Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Hope ya'll had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Ours was frequented by bouts of rain, but we still had a good time overall. Honestly, I didn't cook that much. We dined out most of the weekend at our favorite local restaurants. It's been hot here and that always kills my motivation to fire up the oven. One of the dishes I do enjoy when summer sets in is this Black Bean & Corn Salsa. It is yummy cold with tortilla chips. It also pairs well warm with your favorite lean white meat.

Ingredients: (Can easily be doubled.)

1 15oz. can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 15oz. can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies (a.k.a. Rotel tomatoes, I use mild.)
chopped fresh oregano (to taste, optional)
chopped fresh cilantro (to taste, optional)
salt & pepper (to taste)

For salsa:

Mix everything together in a large bowl, seasoning to taste with herbs. If desired, juice of a fresh lime can be added for an extra flavor boost. Serve with tortilla chips.

For side dish:

Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with green chilies, salt, and pepper to a large pot and cook on stovetop at medium-high heat until warmed through. Remove from heat and add freshly chopped herbs. Stir to combine. Great served alongside lean pork or chicken.

Healthy & Simple Snack-time Dragonflies

 

 

It's snack time! Time to try this healthy and fun treat with your kids! And it's a great way to encourage your toddler to eat more fruits and vegetables.

 

Here's what you need:

an apple (I used a golden delicious, but use whatever your child prefers.)

a carrot (peeled)

a grape ( I used red seedless, but again, use what your child prefers.)

 

Cut your apple into quarters and remove the core. Then make four thin slices for the wings. Trim the carrot to the length you would like your dragonfly to be. Then assemble everything as shown in the pictures above. Use the grape as the head.

 

Fun, simple, and healthy! Much better than serving over-processed snacks to your little one. My son usually avoids carrots at all cost, but he actually found them appealing and even ate a few bites when I presented them this way.



Handy Homemade Popsicles!



Popsicles are always in high demand at our house. My son would live on them if I would let him! But store bought popsicles are often laden with extra sugar, food dyes, and preservatives. And the 100% natural fruit and organic ones are often very pricey. So we started making ours at home. And it's so quick and easy that your toddler can help too!

Our favorite combinations involve all-natural yogurt and fruit. This way your toddler thinks they're getting a tasty treat and you're satisfied because you know it's healthy! For a six count popsicle mold, I combine 3 6oz. yogurt containers and around 1/4 cup of chopped fruit in a plastic bag. Then just snip a corner end off the bag and pipe into the molds and freeze. My son's favorite pops are made from strawberry yogurt and a mashed banana. And you can always stir in granola for a bit of a crunch.

For more of an ice pop, we use 100% juice as our base in our molds. These are especially great outside on a hot day! You can stir in chopped fruit for an added health benefit here too. And if your kid loves bugs as much as mine does, then you could pop a gummy bug or worm in each one for a yummy surprise!

We are also big fans of pudding pops! While not as healthy as yogurt or fruit and juice, they are very tasty and cost-effective. You just take 1 3.4 oz. package of your favorite flavored pudding mix and 2 cups of cold milk and combine thoroughly in a plastic bag (yields 6 pops). Then just pipe into molds and freeze. For a more decadent treat, you can stir in chocolate chips, candy, or crushed cookies. YUM!