Yummm!
Ask a child where corn comes from, and he’s likely to answer “Safeway” or “Albertsons.” As moms, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and mentors, we have a unique opportunity to let kids in on the real dish—the hands-on way. And given the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s lax enforcement of food safety and handling, you’ll feel confident serving up pesticide-free and melamine-free items right from your own backyard.
• If you want to go big and you have the money and the patience, you might consider planting a fruit tree. The presence of a fruit-bearing tree is substantial, in both stature and sustenance. Harvest peaches, apples, pears, or oranges with your child, and then enjoy the vibrant fall colors of the leaves and the sweet blooms in spring. For smaller backyards, consider the space-saving dwarf varieties of apple and citrus trees. Many of them still yield up to 500 pieces of fruit per season. www.eartheasy.com/grow_fruit_tree
• Get creative with vegetable gardens by allowing your child to decide which varieties to plant. She’ll be much more likely to take an interest in eating the end product if she’s played a part in its selection and care. Present your child with a list of options, including squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, corn, and beans. A “pizza garden” with herbs and tomatoes is also popular with kids. www.homeandgardensite.com/ChildrensSite/vegetable_garden
• Start a peanut farm and make your own peanut butter. Peanuts are really legumes (not nuts), and you can actually plant the peanut itself to get started. Check out our advice on starting your own peanut garden and some kid-friendly recipes below. Your child will be so excited, he’ll want to start a berry garden too! PB&J will never be the same.
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Peanut Gallery
Peanuts are actually legumes, just like peas! Peanuts need a nice warm, long summer, so you may have trouble growing them in the northern U.S. Make sure you have at least 130 days of frost-free growing time.
Raw peanuts can be found at some grocery stores, so there’s no need to get peanuts from a seed company. Peanuts like rich sandy soil. It helps to till in some compost and sand to loosen things up and allow the peanuts to grow and spread under the ground where the nut actually forms. Give the seeds a good watering when you plant them and then water regularly once they’ve sprouted, but don’t overwater.
At the end of summer the peanut foliage will turn yellow. Now it’s time to harvest! You’ll see the nuts when you pull up the plants. Dry them for two to four weeks, then roast and enjoy.
Homemade Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is simple to make with a food processor. Start with abou 1 1/2 cups of peanuts and 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. While you’re processing the peanuts, you can add salt and sugar to taste if you want. Process it until it’s smooth and store in the fridge in a sealed container. Use it within two weeks for maximum freshness.
Easy No-Cook Peanut Butter Balls
1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup honey
Crushed graham crackers (optional)
Mix the peanut butter, powdered milk, and honey in a bowl and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in the graham cracker crumbs and place on waxed paper. Freeze or refrigerate to keep them firm.
Puppy Chow
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. vanilla
9 cups Crispix or any other square type cereal
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Melt peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute, then add vanilla. Pour mixture over the cereal in a large bowl. Toss evenly and coat with powdered sugar. Store in a covered bowl or plastic bag in the fridge.
Honey Roasted Peanuts
2 cups roasted peanuts
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp honey
salt to taste
Mix the peanuts with the honey and butter (and salt) and spread them on a flat baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 5 to 10 minutes, stir, and continue to bake, keeping a close watch, until nuts are brown. Remove and cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Banana Croquettes (a Southern treat)
Simple and fun for kids to make. The original verison of Banana Croquettes call for a homemade salad dressing or mayonaise, bananas and crushed peanuts. Here’s an updated verision.
Several bananas cut in half length-wise
Peanut butter or Nutella
Honey roasted peanuts
Crush the peanuts with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper (this is a good kid job). Soften the peanut butter or Nutella in the microwave briefly and stir. Coat the bananas with the peanut butter/Nutella and sprinkle with crushed peanuts. Eat them up before the bananas get brown. If you want to be a true southerner, stick with mayonaise instead of peanut butter/Nutella and use plain crushed peanuts.
Share your favorite peanut recipe with us below!
