Be Sure to Follow These Steps! SUMMER FUN WITHOUT THE BURN
Cook With Your Kids to Make Mealtime Meaningful!
cooking now, you’re providing them with a skill they’ll need to be capable adults.
YOUR MONTHLY NEED-TO-KNOWS WHY IS THE PINKY FINGER CALLED THE PINKY FINGER? It seems like it’s common knowledge that the smallest finger on our hand is called the pinky. But the term we use to describe it comes from the Dutch word pink , meaning “little finger.” Scottish English immigrants began adapting the word into their society and started using the term “pinkie.” Now, it’s become a part of American English — just a change of spelling! CAN SHARKS SWIM BACKWARD? Fish in the ocean and those you can purchase at pet stores have pectoral fins that bend upward, allowing them to swim forward and backward. But a shark’s pectoral fin isn’t as flexible. If a shark needs to move backward, it will turn around by swimming in a circle or U shape or use gravity to fall back. WHICH PLANET HAS THE MOST OXYGEN? You would think Earth has the most oxygen since it’s essential to life. Surprisingly, according to a NASA report, Mercury’s atmosphere contains 42% oxygen, whereas Earth’s atmosphere only has 21%. Additionally, Earth’s neighbors, Venus and Mars, have a lot of oxygen! However, it’s in the form of carbon dioxide. As a parent, it can be incredibly challenging to nail down the perfect weeknight dinner menu that makes every hungry mouth in your home happy. This is especially true when you have picky little ones who demand waffles for dinner or dinosaur chicken nuggets seven nights a week. You may feel like your days as a short-order cook are endless, but we’re here to tell you about a simple trick to making healthier meals everyone in your family will enjoy. The trick is quite simple: Have your kids cook with you! Cooking with your kids has multiple benefits that stretch far beyond the kitchen table, but the immediate reward is that you won’t cook alone anymore! Next time dinner time rolls around, grab your little sous-chefs to lend a hand so they can enjoy these three benefits. NO. 1: COOKING TEACHES LIFE SKILLS. It may seem far off, but one day, your child will have to cook for themselves and eventually their own children, too. By teaching them the basics of
NO. 2: COOKING CREATES AN ADVENTUROUS EATER. Imagine seeing something like asparagus or artichoke on the plate in front of you for the first time and being told you must eat that weird-looking thing. That’s how many children experience food for the first time, which can feel like a scary experience. Kids who help cook in the kitchen are much more likely to try new and adventurous foods because they’re exposed to them and other ingredients over a period of time. They touch, slice, smell, crush, and season the foods before they ever eat them. So, by the time it hits their plate, it’s not so scary! NO. 3: COOKING PROMOTES HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT. Time spent in the kitchen isn’t all about eating, either. While cooking, children stir, mix, measure, roll, squeeze, spread, observe, learn, and count. These activities all help develop fine motor, hand-eye coordination, math, and science skills, not to mention creativity!
ONE-BOWL VEGAN PUMPKIN MUFFINS
DIRECTIONS
INGREDIENTS
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15 oz can pumpkin purée 1/3 cup melted vegan butter (or vegetable oil) 1/2 cup unsweetened plant‑based milk 1 1/4 cups brown sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare muffin pan by greasing and placing paper liners. 2. In a large mixing bowl, add
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pumpkin, melted vegan butter (or oil), milk, and brown sugar, then whisk until well combined and smooth. With a sifter, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices over the wet mixture.
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1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg
3. Using a large wooden spoon, mix until just combined (do not over‑mix). 4. Fill the muffin cups and bake for 22–25 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and enjoy!
1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Inspired by NoraCooks.com
513-231-7755 • 3
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