5 Ways to Eat a Rose

roses

I’ve seen the beautiful photos and know many of you have roses in your gardens or areas nearby! If they aren’t sprayed with any chemicals, then they’re healthy and safe to use in salads, butters, beverages, honey, and vinegars. Check out the following article from Yes! A Better World Today for the details!

Source: 5 Ways to Eat a Rose

The Vegan Lunchbox — from Patsy Kelly at Tuesday’s Horse

FOR MEATLESS MONDAY OR ANY DAY: Many kids (and teachers!) are going back to school this week, or later this month, in many areas of the U.S. If you’re looking for yummy vegan or vegetarian ideas for lunch boxes, this might be a good place to start! For schools that are “peanut-free,” you could use sunflower seed butter, or your favorite substitute, in those recipes that call for peanut butter. As a former teacher, I still feel a bit of that old magnetism pulling me back toward the classroom each August:)      ~Becky

Hey there. I am not going to list any delicious recipes. I am giving you a bunch of delicious links instead. All about lunch. You seem to have breakfast and dinner (or supper) solved. But lunch, not so much. Lots of these you can make at the weekend. And kid friendly too. Here we go! […]

via The Vegan Lunchbox — Tuesday’s Horse

February 8 – It’s Children’s Authors’ and Illustrators’ Week — re-blog from Celebrate Picture Books!

Visit Celebrate Picture Books to read about this fun book related to punctuation and writing!     ~Becky

About the Holiday This week was established to raise awareness and promote literacy and the joys and benefits of reading. During the week, children’s authors and illustrators attend special events at schools, bookstores, libraries, and other community centers to share their books and get kids excited about reading. To learn more about how you can […]

via February 8 – It’s Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week —

Multicultural Children’s Book Day – A Gift from Abuela by Cecilia Ruiz – Book Giveaway – Reblog from Children’s Books Heal

Visit Children’s Books Heal to enter the book giveaway through February 1st!      ~Becky

Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Jan. 25, 2019 Official hashtag: #ReadYourWorld A Gift from Abuela by Cecilia Ruiz, Author and Illustrator; Candlewick Press, Fiction, 2018 Suitable for Ages: 4-8 Themes: Intergenerational relationships, Love, Kindness, Change, Multicultural Book Giveaway: All you have to do is leave a comment and let me know that you would like to receive […]

via A Gift from Abuela by Cecilia Ruiz – Book Giveaway – Multicultural Children’s Book Day — Children’s Books Heal

Celebrate Internationally with Meatless Monday!

 

Plan ahead for Monday, December 10! Meatless Monday is partnering with Slow Food to celebrate their annual Terra Madre Day with a Meatless Monday meal. Take part in an international day of celebration by cooking up a plant-based dish and sharing it on Meatless Monday with family, friends, and colleagues. Click on this link for all the details!

Meat-Free Thanksgiving

If you’re planning to skip the meat this holiday, you might want to check out these great ideas from Patsy Kelly at Tuesday’s Horse!    ~Becky

Tuesday's Horse

Beautiful turkey bird. Beautiful turkey bird.

Hello there Vegan comrades.

I have been inundated with requests and there is not space here to address them all, nor do you have the time to scroll through such a list!

You have had two overwhelming popular requests: More main course ideas, more side course ideas.

My go to is always Vegan Richa (as you have probably noticed). I have never had a recipe of hers go wrong. Never! I am a fair cook but not a great one and her recipes are easy to follow and make.

MAINS

18 VEGAN THANKSGIVING MAINS – GLUTENFREE SOYFREE OPTIONS

Richa writes:

18 Vegan Thanksgiving Mains Recipes! Easy Lentil Loaf, Shepherds Pie, Pasta, Lasagna, Casseroles, Pot pie, Chickpea meatloaf and more. Gluten-free, Soy-free, Nut-free options Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Dish Ideas. Go there now »

I began having vegan lasagna many years ago for Thanksgiving. It is all kinds of…

View original post 192 more words

Little Free Libraries: Sad but Inspirational!

A Sad Farewell to a Good Man – this is from Jon at Children’s Book Insider.

(I’d love to read comments about your experience, if you own or have used a Little Free Library!    ~Becky)

image
Todd Bol, 1956-2018

Todd Bol passed away last week, at the age of 62. You may not know the name, but you’ve seen his impact.

If you’ve passed by a home, or a firehouse, or a school that has a Little Free Library out in front, you’ve met Todd. You see, Todd is the man who thought the whole thing up, and then spread this beautiful idea around the globe.

He didn’t do it for money, nor fame. He just wanted more people to read, and more neighbors to get to know one another.

Today, 77,000+ Little Free Libraries later, Todd’s simple idea is putting books into the hands of millions, and creating tighter, more connected neighborhoods in the process.

I had the privilege of interviewing Todd as one of the very first guests on my podcast, DISRUPTOR. He was a lovely, thoughtful and deeply inspiring man.

A friend who heard the interview when it posted told me she wept just listening to such a decent man who viewed the world not with anger or distress, but as a garden for dreams to flower. And books were his water.

When the news of his passing came out, she texted me to tell me how gutted she was to hear about the loss of a man she had only known for the duration of a 30 minute recording. I feel the same way, and so do many, many others in the publishing community.

I invite you to take 30 minutes to meet Todd. His words will forever change your attitude about whether a regular person like *you* can have a massive impact for good.

Be inspired by what he’s done, and help carry his torch of understanding, knowledge and love of reading onward. And please share this interview so others may know this remarkable man.

Rest in Peace, Todd. May a million Little Free Libraries bloom in your memory.

Todd Bol, Little Free Lib

Episode 2 – Todd Bol of Little Free Library

What started as a hobby has become one of the book world’s most exciting adventures. Meet the man behind Free Little Library, and learn how he’s bringing free books to millions of readers!

Listen to podcast here

You can find the Podcast on iTunes here

All the best,

Jon

Meatless Monday: Tomato Onion Tart with Olive Oil Crust

This recipe from Marcy Gaston (MS, RD, LN) at Food and Nutrition Magazine looks so yummy…you may want to give it a try! She blogs at cookingsustainably.com  ~Becky

A fully baked Tomato Onion Tart with Olive Oil Crust shot from above.

Photo: Marcy Gaston, MS, RD, LN

Looking for another way to eat tomatoes since they’re in season and ready to be served? Of course, you can always opt for the classic BLT. Heck, I like bacon as much as the next person, but sometimes you need to give tomatoes a holiday from bacon (or vice versa). This is also a perfect recipe for a brunch or light dinner.  It isn’t heavy and if served with a nice salad, it will make a complete meal.

The catch? You have to use fresh, ripe tomatoes. You know those heirloom varieties sold at the farmer’s market? Yeah, those. Buy some and use them for this recipe. It will make a huge difference in the end product.

Now, if you look at the title, you’ll see I mention an olive oil crust. Yes, instead of butter, I made the tart pastry with olive oil and yogurt. Why? Well, I like butter. Trust me. Butter is my friend and I’m always happy to use it. But sometimes I like to see if anything else can replace butter. Nothing is a great substitute for butter, let’s be honest. The tart pastry is not flaky; it’s mealy. BUT it tastes great and works really well in this recipe. I do not suggest using this tart pastry for pies. It just won’t taste right and you’ll be frustrated. But this is a savory tart and it works.

Tomato Onion Tart with Olive Oil Crust

Ingredients

Olive Oil Tart Pastry:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 13 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 13 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

Tart

  • 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced thin
  • ¼ cup Kalamata olives (or your favorite olive), pitted and roughly chopped
  • ½ pound fontina cheese, sliced into ¼-inch slices
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 to 4 medium to large tomatoes, sliced
  • Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (olive oil, water, and yogurt). Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. If mixture is too dry, add a little water. If it’s too wet, add a little flour. It should come together like a regular pastry dough (slightly soft but not sticky or crumbly).
  3. Flour the counter and roll the dough into a circle bigger than your tart pan. My tart pan is 11 inches, so I rolled the dough into a 12-inch circle. The tart pastry should be about 1814-inch thick. You don’t want it too thick. The pastry might break apart, and that’s perfectly OK. It’s a tart pastry, the most unruly and forgiving of all pastries.
  4. Transfer the pastry to the tart pan and tuck the dough into the pan. If it breaks apart, just fill in the holes with the extra dough. Press any of the overhang against the top of the pan. Make sure the sides are enforced well with dough.
  5. Slide the tart pan onto a baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes. Basically, you are giving the crust a head start in baking.
  6. Remove the tart from the oven and fill it with the tart ingredients. First, layer the onion and olives on the bottom of the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the sliced cheese on top of the onions. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.
  7. Return to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  8. Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Talking with Kids about A Culture of World Peace

Please check out this awesome book “All Are Welcome” by Alexandra Penfold — in this reblog from Patricia Tilton at Children’s Books Heal!    ~Becky

International Day of Peace, Sep. 21, 2018 All Are Welcome Alexandra Penfold, Author Suzanne Kaufman, Illustrator Knopf Books for Young Readers, Fiction, Jul. 10, 2018 Pages: 44 Suitable for Ages: 4-8 Themes: Diversity, Inclusiveness, Classroom, School, Friendship Opening: Pencils sharpened in their case. / Bells are ringing, let’s make haste. / School’s beginning, dreams to […]

via All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold — Children’s Books Heal