filled a whole afternoon! First we headed outside to the driveway, where we knew there were just the right tiny pebbles near the garage, and the kids gathered them into a bucket.

Boredom 6 a

They then discovered the storm drain, and spent almost half an hour plinking rocks through the holes and watching the water ripple at the bottom!

Boredom 6 b

Okay, I got them inside, and now we had so many ideas. First we piled them up and built pyramids.

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Then we decided to get artsy. I hot-glued rocks to two pieces of paper and asked Travis what he saw to finish the drawing. He thought this one looked like a deep-sea anglerfish!

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I made a second into a stone wall in front of a house (meaning this was a boredom buster for mama, too).

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Then we decided to paint the remaining stones. For the blue, we put them in a cookie tin with blue paint and shook until coated. “Loud!” Veronika said. The orange ones we painted normally with a paint brush.

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We left them to dry, and then by evening we could play games that involved two sides, like jacks…

Boredom 6 i

…or tic-tac-toe (make that tic-tac-rock).

Boredom 6 j

Cool Whip Painting

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Cool Whip Painting (5)

What’s better than finger paint in the bath tub? Edible finger paint in the bath tub of course!

When I spotted this brilliant (and delicious) idea, I knew it would be worth the mess. For a vegan cool whip, try Whole Foods’ non-dairy whipped topping from the freezer aisle. Let thaw in the refrigerator about 3 hours prior to this activity and it will be the perfect consistency when you’re ready to play.

I divided the whipped topping evenly among the tins of a large muffin tray. Add drops of food coloring to each cup.

Cool Whip Painting (1)

To get the full rainbow, we mixed a few of our colors (red + yellow, blue + red). Older toddlers might enjoy helping with this step!

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Then I simply stripped Veronika down to a diaper, handed her a paint brush and set her loose in the tub. She immediately started painting.

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“A rainbow!” she said, even though she only had one line of color. What a perfect idea, so I started to paint stripes in rainbow order on the side of the tub. Some of the paint dripped onto her leg as a result. “Oh no!” she said, but I assured her it was okay because this paint was edible.

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She looked at me with surprise; usually I chide her not to eat paint, ha! So I dipped a finger in and held it up to her tongue. “Yummy!” she said with absolute delight.

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“Try blue?” So I dipped a finger in blue for her. “Try green?” You get the idea. Well clearly we were going to need plastic spoons!

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After this it became more feast than art project. At this point, big brother Travis needed to join in. He loved both taste-testing and smearing the paint on the tub with a brush.

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He even tried turning it into body paint!

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Meanwhile, I kept using the paintbrushes around my happy diners. This little fish was swimming right on the bottom of the ocean.

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Clean up was surprisingly easy. Strip everyone down and run the water and rinse (humans and tub alike). Travis even loved using a washcloth to scrub the walls until they were sparkly clean.

Cool Whip Painting (12)

Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies

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Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies (1)

With a leftover jar of sunflower seed butter in the pantry, I threw together these protein-packed cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 2/3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Add the sunflower seed butter, canola oil, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until combined.
  4. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes.

Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies (2)

Sunflower Seed Butter & Banana Smoothie

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Sunflower Seed Smoothie (1)

My toddler doesn’t want solid food for breakfast very often, so we’ve been big on smoothies in the morning lately! This one packs in protein and potassium.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup sunflower butter
  • 1/3 cup apple juice
  • 2 cups plain almond milk
  • 2 teaspoons agave nectar
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Sunflower Seed Smoothie (2)