The season
of pools, camp, sunscreen, ices, ice cream and fresh fruit, (particularly
berries and melons) and barbecue has arrived! Maybe it’s just me, but I often find myself
doing a little more snacking and a little less proper meal eating in the
summer. A salad with a protein in it and a fruit for dessert just hits the spot
on those hot and humid days and while my kids love to be in the kitchen with me
to assist with meal prep, I try to limit the amount of stove use because I personally
could do without the added heat, so we opt for room temp noodle dishes and deli
sandwiches when the kids allow.
So what are
reading these days to celebrate the summer?
The
Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli of course! Have you ever swallowed a
seed? This little crocodile does and this story sends my children into giggle
fits until the problem is solved. Caution: it may make your children cautious
of eating fruits with seeds!
1 Big
Salad: A Delicious Counting Book by Juana
Medina is masterfully illustrated, taking real vegetables and making
them look like animals. Complete with a dressing recipe in the back, mix each
of these ingredients from 1-10 together and make fun memories with your
children at meal time!
Poor
Little Guy by Elanna Allen is such a fun read (especially since there are
more illustrations than text) about a little fish in a big pond. Since we tend
to eat more fish in the summer (coincidentally), this is the perfect summer
bedtime story or camp read-aloud. (This can also tie in nicely to the summer of
Finding Dory!)
Explorers
of the Wild by Cale Atkinson – we try to make Sundays as fun as possible
for our kids and nothing is more exciting than a beach day and searching for
treasures in the sand. While this book is more about forest exploring, the
theme is the same and topic of conversation can be made about team work and
adventure!
And some summer snack and dinner ideas:
Classic Macaroni Salad
Deli Salad Recipes
Fruit Salad Ideas
Frozen Treats
I hope you
all enjoy a happy and healthy summer filled with frozen desserts, healthy
eating and adventures that make amazing memories for your family!
