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Category Archives: from the kitchen

Baked Zucchini Chips

4 / 25 / 124 / 26 / 12

This afternoon my little sous chef and I gathered a few simple ingredients and got to work on making one of my recent ‘pins‘ – baked zucchini chips.IMG 1305

To get started, we got out a couple of small zucchinis, wholewheat bread crumbs,  freshly grated parmesan, ground flax, dried basil and oregano, garlic powder, ground black pepper, cayenne, sea salt, wholewheat flour, milk, and some organic raw apple cider vinegar.

IMG 1309First up, we worked on our dry mixture.  In with the breadcrumbs…

IMG 1310Then the flax, herbs, and spices…

IMG 1313And then the fresh parmesan.

IMG 1315Gracen gave it all a good mix and it was ready to go.

IMG 1317Next, we worked on the wet mixture.  And let me tell you, things got wet.  Oopsies.  Like they say, don’t cry over spilled milk.

IMG 1319Mess cleaned up, we continued on our way by adding some wholewheat flour to the milk.

IMG 1321And then just a little apple cider vinegar.

IMG 1322Then Miss G gently stirred it up into a thin paste.

IMG 1327With our wet and dry bowls ready to go, we began the dipping process.  First the zucchini slices got dipped into the milk/flour mixture…

IMG 1328And then into the breadcrumb mixture.  (Grae loved this job.)

IMG 1329Once they were nicely coated, we placed them on a baking sheet lined with foil.  (Note to self: Must buy more parchment paper.)

IMG 1331As you can see, things got a little messy, but such is cooking with an enthusiastic one-year-old assistant.

IMG 1333With our baking pan crammed full of coated zucchini coins, we popped them in the oven to bake for a bit.

IMG 1338In the meantime, my little helper and I cleaned up. ☺

IMG 1339Thirty minutes later, our zucchini chips were ready!  We added them to a plate with wild rice, chicken, and steamed broccoli, and dinner was served.

If you want to make some zucchini chips of your own, we followed this recipe fairly closely.  Here’s our slightly modified version:

  • 1/2 cup of wholewheat breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 heaping cup of wholewheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon of organic raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 small zucchinis, washed and thickly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, flax, spices, and herbs together in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the milk, flour, and vinegar together.

Dip the zucchini slices into the wet mixture first, and then dredge with breadcrumb mixture.  Place coated zucchini coins on a lined baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, flipping once half way through.

Enjoy!

*Note:  When we were done, we had A LOT of our wet mixture leftover.  In order to avoid being wasteful, I would cut that part of the recipe down by half in the future.

 

7 Comments

Healthy Homemade Popsicles for Toddlers

3 / 25 / 123 / 14 / 13

It must be the spring sunshine we’ve had this weekend, because this afternoon Gracen and I set out to make some healthy, wholesome, toddler-friendly popsicles.  We decided upon two kinds; banana almond yogurt pops (these ones are much like G’s favourite banana almond oatmeal smoothie) and raspberry blueberry yogurt pops.  IMG 8973
We got started with a few simple ingredients…  Whole organic plain yogurt, frozen bananas, frozen blueberries and raspberries, some honey, toasted ground flax seeds, and all-natural almond butter.

IMG 8974First up – the banana almond yogurt pops!  Gracen popped a couple of frozen bananas into the blender to get us started.

IMG 8981Then she added some all-natural almond butter.

IMG 8985And a generous amount of whole organic plain yogurt.

IMG 8993We decided to add in a little sprinkling roasted ground flax seed at the last minute too…

IMG 8999Then we blended it all up.

IMG 9007And poured it into our little containers (I’ve been searching for mini popsicle molds for a while now, but haven’t had any luck…  This is my interim solution).

IMG 9001Miss G was pretty stoked at the fact that there was a little left over.  Mmmmmm!

 

With one batch done, we got started on the raspberry blueberry yogurt pops…

IMG 9012No need for a blender with these ones…  Grae started us off by putting some yogurt into our bowl.IMG 9017
Next, we added some no-sugar-added frozen blueberries and raspberries.IMG 9022
Just a little squeeze of honey for sweetness…IMG 9028
And a touch of cinnamon.

IMG 9030And then Gracen mixed it all up.

IMG 9051And we poured it into the remaining containers.IMG 9043
There wasn’t any left over this time around, but Gracen was just as excited to lick the spoon.
IMG 9055We put on the tops, popped in some wooden popsicle sticks, and put them in the freezer.  Tomorrow we shall see how they taste!

7 Comments

Pancake Assistant

3 / 22 / 1211 / 1 / 13

IMG 8540

Since moving from Kuwait, I haven’t been able to find our go-to pancake recipe (I know, who keeps their favourite recipe on a cue card  nowadays?!).  We’ve tried several new ones since, but hadn’t found “the one”…  Until today, that is.  I came across this recipe this morning and my little sous chef and I decided to give it a try.  These pancakes were seriously delicious.  No need to look any further…  This will definitely be our go-to recipe from now on.  Here’s our slightly modified version:

Wholewheat Oat Pancakes

  • 2 cups  wholewheat flour
  • 1 cup organic old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Enjoy!

4 Comments

{1 ingredient} Cheese Crisps

3 / 21 / 1210 / 23 / 14

1 Ingredient Cheese Crisps | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

These little cheese crisps are Gracens ULTIMATE favourite snack.  We don’t make them that often, but when we do, they have to be kept in a high cupboard hidden from both Grae and Bradley if they have any chance of surviving more than a day or two.  They’re the kind of snack you pull out when your little one’s getting his or her hair cut, or when you’re attempting to complete a 10 kilometre seawall walk with your munchkin strapped into a stroller for an hour and a half.  The bonus is that they’re ridiculously easy to make and take all of 3 minutes from start to finish.

IMG 8423

All you need is some cheese (we normally use an all-natural cheddar and today we also tried some jalapeño havarti) sliced and cut into squares {the thickness doesn’t really matter – both thin and thick work perfectly} and a griddle or a frying pan and a stove top.

IMG 8427

We start with the griddle unplugged and off so that Miss G can help out like a little sous chef should.  Place the cheese squares on the griddle leaving plenty of space in between each (we placed ours too closely together today and ended up with a couple of GIANT cheese crisps).

IMG 8430

Once your cheese is on the griddle, plug it in and crank it up to 300 degrees {when we use the stove, we just start with a hot frying pan over medium heat}.

IMG 8431

Watch closely as the griddle begins to warm up and work its magic.

IMG 8435

Give it a few minutes so that all of the cheese is fully melted and bubbly. Here’s the key… For the first bit, the cheese will look melty and very oily (yes, gross).  But suddenly, the oil will seem to disappear and the cheese will look slightly browned, crunchy, and ‘dry’.  Dry is the key.  At this point, you want to use a spatula or flipper to remove the rounds from the griddle.  Place them on a couple of paper towels to cool and use another paper towel to gently blot any extra oil from the tops of the crisps (I despise using paper towel because it’s not at all environmentally friendly, but I have tried using a cloth towel, and it just doesn’t seem to do the job quite as well).

IMG 8449

When they’re done, your cheese crisps should look something like this.

IMG 8443

Give a couple to your toddler and watch her gobble them up like you haven’t fed her in a week.  Quickly hide the rest and hope they last longer than a day.

 

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18 Comments

Spinach & Green Fruit Smoothie

3 / 17 / 123 / 17 / 12

Recently, Miss G and I have been experimenting with spinach smoothies.  So far, we’ve found that you can pretty much add a couple giant handfuls of fresh baby spinach to any smoothie without altering it’s taste very much.  Now, I’m not going to lie…  Despite the flavour remaining the same, the appearance does not.  In fact, many of the smoothies we’ve tried look like poop.  Strawberries or raspberries plus green spinach equals brown.  Blueberries plus green spinach equals an even darker brown…  So today, with St. Patrick’s Day in mind, we set out to make a bright green, vitamin-packed smoothie that not only tasted good, but looked appetizing too.  And we succeeded!  Here’s our spinach and green fruit smoothie:

IMG 7957First off, our ingredients…  Fresh baby spinach, green grapes, honeydew, a frozen ripe banana, a green apple, and coconut milk.

IMG 7961Start off by putting your frozen banana into a blender.

IMG 7967Add your apple chunks.

IMG 7965Be sure to stop and take a bite.

IMG 7970Dump in your honeydew.

IMG 7971And then pour in your grapes.

IMG 7974Next, fill up your blender with fresh baby spinach.

IMG 7977And pour in some coconut milk (or your preferred type of milk).

IMG 7982Pop on the lid…

IMG 7991And blend until bright green and smooth.

IMG 7994Pour into glasses (or sippy cups).

IMG 7999Enjoy!

Here’s our {approximate} recipe:

Spinach & Green Fruit Smoothie

  • 1 ripe frozen banana
  • 1 green apple, chopped
  • 3/4 cup of green grapes
  • 3/4 cup of honeydew melon
  • 3 big handfuls of fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup of coconut milk

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

*For a less-textured smoothie, peel your apple first.  Plain greek yogurt and kiwi would be great additions to this recipe.

2 Comments

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Chickpeas

3 / 14 / 1210 / 18 / 15

IMG 7659This afternoon Gracen and I whipped up a quick and delicious snack that I pinned a few days ago – roasted garlic parmesan chickpeas.  We eat beans all the time and Grae really loves crunchy snacks (nuts, seeds, crackers, crostini, biscotti), so I figured this recipe would be a hit.  And it was!  Here’s what we did:

IMG 7615
Get started while your little one naps by draining and rinsing a couple of cans of chickpeas.

IMG 7617
Then lay them out on a towel to dry.

IMG 7618
When your munchkin wakes up and has had her quiet time, ask her if she wants to bake and watch her run to the kitchen to retrieve her apron (happens every time).  Then get her to transfer all of the chickpeas from the towel into a large bowl.

IMG 7624
Get started by adding a splash of your favourite oil.

IMG 7625

Then shake in a little bit of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

IMG 7627
Sprinkle in some basil and oregano too.

IMG 7630
Then add a few cloves of minced garlic.

IMG 7632
Lastly, add a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

IMG 7636
Give everything a really good stir.

IMG 7643
All of the herbs and seasonings should be evenly distributed.

IMG 7646
Dump the contents of the bowl out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread the chickpeas out into a single layer.

IMG 7650
Sneak a few just to make sure they taste good.

IMG 7651
Then pop them in the oven and try to wait patiently while they crisp up for the better part of an hour.

IMG 7659
When they’re crispy and slightly browned, take them out of the oven to cool.

IMG 7674
Then give your highly impatient toddler a little bowl…

IMG 7678
And watch her devour them.

If you want to give these a try, the original recipe can be found here, and this is our slightly modified version:

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Chickpeas

  • 2 cans of no salt added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 of a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 TBSP of avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp of basil
  • 1 1/2 tsp of oregano
  • 1/2 tsp of freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them well.  Lay them on a towel to dry for 30 minutes to an hour.

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.  Spread mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until crispy and slightly browned.  Let cool and enjoy!

 

3 Comments

Smoothie Chef

3 / 7 / 129 / 9 / 13

IMG 7347

This morning Grae and I whipped up one of her all-time favourite snacks, a banana almond oatmeal smoothie.  These are seriously delicious, take all of 2 minutes to make (maybe 5 if working with a mini sous chef), and require ingredients we always have in the house.  Here’s what you need:  A frozen ripe banana, milk, yogurt, old-fashioned oats, almond butter (or any nut butter for that matter), and pure vanilla.

(Side note: Please try to ignore our hideous kitchen tiles!  We are currently renting and somehow the 6 months we’ve spent here has allowed me to enter the kitchen without shuddering in disgust, but seeing these photos makes me wonder how that’s possible…  Yeesh!  I’m sure they were fashionable at one point in time.)

IMG 7348

Break your frozen banana in half and pop it in the blender.

IMG 7351

Add your old-fashioned oats.

IMG 7353

And some yogurt.  (Make sure it’s GOOD yogurt.  Good yogurt makes all the difference.  We’re all about the Greek yogurt right now.)

IMG 7356

Pour in some milk.

IMG 7358

And some all-natural almond butter.

IMG 7359

Add a couple of drops of pure vanilla if you wish.

IMG 7361

Blend until smooth.

IMG 7365

Voila!  Done.

IMG 7372

Shove your entire mouth into your glass and slurp as quickly as possible to achieve this awesome smoothie moustache.

You really can’t go wrong with this smoothie.  If you like to experiment, just chuck the ingredients into the blender and play with the ratios to reach your desired flavour and consistency.  If you prefer to follow a recipe of sorts, here’s what we normally do:

Banana Almond Oatmeal Smoothie

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup of yogurt
  • 3 TBSP of old-fashioned oats
  • 2 TBSP of all-natural almond butter
  • 1 tsp of pure vanilla

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into two cups and enjoy!

1 Comment

Baking Biscotti

3 / 6 / 123 / 6 / 12

IMG 7127It’s been a little while since I baked something with the help of my little sous chef, so this morning we got to work and tried making some healthy, wholewheat, low-sugar biscotti.  First things first, we gathered our ingredients:  wholewheat flour, raw almonds, organic dried cranberries, baking powder, sea salt, pure maple syrup, pure vanilla, pure lemon extract, and eggs.

IMG 7129Then it was on to our dry ingredients.  As always, I measured and Miss G dumped.  Her aim is not always spot on, but boy, oh boy, does she ever love this part.  In with the flour.

IMG 7132Add the baking powder and sea salt.

IMG 7133Chuck in your almonds.

IMG 7145And your cranberries.

IMG 7151Next, on to the wet ingredients.  Crack your eggs and pour them into a separate bowl.

IMG 7154Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and lemon extract.

IMG 7159And give it a good whisk.

IMG 7161Now for the combining.  FIrst, give your dry ingredients a little mix.

IMG 7163Then slowly add your wet ingredients into the dry ones.

IMG 7165Mix just until combined and scrape your attachment clean.

IMG 7166Plop the sticky dough onto a parchment-lined pan.

IMG 7170With very well-floured hands, gently pat your dough into a rectangular shape about 1 inch thick.

IMG 7174Then pop it into the oven and bake.

IMG 7177While you wait, clean up and then have a tea party.

IMG 7181Or play with a tray of ocean items.

IMG 7185When risen and golden brown, take your loaf out of the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

IMG 7186Once cooled, carefully cut into thick slices.

IMG 7188Place the slices back onto your pan, pop it in the oven, and go for a walk around the block.

IMG 7189Come home to a delicious smelling house and fully baked biscotti.

IMG 7193Enjoy!

These actually turned out really well and got the Gracen stamp of approval in the form of a sign for ‘More, more, more!’  Ours have just a tiny bit of sweetness and a good crunch without being rock hard.  If you want to try making your own, the original recipe can be found here and this is our modified version:

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

  • 1 1/4 cup of wholewheat flour
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup of chopped almonds
  • 1/4 of dried organic cranberries, chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 TBSP of pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp of pure vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp of pure lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Stir in the nuts and fruit.

Whisk together the eggs and extracts. Slowly add to flour mixture, stirring until combined.

With floured hands, shape dough into a rectangular loaf about 1 inch thick on the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 25 minutes until the loaf is risen and firm. Remove the loaf from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Let the loaf cool about 10 minutes on a cutting board, then cut into thick slices.

Arrange slices cut-side down and bake 10 minutes.  Turn the slices over and bake for 10 more minutes, until dried.  Let cool on wire rack.  Enjoy!

*Grae and I cooked our slices for the first 10 minutes, flipped them, turned the oven off completely and let them sit in the cooling oven as we went out for a 45 minute walk, and ours turned out perfectly!

 

 

1 Comment

Play Dough Day

2 / 29 / 128 / 11 / 13

Today I had barely finished mentioning making play dough and my little Lulu  had already retrieved her apron.

Now, I have always been a fan of the 2:1:1 recipe (2 parts flour to 1 part salt and 1 part water).  It’s fast, it’s easy, and it really only requires having two ingredients on hand.  I’ve used it through many, many years of babysitting, nannying, and teaching without even considering giving another recipe a try.  That is, until I decided to give this “fussy” recipe a go this Christmas. Yes, it requires both oil and cream of tartar – not to mention cooking – but if you’ve got the ingredients, extra time, and patience to let it cool, it’s totally worth it.  It’s soft, super pliable, and lasts for a ridiculously long time.  Plus, it’s really not that hard.

IMG 6643Here’s what you need:  Some flour, salt, cream of tartar, vegetable oil, water, food colouring, and a cute little sous chef to help you along the way.

IMG 6646First things first, pour your water in a large pot.

IMG 6656Next, add your salt.  Preferably into the pot.  But hey, whatever works.

IMG 6659Then, add your cream of tartar.

IMG 6670And your food colouring.  (Of course for this little one, purple was the colour of choice.) Give everything a little stir.

IMG 6675Then, over medium heat, warm the mixture until hot, but not boiling.

IMG 6680When hot, add your oil and your flour, cup by cup.

IMG 6681Don’t worry if it looks all chunky and gross.  We’ve used this recipe several times and we’ve always experienced this stage. It’ll all work out in the end.

IMG 6684When you’ve added all of the flour, give the dough one final stir and plop it out onto a well-floured counter.  Sprinkle some extra flour on top if the dough appears sticky.  Be careful – it’ll be very hot still.

IMG 6689Once it’s cooled, kneed the dough well, incorporating all of the extra flour.

IMG 6698Then give your munchkin a chunk and let her go to town.

IMG 6707Fun for hours!

Here’s our slightly tweaked version of the recipe if you want to give it a try:

  • 5 cups of water
  • 2 1/2 cups of salt
  • 3 TBSP of cream of tartar
  • 5 TBSP of vegetable oil
  • Food colouring
  • 5 1/2 cups of flour

Mix water, salt, cream of tartar, oil, and food colouring in a large pot. Cook on medium heat, stirring regularly until mixture is hot.

Add oil, then stir in flour a cup at a time, mixing in between each addition. Mix until playdough pulls away from pot and is no longer sticky.

Dump dough on a well-floured counter, let cool a bit, then knead.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for several weeks.

Enjoy!

5 Comments

What We Eat While Papa’s Away

2 / 21 / 123 / 1 / 12

Today we had a day of rest and relaxation at home. It was filled with snuggles and stories, drawing and colouring, doing puzzles on repeat, and multiple games of hide-and-seek.  Sadly, our day of relaxation meant missing a Port Moody play date we were anxiously awaiting, but after coming home to a runny-nosed doodlebug who coughed herself to sleep last night, I knew we were in need of a very low-key day. In addition to the things I already mentioned, Gracen and I spent a good part of our day doing one of her very favourite things – cooking!  We whipped up two of our ‘while Papa’s away’ staples – chickpea patties and quinoa salad. Both are easy to make, full of nutrients, and delicious (despite what Bradley may say).  The best part?  Both are very sous chef friendly.  :)

 

Chickpea Patties:IMG 6075
First things first, we drained and rinsed our chickpeas well.  Then Gracen carefully shuffled them into a large bowl.

IMG 6084Next, we added a drizzle of olive oil and an egg.

IMG 6079Then Grae mashed like mad.

IMG 6087When the chickpeas were good and mushy, Gracen added in our fresh ingredients – carrots, zucchini, sweet onions, garlic, green onions, and fresh cilantro.

IMG 6094Then we added the dry ingredients – wholewheat flour, cornmeal, black pepper, sea salt, curry powder, and garam masala.

IMG 6099And just for fun, today we tossed in a little feta.

IMG 6108That’s it.  Then my little sous chef mixed, mixed, and mixed some more until all of the ingredients were evenly distributed.

IMG 6111Then we formed them into patties.

IMG 6114And popped them in the oven.  And while those baked, we started on our next dish…

 

Quinoa Salad:
IMG 6126First off, Miss G added our fresh veggies to our already cooked quinoa.

IMG 6131Of course she stopped to steal a few big chunks of avocado in between handfuls.

IMG 6134Then we added a little drizzle of olive oil…

IMG 6137And generous drizzle of the Okanagan’s own, Little Creek Dressing (delish).

IMG 6141Then Grae mixed it all up.

 

IMG 6149

That’s it.  Lunch is served.  Chickpea patty, garlic scape pesto, quinoa salad, and apple slices for dessert.

IMG 6152Of course Grae gobbled it up like we hadn’t fed her in a week!  Hopefully a vitamin-packed lunch will help her fight this little bug that seems to be pestering her.  Recipes below. :)

 

Truthfully, neither of these are “recipes”.  Both just kind of came about last summer when we were freshly home from Kuwait and taking advantage of Grandma Charlotte’s fully stocked vegetable garden.  There are tons of possible ingredient variations and honestly, nothing I’ve done to either dish has turned out badly.  Yay for forgiving recipes!  :)

Chickpea Patties:

  • 2 cans of no salt added / low sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 egg
  • generous drizzle of olive oil
  • 1/2 of a large carrot, grated
  • 1 small zucchini, grated
  • 1/4 of a sweet Spanish onion, finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • handful of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • small chunk of feta, crumbled (yummy, but totally optional)
  • 2 – 3 TBSP of wholewheat flour
  • 2 – 3 TBSP of cornmeal or breadcrumbs
  • 1 TBSP of curry powder
  • 1 TBSP of garam masala
  • generous grinding of fresh pepper
  • pinch of sea salt (not needed if using feta)

*Veggie combos are endless.  Mushrooms, leeks, kale, and spinach are delicious in these too.  Also, instead of curry powder and garam masala, basil, thyme, and oregano can be substituted for a more Italian feel.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas.  Add the olive oil and egg and mash well.  Add all other ingredients and stir well.  Gently form into patties and place on the lined pan.  If patties are difficult to form because the mixture has too much moisture, adjust the amount of flour / breadcrumbs.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Serve as is, with a dipping sauce, on a bun with traditional burger toppings, or wrapped in a pita with lettuce and tomato.

 

Quinoa Salad:

  • 2 cups of boiling water
  • 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
  • 1/2 of an avocado, diced
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 of a red pepper, diced
  • 1/4 of a long English cucumber, chopped
  • handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • small drizzle of olive oil
  • generous drizzle of your favourite dressing

*For a more Mexican vibe, replace the cucumber and parsley with some black beans, corn, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Bring water to a boil.  Add the quinoa, cover, and turn the heat down to low.  Remove from heat when all water is absorbed and fluff quinoa with a fork.  Let cool.

Add fresh veggies, herbs, olive oil, and dressing.  Mix well and serve.

 

3 Comments

Granola Crunchers

2 / 17 / 123 / 1 / 12

Okay, so maybe we’re not really granola crunchers, but we’re definitely granola lovers.  The problem is that granola you buy at the store is filled with all kinds of sugar, sodium, and other things we don’t want Grae to eat. And since we picked up a bunch of delicious Liberté yogurt today, we needed a batch of homemade, healthy granola, pronto.  Of course my little sous chef was more than happy to help out in the kitchen.

IMG 5900First things first…  Gracen measured out our old-fashioned oats.

IMG 5903Then she added the almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, ground flax, wheatgerm, and quinoa flakes.

IMG 5908And enthusiastically shook in the unsweetened coconut.

IMG 5910That was it for dry ingredients.  Then it was time to stir, stir, stir.  (Don’t mind Grae’s bruised cheek – the poor little thing had a fall a couple of days back.)

IMG 5920On to the wet ingredients and spices!  In a separate bowl (or in our case, measuring cup), we added and mixed together our applesauce, pure maple syrup, olive oil, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

IMG 5924This part is the most fun.  We added the wet ingredients to the dry and Grae went on a stirring frenzy.

IMG 5929When everything was evenly coated, we dumped the mixture out on two large baking sheets, spread it out, and drizzled on just a touch more olive oil before popping both pans into the oven.

IMG 5930Gracen was our official granola watcher and I was the official granola flipper.  We make a pretty good team. :)

IMG 5934And after about 45 minutes in the oven, we took it out to cool on the counter. Voila!  Done.

IMG 5941Gracen patiently waited for dinner to be made, ate up her portion, and then moved on to her anxiously-awaited dessert course – yogurt with granola and dried fruit!

IMG 5943Apparently it was so good that it disappeared more quickly than she was prepared for.

IMG 5947Be warned – if you try this recipe, licking leftovers off of your sleeve is a total possibility.

Here’s the original recipe and here’s our slightly modified version:

  • 6 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2 cups chopped raw almonds
  • 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seed
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 2 TBSP quinoa flakes
  • 2 individual cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup pure organic maple syrup
  • 3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 TBSP ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, and then add to dry ingredients.  Stir well to mix thoroughly.

Spread the mixture onto two baking dishes. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until evenly golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even browning.

Enjoy!
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Breakfast Helper

2 / 13 / 123 / 1 / 12

IMG 5442This morning Gracen helped me make one of our favourite ever breakfast dishes – Lottie + Doof’s baked oatmeal. (You can find the recipe here.  I normally follow it fairly closely, but I go very easy on the maple syrup and add some ground flax and wheatgerm for added nutrition.)

IMG 5444We normally make it with blueberries, but this morning we decided to switch things up a little and made it with raspberries instead.  Naturally, Gracen was the designated taste tester.

IMG 5447After all that hard work in the kitchen, this little lady ate and then asked for a washcloth.  I gave her one and found her below her chair a few minutes later “cleaning up” her mess.  :)

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Mooooore Muffins!

2 / 9 / 123 / 1 / 12

IMG 5160We got some great news this morning and fresh muffins were needed for the occasion, stat.

IMG 5164Gracen’s becoming a pro at muffin making.

IMG 5172The secret ingredient in this recipe?  Whole greek yogurt!

IMG 5186The highlight for this little object transferring fiend?  Moving the blueberries, one by one, from the plastic container into the bowl.

IMG 5171Baking is just so much fun!

IMG 5193Prepping the pan is Grae’s specialty.

IMG 5196Next step?  Sprinkling cinnamon sugar on the muffin tops!

IMG 5199In the oven they go.

IMG 5202While waiting, my little baker kept busy at the gorgeous easel she got from her Uncle Gary for Christmas.

IMG 5211‘They’re reeeeaaaady, Mama!’

IMG 5215The finished product ready to be packed up and taken to our friends (explanatory post coming soon!)

The recipe we used can be found here.  Now this recipe is from the Pioneer Woman…  And although I never really follow recipes as they are, you just don’t mess with Pioneer Woman.  Why?  Because she is the QUEEN of cooking. That’s why. We did, however, replace half of the blueberries with raspberries, and add a splash of milk and a little cinnamon.  Shhh..  Don’t tell.

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Muffin Making with Mama

2 / 6 / 129 / 10 / 12

IMG 4966This morning’s activity involved baking a fresh batch of healthy muffins for the week.  Baking with a very busy baby isn’t always easy, so I try to have my ingredients {roughly} measured out before we actually get started. I find that it’s just easier if Grae can stay involved with the dumping and mixing and not have to wait for me to fetch and measure ingredients.

IMG 4963Today we sat on the floor next to the lazy susan and measured out the dry ingredients together and then she did this while I quickly gathered the wet ones.  There’s nothing like a little bowl of almonds and a drink to keep this little munchkin happy.

IMG 4974When I had everything out and ready, it was time to get to work.  First, Grae gave the dry ingredients a little stir by hand.

IMG 4979Then she added the walnuts.

IMG 4978In they go!  This may not be the fastest way of doing it, but I always try to let her do it her way first and then help her dump the rest in afterwards.

IMG 4986In with the milk and olive oil.

IMG 4989And now for the egg…

IMG 4991In it goes.

IMG 4993Then the fun part.  Adding the shredded carrot and zucchini!

IMG 4998She quite liked this step at first, but she didn’t love that her little hand was covered in grated carrot in between handfuls.

IMG 5004Once everything was in the bowl, it was time to let the mixer do its job.  Grae held the bowl, just in case. :)

IMG 5010This was the point when Miss G realized that she could see her reflection on the side of the stainless bowl.  Too funny!

IMG 5025With the batter finished, it was time to brush our muffin tin with olive oil.

IMG 5032Gracen waited patiently while I scooped the batter into the cups and then she sprinkled some cinnamon on the tops of the muffins.

IMG 5033Oops.  The result of overly enthusiastic cinnamon shaking.

IMG 5035The final step was placing a pecan on each muffin top.

IMG 5036Of course, Grae wasn’t shy about shoving some in her mouth when she got the chance.

IMG 5012With the muffins in the oven, it’s now time to wait…

IMG 5042Gracen made sure to check on them part way through.

IMG 5045They’re done!

IMG 5050Here’s the end result. You know how you sometimes bake some healthy and then end up eating it because you know its good for you and not because it actually tastes good?  Well not these!  They are actually really delicious.

IMG 5056Not to mention, they’re kid approved.  Gracen loves them!

If you’re in the mood for some yummy and mostly healthy (they do contain a small amount of sugar and salt) muffins, I strongly recommend you give these a try. I have issues following recipes as they are (hence the reason I’m not a great baker), but the recipe I used as a loose guide  can be found here.

Or if you want to try our version, here it is:

  • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup organic brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 2 TBSP ground flax seed
  • 2 TBSP wheat germ
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp organic cinnamon (additional for sprinkling)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned organic oats
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large organic egg
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 3 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 small zucchini, shredded
  • 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
  • 12 pecans (for muffin tops)

Preheat oven to 350° . Prepare a 12 cup muffin pan by brushing it with olive oil.

In a large bowl, combine together the flour, brown sugar, flax, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oats and nuts. Add the oil, egg, milk, carrots, zucchini, and banana and stir until just blended.  Sprinkle muffin tops with cinnamon and place a pecan on top of each.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and watch your baby gobble them up enthusiastically.

*I actually added an extra 1/3 of a cup of milk because the mixture seemed like it needed a bit more moisture, only to realize later that I had forgotten my thawed banana in the microwave (again, bad baker). With the banana, I don’t think we would have needed the extra milk. OOPS!

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