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Showing posts with label In the kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In the kitchen. Show all posts

green beans please


With our new kitchen remodel almost completely done - my vow to start cooking has arrived. *Gulp* But it wasn't until the kids came home "starvin'" after school that really propelled me to wear the apron.

Our routine has always been for Aaron to come home, shop for dinner, and then cook a meal... which usually would present itself by 8pm. The kids couldn't do this anymore with school in full swing. They would fill up on so many pantry snacks - it was driving me crazy.

So I've taken dinner duty seriously for the past few weeks - balancing out flavor, colors, nutrition and the time. I personally didn't grow up eating "vegetables" - Mom cooked those inside the meal. And I'd just eat my favorites, like spinach (turnips - yuck!). But what about these others... green beans, peas, asparagus, etc.... They are so foreign to me, that unfortunately my kids aren't growing up eating them either.

So there they were - on our plates for dinner. And just like that - they were outcasted before they had a chance to introduce themselves. Ava was easy to bribe.

Yes. I said it. Bribed. With a Blue Bell Fudge bar. And within seconds, all the greenery on her plate disappeared. She looked at Noah and said she'll wait to have dessert with him. But Noah wouldn't budge with his grin.


He had to inspect it, rip it, smell it... and then whine about it. Looking down at my own plate, I realized I hadn't touched mine either. So I distracted myself and started to chew. For the next 20 minutes, Aaron, Ava and I talked about vegetables - how they weren't just going to go away. We talked about Popeye, how his cells need the nutrients -  you name it. Before I knew it, my own green beans were gone. It's by no means my favorite - but they are good for us. They are vibrant and beautifully green. Crunchy and soft... with a punch of water inside of our mouths. There's nothing else like it. I say, more green beans please... 


We're still working on convincing Noah though... 

What kind of veggies do you love?

kids make dinner: pizza pinwheels

Pinwheel Pizzas

Planning dinner sometimes feels like we're playing yahtzee - but instead of dice, thoughts of, "what to make... what to make?..." are tossed in our heads. Aaron's the chef in our household, but when you have a tough day at work, hit the pool with the kids after wards - there's little time left to prepare a hearty, nutritional, the kids-will-eat-it kind of a meal. Which is why recipes from websites like, mealsmatter.org - that are healthy and easy enough for the kids to help with - are a perfect go-to resource.

Pinwheel Pizzas

Jump for more pics of the kids making pizza pinwheels! It takes about 10 minutes to prepare 12 mini "pies" and just 6 minutes in the oven, leaving much more time for us to sit around the table together - and savor the dinner prepared by the kids much more...

homemade ice cream


Summer is around the corner, and it's already in the high 90s here. Ava's first issue of Highlights Five came the other day, and we both were so excited. Me... because I use to read these when I was little, and for Ava, because she received her very first magazine. {Thanks Maggie!} Upon going through the activities, there were instructions on how to make homemade ice cream. So of course... we had to try it.
Homemade Icecream

eating sweet rainbows

It's been a fantastic week so far - Aaron started a new job this week, and I've trimmed the WAHM office hours.... freeing up more time to do - well, more of this... 


Where the little leprechauns and I made rainbows of our own - in cupcakes! To help celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow...


The process took about an hour, was messy, and felt like an experiment as they learned to mix colors to make new ones. I would highly recommend making these sweet rainbows for St. Patrick's Day - or any day - when you want to spread some rainbows...


Rainbow Cupcakes


After mixing the white cake-mix, we split the batter into 6 small bowls. {Approx a little less than 1 cp each}. Then using red dye, we added a few drops into the first bowl...


Rainbow Cupcakes


Noah skipped over to green...


Rainbow Cupcakes


We mixed until we got the right shade of each. Surprisingly, it took a lot of dye for each.


Rainbow Cupcakes


And there you have it... Ava knew how to make the orange and purple batter - and they all turned out... well, like the rainbow!


Rainbow Cupcakes


Here is the tricky {and messy} part - adding spoonfuls to the cupcake holders. 


Rainbow Cupcakes



I did the first one {bottom right corner} and quickly realized I didn't have any room to add the purple. So less than a tablespoon each worked.


Rainbow Cupcakes


The kids agreed - because that meant a little bit of rainbow batter would be left for them...


Rainbow Cupcakes


25 minutes later, our rainbow cupcakes popped out of the oven.


Rainbow Cupcakes


And were topped with vanilla icing and colorful confetti - yum!


Rainbow Cupcakes


For more St. Paddy's day ideas - visit me at SavvySource!

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