Sparkle Stories Blog

Onigiri are balls of rice with filling. Sometimes they're fried. Sometimes they're covered with seeds or nori on the outside. Sometimes they're fancy, sometimes they're humble. But if you can cook a pot of rice, you can make them. The recipe below includes a variation for two fillings — spicy tuna and pickled plums.

My favorite chili involves lots of canned goods, which are so much easier to keep on hand. It's also nearly vegetarian, with a butternut squash standing in admirably for the typical beef. Pop these ingredients into a pot, give it a stir, and enjoy the warm smell of it bubbling away!

If you're feeling ready for some of the sunshine a bouquet of daffodils can bring, bake up a batch of these “daffodil” lemon tarts. Even if it's still winter where you live, the bright, tangy lemon curd will have you dreaming of spring in no time.

The fruit of a species of native orchid, Madagascar vanilla beans are famous the world over for their heady fragrance and sweet taste. Their tiny, gooey seeds will lend a unique, luxurious flavor to anything you want to add them to. Mixed with bright summer fruit, Madagascar vanilla beans make a simple, sunshine-y dessert.

Have you ever noticed how satisfying it is to pair listening with a storytime snack? We've gathered a collection of our favorite snack recipes to share with you for time when you want to bump up the holiday celebration a notch.

With communal eating in mind, we've rounded up nine fantastic recipes great for eating with lots of people. These recipes are easily doubled or tripled for a crowd too.

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.

Inspired by the apples left neatly in the orchard, this Sparkle recipe features a bit of autumn magic. With just five ingredients, this tart is easy to whip up on a whim for dessert or a decadent breakfast.

These cinnamon and honey “snowflakes” — cut from regular tortillas — are not only appropriate for the season, they’ll leave your kitchen smelling warm and cozy, too.

Since we’ve already covered regular hot chocolate in this space, this week I give you its even warmer, spicier cousin — Mexican hot chocolate.