GFKC Springtime
Fun Toys, Easter & Passover Recipes & More
Happy Spring! Some fun new toy ideas and recipes to share with you today.
As far as food goes, we’ve still been leaning heavily into taco night and pizza/nugget night, as well as assembly dinners. Fresh fruit, cheese sticks, applesauce and yogurt continue to be dinner side MVP’s. This has been working well for us, and I’ve been able to cut back on making multiple meals every day.
This month I plan to do more batch cooking on Sunday’s so I can just reach for things in the fridge, instead of making them from scratch. It’s such a breeze when I’m able to do this from leftovers, so I plan to be more intentional about this!
With warmer weather, Easter, and Passover around the corner, I’ve been thinking more about fresh recipes, fun goodies for the kids, and a special treat or two. Here are my top Easter basket and special treat picks:
Chalk - Springtime means chalk all over our driveway. It’s such a fun way to keep the kids busy outdoors, and I always include some in their Easter baskets.
Bubbles - Similarly to chalk, the kids love them, it keeps them outside longer, and who doesn’t love blowing bubbles? I have long been eyeing this leaf blower bubble maker, as well as this mini power washer (not bubble related, but so cute for spring clean up!)
Gardening Kit - Around this time of year, we always fool ourselves into thinking we have a green thumb (we don’t), and the kids like to get involved. Whether it’s digging in the dirt, or watering the flowers, I love this set from Target.
Critter Hut - This is not mom’s favorite area of play, but my kiddos have been loving exploring the natural world and small critters at the local science center, so I thought we could (humanely :) relocate some bugs in our back yard for them to look after.
Sticker Books - I’ve been doing my best to lean away from screens and candy (although we still have plenty of both), and more into crafts and playtime. Instead of loading up the Easter baskets with candy, I plan to include sticker books this year. They are great for any holiday, and I especially love this Berenstain Bear version!
Easter and Passover Recipes
Easter Picks
Frittata - Lately I’ve been loving dill, so I plan to make Goop’s Red Potato and Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese and Dill again this year. It’s naturally GF, can feed a crowd, and is a great brunch option. Also, there is a more kid-friendly, customizable GFKC Strata recipe in the archives that can work with whatever you have in the fridge!
For brunch, (last year’s brunch pictured above) I love to make my life simple and just add a green salad, and chopped fruit salad. Last year I added some honey, lemon juice, and chopped mint to the fruit salad to dress it up a little.
GF Lemon Bundt Cake: This easy peasy bundt cake is DELICIOUS. I am a big fan of Healthy Gluten Free Family (photo courtesy of her website). I also love how impressive yet unfussy this recipe is - no multistep decorations to worry about here!
Passover Picks
GF Passover Apple Cake: This yummy GF cake recipe comes from Fearless Dining (photo courtesy of Fearless Dining website). I am a HUGE fan of apple cakes, pies, and tarts, so I will absolutely be testing out this recipe.
GF Matzah: Traditional matzah has gluten in it, so trust GF Jules to provide a delicious alternative with her GF Matzah recipe!
Passover Recipe Roundup: This roundup post from GF Jules is expansive and delicious. She emphasizes dishes with naturally GF and Kosher foods like eggs and dairy, as well as ancient grains like quinoa. She also includes an amazing lemon almond cake with meringue! (Both GF Jules photos courtesy of her website).
I hope these toy, treat and recipe roundups are helpful! I always look forward to holiday celebrations and cooking, enjoying both my go-to favorites and experimenting with a new treat or two. What are you planning to make? Lmk in the comments!
What We’re Loving: Sharing smoothies in the morning! This is by far the biggest nutritional bang for their buck my kids get all day, plus it’s nice to serve just one item in the morning. My favorite recent additions to pump up flavor and protein are greek yogurt and GF Owyn vanilla protein powder.
What We’re Trying Next: This could be a miss, but I personally want to eat more omega 3 fish, and get my kids to try them. I’m hoping to make a sheet pan dinner that can easily pull together veggies and a flavorful fish for the whole family. In the past, salon terriyaki has been successful, and I’m thinking they might like the simplicity of a buttery white fish. Stay tuned!
This Time Last Year: Spring Minestrone! For those of us that haven’t totally thawed yet, it’s nice to have a transitional soup recipe in the mix.