Experiment with us using your grill!

We'll be hosting a summer party this weekend for the Peas family and friends and have decided to grill up Peas products! That's right, grilled Peas pizzas, grilled veggie fries, and grilled veggie tots!

Have you grilled pizzas before? Frozen ones? French fries? Tater tots?
We found a couple online resources, as this will be our first time:

• Grilling frozen pizza
• instructions
• use a low setting on a gas grill or coals that are on their way out.
• cook with the BBQ lid ON.
• use a higher rack, or loft a second rack to encourage even cooking.
• Grilling frozen french fries and frozen tots
• instructions
• we plan to omit their flavorings and use our recipea instead.
• puncture the foil pouch so steam can escape and fries/tots will get crispy!

Natural Cures for Summertime Bug Bites

When we think of summer, it's hard not to picture cook-outs, swimming pools, ice-cold lemonade and sleep-outs under the stars! Don't let bug bites interfere with your family fun! Here are a few of our favorite home remedies to prevent and cure those itchy bites.

Insect Bite Prevention

1. Natural repellents

• Citronella candles
• Calendula, cedar, eucalyptus, and/or tea tree. In oils, diffusers, sprays or lotions

1. Edible prevention

• eat foods rich in Thiamin (Vitamin B1) like fish, brown rice, molasses and wheat germ before spending time outside to avoid mosquito bites.

1. Avoid

• eating refined sugar which gives off a sweet smell on the skin that attracts mosquitos 
• wearing perfume, hairspray or other scented cosmetics

Insect Bite Treatment

1. wash the area with soap and water then apply a paste made of baking soda and water
2. rub a cut onion on an insect bite for a powerful antioxidant treatment

Date Nut Chew

Here is a snack that comes together in just minutes and is wholesome, nutritionally balanced, and kid-friendly to boot! Dates provide natural sweetness along with potassium, iron, magnesium, niacin, Vitamin B6 and dietary fiber. Walnuts contribute protein, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, and copper. Because our Date Nut Chew contains milk, please be sure to store it in the fridge. It's the perfect reci-pea to send along with your child on his/her next play-date or soccer camp this summer!

• 6 graham crackers, (whole sheet) crumbled into 1/4 - 1/2 in pieces
• 12 dates, pitted, chopped (or cut using scissors) into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped finely
• 3 Tbls milk, more if needed (cow's, soy, almond...)

Combine all ingredients except the milk in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and stir well after each addition. When mixture starts to come together, test it by squeezing a small amount in the palm of your hand. It should barely hold together. If it crumbles, add more milk.

When the mixture holds together, pour it out onto a long piece of plastic wrap and roll it into a tight log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the plastic wrap tightly around it and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Slice into 1/2 inch rounds and enjoy!

DIY Chips- Baked not Fried!

Homemade sweet potato chips are a must make! They are super satisfying and you will feel good when your kids gobble them up (since they are simply baked slices of sweet potato!) These are the perfect veggie side for the lunch box or after school snack!

DIY Chips
-2 white sweet potatoes, long skinny shape if possible
-olive oil spray
-salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel sweet potatoes and slice into rounds, making the rounds as thin as possible (slice with a mandolin if you have one!) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray. Place rounds on parchment and spray tops of potatoes with olive oil spray. Lightly salt and put in the oven.

Cook for 12-15 minutes, flip rounds when the underside is lightly browned and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Baking times will vary depending on how thin your rounds are cut. They are finished when both sides are golden brown.

Nice Cream

Have you heard of nice cream? It's the new plant based DIY ice cream which is super easy to make and customize. Make it with your kids and let them pick the flavors. The possibilities are endless!

Nice Cream Base:
-3 bananas
-non-dairy milk of choice (coconut milk, almond milk, etc) We prefer unsweetened vanilla coconut milk

Method:
Dice bananas and put into freezer for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. Put 1 frozen banana into a Cuisinart mixer or a blender. Pour in 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk and blend until smooth. 1 banana will yield 2 servings, double the recipe if needed.

Once the mixture is smooth use it as a base to create your own flavors. Here are a few of our favorites:

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Nice Cream
-1 large spoonful of peanut butter + 1 small spoonful of honey. Add to banana mixture and blend until smooth. Freeze

Chocolate Nice Cream
-1 spoonful of cocoa powder or hot cocoa mix (+ more to taste) + 1 spoonful of honey/maple syrup + 1 small spoonful of vanilla. Add to banana mixture and blend until smooth. Adjust ingredients to your taste. Freeze

Strawberry Nice Cream
-1 large spoonful of strawberry jam (+ more to taste) + 1 small spoonful of honey . Add to banana mixture and blend until smooth. Optional: stir in coconut flakes. Freeze

When ready to eat, thaw the nice cream on the counter for 15 minutes to get soft.

Stack it!

Need a quick dinner idea for tonight? Don't worry, we have you covered! This super simple stack can be created using so many different types of veggies so use what you have in your fridge (you may need to adjust the cooking time though).













Here is an easy recipe for our Zucchini Stack:
-2 to 3 large zucchini
-Parmesan cheese
-salt
-olive oil spray

Preheat your oven to 400 F and spray the inside of an 8" square pan with olive oil spray. Slice the zucchini into rounds that are about 1/8" thick. Put one layer on the bottom and sprinkle with cheese and salt. Spray the top of the layer with olive oil spray. Add another layer of rounds and sprinkle with cheese and salt. Spray the top of the layer with olive oil spray. Now repeat until all of the zucchini is used up! The top layer should have cheese sprinkled on it.

Cover with foil and bake for about 20 min. Pierce zucchini with a fork to make sure it's tender. When tender, bake uncovered for 5 minutes to let cheese brown.

Serve as a veggie side or as a main dish over pasta!

Cooked vs. Raw

Are raw vegetables really healthier than cooked vegetables? We uncovered a great article & study* that suggests the benefits of cooking some vegetables far outweigh the losses.

Cooking vegetables doesn't always have a negative impact on their nutrition. There are some vegetables, that when cooked, may gain more than they loose.

Asparagus is a good example of this. When cooked (particularly boiled or steamed) asparagus supplies more antioxidants than in its raw form. Cooking does break down and destroy Vitamin C, but Vitamin C can be easily supplemented from fruit or daily vitamins, so it's worth it!

Here is a list of common vegetables showing which is best to consume raw or cooked and why:

Check out our next blog on best cooking techniques to maintain the most nutrients and antioxidants!

*https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/raw-veggies-are-healthier/
http://www.prevention.com/food/5-veggies-that-are-healthier-cooked-than-raw/slide/6
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20667296,00.html/view-all