Have a picnic

Change up dinner by spreading out an old blanket or quilt on the ground. Eating on the ground will mix things up and encourage being relaxed and enjoying each other’s company. Meals may last longer than they do at the table.

So… What did you do today?

My parents would say this to me every night and I would always say “Nothing”. This is a fun way to get kids to talk about their day. Taking turns, each family member reports on three things about his or her day. The catch: two are true, one is not. The others have to guess what didn’t happen. Kids love trying to trick parents.

Mix up your dishes

Use a tea set for dinner. Kids may laugh at the sight of a parent using tinny cups and plates for eating. Try using toothpicks or chop stick instead of forks.

Let kids be involved

Now that it’s spring have kids go outside and pick flowers for the dinner table. Allow your children to create menus and serve the parents.  Ask them for help planning a meal or adding secret ingredients. Kids do enjoy cooking and being a part of the family.

• About 280 million laying hens produce some 60 billion eggs each year in the United States. That’s roughly one hen for every man, women and child in the country.
• Eggs are one of the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D.
• Eggs also contain a significant amount of B vitamins.
• Most of the nutrients in an egg are found in the yolk.

Cooking an egg doesn’t seem hard but when overcooked they can become tough and chalky. Here is how to make a perfect hard-boiled egg every time.

1. Cover eggs in a medium size pot with cold water.

2. Bring water to boil. As soon as water boils turn heat off and cover pot with a lid.

3. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until eggs feel cool.

4. Crack shells and peel.

• To tell if an egg is raw or hard-cooked, spin it! If the egg spins easily, it is hard-cooked but if it wobbles, it is raw.

Not so evil Deviled Eggs

The name deviled eggs came from the traditional use of hot spices.  Deviled eggs can be made in a variety of ways. Usually made with mayonnaise, this recipes calls for low-fat yogurt as a way to cut down on fat.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons low-fat greek yogurt

1 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs ( chives, basil, dill, cilantro)

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large hard-boiled eggs  peeled ( method mentioned above)

Instructions

1. Put yogurt, mustard, herbs and salt in small bowl.

2. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks with spoon. Add yolks to yogurt bowl.

3. Mash yolks into yogurt mixture.

4. Refill each egg with the yolk mixture and sprinkle with any extra herbs.

Enjoy! What are your favorite deviled egg variations? I love curried deviled eggs, has anyone tried these?

 Rhubarb is in season which means it’s time to make all those yummy rhubarb desserts. Think about how you can turn your pie or crisp recipes into a healthy treat.  Your recipes can be altered.

• Substitute whole wheat flour for white flour
• use nuts and oats as a toping instead of a pie crust
• Cut the amount of sugar. Trust me you won’t even notice.
• Cut the recipe in half. Smaller serving are a great way to try our favorite foods and limit the amount of sugar we eat.
• 

Rhubarb is an early sign of spring. It originated in Western China and was prized for its medicinal qualities. The stalk is very tart-the leaves should NEVER be eaten. 

Rhubarb Crisp

Preparation Time: 23 minutes
1 pound rhubarb* (chopped into 1 inch pieces) 2 sweet red apples (such as Rome or Gala, peeled, cored and sliced) ½ cup orange juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons Sugar 1 cup rolled oats 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup nuts of your choice (optional)
Preheat broiler. In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb, apples, orange juice, cinnamon and 3 tablespoon Sugar. Cover and cook over MEDIUM heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is just tender. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine oats, olive oil and brown sugar (2 tablespoons). Mix well to combine. Spread mixture on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Spoon half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a shallow serving dish. Cover with the warm fruit mixture and top with remaining crumb mixture. Serve warm.
*When buying rhubarb, look for thin, crisp, dark pink to red stalks. Be sure to remove and discard the leaves before using since they’re poisonous.
Serves:  6

Source: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/rhubarb-crisp

Celebrate Earth day this year by spending some time outside in the garden. Gardening benefits kids’ health and well-being as well as their attitudes towards learning and the environment. It captures their interest, gives them a sense of pride in their accomplishments, and introduces them to healthful foods. From helping you to mulch and pull weeds at age 3 to garnering active and engaging connections to science, math, and nutrition as they get older, kids will benefit from the nurturing experience of gardening for years to come.

Check out these ideas on how you can get your kids involved in gardening.

 3 Veggies Kids Can Easily Plant Now  

All these seeds can be purchased at any garden center. More detailed instructions can be found on seed packets.

• Peas. Go green and plant peas. Peas are very easy to grow and produce an abundance of tasty snacks. Plant in a sunny location and along a fence or provide a trellis so the peas have something to climb.
• Potatoes. You can buy seed potatoes at any garden store. Potatoes like lots of loose soil. Dig a long trench so you have mounds of soil on either side of the trench. Plant seed potatoes at the bottom of the trench and cover with soil. As they grow mound up the soil around plants. New potatoes will form throughout these mounds.  At the end of summer you will have lots of hidden potatoes to dig up.  
• Carrots. Another sweet snack straight from the garden.
• 5 Easy Ways Kids Can Help in the Garden

Planting

• Put seeds in numbered containers. Mark each section of the garden with the corresponding location.
• Let children dig holes for the seeds. Give them a ruler so they know exactly how far they need to dig down.

Watering

• Use an adjustable water wand on the gentlest setting.
• Demonstrate holding the wand high enough and slowly moving it back and forth to avoid mudslides and puddles.
• Avoid using watering cans until seedlings begin to emerge.

Raking

• Have your kids make a fun design in the dirt with the rake.
• Have a raking race. The first one to make her/his area the smoothest, wins!
• Have your kids see how many different sizes/colors of rocks they can find while raking (this will keep their attention).

Harvesting

• Harvest with kid-size scissors. Using scissors, cut lettuces and greens just above the soil. Also use scissors when harvesting berries or other fruits and vegetables with thin stems.
• Let the kids rinse freshly picked produce to remove the dirt and debris. Use a deep container filled with cleaning water. After you pick each ripe fruit or vegetable, allow them to clean it. Change water when it becomes extremely dirty.

Measuring

• Use a twig, stick, or small branch to “draw” the garden design in the soil.
• Draw the design by sprinkling white play sand.
• Use carefully placed pebbles, gravel, or small stones to create the outlines of your shapes.
• Create markers with each fruit and vegetable labeled on them. Allow your kids to mark where they would like to plant each fruit or vegetable.

Here are 5 more garden projects kids will love.

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/5-do-it-yourself-gardening-projects-for-home-or-school

Source: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/kids-in-the-garden

Remind your self and your child about snacks by posting a list of easy to make snacks on the fridge. This can turn into a fun activity. Brainstorm with your child their favorite healthy snacks or new snacks you would like to try. Here is a sample list:

• whole grain crackers and low-fat cheese
• anything with peanut butter – apples, bananas, celery, whole grain toast
• plain low-fat yogurt with a spoonful of jam
• fruit and nut mix – make your own with your favorite nuts and dried fruits
• hard boiled egg
• baked chips and salsa
• pears sprinkled with cinnamon
• kale chips
• hummus and veggies

Try this crazy cool recipe. Makes a bright pink hummus, kids will love the taste and color.

Red Beet & White Bean Hummus (Makes 3 Cups)

1 Small Beet
1 15 Oz Can White Beans, rinsed and drained
2 Large Garlic Clove, unpeeled
Juice of 1/2 Lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash beet well and place with garlic cloves on a sheet of foil. Bring up sides of foil and fold to make a packet leaving room for heat to circulate inside the packet containing the beet and garlic.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until beet is tender when poked with a knife.
4. Remove skin off of the garlic and the beet

5. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.

What are your favorite after school snacks?

Replace iceberg lettuce with some of these dark leafy greens like: bok choy, kale, collards,  mustard greens, and arugula. Be adventurous and try greens you’ve never seen before. Add greens to pasta, casserole, soups and salads.  Try this quick kale snack.

Recipe: Kale Chips Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Lettuce might seem like a pretty boring vegetable, usually associated with salads.  However lettuce can be used in lots of different types of meals. Here we will use lettuce as a wrap for black beans and quinoa.

* Most dark greens are good sources of Vitamin C and other nutrients.The rule of thumb is, usually, the darker the greens, the more nutritious the leaf.

Ingredients

8 large lettuce leaves

1 can black beans drained

1 cup cooked quinoa

2 carrots shredded

1/2 red onion chopped

1 large tomato chopped

1/4 cup of your favorite dressing

1 avocado sliced

Directions:

In a large bowl, chop and mix everything but the lettuce leaves and avocado slices.  Fill each lettuce leaf with 1/4 if the mixture and top with sliced avocado. Enjoy!

Another way to get kids involved with dinner can be to ask them for variations to meals. Your salads have the same ingredients night after night? Ask your kids what they might like to have in a salad.  Finding new ways to prepare or cook favorite meals can be fun for children and encourages trying new foods.

Mini Frittatas

Here is a fun meal to make with little ones.

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil or fresh pesto
• 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
• 3/4 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and basil. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes.
• Divide cheddar cheese among muffin cups.
• Pour egg mixture into a liquid measuring cup with a spout. Pour egg mixture over cheese, filling cups to the top.
• Bake 10-14 minutes until mini frittatas are puffed and golden brown on top.
• Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before serving.

• Experiment with different ingredients