On Tuesday I wrote about how my family has been affected living in the epicenter of the American coronavirus outbreak and I plan to continue writing about our experiences in the coming days. Late last night, though, we got word that every school in my kids' district is closing- and we will be participating in at-home, mobile learning for up to 14 days. Needless to say, I'm scrambling for ways to make it work having my kindergartner, 3rd and 5th graders home while I also need to work. One of … [Read more...]
Free Printable: A Week’s Worth of Valentine Lunchbox Jokes
I've been talking to you a lot about healthy kid food lately. You know what goes fabulously with healthy lunches? Absolutely anything that makes eating them more fun! Younger kids almost universally love knock-knock or punny jokes. So we've put together a printable with valentine jokes for you to slip inside your child's lunchbox. Simply print out the free form, cut along the lines, and you're good to go. Send me the lunchbox notes! You'll have one for every school day the week of … [Read more...]
How to Connect at Dinner Time: Conversation Starters & Parked Phone Stations
Life comes at you fast these days. Have you noticed how we drink our morning coffee and the next thing we know, we're tired and crawling into bed? If we don't stop to be intentional, we can miss out on some really important moments with our spouse and kids. There are two things we've found helpful in being more present with our kids at dinner time: A no-technology rule at meal time. A handy set of conversations starters to get the ball rolling. Today we're going to show … [Read more...]
Healthy Kid Snack with Hidden Protein: Roasted Peas Three Ways
Peas are one of those under-estimated vegetables. You think they need to stay in the frozen section and only come out for a chicken pot pie. Peas actually have more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter. Not only that, peas are a source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, thiamine (B1), iron and phosphorus. Getting peas into your diet can be a little challenging, so I decided to try my hand at roasting them as an alternative to steaming. I've made roasted chickpeas … [Read more...]
Family New Year’s Eve Idea: DIY Balloon Drop
Do you guys celebrate New Year's eve with your kiddos? In years past I've skipped it due to the whole, "there's no way my kids are making it to anywhere near midnight and, if by some some miracle, they do - I'm scared to see what will happen the next day" thing. But then I stumbled on the concept of "Happy Noonyear". Which is just what it sounds like, basically celebrating at noon instead of midnight. Kinda genius, right? Regardless if you decide "Happy Noonyear" or stay up for regular … [Read more...]
Kid-Friendly Side Dish: Date Almond Rice
Are you a fan of sweet and salty? I most definitely am... and so are a lot of kids. It's the kind of thing where the sweet just needs a hint of salt to have that perfect satisfying bite. When I tell you about date almond rice, you might not be on board- but, you have to trust me on this one. Date almond rice is a Mediteranean-inspired side dish that will have you wondering why it tastes so good. The secret is a mix of salty and sweet. Dates are a source of antioxidants as well as … [Read more...]
Gotta Try Dessert: Pumpkin Dump Cake
If you've never heard, can I introduce you to the concept of 'dump cake?' While the name is quite unflattering, the concept is genius! The cake consists of several pantry ingredients and some eggs...involves a few stirs and about an hour in the oven. And all the busy moms rejoiced! Any time I have to make a dessert on the fly, it's a dump cake. This particular cake is of the pumpkin variety. And hold the term cake loosely, because this tastes like a pumpkin pie … [Read more...]
Healthy Snack: Chia Seed Granola Bark
I love recipes you can't mess up. Add a little bit extra, you're still good. Short on something, it's okay. This granola bark has all the good stuff, little bits of chocolate to entice the sweet tooth and is fool-proof. The granola bark has a similar texture to Nature Valley crispy granola bars. It's a little chewier, which I like, because who wants to break a tooth? You break the granola into pieces after its baked. Smaller pieces are great for topping yogurt. Bigger pieces … [Read more...]
Get More Veggies: Cauliflower Pizza Bites
Sneaking in vegetables has been a hobby of mine since my kids were toddlers. Jessica Seinfeld came out with Deceptively Delicious and I was hooked. Cauliflower was showing up everywhere! Fast forward to my kids' teenage years and I'm still trying to infuse extra vitamins into their diet. These Cauliflower Pizza Bites are a recipe that works from toddlerhood all the way to the teenage years. I can whip up this recipe in about 15 minutes and have a delicious meal that's … [Read more...]