The Holidays are an exciting and busy time of year. Between preparing treats and keeping children occupied, it’s a wonder we have time to deck the halls at all. Hopefully these little pretzel Christmas trees keep it super simple with a quick recipe while also making a fun and inclusive activity for kids or anyone young at heart!

Things you’ll need

• 1 cup green chocolate candy melts
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• pretzel sticks
• squeeze bottle
• sprinkles
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• microwaveable glass dish
• spatula

Place parchment paper onto a baking sheet and stager pretzels with enough room for decorating.

Heat the candy melts in a glass bowl in your microwave, mixing every 30 seconds until smooth. Add the coconut oil and stir. With a spatula, guide the chocolate mixture into a squeeze bottle.

Squeeze the chocolate into tree shapes onto all of the pretzel sticks and add your sprinkles.

Let the trees completely cool down and harden before removing them from your baking sheet.

Clean up tip: Let chocolate harden inside the squeeze bottle. Gently squeeze the bottle and the chocolate will crumble out!

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Spring has sprung! Or almost, at least! When I think of Spring and Summer time I think of being outside, swimming, enjoying the sunshine and when it comes to food – I think of cooling, delicious, healthy foods that work well for ourselves and our children’s bodies.

When we eat foods that are local and in season, our bodies can digest them much easier because they are what is natural in our environment around us at that given time. When we start eating according to our environment around us, we produce the enzymes necessary to break these foods down properly. Our body wants to be in homeostasis – a state of balance – so when we give it the opportunity to do this it will thank us!

In Spring and Summer, our bodies crave cooling foods that will help produce an alkaline internal environment. Hot, fiery, warming foods are for fall and winter, and can actually produce an acidic environment for our guts during the summer months

Here is a list of foods that you will start seeing pop up at your local farmer’s markets and health food stores this Spring/Summer season. Some foods are in season in almost year round, like honey!

May

• Rhubarb
• Asparagus

June

• Strawberries
• Rhubarb
• Peas
• Lettuce
• Cherries
• Beets
• Beans
• Asparagus

July

• Tomatoes
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Potatoes
• Plums
• Peppers
• Peas
• Peaches
• Onions
• Garlic
• Melon
• Lettuce
• Corn
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Beans
• Watermelon

August

• Tomatoes
• Squash
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Potatoes
• Plums
• Peppers
• Peas
• Pears
• Peaches
• Garlic
• Onion
• Nectarines
• Eggplant
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Cabbage
• Apples

Watermelon Salad Summer Recipe

1 watermelon, chopped into cubes
1 red onion, small slices
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup nectarines, optional
2 cups arugula
Dressing: 1 cup balsamic with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp dijon mustard

Mix ingredients together and enjoy a refreshing, delicious salad with flavour!

Delicious Warm Weather Snack and Meal Ideas:

• Fruit salad bowl: mix a variety of in season fruits together
• Zucchini and cucumber chips
• Apple with honey or peanut butter
• Stuffed peppers
• Pea soup
• Bacon wrapped asparagus
• Broccoli and cauliflower salad or casserole
• Caprese salad
• Eggplant pasta
• Pears in a bowl with cinnamon

I hope that you and your family enjoy the beautiful warm weather that is to come!

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One idea is to add roasted beets, beet powder, red peppers, or fresh/frozen berries to your favourite pancake, waffle, muffin, smoothie, and/or dip recipe. Another idea is to try red/pink/white themed snacks and lunches. You can do this with food alone or head to your local dollar store or party supply store to find heart shaped dishes and/or baking tips and use these to serve pink and red foods that are rich in nutrition, flavor, and fun!

Valentines week is also a great time to get your kids involved in snack and meal prep. Below you can find a recipe for Homemade Valentines Day Frozen Yogurt that is easy for children to make and always a hit for snacks and dessert in our home! I have also included teaching opportunities that you can try while making it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Greek yogurt (or a coconut yogurt if you would like it to be dairy free)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 cup fresh or frozen pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup fresh or frozen sweet cherries
• 1 cup frozen cranberries
• 5 dates
• (For a boost of protein and omega 3 fatty acids you can add ¼ cup hemp hearts too!)

Instructions

1) Pull dates apart and remove the pit.
2) Add all ingredients to a blender, such as Vitamix, Blendtec, Ninja, or other that has the blade capacity to puree the dates.
3) Mix on a low setting (1 or 2) until the dates and berries have been pureed, then move to a higher setting to finish blending all ingredients.
4) Pour into small glass containers or popsicle molds and place in the freezer. The containers pictured here are from WeanGreen.

“Kids in the Kitchen” Learning Notes

Letter recognition and letter sounds: For this recipe you can focus on the letter “P” for PINK. In our home I use a flashcard with the letter “P” on it. You could also use a Scrabble tile or alphabet puzzle piece. While adding ingredients we talk about the sound the letter makes and then other words that start with the same sound like PULL and PIT (when we pulled the date apart to remove the pit), POUR (when we added the ingredients in), and PICK (when we talked about the strawberries we had picked and frozen last summer for recipes such as this one). An alternate or additional letter that would be great for this recipe is the letter “F” as it applies to FROZEN, FRESH, FAST and FUN.

Colours: For this recipe you can talk about the colours PINK and RED. I focus on the fact that when we blend red and white, we can make pink. I use a flash card which has the color pink on it but you could also make a fun game of collecting all the pink things in your home or playroom.

Texture/Solid vs. Liquid: It is fascinating to watch a child’s face as a LIQUID forms from several SOLID items. This is a great recipe to take that one step further and talk about how the process of FREEZING works and the time it takes for that to happen.

Numbers and Mathematical Skills: At the start of a recipe I like to COUNT the ingredients with my children, then let them know all we will be doing and the order we will be doing it in. Then we continue to review throughout the cooking process what we have completed and what is next. My goal is for them to understand ORDER and that it matters. This is a rather fast recipe, but it is still a great one for counting and order as it is easy numbers which is great for a toddler/preschooler.

Creating/Imagination/Experimenting: Frozen yogurt or “nice cream” is a wonderful way to experiment with blending colors, textures, and tastes. You can talk to children about what color foods they want to add and why some frozen treats are a lighter color and others darker.

Life Skills: In this recipe you can discuss FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS, ASKING FOR HELP (to pour from heavier containers), and PATIENCE (as you wait for the freezing process).

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Let’s make some docinhos! These delicious small treats are so easy and fun to make. Perfect for any occasion – especially Valentine’s Day! These are a perfect recipe to get the children involved in the kitchen. They can roll the little balls and help decorate them. Now, let the fun begin!

Some History

Docinhos are a Brazilian sweet treat that are easy to make and taste delicious. In Brazil, they will be found at any birthday party, no matter for what age! It is a tradition to have them on the cake table. They can come in different flavors, but two of the signature flavors are Beigadeiro chocolate, or Beijinhos coconut. You could also use strawberry, cashews, walnuts, or even powdered milk!

Here is what you will need:

• A non stick saucepan
• Small bowls for decorations
• Rubber spatula
• Small spoons
• Bon bon sized paper cups

Ingredients:

• 1 can of condensed milk (I prefer unsweetened)
• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter
• shredded coconut.
• cocoa powder.
• food coloring (optional)
• fun toppings: colorful sprinkles, small candies, chocolate, nuts, get creative!

Instructions:

1. Heat the sauce pan on a stove top using medium heat.

2. Add butter and half the can of condensed milk. Use the whole can if you’re only making one flavor.

3. Add 4 teaspoons of shredded coconut or cocoa powder, depending on which flavor you’d like to make. If you’re only making one flavor (with a whole can of milk), double the coconut or cocoa powder.

4. Melt all ingredients together in the pot and keep mixing until you reach a thick consistency. This should take a few minutes.

5. Using the spatula scrape the cooked mixture into bowl. If you’re using food coloring, you can now add a few drops now and mix it in. Allow the mixture to cool in the fridge.
Note: Be very careful with these steps as the bowl may be hot!

6. Repeat this procedure for all your different flavor combinations. Add each combo to a separate bowl and allow to cool in the fridge. Once hardened, it’s time to get the kids involved!

Have the the toppings set out in little bowls.

Pro tip: Have a little bit of extra butter close by. If you keep a little bit of butter in the palm of your hand, it will prevent the mixture from sticking when rolling!

7. Let’s get rolling! Use a small spoon to scoop up some batter, and use your palms to roll the dough into little balls. Drop the balls into the container of your chosen toppings and roll until covered. Put the little ball in a bon bon cup and repeat until all batter is used up.
Note: 1 300ml can of condensed milk will make around 30 little balls.

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Contributor
Born in Brazil, Jaqueline Leal now lives in Toronto, Canada. She is a wife, mother to two amazing children and the founder of JBL Natural Skincare. She handcrafts each item she sells, creating small batches using all natural, vegan ingredients. Using choice oils, butters, and plant infusions, Jaqueline’s creations are sold through her website and in local markets and shops. You can follow her on Instagram here.

Original content © 2019 Super Simple. Not to be reprinted without express written permission. Terms of Service.

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Making your own hot chocolate is no more difficult than making instant powdered hot chocolate, and this way you can control how much sugar you want to use and types of chocolate.  As a chocolatier, I will always insist on quality chocolate and cocoa powder. Callebaut, Cacao Barry and Valrhona are all easily accessible for reasonable prices.

INGREDIENTS

(makes 4 servings)

• 5 ounces dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 quart (4 cups) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Divide the chocolate evenly into individual mugs and set aside.
2. Whisk together the cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and sugar in a small saucepan. This helps break up any lumps in the cocoa or sugar.
3. Add milk and set the saucepan over medium heat.
4. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until hot and smooth, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove from the saucepan from the heat, pour the milk mixture into mugs over the chocolate, and let it sit for 30 seconds to heat and melt the chocolate.  Stir gently to combine the chocolate with the milk mixture.

I am a purist and enjoy it straight up, but if you like toppings such as marshmallows and or whipped cream, add to your heart’s content.

Next, cozy up under a blanket.

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Contributor
Jean Hon is the Chief Baking Officer (in her home) at Jeannie’s Om Nom Nom in Parkdale  but her day job is a Corporate Insurance Underwriter in Toronto, Canada.  As a passionate baker and chocolatier, she loves to offer people good, delicious, made from scratch pastries and confections.  It is all about the ingredients and love, the love for baking. Since 2013, she has focused on baking and giving back to her community. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Original content © 2019 Super Simple. Not to be reprinted without express written permission. Terms of Service.

The post Super Simple Hot Chocolate appeared first on Super Simple.

Ingredients:

• Whole almonds – 250g
• Triple Sec (or vanilla extract) – 15ml
• Sugar – 20g
• Dried Cranberries – 200g
• Dark Chocolate – 500g

It is very important to use good quality chocolate; you will impress even those with very discerning taste!  I use Callebaut and it can be easily found at your local big brand bulk food stores (without naming names, it starts with a B).

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Chop your almonds to desired chunkiness.  Toss the chopped almonds with sugar and Triple Sec (or vanilla) until thoroughly combined and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Toast in the oven until caramelized (approximately 8-12 minutes, check them at 8 minutes and be careful to not burn the mixture).

Once the almond mixture is nicely caramelized, combine with the cranberries.

Melt chocolate over a double boiler with medium heat.  **Double boiling is simmering water in a pot with a bowl fitted on top of the pot to melt things gently through indirect heat.  Chocolate is one of those nice ingredients you don’t want to ruin by using direct heat.

Combine the almond and cranberry mixture with the melted chocolate (reserving ¼ of the almond cranberry mixture) and spread over a parchment lined baking sheet (it is absolutely ok to reuse the same parchment and sheet you used for toasting the almonds).  Sprinkle the reserved almond mixture over top the chocolate mixture and let it set.

Allow bark to set and break into pieces.

If you don’t eat it all this will last 2 weeks in an airtight container.

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Contributor
Jean Hon is the Chief Baking Officer (in her home) at Jeannie’s Om Nom Nom in Parkdale  but her day job is a Corporate Insurance Underwriter in Toronto, Canada.  As a passionate baker and chocolatier, she loves to offer people good, delicious, made from scratch pastries and confections.  It is all about the ingredients and love, the love for baking. Since 2013, she has focused on baking and giving back to her community. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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

The post Cranberry Almond Bark appeared first on Super Simple.

Cookies for Santa Clause and carrots for the Reindeer…it’s all about balance!

But sometimes, during the holiday season, there can be an imbalance of less nutrient-dense foods and more sugar-packed treats. If you are looking to add a few more healthy snacks to your holiday spread without sacrificing on taste or presentation I’ve got you covered!  And the best part is that they are so easy your kids can help make them!

Veggie Wreath

This one is a great way to get children involved in making a veggie platter that they can serve to their friends at a play date or as part of holiday dinner appetizers. When children are involved in veggie prep, they are always more interested in eating those veggies too!

What you need: 1 cucumber, 3 baby tomatoes, dip of your choice (optional)

Here is how you make it:

1. Slice cucumber and place on plate in a circle slightly overlapping (see photo below) to make “a wreath”.
2. Cut baby tomatoes in half and place as “decorations” on your wreath.
3. You can leave it as that or add a red pepper hummus and/or guacamole as festive dips.

Mini Apple Wreath

These can be called wreaths or donuts and are always a hit with little ones. It is a great “snacktivity” for any time of the day! And if you want it to last even longer, have your children take the pomegranate seeds out of the larger fruit as part of the process!

What you need: (for 4-5 wreaths): 1 apple, ½ cup goat cheese, cream cheese or Greek yogurt, ½ cup pomegranate seeds

Here is how you make it: Slice all the way through creating circles. You can core them or leave them with a star in the middle. Spread with your choice of topping and add pomegranate seeds. You may also want to offer hemp hearts, chia seeds for “sprinkles”!

Apple Christmas Tree

This is so beautiful that you can even use it as a centrepiece before it gets eaten!

What you need (per tree): 1 Granny Smith Apple, ¼ cup Pomegranate Seeds, 2 Tbsp. Peanut butter or Almond butter, and ½ cup Shredded Coconut

Here is how you make it:

1. Slice the apple into quarters and remove the core portion from each quarter.
2. Then slice the apple about ¼” thick slices and place on plate as shown in the photo below.
3. Add pomegranate seeds or any other small fruit pieces you enjoy for “decorations”.
4. Place about 2 Tbsp. of your favourite nut butter at the base of the apple slices as the “tree trunk”. This will be your apple dip.
5. Sprinkle shredded coconut along the bottom of your platter or plate as “snow”.

Baked Reindeer Pudding

This pudding is packed with vitamins, minerals, and energy to support growth and a stronger immune system. And if you make a little extra, you can leave it out for the reindeer on Christmas Eve!

What you need:

• 2 cup Steel Cut Oats
• ¼  cup wheat germ
• 1 cup coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup hemp hearts
• 10 figs or pitted dates
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 banana
• ½ cup applesauce

Here is how you make it:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender.
2. Blend on low at first and increase to medium/medium-high until all ingredients are blended together.
3. Pour pudding into a baking dish and bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes or until all is warmed through and top is slightly browned. Serve in small or large bowls with a little yogurt and fruit on top.

And if you are looking to add a little fun to mealtime, perhaps a “Macaroni and Fruit Santa”, a “Taco Christmas Train”, or a stir-fry packed with red and green veggies can be part of your weekly meal plan!

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Contributor
Noelle is a mom of 6 year old twin boys and a 3 year old son. She is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for nutrition, fitness, and all things related to motherhood. Almost three years ago Noelle started her Instagram feed to give moms ideas of ways to make healthy choices for themselves and their little ones. Now in addition to sharing delicious and healthy recipes she talks about aspects of motherhood. From the early days of breastfeeding to grocery shopping with toddlers to making school lunches and everything in between! motherhoodandmeals.com

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

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This sweet and salty snack inspired by our friends The Bumble Nums, is the perfect treat for Halloween!

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Summer might be winding down but the fun doesn’t have to stop here. Even though it’s about that time to start thinking about school lunches again (how did summer go by in such a hurry?!), these Tic Tac Toe Sandwiches are an entertaining way to get creative with lunch. Create any sandwich you want, really, I just happened to make a cream cheese and cucumber sandwich. You can use peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, or whatever your child’s favorite sandwich filling is.

What you’ll need to make 1 sandwich:

• 2 slices bread
• spread of cream cheese
• 9 thinly sliced cucumbers
• 5 X’s cut out from a red bell pepper
• 5 O’s cut out from a yellow bell pepper

1. Lather cream cheese onto each piece of bread.
2. Layer one side of bread with the sliced cucumbers.  
3. Cut the sandwich into 9 equal squares.
4. Cut out x’s and o’s from veggies and/or cheese with mini cookie cutters. I found great results using different colored bell peppers for my x’s and o’s.
5. Pack your child’s sandwich with the extra x’s and o’s on the side so when they are ready to eat, they can play a game of Tic Tac Toe first OR serve immediately assembled with a fun game already started (if you are not packing a lunch).  

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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 in 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.

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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.

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