Posted by Jennifer Lee on October 08, 2012 0 Comments
Simple, savory apple soup is the best way to warm
your kiddos from head to toe on a chilly fall day. Easy and fun to make, this
tasty recipe brings together our favorite fall flavors for a cozy dish the
whole family loves.
Apples, pumpkins and pears
herald the start of fall at our local market. It is my favorite time of year –
not only because of the wonderful family holidays and traditions but also
because of the delicious fall flavors. This year I’ve been searching for new
recipes to add to our collection of family favorites, and my good friend
Melissa Lanz of The Fresh20 came to the rescue. She’s got the easy weeknight
dinner routine nailed with her simple, tasty recipes. When she shared her savory
apple soup recipe with us, I knew we had a winner.
Savory Apple Soup with Pears and Walnuts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes
Makes about 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
3 tart apples (e.g., granny
smith)
6 pears
1 small yellow onion
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
½ cup water
A handful of walnuts
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Wash, peel, and slice the
apples, pears and onion into large wedges. Right on the baking sheet, toss with
olive oil, fresh rosemary (stems removed and finely chopped), salt and
pepper.
2. Roast in a 450 degree
oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Cool slightly. Working in
small batches, add the roasted apples, pears, onion, chicken broth, and water
to a blender and puree gently. Transfer to a large soup pot.
4. Simmer over low heat,
adding salt and pepper to taste.
5. Garnish with chopped walnuts. Serve warm and enjoy with
family and friends!
Recipe inspired by The Fresh 20.
Crunch
a Color Kids Vote: Cozy!
What we Liked: This easy recipe was equally great as a simple weeknight dinner dish or
after school snack. We served our savory apple soup with a side of cheddar and
apple quesadillas. Delish!
*
What is your favorite fall soup recipe? Share your ideas!
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on
last week’s recipe: Cinnamon Apples!
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on September 24, 2012 1 Comment
Cinnamon apples are a favorite fall treat for my
kids. This easy recipe brings together the best of what goes into making a cozy
apple pie, but without refined sugar.
The crisp fall air has
arrived in California, and so have farm fresh apples. Bushels were brimming
over with red beauties at our local farmers’ market this weekend, so we decided
to reinvent one of our favorite fall treats. Apple pie, with its sweet and warm
filling, is a must on our fall table. Could we create a recipe easy enough to make
on a busy school morning that brings together those delicious fall flavors without
the sugar? You bet!
Cinnamon Apples
Prep time: 5 minutes
Assembly time: 5 minutes
Makes about 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
5 medium apples, granny
smith or empire
½ lemon
½ tsp cinnamon
Directions:
1. Leaving the skins on,
slice the apples into ¼” cubes.
2. Load the apples into a
bowl and add the juice from ½ of a lemon.
3. Add the cinnamon to the
apples and stir.
4. Enjoy!
Crunch
a Color Kids Vote: An
apple a day…
What we Liked: This easy recipe has all of the wonderful flavors of apple pie filling,
without any refined sugar. We served our cinnamon apples with a side of butterscotch no bake
cookies. The lemon keeps the apples from browning, which makes this recipe a
perfect lunchbox snack!
*
What are your favorite ways to serve apples? Share your ideas!
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on
last week’s recipe: Sandwich Pops!
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on September 19, 2012 1 Comment
Need healthy lunch ideas? Sandwich Pops to the
rescue! But watch out: you may find that friends are lining up to sneak a bite
of these fun and easy sandwiches on a stick. Be sure to pack enough to share!
Two weeks into the school
year and I’m bored. I find myself leaning on the two to three lunch recipes
that my kids will reliably eat. So together we set out to reinvent a classic
healthy lunch idea: the basic cheese sandwich. With a little chop here, and a
tear of lettuce there, my kids came up with a fun and healthy lunch idea:
sandwich pops!
Healthy Lunch Ideas: Sandwich Pops
Prep time: 5 minutes
Assembly time: 10 minutes
Makes about 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
4 large romaine lettuce
leaves
2 cups red grapes
1 cup cheddar, diced into ½” cubes
½ French baguette, cut into ½” cubes
12 wooden skewers
Directions:
1. Start by adding a piece
of baguette to your skewer.
2. Tear a small piece of
romaine lettuce and fold it into a square. Add to your skewer.
3. Pop on a piece of cheese,
then a grape. Then reverse the pattern.
4. Top with another square
of lettuce, and a piece of baguette.
5. Share and enjoy!
What we Liked: My kids gobbled up these delicious sandwiches on a stick. Funny how
just a simple change can make an otherwise boring lunch much more fun!
*
What are your go-to healthy lunch recipes? Share them with us!
Craving more healthy lunch ideas? Catch up on
last week’s recipe: Tomato Pops!
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on September 10, 2012 1 Comment
Tomato mozzarella skewers with a kid-friendly twist,
this easy recipe for Tomato Pops makes the seasonal bounty of fresh picked
cherry tomatoes even more fun to enjoy with your kids!
Our local farmers’ market
continues to be a wonderful inspiration for getting my kids to try new foods.
Like a scavenger hunt, my kids weave through the market stalls searching for
treasures the season has uncovered. Riding the wave into the peak of tomato
season in California, my new food explorers decided that beautiful, blushing
cherry tomatoes would top our list of new foods to try this week. Baskets
overflowing, we headed home with a few simple ingredients to make our fun and
easy recipe of the week: Tomato Pops!
Tomato Pops: Pint-Sized Tomato Mozzarella Skewers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Assembly time: 10 minutes
Makes about 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella balls or cubes of your favorite cheese
¼ cup olive oil
A handful of fresh basil
¼ tsp kosher salt
12 wooden skewers
Directions:
1. Wash the tomatoes and
remove the green tops. Load the tomatoes into a large mixing bowl as you go.
2. Add the mozzarella balls
to the tomatoes.
3. Add the olive oil
and salt to the tomatoes and mozzarella. Stir gently.
4. Alternating between
the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves, add to your skewers. Let the kids
decide on the pattern they like most.
5. Serve in a small
glass vase or cup, like a bouquet. Mix together the remaining ingredients into
a fresh caprese salad.
Crunch
a Color Kids Vote: Pop!
What we Liked: This kid-friendly twist on tomato mozzarella skewers was a fun addition
to our farmers’ market fresh family table. They make a great lunchbox snack
too! For more food fun, we served up our pops with a side of nut
free basil pesto and healthy
Caesar salad dressing and let everyone enjoy giving their pops a dip!
*
What is your favorite way to serve fresh cherry tomatoes?
Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on
last week’s recipe: Homemade Granola Bars.
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on August 31, 2012 2 Comments
Homemade granola bars
are an easy and tasty lunchbox treat. This nut free granola bar recipe is made
with lots of love and no refined sugar, because your little ones are sweet
enough as they are!
Do the math. How much do you spend on the packaged organic granola
bars that regularly appear in your kids’ lunchboxes? Conservatively, it’s about
$100 per child per year. Then stop and look at the ingredients list. It’s less
healthy than you think. “Convenience!” you reply, and I completely understand.
As a busy parent, I need a grab and go solution some mornings too. But when I
discovered this simple recipe for homemade granola bars I was surprised at how
easy, tasty and simple it is to make your own granola bars at home for a
fraction of the cost.
Homemade Granola Bars
This nut free, homemade granola bar recipe is fun and easy for
kids to make. Although it’s a sweet treat, it is free of refined sugars. It can
easily be modified to feature your favorite fixings. My kids added dried
cranberries. Raisins or dates could easily be used as well. Have fun mixing it
up!
Ingredients:
4 cups oats
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup dried cranberries (or any other dried fruit)
½ tsp kosher salt
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup honey
*Cooking tip: Add the oil, then the
honey, using the same measuring cup. The oil will make it easy for the honey to
slip right off into the mixing bowl.
Directions:
1.
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour,
coconut, and salt.
3.
Add the oil, then the honey to the dry mixture.
Stir to combine.
4.
Add the cranberries and mix well.
5.
Grease a baking sheet (or add parchment) and
press the granola mixture into the pan.
6.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
7.
Cool, then cut into bars.
Crunch a Color Kids Vote: Grab and go!
What we Liked: These homemade granola bars are crunchy and crumbly. When you’re done
cutting them, the baking sheet will be filled with tasty chunks of yummy
granola. Perfect for sprinkling over yogurt parfaits!
* Do you have a favorite recipe for making homemade
granola bars?
* What ingredients do you like to add to your mix?
Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last
week’s recipe: Easy Spanish rice.
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom
of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color -- the
award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents,
she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to
make it into a healthy eating
game. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,
Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun
For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to
eat healthy and try new foods! Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy
and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food
adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
