So many times, great ideas come from a good book. This month, the Virtual Book Club's featured author is David Shannon. Who would have thought that a book would lead us to creating a delicious lima bean dip?!
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I had planned to grab a pile of Shannon's books from the library and explore a whole bunch of his books. However, when I told my girls which author we would be reading, they both immediately knew which book they wanted to read..."A Bad Case of Stripes". It was a unanimous decision. When we finished reading the book, I knew exactly what we had to do...make a big bowl of lima bean dip.
Why lima bean dip? No, it isn't simply a book about lima beans. In "A Bad Case of Stripes," a young girl who learns, the hard way, that it is okay to be different, to like different things, and be unique. Even if the thing you like is lima beans. This book led my daughters and me into a lovely conversation. I asked them if they had ever felt "different" and how it made them feel.
My eldest daughter shared a time when her girlfriends were all admiring their nail-polished fingers, and my daughter didn't have any nail polish on (nail polish is only for special occasions around here). When I asked how that made her feel, she said it made her a little upset, but it was okay. My younger daughter explained, "that if everyone liked the same things, then no one would be unique!" Sounds like the right attitude to me.
After our discussion, we set about making a delicious lima bean dip, inspired by the lima bean girl in A Bad Case of the Stripes. With a few simple ingredients, we were able to enjoy a healthy snack.
Surprisingly Good Lima Bean Dip
2 cups frozen lima beans
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt
1. Cook lima beans and garlic in a pot of boiling water, until lima beans are softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
3. Place lima beans, garlic, lemon juice, sesame seeds, olive oil and salt into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add more oil if the dip is too thick...we liked our dip thick.
3. Transfer dip to a small bowl and serve with pitas, chips or veggies.
This dip is a fun celebration of lima beans. It's a really delicious healthy dip, that my kids loved. As a bonus, I always find that my kids are more apt to eat veggies if they can dip them into something. You can add more garlic if you want to spice things up a bit more. We love being inspired to make food from the books that we read. Maybe this dip will start a lima bean revolution...maybe lima beans will finally get the respect they deserve.
Explore More Fun Lima Bean Books
A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon
The Lima Bean Monster by Dan Yaccarino
Surprisingly Good Lima Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen lima beans
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cook lima beans and garlic in a pot of boiling water, until lima beans are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Drain and let cool.
- Place lima beans, garlic, lemon juice, sesame seeds, olive oil and salt into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Add more oil if the dip is too thick…we liked our dip thick.
- Transfer dip to a small bowl and serve with pitas, chips or veggies
Notes
Nutrition
It is time to check out all the great David Shannon inspired posts that everyone has put together. Please link up any David Shannon post that you may have created. And, don't forget about the Virtual Book Club for Kids' Facebook page, a great reading resource for parents with growing readers.
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Erin D says
We lov lima beans here! I'm adding the dip recipe to my collection - looks delicious!
I like your daughter's attitude towards being different, too. It should serve her well in the future.
Jill EnchantedHomeschoolingMom says
I must admit that lima beans are one of the only vegetables that I still remember having to eat before I left the dinner table as a child. I am not a fan but your recipe and tie in to this books is encouraging me to give it a go! Thank you 🙂
Shaunna Evans says
I love the conversation that this book led to with your daughters! And I've never tried lima bean dip, but it seems like something fun to try making with my girls. Thanks for sharing!
Rebekah P says
We are definitely going to try this recipe. My younger two, who are picky eaters, love dips but they just eat it with a spoon. So making healthy dips is an easy way for me to get healthy foods into their diet.
Megan @ CoffeeCupsandCrayons says
Love the conversation you had with your daughters! And that dip looks yummy too!
Amy says
This is such a creative way to apply the book! And it looks yummy! I really loved this book and feel like it is the perfect lead-in for exploring differences.