#makeitmonday : pesto
Happy Monday!
Today is feeling like a pesto day, so let’s do it!
There are lots of different recipes for pesto which is great because everyone has different tastes and preferences. Here is one of my favorites to use with kids. It is nut free and dairy free which is important for some of my friends with allergies.
I like to set things out with some intention, an intriguing invitation for kids. But it usually doesn’t look like this for long, and that’s good! These materials are meant to be used.
Pesto is a great recipe to make because it uses fresh ingredients, and has a lot of substitutes if you want to switch out ingredients. Here’s the recipe,
-4 C spinach
-2 C basil leaves
-2 cloves of garlic
-1/2 C olive oil
-2 TBS lemon juice
-salt to taste
Pretty simple! Here are some tips while making it together.
-relax and have fun! ALWAYS!
-smell the ingredients as you add them to the blender! feel them too. make it a conversation with your child about the experience!
-let your child know how many cups they need of spinach and basil. ask them which leafy green do they need more of? have them count and keep track as you add them to the blender! and it’s ok to give them reminders if they forget, this is how we learn!
-pinch the basil leaves off the stems, and squeeze the lemon. these will help those fine motor skills.
-make a spot to put the basil stems, squeezed lemons, garlic skins, all the unused parts. this helps for easy clean up and for your child to know where to put the goods and the scraps.
-have them hold the measuring cup for oil while you pour, or you hold the cup while they fill it.
-let them press the buttons on the blender!
-it might need a stir to move things around, that I recommend a reminder not to press any buttons while you stir.
the process
look at this beauty
Once it’s all blended, give it another smell! Isn’t it fresh? Now it’s time to enjoy! I like my pesto on pasta or my favorite, spaghetti squash, but it could be a dip or sandwich spread too! How do you like to eat pesto?
