Eating Your Veggies

Cute Little video for kids who may not be hip to eating their veggies!! Start the New Year off right, get some veggies and sing!

Soda Comes Clean (also win a SodaStream)

Our garnish is a hula girl straw with a strawberry

In our house we don't drink soda but we do like "fizzy water."  One of my favorite gadgets in my kitchen  is my Soda Stream. I can't stand buying bottles of fizzy water just to toss them out a few days after they go flat. Plus with old age approaching schlepping those bottles can be a real back breaker. I became obsessed with "needing" a Soda Stream and once it came I was in love.  One of the best things about it is that if the water doesn't get used up right away you can just add more water and re fizz it instead of  pouring out the water.  Another great thing is that the Soda Stream is self contained, by this I mean it has no plug or cords, and is free standing.  We can take it camping or to a party, it travels well no electricity not problem. I chose the model with the plastic bottle for safety with the kids but the "Penguin" model is very pretty with it's retro looking  glass bottle.

Mashing berries with wooden spoon

I use a dropper for vanilla extract

When I attended the International Housewares Show in Chicago I got lucky enough to be given a Soda Stream to give away on my blog! (I asked really nicely and smiled a lot and it worked!) Details below on entering to win.
I thought I'd give you a fun way to make a healthier soda so when you win the Soda Stream you have a fun activity to do  with the kids for summer. You can use your imagination for whatever fruit you want to add and as always I encourage creativity and using up your leftovers!

Removing stem

I also want to teach you how to de-stem a strawberry using a straw it is a great tip. Taking a sturdy straw push it from the narrow end of the strawberry through the center of the top (green leaves). Voila, a de-stemmed berry! (We like to suck the berry meat out of the straw, waste not in our house.)

If you want to get a little less healthy and a little more celebratory try adding a scoop of vanilla or strawberry ice cream! With the ice cream try adding blueberries for a great a Fourth of July drink!
Add lemon for another interesting drink or float an orange slice for more color.
Strawberry Sodas
Serves 2


6 medium Strawberries, washed
1 1/2 tsp sugar, honey or sweetener of choice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 ounces unflavored fizzy water from SodaStream
an egg slicer


Have the kids take the tops off the strawberries using the straw technique.
Slice de-stemmed berries in the egg slicer, and place 3 in each cup.
Add sweetener and, have kids mash, mash , mash with the end of a wooden spoon!
Add soda water  to the top and enjoy!


Fan-only SWEEPSTAKES from 'Chef Jen Carden' is now Live!  Check it out on my page here

Make it Pretty for Earth Day + Kids Konserve Giveaway

I buy plates and cute cups like some people buy shoes! (OK, I buy shoes like that too) My husband and I do many food shoots and I am always on the hunt for new props. I can’t keep my hands off  those cute playful serving vessels, I do try to buy recyclable items as much as possible. My cupboards are busting (to my husband's dismay) with stacked colorful plates, bowls, napkins and even the occasional coconut shell or bamboo plate.  But in real life I try to reuse as many containers as I can.  I like fun food and so do kids, they love to imagine and play and it doesn't stop at mealtime.  If you are trying to get your kids to eat healthier, it can be a frustrating challenge. Starting with snacks can ease the pain, get them eating better in small doses. Once the snacks are more wholesome then you can work on mealtime. Kids are much more likely to be interested in a fun presentation of a food even if they may not have been a fan of it in the past.  Any change for kids can be tough but making it fun can make a world of difference. You can get your kids to make a world of difference by re using containers you already have. Reusing containers in a great way to stay conscious about how much trash we are tossing. Ditch the paper plates and cups and please do away with plastic forks and spoons. If you need some good ideas for no waste lunches click here. 
I have a great giveaway, this super reusable lunch bag and containers from Kids Konserve!! Read below to find out how to enter.

• ·      Take everyday foods and cut them in new ways. Instead of giving a granola bar in the wrapper, unwrap it and cut it lengthwise for something different.
• ·      Serve salad in a cup, stand up the baby Romaine leaves and cut everything in sticks
• ·      Slice quiche in small triangles and insert fun playful toothpicks for eating. 
• ·      Use an ice cream scoop for rice, or even veggie lasagna!  

Make it different, change it up and think out of the box. Snack time is a fun time to try new food ideas, it fast and uncomplicated. Moving to healthier foods at snack time can be tough, so put the emphasis on adding new foods not on taking away foods. Start with fruit to replace sugary bars and nuts to replace chips.  Keep the crunch, kids love crunch it is very satisfying.  Try fun snacks you may have not noticed in the store before, check the natural section.  Have fun and look around the house for new ways to serve up snacks to your kids.

See what you have in your cabinet to serve in and see what kind of healthy snacks can go in to them in fun exciting ways. Have your kids help find containers to hold the snacks.

Suggestions:

•   Clean votive candle holders

•   Shot glasses

•   Mason jars

•   Use clean-take out containers

•   Wrap snacks in parchment paper  and tie with a bow

•   Cut a circle from a paper bag and make a cone shape for holding snacks

•   Make a boat shape from aluminum foil

•   Small Tupperware containers, are good for serving

•   Large deep lids are good to serve in too

•   Use doilies left over from Valentine's Day

•   Cut wrapping paper in to squares for a makeshift place mat

Our winner is The Family Chef!

To win the Kids Konserve Lunch bag:
Tell me what creative ideas you have come up with for your children's lunches or what you thought of while reading this post?

Follow my blog or or join me on  The Toddler Cafe Facebook page but leave a comment here telling me you did!  

I will do a drawing on Saturday April 30th at 12:00 PM using Random.org you will receive your gift within three weeks.

Please make sure your profile is public or leave your email address in your comment or I won't be able to find you!!