4 Gluten Free Snack Ideas and Fun Family Activities for March Madness
March Madness is finally here, but maybe not the one we were expecting. While social distancing might be the new norm and big springtime get-togethers are going to have to wait another few months, there are still plenty of things to do with the ones that matter the most – our families.
First of all, there’s all of the food in our pantries and refrigerators ready to be turned into something delicious. Now is the time to chef it up in the kitchen with your loved ones and spend some quality time brainstorming recipes – or following the YumEarth-approved gluten free snacks and dishes that we’ve provided below.
Stay-at-home snacks don’t have have to miss out in the flavor department. The following gluten-free foods are our favorites for keeping scrumptious spirits high!
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
While most Buffalo-style wings are breaded and deep fried, it is possible to cook up crispy morsels that are just as tantalizing without the gluten-loaded breading. And this is our favorite way of cooking up wings! This gluten free recipe forgoes the frying for a better-choice approach and swaps out the spicy sauce for a buttery garlic show-stopper with a sprinkle of sharp cheese. We love a gluten free food that still tastes like it’s loaded with carbs!
Don’t forget your side of celery, carrots, and bleu cheese! Once you wash and cut your veggies, save the scraps (we’ll use them later for a fun activity).
En Fuego Chili Con Queso
We heard that canned goods are essentially gold at this point and hard to find on shelves; so instead of dipping into that bland store-bought jar of salsa, whip up your own liquid gold! This queso recipe beats out any boring canned, jarred, or dehydrated dip out there. Ooey, gooey, cheesy heaven with just the right amount of heat on your favorite gluten-free corn tortilla chips is the perfect crunchy snack during a movie marathon, or a tasty appetizer before dinner.
Cooking is a great way to bring the family together, but there are still plenty of other activities to beat the boredom-blues that don’t fill our bellies. So here are some family-friendly activities to enjoy after your post-snacking nap.
Hydroponic Gardening
Remember those vegetable scraps that you saved from wing-time? You’re going to grow those into fresh, organic homegrown vegetables. Hydroponic gardening is a cool activity that can be done indoors with limited supplies (just a starter, some dirt, clay pellets, and a mason jar). Your starter can be the root of celery or carrots, the root of crunchy hydroponic lettuce, herbs like basil, really anything!
Once your jar is assembled, place it in a windowsill that gets lots of sunlight and watch your low-maintenance, indoor, organic garden bloom. You’ll have fresh veggies and herbs in no time. Have your kids keep track of their plants’ growth by taking photos and daily growth notes.
Mess-Free Painting
Just because you’re home and have the time to do it, doesn’t mean you want to be cleaning 24/7! That’s why we recommend mess-free, paintless painting. You can do this project with any type of marker, so there’s no need to go out and get more art supplies. Here are simple instructions, but all you have to do is start with a drawing, outline with markers, and use a wet paintbrush to create the watercolor effect – super neat!
This craft could be a good time to start prepping for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any upcoming birthday cards. Our favorite, never-fail card idea is attaching it to a package of sweets, like tying it to the stick of an organic lollipop or taping it to a box of our NEW organic chocolate, Roll’n Stones.
Take this month day by day, and make sure you fit alone time in your schedule with all of the family-time. While daily and weekly schedules for your household might have drastically changed with the cancellation of group activities, classes, and hobbies, it’s still important to make this time feel as “normal” as possible. While you might not be able to make it to your exercise class this week, still make it a point to fit in some physical activity, even if it’s just a stroll through the neighborhood or a quick workout video – YouTube and Instagram have tons to help you get by! The same goes for your kids – use that basketball hoop that’s been at the edge of your driveway untouched since last year and break out the bicycles.
Don’t let this March madness get your family down, take this family-time and run with it! And when you’re feeling stumped, there’s nothing better than a sweet pick-me-up in the form of allergy-friendly candy.