goodies – Page 31 – The Next Kid Thing

2011 Top Toys

March 20, 2012 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We might be well into 2012, but I got a little nostalgic while putting together an application. This application process, which involved pinning the best of 2011’s toys, made me really think about what made these toys and games so great*. But before I go into that, here’s just a few of the hot toys of 2011. Coincidentally, I was at the launch for two of my favorite toys from last year, but parties and costumed monsters aside, these toys really rocked!

Let’s Rock Elmo

This interactive and rockstar-inspired version of the the furry red monster, comes with his own tambourine, microphone and bongos. Kids can sing or play along with Elmo or let Elmo be his own one man band with his instruments. I love how Let’s Rock Elmo can recognize the instruments and does his own little dance. And not surprisingly, since this Elmo sings and dances, my four year old still loves to rock out with him. And as I mentioned on my Pinterest description, one of my favorite aspect of Let’s Rock Elmo is that its interactivity is a hit with many special needs kids.

Skylander Spyro’s Adventure

I have a whole detailed post about Skylander coming up, but I’ll just reiterate what I said on Pinterest. Activision’s Skylander Spyro’s Adventure does what no other video game has been able to do: bring characters to life in the form of functioning collectibles. And even though he may not totally get the game itself, my guy loves the concept and the whimsical characters—so much so, he slept with his Skylander case for weeks!

Pining for Pinterest

As social media continues to flourish, I try my best to stay at the forefront of it all. Even though I haven’t been blogging as much as I’d like, in our families’ recent health scares and the new baby arrival, Pinterest has kept inspired. Over the past few months I haven’t been pinning kid products as much, but instead, I’ve been unearthing ideas for my home and brightening up my monochromatic wardrobe! But tonight as part of the Toy Insider Parent Advisory Board application I submitted, I put together some pins and my opinions on what I thought were some of the best toys of 2011. I’ll be sure to update my boards with more cool kid stuff. Pinterest is such a tricky space right now, so I’ll more than likely share my own ideas and repinning everything under the moon! And since we’re talking about pinning, find me on Pinterest!

*IMO: What makes a toy great

Since I’ve been writing about kid products for a few years now, I thought I’d reassess why I choose to feature the toys and products on this site. Why do I think a toy is great? Aside from what my own family thinks about a product, I consider these things:

Does it have a lot of play value? (this is a biggie)
Will it make it past the first month?
Is it durable enough to pass down?
Is it safe?
Is it educational in some way?
Will it drive me crazy?
Is it really worth it?

As products in general constantly evolve, I still get excited about the newest innovations in toys, games, apps, books. I count my lucky stars for being able to do something fun and fascinating on my own terms.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster for Kinect is Family Fun at its Best

November 7, 2011November 7, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Sesame Street is always at the forefront of children’s media, and the video game segment is no exception. Last month, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released Once Upon a Monster, the first Sesame Street title for Kinect for Xbox 360.

A vibrant, funny, family adventure game, Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster features a storybook-like experience that allows kids to explore scenarios with Elmo, Cookie Monster and meet new monster friends along the way. The game features a helpful co-op gameplay option, which, I think, is inherent for young players. And according to WBIE, through gameplay, Once Upon a Monster underscores social, emotional and other life lessons, for which Sesame Street is already known.

The friendly, familiar and furry monsters, ultimately, were the main appeal of this game for my preschooler. The dancing and other adventures, coupled with the sharp graphics, “made” this game for him in the end. From start to finish, and whether they’re big or little, the game involved players’ movement from head to toe, creating active gameplay that was virtually nonstop. This would be such a fun alternative to movie night or even a complement to traditional game night. The co-op gameplay feature gives parents a proactive approach to stay involved in this specific element of screentime. And although it may not be the most educational title (as far as letters and numbers go,) I do appreciate that Once Upon a Monster gets kids moving–without a remote!

Rated E for Everyone, this game is ideal for preschoolers to early grade school and their family members. Change up the holiday family gathering monotony! I personally can’t wait to see my 20-something brother join in on the fun! Coordination and the ability to comprehend basic verbal instructions are important, but a little monkey-see, monkey-do always helps with that. Sesame Streeet: Once Upon a Monster for Kinect for Xbox is available in stores now and retails for $49.99.

The kid and I were onhand at the NYC Once Upon a Monster launch, where we had a chance to demo the game before its official release. Suffice it to say, the kid and I both had a blast moving and grooving to “that monster game” as the kid lovingly calls it. Check out the kid and a few little buddies checking out Once Upon a Monster at the launch event.

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Visit the official Sesame Street Store and save 15% on Once Upon a Monster with the promo code: SESAMEBLOGGER

This offer expires December 15, 2011.

Full disclosure: I’m an affiliate of the official Sesame Street Store, and there are two affiliate links above. As always, I appreciate your readership, and by visiting and shopping through any of my affiliate links, you help me keep this site afloat!
Product sample was provide to facilitate this review; as always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Halloween Episodes on PBS Kids are Spooky but Fun

October 24, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the excitement that Halloween brings with it, not surprisingly, kid programming is joining in on the ghoulish fun! PBS Kids, an NKT fave, always does a great job on incorporating educational episodes while sharing seasonal shows, and Halloween is no different.

Last week, as part of PBS Kids’ Halloween-inspired programming, the animal exploration series, Wild Kratts, (think: Animal Planet for the grade school set) highlighted all kinds of creatures during Predator Week. The Kratt brothers explored fierce predators such as great white sharks, wolves, cheetahs and raptors. With Great Whites in the news so much recently, the episodes from Predator Week couldn’t be more timely. Be sure to keep an eye out for these fun episodes.

On Dinosaur Train, the kids set off for an adventure at the Haunted Roundhouse and explore the spookiness of the “unknown.” Like many families do as part of an Autumn rite of passage, in the Big Pond Pumpkin Patch, the dinosaurs learn all about gourds, pumpkins and everything else that makes the pumpkin patch so fun.

On The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot About That! Nick, Sally and Cat go trick or treating and learn about some fruity non, candy treats. They also meet a “scary” creature who teaches them a few new things, including how he eats bugs!

Everyone’s favorite inquisitive scientist in training, Sid The Science Kid, encounters his own scary adventures in the “Halloween Spooky Science Special.

We’re a fan of most of the shows on PBS Kids, whether they’re geared to the preschooler or not, so we always find these holiday-themed shows a great way to learn even more about how everyone celebrates these fun holidays, even the animals! After screening these Halloween-themed episodes, I learned that my guy is totally mesmerized by The Wild Kratts, even though it’s targeted to the older crowd (ages 8 and up). The episodes were a perfect primer for our recent trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom; he even took away some of the lessons he learned from the show and applied them to our visit!

Check your local listings for air dates and times!

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On a related note, last week, PBS Kids launched 40 new games which are aimed to help children ages 2-8 build critical math skills. The games comprise PBS Kids’ largest offering of interactive math content for preschoolers to date. The games are centered around various PBS Kids media properties, ranging from Curious George to Sid the Science Kid.

My guy is a huge fan of Curious George’s Monkey Jump. Jumping, counting and Curious George? Count him in! These are the kind of games that will be sure to keep us busy when we start hibernating!

Costco Recipe Challenge: Savory Pork Sirloin Tip

October 17, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Earlier in the week, I mentioned that I was participating in the Costco Blogger Recipe Challenge. My team was assigned to Pork Sirloin Tip and we were tasked with slow cooking our recipes.

I love my slow cooking in colder weather, as I’m sure many of you do too, but I have to admit, I’m also a creature of habit. This pork challenge was a bit tricky. The cut was smaller than I was used to, and I was afraid of the pork would get too dry. Nevertheless, I came up with a fall-inspired recipe, and one that incorporated apples, mustard and a few other ingredients that the family enjoys.

Ingredients:

Pork Sirloin Tip
3/4 cup of mustard–I chose a spicy mustard
1/2 cup of applesauce
2 tablespoons of brown sugar or maple syrup
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 apples, sliced into quarters

Combine ingredients to make a paste and coat the entire sirloin tip. Sear covered pork on medium heat on the stove, until pork has a light brown crust and paste starts to carmelize. I chose to sear the pork first so that it would brown and not shred as much. This step is totally optional. Transfer pork and remaining paste to crock pot. If there’s not enough “sauce” to cover the bottom of pork, add more mustard and applesauce. Cook in crock pot for 4.5-5 hours on low heat. For last 45 minutes, add apples.

This turned out to be a sweet, but savory pork dish that was hearty, but still light. The apples made it sweet and fresh, but the mustard gave it the bold flavor that our family loves with pork. We served it with white rice, steamed veggies with the warm apples on the side. It was a great way to incorporate the apples we picked on our recent apple picking adventure, not to mention a flavorful way to end our week!

My kid who isn’t a mustard fan loved the dish, more than likely because of the sweetness the apples gave it. My husband, however, said he could have used “more” mustard. Next time, I’ll probably make a sauce from the leftover juices in the crock pot. Everything’s better with a little more sauce!

If this recipe inspires you, be sure to check out Costco’s great deals for National Pork Month.

Giveaway

Want to win a Costco/Pork gift pack containing a $25 gift card to Costco? Send me an email jen (at) nextkidthing (dot) come and tell me about your favorite pork dish!

Full disclosure: This is a sponsored post as part of the Costco Recipe Challenge. As always, all opinions are my own.

Crockpot Cooking for the Costco Pork Recipe Challenge

October 10, 2011October 10, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Despite being MIA lately due to a variety of reasons, the kid and I have found ourselves in the kitchen more often than not. When we’re not enjoying the last few days of outdoor weather, I love that the kid is so adamant about being helpful in the kitchen. (Well, sometimes, anyway.) I really do feel that it creates an ongoing dialogue about not only how to cook and what we eat, but also, it keeps him engaged in food in general. Perhaps, one day, he’ll marry a lucky lady and he’ll be the cook of the house…

Nevertheless, our latest adventure in the kitchen involves one of my favorite stores–Costco–, delicious meat and creating recipes. In case you weren’t aware, October is National Pork Month, and of course, we’ll be cooking in honor of that. I’ll be taking part in the Costco Blogger Recipe Challenge this week. Aside from the shopping for the challenge, I’m having a fun time dreaming up recipes for this challenge.

My group was assigned the Pork Sirloin Tip as our cut, and Crockpot cooking as our method. I’ve never cooked with a pork sirloin tip, but I suspect it’ll be similar to a pork loin. (Here’s a helpful overview of types of cuts of meat.) As one of my mom’s frugal grocery shopping techniques, I’ve been known to buy the big pork loin when it goes on sale. I cut it and stash in the freezer, and it makes for delicious lean chops or easy roasts and more.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live Hits NYC and NJ + Giveaway

October 6, 2011October 10, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

DJ Lance, Muno, Brobee, Foofa, Toodee, Plex and their friends are at it again! The crew from the wildly popular Nickelodeon Show, Yo Gabba Gabba are on the road once again, this time hitting 50 stops across the U.S. for their Yo Gabba Gabba Live Show.

If you’ve been following NKT for the past few years, then you already know that our whole family are big time YGG fans. From entire family Halloween costumes to interviewing Christian Jacobs, one of the creators of the show, who is also the lead singer of the Aquabats, Yo Gabba Gabba is near and dear to our hearts. And judging from the show’s ongoing popularity, many of you probably feel the same!

We reference “There’s a Party in My Tummy” more times than we can count, not to mention, the music featured on the show has found its way onto our playlist. So, needless to say, we’re beyond thrilled that Yo Gabba Gabba will be in NYC/NJ within the next few weeks! On their first tour, we absolutely enjoyed seeing them at Beacon Theatre in NYC, where quite a few super cool celebs made cameos at the live NYC show! I can’t wait to see who will be visiting the Gabba Friends’ live tour when they make their stops at NYC and NJ. And speaking of the Garden State…

Giveaway

And since the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show is making a stop in NJ, my homestate, I’m thrilled to announce a giveaway for a family 4-pack of tickets to the Wednesday, October 12th show at noon in New Brunswick, NJ!

To enter to win, please comment below and let me know who is your kid’s favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character!

For additional entries:

Become a fan of The Next Kid Thing on Facebook
Tweet about this giveaway and be sure to @jenrab
Share on any social networking site
Comment below for each entry.

This giveaway ends on Monday, October 10 2pm! Good luck!

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Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There’s a Party in My City will be stopping at the following cities:

Friday, October 7	Philadelphia	Tower Theatre
Saturday, October 8	Pittsburgh	Petersen Events Center
Sunday, October 9	Hershey	Hershey Theatre
Tuesday, October 11	New Brunswick	State Theatre
Wednesday, October 12	New Brunswick	State Theatre
Friday, October 14	New York	Beacon Theatre
Saturday, October 15	New York	Beacon Theatre
Sunday, October 16	New York	Beacon Theatre
Tuesday, October 18	Scranton, PA	Scranton Cultural Center
Wednesday, October 19	Norfolk	Chrysler Hall
Friday, October 21	Charleston, WV	Municipal Auditorium
Saturday, October 22	Richmond	Landmark Theater
Sunday, October 23	Greensboro	War Memorial Auditorium
Tuesday, October 25	North Charleston, SC	North Charleston Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, October 26	Columbia, SC	Township Auditorium
Friday, October 28	Charlotte	Ovens Auditorium
Saturday, October 29	Charlotte	Ovens Auditorium
Sunday, October 30	Atlanta	Fox Theatre
Tuesday, November 1	Raleigh	Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Wednesday, November 2	Knoxville	Tennessee Theatre
Friday, November 4	Memphis	Orpheum Theatre
Saturday, November 5	Tulsa	BOK Center
Sunday, November 6	Kansas City	Music Hall
Tuesday, November 8	Denver	1st Bank Center
Wednesday, November 9	Salt Lake City	Kingsbury Hall
Friday, November 11	Vancouver	Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Saturday, November 12	Seattle	Paramount Theatre
Sunday, November 13	Seattle	Paramount Theatre
Tuesday, November 15	Sacramento	Memorial Auditorium
Wednesday, November 16	Reno	Reno Events Center
Friday, November 18	Fresno	Save Mart Center
Saturday, November 19	San Jose	San Jose Civic Auditorium
Sunday, November 20	San Diego	San Diego Civic Theatre
Tuesday, November 22	Bakersfield	Rabobank Theater
Friday, November 25	Los Angeles	Nokia Theatre
Saturday, November 26	Los Angeles	Nokia Theatre
Sunday, November 27	Las Vegas	Orleans Arena
Tuesday, November 29	El Paso	Abraham Chavez Theatre
Wednesday, November 30	San Antonio	Lila Cockrell Theatre
Friday, December 2	Houston	Verizon Wireless Theatre
Saturday, December 3	Dallas	Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
Sunday, December 4	Austin	Cedar Park Center
Tuesday, December 6	New Orleans	Mahalia Jackson Theatre
Wednesday, December 7	Tallahassee	Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center
Friday, December 9	St. Petersburg, FL	Mahaffey Theater
Saturday, December 10	Fort Lauderdale	Broward Center
Sunday, December 11	Fort Lauderdale	Broward Center

Aquadoodle Draw ‘n Doodle is Educational, Mess-Free Fun

October 5, 2011October 5, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Like most preschool-aged kids, my guy has been practicing his letters and numbers. There’s so many great toys and tools that promote reading and writing-readiness, and Aquadoodle‘s mess-free mat is one that’s become a mainstay in our lesson enrichment stash.

This toy has been around for a few years, but it just recently found its way into our inbox. There’s so many reasons to like this educational toy, but I especially like the fact that it promotes kid-powered creativity and brain power. With just water and the included pen and mat, the Aquadoodle Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat is both fun and educational, while remaining virtually mess-free. The kid loves the pen; it’s ergonomic shape for littler hands and cool water “ink” were quite the novelty for my 4 year old. He loved seeing the different colors appear within the various sections of the mat.

Not too many complaints with Aquadoodle, although, I will warn that the pen will leak water if you don’t twist it tightly. The water filling, too, can become a preschooler “I can do it myself” nightmare, as I’ve learned. No really, kid, you don’t need a refill after writing one letter!

Here’s a little video where I try to get the kid to draw an “A” on the Aquadoodle. Ten requests later, he finally complied. Sheesh!

In the $20 range, the pricepoint of the Aquadoodle classic Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat is very reasonable and a great pick for toddler and preschooler birthday presents. In addition to the Aquadoodle Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat, Aquadoodle has several products in their line, such as the Travel Doodle, Plush Doodle Pet and the Doodle Wall Mat.

You can find Aquadoodle products as retailers such as Target, Toys R Us and Amazon.

Full disclosure: I was provided with product samples for purposes of this review. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

TODAY Show Fun with FamilyFun Magazine

September 5, 2011September 5, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last week, J had a super cool opportunity to participate as a kid volunteer in a segment that was taped for the fourth hour of the Today Show, which airs today in the 10:00 am hour. In the segment, J and a handful of kids “assist” Mary Giles, an editor of Disney FamilyFun magazine (one our favorite publications,) as the hilarious Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb looked on.

Obviously, an all around fan of Disney-everything, I’m still mourning the loss of Wondertime, perhaps, one of THE best print publications. Lucky for us Wondertime fans, that fabulous, but now defunct publication was produced by the same people who put together the activity-filled Family Fun mag. So, aptly, for today’s TODAY Show segment, Family Fun put together a few “science” experiments that can be done at home. J was thrilled to be one of the “key” bubble blowers on today’s episode of the TODAY Show! So, if you’re around, be sure to keep an eye out for J and his friend, D, C2Cmom‘s handsome son.

Current issues of Disney Family Fun, which include the home experiments seen on the TODAY Show, can be found on newstands now.

And I just wanted to send a special thanks to our friends at 360 and Family Fun for including J in the fun! What a cool day it was!

Kleenex Field Trips and the American Museum of Natural History

August 18, 2011August 18, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Having NYC in our backyard is a treat, and one that we try to enjoy as often as we can. The city, and all of its robust offerings, never fails to entertain, but even better: it also educates.

Aptly enough, last week, I was invited by my friends at The Motherhood to take part in a field trip to one of our favorite NYC institutions, the American Museum of Natural History. Having explored the incredible exhibits on our own many times before, this field trip, sponsored by Kleenex, provided a unique behind the scenes experience for some of my blogging friends and our kids.

Our group gathered at the AMNH to not only check out some of the latest exhibits, but also to learn about Kleenex’s current promotion that underscores the importance of field trips. Field trips provide kids of all ages an opportunity to engage and absorb new educational experiences firsthand; it gives learning a totally different dimension, which is something that all kids should be able to enjoy. And judging by the many mouths left agape in amazement throughout our visit, I can testify that our kids, especially my inquisitive preschooler, totally enjoyed themselves at AMNH!

Our first stop of the day was at one of AMNH’s newest exhibits, Frogs: A Chorus of Colors. My guy practically screamed with excitement at every single case. He just couldn’t believe all the (live!) frogs and toads in different shapes and sizes. And since we were visiting right before the museum officially opened, we were told that the frogs’ behavior would be especially interesting. The highlight of the frog exhibit, besides the video kiosk that showed each different frog’s favorite foods, was witnessing some frogs actually being fed. Pretty cool!

Our next stop was the World’s Largest Dinosaurs exhibit, and yet, another exhibit that didn’t disappoint, especially the dinosaur aficionados in our group! The kid had a blast playing with the mechanism that reenact the motions of how a brontosaurus ate. But it was the fossil pit that was, perhaps, the biggest hit of all. With “gwobbles,” tools and bones to dig out, we could have been there all.day.long.

My niece will be visiting next week, so we’re hoping to take another trip to the American Museum of Natural History to discover even more!

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Want to learn more about Kleenex’ Save the Fieldtrip Promotion? Head to Kleenex’s Facebook page where you can enter to win $5000 toward your school’s own field trip. In this day and age of cutbacks, I’m sure many teachers, parents and students could benefit from this awesome promo!
And since you’re already on the interwebs, check out their fancy on-the-go packs. I am in love with the Wallet Packs. Who knew tissues could be all stylish!

Full disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in this campaign. The field trip was sponsored by Kleenex. As always, opinions are my own.

Cooking Fun: Lawry’s Summer of Flavor

August 15, 2011August 15, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Since retreating to the suburbs last year, our family has been enjoying the convenience of more space, the luxury of our own yard and even, the simplicity of having a dishwasher! As awesome as city living is, enjoying life’s little luxuries within your own home, I have to say, is a little more than awesome.

For our first summer in the suburbs, one luxury that I’ve probably enjoyed the most has been grilling in our backyard. After 10 years of city dwelling and not being able to grill out, I’ve made up for lost time and have been grilling, what seems like, morning noon and night…and even in the rain.

Not only is grilling much more convenient in the summer, it keeps the house cooler. And since I’ve become quite the grilling queen this summer, I’ve had a great time experimenting with recipes and techniques. So, when I was asked to participate in Lawry’s Fabulous Summer of Flavor, thanks to my friends at The Motherhood, I happily obliged!

So, for this assignment, our NYC team was tasked with creating recipes that incorporate Lawry’s newest marinades–Balsamic Herb and Original Seasoned Salt– as well as Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. My family has long considered Lawry’s Seasoned Salt an essential kitchen spice, for as long as I can remember. And when I was first learning to cook back in my high school and college days, I became fast friends with the convenience of Lawry’s marinades. You can’t beat the 30-minute marinades, not to mention the savory selection.

To go hand in hand with my grilling obsession, I came up with two summertime recipes that incorporate the grill, convenience and kid-friendliness. For my Lawry’s Summer of Flavor recipes, I came up with Grilled Steak Quesadillas and an Easy Steak Salad.

Grilled Steak Quesadillas

For the quesadillas, I included steak cubes that were marinated in a mixture of Lawry’s Original Seasoned Salt marinade and the Chipotle marinade that I already had onhand. I also made a super easy, super fresh pico de gallo to sprinkle within the quesadilla. And, of course, cheese!

What I love about quesadillas is that they’re filling enough to be served as an entree for lunch or dinner, or if you like, they can be served as apps. Quesadillas are perfect kid-friendly meals because they’re finger foods and like my guy reminded me, Dora (as in Explorer) likes to make them. Um, okay!

As much as I love to cook, I refuse to cook more than one meal. I don’t agree with special meals for kids, but I do believe in getting the kids involved during mealtime. I thought getting the kid to help out with the quesadilla-making was great. Even though he insisted he does not like tomatoes, he still spread some pico de gallo amongst the cheese and ate it too. From my experience, getting kids to help out, not only curbs pickiness, but it gives kids a sense of achievement, in that they created what they are eating.

This was the second or third time I’ve done this recipe, and it really is such a fun outdoorsy, grilling-type of food. From the freshly made pico de gallo to slicing up the grilled steak, I love sitting out on the patio putting it all together. And the flavors when all put together are so, so good. Serve it all up with some guacamole, salsa, chips, and it’s a fiesta! Only thing that would’ve made this meal better would’ve some Margaritas and Sangria! YUM!

Easy Steak Salad

This Easy Steak Salad is exactly what it sounds like! I marinated some steak cubes with Lawry’s Balsamic Herb marinade. And I also marinated some veggies with the same marinade. I grilled it all up and served the grilled steak and veggies on top of a fresh green salad.

For the salad, I incorporated a few different lettuces, cucumbers and shredded cheese. I then served the grilled steak and veggies on top of the greens. The marinade was so flavorful, that none of needed more dressing. It was so good—perfect for a fresh summer lunch.

See below for the recipes and a giveaway!