Hands down, this has been my kids’ most requested recipe in the past two weeks. Since the Kenya and Chloe started spotting beautiful emerald green asparagus wrapped in bundles at our local Farmers’ Market they have been requesting it for dinner non-stop. Instead of simply steaming the asparagus, I make a mixture of lemon and olive oil to coat them with before AND after grilling.

No exaggeration, I’ve made this recipe for dinner 4 times in the last week. This past weekend my in-laws came over and the whole family had dinner together, enjoying steak, salmon, salad, roast potatoes and this asparagus recipe which flew off the platter faster then anything else on the menu!

Grilled Lemon Asparagus (serves 4)

1 Bunch Green Asparagus
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Preheat grill and place all of the ingredients in a shallow dish to combine.
2. Evenly coat the asparagus with the lemon mixture.
3. Grill asparagus, reserving the lemon mixture, for 2 minutes on each side for thin asparagus and 3 minutes on each side for thicker asparagus.
4. Remove asparagus from the grill, place back into the bowl and toss to coat with reserved lemon mixture.
5. Serve.

Easter is almost here and my kids are already asking what kind of treats they’ll be getting. Maybe it’s because they hang around me too much, but when my guys know a holiday is coming up, it’s all about the food for them.

As the name of this recipe states, these muffins are made with carrot, apple and coconut and are so naturally sweet and tender, you could put a few in your kids’ Easter baskets and they wouldn’t be at all out of place. And while muffins may not be an obvious substitute for jelly beans, Peeps or chocolate eggs, I guarantee they won’t disappoint your little Easter bunnies!

Carrot, Apple & Coconut Muffins (Makes 30 Mini Muffins)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
2 Carrots, peeled & grated, about 1 cup
1 Apple, peeled & grated, about 1/2 cup (gala, fuji, pink lady or red delicious are good choices)
2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine.
5. Place 1 tbsp of batter into greased mini muffin tins.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Serve.

How often do you start making lunch or dinner and are at a loss for what veggie to add to the meal? Carrots are always a great and colorful choice, but maybe you’re not in the mood to have to cook at the stove. I love eating raw carrots, but sometimes I find that they can be hard to digest if I eat too many or if I don’t chew them really well. I imagine that the same thing might happen to kids.

This carrot salad is the easy answer to both issues. All you need is a grater to turn beta carotene packed carrots into a light, sweet salad that takes only minutes to prepare and goes down nice and easy!

Carrot Raisin Salad (Serves 4)

4 Carrots, grated (about 2 cups)
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Serve.

Some vegetables take less effort to get kids to eat than others. While brussel sprouts and lima beans might not always be favorites of your little ones, I bet carrots are a pretty easy sell. For starters, they’re not green, a color most kids associate with their veggies. And along with being naturally sweet, carrots are a gold mine of nutrition and a great source of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene converts to Vitamin A, which is essential for good vision.

Still, some kids will avoid vegetables at any turn. The fun part of this recipe is turning carrots into something they won’t be able to say no to. These carrot chips couldn’t be easier to make and they are so delicious and fun to eat, you’ll likely find yourself running back to the market for more carrots for the next batch! Best of all, they are a great way to get kids to eat their veggies, and that should make every mom happy.

Carrot Chips (Serves 4)

4 Carrots
Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Using a mandoline or a knife, thinly slice the carrots into rounds.
3. Place the carrot chips on a silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for 45 minutes.
4. Serve.

We used this to make this recipe:

Kyocera CSN-202-RD Adjustable Mandoline Slicer, Red

When I think about Easter, I think about bunny rabbits. And when I think about bunny rabbits, I think about carrots! So in honor of this holiday we’re going to have some fun and make carrot pancakes for Easter brunch. We did a test run for this recipe 2 weeks ago and I couldn’t believe how yummy it turned out. Pancakes are certainly delicious on their own, but when you add finely shredded carrots, walnuts and a touch of cinnamon to the mix, it gives them a wonderful added texture and flavor. And as good as these pancakes are dipped in a bit of maple syrup or honey, they’re just as delicious on their own.

Whether you’re making brunch this Easter for a big group or just staying home with your family, these carrot pancakes are a healthy spring treat that your little bunnies are sure to love.

Carrot Pancakes (Makes 20-25 Pancakes)

1 1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Walnuts, chopped
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1 1/2 Cups Carrots, shredded fine (about 3 small carrots)
Butter or Oil for cooking

1. Place the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. In another bowl, place sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, carrot and eggs and mix.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with butter or oil.
5. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
6. Serve with honey or maple syrup.

*Allow to cool, place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, place in toaster oven or oven at 300 and heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.

There has only been one other recipe that I’ve tested for weelicious — the Dark Chocolate Cupcake — that took as many tries to perfect as this recipe. It required 9 tries to make the perfect pineapple carrot muffin WITHOUT using refined sugar and here it is! I’m really excited about how they came out because not only did Kenya love them, but the final batch was gorgeous, super easy to prepare (once I got the flavor right!) and made the perfect amount of muffins for a few days worth of meals and snacks for our family. The best part, though, is that they freeze extremely well too. You can toss a bunch in a zipper bag and into the freezer and whenever you need one, just put it in your little one’s school lunchbox and it will be defrosted and ready to eat by lunchtime. Isn’t it great when a recipe actually makes life easier?!

Pineapple Carrot Muffins (Makes 14 Muffins)

1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Wheat Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar or Honey
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Pineapple, chopped fine and drained well OR 1 8 oz Can Crushed Pineapple, drained well
1 Cup Shredded Carrot (about 2 Large Carrot)
1/2 Cup Walnuts, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees,
2. In a large bowl combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine the butter and agave using a whisk or an electric beater to combine.
4. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.
5. Add the vanilla, pineapple, carrots and walnuts (if using) to the butter mixture.
6. Stir in the dry ingredients, making sure not to over mix.
7. Scoop the batter into regular size, paper lined muffin cups.
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

KitchenAid Precision 24-cup Mini Muffin Pan

Most people are familiar with recipes for deviled eggs. Not my husband, however. When he saw this recipe he asked me if anyone has actually eaten a deviled egg since 1955. Maybe he has a point. Deviled eggs can seem about as boring as cocktail weenies. But these deviled egg chicks hopefully blow the cobwebs off the traditional version. They are inexpensive and easy to make. You can actually spend LESS than $4 and make DOUBLE the amount in this recipe!

Not only are these chicks delicious, but the end product is so cute. Kids can get in on the fun by helping you mash the egg yolk mixture, piping it into the egg white “bodies” and putting the “eyes” and “beaks” on the chicks.

If you want to really have fun with the devil theme, it’s fun to put 2 red pepper triangles on top of the egg whites — so you have real little devils! I definitely know who the little devil is in our house….and that would be Kenya! So this recipe is in honor of all the little devils that are really the angels of our lives!

Deviled Egg “Chicks” (Makes 12 Deviled Eggs or 6 “Chicks”)

6 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Tsp Salt
Stuffed Olives, cut into disks, optional for the eyes
Red Bell Pepper, cut into tiny triangles, optional for the beak

1. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water.
2. Bring the water and eggs to a boil over high heat.
3. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 12 minutes.
4. Drain off the hot water and cover with cold water to cool the eggs.
5. Peel the eggs, cut in half* and place the yolks in a bowl with the mustard, mayonnaise and salt.
6. Mash the mixture into a bowl until smooth.
7. Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture.
8. Serve.
*If you want to make deviled egg “chicks” as I did in the picture, take a sharp knife and make zig zag cuts through the middle of the egg white. Remove the yolk and make the filling. Place the yolk mixture in a zip lock bag and cut a whole in one end to make a piping bag. Squeeze the yolk mixture into the egg white, place the olive “eyes” and red bell pepper “beak” into the yolk mixture and top with the remaining egg white.

If there’s one food you can always find in our refrigerator, it’s hard boiled eggs. I usually buy a dozen every Sunday at the farmer’s market, boil them up as soon as we get home and then put a big bowl of them in the fridge. Packed with protein and iron, these little orbs are a favorite with everyone in our house, especially when they’re on the go. They work for pretty much every meal.

My husband usually just pops a whole one in his mouth with a little salt. I appreciate the simplicity of that, but you can be simple and still have a bit more fun. Egg salad sandwiches only take seconds to whip up and you can really have fun with your ingredients from dijon mustard to grated carrots to capers. People can get quite finicky about what goes in their egg salad, though, so know your audience. In our house, pickles are a must. We also have dill growing like weeds in our garden, so I added some to this recipe and it took it from simple to spectacular. I truly consider this a gourmet egg salad, which even the tiniest little eater will love.

Egg Salad Sandwich (Makes 3 Sandwiches)

4 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped
1 Dill Pickle, chopped fine
3 Tbsp Vegannaise or Mayonnaise
1 Tsp Fresh Dill, chopped
Salt
1 Celery Stalk, chopped fine
2 Tsp Lemon Juice
6 Slices of Bread

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Place filling on top of bread to make sandwiches.
3. Serve.

I love all food-related things associated with holidays, but dyeing easter eggs is an especially favorite activity for me. This isn’t exactly a cooking activity for younger kids, but I think it’s close enough to qualify. Like most kids, I grew up using Paas Easter egg dyes. I realize it’s a lot easier using dye kits, but I think doing it the natural way is so much more fun, healthy and natural and it’s a great way to use some of the spices that have been in the cabinet for a while.

You should have seen our kitchen stove, covered with pots brimming over with all kinds of cool color concoctions. We tried everything from juices, to spices, to frozen berries, to fresh vegetables and more with, what I have to admit, very mixed results! I dreamed of using fresh spinach to turn organic white eggs an emerald green, but instead I got a pale green that was basically undetectable. The turmeric on the other hand was an amazing bright yellow, as golden as the sun.

Once we dyed the eggs, I let Kenya decorate them with stickers and markers. His favorite part, though, was dropping and rolling them on the counter, peeling off the shells and eating them up. So I guess this is a food activity after all!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

White Eggs, preferably organic if you’re going to eat them

Turmeric (yellow eggs)
Frozen Blueberries (lavender eggs)
Beets (pink eggs)
Chili Powder (rust/brown eggs)
Pomegranate or Grape Juice (grey, blueish, red eggs)

White Vinegar

1. Place eggs in a pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Stir in 2 tbsp of white vinegar and the food ingredient for desired color.
2. Bring water to a boil. When the water reaches a boil, reduce, simmer and cook for 15-30 minutes (the longer you cook the eggs, the tougher they will be).
3. Check the eggs to see if the desired color is achieved.
4. Let the easter egg hunt begin!

*If you want the eggs a deeper color you can remove them from the pot, let the color mixture cool and pour it back over the eggs and refrigerate overnight or longer. The longer the eggs are covered with the color, the deeper the shade will be. We also found that the color of the eggs deepened after they dried.

*If you want to eat the eggs make sure to refrigerate them.

I’ve rarely met a kid (or an adult for that matter) that doesn’t like carrots. I couldn’t resist buying these adorable miniature stumpy carrots I found at the farmers’ market. You can use any type of carrot you find for this recipe, but I just thought these were so funny looking and had to try them.
Carrots are packed with fiber and beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A, necessary for healthy skin and vision. When the carrots are sauted with the sweet orange juice in this recipe, they become coated with a delicious, sweet glaze and no sugar is needed. These
are perfect for a quick and easy holiday dish or any time of the year for that matter.

Orange Glazed Carrots (Makes 6 Big Kid Servings)

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Lb Carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Tsp Orange Zest
1 Inch Piece Ginger, grated
Sea or Kosher Salt, to taste

1. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the orange juice, orange zest and ginger.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Cook until carrots are tender and orange juice mixture becomes a glaze.
5. Serve.