Welcome to December, the theme for Veggie Buds Club is "Root Veggies Rule!". Root veggies are delicious, colorful, nutritious, and versatile, and we cannot wait to share yummy recipes and fun activities featuring root veggies this month!
To get the ball rolling, please enjoy these delicious Root Veggie Latkes, this is the recipe that is featured in this month's Veggie Buds Club subscription box.

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 6 and 3, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather_kidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled, shredded potato (about 1 large Russet potato or 2 smaller Yukon Gold potatoes)
  
• 1 cup shredded turnip
  
• 1 cup shredded carrot, parsnip, and any other root vegetable or combination of root vegetables
  
• 2 eggs*
  
• ¼ cup flour (any kind)
  
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  
• Neutral oil, for cooking

Instructions

1. Place shredded potato in a kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess moisture. Add the potato and other shredded vegetables to a large bowl.
   
2. Have your child help you crack the eggs into a separate small bowl then beat eggs with a fork to scramble. Add eggs and remaining ingredients (except the oil) to the shredded vegetables and stir well to combine.
   
3. Using your hands, make small patties of the vegetable mixture, squeezing together to remove any excess liquid as you form each one. Lay patties out onto a parchment lined pan or plate. 
   
4. Heat a cast iron or other skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook vegetable cakes until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side, adding more oil to the pan as needed after each batch. Sprinkle the tops with a little salt and eat warm. Store any leftover veggie latkes in the fridge and reheat in the oven or toaster oven for best results.

* For egg-free latkes, substitute eggs for 2 tablespoons of ground flax mixed with 4 tablespoons of water. Latkes will be a little bit softer but still hold together.

January's featured veggie for Veggie Buds Club is the incredible carrot. Enjoy this delicious kid-friendly way to eat carrots from heather_kidskitchen!

Show your child how to safely peel a carrot by standing behind him or her and holding the peeler together. Use different color carrots to make the dish even more fun!

CARROT CHIPS
Ingredients
-½ teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
-½ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and dried dill
-1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
-5 to 6 large carrots, peeled and trimmed
-1 ½ tablespoons vegetable, avocado, or olive oil

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 
2. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Cut carrots into 1/8-inch rounds. A crinkle cutter makes a fun shape, but if you don’t have one, cutting with a knife works just as well. If your carrots are on the thinner side, cut slices on an angle to create bigger slices.
4. Place carrots in a pile on the center of the sheet pan or in a bowl. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon of the salt mixture, and toss to coat. Reserve remaining salt mixture for dip or another use.
5. Spread carrots out evenly on the pan so none are overlapping. Roast carrots until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, taste for seasoning and sprinkle on more salt if needed. Serve with dip if desired. 
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AVOCADO RANCH DIP
Ingredients
-1 ripe avocado
-½ cup plain Greek yogurt or plain, unsweetened dairy-free yogurt alternative
-2 tablespoons lemon juice
-¾ teaspoon Ranch Salt (from above)

Instructions
1. Cut the avocado in half. Using a spoon, scoop avocado flesh into a food processor or blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 

Our friend Heather from heather_kidskitchen is at it again with a new delicious and kid-friendly recipe! January's featured veggie for Veggie Buds Club is the incredible carrot and Heather created two recipes for our members, this "Carrot Tropical Smoothie" recipe and a "Carrot Chips with Ranch Dip" recipe (we'll post this one next week- the suspense!).  

Like a tropical vacation in a glass! Kids will love measuring and adding ingredients to the blender, helping to chop the carrot, and pressing the buttons on the blender.

Ingredients
-1 small carrot, peeled, trimmed, and chopped* (about ½ cup)
-1 Clementine, tangerine, or ½ an orange, peeled
-1 heaping cup frozen pineapple, mango, or a combo of both
-½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt)
-1 pitted date (or 1 tablespoon honey)
-¼ cup coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
-1 tablespoon hemp seeds (optional)
-Handful of ice
-Shredded coconut for garnish

Instructions
1. Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth. Blend in additional ice if you want a thicker smoothie.
2. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Enjoy!

*If you don’t have a high speed blender, I recommend grating the carrot so it blends more easily.