It’s almost Easter! Do you enjoy decorating eggs with your family or classroom? What about an Easter egg hunt outside or around the house? With a super simple recipe, this traditional activity will feel fresh, festive, and fun. Okay, Easter bunnies. Let’s “hop” to it! 

Things you’ll need

• Eggs (white shells work best) 
• Water 
• White vinegar
• Measuring cup 1/2 cup 
• Individual clear cups
• Food coloring 
• Timer 
• Spoons for each color 
• Crayons 
• Rubber bands
• Bottle / Juice cap 
• Tablecloth or newspaper

Steps

Boil the eggs:
Add your eggs to a large pot with enough water to cover them with one inch of water. Turn the heat on high and bring them to a boil. Turn off the heat and let them stand for about ten minutes.  You can set your timer for this part. 

Prepare the colors:
Cover your work surface with an old tablecloth or some newspaper. Set up one clear cup and one spoon for every color you are working with. Place a bottle cap in front of each cup- this is where your egg can be placed while it dries. In each cup, add half a cup of water. Next, add up to 20 drops of food coloring. Finally, add three tablespoons of vinegar to each cup. The vinegar will help the colors be vibrant. Mix the colors with their designated spoons.

More about dying eggs: When mixing secondary colors like green, orange, and purple, we recommend pre-mixing in their own cups. We made orange by blending 10 drops of red food coloring with 10 drops of yellow food coloring. When cross-dying eggs, start with your light colors and then move to your dark colors.  

Now for the fun part! We have a few simple methods to decorate the eggs that we think look really cool. The first way is to draw some patterns on your eggs with crayons. ( If your eggs are nice and warm, the crayons will glide easily. If they are too hot, run them under some cold water first so little hands are safe, and so the crayons don’t melt too fast.) 

We experimented with a few different crayon colors and symbols. What do you think of our results? What patterns will you try? When it’s time to dye the eggs, dip them in the cups of food coloring and place them on the bottle caps so they can dry.   

The other method of creating patterns on your eggs is by using some elastic bands. Wrap your egg with rubber bands and dip it in a color. Leave your egg in the cup of color for a few minutes to achieve a deep saturation. 

Let it dry on the bottle cap stand. Once dry, remove the rubber bands to reveal a cool pattern! 

Place your eggs in an Easter basket if you like. Now they’re ready for a hunt, or to decorate the brunch table. Your Easter eggs look awesome! 

TIP: Did you stain your fingers while making your lovely Easter eggs? Try scrubbing them with a dab of toothpaste for a few minutes. Rinse and repeat as needed. 

For more Easter fun, learn How To Draw The Easter Bunny, or check out the song “Hot Cross Buns.”

The post Easter Egg Decorating Activity appeared first on Super Simple.

We shouldn’t play with our food, but we can make it look really fun! Super Simple has some great resources on nutrition and tips for picky eaters, but this time it’s all about the fun and beauty of food art. We’ve paired each of these food art pieces with a Super Simple Song so you can enjoy your meal with a matching tune. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Yummy Teddy Bear

Song Pairing: Sweet Dreams

This bear is good enough to eat! The bear is made from a PB&J sandwich but you can mix up the filling and try using different fruits and vegetables for the bear’s facial features. We used grapes and blueberries!

The Cow Jumped Over The Cheesy Moon

Song Pairing: Old MacDonald Had A Farm

Try cutting shapes from cheese to bring your food art to life! We made a cheesy moon and some star shapes for this one.

Rocking Veggies Rocket Ship

Song Pairing: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

This rocket ship is filled with veggies, served with a side of starry sauce to dip. Cauliflower is perfect for the blast off, and we used a mushroom cap for the moon.

Eat Along With Tobee

Song Pairing: your favorite Sing Along With Tobee episode

Tobee won’t mind if you eat him, he’s happy you’re eating lots of yummy fruits!

Trees Please

Song Pairing: And The Green Grass Grew

Pretzels and grapes are a yummy pairing. This food art is great for talking about the different parts of the tree while you eat: trunk, branches, and leaves. It’s also great for talking about seasons: if you eat all the grapes first, then it’s a tree in winter! Or if you use red grapes, it can be a tree in the fall.

Fruity Flowers

Song Pairing: Mr. Golden Sun

These flowers pack in lots of fruits and veggies. The stems are made from cucumber and the leaves from spinach. The flowers you can get creative with and let your little ones come up with their own fruity flower combination.

Metamorphosis Magic

Song Pairing: Rock Scissors Paper #1

This food art goes above and beyond! We created four stages of metamorphosis with food! We start with a tasty caterpillar…

Then the caterpillar lays its eggs made of corn kernels on a leaf of yummy swiss chard…

Soon comes a chrysalis made from pear…

Then emerges a beautiful butterfly of fruits and vegetables!

It’s a delight for all the senses, and full of nutrients!

We hope you enjoyed our food art and song pairing to make food a little more fun. For more information on food nutrition and how to get picky eaters to eat, see our links below.

The post Make Food Fun for Kids with Food Art appeared first on Super Simple.

Do you have a picky eater on your hands? Is it tough to get your child to eat their vegetables? As parents, we can sometimes feel like we’re failing if our children aren’t eating things that we know are good for them. They may throw the food they don’t like on the floor or refuse to eat it all together. As parents we pick our battles, so we may just throw in the towel and say “well at least they’re eating something”. The truth is, however, that if our children aren’t getting the nutrients that they need through their diet, other areas of their lives may suffer as a result. Their behaviour, sleep and school performance may all be affected as a result. The good news is that we can make mealtime more stimulating for our children and they may be more likely to cooperate with us. Although it requires a bit more effort, it will all be worth it when you see the smile it brings to your little one’s face.

Try These!

Bright Colours
Foods that are not nutritious are usually lacking in colour (think bread, cookies, crackers), unless they contain food colouring or dye, and that’s a whole other recipe for disaster for our littles! Try creating a plate of fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours. This will not only stimulate your child’s brain but also, hopefully, their appetite!

Shapes
Shapes are a fun way to make mealtime more exciting. Maybe your child has been learning about different shapes at school, so you turn his sandwich into little triangles or stars. Maybe your daughter is having a down day, so you arrange her meal in a smiley face on her plate. You can turn their food into the shape of their favourite animal, or maybe you place their veggies into a heart shape. You can even use a cookie cutter to make a shape if you’re short on time. If your child is old enough you can engage them by asking what shapes they want to see that day!

Numbers & Letters
Turn your child’s blueberries into a mini math equation, personalize their meal by spelling their name with carrot sticks. Write an “I love you” message in their favourite condiment. Help your child learn to tell time by using a tortilla shell as the face of a clock and veggies for numbers.

How else can I engage my child in mealtime?

• Focus on their interests
• Give them choices
• Turn it into a game (example: tic tac toe)
• Talk about feelings ( think happy, sad, angry, shocked faces)
• Give the meal a funny, crazy, fancy name! Instead of pasta think, “noodle badoodles!”
• Use a different dish, anything other than a plate (think muffin tin or an ice cube tray!)
• Get them involved, they may be more likely to eat the food if they help in some way
• Try a theme. If you know your child has been learning about something at day care of school, incorporate it into your meal times as well.
• Or of course you can always create your own!

Making eating fun and appealing is not only a great way to stimulate your child’s mind and appetite, but it will show your little ones that you care and put a smile on their face. Happy meal time!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

Contributor
Jenna Standish is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Reiki level one practitioner and RMT student. She gets excited about all things nutrition, fitness and personal development but her biggest passion of all is being a Mom to her sweet baby girl, Lennon. Since becoming a mother in 2017, Jenna’s dream has changed to guide and empower women to become the healthiest and happiest versions of themselves. She loves to motivate women to take control of their body, mind and spirit health so that they can show up as their best selves every day, especially for their families. Follow her on Instagram to receive tips, tricks, free recipes, health and wellness advice.

Original content © 2018 Super Simple. Not to be reprinted without express written permission. Terms of Service.

The post Making Meal Time Fun & Appealing appeared first on Super Simple.

Summertime is for vacations and road trips; a time when families hit the road and experience the world together. What better way to celebrate family vacations than with healthy snacks in the shape of cars? Made with fresh fruits and veggies, these car cuties are super versatile and easy to switch up. Don’t like apples? Use orange slices! Can’t have grapes? Try cheese for the wheels! Also feel free to change up the filling inside the celery cars with whatever your kids prefer most. You can try your favorite nut butter, hummus, or even a hazelnut chocolate spread!

For the Celery Cars

Makes 4 cars

Ingredients:

• 4 celery sticks
• 4 Tbsp. cream cheese
• 16 mini round crackers
• 4 teddy bear cookies (optional)

Instructions:

1. Fill each celery still with 1 Tbsp (or less) of the cream cheese.
2. Using the cream cheese as the “glue,” stick each round cracker on the sides of the celery for the “tires”.
3. Add a teddy bear cookie “driver”.

For the Apple Cars

Makes 4 cars

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, sliced into fours
• 16 red grapes
• 8 toothpicks
• 4 pretzels
• 4 teddy bear cookies (optional)

Instructions:

1. Turn each apple slice on the side. With a small, sharp knife, cut out the “front seat” making sure not to cut all the way through the apple.
2. Place both toothpicks evenly, all the way through each end of apple. Attach a grape “tire” for every side.
3. Add a pretzel “steering wheel” and teddy bear cookie as the driver.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, and hashtag your creations with #SuperSimpleOfficial.

Contributor
Cara Ansis is the creator behind the site Fork & Beans, a site decided to making fun and kid-inspired recipes. She encourages moms and dads to let their kids play with their food! She is also a cookbook author. Cara resides is Chicago, IL with her husband and 11 month old son. Follow Cara on Instagram or via her blog: http://www.forkandbeans.com/

Original content © 2018 Super Simple. Not to be reprinted without express written permission. Terms of Service.

The post Let’s Make Veggie Cars! appeared first on Super Simple.

With the ever-growing popularity of platters these days, here is a fun way to create a spring-themed spread perfect for your kids. All you is need is some rice cakes, your favorite hummus, and tons of fresh, cut up vegetables to assemble the cutest Rice Cake Flower Platter!  

You can either throw all of the ingredients separately onto a platter and allow the kids to create their own masterpieces OR you can surprise them with a flower of their own. It’s a great savory snack idea that is healthy and fun! Hopefully, it can encourage even your pickiest eater to try something new.

Rice Cake Flowers

Makes 4 rice cake flowers

Ingredients

• 4 rice cakes
• 1 cup hummus of choice

Veggie flower petal options:

• cucumbers
• radishes
• baby carrots

Center flower options:

• cherry tomatoes
• cucumbers
• cheddar cheese

Optional:

• flower-shaped cookie cutters

Directions

• Slather 1/4 c. of hummus onto each rice cake.
• Add the thinly sliced veggies around the edge of the rice cake for the petals.
• Add a center piece by either cutting up cheese or another veggie with a small flower-shaped cookie cutter.
• Place on a platter and serve with more hummus and freshly cut up veggies for snacking.

The post Rice Cake Flowers appeared first on Super Simple.

Did you know today is
National Sloppy Joe Day?

Sloppy Joes aren’t just for the meat eaters. It’s such a versatile meal that can be replaced with chickpeas, grains, or even lentils to make a hearty, vegetarian-friendly dinner that you and your kids will love. Turn them into Tobee, and now you have a home run meal of Lentil Sloppy Joes!  

But first, here are some sloppy joe facts:

The dish originated in the United States during the early 20th century, and usually features ketchup or tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce mixed with a ground meat or vegetable substitute as key ingredients. Before officially gaining it’s title in the 1930s, the Sloppy Joe has been previously referred to as Toasted Devilled Hamburgers, Hamburg a la Creole and Beef Mironton. Many restaurants have been credited with its invention including Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Keywest Florida, a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa with a cook named Joe or it could even have it’s origins in Havana, Cuba at the Sloppy Joe’s saloon! Wherever you eat it, or whatever you call them – here’s to the Sloppy Joe!

Packed with lots of hidden veggies and all that protein from green lentils, this is a sloppy joe you can feel good about. It’s the ultimate comfort food – all wrapped up in a warm bun and covered in cheese. What’s the best way to eat these Lentil Sloppy Joes? Watching Super Simple Songs! A perfect accompaniment would be Sing Along with Tobee‘s “If You’re Happy and You Know It” with the Candy Apple Jazz Band. 

Lentil Sloppy Joes

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

25 mins

TOTAL TIME

40 mins

serves: 4-6 Lentil Sloppy Joes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. green lentils, uncooked
• 3 c. water
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• ¼ c. carrots, diced
• 1½ Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
• ½ c. water
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

For Tobee’s face:

• thin cheddar cheese slice
• 3 baby carrot slices (for hair)
• 2 black peppercorns (for eyes)
• 1 carrot slice (for nose)
• ketchup (for mouth)
• hamburger buns

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet, bring the lentils to a boil with the water. Partially cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Bring that skillet back to the stove and over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. When they have tenderized, add the bell pepper and carrots.
3. Stir in the spices and cook until fragrant (approx 30 seconds).
4. Add the canned tomatoes, ½ c. water, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and lentils. Bring to a boil and allow the sauce to thicken. Cook until almost all of the liquid has absorbed (about 5 minutes).
5. Toast hamburger buns. Layer the sloppy joe filling on top of the bottom bun. Place the 3 baby carrot slices for Tobee’s hair. Add the cheese slice and assemble the face.

Once the Lentil Sloppy Joes filling is made, putting together the Tobee face is simple! Just make sure you have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go so once you pile on the filling onto the bottom bun, you can work fast. Here is a photo tutorial of how to put together these Tobee-themed Lentil Sloppy Joes:

The post Vegetarian Sloppy Joes featuring Tobee! appeared first on Super Simple.

Today is Pancake Day!

Also known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, this tradition dedicated to everyone’s favorite breakfast food is observed on the Tuesday that falls forty days before Easter. To celebrate, why not join us in making some Bumble Nums inspired delicacies featuring everyone’s favorite chefs – Humble, Stumble and Grumble. We know they’ll be a crowd pleaser! YUM! 

But first, here are some fun pancake facts:

Did you know there is an entire family of pancakes? From fluffy pancakes to crepes, blinis and bannock, they all have one thing in common – flatness! Pancakes have been around since the days of ancient Rome. With famous references in works such as Shakespeare’s As You Like It (1623), and the common catchphrase “flat as a pancake” that has been in use since the early seventeenth century, it’s safe to say one of the world’s most popular breakfast foods has some longevity.

Served for breakfast, brunch or even supper, there are many ways to eat pancakes! In North America it’s common to eat your pancakes with maple syrup and butter, but in Sweden they might be topped with lingonberries, in France with sugar and lemon and in Turkey with feta and jam! What is your favorite way to enjoy them?

Bumble Nums Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

Pancakes

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk of choice
• 1 egg
• 2 – 3 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• extra oil for cooking (coconut oil is recommended)
• various food colorings (in Bumble Num colors: purple, teal and orange)

Toppings

• red apple skins (for mouths)
• white icing (for eyes)
• rolled/pressed fondant, icing or chocolate chips (for eyebrows, smiles, black of eyes)

Other Supplies

• food-safe scissors
• medium-sized circle cookie cutters or egg rings
• mini circle cookie cutters
• other mini cutters (optional)
  (see top image for reference)
• Serves 3 – 4

DIRECTIONS:

Pancakes

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Add wet ingredients and mix to get some of the lumps out but don’t overwork your batter!
3. Divide batter into 3 different bowls and use food colorings to dye batter until you reach shades of orange, purple and teal that are several shades lighter than the main Bumble Nums colors.
4. These first shades will serve as your accent colors*
   for example: cheek circles, and half circles for bellies
5. Next, heat a skillet on medium heat and grease with oil.
6. Cook lighter pancakes like you would a normal pancake; cooking until tops begins to bubble, and then flipping until cooked through on both sides. Once done, remove from skillet, and set aside.
7. Return to your 3 divided batter bowls, and add in more color until your remaining batter colors are the main shades of orange, purple and teal to resemble the Bumble Nums
8. For these main pancakes, scoop your pancake batter into your egg rings. If you’d prefer to cut your circles out with cookie cutters after, just make pancakes slightly larger than your cutter.
9. Repeat the above steps until you have used all batter.

*Please note: You will only need to make one lighter pancake for every two Bumble Nums pancakes.

Finishing Touches

1. Cut small circles for cheeks, and half circles for their bellies out of lighter pancake pieces. Put lighter pieces on top of main circles.
2. Use icing or rolled/pressed fondant to make eyes, eyebrows and other additional features. You can substitute chocolate chips or leftover pancake pieces for these features as well.
3. For mouths, use apple skins,  or get creative, and put your own touch on these fun little faces.
4. YUM! It’s now time to enjoy your breakfast!

Be sure to reference the step-by-step photo tutorial to help you assemble each Bumble Num Pancake. Have little helpers that are eager to get involved in the kitchen? Prepare all the pancake pieces and decorations in advance, and have them help assemble!

Get creative with different expressions for each pancake. Another way to add more whimsy to your pancakes is to cut small hearts and stars using mini cookie cutters out of the leftover pancake trimmings to add decorations to the plate.

YUM!

Don’t forget to share your colorful creations with us! We’d love to see them. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and hashtag your Humble, Stumble and Grumble faces with #BumbleNumPancakes and #SuperSimpleOfficial.

The post Bumble Nums Pancakes appeared first on Super Simple.

Did you know today is
National Peanut Butter Day?

To celebrate this auspicious occasion, we’re making the healthiest “cookies” in town! All you need are apple slices, a good slather of peanut butter, and some fresh fruit. Before you know it, you’ll have a fun snack in the shape of Noodle, from Super Simple Songs’ Noodle & Pals on YouTube.  

But first, here are some fun peanut butter facts:

Peanut butter has quite the history: invented in 1890 by American snack food maker George Bayle, it is now so popular that the average person consumes more than six pounds of peanut products each year!

It takes approximately 550 peanuts to make a 12 ounce jar of peanut butter. Peanuts are not only cholesterol free, but also an excellent source of protein. In fact, it’s the high protein content that causes peanut butter to stick to the roof of your mouth!

Noodle Apple “Cookie” Slices

INGREDIENTS:
1 apple, sliced into 4 (remove the seeds)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 slice of cantaloupe (for the nose)
8 slices of banana (for the eyes)
24 blueberries (2 for the eyes and 4 for the hair)
8 raspberries (for the cheeks)
1/4 cup melted chocolate chips (for the mouth)

•  recipe makes four “cookies”

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Slather the peanut butter over each slice of apple
2.  Carefully cut the nose shapes out of a thin slice of cantaloupe
3.  Place the cantaloupe nose in the middle of the apple face
4.  Add the banana slices and blueberries for the eyes
5.  Assemble Noodle’s blueberry hair, and raspberry cheeks on the cookie
6.  Pipe a small amount of melted chocolate for the smile
7.  Ta da! Your Noodle Apple “Cookies” are complete. Enjoy!

Be sure to reference the step-by-step photo tutorial to help you assemble each Noodle Apple “Cookie.” You can even get your kids to help! Do you have younger kids itching to get involved in the kitchen? Have all the fruit pieces cut in advance of assembly, this shortcut should help make this recipe accessible to even the youngest Noodle fans.

We know that parents are always on the lookout for healthier alternatives to childhood favorites. The simplicity of the ingredients in these Noodle Apple “Cookies” allows you to have control over the quality of the final product, while still preparing a delicious and entertaining snack for your kids!

Get creative! Add letters or numbers with fruit to plain apple cookies, along with Noodle so that your kids can practice while they’re eating. Make snacking about more than just food, make it interactive!

If you’re going to give these peanutty confections a try, don’t forget to share your results on social media – we’d love to see them!

Peanut facts via Punchbowl.

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