Candy sushi!

Candy sushi | Me & The Moose. Rice krispy treats, candy, and fruit rollups are all you need for a silly gluten- and egg-free treat. #meandthemoose #candysushi #sweetsushi #ricekrispytreats

Whether you make them look “realistic” or just go with a rainbow of candy and ingredients, these Rice Krispy treat “sushi rolls” are easy, tasty, fast, and endlessly customizable.

Take me to the sushi!

Candy sushi | Me & The Moose. Rice krispy treats, candy, and fruit rollups are all you need for a silly gluten- and egg-free treat. #meandthemoose #candysushi #sweetsushi #ricekrispytreats

There is nothing more to these sweets than making a batch of Rice Krispy treats, letting it cool slightly, and topping it with cut up or squished up candy.

Not only are these fun for parties or special occasions, they’re also a good project for rainy days with kids of basically any age. With a lot of direction, but 2-year-old was able to help and my 7-year-old could almost make these himself.

Candy sushi | Me & The Moose. Rice krispy treats, candy, and fruit rollups are all you need for a silly gluten- and egg-free treat. #meandthemoose #candysushi #sweetsushi #ricekrispytreats

These also make a really fun egg and gluten-free treat that can help kids with allergies to feel included. You can also swap in vegan butter to make these dairy-free. Obviously, check your candy and marshmallow labels if allergies are part of the equation.

Candy sushi | Me & The Moose. Rice krispy treats, candy, and fruit rollups are all you need for a silly gluten- and egg-free treat. #meandthemoose #candysushi #sweetsushi #ricekrispytreats

Candy sushi | Me & The Moose. Rice krispy treats, candy, and fruit rollups are all you need for a silly gluten- and egg-free treat. #meandthemoose #candysushi #sweetsushi #ricekrispytreats

Candy sushi | Me & The Moose. Rice krispy treats, candy, and fruit rollups are all you need for a silly gluten- and egg-free treat. #meandthemoose #candysushi #sweetsushi #ricekrispytreats

You'll need:

3 Tbsp butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
10 oz large marshmallows or 5 cups mini marshmallows

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the marshmallows and melt, stirring frequently. When the marshmallows have mostly lost their shape, add Rice Krispies and stir to coat.

Let cool until the mixture can be handled.

Fruit rollups
Large Swedish fish
Hi-Chew candies, Mike n’ Ikes, gummy bears, gummy worms or any other candy you can cut up into tiny pieces
Starburst
Orange sprinkles (either sanding sugar or sugar pearls, but not jimmies)

Tools:

Water
Sharp knife
Pizza cutter

To assemble:

For the rolls: Cut up some Hi-Chews or Mike ‘n Ikes into small bits. Cut the fruit rollup into 1-inch strips. With wet hands, roll a small handful of the Rice Krispy mixture into a ball. Wrap the fruit rollup strips around the outside and squish the top and bottom of the bottom of the circle down a bit. Take a few pieces of the cut up candies and squish them into the Rice Krispies at the top of the roll.

For the pieces: Unroll a fruit roll and cut into 1/2 inch strips with the pizza cutter. With wet hands, roll a small handful cereal mixture into a ball and squish into more of a rectangle. Top with a Swedish Fish and wrap a strip of fruit roll around the whole Swedish fish/cereal combo. Secure the ends of the fruit roll strip with a few drops of water.

For the roe pieces (not pictured): Unroll a fruit roll and cut into 1-inch strips. With wet hands, roll a small handful cereal mixture into a ball and squish into more of a rectangle. Wrap a strip of fruit roll around the outside of the cereal mixture and secure the ends of the strip with a few drips of water. Let dry for a few minutes. Pick up the entire piece and dip the top into 2-3 Tbsp of orange sanding sugar OR top with orange sugar pearls.

For more candy sushi inspiration: Super professional candy sushi / Candy sushi birthday party / Molded fish candy sushi

Orange, peach, mango smoothie

Orange, peach, mango smoothie | Me & The Moose. #Meandthemoose #Orange #Peach #Mango #puree #popsicles

Remember that flavor of orange, peach, mango juice? I was obsessed with it in college until I mixed it with vodka one too many times. But since that was 20 years ago (UGH), I decided to give it another try. Can confirm: still delicious.

Take me to the smoothie!

Orange, peach, mango smoothie | Me & The Moose. #Meandthemoose #Orange #Peach #Mango #puree #popsicles

Orange, peach, mango smoothie | Me & The Moose. #Meandthemoose #Orange #Peach #Mango #puree #popsicles

This smoothie, like a lot of the smoothies on this site, started its life as a baby puree, but transitioned to a drink as my kids got older. I used to add carrots, but they’re a lot of work if you’re trying to make this more liquid-y, so I would just add some store-bought carrot juice if you want to go that route.

Orange, peach, mango smoothie | Me & The Moose. #Meandthemoose #Orange #Peach #Mango #puree #popsicles

This one is great as a smoothie or a juice, but I also love freezing it as popsicles or turning it into a fantastic sorbet (I use this method from Zoe Francois).

Orange, peach, mango smoothie | Me & The Moose. #Meandthemoose #Orange #Peach #Mango #puree #popsicles

Orange, Peach, Mango smoothie

Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 smoothies

1 orange, squeezed
1 cup mango, fresh or frozen
2 large ripe peaches, 3-4 small ripe peaches, or 1 cup frozen
1/2 cup carrot juice (optional)

Combine the fruit in a blender and blend until totally smooth. If using frozen fruit, thaw it in the microwave for a few seconds before blending. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve if desired for a smoother texture.

This puree is also delicious with 1 Tbsp of melted coconut oil thrown in for a bit of extra fat.

Cherry, strawberry, basil, and coconut yogurt smoothie

Cherry, strawberry, basil, and coconut milk puree | Me & The Moose. Cherries, strawberries, basil, and coconut yogurt combine in this smoothie that is equally delicious for babies, toddlers, and grownups. #meandthemoose #babyfood #toddlerfood #summer #cherry #strawberry #basil #coconut #smoothie

Roasting fruit is a fantastic way to make it taste super sweet AND save it from the garbage if it’s a little past its prime. Here, we’ve combined that syrupy goodness with fresh basil and coconut yogurt for a unique and TASTY smoothie.

Take me to the recipe!

Cherry, strawberry, basil, and coconut milk puree | Me & The Moose. Cherries, strawberries, basil, and coconut yogurt combine in this smoothie that is equally delicious for babies, toddlers, and grownups. #meandthemoose #babyfood #toddlerfood #summer #cherry #strawberry #basil #coconut #smoothie

Okay, okay. I know it’s a little much to roast fresh fruit in the summer, but I promise that it’s worth it! The fruit gets SO SWEET that it tastes like candy, which is an excellent way to get kids to eat it.

It's also incredibly forgiving and versatile. Want to use only berries or only cherries? Do it. Want to use vegan coconut yogurt? Absolutely!. Want to freeze them as popsicles? Freeze away! Want to swap in frozen fruit because it’s cheaper or it’s winter? One hundred percent fine.

However, you CAN NOT use dried basil in place of fresh. You could skip the basil, but really, it's the star of the show.

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Cherry, strawberry, basil, and coconut milk puree | Me & The Moose. Cherries, strawberries, basil, and coconut yogurt combine in this smoothie that is equally delicious for babies, toddlers, and grownups. #meandthemoose #babyfood #toddlerfood #summer #cherry #strawberry #basil #coconut #smoothie

Cherry, strawberry, basil, and coconut milk puree | Me & The Moose. Cherries, strawberries, basil, and coconut yogurt combine in this smoothie that is equally delicious for babies, toddlers, and grownups. #meandthemoose #babyfood #toddlerfood #summer #cherry #strawberry #basil #coconut #smoothie

Cherry, strawberry, basil, and coconut yogurt smoothie

Time: (30-35 minutes, mostly active)
Yield: 1 cup roasted fruit puree; 2 smoothies

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered (2 cups of whole berries if using frozen)
1 heaping cup cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
10 oz coconut yogurt, cow’s milk or vegan (2 small cartons or 1 1/3 cups)
1/2 cup water, added a little bit at a time
6-8 large fresh basil leaves

Pre-heat the oven to 350. Place the fresh or frozen strawberries and cherries on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes. Check frequently to avoid scorching. Roast until the fruit is very mushy and its liquid has released and become syrupy.

Once your berries are roasted, dump everything into the blender and blend until smooth.

Classic Caesar Dressing

This Classic Caesar dressing ticks all of the boxes: fast, easy, dairy-free, Whole30, and most importantly, delicious.

Take me to the dressing!

Quick content warning: I’m about to talk about body image and weight and dieting. I promise not to talk about it ad nauseam on this blog, but as a human with a body who eats and looks in the mirror, it’s hard not to fall prey to the diet culture and wellness madness that swirls around us.

So, I just finished doing a Whole 30 and nary a crumb or drop of wheat, grain, dairy, soy, legume, alcohol, or added sugar crossed these lips the entire time. It was, by far, my most successful run of disciplined eating. And I lost 10 lbs.

But then I went back to "real" eating. For the first few days, I felt scared of anything that wasn't Whole 30-approved. Like, eating a grain of quinoa was going to wreak havoc. So I kept up the regimen. Then I had some wine and remembered how much I loooooove wine. So, I decided to rejoin Weight Watchers (guys, Oprah eats bread on Weight Watchers EVERY DAY). But, then I quit Weight Watchers. Then I tried eating Whole 30-approved foods while also recording everything on My Fitness Pal, which then turned into: Eating Whole 30-approved foods but adding back just grains and beans. Then I convinced myself that I should just work out daily to keep the weight off while eating everything in moderation. And then I had a meltdown and ate an entire chocolate babka. Bear in mind that my Whole 30 ended just two short weeks ago. That's a lot of dieting in 14 days. And a lot of babka.

During the Whole 30 I abstained from some of my FAVORITE things without much difficulty and really did feel great. I mentioned in an earlier post that one upside to the plan's rigidity was that I stopped obsessing about my food choices. Welp, that came back full force once I didn't have to follow the Whole 30 rules. I also feel much more obsessed with weight loss than I did before and more discouraged about my ability to stick to a regimen even though I JUST DID IT.

Also, this article came out.

There is hella conflicting information about health and nutrition out there, which I already knew, but is maddening nonetheless. Do I worry more about the content of my food or the volume? Is exercise or eating more central to wellness and weight loss? If I do manage to lose weight, am I one of the teeny percentage of people who can actually keep it off? So, I've been toying with the radical notion of just stopping. Just shutting down the voice in my head that says my worth is inversely proportional to my size. Or that my worth is bound to how I look at all. Or that there's something wrong with how I look. Or that "healthy" has a rigid and universal definition. And just when I think I'm good with that, I feel a clenching in my chest imagining the weigh-in at my next doctor's appointment...

No matter how frustrated with food I might feel, this Caesar dressing is insanely good and will remain in the repertoire. 

*Update: It’s been four years and I could have written this four days ago, so…yeah, still struggling with weight and body image! But I still make this dressing all the time, so something good came out of doing Whole30.

Kale Caesar salad

2 Tbsp Primal Kitchen avocado mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2-3 anchovy filets (look for ones packed in olive oil)*
2 cloves garlic (medium)
3-4 dashes Cholula hot sauce
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups raw kale

*I've recently realized that some anchovies, particularly the ones that come in a can with a peel-back lid, are what I would call a half filet. If your anchovies aren't double sided or look like they've been butterflied, then double the amount to 4-6 of these half filets.

Combine first six ingredients in a food processor and pulse to chop. Set the food processor to puree and slowly add olive oil in a stream. Add salt and pepper to taste and puree until all ingredients are combined. Remove tough stems from kale, clean, and chop. Toss dressing and greens together and serve.

Kid-friendly Pesto

Basic pesto is so easy and elevates any dish, even for toddlers and littles. #meandthemoose #pesto #pasta

Basic pesto sauce is so easy! It lasts forever in the fridge, freezes beautifully and makes everything from soup to sandwiches to pizza taste that much better.

Take me to the pesto!

Really pack that cup of basil for this kid-friend, quick pasta sauce. #meandthemoose #pestorecipe #pesto #easyrecipe

Pesto is simply the best-o, no? I hate myself for writing that.

But seriously, I LOVE pesto. While I’m not the best gardener (though I’m working on it!), basil has always thrived in our yard, so we’re on a constant pesto rotation during the summer and early fall.

And since kid palettes don’t always love the strong flavor of raw garlic, I quickly roast some to make it sweeter and milder. (Check out my reel for a wee tutorial.) That way, you can use a tiny bit of raw garlic and as much roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil as you like for a really complex and layered garlic flavor that littles and bigs will both enjoy.

Added bonus: This pesto is dairy optional!

Kid-friendly pesto

This pesto uses roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil to make it a little easier on a kid’s developing palette and to create a complex garlic flavor for grownups to enjoy.

Kid-friendly pesto

This pesto uses roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil to make it easier on a kid’s developing palette and makes a complex garlic flavor for the grownups as well.

Kid-friendly Pesto

Time: 30 minutes, mostly active
Yield: about 1/2-3/4 cup of pesto (enough for about 1/2-2/3 a 1lb box of pasta)

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 large roasted garlic cloves (or more)
1 very small raw garlic clove
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp roasted garlic oil (or more)
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted almonds, walnuts, or cashews (walnuts our my preference)
1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
Optional: up to 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To roast the garlic: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Smash the garlic cloves (chop in half if they're extra large). Don’t worry about the skins- they’ll come right off after cooking. Place in an oven-proof bowl or container (I usually use a small glass Ball Jar on a cookie sheet in case of spillage), and fill with oil just until it covers the garlic completely. Place the uncovered container in the oven and roast until lots of tiny bubbles are popping aggressively around the cloves, about 6-8 minutes, depending on your oven. Check the garlic frequently (like, every two minutes) to prevent overcooking. Let stand for about 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

While the garlic is roasting, toast the nuts. Feel free to throw them into the oven with the garlic, but again, keep a close eye to prevent burning. Our oven usually does the job in about 4 minutes. 

Place the basil, roasted garlic cloves, raw garlic clove, toasted nuts, lemon juice, and cheese (if using) in a blender or food processor. In a slow stream, add plain olive oil and roasted garlic oil while blending (if using a tiny food processor without a window in the top, just add the oils and whizz everything together). Taste for seasoning and add salt. Blend again.

Freezer tip: I love to freeze pesto in covered ice cube trays.