Recipe {Carrot Top Pops}

It's pretty safe to declare the summer of 2014 the "Summer of Popsicles!" Thanks to our friends at Big Top Pops, we were completely inspired to try all kinds of fun combinations of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  These Carrot Top Pops have definitely been a big hit this summer! 

The ladies behind Big Top Pops love to create gourmet ice pops in some bold new flavor combinations! Sarah and Gina try to promote positive associations to vegetables, rather than the "there's puréed broccoli hidden in your brownies" approach (although we're not above that occasionally too!).  And so, we give you...

Carrot Top Pops

This pop has a vibrant, orange color that kids LOVE and is a great one to make for teething toddlers! We typically make these with an organic cane sugar simple syrup, but if you are lucky enough to live in a state with great citrus, you may not even need it! This pop would be equally scrumptious with honey as the sweetener too.

COOKING WITH KIDS TIP: Lucas and Chuck had a great time adding the carrots to the food processor and juicing the oranges!  For younger kids, purée the carrots and make the simple syrup ahead of time for a recipe that comes together quickly.

Simple Syrup
 (Yield 1/2 cup):
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir frequently until sugar has dissolved and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature or place in the refrigerator

Pops 
(Yield 24 oz., or about 10 two and a half ounce pops):
1/2 lb carrots after they have been washed, peeled, and cut into medallions
1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed and strained
6.5 tablespoons simple syrup (recipe above), or to taste
Cover carrots with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil until carrots are fork tender and drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Purée the carrots in a blender with some of the reserved liquid until the carrots are very smooth. Add the orange juice and simple syrup. Pour into molds, add sticks, and freeze until solid.

Project {Flower Crowns}

Chuck and I had a great time visiting Scotts' Farm in Essex to pick our own flowers.  It was a great way to spend a summer day!  In fact, we had such a great time picking flowers, that we almost had an embarrassment of riches.  I know what to do when I pick too many blueberries (freeze them), or pick to many strawberries (jam them), or pick one too many apples (sauce them).  But, I was a bit stumped for a project for "what to do with all these flowers!"  

Scrolling through Instagram one day, I was completely inspired by the idea of flower crowns.  There have been so many gorgeous examples floating through my feed, that I just knew I had to make one!  It turns out they are pretty simple to fumble your way through.  Although Chuck enjoyed our mama/daughter flower crowns, this project definitely requires adult hand, fingers, and patience. 

Materials
Floral Stem Wire (we used 16 gauge)
Floral Tape
Flowers of a variety of sizes (the fresher the better) 

How To Make a Flower Crown
1. Create a crown shape using the floral stem wire. I simply made a circle, and then bent the wire on the ends to form hooks 

2) Gently wrap the stem of the flower around the wire and secure it in place using the floral tape.  

3) Keep layering and taping the flowers until you've achieved the desired look

I surprised Little Miss C with her crown when she woke up from her nap.  It lasted a couple of days in the fridge, but was definitely worth a couple of hours of imaginative play!  

Music Together Part 2 {So Glad To See You}

Making a six week commitment to anything with a toddler is, well ... a commitment. I've always been a little hesitant to sign Lucas up for a for anything that lasted longer than half an hour. But, over the next six weeks the magic didn't end!

Music Together brought new and exciting experiences for Lucas and me too! One of the fundamental beliefs of Music Together is its a "shared music experience." We signed up for a mixed age class, and although Lucas was one of the older kids in the class, he still learned a thing or two from the younger participants. I'm pretty sure some of those babies had fun watching and learning from my son as well! 

This shared music experience also means that any adult can accompany your child to class. Lucas's dad brought him a couple of times as well and loved sharing this experience with his son (in fact, he may or may not have rearranged his work schedule a few times to be able to make it to class!) We loved their "whole family" policy, and loved watching all the different care-givers accompany their loved ones to class.

Each week, I grew to love Music Together a little bit more. I drank the Kool-Aid right along with my son! As a preschool teacher, too often I see people telling children to "do as I do", but not providing examples. "Stop running", "Be quiet", "Stop yelling", the list of possible "do as I do" examples could go on and on and on in a Music Together class. As an educator,what I grew to appreciate most about the class is their core belief of not telling the children to "do as I do", but instead lead by example. It is important for kids to do things in their own time. If they see everyone in class having fun then they will want to join right in and have that much fun too!