So Fresh and So Clean: Healthy Recipes My Kids Actually Like!

When that dinner bell hits, does it bring out terror in you? You have a hungry family, and nothing ready to go, so off to the drive thru for you? 

Then, add the mom guilt of eating fast food when you want to serve your family healthy meals. It’s enough to make you want to hide, right? Yeah, me too. We all have those days. 

However, we are here to help you save the day! These healthy recipes for kids and families are just what you need. We have loads of healthy dinner ideas that you will feel great about serving your family, and keep you from fearing that dinner bell ever again. 

We have healthy recipes for kids that are easy to toss in the crockpot in the morning and get on with your day, as well as recipes that are ready in less than 30 minutes for those on the go days. 

I am sharing some of our favorite healthy meals for kids, and I know you will find them to be hits in your family, too! Be sure to let us know which one was your favorite!

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Children’s Artwork Display for Less Than $5

This is one of my favorite projects to date – also the easiest and least expensive: the children’s artwork display located in our Family Command Center  – otherwise known as the mud room.

I wanted plenty of space where the children could hang their artwork and good grades with pride, without that messy cluttered look on the fridge. It also needed to be really flat to the wall, since the area I’d designated is in a space the width of a hallway.

Mud Room Family Command Center DIY Kids' Art Display | Five Marigolds Mud Room Family Command Center DIY Kids' Art Display | Five Marigolds

Here’s how I did it:

  • Buy these eye hook screws and wire at the hardware store for less than $5 total (or spend a few extra bucks and shop Amazon at the links above if you want to save a trip to the store).
  • Drill holes into the wall where you want your eye hooks to go. Screw the eye hooks into the wall by hand.  Then, wrap your wire around one of the hooks a few times. Stretch it to the other eye hook, pulling and straightening as you go. Wrap it around that eye hook 2-3 times and cut the wire.
  • I already had these cute little inexpensive clips on hand, leftover from Eve’s party favors.They work great for holding the various art and school papers the kids bring home.
  • Voila! Children’s art center complete in 20 minutes and for less than $5.

Mud Room Family Command Center DIY Kids' Art Display | Five Marigolds

As for the rest of our family mud room command center, it’s still a work in progress. I have dreams for this space!

Mud Room Bench Storage | Five Marigolds

Mud Room Key Drop | Five Marigolds

I found that sign at the thrift store. I think it was from a hotel long ago. I just love it!Mud Room Family Command Center Key and Mail Drop

What do you think of my low-tech art center for the kids?

Sources:

  • Rug, Homegoods (similar here and here)
  • Basket, Mary & Martha (similar here)
  • Door Paint, Sherwin Williams Tidewater
  • Walls, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
  • Drawer Pulls and Knobs, Restoration Hardware
  • Key Hook Sign, thrifted (similar here, here,  here and here)

Homemade Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Homemade Birthday Cake Ice Cream | Five Marigolds We’ve established that I’m a big fan of ice cream. But, cake. Oh how I love cake, too! Eve chose Birthday Cake ice cream as one of her flavors for our ice cream truck and it didn’t take me any convincing to agree. I set to work researching recipes, but yet again found that most recipes called for eggs, which was not what I was going for.

So took my favorite ideas from the interwebs, then adapted a basic vanilla ice cream recipe to create this fabulous birthday explosion for the tastebuds.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 C. Whole Milk
  • 1/4 C. Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Box Yellow Cake Mix, separated (I used Funfetti)
  • 2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 t. Vanilla Extract
  • Buttermilk Icing (I made 1/2 of this recipe and used about 1/2 of that. You could also use store bought icing!)
  • Sprinkles, if desired

What to do:

  1. Reserve half of your cake mix, and prepare the remainder in an 8″ or 9″ round pan. When it’s done, remove it from the pan and place it in your freezer.
  2. Place small drops of buttermilk icing on a small sheet of freezer paper, and then place it in the freezer to set up. I used an icing bag and a small round tip to make mine uniform because I was photographing it, but you don’t need to make these pretty. I also colored my icing to make it festive and pretty.Homemade Birthday Cake Ice Cream | The Scoop
  3. Mix the milk, sugar, and 1/2 C. cake mix until the sugar and mix are dissolved.  Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla, and place the mixture in the fridge.
  4. Cube 1-2 cups of the frozen cake into the size of croutons.
  5. Place the liquid mixture into your ice cream maker* about 20 minutes until it thickens. Then, slowly pour the 1-2 cups of cake cubes and desired sprinkles into the machine until it is lightly mixed.
  6. Place the mixture into a sealed container in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

*No ice cream maker? No problem. Freeze the chilled liquid mixture for 2-4 hours or until slightly thickened/frozen and then gently stir in the cake cubes and sprinkles. Chill overnight.

Homemade Birthday Cake Ice Cream | Five MarigoldsYUM! Your kids will beg you to make this recipe again and again. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please tell me what you think in the comments below.