Tag: cooking with kids

Real Food Mint Shake

March 11, 2020Food, , , , 1 Comment

I’ve got a fun recipe for you, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! This one is quick and easy enough for the kiddos to help prepare.

You know that green shake a certain fast “food” company rolls out for St. Patrick’s Day? Yep, that one. (It’s trademarked, so I can’t name it here.) I was shocked to discover it contains 27 ingredients! A chemistry degree will be helpful when perusing that list.

That tally is especially surprising when you consider that only seven of those ingredients meet my decidedly unscientific definition of real food: made in nature, not in a factory. If you exclude the water, and eliminate the two sugars, you’re left with milk and cream.

The good news is that you can make a delicious, minty shake at home in minutes, using just a few simple ingredients. As an added bonus, you’re likely familiar with these ingredients and may have them in your kitchen right now. You can feel good about serving this to your family, but you don’t have to tell them it’s good for them. It’ll be our little secret.

Real Food Mint Shake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Made without food dyes, this refreshing shake is gluten free, dairy free and delicious! The avocado adds a creamy richness to the shake; the perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day or anytime.

Ingredients

  • 2 c. unsweetened coconut or almond milk
  • 2 c. ice
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 large handful fresh mint leaves, or to taste (can substitute 1 tsp peppermint extract)
  • 1 T. honey, or to taste
  • pinch of salt
    • Optional garnishes:
  • mint leaves
  • dark chocolate shavings

Directions


Remove the mint leaves from the stems. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the seed. Scoop the avocado flesh into a blender. Add all remaining ingredients to the blender and process until smooth. Garnish if desired and serve immediately.
http://www.arthurizedhome.com

If you’ve got a patch of mint growing in your garden, this is a great way to use some of that bounty.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Heart Pizza for Valentine’s Day

February 7, 2020Food, , , , , , , 1 Comment

The Valentine’s Day tradition of eating heart shaped pizza goes back about 35 years in my family. My brother Matt had cystic fibrosis, and sadly, we lost him when he was just 19 years old. Before he passed, he used some of his savings to host a Valentine’s party for our family. Matt requested heart shaped pizzas for our dinner that night. We’ve incorporated this bittersweet tradition into our Valentine’s Day celebrations ever since.

Use a best-loved recipe for the crust, or try this cauliflower crust from stonesoup blog. This one is a favorite because it tastes great, crisps up nicely, and it doesn’t crumble when you pick it up, Just like a conventional slice of pizza, minus all those pesky carbs!

A few notes:
The parmesan in this recipe helps to mask the cauliflower flavor. You could add garlic powder and/or Italian seasonings to the crust for additional subterfuge. I substitute ground flax seed for the psyllium husks, just because I usually have the flax seed on hand. I haven’t prepared this using frozen riced cauliflower. If you try it, please let me know how that worked for you. Here’s how I make this easy, low-carb meal:

Preheat the oven to 350° and rice the cauliflower in a food processor. To a large mixing bowl, add the cauliflower, almond flour, finely grated parmesan, salt and flax seed meal.

Stir to thoroughly blend the dry ingredients. Then add the eggs.

Stir until the mixture holds it’s shape when combined. If it is too wet, add a little more almond flour.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Press the crust into a heart shape, about 1/2″ thick.

Making pizza sauce is easy and inexpensive. I like to make my own, because jarred sauces tend to be full of sugar.

To make sauce, I mix tomato paste with garlic, basil, oregano and mixed Italian spices. Add water to thin, a few tablespoons at a time and whisk until it is a spreadable consistency.

Bake the crust for 30-40 minutes or until it is golden brown. Watch for browning around the edges.

Spread the sauce on the crust and add toppings of your choice.

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and pop it back into the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melty and gorgeous. Mine usually takes 8 minutes.

This crust freezes well. Take it through the pre-bake step and then wrap it for the freezer. And there you have it, our heart pizza tradition for Valentine’s Day!

What are your Valentine’s Day plans? Go out? Stay in? Do you have Valentine’s traditions? Whatever you’re doing, make it fun!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

A Real Food Halloween Party – Part Four

October 23, 2019Food, , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Thank you for joining me as I wrap up our four-part series on real Halloween party foods. Click here for parts one, two and three, if you missed them. I define real foods as made in nature, not in a factory. This includes minimally processed foods that are made with ingredients we recognize, and regularly use in our kitchens.

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about the sugar buzz! These real food options are easy to prepare, fun to serve and only slightly creepy to eat.

Peculiar Pumpkins
This treat couldn’t be easier. Adults can slice the celery ‘stems’ and kids can peel and assemble the pumpkins. Who doesn’t love cuties?!

You’ll need:

  • Mandarin Cuties
  • Celery rib – or other suitable stem, try kiwi, honeydew or bell pepper slices
  • Chef’s Knife
  • Cutting Board

Peel the mandarins and chop the celery rib stems. My celery pieces are approximately 1.75 inches long and .25 inches wide.

Compost those peels, or dehydrate them for use in fire starters.

Insert a celery piece into the center of each mandarin to create the pumpkin stem. Pile them high, and serve. Simple!

Bogeyman Brain
You might pay a premium for a watermelon in October, but this creepy offering is totally worth it! Carve this the day before your party, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate. If you’d like to serve it with a fruit dip, this creamy lemon fruit dip would pair nicely. We like our watermelon plain, with a little sea salt.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

  • Visual Inspiration – Do a Google search for “free clip art brain” – either print out, or keep your laptop/tablet nearby for reference.
  • Paring knife
  • Chef’s knife
  • Small Watermelon
  • Cutting Board

Slice off the bottom of the watermelon to give it a wide, stable base.

Peel off the green skin and carefully cut most of the rind away; we want the brain to be pink, not red. I tried using a veggie peeler, but a chef’s knife was best for this step.

Once the rind is carved away, use a paring knife and your visual reference to start carving the folds. Have fun with this! Use your imagination. Channel your inner neurosurgeon. If you are a neurosurgeon, well, then bring your A game.

I softened the folds by carving the edges at a slight angle. You really can’t mess this up! Carve until you’re happy with your masterpiece.

When it’s time to serve your Bogeyman Brain, bring back that chef’s knife. It’s just perfect for this presentation!

To shop the post:
Paring Knife and Cutting Board Set / Knife Set / Fiestaware / Placemats and Napkins NLA, similar tablecloth

I hope you’ve enjoyed this revolting repast. Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

A Real Food Halloween Party – Part Three

October 16, 2019Food, , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Today’s post is filled with fiendish faces, as we continue our four-part series of real Halloween party foods. Click here for parts one and two if you missed them. I define real foods as made in nature, not in a factory. This includes minimally processed foods that are made with ingredients we recognize, and regularly use in our kitchens.

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about the sugar buzz! These real food options are easy to prepare, fun to serve and only slightly creepy to eat.

Caprese Creatures
These fun creatures are more assembly than recipe. Adults can prepare the ingredients and kids can help with assembly. These are best made just before serving, or provide the ingredients, and let your guests assemble their own creatures.

You’ll need:
Fresh basil leaves
Tomatoes – I used Romas
Mozzarella Pearls
Sliced Olives – I used stuffed green olives because the pimiento slices add to the creepy factor.

Layer each creature in order: basil leaf, tomato slice, mozzarella pearl slices and olive/pimiento slices. Serve with optional toppings of balsamic reduction, salt/pepper and extra mozzarella pearls.

Is it just me, or do the tomato seeds look like tiny teeth in this dude’s grill?

Apple Atrocities
Assemble these shortly before the party so the apples don’t brown. I’ve included seed suggestions in case nuts allergies are a concern.

You’ll need:
Large Apples, quartered
Lemon juice for soaking the apples
Peanut Butter (or sunflower butter for nut-free)
Strawberries
Peanut halves (or sunflower seeds)
Almonds (or shelled pumpkin seeds – pepitas)
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/halloween-pb-apple-monsters-clean-eating/

Quarter and core the apples and soak them in a solution of lemon water. I used 1 T. juice to one cup of water.

Thinly slice ‘tongues’ from the strawberries.

From the lower half of the apple wedge and without slicing through to the back, cut mouth openings. These should be large enough to contain peanut butter, a strawberry slice and a few peanut teeth.

Cut tiny pockets for the almond eyes. Eye sockets, if you will. Muahahaha!

Place the strawberry slice on top of the peanut butter, then jam a few peanut halves into the the upper part of the mouth. Make the little atrocities as snaggletoothed as you like. Add almonds for eyes, and your monsters are complete.

To shop the post: Knife Set / Cutting Board Set / Balsamic Reduction / Fiestaware / Juicer – NLA, this one is similar / Ramekins / Tablecloth – NLA, this one is similar

Do you have Halloween plans? Whether you’re hosting or attending a party, I hope these ideas spark your creativity. Happy Halloween!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

A Real Food Halloween Party – Part Two

October 9, 2019Food, , , , , 3 Comments

Enter if you dare! I’m continuing a four part series on real Halloween party foods. I define real foods as made in nature, not in a factory. This includes minimally processed foods that are made with ingredients we recognize, and regularly use in our kitchens.

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about the sugar buzz! Here are some real food options for your party that are easy to prepare, fun to serve and only slightly creepy to eat.

Deviled Eggs and Spider Eggs

Prepare deviled eggs according to the classic recipe here, or use your favorite recipe. I piped the filling using a dessert decorator for the spider eggs and used a cookie scoop to fill the deviled eggs.

Deviled Eggs
Slice thin ‘horns’ from the curved ends of a red bell pepper. Mine are about an inch long. Place two horns into each filled egg half.

Spider Eggs
For the spider’s body, slice whole black olives in half lengthwise, and place one in the center of each filled egg half. Slice tiny slivers of black olives for the spider’s legs. You’ll need eight slices for each spider. Place them around the olive half to create the spider’s legs.

Panna Clotta
This mildly sweet, coconut milk dessert becomes Halloween party ready with the addition of a ‘clot’ of strawberry chia jam. This is a great make-ahead treat, because both the panna cotta and the jam need time to set up in the refrigerator. I prepared the jam by following this recipe. Be sure it is completely jelled, not runny.

The panna cotta recipe is an old favorite of ours. You can sweeten it however you like. We’ve tried honey, Swerve and monk fruit and they each taste just great. After the panna cotta has completely set up, place the chia jam on top. I used a one inch cookie scoop in order to create perfectly rounded ‘clots’. Yum.

I hope this provides some creative inspiration for your Halloween party. If you missed Part One of this series, you can read it here.

To shop the post:
Dessert Decorator / Cutting Board / Paring Knife / Chef’s Knife / Swerve / Monk Fruit / Ramekins / Cookie Scoop / Votive holders – NLA, these would be pretty / Egg plate – vintage, but readily available online. Google “milk glass egg plate” Similar / Glitter Tablecloth – NLA, Similar

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

A Real Food Halloween Party – Part One

October 2, 2019Food, , , , , , 3 Comments

Boo to you! Is it too early for a little Halloween fun? I think not. Today, I’m starting a four part series on real Halloween party foods. I define real foods as made in nature, not in a factory. This includes minimally processed foods that are made with ingredients we recognize, and regularly use in our kitchens.

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about the sugar buzz! Here are some real food options for your party that are easy to prepare, fun to serve and only slightly creepy to eat.

Severed Fingers
I’m sure your guests will love these ‘finger’ foods! Muahahahaha!

Materials:

  • Mozzarella cheese sticks (jack cheese sticks would work as well, for a little extra creep factor)
  • Cream cheese – You don’t need much. I used about a teaspoon total.
  • Almond slices
  • Marinara sauce for dipping
  • Sharp paring knife

Twist each mozzarella stick to break it in half. With a sharp paring knife, taper the smooth end of the stick for the fingertip and create a flat area on top for the nail bed. Carve thin slits for the knuckles. Spread the tiniest dab of softened cream cheese on the nail bed, and place the almond slice on top for the finger nail. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Slithering Snakes

Materials:

Optional: Chocolate chips pressed into cream cheese for eyes. I didn’t use them because they looked cartoonish and bug-eyed, not spooky. Variation: Use green grapes for the body, and chocolate chip eyes to make cute caterpillars.

This little bite is so easy it almost needs no explanation. Simply load up the skewers with a row of grapes, and pipe on cream cheese eyes and decorative patterns as desired. This is a fun project for kids to assemble.

This orange Fiestaware dinner plate belonged to my Hoosier Grandma and was one of her everyday dishes. The 3-D EEK sign is a craft store clearance bin score. I bought the glitter velvet napkins and placemats for a New Year’s Eve dinner party a million years ago. I love these for a Halloween party tablescape as well. While I couldn’t find an exact match, I’ve linked a similar sequined tablecloth below.

To shop the post:
Paring Knife and Cutting Board Set / Dessert Decorator / Skewers / Chocolate Chips / Fiestaware / Placemats and Napkins NLA, similar tablecloth

Happy Real Food Halloween, and thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read here! I truly appreciate it.

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Sweet Summertime Treats

June 21, 2019Food, , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Happy First Day of Summer! This post is brought to you by ALL the gluten and sugar. Yes, this is quite a departure from my usual low carb posts, but I have co-workers and family who are willing to taste-test! These cupcakes and cookies are perfect for those summer birthday parties, cookouts and pool parties.

These are the pastry decorators and tips that I used. I prefer the plastic decorator over the vintage, aluminum one, because the plastic handle plunges more smoothly.

See those tiny teeth marks on the table?
They were made by my niece when she was three and the perfect height for table-gnawing.
She turned this piece of furniture into a family heirloom!

Clam Shell Cookies
Did you know that clams can make pearls? They are not as prolific as oysters, but they make them as well!

Is it just me, or do these pearls look like tongue piercings to you, too?

Materials: Shell shaped cookies (two for each completed clam shell), white frosting, candy pearls, blue food color, mini chocolate chips, pastry decorating kit with star tip and medium round tip

Divide the cookies into tops and bottoms. The tops will face up, and the bottoms will face down. Using white frosting and the round tip, pipe dots for eyes onto the top cookies. Press a mini chocolate chip into the frosting circles. Tint the remaining frosting pale blue. With a star tip, pipe the frosting onto the bottom cookie in waves. Pipe a second row of waves on top and a thin row of frosting along the back of the cookie.

Top with the upper cookie, positioning it so that the clam shell appears to be hinged in the back. Place the pearl candy in the frosting on the front of the cookie.

Sea Turtles
Materials: Cupcakes in tan papers or sleeves (unbleached parchment papers would be great), white frosting, peach ring candies, assorted gumdrops, candy fruit slices, mini chocolate chips or gummy blackberries, pastry decorating kit with star tip and small round tip

I followed the instructions linked here, except that I do not have a fondant cutter. Any cookie cutter with a small, rounded shape will do. Santa’s sack worked just fine. For eyes, I piped the tiniest dot of white frosting onto each side of the head. Then I pressed on a drupelet (learned a new word!) from a gummy blackberry.
https://family.disney.com/recipe/squirt-happy-turtlecakes/

Pirate Ships
Materials: Cupcakes in pirate themed papers, 6″ wooden skewers, decorative paper of your choosing, washi tape, scissors, small hole punch, (I found that a regular size hole punch was too large. If you don’t have a small hole punch, you could carefully cut slits in the sail using an x-acto knife.) pastry decorating kit with star tip

Cut scrapbook paper to 2.5″H x 2.25″W. Trim into sail shapes as pictured. Punch small holes into the sails, top and bottom. Fold washi tape over the skewer at the blunt end and press to seal. Trim the tape into triangle flags. Slide the sail onto the skewer below the flag.

Using the star tip, frost the cupcakes. Skewer the ships with the sails toward the front of the cupcake.

Sand Dollars
Materials: Round cookies, white frosting, slivered almonds, pastry decorating kit with medium round tip, milk or cream for thinning frosting

A note about the frosting: If you are thinning this type of pre-made frosting, it will not set up firmly. That was fine with me, because I did not plan on stacking the cookies. If you need to stack or transport your sand dollars, use royal icing instead. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/royal-icing-recipe-1941917

If you’re pressed for time, make these! I piped frosting in a circle to create a border edge. Then I mixed whipping cream into the frosting, one teaspoon at a time, until the frosting flowed smoothly.

Fill the center of the cookie, and add the almonds in a star shape.

Here’s your homework: Go fix some sweet treats, and see how often you can insert the word ‘drupelet’ into casual conversation! Have a great weekend!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Meal Planning

March 22, 2019meal prep, , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

An empty refrigerator can only mean one thing. It’s time to get meal planning! But first, a note about “real” food: I define real food as made in nature and not in a factory. If you define it differently, that’s great! Do what works best for your health, lifestyle and budget.

If you are on a budget like me, the first step is to review the online weekly grocery ads. In our small city we have Aldi, Kroger, Earth Fare, Fresh Market, Wal-mart and Food Lion. Skim the ads quickly because we’re looking for foods that are natural or minimally processed. List the sale items by store. I’m old school, so I use a low tech piece of paper for this step. Use ‘notes’ in your phone or a grocery store app if that works best for you.

Now it’s time for the menu. If you have go-to recipes for the sale items, list those. When I need some recipe inspiration I search my favorite real food websites. If strawberries are on sale this week, enter “strawberries” into the search box. Scroll through the recipes for something appealing and save to Pinterest or print the recipe out. I typically plan five dinners per week. This leaves room in the schedule for a leftovers night or eating out.

Bonus points if your meal uses more than one sale item!

We have a high tolerance for eating the same meal repeatedly, so breakfast and lunch are the same Monday-Friday. If that’s not you, make enough at dinner to have lunch leftovers the next day.

Once you’ve compiled your recipes, fill out the rest of the grocery list. I skim each recipe and make sure that I have the pantry items on hand. If not, they are added to the list, keeping a tally of how many of each item I need. For example, if three recipes call for garlic, total up the number of cloves needed and note that next to “garlic” on the list.

If I’m going to buy an item at a certain store, I add the store’s initial to the check box.

Now it’s time to grocery shop! I’m heading to the store(s), but if you’re using a grocery app, plug in your list or order online. I hope this is helpful to you. If you have any questions about my process let me know in the comments.

This is not a sponsored post. I am not in partnership with, nor do I own any of these websites or the recipes linked here.

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.