Category Archives: Breakfast

DIT (Do It Themselves): Mother’s Day Fruit Plates… Help Them to Treat You Right!

by Julie Posted on May 8, 2013

Not to brag, but I am fairly lucky when it comes to my children’s eating habits.  My seven year old is not only willing to try anything, but she actually makes conscious decisions to eat healthy (ok bragging a little).  I’ve seen her bypass  a cookie for a peach, filling my heart with happiness. My youngest is pickier, but at age five she is also making smart choices, though will seldom pass up that cookie.

IMG_2112I’ve never had much trouble getting them to eat fruits and veggies, but when it is dessert time, some coaxing is often in order to keep them satisfied with simply fruit.  It’s my own fault.  I’m a big fan of dessert myself, so it sometimes becomes a bit of a habit until I remind myself to break that cycle.

My favorite way to make the fruit more enticing is toIMG_0982
 make fruit plates. Sometimes they are elaborate, sometimes simply silly.  Regardless – they always get a great response and then gobbled up!  Not only do we enjoy eating them, but they are also a real pleasure to create.  It’s become something of a zen activity for me.

You can only imagine my joy when my little ones began asking me to cut fruit for them to design their own fruit plates!  It’s become quite a hobby for my youngest and I must say she’s got a knack for it.  We often incorporate veggies too.

Now I  really will start bragging.  Last weekend I was awakened twice with fruit plates IMG_2141made with child labor and love.  The one to the right was admittedly made with help from my man – there’s even an egg in the bowl at its center ~ super yum! Perhaps the best part, is when the girls announce themselves proudly and climb into my bed to help me eat their delicious art!

I can’t wait to see what my lovelies create for me next weekend!

Help your kiddos treat you!  Simply cut the fruit the night before and keep it in covered containers in the fridge.  Leave a plate out within their reach and earn yourself an extra 15 minutes or more of sleep!  Proudness and sweetness all around!

Please share any “Do it Themselves” Mother’s Day ideas by commenting below – the more the merrier!

Posted in Breakfast, Crafts, Creativity, Dessert, diet, DIT, DIY, Do It Themselves, Fast Healthy Meals, Food, Gift Idea, Gluten Free, GMO Free, Health, Memories, Mommy Time, Parenting, Parenting Advice, Recipes, Sharing, Snacks, Vegan, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Repurpose Those Chocolate Bunnies ~ Easter Fondue!

by Louise Fenton Posted on April 8, 2013

images-8Still have Easter candy around a week later? After “candy holidays” like Easter and Halloween, I can’t wait to get rid of the stuff for a few reasons: the begging and the pleading, the cavities, the appetite ruining, and most of all my own midnight snacking.

Luckily Easter, at least for us, presents fewer issues than Halloween. Its nice to have some control over what goes into the basket and how much of it. I’m no grinch-bunny though and after having a gang of three year olds around our place for an egg and bunny hunt in the yard, there was plenty of candy left over. And my son knew it.

The following few mornings were the stuff of nightmares. He wanted chocolate bunnies 553752_10151569174216233_872037726_nfor breakfast. He refused all other options. No amount of explanation, negotiation or consolation seemed to make the slightest difference. Despite the screaming, I switched my focus to getting some waffles made, cutting fruit and then… the bunnies. I heated a small sauce pan, added a little coconut oil, two hollow chocolate bunnies, some milk, the little guy helped me stir… and Voila! We had fondue… for breakfast, how decadent and yet efficient.

Now this magical compromise wasn’t an immediate success. Although he helped me prepare the fondue chocolate, once it was served I got a round of, “You killed my rabbits! They’re dead!” and “I want rabbits, not waffles!” We needed some calm down time: a snuggle and reading of Green Eggs And Ham. Then he was ready to try it. Did he like it? Of course he did. In fact, he said he would eat it with a goat or on a boat!

To Make:

images-7For fondue sauce – any leftover Easter chocolate will do. I used a dollop of coconut oil to make it saucier. Butter would work as well. Just melt the oil or butter in the pan, add the chocolate on low heat and stir continuously. As the chocolate begins to melt, add some milk. We used almond milk, but cow’s or rice or soy or hemp would work as well. Berries, grapes and apple slices are great in fondue. Use your imagination and just shove a toothpick in it. I had some gummy bears with vitamin C in them (bulk section at Whole Foods) and put them on the plate as well. They were yummy dipped in chocolate!

Posted in Breakfast, Creativity, Dessert, DIY, Food, Holidays, parent-child activities, Parenting, Parenting Advice, Recipes, Recycling, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Baby it’s Cold Outside! Giveaway: Two Leaves Tea Company

by Julie Posted on January 28, 2013

I have mixed feelings about what seems like a colder than average winter in Los Angeles.  Having grown up in the Philadelphia area, you’d think I’d have a thicker skin, but maybe my twelve years out here has made me soft.  I’m not complaining, but if I’m going to shiver, I’d like a little bit of snow along with it.

Luckily I’ve held onto my winter coats and scarves over the years so that I can bundle up, 546456_460333323988406_1327667446_nbut they don’t quite do the trick.  There’s nothing like a hot drink to truly warm away these winter chills.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying mine in the form of Paisley Tea Co.’s english style teas.  Organic, and fair trade, these paper tea bags have over 10% more leaves packed into each bag to brew a stronger cup of tea.  Normally, I use two tea bags in my travel mug, but with these lovely blends, there’s no need.

When it comes to my morning cup of Earl Grey, the more bergamot the better.  There is nothing lacking in Paisley Tea’s Organic Double Earl Grey.  Honestly when I first read the paisley-tea-co-organic-double-earl-grey-detail-178-paisley-doubleeg-verticalshotpackages I doubted I’d notice a difference, but I was happily proven wrong.  Paisley Teas made by Two Leaves Tea Co. create a bolder cup for serious tea drinkers.

The Organic Ginger Green tea is my other favorite variety.  Unlike some blends, this one actually tastes like ginger and green tea.  There is nothing subtle about the flavors here, and that’s what I like.  I’d imagine this would make a delicious ice tea as well!

Paisley Tea Co. also offers Decaf and regular English Breakfast to warm  your spirits.  Feel good about what’s in your mug – all of their organic teas are grown by independent farmers and are certified Fair Trade!

Two Leaves’ Paisley Teas (just $5.95 for a box of 24 bags!), and other products are widely available  at Wholepaisley-tea-co-organic-ginger-green-detail-179-paisley-gingergreen-verticalshot foods and many other other brick and mortar stores as well as from their fantastic website which offers knowledge, tea, and chicly designed “teaware” to enjoy it from.  Join their newsletter and receive a 10% discount online!

WIN!

Two Leaves Tea Company has generously offered TWO Takes a Village Readers TWO boxes of their choosing!  To win, simply enter below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company for providing delicious samples for my review!
Posted in Breakfast, Discount, Food, Gift Idea, Giveaway, natural, organic, Villagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The Many Faces of a Flapjack

by Julie Posted on December 5, 2011

I am very lucky to have two little cuties with voracious, generally non-picky appetites.  However, we all have our days.  On such days, I am grateful for the versatility of the pancake.

This breakfast staple has been enjoyed since prehistoric times, though it looked and tasted much different from it’s modern relatives.  An archived first century recipe indicates it would have been more omlette-esque.

Pancakes have been enjoyed around the world for centuries in varied forms.  Of course we have our crepes compliments of the French, while the Dutch whip up delicious  pannenkoeken, eaten for dinner and filled with various sweet and savory goodies.  Japanese okonomiyaki are made from flour, egg, cabbage and a variety of ingredients.

pannenkoeken

I could go on all day about international hotcakes and have squandered much of my morning making myself hungry reading the fascinating history of pancakes on Wikipedia and the amazing Food Timeline.  No, I’m not being sarcastic; I love this stuff!

Anyway, this is about my breakfast table, not Japan’s or France’s.  Sometimes it takes some creativity to capture the busy attentions of children.

Pancakes are like the open canvas of morning food.  Adding fruit is always a nice twist, or the occasional chocolate chip.   Going seasonal is always a nice touch… pumpkin pancakes were a big hit this Fall, plus they’re chock full of vitamin A.

A complete protein, pancakes are pretty nutritionally sound, even when made from a mix.  They are a decent source of calcium, iron, and other vitamins.  They can also be deliciously doctored to include further benefits.   The aforementioned fruit additives provide obvious advantages.  Nuts are a great choice, also contributing to texture.  I add a handful of flax seeds to any flapjack recipe; a nutritional bonanza for the whole family, which are fairly undetectable by the pickier crowd.  We sometimes go au naturel and forgo syrup altogether or sprinkle with a bit o’ powdered sugar.  When we do use maple, we put it on the side to dip, avoiding soggy pancakes and/ or sugar shock.

Then, of course, there is the easily altered shape, add some mouse ears or whatnot… tried and true classic.  I have recently concocted a pancake strawberry jelly sandwich, which was a huge hit with the three year old and, as an added bonus, was portable for the ride to school!

BUT, what I feel was my greatest smaller than silver-dollar success, was my recent incorporation of flapjacks into my girls’ imaginations.  They were very much embedded in Barbieland on a certain morning, so I made itty-bitty doll sized  pancakes for their plastic friends to enjoy alongside my happy girls while they devoured their own kid sized-stacks!

For some over-the-top ideas check out Jim’s Pancakes, a site devoted to some pretty impressive pancake art ~ giving me something to strive for!  Oh my!  He even wrote a book!

Ok, enough!  I have to go warm up the griddle. Please comment with other ideas to make the glorious pancake even more fabulous!

Posted in Breakfast, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments