Peanut Butter Balls

I made these yummy High Protein Energy Balls from Maryea at Happy Healthy Mama this week. I put them in the freezer while I got the boys dressed and put a few in our cooler on the way to meet the cousins at the park. The boys and I each enjoyed them for a quick playground snack.

What could be better for a fun-filled, energy-packed morning of activity than peanut butter and protein? Yum!

WEEK 35: Labor Day Weekend

Well, we had a completely fun-filled, outdoor weekend for sure! The boys got to stay with their favorite babysitter, while we went canoeing with some friends. Then, we spent a day off with extended family… outside, of course! This week, I also embarked on a new adventure to make some soaked-grain breads for the freezer. The boys got to enjoy them for a snack and seemed to like them quite well. I still love making things for the freezer as they make life so much easier and a fun, holiday weekend more enjoyable without having to constantly eat out or eat packaged food.

Food Description

Soaking really isn’t difficult at all. It is just an extra step to remember the day before you to plan to bake. I actually find that it makes the process easier by breaking up the time needed for preparation. I made blueberry muffins and banana bread this week. Both used whole grain flours soaked overnight.

Process

You don’t see any grains or liquids in these pictures, because those are actually in the white bowls in the background with plates on top since they were soaked overnight.

Soaked Whole Grain Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour or more, depending on consistency, (I use spelt, kamut, or whole wheat) and dash of salt
½ cup extra virgin coconut oil
½ cup sour milk (you can use regular milk just add a few drops of vinegar to sour it)
½ cup warm water (only for soaking)
¾ cup raw honey
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup walnuts (optional)

SOAKING
The night before baking, combine the flour, oil, milk, and warm water.
Cover and leave at room temperature 12-24 hours.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Add honey and eggs and mix thoroughly.
Fold in the mashed bananas.
Quickly mix in the salt and baking soda.
Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan.
Bake for 45-60 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Soaked Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 TBS kefir or buttermilk (for soaking)
water (for soaking)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4  cup rapadura or sucanat
1 1/2 cups blueberries, frozen
2 eggs, well beaten

SOAKING
The night before baking, combine the flour, oil, kefir or buttermilk, and just enough water to get all the flour wet.
Cover and leave at room temperature 12-24 hours.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400.
Add remaining ingredients to soaked flour and mix well.
Pour mixture into 12 muffin cups.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool.

What I Learned

Freezing is a great option for breads. Based on your needs, freeze in slices or in half loaves. Preheat the oven to 350 and reheat for 10-12 minutes. If you do loaves or half loaves, you will need to take them out of the freezer the night before.

Reaction

The boys loved these, but they love anything in bread form.

Summary

I love, love, love bread. I am officially a carb lover and soaking the grains and using healthy ingredients like coconut oil makes me feel better about mine and my family’s grain consumption.

Tags: banana, batch, blueberry, bread, Freeze, grain, muffin, recipe, weekly

TIP OF THE DAY: Easy Baby Foods

No cooking, pureeing, blending, smoothing, freezing, etc. required. Yes, now that’s a recipe for success. You just need a fork and a bowl. What’s this magic concoction, you ask? Well, it’s nothing more than some of nature’s best foods. Bananas and Avocados. I love, love, love them for the ease of portability, mashing, and transportation. Take them with you on-the-go. Pull them out of the fruit bowl and in seconds, you have instant, fresh, real, whole baby food. The best part is these foods are wholesale and grow with your child from baby to toddler and on. If fact, why not enjoy the other half yourself for a healthy snack.

BABIES

Bananas
Peel a banana. Mash it with a fork to the desired consistency. Feed to baby.

Avocado
Cut around the length of the fruit. Twist the sections apart. Scoop out the insides. Mash it with a fork to the desired consistency. Feed to baby.

Banana-Avocado
Follow simple instructions above and mash together.

OLDER BABIES & TODDLERS

Bananas
Peel a banana. Cut lengthwise, then crosswise into desired piece size. Serve to baby or toddler as finger foods.

Avocado
Cut around the length of the fruit. Twist the sections apart. Cut gridlines inside the shell. Scoop out pieces with a spoon to separate from skin. Serve to baby or toddler as finger foods.

Banana-Avocado
Follow simple instructions above and serve together as a combo-snack or meal.

NOTE: Avocado and Banana are great first foods and can be introduced at 6 months.

Tags: finger foods, on-the-go, tips

Healthy Snacks to Go

From Passionate Homemaking, if you did not win, just purchase your own copy of Healthy Snacks to Go from Kitchen Stewardship at a 25% discount being offered to all Passionate Homemaking readers.

Enter the coupon code: PASSHOME by Friday, June 4th to save! Purchase your copy today!

::

Tags: finger foods, snacks, toddler

FIRST BITES: Sweet Potato

When your little one is to the stage eating finger foods by himself, remember to keep it healthy. There’s no reason to change the good habits that you’ve started this far. A great food is still sweet potato. You can easily bake one when it’s convenient for you and have it ready for meals.

• Wash the potato, leaving on the jackets. 
• Poke holes randomly with a fork and do not wrap to allow the steam to escape.  Otherwise you will have a mushy potato.
• Place in a pan to keep the sugars from dripping in your oven.
• Bake in a preheated 375° degrees 60-90 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. Don’t overcook so that it still remains slightly firm. 
• Let the potato cool, then cut it in half lengthwise.
• Store halves covered in the refrigerator, then you’ll be able to cut nice pieces from the potato that little fingers can easily grab right when it’s time to eat.

Also, check out the recipe for the Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

Please share your thoughts and ideas.
::

Tags: baby, pre-toddler, recipe, sweet potato

WEEK 14: More Independence

This week has seemed monumental in some strange different ways. No, we didn’t master a cup or spoon. Neither boy said a first word. We didn’t stay clean throughout a whole meal. But, cups are being held on their own and meals have been fairly quiet and uneventful. Well-rested boys make for good mealtimes. I know I’ve said this before, but I speak again from experience. We’ve just gone through a period of some wacky waking in the mornings, super tired for morning naps, and some long periods trying to fall asleep in the afternoon. This can now visibly be attributed to teething. This has happened before and when it does, mealtimes tend to go a little haywire. I don’t have any new recipes to share from this week, but do have some notes on some foods the boys devoured.

FOOD DESCRIPTION & PROCESS
These were the staples in our meal list this week.

• Cheese Fingers – made and frozen last week
• Spinach Bites – made and frozen last week
• Baked Sweet Potato Fries – made more this week, froze some extras
• Carrots – thawed from the freezer
• Green Beans – steamed from frozen, organic bag
• Tofu – cut in pieces and mixed with other foods
• Porridge – variations on oats, brown rice, lentils, black beans
• Eggs – my boys eat them scrambled and a little dry so they’re easier to pick up pieces
• Cottage Cheese – fed on a spoon…it’s a favorite
• Apples – a favorite of mine, too
• Toast – while wheat bread with real butter and sometimes melted cheese
• Pork Chops – they didn’t eat them with us, but enjoyed some grilled leftovers
• Chuck Roast – some tender meat from the crock pot with pinto beans and tomatoes
• Bananas, oatmeal, avocado, applesauce, cheerios, Graham crackers, and Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies were in the menu, too.

WHAT I LEARNED
Keeping it simple can be a good thing for everyone involved. I was also reminded that freezer is my friend and thawing some of the basics sure came in handy.

REACTION
Everything still seems to get a generally good reaction. Even the pork and fish were scarfed up without hesitation. I can definitely see some preferences, especially in the order they choose to eat things and which things require seconds, but we hardly have a plate that doesn’t get emptied.

SUMMARY
When you’re making something, make extra for the freezer. You’ll thank yourself later.

Please share your thoughts or ideas.
::

Tags: Freeze

WEEK 13: Cheese Fingers

Share

This week was a big batch-making week. I stocked back up on some of my favorites to have on-hand mainly for lunches and going out, but they are always good for dinner, too. Both boys are still wearing bibs, drinking from straw cups, and eating with fingers from plastic plates with rubber bottoms. We try the plain cup with water every now and then, but really nothing new on the skills list.

FOOD DESCRIPTION
I made some new cheese fingers as well as some spinach bites, carrots, and apples to fill the freezer.

PROCESS

• Cheese Fingers These are a fun food for tiny little fingers. Remember to get creative with the spices.

• Fill a cup with 1 tsp of soy flour and 1 tsp of wheat germ. Fill the remaining with wheat flour. You can substitute 1 cup all purpose flour instead.
• 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 1-1/2 cups of finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 egg 
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 375°F
2. Mix the Butter and Flour together. 
3. Add the cheese, egg, and spices. 
4. Roll this dough into small fingers and & bake for about 10 mins @ 375 F. You may wish to bake these for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your logs.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness. Flip 1/2 way through cooking.

I kept some in the refrigerator for the next few days and the rest in a freezer bag to store for later.

WHAT I LEARNED
The cheese fingers are great for on-the-go and for a healthy addition to any meal.

REACTION
These were great and my boys both loved them for a snack when they woke from their nap. They also continue to love the spinach bites…they just can’t get enough.

SUMMARY
All of these have frozen, thawed, and reheated well so far. I’m really glad to have the cheese fingers and spinach bites on-hand for a quick bite.

Please share your thoughts or ideas.
::

Tags: cheese, recipe

WEEK 12: Baked Sweet Potato Fries

This week included lots of toddler-friendly, healthy finger foods. It is great to see my boys grow and so nice to be able to feed them many of the same things that I am eating, but I also like making things especially for them to have on-hand in the refrigerator and freezer. This just makes life much simpler.

FOOD DESCRIPTION
I made Baked Sweet Potato Fries this week and continued with some of our previous creations such as pancakes and spinach bites from the freezer. Mixing things with porridge is getting more and more as well.

PROCESS

• Baked Sweet Potato Fries These are another great way to get a mushy vegetable in tiny little fingers. Get creative with the seasoning…you can’t go wrong.

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Dash ground nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 425°F
2. Lightly coat baking sheet with olive oil and set aside. 
3. Scrub potatoes; cut lengthwise into quarters, then into wedges or the size pieces you desire.
4. Mix melted butter and spices in a bowl and toss potatoes to coat.
5. Arrange potatoes in a single layer in pan. 
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until brown and tender.

I stored these in the refrigerator and reheated for a few lunches and dinners this week.

• Super Porridge Varieties We’ve been mixing up different combinations for the past few weeks and some things seem to be working out really well. Here are just a few ideas to get started.

1. oats + apples + cinnamon (a breakfast staple)
2. brown rice + lentils
3. brown rice + garbonzo beans
4. oats + tahini
5. brown rice + lentils + yogurt + fruit

WHAT I LEARNED
Think about what size you make your pieces. I ended up cutting mine after reheating, which was fine, but I could have just done that better in the beginning.

REACTION
The boys loved these. They have always loved sweet potatoes. The pancakes continue to be a big hit with just a little butter spread on top and they still enjoy the spinach bites as well.

SUMMARY
The baked sweet potato fries are another great addition to our healthy foods. Both the pancakes and spinach bites seemed to freeze, thaw, and reheat well. The Super Porridge is a great, great thing. I’m on the edge of my seat for the boys to be able to use spoons and feed it to themselves!

Please share your thoughts or ideas.
::

Tags: porridge, recipe, sweet potato

WEEK 11: Leftovers & Spinach Bites

This week was leftover week. I made a breakfast casserole in my crock pot and a large pan of baked ziti. The boys have eaten many lunch and dinner meals from those as well as new lima beans and nectarines. They liked both new introductions, but I think the nectarines are causing a yucky diaper rash.

FOOD DESCRIPTION
The baked ziti was a regular recipe using ground turkey and whole wheat pasta noodles. The breakfast casserole included sausage, hashbrowns, cheese, and eggs. On both of these, be careful with salt. I definitely wouldn’t add any if you’re planning to serve to your baby or toddler, but also look at the ingredients on any pasta sauces or other ingredients. I always use whole wheat pasta and used cottage cheese in the ziti.

PROCESS

• Lima Beans I love, love, love these beans and can’t believe I haven’t introduced them to my boys yet. Just peal the shell, cut into smaller pieces if desired and let them go for it. I’m sure you could mash these for spoon feeding as well.
• Spinach Bites These are a great way to get a green, mushy vegetable in tiny little fingers. This recipe yields about 48 bites.

• 16 oz frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained well
• 1 cup bread crumbs (if you save old bread, you can make these yourself)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ or flax meal 
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
• 3  Large eggs (or 5 egg yolks) 
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder

1. Heat oven to 375°F
2. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with olive oil and set aside.
3. Combine all ingredients and mix well. 
4. Chill in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to help mixture set.
5. Shape mixture and place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes.

I stored 12 bites in the refrigerator for upcoming meals and froze the rest in a freezer bag.

WHAT I LEARNED
The mixture was super messy when I first tried to make the shapes. This is when I decided to chill in the refrigerator which did help. I also think that I did not drain my spinach well enough, so be sure to do that.

Also, be careful with your olive oil as you don’t want them to burn.

REACTION
My boys ate the spinach bites up right away and loved them. I’m excited that we have so many more in the refrigerator and freezer. They also enjoyed the lima beans.

SUMMARY
The spinach bites are great to have on-hand in the freezer and could be good snacks or part of a wholesome lunch or dinner. Adjust the spices to make them your own and everyone’s sure to love them! The leftover casserole and ziti were also hits and wonderful to have ready-made lunches without having to prepare ahead of time.

Please share your thoughts or ideas.
::

Tags: bites, pasta, spinach