Marina Delio's Blog, page 42

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: 





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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! 


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How to Open a Coconut

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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! 





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Tips for Traveling with Kids

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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! 


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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! 


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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! 


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Girly Sock Monkey Birthday Party

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It's amazing how different two sisters can be. I have one who is all about princesses and pink and jewels and glitter. And another who couldn't care less about those things. She loves monkeys and silly things and I just love her for that. Miss L requested a sock monkey theme for her 3rd birthday, so here's what I did... 

About a month before the party I ordered some adorable sock monkey fabric on etsy. I used a simple "pillowcase dress" pattern to make a birthday dress. If you're not up for breaking out the sewing machine, there are plenty of sock monkey dresses you can buy here. I also downloaded some sock monkey clip art from etsy and used Photoshop to make party signs. 






Everyone's favorite part of the party was decorating sock monkeys! This was a fun project that doubled as a party favor. I found white monkeys online and let the kids decorate them with Sharpies. *Please don't let kids use Sharpies without an adult watching, they will not come out of clothes. 






We served healthy monkey themed snacks. The "monkey tails" are Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls, which are made out of potato and lentils - kids love them. 








And what's a birthday without birthday cake?! I made this girly monkey cake the night before the party, because I didn't want to be scrambling at the last minute and greeting our guests covered in flour and frosting (somehow that always happens to me). We were concerned there may not be enough cake to go around, so I picked up some macarons at the grocery store. Right before the party I realized I could turn them into monkeys, so I drew monkey faces on with food coloring pens (you can find them at craft stores). I "glued" flower sprinkles on with frosting for little bows. I think they're pretty funny little critters!









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I cannot believe my "baby" is three! But three is such a sweet age, I kind of wish I could always have a three year old.




Sock Monkey Birthday Party Resources 








Sock Monkey Loves You Cute Digital Clipart for signs 

Sock Monkey Fabric *I got two dresses out of 2 yards of fabric by adding a strip of yellow at the bottom of the dresses 

Toot Sweet Party Hats from Meri Meri

Monkey Cake Recipe 

Plain Sock Monkeys: I got them wholesale here, but they are currently sold out. They are available here:

Beet Burger Recipe

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So, I've had the same lunch for the past 3 days. I just can't. get. enough.

 It all started last week when we had dinner at Eureka!, a fabulous burger restaurant. It's casual, but with high quality food. Our server brought the girls complimentary watermelon and avocado slices when we got there, along with coloring pages and crayons. Mama did a big sigh of relief and the kids stayed in their seats the whole time. I tried Eureka!'s San Joaquin Veggie Burger, which was made out of beets. All the food surpassed my expectations. Especially this veggie burger. I had to have more. I think I have a beet burger addiction.  








This is such a satisfying comfort food recipe, but so healthy and plant based you can feel good about eating it. I made extra with the plan of freezing some for the next time we have burger night. But then I just kept eating them for lunch. I loved being able to chomp into a hearty burger that was non-greasy. Top it with some cheese if you like - I chose fresh mozzarella. It's like Michael Pollan said, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." I like you, Mr. Pollan, I like you. I didn't know if I was going to be able to come up with a recipe for beet burgers, but these are exactly like the one I remembered. Eureka! 



It's all super simple. Toss a can of beans, some raw beet chunks, garlic, and some basil in the blender or food processor and whirl it around a few times. 






 Read more after the break! 


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Apple Maple Scones

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I know, I know. This seems like a recipe I would normally post in fall or winter. It was a special request from miss B, and I wasn't planning to post the recipe here, but these scones were so good I had to share. I took the girls to Jeannine's, our favorite bakery/brunch restaurant last week and they shared apple maple scones and this glorious plate of fruit- 



As usual, the girls loved the sweet buttery scones. A few days later they were asking for more, so I decided to try making a healthier version at home. You probably have all the necessary ingredients at home already and they take just a few minutes to mix up. You're going to love them for breakfast or an after-school snack. Tea party, anyone? 
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Read more after the jump! 


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Easy No-Bake Granola Bars {Vegan + Gluten Free}

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Remember when I made those peanut butter krispie treats? My family and I were pretty much obsessed with those. And they were so easy that I started thinking I should replace some of the crisp cereal with oats and make granola bars. And I am SO glad I did - these bars are much healthier AND tastier than the store-bought version and take just 5 minutes to mix up! They lasted 1 day in our house and I put half bars in the girls' lunch boxes. Our whole family loved these - they're a must try.To cut down on sugar I used sugar free maple syrup. I found a few more natural varieties at Whole Foods and went with one sweetened with Xylitol, which is one of the few sweeteners I'm okay with and has the added bonus of preventing cavities. You can use honey, agave, or regular maple syrup for these if you prefer. I threw some Chia seeds on top for added nutrition. 




Recipe after the break! 


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