DESSERT:
Zucchini Chocolate Bread

My kids seriously hate zucchini, yet it grows the best in our garden. Go figure! That said, they do love this Chocolate Loaf and gobble it up, even knowing it has zucchini in it.

This recipes from Sally's Baking Addiction is awesome: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Pasta or Pizza Sauce:

1 can of tomato sauce (size will depend on how much size you need - more for a big pasta dinner, less for a single pizza)
Fresh herbs from your garden or containers, finely chopped
garlic powder (1/4 to 1/2 tsp or to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat.

VARIATION: Make a big batch of this and freeze in ice cube trays. Add a few ice cubes to tomato sauce to make fresh sauce throughout the year using your garden herbs

Fruit Flower Dessert:

Ingredients: chocolate pudding, strawberries, green grapes

Step 1: Make chocolate pudding according to package (or buy pre-made) and spoon pudding in each bowl (one for each person).

Step 2: Cut strawberries in half lengthwise and then again to make flower petals. Arrange strawberries in a circle on top of the pudding in a flower shape.

Step 3: Cut a grape in half and put a one half of the grape in the middle of each flower.

LUNCH:
Vegetable Soup:

5 cups broth (homemade is easy if you use frozen veg scraps) 2 cups freshly chopped vegetables

pasta of choice

Powdered boullion to taste

Dried Italian Spices

Heat up the broth in a pot and add your slices vegetables of choice along with your chosen pasta. Taste the broth and season if necessary.

If you don't have a garden or access to a farmer's market, you can still make these yummy recipes. Just visit the produce department at your grocery store with your kids. Don't forget your reusable produce bags.

Ever notice how much sweeter vegetables from the garden taste?

BREAKFAST:
Overnight Oats with Fresh Berries:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup milk (diary or non)

1/2 tbsp maple syrup, agave syrup or date syrup

A handful of fresh berries

(Optional) a dash of cinnamon

(Optional) 1 tbsp nut butter of choice

Place all these ingredients in a container with a tight lid. Shake it up to mix the ingredients. Keep our oat mixture in the fridge overnight and enjoy the next morning.

Growing your own fruits and vegetables or visiting a Farmer's Market will provide you with nutritious and delicious zero waste foods! Perhaps your family will be encouraged to try something new after your Garden Theme Day!

DINNER:
Family Salad:

5 cups broth (homemade is easy if you use frozen veg scraps) freshly chopped vegetables

pasta of choice

Soup boullion to taste

Dried Italian Spices

Heat up the broth in a pot and add your slices vegetables of choice along with your chosen pasta. Taste the broth and season if necessary.

SNACK:
Veggies and Dip:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp onion soup mix

fresh cut and cleaned vegetables (from your garden perhaps)

Mix the sour cream and onion soup mix for the easiest dip around and then start snacking on those beautiful vegetables

Garden

We've planted a few strawberry plants under the tree in our front yard and it produces wonderfully sweet little berries. Many garden centers offer pots with strawberries to grow, as well. I usually collect the berries as they ripen, wash, and freeze on a plastic plate and then toss into a glass jar to freeze to use when fresh berries aren't available plastic free from a Farmer's Market. Likewise, you might live near a "You Pick" Farm and your family can have a field trip

picking berries!

FOODS

Fresh Salsa and Corn Chips:

2 cups of roughly chopped tomatoes or whole cherry tomatoes

1/2 of a bell pepper (any colour)

1/4 of a red onion

handful of fresh cilantro

juice from 1 lime

salt to taste

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor (or finely chop all by hand) and season to taste by adding more salt or lime juice.

VARIATION: Add a jalapeno to make it spicier.