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Spinach Cookies

2/7/2021

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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!  
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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
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a blender, combine banana and spinach. Puree until smooth. It will become like a liquid.
  2. 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.
  3. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Makes 6-8 cookies.
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Pea Shapes

12/20/2020

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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!
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​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.
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Pea and Avocado Hummus

12/8/2020

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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.
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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
  1. Cook peas according to package directions (microwave or stove top). Drain peas of any water and pat dry.
  2. Scoop avocado into a food processor or blender. Add peas, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, salt, and olive oil.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
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Pumpkin Pizza Rolls

10/19/2020

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Pizza lovers rejoice! Pumpkin purée, cheese, and pizza dough combine to make a delicious and super kid-friendly way to enjoy pumpkin. You can make your own pizza dough with more pumpkin purée mixed right in or use store-bought pizza dough for a quicker option. Either way, it’s a great recipe to get kids into the kitchen and explore the orange veggie of the month.
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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.

Pumpkin Pizza Rolls

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 recipe of homemade pumpkin pizza dough (recipe below) or 1 package of pre-made pizza dough (about 1 pound)
  • 6 tablespoons pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup baby spinach, chopped (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a round or square baking pan with parchment or grease well with oil.
  2. Roll pizza dough out as thin as possible making a large rectangle measuring about 15-by-12 inches. If using a ball of store bought pizza dough, it may take some time to get the dough rolled thin.
  3. In a small bowl, mix pumpkin purée, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt. Spread pumpkin mixture evenly across the pizza dough rectangle, leaving a small border around the edges.
  4. If using spinach, sprinkle evenly over the pumpkin layer then add a layer of shredded mozzarella.
  5. Starting with the longer side, roll the dough into a log. Cut into 12 equal rounds then place them in the prepared pan. Bake until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
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Homemade Pumpkin Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Add flours, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Mix to combine.
  2. Add the pumpkin in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup then add enough water to make 1 cup of pumpkin and water mixed. Add pumpkin mixture, olive oil, and honey to the bowl/food processor and mix until no dry flour remains. If dough is too dry, add another tablespoon of water at a time. Remove dough and knead on the counter to get a uniform ball of dough. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes before using.

"Pumpkin Power!"

This month we're featuring pumpkin at Veggie Buds Club! If you'd like access to tons of kid-friendly pumpkin recipes, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin games, pumpkin growing projects, and more you can purchase our "Pumpkin Power!" Box or Digital Activity Book here.
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Pepper Pumpkins

10/14/2020

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October is a great month to celebrate pumpkins and we hope you make this tasty and easy jack-o-lantern inspired snack with your children! How cute are these Pepper Pumpkins from Eat Pretty Darling?!
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Katie Blauser is the 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.

Pepper Pumpkins

INGREDIENTS
  • Child-safe knife
  • Orange bell pepper
  • Dip for inside such as Hummus or Ranch
  • Food for dipping such as peppers, cucumbers, pretzels, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Cut the top of the bell pepper off in a straight line. Open it up and remove the seeds and veins inside the pepper. Take your child-safe knife (or have an adult use a sharp knife) and cut two triangles out of the side of your pepper. Next, cut the shape of a mouth below the eyes. Remove the cut pieces from the pepper.
  2. Next, fill it with your favorite dip and dippers! You can also fill it with rice or any other food that pairs well with pepper. The best part is that you can eat the whole thing after you eat the inside!

This month we're featuring pumpkin at Veggie Buds Club! If you'd like access to tons of kid-friendly pumpkin recipes, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin games, pumpkin growing projects, and more you can purchase our "Pumpkin Power!" Box or Digital Activity Book here.
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Cucumber Butterflies

8/17/2020

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August is Cucumber Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy kid-approved recipe from Katie at Eat Pretty Darling! These cucumber butterflies work like a charm to help picky eaters food chain from pretzels and
hummus to cucumbers and hummus!
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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.

Cucumber Butterflies

INGREDIENTS
  • Cucumbers
  • Hummus
  • Bell Peppers
  • Pretzels
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Cut the cucumber into 1-inch long chunks. Don’t peel! Use a melon baller or spoon to scoop out a hole in the cucumber.
  2. Slice bell peppers into thin strips and set aside. Spoon hummus into the open cup you created in the cucumber.
  3. Stick two pretzels into the hummus to create wings and put the bell pepper strips into the front as antennae.

This month we're celebrating cucumbers at Veggie Buds Club! If you'd like access to tons of kid-friendly cucumber recipes, cucumber crafts, cucumber games, cucumber growing projects, and more you can purchase our "Cool as a Cucumber" eBook or Box here.
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Cucumber Melon Cooler

8/3/2020

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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.
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Cucumber Melon Cooler

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups peeled, roughly chopped cucumber (about 1 medium-sized cucumber)
  • 2 cups diced ripe melon (such as Honeydew)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, honey, or other sweetener of choice​
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. ​Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Serve over ice with extra cucumber slices and/or balls of melon, if desired.

​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.

This month we're celebrating cucumber at Veggie Buds Club! If you'd like access to tons of kid-friendly cucumber recipes, cucumber crafts, cucumber games, cucumber growing projects, and more you can purchase our "Cool as a Cucumber" eBook or Box here.
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Easy Fresh Tomato Salsa with Baked Tortilla Chips

7/13/2020

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This salsa is made in a food processor, so you don’t have to worry about chopping tomatoes all day. Add a few other ingredients and you’ve got a delicious snack to eat with chips or anything you’d like. It’s great on tacos or to serve with quesadillas too. Kids can help cut the tomatoes into rough chunks, add the ingredients to the food processor, and pulse until everything is roughly chopped. Homemade chips are really fun for kids to make at home too, but you can serve this salsa with store-bought chips as well. (Please be aware that tortilla chips can be a choking hazard or are hard to chew for toddlers and kids under 4).
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This month we're celebrating tomatoes at Veggie Buds Club! If you'd like access to tons of kid-friendly tomato recipes, tomato crafts, tomato games, tomato growing projects, and more you can purchase our "Totally Tasty Tomatoes!" eBook or Box here.

Easy Fresh Tomato Salsa with Baked Tortilla Chips

INGREDIENTS
Salsa
  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 2 scallions or 1/4 of a small onion, trimmed and sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley
  • Juice from 1/2 a lime
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
Tortillas
  • 6 small corn or flour tortillas
  • Oil
  • Salt
NSTRUCTIONS
  1. Cut tomatoes into 8 wedges. Scoop seeds into a bowl and gently squeeze out any excess liquid in the tomatoes. If you skip this step, your salsa will be very watery. Cut tomato wedges into chunks and add to a food processor.
  2. Add remaining salsa ingredients and pulse until roughly chopped. Stop a couple times to check the salsa and scrape down the sides. You don’t want to over blend and get tomato soup.
  3. For Chips: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil. Sprinkle one side with a pinch of salt. Cut tortillas into 8 wedges (I like to use a pizza wheel) then lay them out individually on the pan. They can be touching but try not to overlap tortilla pieces. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Check on chips often because they can burn easily. Allow to cool then serve with salsa.

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.
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Chewy Carrot Cake Granola Bars

2/10/2020

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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.
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Chewy Carrot Cake Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 6 large Medjool dates
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 3/4 cup pecans

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line a 9 x 12 glass baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixture is fairly fine and sticky. 
  3. Squish the mixture into the baking dish so it's an even layer.
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture holds together well. Allow to cool and cut into bars.
  5. Keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or place in the fridge for up to a week.
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Carrot Cake Dip

2/9/2020

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February is Carrot Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this delicious way to try carrots from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen! 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.
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This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4, 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.

Carrot Cake Dip

Celebrate carrot month by making this sweet, creamy dip filled with carrots! Kids can help peel and chop the carrots then measure and add all the ingredients to the food processor or blender. You can choose a few different dippers to see which combo you like best. Fruit, pretzels, or even veggies like celery and carrots sticks are delicious in the dip.

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 to 3 large carrots
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or non-dairy alternative
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dippers such as sliced apples, carrot sticks, celery, pretzels, and graham crackers

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Peel carrots then cut into a small dice. Measure 1 1/2 cups diced carrot and add to a small pot. Cover carrots with water and simmer on the stove top until very soft, about 8 minutes.
  2. Drain carrots really well and place on a paper or kitchen towel to dry. Set aside to cool or place in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
  3. Once carrots are cool, add carrots and remaining ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice to make sure everything is well incorporated. Scoop dip into a bowl and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top, if desired. Serve chilled.
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