These easy and healthy chocolate chip banana muffins are a perfect after-school snack for little ones.
These days we’ve been spending countless hours hanging out at the park. To keep my kids fuelled I’ve been making these easy breezy whole wheat banana muffins. They’re healthy, perfect to grab and go, great for the lunch box or as an after-school snack. If you have busy little kids, you need these in your life.
These mini muffins are perfect for little kids. They are 100% whole grain and sweetened with banana, applesauce, maple syrup and just 2 chocolate chips. Just enough sweetness to satisfy while keeping them healthy. Perfect for the lunch box or as an after-school snack.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed banana (2 large or 3 small)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup avocado oil (or another neutral flavoured oil)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
48 chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease mini muffin tin, or line with baking cups.
In a large bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In medium bowl combine banana, eggs, oil, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.
Place 2 chocolate chips on top of each mini muffin.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.
The dandelions are in full bloom here (thanks to Toronto’s ban of toxic lawn chemicals) and my 4-year-olds absolutely love them. I set out this playdough invitation-to-play and it kept them busy for over an hour!
Dandelions are a perfect flower for kids to explore. These sunny looking wildflowers grow abundantly in the spring – and kids are allowed to pick them!
They also serve as food for birds (namely goldfinches and house sparrows) and bees, they’re good for soil health, and they’re a nutritious edible plant with promising medicinal uses.
This dandelion themed playdough invitation-to-play was a hit with my 4-year-olds. They loved ripping apart the flowers and kneading them into the dough.
Lately my littles have had a bit of a tough time at school. I thought it would be nice to set out a welcoming playdough invitation-to-play inspired by their favourite spring wildflower. It's a fun activity that helps them relax and work out their stress at the end of the week. To further uplift their mood I added a few drops of essential oils in refreshing citrus scents (a blend of bergamot, orange, lime, grapefruit and lemon).
Ingredients
1/2 cup salt
2 cups flour
2 cups of water
2 tbsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp cooking oil, such as canola oil
yellow food colouring
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly for about 4-5 minutes. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and should no longer be sticky to the touch. (If it’s still sticky cook a little longer until it’s not.)
Remove the dough from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Knead until it’s uniform.
Set out dough with a bunch of fresh dandelions and a variety of textures and tools that invites the children to manipulate and explore the theme in any way they choose.
This DIY mason bee house is made with inexpensive and recycled materials.
Many people are terrified of bees – and I think it’s a problem. We need bees! Pollinators are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat – and in case you haven’t heard many of them are now endangered.
Want to help save the bees? Here’s a start: Raise mason bees in your backyard this spring.
Unlike honeybees, mason bees are native to Canada – and they are better pollinators. A single mason bee does the pollination work of 60 honey bees.
Mason bees are also a great choice of bee to raise with young children or to introduce in a school environment. They are passive, gentle bees, with no hive to protect.
They’re only active for about six weeks in the spring so the time frame is ideal for those wanting a limited commitment or the ability to wrap up a project at the beginning of June.
Here’s my how-to build a bee house with kids using inexpensive and recycled items.
Materials
a recycled juice/milk carton
an empty paper towel roll
parchment paper (cut into 6 inch strips)
a pencil
non-toxic school glue
a couple of sticks (about pencil size, cut to 6 inch lengths)
string or nylon cable ties
acrylic paint (optional)
Instructions
Step #1
Cut end off carton at an angle to create a roof. This will help protect the nesting tubes from sun and rain. Paint exterior of carton, if desired, and allow to dry.
Step #2
To create nesting tubes, roll piece of parchment paper around a pencil, glue at the end to secure, remove the pencil and allow to dry. Seal end of parchment nesting tubes by folding, blocking with clay, or you will need to ensure tubes are against the back of the house.
Step #3
Cut paper towel roll to 6 inch length. Randomly place nesting tubes and cardboard sticks into paper towel roll so they are tight and don’t move around. (The random sticks will help the bees identify which nesting tube they are currently using.)
Step #4
Place paper towel roll in top corner of carton. Poke a couple holes beside the roll, then thread string or nylon cable ties around tube to secure in place.
You can add multiple rolls and other natural elements such as pine cones and dried flowers.
We also added an empty toilet paper roll covered in parchment paper with a hole cut into it. We placed our cocoons in there to hatch.
Step #5
Hang your mason bee house at eye level, 4-6 feet from the ground, on a solid surface, like a fence or the side of a building. One that will receive morning sunlight and not blazing afternoon heat.
Hang the house when temperatures are consistently above 10 degrees Celsius/50 Fahrenheit.
Do not put the home near a birdhouse. Birds eat bees. If birds are active in the area you might like to put chicken wire or florist wire over the front of the house for protection.
The bees will need access to spring flowering plants, water and mud or exposed dirt. If there are no pollinator friendly plants in the area, I suggest you plant some.
I love these cherry and lime scones; a touch of sweet, tart and tangy.
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) of cold butter, diced
1/2 cup buttermilk or kefir
grated zest of one lime
1/4 cup dried cherries
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add butter and pulse until butter forms pea-sized pieces.
Add buttermilk or kefir and lime zest. Process until just moistened.
Mix in dried cherries.
Flatten dough into an 8 inch disc. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
Cut into 8 wedges, keeping the disc intact.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool.
Scones are best eaten on the day they are baked. To make-ahead, simply prep the scones a day in advance, pop them in the fridge (covered in plastic wrap), and bake the day of.
If you don’t have a food processor simply cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, or forks and/or knives.
This is my family’s go-to granola. I try to ensure that we always have a batch in the cupboard. We love it on Greek yogurt and chia pudding. It’s also a satisfying snack when you’re standing there in the kitchen and you need a delicious handful of something immediately.
My family is full of chocoholics – including me. We eat chocolate several times a week and I don’t feel guilty about it. To me – it’s all about moderation. We’re a foodie family and I believe enjoying a meal is one of those simple pleasures that should be a part of one’s daily routine.
We rarely eat processed food and, excluding chocolate, we don’t eat a lot of refined sugar and white flour. This granola is whole-grain, packed with fibre, and much healthier than most of the granolas on the grocery store shelves. If you have never tried raw buckwheat groats – you should. They are lovely nutty crunchy little things that are full of protein, fibre and iron.
This insanely delicious smelling playdough is so uplifting and inviting. My kids absolutely adore it.
I love you cherry much!
…And so for Valentine’s Day I made you this delicious smelling playdough that is taste-safe (because I know you like to lick playdough behind my back.)
I have one kid that can't resist licking playdough. This recipe is made with kitchen ingredients so I can relax knowing it's safe for her if she sneaks a taste. (That said I am still trying to break her of the habit...)
Ingredients
1/2 cup salt
2 cups flour
2 cups of water
2 tbsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp cooking oil, such as canola oil
red food colouring
1/2 tsp cherry flavoring (also known as candy oil)
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and should no longer be sticky to the touch. (If it’s still sticky cook a little longer until it’s not.)
Remove the dough from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Knead until it’s uniform.
Store dough in an air-tight container.
Candy flavoring (candy flavouring oil, candy oil) can be found at baking supply stores near the extracts. I have found LorAnn candy oil at both Bulk Barn and Micheals.
These muffins work well for breakfast, lunch, or snack time. Healthy comfort food that you can grab and go.
Apples and cinnamon are both kid favourites in my house. Lately my 6-year-old hasn’t been eating her veggies at lunch – and it drives me crazy. So, I decided I needed to load some veg into her after-school snack.
These muffins are packed with sweet potato, chunks of apple and fragrant cinnamon – and they’re whole grain, too. An ideal treat to devour on a cold winter’s afternoon.
These whole-grain muffins are delicious - and they're loaded with veg and fibre. Perfect for the lunch box or after-school snack.
Ingredients
DRY
3/4 cup oat bran
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
ADD-IN
one small apple, peeled, diced small (1/2 cup)
WET
1 cup of mashed sweet potato (*see note below for preparing sweet potato)
1/2 cup of yogurt or kefir
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a muffin tin, or line with baking cups.
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.
Mix in diced apple.
In medium bowl combine wet ingredients, then add to dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.
*Sweet Potato
Prick a sweet potato several times with a fork or pairing knife. Bake in 350F oven for about an hour. Allow to cool, peel, then mash. I usually do this step in advance. I throw a sweet potato into the oven while I’m baking something else, so the mash ready to go. A large sweet potato yields about 2 cups when mashed.
Store muffins in an air-tight container for up to two days.
This all-natural clove playdough is made with kitchen ingredients and it smells like a hug in the middle of winter.
The warm and spicy scent of clove perfumes this playdough – which makes it an incredibly soothing and relaxing after-school activity to come home to.
Playdough is a lovely sensory activity which promotes self-regulation, attention, focus, and calmness. Combining scents can heighten that experience. It’s also a good way for kids to release stress.
The warm and spicy scent of clove is incredibly soothing on a gloomy winter's day.
Ingredients
1/2 cup salt
2 cups flour
2 cups of water
2 tbsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp of ground clove
2 tbsp oil
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and should no longer be sticky to the touch. (If it’s still sticky cook a little longer until it’s not.)
Remove the dough from the pot. Allow to cool slightly and knead.
OPTIONAL Pair dough with whole cloves (they’re great for pincer grasp practise)
These easy blueberry coconut milk scones are delicious and can be prepped ahead of time.
These delicious scones are kid-approved. I recently made them as an after-school snack and one of my kids said she would trade her LOL doll for another batch. I need to take her up on that…
My eldest daughter is lactose-intolerant. Initially we avoided all dairy but we’ve recently found that there are a couple of dairy foods that she can handle. Butter is one of them. I’ve tried making scones without butter but the alternatives have never been as good. This recipe swaps out the traditional milk or cream (which are no-gos for her) with coconut milk. They are absolutely delicious and it means my lactose-intolerant kid can happily devour these goodies with her sisters.
Scones are best eaten on the day they are baked. To make-ahead, prep the dough in advance and shape it into a disk, then pop it in the fridge overnight and bake the day of.
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) of cold butter, diced
1/2 cup coconut milk
grated zest of one lemon
1/4 cup dried blueberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine flours, sugar and baking powder.
Add butter and pulse until butter forms pea-sized pieces.
Add coconut milk and lemon zest. Process until just moistened.
Mix in dried blueberries and roll out into an 8 inch disc. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
Cut into 8 wedges, keeping the disc intact.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool.
If you don’t have a food processor simply cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, or forks and/or knives.
