Yesterday was the most beautiful day! The sun was out and shining all day long. I went for my usual morning walk with Kesa after Autumn went off to school and we even found a garage sale where I got the girls some clothes for under $2.00. After that we sat outside and read stories, then Kesa grabbed some sticks from the yard and we sat on our front steps and fished. There are a lot of rainbow fish off of our front step! Who knew?

For our afternoon snack I cut up the first watermelon that we have purchased this year and we had a big snack of fruit. The girls love watermelon and beg for it every time that we go to the store and today was a perfect day for it. We had watermelon, grapes, blueberries and apricots.

Then it was time to go to the beach! We have been wanting to do something all together for a while now and since the beach is just a 1o minute drive away, we decided that it would be so fun for the girls. So we hopped in the van and off we went!

Do you like our Berrykin?

The girls had a lot of fun playing in the sand.

Autumn even went in the water.

Then it was time to go home and have supper. Often in the summer when we go to the beach we order french fries and take them to the beach, so that is what the girls were begging for. Instead of ordering french fries, I decided to make my own healthier oven-baked fries along with some crispy tofu nuggets and veggies. This is probably my kids’ favorite meal!

Oven Baked French Fries

I have always loved french fries and who doesn’t? These are a healthier, baked version of a favorite food.

Serves 4-5 (reduce potatoes and oil as needed to make less fries)

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch wide fries.

Place the cut fries in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss to coat. Transfer the fries to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30-35 minutes until soft and golden. Rearrange the fries halfway throughout the baking time to ensure that they cook evenly.

Crispy Tofu Nuggets

These nuggets are a cruelty-free alternative to regular chicken nuggets, that taste and look just like the real thing! My kids absolutely adore these. Serve them with ketchup or ‘Honey’ Dijon Glaze.

Makes 24 nuggets

Ingredients

• 1 package (350 g) extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons dehydrated minced onion flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sage (not ground)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch of ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the pressed tofu width-wise into 12 equal strips, then cut the strips in half to make 24 nuggets.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, Dijon and nutritional yeast. In another small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, onion flakes, garlic powder, sage, sea salt and pepper.

Dip each nugget into the milk/dijon mixture.

Then press each nugget into the bread crumb/spice mixture and coat on each side. Continue to flip and press the nugget until it is entirely coated with the bread crumb mixture.

Place each breaded nugget onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy. Flip the nuggets over halfway through the baking time.

I also served these nuggets and fries with a side of vegetables. I like to make two different types of vegetables at dinner and then have the girls choose what they want. Last night we had corn and green and yellow beans.

The girls go crazy for this meal and were so hungry by the time it was ready that they were almost biting their fingers off! Kesa was so excited for this meal that after she was done she had to do the happy dance!

Another beautiful day! 🙂