Bunchland

Spice up dinner with these Cinco de Mayo flavours

Mexican is probably the most kid-friendly cuisine out there, being tasty and fun to make — who can resist a taco bar and spicy chocolate? Beans, avocados and tons of veggie toppings make for an energy packed, hearty meal. To do Cinco de Mayo right, ditch the margarita pre-mix and whip up some of these more authentic, fresh dishes. Muy Buenu!

THE BEVERAGE: Aguas Fresca

Aguas fresca, or “fruit water,” is sold in bottles by street food vendors and served at Mexican restaurants in pitchers. It’s made by blending fruits like melon, guava, tamarind, or papaya with a dash of sugar and water.  This light, naturally sweet beverage kicks that pop can’s ass.  Read more...

• 2 cups cold water
• 2 cups watermelon
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Juice of half a lime
• Crushed ice

Fun snacks that pay homage to our Earth’s wild critters

We’re not quite sure why kids are fascinated by the idea of eating insects, but pretty much every fruit snack, bite sized cookie or candy out there is shaped like some kind of critter. The creepier they are, the more kids seem to dig them. These home made crawlers make great snacks for Earth Day!

FROG MACAROONS ON A LILLYPAD

As you can see, these frog cookies have mucho personality. These ones happen to be smoking cigars, but you can choose to give them more kid-friendly accessories, like a fruit-by-the-foot-tongue or some licorice pull n’ peel spectacles.

Makes 2 dozen small frogs, or 1 dozen big ones:  Read more...

• 3 cups flaked coconut
• ½ can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• Green food colouring

Not your average sugar and salt switcheroo

April Fools’ Day food pranks date back to the Victorian Era, when a young lady named Edith Walrach got the early-morning surprise of her life. She was having breakfast at a friend’s house in Binghampton and she cracked into a hard boiled egg to have a mouse spring out! Her blithe host had stuck the critter in and then sealed the shell back up with plaster. We can imagine it shocked the tatted collar right off her. Our picks for April Fools’ Day food pranks are far from unsavoury- – your kids will get a pleasant surprise as they bite into a sweet treat disguised as something a little less exciting. They’re also fun and super easy to make.

FAKIN’ AND EGGS

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Spring produce is screaming for homemade tarts

Tarts are most versatile dish out there. They can be adapted into desserts, dinner, breakfast or lunch. We’ve rounded up five recipes that eliminate the delicate and time consuming affair of the cutting of butter into flour, waiting while the dough chills in the fridge, and gingerly pressing it into tart pans. Not kid-friendly. These ones let you cut to the chase — filling that shell. We reckon tarts can taste just as good when you buy frozen because after all, what really matters is the seasonal fillings. Spring food is happy food!

ASPARAGUS TART WITH CAULIFLOWER CRUST

Get even more veggies in by making a pastry crust out of cauliflower! No magic assembly required, just a food processor or a cheese grater and a hankering for some killer vitamins. This creative recipe comes from ABC’s and garden peas.  Read more...

Bring the favourite urban guilty pleasure home with these four wholesome spins on food cart classics

The hand-held convenience, the saucy foil wrapper, the toppings. The toppings! The act of getting street meat is such a fun experience because it’s so casual and customizable, and just straight-up tasty. These recipes are kid-friendly enough that little ones can help in the kitchen. Turn your kitchen table into your family’s own street meat cart and you can feel good about dodging the perils of dining among pigeons. (Even though that’s kind of fun sometimes.)

FRY-STAND INSPIRED FRITES

French fries have a bad rap for being grease mongers. Skip the deep frying part and bake these bad boys till they’re golden and crispy. No one will miss having greasy fingers.  Read more...

Do you feel a sugar rush coming on?

Between the class-party, the obligatory conversation hearts, and the steady stream of red food dye-riddled treats, Valentine’s Day is pretty much sugar rush day. Instead of strapping a helmet on your kids before they head off to school on the 14^th, send them off with a few of these natural alternatives to the fake stuff. A few fruits and veggies included.

Strawberry Filled Pop-Hearts

Pop tarts are one of those coveted, fructose-filled guilty-pleasure breakfast treats. Too bad, because they’re so awesome. This recipe from Babble uses real strawberries and not too much sugar to make for a more natural breakfast. These also make a great gift if wrapped or boxed up.

1 package of refrigerated pie crust

Strawberry filling:  Read more...

• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• ½ cup sugar

Slipping around in the snow requires energy and that bowl of Fruity O’s might not cut it

We don’t need to convince you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for kids. But in the winter, little bodies have different needs. A stick-to-your-ribs morning meal should ideally have some protein, iron, whole grains and of course, a proper dose of fun. These weekday winter breakfasts offer some great ways to pump your kids full of good stuff before they venture out with a smile.

COCOA HAZELNUT OATMEAL

Reminiscent of Nutella but more action packed. The oats in this tasty bowl from grandparents.com are full of iron, protein, and beta-gluten, a fibre that amps up the immune system. Hazelnuts are high in healthy fats and high on awesome taste. The best part? Your kids get to have chocolate for breakfast.  Read more...