This blog post was created with Hellmann’s® and JONES Voice.
I admit that every winter, I rush the season for gardening. Around February, when I place my seed order, my green thumbs starts itching to get plants started. Even though I know it’s way too early for Northern Alberta, I typically end up starting plants on my windowsill anyway. Some of them live and make it through to be planted into the garden, and others don’t.
This year, I got a little smarter and started making garden projects with the kids indoors instead. We have tried making several crafts that were fun and would fit on any kitchen’s windowsill. We’ve been having so much fun with our little projects that even though the large garden outside is planted, we still have a few inside too.
Marvin the Microgreen Head
This is our take on the Mr. Grasshead craft! If you’re going to go to the trouble of growing something – why not make it delicious? Microgreens are sprouts or baby salad greens that are delicious to grow indoors for adding to your salads, smoothies or stirfry. They are colourful, full of nutrients, and incredibly easy to grow.
Items Needed:
-Potting mix
-Nylons (upcycled or not!)
-Microgreen seeds (we used Wheatgrass and alfalfa)
-Googly eyes
-Hot glue gun & glue
-Container for your Marvin
How To:
Step 1 – cut out the feet of an old pair of stockings just above the knee (or if you are like me and don’t wear nylons, take yourself to the dollar store and buy a pair of thigh highs)
Step 2 – fill up your stocking with microgreen seeds of your choice and potting mix. Tie it into about a tennis ball size shape to make a ‘head’.
Step 4 – Make a face, i.e. use googly eyes for the eyes, draw on a mouth, use pipe cleaner to make eyebrows or a mustache etc. You can even glue some paper on a plastic cup and make an ‘outfit’ for your sprout head. You can even cut out a little tie etc to dress it up.
Step 5 – Spritz your head with a little water and place your sprout person on a window sill to get lots of sun. Water him/her with a spray bottle every day and watch their hair grow!
Where Does Our Food Come From?
We’ve been busy in our garden for several months, and the results are delicious. We are surrounded by spicy radishes, crisp lettuce, and more peas than you can shake a stick at. Our meals are incorporating all of this homegrown bounty. Crisp lettuce wraps, piled high sandwiches, salads galore and lots of veggie and dip plates.
Putting together these simple and delicious homegrown meals got me thinking about what else is in our food. Sure, we know exactly where the homegrown veggies come from. But what about the things we add to it – the mayonnaise on our sandwich for instance. Is that growing in someone’s backyard? Does it have ingredients I can pronounce? Are these ingredients grown in Canada?
Our friends’ at Hellmann’s are committed to real food ingredients too just like we are. Just recently in July, they live streamed on Facebook a tour of a Blue Ribbon canola farm in Saskatchewan. Well, canola certainly is an ingredient we can relate to – as we live next door (on either side) to canola fields here in Alberta.
Throughout the live stream, we discovered more values that we had in common. The amount of respect that goes into soil health and nutrition is equal to that of our own farm. I discovered more about canola and how Canada grows more of it than any other place in the world. Canola = Canada + Oil! We can’t wait to try the recipe they featured for chicken burgers at home.
Check out more about Hellmann’s and “Where does your food come from” by visiting Hellmann’s on Facebook.
All opinions about fresh food are without a doubt, my own. This sponsored post was made possible by Hellmann’s.
a passionate recreation coordinator by day, crazy farm mama of two by night. i live outdoors: growing my own food, camping and hiking with my border collie with two active kids in tow. when I’m not writing, I’m experimenting with recipes, and crafts – or anything else that might keep the monkeys entertained.
I love your pics, what gorgeous land and veggie garden wow!
Marvin is awesome, lol. The nephews both enjoy help watering the veggies in our backyard, but having a Marvin indoors would be so much fun too! Thanks so much for thr inspiration! 🙂
Love this! We made grass head guys a few years ago and my boys really enjoyed watching them grow. It’s very important that my boys understand where food comes from and how it is grown and processed. Luckily living in the country near farms they’ve had experience seeing food grown and picking up chicken at a local farm.
Your garden is amazing and those are some beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing.
So cute!! i love this craft and I love your garden too. I am a Hellman’s girl. We are actually a Hellman’s family. Nothing else feels right for me. It’s my preferred Mayonnaise.
I love that you are a gardening family! We are too and I was raised eating whole foods from the garden. Delicous and heatlhy. Hellman’s family here as well. I want to eat real food as much as possible and I trust Hellman’s!
Oh this is a fun idea! I remember making these when I was a kid. I will have to do this with my youngest. So great teaching kids about things growing and where our food comes from
Love the idea about Marvin the Microgreen Head. My kids are 3 and 5 years old and this is the perfect activity for them that’s teaches them to grow and use our own food!
What a cute idea! I will have to try this with the kids I bet they would love it. Plus I have nylons I never wear anyway. I might as well put them to good use.