Baking together each week has been a really nice activity for Wesleigh and I, both in the moment pouring and mixing as well as afterwards when we can enjoy whatever treat we just cooked.

Ingredients

Annie’s Organic Cookie Brownie Bars

1 stick of butter

4 tablespoons water

1 egg

Instructions

Instructions for this recipe is super minimal which makes it great for toddlers

Heat oven to 350F

Combine Annie’s mix with 1/2 stick melted butter, 2 tablespoons water and 1 egg until well blended

Spread batter into pan

In another bowl, add cookie mix, 1/2 stick of butter and 2 tablespoons water until well blended

Drop cookie dough onto brownie batter in 3 rows of 3 via 9 scooped tablespoons

Bake as indicated on the box, let cool and enjoy!

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The post Annie’s Organic Cookie Brownie Bars first appeared on Lindsey Boova.

No wasteful ziplock bags are involved, and I don’t use rubbing alcohol, instead I use containers with lids and white vinegar. You can use this recipe for dying rice too.

Materials Needed

Pasta

White Vinegar

Food Coloring

Tupperware Containers

Instructions

Mix the food coloring and the vinegar together in a container. 

Add the pasta and seal with a lid. Shake the pasta around until evenly coated with the mixture. Your child will enjoy shaking the containers.

Pour the pasta out onto a lined baking sheet and let it sit until dry. Move the pasta around a few times during the drying process to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together. I recommend leaving in a warm, sunny place to dry but the drying time will vary by the amount of rainbow pasta you make (could be overnight).

Continue to store your dry, dyed pasta in a sealed container for use at any time.

Ta-da! Your child will enjoy making collages, jewelry, etc. with their beautiful new rainbow pasta.

 Note: Affiliate links may be used in this post. I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you use my affiliate link. Full disclosure policy here.

The post Rainbow Pasta first appeared on Lindsey Boova.

Cloud Dough

Easy to make, all you need is conditioner, corn starch and food coloring. (1 part conditioner, 2 parts corn starch) 

Frozen Ocean Animal Rescue

Grab a few containers, submerge objects in water and freeze. Remove from containers and drop into larger bin. Invite your child to rescue the animals.

Kinetic Sand Letter & Number Hunt

Using wooden puzzle pieces, I had Wesleigh dig up letters and numbers. As she discovered the pieces, I asked her to identify the numbers and letters.

Letter Matching

With paper, trace letters and/or numbers and have your child match the stenciled letters with corresponding magnets. You can remove and add the quantity of letters your child is matching from. Alternatively, try this with stickers or puzzle pieces if you don’t have magnets.

Salt Painting

A simple, no frills painting activity. All you need is glue, salt, paintbrush watercolors and paper plates (cardstock paper or similar). Use the glue to create shapes on the paper, add salt to the glue (shake off extra) and paint the salt with watercolors.

 Note: Affiliate links may be used in this post. I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you use my affiliate link. Full disclosure policy here.

The post DIY Children’s Activities first appeared on Lindsey Boova.

Research shows that involving children in their own food preparation has been linked to a direct increase in food awareness, consumption and personal confidence, according to research published by the Cambridge University press. Preparing our meals and baking special treats has been a great way for us to relax, unwind and get creative.

Set up for this is minimal and simple for your child to get involved. I divided up the pizza dough and worked with Wesleigh to spin and stretch the dough into our perfectly sized Lenox mini luna plates. From there, Wes added the sauce and cheese on her own (hence the extra cheese). Once we finished making a few pies, I baked these in the oven but you can use a toaster oven if you’re making a smaller batch.

You’ll want the crust to be lightly browned and crisp while the cheese is melted and gooey. Bon appetit!

Ingredients

Pizza Dough (for this recipe we used whole wheat, use whatever your family prefers)

Tomato Sauce

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Fresh Basil (red pepper, oregano, whatever else your family prefers)

Instructions

There are not many instructions for this recipe which makes it great to create with children.

Break up the dough into pieces for your child to stretch

Place onto baking sheet

Invite your child to add the sauce, cheese and additional toppings

Bake time will vary pending the size pie you create

Allow to cool (just a bit!) and enjoy!

 Note: Affiliate links may be used in this post. I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you use my affiliate link. Full disclosure policy here.

The post Mini Pizza Pies first appeared on Lindsey Boova.

Ingredients                        

1 cup flour
1 cup water
Food coloring
*add a drop of essential oils for scented version such as Eucalyptus, Lavender, Orange (optional)
1/2 cup salt
3 tbsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp oil

Instructions

In a pot on the stove top add water, food coloring and flour

Stir in salt, cream of tartar and oil

Heat the mixture, stirring constantly

You will notice the ingredients thicken

Remove from heat and knead dough until smooth

*store in an airtight container

 Note: Affiliate links may be used in this post. I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you use my affiliate link. Full disclosure policy here.

The post Homemade Play Dough first appeared on Lindsey Boova.

Although I enjoy cooking, especially with Wes, I seem to never have the right tools or ingredients on hand when I find an interesting recipe. Fortunately, this time around, I had pretty much everything needed to whip up this hearty dinner. Now that Wes and I have been preparing most of our meals together, I think it’s time to invest in some proper kitchen tools. More on that later..

Ingredients

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 pound penne (we used angel hair)

1 tablespoon kosher salt (for pasta water)

2 medium cloves garlic (smashed)

1/3 cup fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 1/2 cups peas

15 ounce ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)

1/4 cup oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

In a skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat. Stir them constantly and watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Once the pine nuts are golden, remove to a plate and set aside. 

Fill the skillet with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the pasta until it is cooked al dente.

When ready, drain the pasta and return to the same pot. Drizzle with olive oil and stir.

To make the ricotta pea sauce, blend add garlic and parsley, oregano and thyme until the parsley and garlic are finely chopped.

Add 1 1/2 cups peas, the ricotta, the lemon zest and juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons kosher salt (see note), and black pepper. Pulse until the mixture comes together but still has some texture to it, it shouldn’t be completely smooth. 

Add the ricotta mixture to the pasta and stir. Add in remaining cup of peas.

Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and a few drizzles of olive oil.

Top each serving with some toasted pine nuts. 

Note: Affiliate links may be used in this post. I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you use my affiliate link. Full disclosure policy here.

The post Lemon Pasta with Ricotta and Fresh Peas first appeared on Lindsey Boova.

AERIN Woven Entertaining Pieces / Home

Williams Sonoma partnered with lifestyle expert Aerin Lauder to create this beautiful collection of handwoven rattan serving pieces. I love how her effortless and sophisticated signature style translates into these fresh and functional pieces. Bonus, they’re currently on sale!

Delta Children Double-Sided Easel / For the Kiddos 

A terrific station for the littles to get creative. With two sides (one chalkboard and one magnetic, dry-erase whiteboard and a pull down paper roll), the options for your child are endless. The fabric bins below provide a simple storage solution for crayons, markers, paper, paint, etc.

Moms Need Sleep Too / Wellness

It took far too long for us to get Wesleigh onto a good sleep schedule. We were never strict about sleep training and there was an extended period earlier this year, shortly before she turned 2yo, that we really paid for it. I went months without sleeping through the night, it was not pretty and I was running on fumes. This week, The Everymom published, “Moms Need Sleep Too: Tips and Products to Help You Get More Rest” with helpful bedtime routine suggestions and product recommendations to get 8 hours of sleep each night. 

Saie Mascara / Beauty

Although I can’t say the same for my diet (I have a huge sweet tooth), when it comes to what I put on my skin, I make sure that the beauty products we use are clean. There are tons of recently launched clean beauty brands out there and one that I’ve kept my eye on is Saie. Their mascara is made with beeswax and shae butter that conditions and brightens your lashes, perfect for everyday.

Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta / Food + Drink

I’ve been in a pasta mood lately which seems odd considering the heat wave we’ve experienced in CT but that’s beside the point. This pasta dish is next up on my list to make, it requires few ingredients (a requirement here at ‘what’s Wes whipping up’) and its highly recommended by my friend Kat which equals a win in my book. 

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