The Carrot (Seed) Muffins

Lately we are obsessed with The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. We read it over and over. We read it inside and outside, on the potty, on the couch, everywhere. I came to thinking what I could make that had to do with carrots, and found this carrot muffin recipe on Super Healthy Kids. I modified them a bit per some of the comments and they turned out great! My little gardener loves to help!

Carrot (Seed) Muffins

1 Cup Flour (1/2 white, ½ whole wheat)1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup carrot (about 4 large carrots) pureed with 1 banana

1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
A bit of milk if they look too dry

1. Cover the carrots in a microwave safe bowl and steam for 2-3 minutes.

2. Combine carrots, vanilla, applesauce, eggs, banana in blender until liquid forms.

3. Mix the dry ingredients in large bowl.

4. Mix all ingredients until moistened. Add milk (or water, or apple juice) if it looks too dry.

5. Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Even though these were great, they were a little dry. I think I would do 1 cup white and 1 cup whole wheat flour (instead of 1/2 and 1.5) and increase the applesauce to 1 cup. 

Oooh! Matisse Bars

My mom is on a mission to make my budding artist into an art aficionado. So she has been slowing giving her art appreciation books. One of Gaby's favorite books recently is Oooh! Matisse by Mil Niepold. Gaby loves reading it, and is getting very good at it herself.




Anyway, we have a lot of O cereal in the pantry, and I've been dying to do something with it. I thought of making O-treats, like Rice Krispies treats. But I've never made those, so I wouldn't know how to convert them. I'm in love with another blog/website dedicated to cooking for kids. Weelicious is where I got my recipe for what we call "Oooh Matisse bars." Gaby loved them, and Gaby's classmates love them too!

Oooh Matisse bars - adapted from Weelicious "O" Cookies

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Corn Syrup - yes, I know. It's all I had!
4 Cups O’s Cereal 

1. Place the nut butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and warm for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth and combined.
2. Place the cereal in a bowl.
3. Pour the warm peanut butter/corn syrup mixture into the bowl with the cereal and stir to combine.
4. Place the mixture into a 9 x 9 inch ungreased pan, pat down and then cut into bars. As the O’s mixture cools, it will harden.

Challah Time!

We are signed up for PJ Library, which sends us a free book every month with a Jewish theme. In my house, books are for learning, and so what better way to learn about our Jewish heritage than with books. Gaby loves here PJ books and gets so excited when they come in the mail. We've been reading It's Challah Time by Latifa Berry Kropf for a few months now. This is our second batch of challah. She had a great time helping me make it (and eating flour)!

It's Challah Time Challah recipe
Makes 2-3 large loafs

2 Tbs yeast                                                2 eggs

1/2 cup warm water                                   2 tsp salt

1 tsp honey                                                1 Tbs cinnamon

3 cups whole wheat flour + 1 cup white flour  1 Tbs vanilla

1/2 cup oil                                                  1 1/2 cups warm water

1/2 cup honey                                            Up to 3 cups white flour

1. In a small bowl mix yeast with 1/2 c. warm water and 1 tsp honey. Let bubble.

2. In a large bowl mix the whole wheat flour, oil, honey, eggs, salt, cinnamon, vanilla.

3. Add the yeast mixture and the 1 1/2 c. water.

4. Add white flour one cup at a time and when the dough is firm, begin kneading it.

5. Keep kneading until dough is not sticky anymore, keep adding white flour.

6. Put dough in oiled bowl and cover with damp cloth. Let rise 1-2 hours.

7. Place and braid on oiled baking sheet. Let rise 1 more hour.

8. Bake in preheated 325 F oven for about 20 minutes.

Finished Challah. You can see where Gaby and my husband couldn't wait to take a taste!