Stephanie R. Conner, Author at Taste Recipes

How to Host a Magical Unicorn Birthday Party (Including Ideas & Tips)

Stephanie R. Conner — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 06:45:16 +0000

Start with a super cute treat

For an appetizer that’ll impress guests of any age, whip up these easy unicorn strawberries. Start by dipping strawberries in white chocolate. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once set, pipe on petite dots of black icing for eyes and use colored frosting for the mane. A small piece of rolled fondant works well for a horn. Don’t have fondant? Use a birthday candle instead!

Opt for colorful unicorn decorations

Nothing says “Welcome to my unicorn party!” quite like a room that has just exploded into rainbows. Pick up some streamers and balloons of various hues—choose traditional rainbow colors or soften it up with options like aqua, pink, lavender, yellow, peach and light green.

Give guests tails and horns

Get creative with your party hats and transform partygoers into unicorns. You can fashion a horn out of a conical piece of Styrofoam (that you decorate, of course); then glue the horn to a simple headband. Meanwhile, pompoms, shredded construction paper or raffia are great materials for tails. Don’t have time to craft? Purchase a set instead.

Get guests involved with unicorn games and activities

Especially if you’re hosting young girls, have them make their own horns. Give every child the basic supplies and open up a craft table complete with glitter, paint, confetti, glue and more. Or invite guests to paint their own unicorn and offer prizes for the most creative.

Hang a unicorn piñata

A fun unicorn piñata serves as a colorful decoration, engaging activity and yummy treats to bring home all in one! To get started, gather all your little party guests together and pass out vibrant scarves or unicorn blindfolds to cover their eyes. Have them take turns batting the piñata and watch the fun unfold.

(Here’s how to make a piñata at home!)

Pin the tail (or horn) on the unicorn

Who doesn’t remember Pin the Tail on the Donkey? Use this classic party game as inspiration for your own version. You can buy a game online or, if you’re feeling crafty, create your own. A large poster printout of a unicorn, cutouts of a tail or horn, some Velcro and a blindfold are all you need.

Create a unicorn-themed photo booth

Horned headbands, colorful wigs, crowns, fun cutouts and even stuffed unicorns make great props for a fun photo booth. Use a colorful, unicorn-filled backdrop, and arrange for a friend to help take pictures. (Psst—Here’s where to buy a super cute backdrop!) You can plan to print photos during the party (while guests are playing games or eating cake), or simply email photos following the party.

Invite a unicorn

If you have the space and budget, arrange for pony rides. All it takes is adding a colorful horn to the pony to give your young guests the experience of riding a unicorn—something they’ll talk about long after the party ends. (Plus, it’s a great photo-op-turned-party-favor.)

Serve up fun (and healthy) food

The good news is that colorful food tends to be healthy (think fruits and veggies). When you’re planning your spread for your unicorn party, consider a sparkling fruit salad or rainbow veggie salad. Fruit-infused waters and punches make great complements to your food, or try a kid-friendly rainbow spritzer.

Serve punch in unicorn cups

Choose a festive drink, like this pretty pink lemonade for the kids and maybe a few strawberry mimosas for the adults, and serve them in these homemade unicorn cups. They look impressive but take just minutes to assemble. Choose sturdy paper cups in white or pale pink and fun paper straws. Then add your unicorn details and take a sip.

Bust out the sprinkles for dessert

Colorful desserts are fun, period. And for a unicorn party, they’re simply perfect. A Funfetti cake is a delicious option that anyone can do on their own. (This how-to has you covered.) But there’s no shortage of other fun ideas, including rainbow cupcakes, rainbow cake, and rainbow S’moreo cookies.

Wow guests with a unicorn birthday cake

A party without a cake is just a meeting, according to Julia Child, so give the people what they want with this charming unicorn cake for dessert. Kids and grownups alike will be wowed by the presentation, not to mention the taste. Not ready to take on such an elaborate treat? Keep all the fun without the advanced baking skills by serving unicorn mane cookies instead.

Send guests home with unicorn party favors

Goodie bags are welcome extras at any party. Pick up some colorful paper bags and decorate away with unicorn stickers, glitter and confetti. (Or purchase them, here!) Stuff the bags with inexpensive toys, unicorn-shaped cookie cutters or colorful homemade candies.

The post How to Host a Magical Unicorn Birthday Party (Including Ideas & Tips) appeared first on Taste Recipes.

8 Black Grape Benefits You Should Know

Stephanie R. Conner — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 20:18:21 +0000

Support a Healthy Heart

Dark-skinned grapes contain lots of resveratrol, a phytochemical and antioxidant that is good for the heart. Plus, the polyphenols (chemicals that occur naturally in plants) in grapes can help increase good cholesterol. Find other foods that will change your cholesterol stats.

Build Strong Bones

You can find lots of vitamin K in black grapes. That vitamin may help strengthen bones and prevent fractures. In fact, one study found that women with lower intakes of vitamin K had a higher risk of hip fracture. In addition, copper, which may prevent bone loss, is also found in black grapes.

Lower Your Cancer Risk

Free radicals are molecules that can damage cells, contributing to the risk of cancer and other diseases. The antioxidants in black grapes (like vitamin C and manganese and beta carotene) help stop free radicals from doing nasty damage. See what other fruit has cancer-fighting benefits.

Improve Digestion

While you certainly won’t be able to get your full day’s worth of fiber out of your grapes, the whole fruit offers fiber, which can contribute to an overall high fiber diet that is good for digestion and colorectal health. Pair black grapes with foods like this for plenty of fiber.

Enhance Cognition

In another study, adults with memory issues (but not Alzheimer’s or dementia) saw an improvement in their cognition when drinking Concord grape juice daily. The polyphenol compounds found in certain fruits have been associated with health benefits like slowing mild memory decline due to aging.

Reduce Inflammation

Resveratrol for the win! This powerful antioxidant may reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is what happens when the body’s immune system activates to fight an illness or health an injury. It’s a necessary process, but when it lasts too long, it can cause problems like pain and fatigue. Find more foods that help fight inflammation.

Create Healthy Skin

Did we mention that resveratrol is one of the best black grape benefits? It’s even been shown to help improve skin health. See what else you can eat (or drink) for glowing skin.

Support a Resilient Immune System

Black grapes offer vitamin C and—yep, you guessed it—resveratrol, which appear to benefit the immune system. A healthy snack that can also come in handy during flu season? Sounds like a winner!

The post 8 Black Grape Benefits You Should Know appeared first on Taste Recipes.

7 Easy and Delicious Dairy-Free Meals for Toddlers

Stephanie R. Conner — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 22:06:43 +0000

Milk, cheese and yogurt are often mainstays of a toddler’s diet. But some children are allergic or sensitive to dairy. Or perhaps your family avoids dairy as part of your food philosophy. Never fear, there are plenty of dairy-free meals for toddlers that you can try. Here are some easy ideas to get you started!

New to this lifestyle? You won’t believe these meals are dairy-free.

Dairy-Free Meals for Toddlers

1. Dairy-Free Pancakes

When you’re building a toddler breakfast without cheesy scrambled eggs or yogurt, consider simple dairy-free pancakes. (Birch Benders has a great mix for pancakes and waffles.) Pair your ‘cakes with some sliced strawberries and bananas. Looking for a special weekend treat? Offer up this easy glazed bacon.

2. Taco Bowls

Steamed rice, black or pinto beans and some grilled chicken or seasoned ground beef make for a healthy weeknight meal. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to experiment with tomatoes, lettuce and avocado, too. Make your bowls as complex or as simple as you want. Separate foods (for toddlers) or mix them together (for you). Plus, if you have family members who can eat cheese, taco bowls are an easy meal to customize.

3. Grilled Steak and Corn

Perfect for summer, grilled steak (keep it tender, and be sure to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces before serving) paired with corn on the cob is an easy option. (Just be sure to give the corn time to cool so it doesn’t burn your toddler’s tongue!) Add some seedless watermelon for a balanced meal.

4. Turkey on Crackers

For a simple lunch or a hefty snack, offer turkey lunch meat on whole-wheat crackers or pita. Then, throw in some crunchy celery and carrots on the side. For a dairy-free veggie dip option, try this cannellini bean hummus.

5. Bento Box

A bento box (like this one) is basically a divided tray—perfect for toddlers who don’t want their foods to touch. Sliced bananas and pineapple, steamed green beans, sliced cucumbers, ground meat, apple wedges, sliced tomatoes, whole-grain crackers, guacamole… Yep, the options are endless. And as long as you offer up an array of healthy foods, you can rest easy calling the collection of foods a meal. (Bonus: Make your own simple guacamole and invite your kiddo to help—mashing avocados is fun and easy for a toddler!)

6. Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Whether you roast a whole chicken or bake some legs (or hey, even “cheat” and pick up a rotisserie chicken), this easy protein is great for toddlers. Depending on your little one’s stage, you might want to take the meat off the bone. But a lot of toddlers are completely comfortable digging into a piece of bone-in meat. Throw in some roasted yams, a side of lentils, green beans or simple steamed broccoli for a complete meal. This roasted chicken and red potatoes dish is a good place to start.

7. Fish Sticks with Veggies

Raise your hand if your kid loves fish. Yeah, didn’t think so. Fish can be tough to introduce, but fish sticks (try this homemade version) can make the introduction a little easier. Roasted colorful veggies—like zucchini, squash and bell pepper—are a nice complement. Add some applesauce for a familiar fave.

Don’t Forget Dairy-Free Substitutes!

There are endless combinations of healthy meats, beans and lentils, fruits and veggies and whole grains that you can use to create lots of dairy-free toddler meals. But don’t forget, there also are many substitutes for dairy products—nut, oat and soy milks, for example. Plus plant-based “cheeses”, almond-milk yogurts, vegan butters and more. These substitutes may not work perfectly in every recipe, but through research and experimentation you’ll have many dairy-free options to choose from at mealtime.

Plan on making dessert, too! Your little one will love these dairy-free treats.

Find Dairy-Free Dinners for the Family

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Black Bean & Corn QuinoaSome vegan quinoa recipes are boring, but this one definitely isn't. My daughter’s college asked parents for the best quinoa recipes to use in the dining halls. This healthy quinoa recipe fits the bill. —Lindsay McSweeney, Winchester, MassachusettsGo to Recipe

Beef and ShellsFor this beef and shells recipe, pasta shells and ground beef are simmered with tomatoes, onion and garlic for a foolproof weeknight classic.