Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Sparkle Kitchen: Sugarplums (and Sugarplum Bunny Bites!)
This post has recipes for both of the treats that Martin and Sylvia enjoy in "Living Room Nutcracker," so that you can try them along with the story!
Friday's Kind Words: Sooooo Happy
I just wanted to tell you how much my daughter, who is five, loves your stories. The other day, when we were listening to the Thanksgiving one, she exclaimed, "That story made me SOOOOOO happy!". ~ Judy Bright, Cambridge, MA, USA
Sparkle Kitchen: Baked Apples with Cinnamon Oat Nut Stuffing
In the Sparkle Kitchen, we whipped up this delicious recipe, cutting a step from the recipe-that-inspired-us by substituting granola for the special oatmeal mix.
Sparkle Kitchen: Daddycakes
We’ve created an easy, customizable version that’s based on Daddy’s creative pancakes (as well as the pancakes that David has been whipping up in our house for years now).
Sparkle Kitchen: Mrs. Brown's Apple Turnovers
Inspired by the story "Rainy Day Help", we adapted this gluten-free apple turnover recipe by including almond meal and cutting the sugar — two modifications that brought this treat more in line with our typical family eating habits.
Sparkle Kitchen: Autumn Acorn Treats
We took a plateful of these acorn treats to some friends’ for dinner one evening, and all the little squirrels around the table couldn’t get enough of their acorn desserts.
Sparkle Kitchen: Lentil & Pumpkin Stew
I searched my favorite sites for good recipes — and used Pinterest too. But I couldn’t find one that was perfect. So I combined parts of three recipes into one that I think is perfectly yummy! (And relatively simple.)
Sparkle Kitchen: Momma's Spiced Applesauce
Spiced applesauce! Cinnamon, cardamom, allspice. Can’t you already smell and taste it? Yum. We’ve got Momma’s recipe for you — all you need are ripe apples, some honey, some lemon juice, and a few lovely spices.
Sparkle Kitchen: Fall Millet Fritters
Millet is great grain for autumn — and goes beautifully with root vegetables and winter squashes. It makes a lovely morning porridge, served with butter and raw honey in our house. And best of all, it makes wonderful fritters.
Sparkle Kitchen: Vegan Basil Pesto
I needed a quick meal for a picnic tonight. Families with kids, about 8 people. I had 45 minutes. Well?
The fridge didn’t provide many good options. But the garden is popping with basil. So, pesto it was.
Sparkle Kitchen: Crispy Nut Butter Bars
It’s too hot — I can’t bear to turn on the oven and bake. So, I made something that I didn’t have to bake at all. Check out this recipe for Crispy Nut Butter Bars!
Sparkle Kitchen: Summer Salad
Martin and Sylvia enjoy this Summer Salad in the story "Night Magic." It’s based on a Niçoise salad — a lovely plate of greens topped with a variety of good things: traditionally tuna, marinated green beans, potatoes, and anchovies.
Sparkle Kitchen: Mini-Quiches
The version inside is a “goat’s cheese and spinach” style quiche. But here’s the deal: using the basic “custard” mix — that egg and milk base — you can add any variety of ingredients.
Sparkle Kitchen: Chickpea Fritters & Yogurt Sauce
Yes, the dish is called “Pakoras”! It’s typically an Indian appetizer or snack: fried fritters made of any variety of vegetable. The ones from Martin and Sylvia’s house are made with a base of chickpea flour and include grated vegetables. It’s a quick and easy recipe.
Sparkle Kitchen: Martin's Favorite Granola
In the At Home with Martin & Sylvia story “Playdate," Momma dishes out some homemade granola and yogurt. Did you know that it is Martin’s favorite granola?
It is. And it’s delicious.
Sparkle Kitchen: Toppings!
Toppings is the perfect thing to make when you need to come up with a creative snack because everyone’s tired of the same old apple & peanut butter, but your kitchen cupboards seem bare.
The Power of the Pause
One of the most powerful storytelling techniques used by storytellers and teachers and presenters around the world is, ironically, not talking. Silence. Stillness. A Pause.
Sparkle Kitchen: Sandwich on a Stick
“Sandwich sticks,” said Momma proudly as she entered the forest. Martin and Sylvia came out of their stick house to investigate. “What is a sandwich stick?” asked Martin with a smile. He peeked in the tray.
Find out just how to make them in this kitchen post!
Sparkle Kitchen: Breakfast Buckwheat Kasha
The main ingredient is buckwheat groats, which you can buy roasted or raw. If we’re feeling particularly ambitious, we’ll purchase the raw groats, and then soak, sprout, and roast them ourselves. The pre-roasted groats are delicious too, and a lot easier.
