Author: Cara

Food

Make Blue Bread with Butterfly Pea Flowers

by CaraLeave a Comment on Make Blue Bread with Butterfly Pea Flowers

Not that my kids need any convincing to eat bread, but here is a fun spin on a yeast bread that only requires one extra step to get a gorgeous purple-blue hue without a flavor change!

Why make blue bread, you ask? I don’t know, why not? It’s pretty, it makes you go wow, and its a fun special activity to do with your kids.

All you have to do is replace the water in your recipe with strongly brewed butterfly pea flower tea. Butterfly pea flowers contain a large amount of the amazing class of molecules called anthocyanins. They normally appear as a gorgeous, deep purple-blue color in nature, commonly seen in blueberries, but anthocyanins are also responsible for the deep pinks found in fruits like pomegranates and cranberries.

Butterfly pea flowers are still pretty new to western supermarkets, so I buy mine from Amazon here.

To make this bread, I added 1/2 cup of loose butterfly pea flowers to 2 1/2 cups of water in a sauce pan, brought them to a boil over medium high heat, removed from heat, and let the flowers steep for about 10 mins. The resulting tea should be a very dark, dark blue. I waited for the tea to cool to about 105F, added the recipe’s sugar, then proofed the yeast straight in the tea. Afterwards, I just followed the normal recipe.

Butterfly pea flower tea doesn’t really taste like anything, maybe slightly reminiscent of normal green peas but not off-putting when you drink it by itself (kind of boring to me though). In the bread, the taste was undetectable. If you’re familiar with anthocyanins, you might be wondering if this bread changes color, as anthocyanins will change to pink when in acidic conditions. It does, but I couldn’t get it to change under normal palatable bread conditions. If we doused it with lemon, it changed to a bright pink after a few minutes, but then we had soggy lemon bread. Not too great, but still pretty. I want to try using cultured butter one day, as that is slightly acidic. Let me know if you ever try this yourself!

When you find yourself with lots of leftover flowers after you make this loaf, try some of these other activities with your kids that utilize butterfly pea flower tea! It undergoes a color change at different pH values, which opens the door to some amazing projects! (Some of these project say to use red cabbage juice, but that and butterfly pea flower are interchangeable for color changing activities).

art, crafts, Everyday Science, Science Projects

Magic Snowflakes for Frozen 2!

by CaraLeave a Comment on Magic Snowflakes for Frozen 2!

We made these magic snowflakes to get ready for Frozen 2 this week and my daughter couldn’t get enough of them! They utilize differing solubilities of markers to make it look like color is coming out of nowhere!

Materials

  • Coffee filters
  • Black indelible marker
  • Washable markers (any color)
  • Eye dropper
  • Water

Method

  1. Draw the snowflake with the black indelible marker.
  1. Color over it with the washable color markers, being careful to stay only on the black lines.
  1. Give it to your kids and have them drop water on to the snowflake to see the colors evolve and dance about!

Discussion

The black marker is not soluble in water so it does not run when you drop the water on it. The washable markers are colored by molecules that are soluble water, however, so they are lifted from the coffee filter and carried around the plate. It is a beautiful, surprising effect and one that can be modified for many other themes besides Frozen!

art, crafts, Sensory Activity

Playdough Symmetry Activity

by CaraLeave a Comment on Playdough Symmetry Activity

This simple activity has become an after school staple for us ever since I saw it on @themakermum on Instagram. It’s a nice mental exercise that also includes a level of focus that is calming and almost meditative for my daughter after a crazy day at school. All you do is shape half an image made out of playdough, then have your child finish the other half. Sometimes before I pick up my daughter from school, I’ll set this up and lay a damp paper towel over the top so it doesn’t dry out before she gets to it.

The possibilities are really limitless and you can make whatever image your child is interested in, or stick with seasonal ones, like for Christmas or Halloween.

Books

New Book Alert! Baby Medical School: My Doctor’s Visit

by CaraLeave a Comment on New Book Alert! Baby Medical School: My Doctor’s Visit

We are so happy to share with you our newest book, Baby Medical School: My Doctor’s Visit, now available in stores!

Click here to buy!

My husband and I wrote it to prepare our daughter for her doctor’s appointments through meaningful conversation. In addition to making the experience fun and lighthearted, we also wanted her to know WHY the doctor pokes and prods her. We feel that knowledge is power and that little ones are more capable and intelligent than we have been giving them credit for in traditional doctor’s visit books.

In this book you’ll find the basics, like eating healthy and getting your height measured, but you will also find how your heart works, what your lungs do, why the doctor presses on your belly, and more!

We hope that you love the newest addition to the Baby University universe as much as we do! 

Click here to buy the book on Amazon! (affiliate links)

Everyday Science, plants, Snippets of Science

Star Anise, Shikimic Acid, and The Flu

by CaraLeave a Comment on Star Anise, Shikimic Acid, and The Flu

This is shikimic acid. It is needed to make Tamiflu (oseltamivir), a common flu medication. Also in the picture is Chinese star anise, which is currently the source of the overwhelming majority of shikimic acid on the market.

Due to shortages of star anise and fear of pandemic flu, scientists are searching for alternative sources of shikimic acid. One possibility is genetically modified bacteria. Shikimic acid is a natural product, which means there are enzymes in the star anise plant that synthesize the shikimic acid from scratch. Scientists can take the DNA that codes for those enzymes and put it in a type of bacteria. That bacteria would then be able to make shikimic acid for us! It would be the same exact molecule, just made through fermentation.

Despite the relation to oseltamivir (see below), shikimic acid cannot be used to fight the flu. Oseltamivir sticks to a protein on the outside of the flu virus and prevents new baby flu viruses from bursting out of your cells to infect more cells. Shikimic acid doesn’t stick to this protein (which is why scientists go through so much trouble to make oseltamivir). If some wellness nut tells you to brew some star anise to cure the flu, know that it is 🐎💩. 😉 💕


Sources:
(Ghosh et al 2012) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2012.03.001

(Rawat et al 2013) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-013-4840-y

Sensory Activity

Taste-Safe Sensory Foam

by CaraLeave a Comment on Taste-Safe Sensory Foam

Sensory play has been a boon to me with a three year age difference between my kids. It’s something they can both have fun with and play in their own way, but they are playing together in the same space, which makes my life immensely easier. I also love for them to experience different sensations, especially my youngest. We play with slimy, messy, gritty, powdery, crunchy, you name it, and I’m always looking for more things to introduce them to and to hold their interest.

I was just about to empty out the liquid in a can of chickpeas (called aquafaba), and I thought about this vegan meringue recipe I wanted to make for my aunt last time she was over, but then it hit me. We could use the chickpea foam for a sensory base! So here is the recipe, which has taken the sensory world by storm!

  • Liquid from a can of chickpeas
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Whip it at high speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 5-7 minutes until stiff peaks.

That’s it! It couldn’t be easier and I love that it uses something you would normally throw away. I’ve seen some beautiful, messy play with this after I shared it on Instagram, and I’m so excited to share it with you all here! Let me know how it goes!

Notes:

  • If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can try a splash of vinegar or lemon. I haven’t tried the foam without it, but it serves to form and stabilize the foam through its acidity.
    A blender will not get the thick, stable foam like a hand or stand mixer, but if it’s the only thing you have, give it a shot!

crafts, Sensory Activity

DIY Patterned Playdough Roller

by Cara1 Comment on DIY Patterned Playdough Roller

It really can’t get easier than this. It’s just hot glue on a toilet paper roll. Yeeeeep. Use your fingers to support the roll as you imprint it into playdough, or stick it around a rolling pin if it fits! We’ve made so many variations of this so far, including these mermaid scales and a honeycomb print!

Original idea from @playtime.messy.madness on Instagram!

Everyday Science, plants, Snippets of Science

Capsaicin Receptors and Labor Pain

by CaraLeave a Comment on Capsaicin Receptors and Labor Pain
Capsaicin and its various sources

This little bugger is capsaicin. My search through the literature for something interesting to say about this molecule was quite fruitful, but considering I have a lot of mama followers out there, I thought I would veer towards how its receptor is thought to be responsible for that motherf&$@er we call labor pain.

Capsaicin snuggles up with a protein called TRPV1, which is found on many nerves throughout our body. When the right stimulus activates TRPV1, we feel an intense burning pain. It is a nociceptor, which is fancy science speak for something that warns us when something bad is happening to our body, like getting burnt, frozen, cut, or hit. In addition to heat above 109F/43C, some chemicals like capsaicin can also stimulate TRPV1.

Though when in labor, your body doesn’t flood your baby maker with ghost peppers, a study found that TRPV1 and associated nerves are what may be responsible for cervical ripening and the feeling of a burning pitchfork being inserted into your abdomen and rotated during every contraction.😂(they did not describe labor pain that way, I took some artistic license based on my experience)😂💪🤱. Though normally TRPV1 is found all over your body, in late pregnancy and labor it essentially disappears from the body and is only found around the cervix. It is fascinating that our bodies transform so much during pregnancy, and it is exciting that one day we may discover why the f$&@ labor decided it needed to hurt so bad.

Sources:
Tingaker, et al. Influence of pregnancy and labor on the occurrence of nerve fibers expressing the capsaicin receptor TRPV1 in human corpus and cervix uteri. Reproductive Bio and Endocrinology 6:(8) 2008

Frias and Merighi. Capsaicin, Nociception and Pain. Molecules. 21(6), 797. 2016

Literacy, Sensory Activity

Bubble Writing with Happi Crafts’ Resin Sprinkle Letters

by CaraLeave a Comment on Bubble Writing with Happi Crafts’ Resin Sprinkle Letters

Practice letter writing with bubbles and sprinkles! This fun activity not only works out little hands by engaging their fine-motor skills, but it also helps with coordination AND encourages ingenuity as use they everyday items in new and interesting ways. This project was inspired by the amazing blog Teach Beside Me and utilizes the wildly popular resin sprinkle letters from Happi Crafts that range from $7 to $80 with lots of design options!

Recommended age is 4+ because it requires a good amount of coordination to pinch and release the balloon to write properly.

Materials

  • Large bowl, plastic bin, or casserole dish
  • Dish Soap
  • Water
  • Balloon
  • Pen or marker with no ink left
  • Duct tape
  • Waterproof letter prompts (can also use any type of letter prompt here, just lay them next to the bowl instead of submerging them if they’re not waterproof.)

Method

  1. Remove the ink chamber in the pen or marker till just the casing is left. Wash all the residual ink away, if any. Leave the casing open at both ends.
  2. Secure the balloon onto the non-writing end of the casing with duct tape.
  3. Add a squirt of dish soap to the bowl and fill with water so bubble form.
  4. If you’re using waterproof letter prompts, put them in the water.
  5. Scoop away excess bubbles if you have too many, then blow up the balloon through the casing.
  6. Instruct or show your child how to pinch and release the opening of the balloon to control the flow of air.
  7. Have them fetch a letter from the bowl, submerge just the tip of the casing, and release some air while drawing the letter!

Discussion

Though this is a very fun activity because every kid would love bubble writing, it also sneaks in a lot of different types of learning. Not only does it support letter forming and recognition, but it also engages fine motor muscles and encourages coordination skills. Since blowing up the balloon is easier with the casing mouthpiece than without, it encourages independence and confidence. Setting up these types of unique activities encourage creative thinking, ingenuity, and resourcefulness.

art, crafts

Earth Day Multimedia Spin Art

by CaraLeave a Comment on Earth Day Multimedia Spin Art

Create beautiful and unique Earth Day spin art with your kids, while also learning about different environments on our planet. This project gives a twist to typical spin-art by adding glue at the end, which is then used to affix sand, dirt, and baking soda to give your Earths an intriguing texture and to spark conversation about the different environments on Earth!

Materials

Method

  1. Cut paper to the size of your spin-art box and affix to the spinner
  2. Prepare green and blue paint to your liking. You can also experiment with adding a little water to thin the paints and see what different effects you get.
  3. While spinning, drop, pour, or drip paint onto the paper.
  4. When you’re happy with the paint portion, squeeze about a teaspoon of glue right in the center of the spinning paper, then turn off the machine.
  5. Sprinkle sand where you want to create a desert, dirt where you want to create a continent with fertile land, and baking soda on where you want frozen tundra.
  6. Shake off excess, let dry, and admire your work!

Discussion

My four year old really enjoyed this whole process and made six spin-art Earths in one sitting. We discussed where on (actual) Earth exists deserts, temperate and tropical forests, and tundra, some of the animals that live in those environments, and what it’s like to live in each.

We also made our own spin-art box together, which added a lot to the experience for her. If you’re interested, check out our DIY spin-art box here!