September is Kale Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy kid-approved recipe from Katie at Eat Pretty Darling! These kale egg cups are super easy to make and pack a veggie punch. They're a great breakfast to have on hand (especially during the start of a new school year) to get food in your belly and your children's bellies quick!

Kiddos scared to try kale? Make it into a sweet monster! A smoothie bowl is thicker than a smoothie but softer than ice cream. You can add a little extra milk to the recipe and drink it if you’d prefer. Frozen bananas make this snack sweet and creamy, and you really can’t taste the kale at all. Make sure your little chef rips up the kale leaves and adds them to the blender, so he/she knows those super greens are in there. Have a chocolate lover or a child that prefers not to see green? Add a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder and you’ve got a chocolate monster! Slice some fruit and get out toppings such as nuts or seeds and let the kiddos make silly or scary monster faces on top. It’s an interactive and delicious snack that’s packed with kale!

Makes 1 large bowl or 2 small bowls
INGREDIENTS

• 1 packed cup kale leaves
  
• 1 frozen banana
  
• 2 tablespoons almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter
  
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk (any kind)
  
• Fruit and toppings such as strawberries, blueberries, seeds, and chopped nuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rip up kale leaves (be sure to remove any tough stem) and add to a blender with the frozen banana, nut/seed butter, and vanilla. Add 2 tablespoons of your milk of choice, but don’t add too much or the smoothie won’t be thick.
   
2. Blend until smooth, adding more milk if needed. Smoothie melted or not thick enough? Blend in ice until the desired consistency is reached.
   
3. Spoon smoothie “ice cream” into bowls and create a flat surface with the back of a spoon. Decorate with toppings. Enjoy!

*To make the chocolate version, add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder to the blender with the other ingredients.

Cucumber and melon make such a great flavor combination in this refreshing summer drink. For this month’s recipe, I wanted to make sure kids got a chance to practice those knife skills and chop up some cucumbers. Since the cucumber is getting blended in the end, you don’t have to worry about what size or shape kids cut the cucumber and melon pieces into. Throw the peeled, chopped cucumber into the blender with some melon, a little lemon juice, and a touch of sweetener (if you’d like) and blend it all up. Kids can experience the taste of cucumber without having to chew it, so this drink is great for little ones that might be apprehensive about the texture of cucumber. I used a Honeydew melon to keep the blended juice green, but you can use any ripe, sweet melon for this recipe.

​This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 7 and 5, 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.

Add an extra veggie boost to your breakfast routine with these egg muffins! They are a great make-ahead meal, simply warm up when it's time to eat. Also, if you omit the salt and pepper they are suitable for baby-led weaning finger food.

Learn more about Veggie Buds Club and check out our kids' cooking tools such as our preferred kid-safe knives here!

These chewy granola bars are perfect for breakfast or for an on-the-go snack! They are similar in texture and flavor to commercially available Lara Bars but are even tastier as they're home-made and more eco-friendly as they don't require any packaging: a win-win!
You can find more kid-friendly carrot recipes and activities that are guaranteed to make carrots tasty for your kiddos in our Facebook Group, request to join here.

Breakfast is an important meal that gives you energy to get your day started. But often a major food group is missing from your breakfast plate or bowl... veggies! Join us for our #veggiebudsbreakfastclub challenge for the month of February: include at least one veggie in your first meal of the day. To give you some inspiration we've compiled some of our favorite veggie-packed breakfasts! We've broken them down into 3 categories: Savory, Baked Goods, and Smoothies. Each recipe below includes veggies, is delicious, and is simple to make!

Sweet Potato Quiche: This tasty quiche is packed with veggies and bacon (optional) and swaps the standard crust with shredded sweet potato instead for an extra veggie boost.
Savory Corn Pancakes: These savory pancakes from Happy Kids Kitchen are great with avocado or spread with a little cream cheese and made into sandwiches. Yum!
Sweet Potato Toasts​: These sweet potato toasts from Eat Pretty Darling are so versatile because they are delicious both sweet and savory. That’s what makes them the perfect toast substitute!
Rainbow Fried Rice: This rainbow fried rice from Happy Kids Kitchen is colorful, easy, healthy, and delicious for breakfast!
Vegetable Frittata: Healthy Little Foodies has a great kid-approved and veggie-packed frittata recipe, make it ahead and reheat in the morning.
Cauliflower & Cheese Muffins: Be sure to let your kiddos know that their yummy egg muffins have some "hidden" cauliflower inside, recipe from My Kids Lick The Bowl.
5-Ingredient Bacon & Broccoli Egg Cups: These are a great grab-and-go breakfast option from The Natural Nurturer.
Carrot Banana Protein Oatmeal: This oatmeal from The Natural Nurturer is full of nothing but the good stuff and is super easy to make!
Veggie Oatmeal: Happy Healthy Casa has some great options for veggie-packed oatmeal including how to incorporate zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, squash, sweet potato, and spinach!

Carrot Cake Muffin Tops: The top of the muffin is the best part, right? These wholesome treats are a combination of a tender muffin and an oatmeal breakfast cookie. Recipe by Happy Kids Kitchen.
One-Bowl Sweet Potato Pancakes: These pancakes from Happy Kids Kitchen are a great way to add some extra nutrients into your morning!
No-Bake Pumpkin Energy Balls: These no-bake pumpkin energy balls from Stephanie Middleberg are tasty, and they freeze well so they're a perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack for your kiddos.
Green French Toast Sticks: Enjoy this delicious kid-friendly way to "sneak" in some spinach from Happy Kids Kitchen! Little chefs will know that greens are in this fun breakfast, but they sure won't be able to taste them.
Outrageous Orange Granola: This granola from Eat Pretty Darling is packed with pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrots- so much orange veggie goodness!
Sweet Spinach Muffins: These kid-favorite muffins from Super Healthy Kids are 100% whole wheat, refined-sugar-free, and packed with fresh spinach!
Banana Spinach Pancake Pizza: This pancake pizza from The Natural Nurturer is a perfectly delicious way to serve up veggies for breakfast! Sweetened entirely with fruit and loaded with spinach.

Tropical Carrot Smoothie: ​Happy Kids Kitchen has developed 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.
Spinach Superhero Smoothie: This recipe from Motherhood and Meals is called "superhero smoothie" because just as superheroes in stories fight crime, the spinach in this smoothie helps fight off illness!
​Ants on a Log Smoothie: Adding celery to a smoothie with the addition of peanut butter in a tasty protein-and-veggie packed breakfast! Recipe from Motherhood and Meals.
Vitamin C Immune Boosting Smoothie: This smoothie from The Natural Nurturer is made with strawberry, banana, red bell pepper and is the perfect way to start your day!
Cauliflower Strawberry Banana Smoothie: Just 4 ingredients! Enjoy this simple and delicious smoothie from Live Eat Learn.

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.

​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!
​
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.

It officially feels like winter here in Minnesota and this chilly weather has me craving seasonal comfort food. We always like to pack extra veggies into meals here at Veggie Buds Club so I hope you enjoy this tasty spin on quiche! I chose to fill my quiche with wild rice, fresh spinach, bacon, and goat cheese but quiche is such a versatile meal, feel free to omit or add a wide variety of veggies, meat, and cheese.
I made the quiche start to finish with my 4 year old son and he tried the ingredients as we went along (grated sweet potato! spinach! bacon! wild rice! even goat cheese, not a fan but he tried it!).
If you'd like to follow along as me and my kiddos make veggies fun and tasty through recipes, crafts, and growing projects please join our Facebook Group- our community is fantastic!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup cooked wild rice
• ½ cup cooked bacon crumbles
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• ½ cup goat cheese crumbles
• 10 eggs
• Salt and pepper, to season

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch pie pan using cooking spray or butter.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and then shred them using the wide option on a box grater. You want to yield approximately 4 cups of grated sweet potato.
3. Place grated sweet potatoes between paper towels and wring out excess moisture over the sink.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the grated sweet potato, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Press the grated sweet potato mixture into the pie pan to create the crust.
6. Bake the sweet potato crust in the oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp. Check on the crust half-way to ensure that the edges are not burning, if they are place aluminum foil on top for the rest of the bake time.
7. Meanwhile, make your filling. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and add the cooked wild rice, cooked bacon, fresh spinach, goat cheese, and a pinch of salt.
8. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
9. Add the filling to the crust and place back in the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the egg is cooked through.

October is Pumpkin Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this unique and healthy recipe from Katie at Eat Pretty Darling! You can find more recipes and tons of fun pumpkin activities in our Pumpkin eBook, check it out here.

Orange you glad it’s pumpkin season? We knew we needed to make our #eatprettycoloroftheweek orange for this month’s veggie, pumpkin! We gathered our favorite orange veggies to pair with it, sweet potato and carrots. Did you know you can add veggies to granola!? Yes, this granola is packed with a veggie punch and it tastes delicious! Our orange foods makes this the perfect topping for yogurt, great to eat with milk, or just by the spoonful.

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
  
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
  
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  
• 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
  
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
  
• 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
  
• 2 tablespoons finely shredded carrot
  
• 1/4 cup cooked sweet potato

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, whisk the coconut oil, maple syrup and pumpkin purée together on low heat.
   
2. Mix together the oats, seeds, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Quickly pour the saucepan mixture on top of the oats once it is warmed. Mix with a wooden spoon.
   
3. Spread out the mixture on two large baking sheets. Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring halfway. Once the mix is golden brown it is ready to be removed from the oven.
   
4. Once it has cooled completely, transfer to an airtight container. It will keep for around 2 weeks.

October is Pumpkin Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy recipe from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen! You can find more recipes and hours of fun pumpkin activities that are guaranteed to make pumpkins tasty for your kiddos in our Pumpkin eBook, check it out here.

Need a quick, easy, and delicious snack that celebrates the veggie of the month? Try this sweet, refreshing smoothie that tastes just like pumpkin pie. Kids will love to help by measuring the ingredients, adding them to the blender, and working those blender buttons. This recipe also includes some optional frozen cauliflower for an extra veggie-boost. If you want to make the smoothie even more festive for Halloween, instructions on how to create easy Jack-O-Lantern cups are below. 

Makes 3 8-ounce smoothies
INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, homemade or canned
  
• 1 banana, frozen
  
• 1/2 cup frozen riced cauliflower (optional)
  
• 1/3 cup plain Greek, regular, or dairy-free yogurt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or additional cinnamon
  
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 1 pitted date
  
• 1/2 cup milk (any kind)
  
• 1 cup ice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional milk to make a thinner smoothie or blend in more ice to thicken the smoothie.
2. Pour into cups and serve with a fun, reusable straw.

​
You can make Jack-O-Lantern cups two ways: 1) If using a plastic cup, draw a jack-o-lantern face directly onto the cup with a black marker. Sharpie permanent markers seems to work best. 2) If using a glass jar or cup, cut triangle “eyes” and a mouth shape out of black construction paper. Use tape or a glue stick to attach the paper to the glass (the paper easily peels off and glue washes off).