Pick Your Own Produce!

     I used to work at an after-school program when I was 18 and 19 years old. One day a little boy was tearing branches off a tree and I told him to stop. He asked “why” and I said he was hurting it. This confused the first grader quite a bit because he didn’t know that trees were alive! He thought they were “decorations.”

     That day I vowed to myself: "When I have kids, they will know better than that!"

      A lot of kids I’ve come into contact with think that food (even produce!) comes from the store… period. Maybe that's because we live in a large city. I want my kids to learn early how our groceries come to be. As always, the Bible is a great place to start…

“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seeds in it, according to their various kinds.’” 

Genesis 1:11

“Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’” 

Genesis 1:29

“…The rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater…” 

Isaiah 55:10

     I would actually really love to keep a garden, but funding and talent have prevented that. To those of you who garden with your kids, that’s awesome! You are going to teach them so much about life! I, however, must resort to field trips.

     One day this past Fall while browsing the “for sale” shelf at our library, my inspiration was found: bilingual book all about apples and how they grow. I bought it and decided to show T hands-on what this was all about.

     
      I found a great website where you can search for orchards in your area:

PickYourOwn.Org 

     I found one about an hour and a half from where we live and invited some friends. All the kids and moms had a blast! This was one of the coolest things I have done with my son. The orchard was on a farm so we got to visit lots of animals and have great BBQ for lunch! 

     In addition to the learning experience we got pounds of organic golden delicious apples for a fraction of what they cost in the grocery store! Later that week at home we learned how to make an apple pie!

 

      I will definitely be posting again in the summer after we harvest some peaches and maybe some strawberries too!

     How do you teach your kids where food comes from? Farmers' markets, gardening, book suggestions? Do you have any tips for gardening in AZ on a budget? 


Heather

Baking with a Toddler!

     I love to bake and I have a lot of fun including my son in the process (toddler pie?). I always expect that with his “help” there is going to be a lot of tasting involved. For the most part, I don’t mind that. He has only tried baking powder/soda about twice and now when he sees either of them, he says “that's yucky!” He thinks that flour tastes good, and of course asks to taste sugar specifically!

     ANYWAY, one thing I do mind him tasting is dough with raw eggs in it. I know that most people probably would not think much about having a taste of batter or dough containing raw eggs, (I usually don’t care) but for me while I’m prego, and my toddler I just don’t feel comfortable.

     I hear too many news stories about food-born illness and know too much about factory farm practices. I really don’t feel I can trust that the eggs I buy in the grocery store are safe to eat without cooking, especially for people with compromised immune systems (pregnant women and young children). 

     I know that applesauce can make a great egg-replacer in baking recipes, but I also dug up some tasty cookie recipes that don’t call for eggs at all. I think they taste a little better than the applesauce cookies. We have made these and they are really yummy and safe, both in cookie and dough form!

WOW Chocolate Chip Cookies

     I found this recipe on a bag of Bob's Red Mill flour. We made a couple dozen for my brother's birthday and he approves! They are yummy!

Tofu Chocolate Chip Cookies

     These may not sound appetizing, but we have tried these many, many times. I have a sister who is vegan, and these are a favorite of mine to make for her because even though they're vegan they actually taste really good, like the real thing.

Bonbon Cookies 

     These cookies are great! They are favorite of mine at Christmas. The dough is very similar in texture to Playdough so it's great for a toddler to squish and roll.

 

Finished bonbons!

 

Happy tasting!

Heather