Fall Recipe: Pumpkin Muffins (chocolate optional)

Chocolate isn't optional in this house for anything, but they can be optional in this muffin for the kiddos.

Pumpkin Muffins
(Adapted from the Food Network)


1 1/2 c. white wheat flour
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 c. sucanant
1/4 c. applesauce
2 large eggs
15 oz. (1 can) pumpkin
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
2/3 c. chocolate chips, optional

1. Whisk eggs and sugar
2. Add pumpkin, yogurt, butter, and vanilla. Stir until mixed.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, and salt. Stir until mixed.
(4. Optional, fold in chocolate chips)

Bake at 375 for 10-20 mins. You can make these as mini muffins for little hands (10 mins.) or full size muffins (15-20 mins.).

Note: These are deliciously moist muffins so you'll need to either eat them quickly (no problems there!) or freeze some to prevent them from spoiling.

Fall Recipes: 14 Snacks Using Apples

Apple bread

1. Applesauce
2. Apple slices and peanut butter
3. Soft-cooked apples and pears (really good with plain whole milk yogurt)
4. Oatmeal and soft-cooked apple chunks
5. Apple "sandwiches" (slices of apple with fillings inside - peanut butter, cream cheese, slices of cheese, etc. I first saw the idea here.)
6. Ants on a circle(?!) instead of ants on a log. The circle being apple, of course!
7. Apple and cheese slices
8. Apple chips
9. Apples and dips*
10. Cream cheese filled apple halves (cut an apple in half, scoop out the seeds in the middle and fill with some softened cream cheese)
11. Baked apples (I'm looking forward to trying out this recipe)
12. Apple bread*
13. Apple muffins*
14. Apple fruit salad (Apple being the star of the seasonal fruit salad. Or to make it more fun, take out the center of an apple and serve the fruit salad IN the apple. For older toddlers/kids, of course.)

As always, use discretion with the ideas - some are appropriate for babies, some for young toddlers, and some just for older toddlers.

*Apple bread and muffin recipes as well as dip ideas are coming soon!

Fall Recipes: Slow Cooker Applesauce

In a couple of weeks we're going to an orchard to pick apples and we are looking forward to all of the apple recipes we'll be making. One thing I like to do every year is make applesauce and I normally do a couple of batches in the slow cooker in addition to the stove-top to make life a bit easier!

Here are the instructions for making applesauce in your slow cooker!




 1. Wash, core, and roughly chop the apples.
*You can peel them too, but there are so many good nutrients in the skin and once you've pureed it there isn't a difference in the texture - if you want chunkier applesauce, you may notice a texture difference then. But, if you're not sure how you feel about it, add in that extra step and peel them.
2. Put apples and 1/2 c. water in the slow cooker.
3. Add cinnamon and brown sugar, if you want (this can also be done with the whole batch to taste after mashing/pureeing the applesauce, or with individual servings)
*I don't have measurements for adding these as I don't do it!
4. Cook on low 4-6 hours, until tender, stirring every once in a while (when you stir it you may notice it needs a bit more water, go ahead and add a little if needed)
5. For smooth applesauce: puree with handblender or in a food processor. For chunkier applesauce: mash with potato masher or fork.

You can then freeze, can, or just go ahead and eat it all.

Fall Recipes: Apple Chips

As fall is coming, I thought this would be a great recipe to share. The apples get nice and crunchy, you don't need any sugar... a little cinnamon is nice, if you child likes that flavor but they are good without as well.

1. Preheat oven to 200.
2. Core the apple and slice thinly (if you have a mandolin this would be a great time to use it!).
   *If you think it will take you a while to slice the apples, or if you are doing a large batch of apples prepare a bowl with water and lemon juice to stop them from browning, about 1T. lemon juice to 1 c. water works. Just make sure to shake off the excess liquid before putting them on the sheet trays 
3. Put the apple slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon (opt.)
5. Bake for about 2 hrs. (flip after 1 hr.)
   *Depending on how thick/thin you slice them it might take a bit more or less time. I'd suggest checking on them periodically, especially towards the end of the 2 hrs.

These get nice and crisp, but you could pull them out a bit earlier if you'd like them to be a bit chewy. Store them in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

Banana Pancakes

Kids and adults alike love pancakes. Here is a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free quick and easy recipe for Banana Pancakes.

1 ripe banana
2 eggs

1. Mash 1 banana
2. Mix in 2 whole eggs
3. Cook

Simple as that! They taste like pancakes (albeit thinner pancakes) and don't have a strong flavor of banana. We had them just the other night for dinner and really enjoyed them. You could also make them in smaller, silver dollar size, and serve as a snack.

First Foods/Baby Purees

I don't agree with having baby cereals as their first foods but instead go for fruits and vegetables right away. Homemade baby food is healthier for your child, and is easier than you think. Just taking a little bit of time every few weeks to a month will provide you with what you need. Below are some methods and recipes to help get you started with some common fruits and veggies and a couple of combinations. It's best to get organic to give your children the best nutrition.

- For lumpier/more textured foods simply mash them with a fork or potato masher.
- For smoother foods, put into a blender or food processor and puree, adding water or milk (breastmilk) until the texture you desire is reached.

*A post on storage coming soon.

Sweet Potatoes (two methods):
1. Wash the potatoes but don't dry them, put them in your slow cooker and put it on low. Periodically check them - they are ready when they are soft enough to be mashed (time varies on size and number of the potatoes, but typically 4+ hrs.).
2. Bake at 400 for 30-60 mins., until soft.
Once cool, peel and mash or puree.

Squash (two methods):
1. Heat oven to 400. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, and place flesh side down (skin side up) in 1-2 inches of water. Bake for about 40 mins. until skin starts to "pucker" or get bubbles. Scoop squash out of the skin and mash or puree.
2. Wash and peel squash (its not necessary to peel once your baby is 8 months old). Steam until tender. Mash or puree.

Peas/Green beans:
Steam until tender. Mash/puree.
- Plunging hot cooked peas into a bowl of ice cold water is known to help make a smoother puree.

Carrots
Steam until tender. Mash/puree.
(Do not use the water you steam the carrots in to thin out the puree as nitrates settle in the water)

Apple/Pears
Peel, core, and chop fruit. Place in pan with just enough water to slightly cover apples. Boil/steam until tender; be sure to check on the water level and stir occasionally. Mash/puree.


Pumpkin and banana:
Blend 1 can of organic pumpkin with 1-2 banana(s) and enough water to thin it out.

Broccoli and apple:
Steam the broccoli and then blend with 1 chopped steamed/boiled apple. Have a ratio of about 2/3 veggie to 1/3 fruit (1/2 and 1/2 can also work if the mixture is too bitter for your child).

Spinach, peas and pears:
Steam the peas and peeled, chopped pears together. Blend with defrosted frozen spinach.

Organic or Not

As the awareness of pesticides in fruits and vegetables has been spreading, the desire to give our kids the best they can have grows. Below is the list of the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" to help you get started with making the choice between organic or not. Most of us cannot afford to get everything organic, as much as we'd like to. The "Dirty Dozen" list are those produce items that are known for having the highest levels of pesticide residue. There has also been released a list of the "Clean Fifteen", which are the produce that have the lowest levels of residue and so you do not need to buy organic.

These lists help as you start and try to buy healthier fruits and vegetables for your family.  To find more information on pesticides and the testing that has been done, go to the Environmental Working Group website: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/methodology/.


 source: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

Frozen Yogurt Drops

I'd been seeing all over pinterest the idea of making frozen yogurt drops (not sure where it originated, but most/lots of pins go to here - the image is from that site also). It was such a good idea and so I adapted it for small toddlers. It's a quick and simple, healthy, snack and kids (young & old) love them. You can make them with plain yogurt (simply do steps 3 & 4 below) or take a couple of extra steps to give your child some flavor, fruit, and color fun!

Frozen Yogurt Drops

Whole milk plain yogurt
Fresh or frozen fruit

1. Put yogurt and fruit into blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth (depending on the fruit you use - i.e. raspberries - the fruit may not become completely smooth, but just keep it going until there are no chunks of fruit left).
3. Spoon (or put in a ziploc baggie and pipe) small amounts of yogurt onto a cookie sheet (you can make them in whatever size you like - I tend to do them about 1t. size).
4. Freeze until hardened and then remove from tray and place into a baggie.

These are great treats especially in summer when it is warm. Since it's just yogurt and fruit, I would do a serving size of no more than 1/2 cup (which is a serving size of yogurt for an infant/toddler). Make up a large batch and you'll be set for a while. You can also make several different batches and give your child variety, fun with colors, and introduce them to different tastes.
Do not use regular yogurt as they will be high in sugar (but you can of course make them for yourself that way!). You can also do this with yogurt like yobaby or yotoddler which will already be flavored for you.

Green Smoothie

I took a recipe I found online for a green smoothie and adjusted it some. This smoothie can make for a great meal for a kid - it has fruits, veggies, and protein. I served this to my almost 2 year old the other day along with a couple of mini banana oatmeal muffins to give her the well-rounded meal (recipe coming soon).

Green Smoothie

1 c. frozen mango chunks
1 banana
1 handful spinach (or other green)
Whole milk plain yogurt

Combine ingredients in blender and puree. There is no measurement for the yogurt as I added some until the smoothie became - you guessed it - smooth. But, I wouldn't add more than a regular serving size of yogurt (1c. for a 1-3 year old). If you still need to "water it down" some, put in a bit of ice, water, or juice (whatever you feel comfortable with). I found though, that I didn't even need the full 1 cup serving. This makes for one large cup or two small ones (like the cup below).

My little girl used a spoon at first but then as it started to melt she started to drink it (she's learning to drink from a cup, so she's not great it yet and this thicker drink was good practice for her!).