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Magical Green Mac & Cheese

2/11/2021

Add a few ingredients to a blender with a couple handfuls of spinach and *poof* your Mac and Cheese is magically GREEN! Little chefs will love to help make this fun and delicious pasta dish that’s packed with spinach.

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 8 and 6, 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.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Magical Green Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS

2 cups small-shaped pasta
Salt
1/2 cup milk (any kind)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a pot of salted water up to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta cooks, add milk, cheese, flour, spinach, and garlic powder (if using) to a blender. Blend until no flecks of spinach remain.
Drain pasta into a colander then return the empty pot to the stove. Pour the green sauce into the pot and cook over low heat, stirring often, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta. Taste and add additional salt as desired. Enjoy!

Spinach Cookies

2/7/2021

It's "Superhero Spinach!" month at Veggie Buds Club and these delicious 4-ingredient Spinach Cookies are a very kid-friendly way to get your children excited about eating spinach!

This recipe was developed by Katie Blauser: mama of three boys, wife of a picky eater, and food lover at Eat Pretty Darling. She believes in making food fun, healthy, & pretty! Katie’s not only outnumbered by boys in her little family, but also by picky eaters. She loves trying to find new ways to get both kids and adults to eat healthy while making food pretty yummy, pretty healthy, and pretty fun! Find Katie on Instagram (@eatprettydarling), where she shares colorful and cute food ideas for both picky and adventurous eaters.

Spinach Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe banana
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Handful of spinach

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a blender, combine banana and spinach. Puree until smooth. It will become like a liquid.
Add in oats and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Scoop the mixture onto a lined baking sheet. I like to make them into balls and flatten the tops a bit once they are on the sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. Makes 6-8 cookies.

Garlic Buddy Body Game

1/22/2021

Garlic is a nutritional powerhouse and we have a fun and simple game and song to teach your children about the health benefits of garlic! Pair this game with one of the tasty kid-friendly garlic recipes from Veggie Buds Blog and we guarantee that your children will love (or at least try...!) garlic. Search "Garlic" in our blog archives to find your new favorite garlic recipe.

The Awesome Power of Garlic

Garlic helps your body in lots of ways! Here are just a few:

Garlic has antibacterial properties and antioxidants that help your hair and skin
Garlic helps your digestion when your stomach is hurting
Garlic protects your heart
Garlic helps your body fight off germs that can cause your lungs to cough

Garlic Buddy Body Game

MATERIALS NEEDED

"Garlic Buddy Body Game" print out <-- click here to print!
Optional: Garlic cloves

HOW TO PLAY

Place each Garlic Buddy* on the body part that it helps out!

*You can also use garlic cloves instead of the paper cutouts for playing pieces to get your kids excited about eating garlic!

"Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!"

This month we're featuring onions and garlic at Veggie Buds Club! Teach your kids that onions and garlic are fun and tasty with our "Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!" Box. Inside you'll find hours of onion and garlic crafts, games, growing projects, recipes, and more!

Mujadara

1/21/2021

It's "Onion Fun & Garlic Yum" month at Veggie Buds Club and this delicious recipe from VegeCooking is the perfect recipe to celebrate! Mujadara is a pilaf featuring lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. This protein-rich combination of rice and lentils is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Dawn Hutchins is the founder of VegeCooking- healthy cooking classes for kids, teens and adults. Dawn has an extensive knowledge of the power of plant-based cooking and nutrition. She has a certificate in plant-based nutrition through Cornell University and the T. Colin Campbell foundation, and is certified in nutritional therapy with a focus in epigenetics. She's been developing healthful, delicious recipes since 2009.This recipe was developed by VegeCooking Club.

Mujadara

Serves 6
INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more, if needed)
Water or broth to unstick onions from pan
3 cups onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked lentils
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil; cook onions, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. Add water or broth, as needed, to unstick onions from pan. Season with salt and pepper; add some additional oil, if needed, and add garlic; cook for an additional minute.
Stir in cumin, cooked rice and lentils to that skillet. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as needed. Cook for 5 minutes. Top with fresh parsley, if desired.

"Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!"

This month we're featuring onions and garlic at Veggie Buds Club! Teach your kids that onions and garlic are fun and tasty with our "Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!" Box. Inside you'll find hours of onion and garlic crafts, games, growing projects, recipes, and more!

Garlic Knots

1/13/2021

It's "Onion Fun & Garlic Yum" month at Veggie Buds Club and these tasty Garlic Knots are a very kid-friendly way to get acquainted with garlic!

This recipe was developed by Katie Blauser: mama of three boys, wife of a picky eater, and food lover at Eat Pretty Darling. She believes in making food fun, healthy, & pretty! Katie’s not only outnumbered by boys in her little family, but also by picky eaters. She loves trying to find new ways to get both kids and adults to eat healthy while making food pretty yummy, pretty healthy, and pretty fun! Find Katie on Instagram (@eatprettydarling), where she shares colorful and cute food ideas for both picky and adventurous eaters.

Garlic Knots

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup fat free Greek Yogurt, drained of any excess liquid
2 teaspoons butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add the yogurt and mix until incorporated and then knead with your hands until it comes together as a dough. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each one into a worm like strip, this part is really fun to get the kids involved! Make the strips about 9 inches long. Tie each strip into a knot.
Line a baking sheet and place the knots on the sheet. Spray or brush the knots with olive oil. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
While they are baking, melt the butter and garlic in a small skillet. Cook until golden. Brush the knots with the garlic butter after they are removed from the oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

"Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!"

This month we're featuring onions and garlic at Veggie Buds Club! Teach your kids that onions and garlic are fun and tasty with our "Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!" Box. Inside you'll find hours of onion and garlic crafts, games, growing projects, recipes, and more!

Roasted Garlic & Onion Marinara

1/10/2021

Made from just 4 ingredients, this pasta sauce is so simple but so delicious! Roasted sliced onion and whole cloves of garlic makes them super sweet and cuts out any of the “spicy” or strong flavor kiddos might not enjoy. Little chefs can help toss the onion and garlic in oil and sprinkle on salt before roasting. Then they can help add the can of tomatoes and blend up the sauce. Serve on top of or tossed with whatever kind of pasta your family enjoys. Spaghetti is our favorite. The flavorful tomato sauce is also great for pizza or any other recipe you’d use marinara.

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 8 and 6, 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.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Roasted Garlic & Onion Marinara

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet onion, ends trimmed and sliced into half circles
4 to 6 garlic cloves, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes (with basil or plain)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place sliced onion and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Toss with your hands then spread into an even layer. Roast until the onion is very golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
If using a hand-held immersion blender, add the tomatoes and Italian seasoning to a pot. Cook for a few minutes on medium-low until onion is roasted. If using a traditional blender, add the tomatoes and Italian seasoning to the blender. Once onions and garlic have cooked, set garlic aside until cool enough to handle. Add onions to the tomatoes then remove outer skin from garlic cloves. Discard the skin and add the garlic to the tomatoes as well.
Blend until smooth. If using a traditional blender, add sauce to a pot and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve sauce with pasta or store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

"Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!"

This month we're featuring onions and garlic at Veggie Buds Club! Teach your kids that onions and garlic are fun and tasty with our "Onion Fun & Garlic Yum!" Box. Inside you'll find hours of onion and garlic crafts, games, growing projects, recipes, and more!

Pea Shapes

12/20/2020

One of the best ways to make a picky eater more comfortable around a food is to have them play with it! There’s no pressure to eat it but it gets them to engage with the food in a new way and you never know, they might even try a bite. This "Pea Shapes" recipe is a super simple and engaging way for your children to play with peas!

This recipe was developed by Katie Blauser: mama of three boys, wife of a picky eater, and food lover at Eat Pretty Darling. She believes in making food fun, healthy, & pretty! Katie’s not only outnumbered by boys in her little family, but also by picky eaters. She loves trying to find new ways to get both kids and adults to eat healthy while making food pretty yummy, pretty healthy, and pretty fun! Find Katie on Instagram (@eatprettydarling), where she shares colorful and cute food ideas for both picky and adventurous eaters.

Pea Shapes

INGREDIENTS/MATERIALS

Peas
Cookie Cutter

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the peas on a plate. Lay a cookie cutter down and fill it with a single layer of peas. Carefully remove the cutter and watch the shape be revealed!

"Give PEAS a Chance!"

This month we're featuring peas at Veggie Buds Club! If you'd like access to tons of kid-friendly pea recipes, pea crafts, pea games, pea growing projects, and more you can purchase our "Give PEAS a Chance!" Box here.

Chickpea Pot Pie

12/15/2020

This vegan pot pie from VegeCooking is so comforting during the winter months. The recipe is perfect for Veggie Buds Club's "Give PEAS a Chance!" month as it's a kid-friendly vegetarian spin on classic comfort food and it includes PEAS in the ingredient list!

Dawn Hutchins is the founder of VegeCooking- healthy cooking classes for kids, teens and adults. Dawn has an extensive knowledge of the power of plant-based cooking and nutrition. She has a certificate in plant-based nutrition through Cornell University and the T. Colin Campbell foundation, and is certified in nutritional therapy with a focus in epigenetics. She's been developing healthful, delicious recipes since 2009.This recipe was developed by VegeCooking Club.

Chickpea Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS
Crust

1 package quality pie crusts, softened to package directions (gluten free if preferred)

Filling

1/3 cup coconut oil or butter
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk, any kind
2 cups cooked chickpeas (if using canned, be sure to drain and rinse)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots), thawed

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie crusts as directed for a two crust pie using a 9-inch glass pie pan.
Melt coconut oil or butter over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan; add onion; cook 2-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent; stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended; stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until thick and bubbly.
Add in chickpeas and mixed vegetables; remove from heat. Spoon chickpea mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge using a fork. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Pea and Avocado Hummus

12/8/2020

It's "Give PEAS a Chance" month at Veggie Buds Club and this simple bright green dip is such a fun way to celebrate! Little chefs can add the peas to the food processor or blender, scoop in the avocado, and measure the other simple ingredients in the recipe. The hummus takes a little while to get smooth, so don’t worry if you check on it and return to blending a couple of times. Do a countdown and put on some music and dance while the hummus is blending away. This makes about 4 cups of dip, so if you want to make a smaller batch, just cut all the measurements in half.

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 8 and 6, 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.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Pea and Avocado Hummus

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) bag frozen peas
1 avocado
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook peas according to package directions (microwave or stove top). Drain peas of any water and pat dry.
Scoop avocado into a food processor or blender. Add peas, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, salt, and olive oil.
Blend until very smooth, about 1 minute, stopping and scraping down the sides a few times. Taste and add more garlic powder and/or salt as needed.
Serve with veggies and crackers. Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. To make trees, toast a slice of bread, cut out a shape with a large cookie cutter, then spread on some pea hummus. Use a yellow veggie like a pepper or carrot to make a star at the top.

Sweet Potato Stackers

11/16/2020

We are fans of "playing with your food" here at Veggie Buds Club because sometimes kids need to play with their food to make it a little less scary to try! These sweet potato stackers are just like fries but cut them into even logs and you’ve got a building just waiting to be created.

This recipe was developed by Katie Blauser: mama of three boys, wife of a picky eater, and food lover at Eat Pretty Darling. She believes in making food fun, healthy, & pretty! Katie’s not only outnumbered by boys in her little family, but also by picky eaters. She loves trying to find new ways to get both kids and adults to eat healthy while making food pretty yummy, pretty healthy, and pretty fun! Find Katie on Instagram (@eatprettydarling), where she shares colorful and cute food ideas for both picky and adventurous eaters.

Sweet Potato Stackers

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Potato
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel the sweet potato and cut off the sides to make it all squared. It should be like a solid rectangle! Then cut the potatoes into 2 inch long rectangle logs. Do this with all of the potatoes you can. Save those odd bits that can’t be square, those are still delicious just not great to build with!
Line a baking sheet and place the sweet potato logs on it. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the logs to make sure they are fully coated. Lay them flat on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, flip and bake for 10 more.
Once they are done cooking, take them out and let them cool down. Now you can use the sweet potato logs to build a masterpiece! You can even use dips like ketchup as "concrete" to help them stick together.