Muffin Tin Meal: Healthy After School Snack

Create healthier after school snack options with muffin cups. You can cut out the prep time and prepare muffin tin snacks ahead of time. whether on a plate or nestled in a Snapware container, muffin cups are a great for everything from fruits and veggies to dips and sauces. Leave them in the fridge for the kids to nibble on when they get home from school!


Carrots, Lettuce "chips", pear pieces, blueberries in square shaped muffin cups


Muffin Tin Monday

Happy Monday! It's a wonderful start to the week when we have a muffin tin lunch! Mondays around here mean it's time for Muffin Tin Monday, the weekly blog link up for Muffin Tin Meal lovers from all over the world. This is the link up that started the muffin tin mania. To find out more about how it all began, visit our FAQ page. It's the first day of school for us! The kids are bursting with excitement! While the kids didn't take one to school, we did have this Sunday for lunch. I was able to get 4 fruits and veggies in!



In this tin: Organic celery, deli ham, cantaloupe, kiwi, organic vanilla yogurt, grapes
Muffin Tin: Vintage Wilton

I'm still struggling with what I like to call "organic guilt". I so wish I could make 100% of my purchases organic, fresh, and local. Until then, I am just resolving to do my best for my family with the means we have.

Now, it's your turn! What did you make for Muffin Tin Monday?





Issue 4 is nearly done!


Issue 4 of the Wizzo is almost finished! We just need a couple more comics until its complete! The Wizzo website is also coming along nicely! I can't say much more, but I'll inform you when it's done!

Oh and I'm livestreaming. [LINK] :)
--
That's all! Make sure you
me!

No Need For The Sunday Paper - End of Summer

I promised myself I would not break out the Fall decor until after August was over. For the first time in years I am excited about the advent of the Fall season.


JamieOliver.com Savor the End of Summer with these flavored water recipes- Add fruit and veggies to water for an extra healthy flavor boost. Cucumbers, sliced orange, watermelon, honey dew, mashed up strawberries

Nuturing Naters: Love this Fall/Thanksgiving-themed sensory bin for preschoolers. (this makes me excited for fall)

Brooklyn LimeStone: Banana Toffee or "Banoffee" Pie made with easy homemade toffee!

**For more creative ideas all week long, visit my pin boards on Pinterest

EWG's Shopper's Guide - Go Mobile


Every year, the Environmental Working Group puts out a list of the fruits and vegetables with the most and least amount of pesticides. Called the "Clean 15" and the "Dirty Dozen", these lists help shoppers who want to avoid harmful pesticides in their produce. The Clean 15 list highlights the top 15 fruits and vegetables with the least amounts of pesticide residue. Superstars on this include onions, sweet corn, mangoes and more! Produce on the Dirty Dozen list, (the 12 fruits and veggies with the most residue), include strawberries, spinach, and grapes. Apples are listed in the number one spot on the Dirty Dozen list.

Over the last few months, since I committed to limiting my family's exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in food, I have had the EWG's Shopper Guide in the forefront of my mind. Only one problem: I kept forgetting which items were on which list.  Were strawberries on the clean 15 list or the dirty dozen list? I would often mix them up and end up buying the wrong thing!  

So when I found the EWG's Shopper's Guide smart phone app (available to both iphone and android users) I breathed a little sigh of relief. No more stressing out in the middle of the grocery store. I now have the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen literally at my finger tips. For those of you without  a smartphone, you can print out the handy EWG Clean 15 wallet card 

I wasn't expecting to see Avocados on the Clean 15 list. What about you? Is there a fruit or veggie you were surprised to see on the list?




Muffin Tin Monday

It's Muffin Tin Monday! School starts for us next week. We are a little misty-eyed that this is the last week of Summer 2011, but also so very ready for school to begin. During the school year, Muffin Tin Monday will still be going strong.

In this muffin tin: 
organic carrot sticks, ham slices, organic grapes, vanilla yogurt, canatloupe and applesauce.

I thin my 6 and 7 year old will be graduating to full 12 cup tins for each of them! They asked for more food. ;)

Now it's your turn! Email and RSS subscribers, be sure to click over to the site to see all the Muffin Tin Monday submissions this week!




No Need For The Sunday Paper


Here are some sweet links!

Parents.com: Make these adorable Sweet heart kabobs (or is it kebabs?)Perfect for back to school lunches or after school!

Joy's Hope: I love this "art of the go" kit, as part of Little Blue Boo's What would you make?

Almost UnSchoolers: Orange slice and grape butterflies - perfect for muffin tin monday. If you use it, be sure to bookmark it so you can give credit later. :)

Me and my Insanity: Find paper flower cup bling at the showcase of her daughter's fairy party. So many fun ideas!

A Pocket Full of Buttons: Wow your friends and family with this easy Veggie Pizza recipe. Looks so yummy!

*photo credit: A pocket full of buttons

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I'm nominated for a Parents.com Best Food Blog Award for 2011

I would love your vote.I don't get anything for winning, just a little extra cool points. :)  It asks you to sign up, but you can decline all the newsletters if you wish. And if you are already a member of the Better Homes and Gardens site (which I am -love their room designer), you are good to go.


Muffin Tin Meal: It's Fruit-tastic!


In this Muffin Tin Meal: Quesadilla, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew Melon, Orange Slices

Healthy doesn't have to look boring. 
Add Color!

If it seems like too much work, cut the fruits and veggies ahead of time and store them for super fast lunch time prep.  

Kids going back to school? Muffin Tin Meals make great afternoon snacks, dinners and desserts.


9 Alternate Uses For A Muffin Tin

Recipe White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Mash



Your taste buds will thank you after you sample some if this delicious white chocolate peanut buttery goodness. This recipe is my take on my friend Sugar Jones' Aiming Low Award-Winning "White Trash" recipe.  This is meant to be a sweet treat and is definitely not organic Although, I am wondering if my new friend The Recipe Renovator might be able to work her magic?

You'll need:

  • large bowl & mixing spoon

  • Muffin tin

  • 1 pkg white chocolate/almond bark

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter

  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups cereal as desired



Melt 6 squares of white chocolate (aka almond bark) and about a half cup of peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until the it's smooth. (micro at 15 second intervals if still not melted through).


I used a mash up of cereals. I added the dregs of the cereals my kids wont eat because there's not enough to make a full bowl. A little cookie crisp, cheerios, lucky charms. I think granola might also taste good.


Quickly add it to the melted white chocolate goodness.


yum!


Add small scoops to a muffin tin.


Allow to set (for faster setting, put in freezer for 20 minutes).


Serve and enjoy!


*Recipe by Sugar Jones. 

What have you made lately?

Muffin Tin Monday

Muffin Tin Monday is here. This is the weekly blog link up where moms and caregivers alike feed their kids food in a creative and interesting way - in a muffin tin! I am the Muffin Tin Mom. I host this link up every week. Please join in! We would love to have you!




In this Muffin Tin Lunch: red bell peppers, star ham sandwich, fruit salad (organic blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon) Veggie Pasta with Italian dressing, gluten free alphabet cookies, and a heart ham sandwich.

I am keeping this short, because it was a wild day today (yesterday?). I have a little one that is sick at home with me. We took a trip to the ER for tummy pain, but are home and resting. I have also really enjoyed reading all of the comments about what your dream business would be. Thank you for sharing!


The Business of Blogging

Me: Summer 2008

It was the summer of 2008. I was searching online for something. I can't remember exactly what it was. Maybe it was a recipe, or craft activity. I can't remember. I had 2 small children, I could barely remember my own name! Whatever it was, it led me to a kids craft blog that I absolutely adored. Kiddio.org. I remember thinking to myself: I could do what she's doing. I could start blog. I could turn my passion for kids and creativity and writing into something online. So I began scouring blogs. Any blog about moms, parenting, crafts, kids and food.

Then I happened upon an interview by Janice and Susan of 5 Minutes For Mom of Michelle of Scribbit. That one interviewsealed the deal for me. Michelle's perspective gave me wings. So, I decided spread my wings and see if I could fly. Since that summer almost 3 years ago to to the day, I cultivated a career for myself and have been able to stay home with my kids. I get to help families make mealtime fun! My journey to being Muffin Tin Mom has been filled with a lot of hard work, but it has been so worth it.

To add to my fulfillment I am a part of a great group of local women who all support each other on their blogging journey. I count myself fortunate to be among them. Collectively, we support each other and local businesses along the way. My favorite little cupcake shop is a local business that I have been able to support though not only my patronage, but also through social media avenues like Facebook and Twitter. And our local farmer's market? That's like local business heaven!

So now, Intuit is helping small businessesachieve their dreams by awarding $25,000 each month to a local business! $25,000!


So I’m curious to know: What dream business would you love to start? A Blog? Cupcake shop? I want to know! By replying you will be entered to win an iPad 2!  (Yep, you read that right.)

*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Intuit’s Love A Local Businesscompetition. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs August 10 to September 1, 2011. A random winner will be announced by September 6, 2011. Official Contest Rules

I'm back!


Yep! Sorry for lack of updates recently, I moved house and didn't have any internet for aagggeess! How did I survive? Anyway, I will post some new happenings as they happen...
--
That's all! Make sure you
me!

Muffin Tin Monday

Welcome to Muffin tin Monday. We are all about creating fun lunches for kids in a muffin tin. We call it the Muffin tin Meal. Simple and fun for kids and parents. Muffin Tin Monday is the weekly blog link up that showcasesreader submitted muffin tin meals.


In this muffin tin: cantaloupe, yogurt with sprinkles, baby cucumbers, salad, honeydew melon, grilled teriakyi chicken pieces

Now it's your turn!




Muffin Tin Meal: Breakfast Yogurt Add-ins


Muffin Tin Meals  are great for breakfast. Whether it's french toast dippers, mini pancakes, cereal sampler or yogurt add-ins, muffin tins are a fun way to serve breakfast for kids.


For yogurt add-ins: Start with a bowl of organic yogurt. Add strawberries, granola, berries and other assorted add-ins of your choosing. Drizzle some local organic honey in your yogurt for a little sweet treat. Do your kids eat yogurt? Do They like it plain? Do they like add-ins?

Water Bath Canning Plum Jam


Yesterday, my kids and I were invited over to my friend Ellen's house to can fresh plums with her. I had never canned before and while the visit originated as a way for my kids to have a fun experience canning, I ended up being the one who delighted in the process the most. Her plums are out of this world delicious. And we got a little taste of the water bath canning process.

Making and canning jam isn't as hard as it seems. Maybe it was because Ellen patiently walked us (me) through the step by step process. Or maybe it was that she had all the right tools for waterbath canning and everything prepped. Whatever it was, I walked away, wanting to can more!

We picked the plums from Ellen's gorgeous Santa Rosa Plum Tree....So yummy!


She had the jars,the lids, the pectin, sugar, the stock pot, and the jar lifter. We were set!


I was so enthralled with the process that I forgot to take down notes for a tutorial. We cut the fruit, added pectin, boiled it down, adding in sugar, poured it into the jars, sealed them, put them in the boiling water, etc. You can probably find step-by-step instructions at pickyourown.org (although even they make it sound more complicated that it really is.)

Ideas for plum jam:
  • Spread on scones, bagels, and breakfast breads
  • Slather it on pork roast (Ellen's suggestion)
  • Cookie, ice cream and jam parfait
  • I am thinking of using my jam to make this (below) delectable stuffed french toast with plum jam and cream cheese!



I love these printable canning tags from Domestifluff

image via domestifluff

Do you can? What are your resources? I would love to hear about your experience.

5 Lunch Boxes Perfect For Muffin Tin Meal Lovers

**Originally posted on August 17th, 2010

Summer is winding down for us. And that means back to school shopping, getting the class supply list, back pack, and lunch box figured out before school starts. School may start soon for some of you. Hope you are inspired by these creative lunch boxes. All of these lunchboxes offer up not only a creative alternative to the brown paper bag, but are a great way to help reduce lunchtime waste.

Many of you have asked me how you can take Muffin Tin Meals on the go. These are great options!






Key Features: 
Comes with 4 durable lunchboxes that are durable, microwave/dishwasher safe, 
also no harmful plastics like BPA, and FDA approved. Bags come in a variety of colors and the boxes fit right inside the bags with room for ice pack, drink and snack!
Price Point: 
13.95 for 4 boxes and 7.95 for an insulated bag/case
What I love: 
Separate compartments and streamlined size plus it's a quality product at a great price. We purchased Easy Lunchboxes last year and we love them. I have since recommended them to everyone I know. I can prep the night before and leave them stacked in the fridge. And if I am in a hurry in the morning I am so glad I have easy lunchboxes! 


Tagline: "Bentoware for everywhere"
*photo courtesy of laptoplunches.com

Key Features
This bento inspired lunch box comes in a range of fun colors, 
includes compartments for a wide variety of foods and even has lids for "wet" ingredients like dips and sauces. Made with NO harmful phthalates, BPA or lead. You can also purchase an insulated tote and waterbottle to go with the lunchbox.
Price Point:
Basic Set is 19.99 (a little pricey, but a solid investment)
What I love:
It's perfect kids and grown ups alike- It can grow with my kids and they never have to worry about being "too old" for their themed lunch box.


*photo property of goodbyn.com

Key Features: 
Customizable, Built in handle, Comes in a variety of fun colors and with a juice box size beverage container, offers two diffrent sizes for ages 5-9 and 10+
Price Point:
24.95 
What I love:
 Hands down the unique design and personalization are my favorite parts 
and I know my kids would flip over these.



Key Features
Stainless Steel Construction, which means no plastic. Customizable with an included magnet set. Offers an insulated carry case and pocket for stainless steel water bottle.
Price Point:
$34.95 for the box and 1 magnet set. 
(priciest of all the options, but quality made)
What I love:
To look at it is to love it. 
I like that the insulated bag has a pocket on the outside for a snack and a place for the water bottle. 




Key Features: 
Stainless steel 2 tier construction, carrying handle, however may be a little harder to open for little hands. To Go Ware offers a variety of cloth sacks to carry the tiffin box- and you could even make your carrying bag to suit the personality of your child.
Price Point: 
$24.95 on Amazon, or $19.99 directly from the To Go Ware Site.
What I love: 
The stainless steel construction and carrying handle 

*Disclosure: I was not provided with any of the products mentioned in this post. This is purely editorial.