Elliott Crafty Creations: Kids in the Kitchen

Showing posts with label Kids in the Kitchen. Show all posts

Last Spring my daughter got to bring treats to her kindergarten class to celebrate her birthday that would actually happen in the summer. I was excited to help her be creative with what she wanted to bring and share with her classmates.

Since several students would also be sharing snacks we decided to go with a snack mix that would highlight some of Madi's favorite things. I put together all the ingredients and we got to play with the mix until it was just right. Then we divided it up into little baggies and I designed a sticker with her picture and real birth date. The snack mix was a real hit and it was a fun and simple way to celebrate.

These cute and edible faces were crafting by my creative daughter Madi.

Mary of Little Red House is our hostess for Mosaic Monday.

Each mosaic is unique and has it's own story to tell.

Pizza night is a weekly family tradition in many American households. I can imagine that quite a few just order in or pick-up pizzas from the freezer section and bake them at home. We in the Elliott household like to be a little bit more creative.

When I see a great deal on fresh cheese pizza at the supermarket I buy a couple and then fill my cart with great pizza veggies. The pizza pictured here was an extra large cheese from Aldi's that ran at around 6.99.

When I bring it home I preheat the oven and get to work cleaning and chopping up the veggies. This is a great activity that you can share with your kids and help them be a part of dinner. The veggies listed below are our favorites and often times I am just using up what was left in veggie drawer of the frig.

Black Olives

Green, Yellow & Red Bell Pepper

Roma Tomatoes

Mushrooms

Extra Mozzarella Cheese

For the Meat Eaters half has pepperoni

Other favorite combinations are extra cheese and pineapple or all the veggies above with artichoke hearts. This is where you can really customize your slice however you like it. Who knows maybe adding some broccoli or zucchini with all that cheese will get your kids to try something new.

Once you finish layering all your veggies we like to sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and some extra shredded mozzarella to act as the glue to keep the veggies from sliding around. Then you follow the baking instructions that came with your pizza. You might have to add a couple more minutes depending on how things look in the oven and how many toppings you added.

Once the timer goes off you want let your pizza cool a bit before you cut into it. Serve your finished creation with a simple lettuce salad and your favorite dressing. We also like to add some chopped fruit to round out the meal.

What's your favorite pizza topping? Do share in the comments.

Our hosts for Tasty Tuesday are Balancing Beauty and Bedlam,
For the Love of Blog, and 33 Shades of Green
Our host for Tutorial Tuesday is Hope Studio.
Our host for Topsy Turvy Tuesday's is I'm Topsy Turvy.
Our host for Delectable Tuesday is Home Sweet Farm.
Our host for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is Blessed With Grace.
Our host for Tuesdays at the Table is All the Small Stuff.
Our host for Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits is Permanent Posies.

My Local Hy-Vee's Produce Display

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month®? This annual nutrition education campaign is sponsored by the American Dietetic Association and this year's theme is "Eat Right with Color". It encourages all of us to think about the colors of the rainbow while we plan our meals.

So, what are the colors of a healthy diet? Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Blue, Red, and White of course! Aim to fill half of your plate with a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. Here are few suggestions to get you started.

Green fruits and vegetables are abundant in powerful antioxidants, which may help promote healthy vision and reduce cancer risks. Best green choices are kiwi, broccoli, spinach and kale.

Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables are rich in the well-known beta-carotene, vitamin C and lutein. Beta-carotene is healthy for the skin, vitamin C strengthens the immune system and lutein helps to maintain healthy vision. Best orange and yellow choices are oranges, apricot, cantaloupe, carrots, corn and winter squash.

Purple and Blue fruits and vegetables help to beat the effects of aging. Purple and blue foods have antioxidant benefits and may help with memory, urinary tract health and reduced cancer risks. Best purple and blue choices are blueberries, blackberries, prunes, plums, eggplant and purple cabbage

Red fruits and vegetables are loaded with the antioxidant lycopene, which may help lower the risk of prostate and ovarian cancers as well as help maintain a healthy heart, vision and immunity. Best red choices are tomatoes, watermelon, ruby red grapefruit, cranberries, pomegranate and beets

White tan and brown fruits and vegetables sometimes contain nutrients that may promote heart health and reduce cancer risks. Best white choices are potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms and onions

So the next time you visit your local supermarket see how many colors of the rainbow you can get into your cart. It's a fun game you can share with the whole family. Visit Today I Ate a Rainbow for more fun ideas.

The information provided is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.

Our host for Tasty Tuesday is Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

A thick and creamy potato soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. I love its simplicity and great flexibility. I never make this Potato Corn Chowder exactly the same way twice because I try to clean out the frig and us up what I have in the pantry but all the basic ingredients are there to make it taste spectacular.

If you have children that are always asking to help make dinner like mine are this is the perfect recipe. I set my daughter up at the sink to wash all the veggies. And then of course there is the soup stirring

So, grab a big bag of your favorite potatoes the next time you are at the store and make this soup for your family and friends.

Recipe: Potato Corn Chowder

Ingredients

2 T. olive oil

1 tsp. red pepper flake

1 large onion chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped

3 stocks celery chopped

2 large carrots chopped

1 T. chopped garlic

1 - 2 lbs baking potatoes diced into 1 inch chunks

2 c. corn (this can be split between one can of sweet corn and one can of creamed corn)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Bunch of chopped fresh or 2 T. dried Parsley
6 - 8 c. water or stock
4 T. flour
1/2 c. soy milk, half & half, cream or regular milk

Directions

Saute onion, bell pepper, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil with the red pepper flake and some salt and pepper until soft in your favorite soup pot.

While sauteing chop up the potatoes and add them to the pot as you go. Once all the potatoes are in the pot add more salt and pepper to taste, corn, parsley and water or stock to cover.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are soft and can be pierced with a fork.

At this point you can leave the soup as is or you can take out 2 - 3 cups into a separate container and use your immersion blender or your regular blender and blend with the flour until smooth. Add the mixture back into the soup and raise the heat until it boils. Check the thickness. If you like a chunkier soup add more flour and cook again. Your finally step is to add your milk of choice. If it's too thick don't worry just add a little more milk or cream.

Serve with...dashes of Green Tabasco, shredded cheddar cheese, crackers and more salt & pepper

What's your favorite soup? Do share in the comments below.

Our host for Tasty Tuesday is Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Elliott Crafty Creations

Tasty Tuesday: Madeline's Signature Snack Mix

Veggie Face Art

Pizza Just the Way You Like It

Taste a Rainbow

Tasty Tuesday: Potato Corn Chowder

Recipe: Potato Corn Chowder

Emily Elliott

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