Bunchland

Kid-friendly, camp-inspired long weekend eats and treats

Cook up the flavours of summer with your kids and you can have a barbeque-quality feast wherever this weekend takes you. If you’re staying in the city, don’t worry — you don’t even need a barbecue for these recipes. Here are some fun and easy ideas for long weekend grazing:

1. Avocado mango salsa

This creamy and sweet salsa is so versatile it can be used as a topping for grilled fish, burgers, or tacos. Or shovel it into your mouth with corn chips. Summer just ain’t summer without a fresh salsa.  Read more...

• ½ cup diced mango
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (you can omit if this makes your kids squirm)
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

The Bunch Guide to Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day! It’s a day to celebrate the women who raised you, and if you’re currently in the process of raising kids, it’s a day to accept some homemade cards and extra kisses. If you don’t have brunch reservation, you’d  better hope that breakfast in bed is pretty tasty and not at all full of bits of eggshell.

1. Cards

Did your kids make you and/or your partner a card at school? How about one for Grandma? If your kid has multiple mother figures to make cards for, here’s hoping that your card is the nicest card and you don’t have to go cry in the bathroom like Precious Chong did. Need a DIY card idea? The bottom of a bunch of celery makes a great rose shape that you turn into a stamp. Want something a little edgier? Here’s a tattoo card.  Read more...

Your Mother’s Day morning plan!

If what mom really wants in her special day is to lounge around in bed till noon and then make grilled cheese, this is totally the day to do it. But for those who wake up with a little more spring in their step, why not put together a garden party style spread?

EAT:

Nothing says fancy tea party like a trio o’ finger sandwiches. To whip up an easy selection of tea sandwiches you can display all pretty-like, grab yourself a big baguette and make three varieties in one fell swoop. This minimizes toil in the kitchen and maximizes kid and parent pleasing variety. Make sure your kids don’t scrutinize your filling actions if they’re squeamish about cross contamination!  Read more...

• Cuke n’ avo — spread mayo on both side of the baguette, and top with cucumber slices, avocado slices and cracked black pepper

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

When Cedar starting eating solids, we were extremely careful about what he ate. This is probably true for most parents, but haven’t you noticed it’s especially true lately, amongst all us new age, yuppie, hippie, local food-eating, baby-wearing, co-sleeping, teaching-our-kids-to-sign parents?

We started with organic pear puree, then organic butternut squash puree, then organic oatmeal. He loved all of it, and then it became clear that Cedar pretty much wanted everything we were eating too. I think they call that “baby-led weaning” – or wait, isn’t that just “eating”?

In any case, I’m going to say it’s been a bit of a slow decline with food options. He’s become pickier. He used to really love veggies, probably because he didn’t know he was eating them. Now, I swear, if there is spinach in his eggs he will literally catch the tiniest shred of it and look at me, disgusted, before spitting it out. What is up with that?!  Read more...

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

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

This blog, if you haven’t noticed, is called Cravings. The way I see it, there are two kinds of cooking: the food you make because you have to eat, and the food you make because you were inspired and had a craving for something. In a perfect world, yes, it would be great if everything we made were inspired and out of craving. But let’s be real – sometimes you just have to boil oats or fry an egg.

I had a craving for tacos. Now, I know how to make really good tacos with authentic fillings using soft corn tortillas, but what I was really craving last week were the ones we used to eat at my dad’s house on the weekends, the ones from the Old El Paso taco kit. These are what we considered junk food.  Read more...

MAYDAY! Serious springtime fun ahead!

Although summer doesn’t officially begin ’til June, May Day is exactly half a year from November 1st, and marks the end of the winter in the Northern hemisphere. THAT calls for a celebration. Traditionally, kids in English villages would “bring in May” by dancing around maypoles, riding around on hobby horses, and nicky nine door-ing their neighbors with baskets full of treats.

Here are some cool ways you can bring in the spring with your kids.

FOLIAGE ACCESSORIES FOR STYLIN’ AND PROFILIN’ 

This ancient May Day custom has really survived the test of time. Kids would handcraft garland from flowers and foliage and drape themselves in it before they would go begging door to door, singing along their jaunt. Check out our dandelion crown how-to for a garland head dress you can make in a snap. Don’t limit your flower crown wearing to one day, either. We anticipate the dandelion crown will be in style all spring. Fab!  Read more...