Fruit tarts are so beautiful – and they look like they take a lot of work! They also look and taste like summer! The fruit, the freshness, the colors, and the lightness! I gotta tell you – this recipe is a new favorite for me. I plan to make it for holidays and guests instead of baked goods! It’s delicious, beautiful, and SUPER EASY! You are not going to believe how simple this recipe is. I always admire the fruit tarts at the bakery, and now I have a super easy way to make my own…and I like my version way better! I hope you give this a try!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Small box – Vanilla pudding mix (instant or regular)
- 2 Cups – Whole milk
- 1 – Large orange
- 1 – Graham cracker pie crust (pre-made)
- A variety of fresh fruit for topping your tart (berries work especially well)
- Fresh mint for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make your pudding by following the instructions on the box. I chose an
organic vanilla pudding mix that I made on the stove. You can also use instant pudding and it will still be delicious – and will shave off a ton of cooking time! I actually think the instant pudding sets faster and holds much better in a tart like this. Most pudding box mixes take 2 cups of milk. Use organic whole milk as it has a fuller flavor than skim and is healthier than using cream. - Let the pudding start to set and cool down. Give it about 5 minutes or so,
wash the orange and zest it into the pudding. If you don’t have a zester, I highly recommend you get one! I love it and use it often to zest citrus, ginger, certain spices, etc. Well worth it if you want to elevate an easy dish with extra flavor. Put the pudding into the fridge until fully set – based on the time specified on your boxed mix. - Once pudding has fully set, pour into the
graham cracker crust and spread evenly. Zest a little more of the orange on top of the pudding. - Wash your fruit of choice. In this case, I chose strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Slice 4-5 strawberries (more or less depending on the size of the berries and your crust). Place 2 rings of strawberry slices around the crust. Then add the blackberries, and fill in with the raspberries. Pile them high or make a neat row.
- NOTE: You can use whatever fruit you want – especially depending on what is in season and/or has the colors of the holiday you are preparing this for. Figs, apricots, blueberries, peaches and nectarines all work well. I would avoid oranges as they will release too much juice into the pudding, as well as pears and bananas as they get brown if the tart sits too long.
- Zest a touch more orange on the top of the fruit.
- Wash fresh mint, chiffonade and sprinkle on top of the fruit for a pop of herb freshness.
- Put back in the fridge until ready to eat – and ENJOY! XOXO
Toddlers are so much fun and very curious! Gabe is full of energy and has a million questions a day. I don’t always have the answers, but I try hard to explain things as best as I can. One thing that he has been particularly interested in lately is how things grow. He has learned a lot about how things grow at school, and I wanted to do something fun to bring that learning home.
The Flower Power Experiment is easy and fun! Gabe will be 4 at the end of July, so he was a super helper for this experiment. Sofia is 22 months and a bit too young to be my helper. My kiddos are learning different things right now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t both benefit from our activities!
My favorite part about this particular activity is that Gabe and I did the experiment while Sofia was napping yesterday (fantastic 1:1 time for me and my big boy), and when she got up, she was excited about all the beautiful colors! Gabe got to learn about how plants take in water and why, while Sofia got to practice her colors in a fun new way!
What You Need:
- White flowers – I went with 8 flowers so each kid could have a flower in each of the 4 colors we were using.
- Food coloring – Don’t spend a lot on this since you aren’t eating the coloring at all.
- Mason jars, clear water glasses, clear plastic cups, or other smallish containers to hold a couple of flowers on their own. I like mason jars because they are sturdy, great for food storage, art projects, baking, canning, and more.
- A large measuring cup or something easy for your kiddos to pour water out of.
- Water
The Experiment:
Step 1: Start by talking about the flowers. This is a simple explanation that you can use – or modify – for your kiddos.
“Plants absorb water through their roots through a process called osmosis. Can you say osmosis? The water travels up tubes in the stems to the other parts of the plants like the petals, and is used by the plant to make food. Can you show me the stems of the flowers? Can you show me the petals? We can’t see the plant drinking water because it happens very slowly. When we add food coloring to the water, the flowers drink the water and the food coloring travels up the stem and into the white flower petals! The colors help show us that the plant drank the water! Plants need water and food to grow, just like you and me!”
Step 2: Put out your mason jars and fill your measuring cup with water. I recommend filling one of them first to show your toddler how to be careful, pour slowly, and about how much water to pour. Then let them try it! The great news is water is easy to clean up! Keep a towel handy in case of any spills.
Step 3: Let your helper put in the food coloring. Just like with the water, show your kiddo how to do the first one. I showed Gabe how to put the food coloring in the first jar and we counted 15 drops together. I then let him do the other 3 colors while we counted to 15 together each time.
Step 4: It’s time to pick out the flowers for each jar. Let your helper pick 1 flower at a time. Using sharp scissors, cut the bottom of the stems so the flowers fit your jar/glass without tipping over. I used this as an opportunity to remind Gabe that adults are the only ones who get to use sharp scissors. They are off limits to kiddos – which includes him. You can hand the flower back to your helper so they can put one or two in each cup of color.
Step 5: Talk about what they think will happen next. Will the flowers look the same (white) even though they are drinking water with colors in them? Will they change colors? Will they have little spots or stripes of color or will they drink all the water quickly and be super dark..? Have a discussion about what they think will happen and why.
Step 6: Check on the flowers in a few hours, and again the next day. Talk about what they think has happened and look at the amount of color the flowers have taken in so far. After 2 days, cut another inch off the bottoms to refresh the stems and see if the flowers take up more water/color. Enjoy checking in on this experiment for a few days until the flowers start falling apart. Compost flowers when done.
Have fun! XOXO
Summer time is wonderful for so many reasons. Family time, fun in the sun, and deliciously fresh food! One of the best foods during the summer is pesto. It is delicious and can be used in so many ways. It’s also much easier to make than you think! Most pesto includes pine nuts, but for me, I use seeds. For those who are nut free (usually due to an allergy), or for those who just want to try something new, this is a nut free pesto made with pumpkin seeds that is super delicious! Give it a try – you won’t be sorry! 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup – Pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 cup – Arugula leaves (packed)
- 1 cup – Fresh basil leaves (packed)
- 1/3 cup – Avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 tsp – Organic lemon zest
- 1 tsp – Fresh lemon juice (use the lemon you zested)
- 1 tsp – Red wine vinegar (I’ve also used champagne vinegar and it’s wonderful)
- 1 pinch – Red pepper chili flakes (omit if you don’t want any spice)
- Salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Before anything, you need to make your PEPITAS!
This is a very simple process and worth doing fresh. In a medium size pan, heat your raw/shelled pumpkin seeds over medium heat. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally as they start to brown. They will start to make a small popping noise as they get a beautiful toasted color. They should be done within about 5 min. Be sure not to burn them. That’s it – you made pepitas! Now for the pesto!
- In a blender (MUCH easier to clean than a food processor) combine the garlic, arugula, basil, pepitas, avocado oil, lemon zest/juice, vinegar and red pepper flakes.
- Blend until smooth and season with salt to taste.
- Enjoy over noodles, zoodles, fish, chicken, etc.
- TIP: It stores really well in a jar in the fridge.
It lasts 5-7 days in the fridge and 3-4 months in the freezer. To make dinner easier – make a double batch and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, pop them out and put in a freezer bag. Whenever you want to make a pesto dish,grab 1 cube and throw it in the pan! Talk about a great kitchen hack! 🙂
MY DISH!
I prepared a beautiful dinner using my pumpkin seed pesto and it was delicious! My husband was such a big fan that I made it again a couple days later while the pesto was still fresh 🙂
Below is a photo of the dish I made. I used yellow squash noodles (similar to zucchini noodles / zoodles). My grocery store makes these and has them in the fresh veggies section. If you prefer to make them, you can use a spiralizer. I’m always looking for ways to save on time, which is why I get them fresh and already prepped from the grocery store!
Heat a large pan with a touch of cooking spray. Add your squash or zucchini noodles and after about a minute, add a couple spoonfuls of your pesto. Start slow so you only use enough pesto to cover the zoodles. Do not over cook this dish or they will get soggy. They will heat through very fast (a couple of minutes).
Put your zoodles onto a large serving dish, or onto your individual serving plates. Wash a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes and slice in half lengthwise. Wash some fresh basil leaves and cut off the stems. Garnish the zoodles with the tomatoes and basil leaves. You can even put a little parmesan cheese on top for a little extra yumminess!
I topped my dish with sautéed shrimp. You can eat it as is for a fully vegetarian dish, or top it with your preferred protein.
ENJOY! XO
To me, summertime means fun in the sun, bubbles in the backyard, and lots of fresh veggies! Asparagus is in season (along with many other amazing veggies) – so I wanted to share a yummy side dish that is a winner in our house! Dan and the kids LOVED these (as did I) – so I will be making them again very soon (as in this weekend)! I hope you give this simple recipe a try to share with friends, family, or just to devour yourself! They are fresh, delicious, and HEALTHY! Try something new – you won’t regret it! 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Bunch – Organic asparagus
- 1 – Large egg
- 1 Cup – Grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp – Salt free “All Purpose Seasoning” (my fave is Bragg Organic Sprinkle 24 Herbs & Spices Seasoning)
- 1 – Lemon
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheets with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- Using a fork, beat the egg in a bowl with about 1 Tbsp of water. Once the egg is thoroughly beaten, pour into a shallow dish.
- In another shallow dish, stir together the Parmesan cheese and All Purpose Seasoning.
- Next prep your asparagus. Wash it well
in cold water andtrim the ends. Pat dry with a paper towel (you can compost paper towels so be sure to do so). - Dip the asparagus in the egg mixture until they are fully coated.I recommend doing 3-4 at a time, unless you use a larger shallow dish.
- Next move the asparagus into the cheese mixture evenly coat
them on all sides. - Transfer the asparagus to the baking sheet. Be sure to keep the asparagus in a single layer and not
touching. If you need a second baking sheet, that is fine. Prep it the same as the first baking sheet. For reference – I was able to fit all of my asparagus on a single sheet without an issue. - Bake for about 10 min, until they are golden brown. If you really want them to have some color, you can throw them under the broiler for 1-2 min but don’t overdue it or they will burn.
- Wash lemon and cut in half. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of the asparagus. The pop of fresh lemony acid is perfect on this dish!
- You can also sprinkle with a touch of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. It’s best to season these while they are still hot.
- Serve them on their own or with an aioli! Enjoy!
The beauty of this recipe is that you can replicate it with other spring veggies and spices! Try this same exact recipe with cleaned French green beans! They are delicious and get a little crunchier than the asparagus. You can also add a little cayenne pepper for a touch of heat. I don’t usually add the cayenne because the kids are still pretty little, but it’s worth it for those who like some spice! Give both veggies a try and see how delicious this healthy new favorite is!
XOXO