Check out the Ultimate List of Family Themed Costumes for Halloween!!
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#FreshStart #FreshStartFoods #ErikaLeeKrebs #FamilyHalloweenCostumes
 This is such an easy recipe that my boys just love. Which means it’s a staple in our house! You can’t go wrong with a meal that packs in three of the food groups. Strawberry Almond Pita Sammich Ingredients 1 6-inch whole wheat pita 4 tablespoons almonds 1 large ripe banana 1/2 cup fresh strawberries Puree almonds, strawberries, and banana. Smear mixture in between the pita pocket’s sides and then cut into triangle slices. Or, if you want a different (but messier) version, lightly toast the pita bread, cut into little bite sizes, and then let your kids dip into mixture to have a more tactile experience.   Ahhh, kale. Another love-hate relationship for me, a food I had to learn to love because it is truly a superfood, packed with vitamins A, K, and C, among others. Kale is an antioxidant, helps boost the immune system, and is good for the eyes. Why wouldn’t I overcome my personal dislike of the taste to help my boys? So, I did my duty of putting on a smile and taking a bite. AND, turns out, crunchy kale is tasty! (Confession: I put sea salt on mine). Turns out this is one of my boys’ favorite finger food snacks! Kale Chips Ingredients 10 cups kale leaves, torn into small pieces, tough stems removed 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon salt Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the torn kale with oil, salt, and nutritional yeast. Transfer to two ungreased baking sheets, arranging the leaves in a single layer. Bake on the middle oven rack for 8 minutes or until kale is crispy. Gently remove chips from baking sheets with a metal spatula. Store chips in an airtight container.    I was trying to find ways to incorporate whole grains into the boys’ diets. They went through a phase where all they wanted to eat were sweet fruits. A fond memory I have growing up was to go to either Bob Evans or a Cracker Barrel restaurant for breakfast, and I loved eating an endless supply of bread and the jellies they provide at the table! I wanted my boys to enjoy a breakfast food that was so nostalgic for me and yet so easy to prepare. This has become one of their favorite parts of breakfast! I know this seems so basic, but that is kind of the point. I promise you, strawberries are so sweet, your children will never miss the added sugar! Strawberry Jam and Toast Ingredients 5 strawberries 1 slice organic whole grain bread Hull the strawberries, place in food processor, and puree until smooth. Spread as a jam onto bread, either plain or toasted. Cut into bite-size pieces, or let child bite off a piece.   I had never had an avocado before I was 29 years old and living in Santa Barbara. I not only fell in love with avocado, but also lived across the street from an avocado orchard. The owners allowed us to have any avocados that fell to the ground, so we trained our dogs (there were four dogs at the time) to go fetch the avocados without biting into them. Needless to say we had an endless supply of guacamole! We also looked forward to the annual Avocado Festival in Carpenteria, about 8 miles south of Santa Barbara. You can find amazing Hass Avocados at this festival—and anything avocado you can think of. Ever tried avocado ice cream? I usually double this recipe and add a bit of salt so I can nibble too! Guacamole Dip Ingredients 1 avocado 1/2 Roma tomato, finely diced 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion (preferably walla walla) 4 sprigs cilantro 1/2 small lime Scoop flesh out of avocado and place in mini food processor. Add diced tomato and chopped onion. Pull parsley off vine and add to other ingredients in the processor. Squeeze the juice out of a 1/2 small lime over the ingredients. Pulse just enough to break up the avocado and mix with other ingredients. Serve as spoonfuls, or smear some on a piece of whole wheat pita bread. For the adults, add salt to taste. Oh, and margaritas to taste :)   Sweet potato french fries seem to becoming more and more popular. However, I have to attribute this recipe to my sister—the gal that can barely boil water! In fact, it reminds me of a funny story. In high school, my sister, Kristin, wanted to cook dinner for her boyfriend, but seriously could NOT cook. So, I cooked it for her and sneaked out of the kitchen just before arrival of the boyfriend. However, I found out later that she gave herself away a bit when she served the jello still in the mold! Who would have guessed that Kristin would end up marrying an amazing man who used to be a four-star chef and who has since taught her a few things. When I go to Portland to visit her family, she will inevitably make these sweet potato fries for all of us. They’re super simple. And they are delicious! I simply had to steal her recipe, and now I have a great finger food for my boys. So, thank you Kisty (and Aric:) - love you! Rosemary Sweet Potato French Fries Ingredients 3 pounds sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 fresh rosemary sprigs Heat oven to 425 degrees and place baking pan in oven to preheat for 5 minutes Cut sweet potato into French-fry shape and toss fries in a large bowl with olive oil and pepper. Remove rosemary from twig and finely grind in a mortar and pestle or in your coffee grinder (make sure it’s clean!). Combine with potatoes. Place oiled and seasoned fries into baking pan and roast for 35 minutes, turning them once halfway through. Potatoes should be fork-tender and a bit browned.  |
Hi, I'm Erika- Creator of Fresh Start Families, Ask Erika and Mommy of three taste testers!
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