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5 Spooky Fruit and Vegetable Halloween Treats for Healthy Kids

October 15, 2020 1

Halloween is my favorite holiday – mostly because it is an anything goes, don’t hold back, get as creative as you want, holiday! I have been adding a little spookiness into Eben’s snacks by getting creative with fruits and vegetables. He seems to enjoy these “sweet” treats just as much as a sugary alternative – maybe even more. Read on for 5 spooky fruit and vegetable Halloween treats that I have used as inspiration for celebrating the holiday with my healthy kid.

#1: Jack o’Lantern Fruit Plate
This may be one of the easiest treats in the bunch – simply peel, cut, and arrange a selection of organic strawberries, clementines, blueberries, and grapes and you have a Halloween treat that is sure to please everyone!

 + Jack O’Lantern Fruit Plate
+ via Wholesome Dinner Tonight

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is HalloweenVeggieSkeleton-742x1024.jpg

#2: Veggie Skeleton
Looking for a fun way to get your child to eat more vegetables this autumn? Look no further than this adorable veggie skeleton. This, along with the Jack O’Lantern Fruit Plate would be perfect for your child’s class Halloween Party or your family’s spooky get-together!

 + Veggie Skeleton
+ via Feeding Four Little Monkeys

#3: Pumpkin Oranges + Banana Ghosts
Yum! These goodies are definitely calling my name – I bet the bananas would be even better if they were slightly frozen! These would be great for a kids party – just grab and go.

+ Pumpkin Oranges + Banana Ghosts
+ via Kid Party Food Ideas

#4: Apple Teeth Treats
While these little yummies might take a little more time to prepare – I bet they are worth all of the compliments you would get at your Halloween party.

+ Apple Teeth Treats
+ via All Recipes

#5: Halloween Sweet Potato Fries
I want to whip up a batch of these yummy sweet potato fries to go with Halloween dinner. Not only does my family love them – but the spook factor will win them over for sure.

+ Halloween Sweet Potato Fries
+ Babble

6 Healthier Halloween Sweet Treats for Green Kids

October 13, 2020 0

My family loves Halloween, it is our favorite holiday! You get to dress up like anything you want, decorate your home with pumpkins and ghosts, spend time sipping hot apple cider with family and friends, and then, there are the goodies! Oh my! What’s not to love? Well, I am not a fan of treats packed full of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup or the tons of non-recyclable candy wrappers! Instead, I like to choose goodies that are good for my family and the environment! Read on to learn my favorite 6 healthier sweet treats for Halloween and give a couple a try this year!

1. YumEarth 
If you are looking for yummy, natural, and organic sweet treats that your whole family will love, look no further than YumEarth. YumEarth’s Natural Sour Jelly Bean and Organic Gummy Bears and Lollipops are fantastic! These yummies contain NO artificial colors, flavors, or high fructose corn syrup. These are a staple at our house during Halloween. We are huge fans of the pomegranate pucker lollipops! And all of YumEarth’s goodies are gluten-free and vegan too! Perfection!

+ Yummy Earth
2.  Bitsy’s Brainfood
If your child loves animal crackers, put these treats on your grocery shopping list! With yummy flavors. They contain Omega 3’s, Vitamins A, B12, B6, D3, and Folic Acid and No GMO’s. We really enjoyed them – especially the zucchini gingerbread carrot. Yum!

+ Bitsy’s Brainfood

 

3. Unreal Candy 
I have to admit Eben loves a sweet treat – and while we like his sweet spot to be satisfied with whole fruits – he enjoys a candy treat here and there. Unreal Candy fits that bill! We were talking about making our Unreal Candy caramel apples last night. Made with NO artificial colors or flavors, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and NO GMO’s! We keep these on hand for the trick or treaters, as ice cream toppings, and even used them (but up) on our caramel apples this year! They are available at your local retailer and taste better than their toxic-chemical counterpart.

+ Unreal Candy

4. Plum Organics
You may know Plum Organics for their certified organic foods for babies and toddlers, but now the company is offering goodies geared especially for the older kiddos! Hooray for Eben! The new certified organic goodies include; soft-baked graham bars filled with yogurt, yummy bite-sized granola clusters,  squeezable fruit, and yogurt smoothies, fruit, and veggie gummy snacks, freeze-dried yogurt dots, and mini peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yummy for Halloween and every day!

+ Plum Organics

5. CLIF Kid
Every year a Halloween favorite at our home is CLIF Kid’s Full Moon Brownie organic Zbar! These are perfect for everyone in your family! Not only are the Zbar’s certified organic, but they are also the yummiest chocolate brownie bar sprinkled with white chocolate chips! Packed full of 12 vitamins and minerals, 8 grams of whole grains  – these are the perfect treat for that added boost of energy before your children head out to trick or treat! We pack these for our hiking and paddleboarding adventures.

+ CLIF Kid Zbar

6. Homemade Organic Treats
One of my favorite Halloween treats is those that you make with your children! This October, Eben and I have made organic vegan pumpkin carob cookies, vegan peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, and vegan peanut butter cups! I like to make our own treats because I can ensure that we are only using the freshest, organic, vegan ingredients and it’s a great excuse to spend a day with my favorite person!

How about you – what healthier Halloween sweet treats do you choose for your littles?

How to Bake Simple Vegan, Organic, Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

October 9, 2020 0
 

Baking is one of my all-time favorite activities to do with Eben. No matter what we are whipping up in the kitchen, we always have fun. In addition to entertainment, baking with your children is a wonderful opportunity to teach them math and science skills, without them even knowing they are learning valuable lessons.

Here I share a divine recipe for one of Eben’s favorite homemade treats: vegan, organic, whole-wheat oatmeal cookies. He loves that they’re sweet — and I love that they include wholesome ingredients that are good for him, such as whole wheat and fruit.

Read on to learn how to bake my simple vegan oatmeal cookies.

What you will need:

  • 1 1/2 organic bananas
  • 1/2 organic apple
  • 1 cup organic whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup organic vegan carob chips
  • 3/4 cup organic oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
  • 2 tsp organic vanilla or almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp organic cinnamon
  • dash of nutmeg
  • dash of salt

Step 1: Blend It!

Add the bananas, apple, and vanilla extract to a blender and blend well.

Step 2: Get Mixing!

Add all of the dry ingredients to the banana-apple mixture and mix well.

Step 3: Get Baking!

Scoop large tablespoon-sized dollops of the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Step 4: Enjoy!

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet to cool. Then, enjoy with organic almond milk!

How to Bake Gluten-Free, Vegan Pumpkin Carob Chip Cookies

October 8, 2020 1
 

I love everything about fall. The cool, crisp weather, decorating for Halloween, spooky stories, and anything that includes pumpkin. Pumpkin is one of those members of the squash family that in my opinion doesn’t get used often enough! Not only is pumpkin packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber — it tastes yummy too!

This fall instead of simply carving a pumpkin, grab your kids and bake a batch or two of my gluten-free, vegan pumpkin carob chip cookies. They are divine! And since this brightly colored squash is so good for you, you won’t feel bad indulging your kiddo’s sweet tooth with a cookie or two.

What you will need:

  • 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 cups organic raw sugar
  • 1 cup of organic pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup organic flax-seed
  • 1/2 cup organic applesauce
  • 1 cup organic gluten-free carob chips
  • 1 teaspoon organic vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups organic gluten-free flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Step 1: Mix it Up!

In a mixing bowl combine the coconut oil and sugar. Then, mix for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Add the Goodies!

Add the pumpkin, flax-seed, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients!

In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, mix thoroughly, then slowly add in the wet mixture and mix until smooth. Then, add the carob chips!

Step 4: Preheat + Prepare

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, line a cookie sheet with eco-friendly parchment paper or a reusable silicon mat. Add small flat balls of cookie dough onto your cookie sheets and bake 15 minutes or until golden.

Step 5: Cool and Enjoy!

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool. Enjoy!

How to Make Organic Instant Oatmeal for Cool Fall Mornings

October 5, 2020 0
I love oatmeal on cool, crisp fall mornings! Am I the only one? You can make your own organic instant oatmeal packed with flavor in a few simple steps taking your regular oatmeal from ho-hum to yum-yum. Read on to learn how you can make organic instant oatmeal and wake up to a better tomorrow.
 
Step 1: Bake It!
Preheat the oven to 350°, spread 4 cups of organic old-fashioned rolled oats on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
 
Step 2: Pulse It!
Pulse in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
 
Step 3: Mix It!
Mix in a cup of your favorite oatmeal add-ins such as; almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, and coconut.
 
Step 4: Store It!
Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
 
Step 5: Boil It!
Stir boiling water into a cup of your organic instant oatmeal until you reach your desired consistency.
 
Step 6: Enjoy It!
Oatmeal is my favorite on a cool, crisp fall morning – top with honey too!

 

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