A warm cup of tea, and savory honey scones–perfection April 27, 2010

A good cup of tea can be transcendant, warming chilled bones, soothing frayed nerves, or settling a tired body after a busy day. It is shared with a good book, over good conversation, or when in presence of royalty. The many methods of enjoying tea can take us far beyond the comfort of our own kettle. China, Morocco, France, England, Kenya, and Russia are all tea-drinking countries with their own unique serving traditions and tea preparations. Lisa Boalt Richardson’s latest book, The World in Your Teacup: Celebrating Tea Traditions, Near and Far illuminates the rich culture of tea around the world. For each of eight different countries, you’ll learn about the culture and history of tea, how tea is served there, how to prepare tea in the style of the country, and which foods (recipes included!) can accompany the tea.
Stunning photographs by Lauren Rubinstein, one of Atlanta’s premier food photographers, illustrate the wide variety of teas and accompanying menus eaten all over the world.

Savory Honey Scones
2-1/4 teaspoons rosemary, finely chopped and divided
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups semolina
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 ounces soft goat cheese
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup heavy cream, divided
1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix 2 teaspoons rosemary with all the other dry ingredients. Add goat cheese to the dry ingredients and set aside.
Whisk together honey, half the cream, and egg. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
Form the dough into a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and separate the dough into 2 equal portions and pat each portion into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 16 wedges. Separate and arrange wedges on a baking sheet.
Brush tops with remaining cream and sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Place in oven and bake 1o to 12 minutes or until golden brown. It is yummy to serve these with butter, honey, and/or softened goat cheese! Makes 16 scones.

For more interesting and elegant recipes, visit my other blog, unassumingfoodie.blogspot.com. Thanks!

My recipe published in star-studded Junior League of Orange County fund-raising cookbook! September 20, 2009

The Junior League of Orange County, California has published a gorgeous new cookbook, Orange County Fare . . . A Culinary Journey Through the California Riviera, filled with mouth-watering photos and delicious recipes from celebrities, top chefs–and yours truly.

 This beautiful compilation includes the very best recipes tested by Junior League members, and includes a tour of Orange County through photographs and insightful information about the area.

With foodie delights from John Stamos, Vanna White, and the always fabulous Chef Jeff of Dinner Mojo, as the author of the blog Unassuming Foodie, I am both thrilled and honored to have my own recipe, Chicken Sausage Crostini, (on page 21) selected for publication.

Orange County Fare is the charitable organization’s first cookbook in 20 years, and is its very first “green” Junior League cookbook, made with 100% recycled paper. It can be pre-ordered for $29.99 on the Junior League of Orange County’s Website, and will officially launch at The Christmas Company Opening Night Gala on November 12th. 
 

For more info: Check out the Facebook fan page for Orange County Fare, or email OrangeCountyFare@gmail.com.

The Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable, and reaches out to women of all races, religions or national origins who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism. The JLOCC has approximately 750 members composed of active members, provisional members in training, and sustaining members.

Visit my food blog, The Unassuming Foodie.

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Get Your Greens! Perfect Kale Salad March 17, 2009

I really wish I’d taken a picture–This colorful salad is certainly a dazzler. It just looked so wonderful, my fork seemed to dive in on its own, and just kept diving until the dish was devoured!

I say this low-glycemic and gluten-free salad is “perfect” because it is, unarguably, without fault. Steamed kale is a superfood among superfoods (one cup of kale contains just 36.4 calories, but provides 192.4% of the daily value for vitamin A, and 88.8% of the daily value for vitamin C). Kale is also currently in season.

Dried cranberries and cherry tomatoes offer sensual texture, Omegas 3 and 6 fatty acids, and other essential antioxidants, while the almonds offer protein, monounsaturated “good” fat, and can lower your chance for heart attack. In fact, just like the kale, the almonds in this ideal little salad guard against cancer, offer an impressive serving of antioxidants, calcium, folic acid and more magnesium than oatmeal or even spinach. The dressing is so simple and easy–everyone has the ingredients on hand. And, it is delicious, gorgeous, colorful and kid-friendly. You have no excuse–make this salad today!

1 bunch steamed kale, finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup almonds, slivered
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Separate kale stalks and steam briefly until wilted yet tender-crisp. Chop finely and place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, dried cranberries and almonds. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad, toss gently, and serve. Serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 as an entree.

Food Fact! Kale is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables including cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts. Kale offers more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food, and is in season from the middle of Winter through early Spring, although it can be found in the produce department year-round. The glucosinolates in kale have been found to decrease the risk of a wide variety of cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers, and activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver that help neutralize potentially carcinogenic substances, making it a wonderful choice for detoxification. One cup of kale also supplies 93.6 mg of calcium and is an impressive source of folic acid, making it an ideal staple for pregnant and lactating women.

For another satisfying and nutritious salad, check this out…

Or visit my other blog, www.UnassumingFoodie.blogspot.com!

Kid-Proof Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins February 7, 2009

My preschooler Joseph loves music and singing. He is always game for interactive songs, such as B-I-N-G-O and Old MacDonald. In fact, if any song happens to pose a question of any kind, my son is quick to “holla back,” as it were.

At the beginning of a track on a disc we have about farm life, the vocalist asks, “What is your favorite vegetable?” Joseph didn’t miss a beat: “Fruit!” he exclaimed. Then she asked, “how about string beans?”, to which he replied, “I like jelly beans!”

Hmmm. It wasn’t so long ago that I introduced my little newborn to his first veggies, laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy nutrition. Have I strayed so far from my mission? Where and when did my son learn to like jelly beans more than string beans? Not to be defeated, there has been plenty of exploration of veggies at our house, which, as it turns out, can be lot of fun with an almost-four-year-old.

The word “zucchini” is, in itself, a mouthful of fun to say. Put “cinnamon” in front of it, and you’ve built quite a tongue-twister! My son very proudly baked these muffins, executing every step from hand-grating the fresh zucchini, to measuring the flour, vanilla and spices, to dotting each muffin top with a pecan. “I’m a chef!” he declared. Sure, why not?

3 cups fresh zucchini, grated
2/3 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cup organic brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch sea salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
12 whole pecans, or 1/3 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the grated zucchini and the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and blend. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add all dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture. Bonus antioxidants! If your kid will eat them, fold in 1 cup dried cranberries. (Note: Our goal was to foster a positive experience with a green vegetable. Forgoing convention, we dumped all ingredients into one giant bowl and mixed. The muffins were in no way negatively affected.)

Lightly coat your muffin pan with a little butter or canola oil spray. Using two spoons, equally distribute the muffin batter, filling the cups completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden, and the tops bounce back when gently pressed (about 25 minutes). Set on rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from the muffin pan and let cool another 10-12 minutes. Makes 12.

Food Fact! Pecans offer a variety of forms of vitamin E, a natural antioxidant. Just a handful of pecans each day may decrease the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s. According to Nutrition Research (August 2006), the vitamin E in pecans “protect blood lipids from oxidation. Oxidation of lipids in the body—a process akin to rusting—is detrimental to health. When the “bad” (LDL) cholesterol becomes oxidized, it is more likely to build up and result in clogged arteries.” More than just a vitamin E dynamo, pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, several B vitamins and zinc. A good source of fiber, pecans are also a high-quality source of protein that contain very few carbohydrates and no cholesterol.

My Mother, Her Mother, and a Fruitcake December 22, 2008

This is the first year my mother hasn’t made her traditional fruitcake. For well over 40 years, she has, just as her mother before her, fashioned an enormous batch of fruitcake to be enjoyed at home with a slice of sharp cheddar, proffered at holiday parties and open houses, presented Christmas Eve, and divided and sent internationally to all willing (or accepting) of such a treat. One such person was, until this year, me.
Just having said that, I’m suddenly forced to question whether the torch has been unexpectedly passed. Am I, next and only daughter in line, now burdened to take up the annual task of soaking spices, candied or dried fruits and nuts in booze and going on the look-out for accommodating recipients?
That’s certainly the tough part. According to a recent poll, the holiday cake (also used as and referred to as ”wedding cake”) boasts a 40 percent approval rating, yet most North Americans seem decidedly anti-fruitcake. 
I think I may have answered that poll. The sentimentalist in me would have asserted a preference for it, but the reality is that I’d rather eat chocolate. The late Johnny Carson once joked that there really is only one fruitcake in the world, passed from family to family. Others quip, ”if you have to choose between hemlock and fruitcake, hemlock is painless.”When I weigh the amount of work and expense involved in carrying on the tradition with my relative ambiguity towards it, I’d just as well go without. On the other hand, I’m a sucker for all things Christmas, and I’m usually wild about fruit and nut (and alcohol-soaked) desserts. In the early 18th century, fruitcake (called plum cakes) was considered “sinfully rich,” and outlawed entirely throughout Continental Europe. What if, just what if, I could create a Christmas cake that sinfully aroused the holiday spirit in all who would partake? 
 
Here is my own mother’s recipe:
 
3 cups mixed candied fruit
2 cups golden raisins
1 l/2 cups each of the following: 
     –candied cherries
     –candied pineapple
     –chopped almonds (My mom prefers to use roasted pecans.)
1 cup candied citron peel
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup orange liqueur or orange juice (Mom uses half juice and half Triple Sec.)
 
Lightly grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, or 4 mini loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine mixed candied fruit, raisins, cherries, pineapple, almonds (or pecans) and citron peel. Toss with 1/2 cup of the flour and set aside. Stir together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter with sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs, one at a time, add almond extract and beat well. Then combine the butter/sugar mixture with the flour mixture and the liqueur/juice. Fold in the fruit mixture. Turn into prepared pans.
Bake in 250 degree F oven for approximately 2-2 1/2 hours, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Note: If using the small pans, it doesn’t take quite as long to cook.) 
Be careful not to overcook because it can dry out very easily. If it is well wrapped, it keeps several weeks in the fridge. Before the advent of refrigeration, fruitcakes were stored in wine-, brandy- or liqueur-soaked linens to keep them from growing mold, and also improve flavor. Makes 2 loaves, or 4 mini loaves.

 

I wish you and your family love,  joy, and a very merry Christmas!

Baking, Sharing and Winning! December 9, 2008

If you have children–or if you were ever a child yourself, and I’m guessing you were–you have a favorite family Christmas cookie recipe.  (We love gingerbread people!) Perhaps your mom or Grandma used to whip up some culinary wonder with brown sugar, chocolate, or a beautiful mountain of icing?

Even if, for some crazy reason, you don’t have a favorite cookie, sit down with your kids and have fun devising the ultimate cookie, based on your kids’ ideas and favorite flavors, shapes and textures. Bust out that reindeer apron you received last year at the office gift exchange, and let’s get baking!

AllRecipes.com is hunting down the best Christmas Cookie recipe, and they’re offering a Samsung Electric Range Oven and three Samsung Digital DVD Camcorders to get it. Hey, even if you don’t win a prize from Samsung, you may even win $100 cash just for voting on the final four!

Low on cash? See what you can make from the ingredients already in your home. Not only will you wind up with some tasty treats (or you can send them to your children’s classroom holiday parties, to church, or bring them to work), but you’ll also learn about your kids:

• Do they follow directions, or prefer to make it up as they go?
• Is one a neat freak, cleaning up after every granule of sugar, while the other instigates a flour fight?
• Are they willing to explore ways to make the recipe healthier?
• What about mixing and combining decorative colors and designs–is your child the consummate perfectionist or the free spirit?
• Or simply hungry for sweet treats?

Take a picture of the most fabulous of your creations and Enter the contest here! Good luck and happy baking!

Kids in the Kitchen: Let’s Make Gingerbread Men November 17, 2008

My neighbor’s children are entering the tween years, sprinting beyond babyhood and leaving behind them a trail of books, toys and stuffed animals. We were recently the recipients of several lovely items, including a stack of books. You never know what story will resonate with your child. Sometimes it’s a caterpillar who eats everything in sight until he makes a cocoon around himself and bursts forth as a butterfly, and other times, it’s a simplistic reader featuring Lightning McQueen. For whatever reason, my son Joseph fell in love with the timeless Gingerbread Man story, and asked to listen to it night and day for weeks. It was inevitable. We must make gingerbread.

We invited his cousins over, and the children mixed, rolled, floured and cut dozens upon dozens of gingerbread men and women. We decorated some, and left others as unadorned canvases. This recipe makes 3 dozen–enough to enjoy AND contribute to a school party or bake sale. 

5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium until smooth. Add the molasses and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture 1 cup at a time, blending until smooth. The dough should gather into a semifirm mass. (If it’s not firm, add another ¼ to ½ cup flour, but not enough to make it crumbly.)

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Flatten into disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. Preheat oven to 350° F. On a floured surface, roll each disk to 1/8 inch thick. (1/8 inch makes a crisp snap cookie, 1/4 inch gives it a soft center with crispy edges.)

Use gingerbread-man cutters to make shapes. Transfer them to a large, parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly before transferring to a rack. Decorate, if desired. Yield: Makes approximately 3 dozen medium gingerbread men (and women).

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 164(29% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 3g); CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27g; SODIUM 92mg; PROTEIN 2mg; FIBER 1g; IRON 2mg

#13 Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend October 22, 2008

Is it coincidence? This issue of Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend is “lucky” number 13, and the theme is spooooky Halloween!

Host a Pumpkin Carving Party!

This weekend is the ideal time to host your very own Pumpkin Carving Party! Jack-o-lanterns can only survive 5-7 days once cut, so with only a week left until Halloween, let the festivities begin! Did you know that, botanically speaking, pumpkin is a fruit? Grown on every continent but Antarctica, the pumpkin was once thought to be a cure-all for freckles and snakebites. Here are some tips for hosting your pumpkin party!

• Fill a wheelbarrow with pumpkins and place it by the door so guests can choose a pumpkin to carve as they come to the party. (Crunched for time? Have guests bring a hollowed pumpkin with them to the party!)
• Choosing the perfect specimen: Examine the pumpkin’s rind; It should be firm, uniform in color, and free of cuts, bruises, and blemishes. Give the pumpkin a knock; A thumping sound means the pumpkin is solid, with no internal defects, rot, or soft spots.
• Decorate Halloween themed brown paper bags–Make enough for each guest. Fill each bag with inexpensive pumpkin-carving tools, a tea light, and a permanent black marker. (Or substitute poster paints, if your party guests are very young.)
• If using a candle to illuminate your pumpkin, you can create the smell of Halloween spice by sprinkling cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice on the underside of the jack-o’-lantern’s lid. Once lit, the pumpkin will create a wonderful scent.
• Download free pumpkin carving patterns and have several copies on hand.
• Create a centerpiece using a large pumpkin surrounded by colorful autumn leaves. Use a drill to make holes around the top and sides of the pumpkin, and fill the holes with caramel apples or lollipops for guests to enjoy!
• Cover your work surface with newspapers or a vinyl tablecloth.

Party music to carve by…

• “Beetlejuice: Main Titles,” composed by Danny Elfman
• “Ghostbusters,” Ray Parker Jr.
• “In the Midnight Hour,” Wilson Pickett
• “I Put a Spell on You,” Nina Simone
• “I Want Candy,” Bow Wow Wow
• “Spooky,” the Classics IV
• “That Old Black Magic,” Ella Fitzgerald
• “Thriller,” Michael Jackson
• “Werewolves of London,” Warren Zevon
• “Witchcraft,” Frank Sinatra

Bone up on Halloween Safety Tips for Moms and Dads.
WIN up to $15,000 in prizes at Pumpkin Master’s Carving Contest! (Check out their Contest Winners page for ideas!)

Gourmet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 

Once you’ve separated all the seeds from the ooey-gooey, stringy inside of your pumpkin, roast them seasoned with these fabulous spice combinations! Roasted pumpkin seeds are rich in fiber as well as vitamins B and E, and kids love them–but be sure to share them with Grandma and Grandpa, too!

• Roasted pumpkin seeds promote prostate health, thanks to the carotenoids and the omega-3 fats which are currently being studied for their potential prostate benefits.
• Zinc is one further nutrient found in pumpkin seeds that might positively impact prostate function.
• Zinc found in pumpkin seeds also decreases the risk of osteoporosis.
• Pumpkin seeds have been recently investigated for anti-inflammatory benefits in arthritis.
• Pumpkin seed phytosterols dramatically reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers. 

 Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!

Future Environmentalists Club

Recycle Your Halloween Pumpkin! When Halloween is over, don’t just throw away those jack-o-lanterns! Kimberly Danger has some great ideas to make use of every last bit of your pumpkin.

Make Baby Food. Halve and roast your pumpkin, then scoop out the flesh. Mash well with a fork. (Begin with an organic pumpkin, preferably.)
Use it as a Harvest Planter. For pumpkins that were painted inside of carved, scoop out the inside membrane and clean. Fill with a little water and use as a vase. Fill the vase with natural twigs, grasses, and harvest mums for a beautiful autumn centerpiece.
Make a Pumpkin Bowl. Scoop out the inside membrane and clean. A typical pumpkin holds up to a gallon of soup or an entire casserole and adds flavor, too. Smaller pumpkins can be used for individual-sized bowls.
Make Pumpkin Puree. Pumpkin puree is the basis for many great bakery goodies. It will stay fresh in your freezer for months. Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds. Chop into big chunks and place in a baking pan peel side down. Cover with foil. Bake 2-3 hours at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, scoop the pulp out of the peel. Puree in a food processor to reduce stringiness. Freeze excess pumpkin puree for later use. (See Kimberly’s website for recipes for Pumpkin pudding and pumpkin bread, using your fresh puree!)

“By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of  Eco-Friendly Families, 

*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries

#12 Fun Things to Do With Your Family This Weekend October 9, 2008

Get Old-School!

We’re all feeling the squeeze from the economic downturn, but does that mean we have cut corners on family fun this Halloween? I think not! Craft magazine illustrates how to make fun and funky costumes for your kids with a visit to your recycling bin, sewing box or local craft store – Much easier than standing in line at a crowded costume shop and a bit easier on the wallet, as well.

You can quickly and easily whip up any of these five amazing kiddy costumes using supplies you probably already have on hand, plus a bit of creativity. Inexpensive and easy to make, these custom-made outfits have more staying power than most flimsy store-bought costumes. Follow the links below for full instructions, or Click here to watch the video.

• Bee                
• Monkey 
• Lego 
• Sushi

• Pirate

Autumn Harvest Raw Apple Pie with Almond-Date Crust 

This uncommonly good apple pie is raw–yes, unbaked–and it rivals the most luscious and delectable of cooked varieties. It is dense, rich, sweet and aromatic with cinnamon, and suitable for low-carb, gluten-free, low-glycemic and vegan diets.

Raw food (like many things worth waiting for) takes time. This dish is somewhat time-consuming, so I suggest you make a weekend of it! Spend Saturday scouring the orchards for apples; It’s fun, great exercise and often there are seasonal festivals with music, period costumes and demonstrations. Get the kids to help, and use the time together for a short history lesson about how food was gathered and prepared when Grandmother (or Great-Grandmother) was young. Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!

Future Environmentalists Club

“By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of  Eco-Friendly Families, The following are excerpts.

Make your own Pine Cone Bird Feeder! This is a fun and easy project that is perfect for inviting our fine feathered friends to the back yard! All you need are fallen pine cones, string, chunky peanut butter, spoons, citrus fruit (such as lemons), scissors, sunflower seeds, and plates.

Cut the citrus into slices, then in to very small pieces and set them aside. Pour sunflower seeds into plates, spread around, and set aside. Tie a length of string around the top of the pine cone long enough to hang it in front of a kitchen window or from a nearby branch. Cover pine cone with peanut butter using the backside of a spoon. Stick fruit bits onto the peanut butter. Roll the pine cone in sunflower seeds, then hang your bird feeder!

Every part of this project is eco-friendly. Using fallen pine cones makes good use of a natural resource that you can later toss in the woods, where a thankful squirrel will claim it. Chunky peanut butter provides birds with high-energy peanut pieces, seeds are a staple in a bird’s diet, and fruit helps maintain health. Keep in mind that birds will come to depend on these feeders as a source of food, so plan on keeping up your pine cone practices through the Fall and Winter.

*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries.

#11 Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend October 4, 2008

Forever Flowers

Perhaps its the weather’s indecision about clinging to the hot and balmy days of Summer or allowing cooler gusts of wind to blow the first leaves off trees, but these frequent heat-waves keep me from putting away our summer clothes just yet. Even though the first day of Fall this year was Monday, September 22, in many respects, Summer is still alive and well, and I have the flip-flops to prove it.

Supplied by the ever-creative people at Craft magazine, this craft is quick and easy, so you can pull it off this weekend before Summer disappears until next year—along with your flowerbed. If you’re looking for a timeless, classic objet d’art to complement your decor, this has got to be it: The art of drying and preserving flowers has been traced back to prehistoric times. It can’t get any more timeless!

Pressed for time? (Get it?) This project is easy enough for any family member who can pop a head off a flower or press a button on the microwave. Click for step-by-step instructions for this craft Send in your creations!

Caprese Stuffed Tomatoes

Since we’re not letting go of Summer, here is our last chance to take advantange of the bounty of fresh tomatoes available before we wave bye-bye to the season. These stuffed tomatoes smell wonderful cooking in the oven, and the breadcrumbs and miniature mozzarella balls  are welcomed by kids. (They’re also a good source of vitamins A and C!) Large tomatoes work best, but consider using cherry tomatoes and putting the kids to work doing the potentially gooey assembly!  Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!)

Future Environmentalists Club

By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of  Eco-Friendly Families, The following are excerpts.

Ever wanted to shop online for great stuff… for free? Check out FreeCycle.org. You’ll get to know your neighbors better and do the environment a good turn. This non-profit organization allows people to give away awesome stuff for FREE. All you have to do is pick it up! And you can do it it too! You simply post the things you’re ready to give away and communicate online with people  who want your stuff.

Taking a few moments to organize your items and post them online can open up an entirely new recycling outlet for you. All those things you’ve grown to old for but would still be pretty cool to a younger kid can be posted. In turn, you’ll find cool things someone else is ready to share, and all without spending a dime!

And, the good news is that recycling isn’t something you have to work at alone. Set yourself up for success by reducing and reusing with your family and friends—everyone will be better prepared and more willing to recycle, by your good example!

*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries.