Mulberry Mint Margaritas (virgin or not)

Last week a couple of my mommy friends and toddlers/preschoolers got together for a playdate (mommy happy hour) that included mulberry picking and margarita making. Doesn't that just sound like the perfect way to start the summer? The kids loved plucking the berries off the tree and popping them straight into their mouths. The few that ended up in buckets were blended with ice, fresh mint, and lime juice for the most refreshing summery margarita. It's easy to make these virgin slushies and they would be just as fresh and tassty - just leave any alcohol out. Mulberries are not very common here. If they're uncommon where you are, simply use this recipe and swap the mulberries out for raspberries or blackberries. A fresh raspberry and mint margarita sounds heavenly. 

A mulberry tree may be my next garden purchase. One tree produces many many berries. A good shake of the trunk and berries come tumbling down. 

Are you singing "all around the mulberry bush..." yet? 

Thank you, Elena for the playdate! 

Berry Mint Margarita Recipe 

Recipe after the break: 

Healthy and Simple Coconut Ice Cream Recipe {Vegan}

After we opened that coconut, we enjoyed some of the flesh plain, but got a little bored with it. I threw some left over pieces in the food processor with some coconut milk, agave syrup, and stevia, and voila - I had a healthy ice cream recipe. Yummy Hubby, who happens to be a major coconut lover, said this was way tastier than ice cream store coconut ice cream. This ice cream is surprisingly creamy considering it has only 4 ingredients and is dairy-free. Some chopped chocolate chunks or crushed pineapple would be delicious added to the mix! What would you add? 

Recipe after the break! 

How to Open a Coconut

While driving around Kauai last week the girls were fascinated by all the coconuts sitting at the tops of Palm trees. They asked to buy a fresh coconut to eat, but getting the coconut meat out isn't always easy if you don't happen to carry around a machete. Here's what I found from my "research" which included hitting coconuts with hammers and throwing them at the ground like some sort of medicine ball workout. Ahem. 

Read on to find out how to easily open a coconut! 

Tips for Traveling with Kids

Aloha! Please excuse the absence last week. We desperately needed some family time and took a little trip to Hawaii. I will have new recipes and trip details for you soon, but since many of you are getting ready for summer travel, I thought it the perfect time to share some tips to make traveling with kids as much fun as possible. Because it can definitely be NOT fun - I've been there. These tips are from my experience with my preschoolers, but you can adapt them to your kids' ages. The trick to making long plane and car rides go by quickly is to stay busy by preparing fun new things to do. Miraculously, my 3 and 5 year old didn't ask when we would be there once during the 5 hour flights! Success! 

Read on for the tips! 

Spring Peas and Carrots Risotto

Before I get to the recipe... I just wanted to remind you that it's teacher and nurse appreciation week. Don't forget to thank the teachers and nurses in your life for all the good they do. 

Okay, here we go...

Risotto is one of those dishes that people complain about being long and tedious to make. Though I have made risotto many times before, I still get this notion stuck in my head. The other day I was chatting on the phone with a girlfriend who was busy with her baby and 5 year old and mentioned she was "just" making risotto for dinner since it was a busy day. She reminded me that homemade risotto really is a one-dish dinner that can be made in 30 minutes - not bad! It's easy too... it's all about stirring broth into the rice until it's nice and thick. Precise measurements aren't necessary, just keep adding that liquid! You can always use any veggies you have in your fridge, but peas and carrots are in season and a favorite kid combination. 

But just to keep things real... 

You will need to stay nearby the stove for those 30 minutes of cook time. ^My floor looked like this at the end of it. Totally worth it for homemade risotto if you ask me. 

 Did you know... peas are high in protein and when combined with rice provide a complete protein (all amino acids present).

Read more and get the recipe after the jump! 

Easiest Fish Tacos, Pineapple Guacamole, and Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Though we're not celebrating with a party, we always celebrate Mexican food. I love fish tacos with grilled fresh fish, but many kids prefer crispy fish tacos so I have to share a little secret for busy nights (aren't they all busy???)... 

Keep reading after the jump for the rest of the recipes!