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Waldorf Salad with Yogurt Dressing

3/23/2020

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Enjoy this crunchy and sweet Waldorf Salad that's on the lighter side because of the creamy yogurt dressing! This recipe is a great introduction to celery and salad to children if they're apprehensive about both. Be sure to have them assist you with chopping the celery and apples using a kid-safe knife or butter knife and have them mix up the sweet dressing!
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Waldorf Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients
  • 3 medium Honey Crisp apples, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped if large
  • 1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl toss apples, celery, pecans/walnuts, and dry cherries together. Set aside.
  2. In another bowl, mix the yogurt with lemon juice, honey, and salt.
  3. Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir until coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until chilled.
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Beet Applesauce

11/12/2019

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November is Beet Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy kid-approved recipe from Katie at Eat Pretty Darling! You can find more recipes and tons of fun beet activities in our Beet eBook, check it out here.
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Katie Blauser is the mama of two 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.


Beet Applesauce


​Applesauce is a family favorite in our house! Making it homemade makes it even better. I will admit, beets aren’t something I enjoy but this is one of the ways I eat them. The sweetness of the apples helps balance out the earthiness of the beet. And the beet turns it such a beautiful color!
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Ingredients
  • 4 large apples, cored and cut into chunks (peeled optional)
  • 1 small beet
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup water
Instructions
  1. Place a pot on the stove top over high heat and add the apples, beet, cinnamon and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low, covered, for 30 minutes or until the apples are tender.
  2. Put all ingredients into a blender and pulse until desired consistency (be careful blending the hot liquid!). Place in a sealed container and chill in the fridge. Eat within 3 days.
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One Bowl Sweet Potato Pancakes

9/6/2018

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September's featured veggie is SWEET POTATO at Veggie Buds Club! We hope you enjoy these delicious recipes for One Bowl Sweet Potato Pancakes and Quick Maple Applesauce from this month's Veggie Buds Club subscription box.
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These recipes were developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 5 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.
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One Bowl Sweet Potato Pancakes

Sweet potato pancakes are such a yummy way to celebrate the veggie of the month! There are so many different and beautiful varieties of sweet potatoes in markets these days. We especially love the purple ones but you can use any kind of sweet potato you have for this recipe. These pancakes are a great way to add some extra nutrients into your morning. Pack them up for a healthy snack or they are also delicious spread with nut/seed butter and tucked into a lunch box. Kids will love to help peel and chop the sweet potato, and measure and mix all of the ingredients. Applesauce makes a great lower-sugar dip for the pancakes, but traditional maple syrup is delicious as well. 
Makes 15-18 medium sized pancakes
Ingredients
  • 1 medium (orange or purple) sweet potato
  • 1 egg (or flax egg)
  • 1 cup milk (any kind)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • 1 cup flour (whole wheat or gluten-free blend)
Instructions
  1. Have your child help you peel the sweet potato. You can do this by standing behind your child and holding the peeler together, making sure little fingers are out of the way. Cut the potato in a medium sized dice. If your child wants to help cut the potato, give them a larger diced piece and have him cut the piece smaller. 
  2. Add 2 heaping cups of diced potato into a small pot and cover with water. Simmer until potato is fork tender and easily mashed. Drain and set aside to cool until cold enough to handle. (This can be done in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.)
  3. Add cooked potato to a large bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, take turns mashing the potato as well as you can. Have your child help crack the egg into a separate small bowl, in case you need to remove any shell. Add egg, milk, oil, and maple syrup to the bowl and carefully mix with a whisk until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
  4. Add baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger (if using), then mix to incorporate. Finally, add the flour. Stir until the flour is just mixed in. It is alright if some lumps remain.
  5. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease the pan with oil or butter. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to make as many pancakes that will fit in your pan. Cook until bubbles start to form around the edges of the pancake, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes on the other side. Serve pancakes with maple syrup or applesauce for dipping.
Refrigerate pancakes for up to 5 days or freeze and reheat in the toaster for a quick weekday breakfast.

Quick Maple Applesauce

Makes about 3/4 cup, depending on apple size
Ingredients
  • 2 apples
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Peel apples. Using the large holes of a box grater, shred the apples until the core is reached.
  2. Place shredded apple in a small pot with the remaining ingredients. Simmer until the apple is softened. Serve warm or cold.

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7 Fun Letter "A" Activities featuring Veggies & Fruit

1/31/2018

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We're having fun featuring a new letter each week in our house, and since this is Veggie Buds Club plenty of our activities feature healthy veggies and fruit! Below find 7 activities that teach your preschool-aged kids about the letter "A" (and that veggies and fruit are fun!).
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1. Read Books!

Here are some of our recommended books featuring veggies & fruit and the letter "A":
  • "Eating the Alphabet" by Lois Ehlert
  • "The Apple Pie Tree" by Zoe Hall
  • "Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship" by Edward Hemingway
  • "Curious George: Apple Harvest" by H. A. Rey
  • "Ten Apples on Top" by Dr. Seuss
  • "Up, Up, Up! It's Apple Picking Time" by Jody Fickes Shapire
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2. "A" is for Apple Craft

Both my 2 and 4 year old had fun with this craft! I cut out some apple seed shapes and drew the lower case letter "a" and apple stem on construction paper. My 4 year old was able to trace the word "Apple", cut out the "a" and stem and use a glue stick to put the picture together. I assisted my 2 year old through the whole craft, he particularly enjoyed using the glue stick!

3. Letter "A" Tracing

Download this FREE Letter "A" Tracing Sheet below:
veggie_buds_club_a_tracing_paper.jpg
File Size: 201 kb
File Type: jpg
Download File

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4. Make Applesauce!

Enjoy this simple kid-friendly recipe for Applesauce (we added a carrot because this is Veggie Buds Club!). Your kids can help peel and chop the apples and carrot. Have them measure and add the apple juice and then observe the rest of the process.
Ingredients:
  • 4 apples
  • 1 carrot
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
Instructions:
  1. Peel and chop apples and carrot
  2. Add apple juice, chopped apples, and chopped carrot to a large pot
  3. Simmer for about 20 minutes over medium heat until the carrots are tender
  4. Place softened apples and carrots into a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth

5. Letter "A" Coloring Pages

Download these FREE Letter "A" Coloring Pages!
a_is_for_apple.jpg
File Size: 402 kb
File Type: jpg
Download File

a_is_for_asparagus.jpg
File Size: 239 kb
File Type: jpg
Download File

a_is_for_avocado.jpg
File Size: 415 kb
File Type: jpg
Download File

6. Apple-Toothpick Building

Here is a simple and fun "snacktivity" that is great for fine motor skills, problem solving, and encourages healthy eating. My 2 year old is not an apple fan (he's more of a berries and grapes guy) and he totally ate up these apple chunks on toothpicks!

7. Apple Oxidation Science Experiment

This is a simple science experiment for young kids! Even if they're too young to process why oxidation happens, it is still great to expose them to the idea of a "science experiment" and "observation". Make sure they observe what the apple halves look like at the beginning of the experiment vs. the end!

Materials Needed:
  • Apple 
  • Lemon Wedge
  • Knife
Instructions:
  1. Cut the apple in half
  2. Rub the lemon wedge on the cut side of one of the apple slices
  3. Place both apple halves on a plate with the cut side exposed to air
  4. Check on your apple halves in about 3 hours and observe the differences
The apple half that was not rubbed with lemon juice should have browned a bit and the apple half with lemon juice on it should still look fresh.
There are compounds in apples that turn brown when they are exposed to air which contain oxygen. This process is called oxidation. If you add an acid to the apple this prevents oxidation, and lemons are very acidic. 
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Apple Stamp Lunch Bag

8/29/2017

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Back to school season is in full swing and here is a fun and simple way to decorate those boring ol' paper lunch bags! This is also a cute way to decorate goody bags for a fall-themed gathering or birthday party. 

Apple Stamp Lunch Bag

Materials needed
  • 2 apples
  • Sharp knife
  • Paper bag
  • Paint
  • Paintbrush
Instructions
  1. Cut one apple in half along the "equator" and cut the other apple in half vertically, this creates two different stamp shapes (see photo above)
  2. Use a paintbrush to brush paint onto each apple stamp
  3. Stamp the apple stamps on paper bags
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