This afternoon I attempted my first ever batch of ‘one ingredient ice cream’ (mine is actually 2 ingredient ice cream because I decided to add pure vanilla) while Gracen and Papa put together a new wagon that Manmaw and PopPop had tucked away in their garage…
The result was a wagon ride with a bowl of ‘ice cream’ and one very happy doodlebug.
♥
Apple cars are one of Gracen’s all-time favourite snacks. Since we’re heading out on vacation tonight and today’s goal was to eat up as much of our produce as possible, I decided we’d take the apple car idea to a new level and use other kinds of fruit too.
Miss G riffled through the crisper and found kiwi, apples, and nectarines (perfect for car bodies) and blueberries and grapes (perfect for wheels). While fruit cars don’t really lend themselves to a ton of toddler participation, Gracen was my official passer and counter. First, we cut thin slices of kiwi, apple, and nectarine, then we chopped the grapes in half. Since the blueberries were already quite flat, we just left them as is. Gracen’s favourite part was taking the spaghetti noodles and breaking them in small pieces – a job that’s easy and perfectly safe for toddlers.
Grae carefully passed me spaghetti pieces one at a time and I poked one through the front and back of each car body.
Next, we added our wheels. Two on one side…
And two more on the other side.
Soon we had a whole fleet of little fruit cars.
Snack time!
But before you can eat them, you have to zoom each one around the plate of course.
Then carefully disassemble the cars and neatly pile the spaghetti sticks on the table…
Then eat! A perfect snack for a summer’s day.
♥
Our 15th Toddler Food post… Crazy! Here’s this week’s question:
What are Gracen’s favourite foods? I mean, things she’ll ALWAYS eat.
Good question! While she eats almost everything, as she gets older, she’s definitely becoming more vocal about wanting certain things at certain times. So although she may love bananas, she may not want a banana at the time you offer her one.
Here are the things she will almost never turn down: tofu cubes, steamed edamame beans, yogurt, watermelon, nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, crackers (especially these and these), energy bites, steamed carrots, avocado, frozen blueberries, granola, and freeze-dried berries. Oh, and I mustn’t forget, what she calls ‘treats’… Organic, no-sugar-added fruit leather. But who in their right mind would turn that down?
Here’s some of what my munchkin ate this week…
Breakfast // Bear toast (squirrely bread, all-natural almond butter, banana coins, and organic raisins).
Breakfast // Breakfast burrito (flax wrap, scrambled free-range eggs, grated cheddar, and salsa). Orange slices and banana coins.
Breakfast // Apple sandwiches.
Breakfast // Veggie quiche (artichoke hearts, asparagus, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella). Roasted potatoes. Fruit and cinnamon yogurt fruit dip.
Breakfast // Organic plain whole milk yogurt with homemade granola and freeze-dried raspberries.
Brunch // Multigrain french toast with all-natural almond butter. Berries. Turkey bacon. Over-hard free-range egg.
Snack // Wild rice sticks and fresh pineapple.
Snack // Plain organic whole milk yogurt with berries.
Snack // White nectarine slices. Energy bites (made this time with peanut butter instead of almond butter, raisins instead of large chopped nuts, and less than the 1/4 cup of honey/pure maple syrup we used last time).
Snack // Fresh raspberries.
Snack // Wild rice sticks and old-fashioned white cheese curds.
Lunch // Egg salad on multigrain flax bread. Steamed edamame beans. Berries.
Lunch // Burgoo‘s gooey cheese griller and sunset corn and chicken soup. Steamed carrot coins and edamame beans.
Lunch // Leftover salsa-baked chicken. Carrot coins and edamame. Roasted red pepper humus and flax flatbread.
Lunch // Fruit salad. Flax flatbread with roasted red pepper humus. Veggie-packed muffin. Carrot coins and edamame (gheez – enough with these already!)
Dinner // Southwest turkey chili (with sautéed red, orange, and yellow peppers this time) and grated cheddar.
Dinner // Mediterranean green salad with avocado. Corn on the cob. Creamy dill potatoes. Salsa-baked chicken.
Dinner // Peanut chicken. Steamed asparagus and carrots. Sesame buckwheat soba noodles.
Dinner // Mexican rice bowl (brown rice, sautéed onions and peppers, roasted corn, avocado, and salsa-baked chicken – goodness gracious – was I in a salsa chicken rut this week or what?!)
garden goodies round 1 // garden goodies round 2
picnic dinner for 3 // swooping in to munch on Papa’s corn on the cob
Determined to make the most of our rain-free day, this evening we all headed out into the backyard to put our new barbecue to good use. While our asparagus, corn, potatoes, and chicken were grilling, Gracen enjoyed appetizers straight from the garden. Actually, to say that she enjoyed them would be an understatement… She ate everything in these photos, plus an additional 2 carrots. How she had room left for dinner, I’m not sure. But she did. And of course, Papa’s corn on the cob was even more delicious than her own.
♥
Photos edited using Instagram. Find me under ‘jkossowan’.
Another week, another Toddler Food post… Enjoy!
Breakfast // Plain organic whole yogurt with hemp hearts, ground flax, and white nectarines.
Breakfast // Wholewheat flax crepe with bananas and all-natural almond butter.
Breakfast // Veggie parmesan scramble. Hami melon. Wholewheat oat pancake with all-natural almond butter.
Breakfast // Fruit salad. Toasted Ezekiel hearts with all-natural peanut butter and Crofter’s Organic Just Fruit Spread.
Breakfast // Organic o’s. Grapefruit sections. Plain organic whole yogurt with Chia Goodness, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Snack // Rye crisp bread with all-natural cream cheese and avocado.
Snack // Endurance cracker.
Snack // Banana bites with all-natural almond butter and organic dried cranberries (from bottom left: raw sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds, raw peanuts).
Snack // No-salt-added chickpeas. Endurance crackers with all-natural cream cheese and almond butter.
Snack // Cottage cheese.
Snack // Wholewheat flax crepe roll-ups (peanut butter and banana).
Snacks & Lunch // Larabar. Wholewheat flatbread sandwich with all-natural peanut butter, seeds, and raisins. No-salt-added chickpeas. Orange pepper slices. Purple grapes. Pecan, cranberry, and pumpkin seed trail mix. Freeze-dried raspberries.
Snacks & Lunch // Multigrain breadsticks. Endurance crackers. Cheddar cubes. Mixed dried / freeze-dried fruit. Carrot. Wholewheat flax crepe roll-up with all-natural peanut butter. No-salt-added chickpeas.
Lunch // Creamy wholewheat spaghetti with fresh spinach and roasted chicken.
Lunch // Almond, apple, cranberry chicken salad on peasant farmer flax bread. Blueberries. Cheese.
Lunch // Spicy black bean pasta salad (brown rice flax rotini, no-salt-added black beans, red and yellow peppers, red onion, cheddar cheese, cilantro lime dressing, and chili flakes).
Dinner // Veggie peanut stir-fry on wholewheat pasta.
Dinner // Roasted chicken, avocado, spinach, and cranberry wrap.
Dinner // Chicken and bean burrito baked in tomatillo sauce with mozzarella cheese. Mexican green salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette.
Dinner // Shrimp and veggie buckwheat soba noodle soup.
Dinner // Chicken, veggie, and wild rice soup.
Dinner // Turkey and spinach lasagna. Green salad with feta and seeds.
Special drink // Vegan no-sugar-added chocolate mint smoothie. (This was her first taste of anything remotely chocolate, and she was NOT a fan!)
When I stumbled upon this recipe last week on Oh She Glows, I knew we had to give it a try very soon. Gracen loves all things crunchy (crackers especially) and lives for nuts and seeds, so the recipe really couldn’t be suited to her any better. Plus, the list of ingredients includes things we always have in the house… Score.
To get started, we collected our ingredients (this has become one of Gracen’s favourite parts of cooking… I retrieve the items from the cupboards and fridge, and she walks back and forth, carefully depositing them on the butcher block one at a time)… Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, Chia Goodness (plain chia seeds would work just as well), sesame seeds, finely chopped sweet onion and garlic, water, and kosher salt is what you’ll need.
Start off by dumping your pumpkin seeds into a large mixing bowl.
Add the sunflower seeds…
Sesame seeds…
And Chia Goodness (or plain chia).
Give the seeds a little mix and set the bowl aside.
Get out a separate smaller bowl, and dump in your onion and garlic.
Then add the water.
Stir the mixture for a minute.
Next, pour the water mixture into the seed mixture.
Stir really well, allowing enough time for the chia seeds to absorb the water and thicken the mixture.
If you’re a seed fiend like this little one is, now would be a great time to sneak a few pinchfuls into your mouth.
Next, take a few pinches of kosher salt, add them to your mixture, and stir again.
Dump the mixture onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet.
Using the back of a spoon, spread the mixture out into a very thin layer. Don’t be too worried about holes – they’re easy to patch up at the end. (If you’re working with a little one, this part will definitely require a little grown-up help. I let Gracen flatten the mound at the beginning and pat down my spreading job at the very end and she was pleased with that.)
If your monkey is anything like mine, they may try to lick the seeds straight off the pan. (No joke – this really happened. Multiple times in fact. Crazy girl.)
In the end, we settled on her licking the spoon in exchange for keeping her tongue off of our oven-ready crackers.
Next, it’s time to pop the pan into the oven.
Halfway through the baking time, remove the pan from the oven and slice up your crackers (I used a pizza cutter and it worked great). Crackers can be as big or as small as you want them to be and can be cut in squares, triangles, diamonds, or any other shape your little heart desires.
Once cut, use a spatula to help you flip the crackers over (this step was surprisingly easier than I expected it to be) and pop them back in the oven for the remainder of the time.
When you take them out, they should be crispy and golden.
Allow to cool, then gently remove them from the pan.
Serve to your very anxious and excited toddler. Be prepared to hear “Mmmmmmmm!” and “More! More! More!” endlessly.
These crackers are truly delicious. They’re light and crispy and have a perfectly nutty / savoury flavour. Not to mention that they’re vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, sugar-free, and oil-free, so they’re the perfect snack for just about anyone!
Endurance Crackers
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Okay, so on to week 13 of Toddler Food… This week, a fellow blogger asked:
Do you mind me asking how much you spend on groceries per week?
Ugh… I don’t even know if I want to say in case it’s a ridiculously high number in comparison to other families! Although it’s less than what we regularly spent in Kuwait (KD 50 – 60, which equals out to about $200), it does seem like a lot when taking into account our back-to-making-Canadian-dollars budget. The answer is – we normally spend about $150 per week. That’s for our little family of three and includes basic toiletries, cleaners, and some organic items (mostly for Grae). About $110 to $120 of it is spent at a regular grocery store and the other $30 to $40 is spent at the market on fresh produce. Is it just me, or does that seem like a lot? We have started regularly taking big stock up trips down to the States, which, although not good for our Canadian economy, do save us a pile of money (and filling up our tank while down there makes the trip even more worth while!), but I find a small cart full of ‘just the essentials’ here in Vancouver easily adds up to $100 or more. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.
Anyways, on to what the little miss has chowed down on recently…
Breakfast // Breakfast banana split (baby banana halved vertically, 2 mini scoops of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of all-natural almond butter, a sprinkling of organic oats, and strawberries on top!)
Breakfast // Greek yogurt with Chia Goodness, banana bits, and cinnamon.
Breakfast // {Heart-shaped organic} egg in a {wholewheat multigrain} basket. Banana slices and blueberries.
Breakfast // Cream of Wheat with Mama’s yogurt mix and whole organic milk. Apple slices and a grape daisy (which very quickly became apple cars).
Snack // Red grapes.
Snack // Cereal mix (organic o’s, organic shredded wheat, jumbo raisins, and raw almonds).
Snack // Raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, and no-sugar-added freeze-dried raspberries.
Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // All-natural brown rice sticks. Raw cashews. Organic apple chips. Veggie sandwich on artisan multigrain (all-natural cream cheese, fresh spinach, and avocado). Blueberries. Steamed edamame. Organic no-sugar-added fruit leather.
Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Avocado. Organic apple chips. Peanut butter and oat cracker sandwiches. Almonds and walnuts. Strawberry slices. Carrot.
Lunch // Homemade creamy tomato basil soup (made with pureed red lentils for added protein) with homemade wholewheat croutons, fresh parmesan, and herbs.
Lunch // Chickpea patty with parmesan and avocado on a multigrain bun. Grapefruit sections.
Lunch // Mexican rice bowl (brown rice, no-salt-added black beans, corn, and tomatillo sauce topped with cheddar, avocado, and fresh cilantro).
Dinner // Homemade tomato and brown rice {medley} soup. Curried tuna salad (low sodium white tuna, green apple, corn, green onions, curry powder, black pepper, and just a touch of olive oil mayonnaise) on fresh garden greens (leaf lettuce, spinach, and beet greens). 
Dinner // Red coconut curry with steamed veggies and roasted wild haddock on organic wholewheat couscous.
Dinner // Chicken cashew stir-fry with black bean sauce, wholewheat noodles, and fresh cilantro.
Dinner // Tomato, spinach, and orzo soup with fresh parmesan. Multigrain bread sticks.
Dinner // Red chicken curry with steamed veggies and egg noodles.
Without thinking, I put some apple slices and grapes on Gracen’s plate next to her hot cereal this morning. Harmless, right? Well, the moment I set it down in front of her, she started jamming the two together while announcing, “Apple – car! Apple – car! Apple – car, pleasche, Mamaaaaa!” I should’ve known… They are one of her all-time favourite snacks after all. So out came a piece of spaghetti, and in no time the little lady had a fleet of cars to zoom around her plate. Of course, she drove each one for a few seconds and then promptly disassembled them. Then it was on to feeding Num (a.k.a. a tiny Hello Kitty figurine that she carries around everywhere). Breakfast as usual with our little monkey.
Here it is… Round 12 of Toddler Food. I received a question/comment from a reader this week and thought I’d share.
I’d love to see the inside of your fridge and cupboards with all of the food you make! Which items do you always have on hand (for each food group if you don’t mind)?
I feel like there are a ton of essentials we always try to keep on hand, but we buy many of them in bulk, so they’re not all things we buy each week, which makes grocery shopping a lot easier. Okay, here goes…
Fruits – Bananas, apples, frozen berries, canned no-salt-added tomatoes, avocado, and no-sugar-added dried fruit.
Veggies – Onions, carrots, fresh or frozen spinach, frozen peas, frozen corn, and fresh herbs.
Dairy – Whole organic milk (for Grae), skim milk (for Mama and Papa), plain organic whole milk yogurt (for Grae), vanilla greek yogurt (for Mama and Papa), old cheddar, and all-natural cream cheese.
Proteins – Chicken breasts, ground turkey, all-natural peanut butter, all-natural almond butter, almonds, walnuts, pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, canned no-salt-added beans, organic quinoa, and frozen edamame beans.
Grains – Wholegrain seedy bread, healthy seedy crackers, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, organic no-sugar-added cereal, old-fashioned oats, and wholewheat flour.
Fats – Olive oil.
Oh. And tea! I have no idea which group it belongs in, but we always have tea in the house. A pot of tea at the end of the day is pretty much a nightly tradition around here.
With that, here are some of the things our little lady ate this week:
Breakfast // Chia Goodness made with whole organic milk. Strawberries, blueberries, and apple slices.
Breakfast // Organic eggs scrambled with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and herbs. Toasted Sovital bread drizzled with olive oil. Watermelon sticks. Strawberries and blueberries.
Breakfast // Wholewheat oat pancakes drizzled with all-natural almond butter. Banana slices.
Breakfast // Organic shredded wheat cereal with bananas, strawberries, and whole, organic milk.
Snack // Frozen organic blueberries (one of the easiest and most loved snacks in our house).
Snack // Banana bites (clockwise from left: almond butter and raw sunflower seeds, almond butter with brown rice crisps and raisins, peanut butter with unsweetened coconut, peanut butter with homemade granola).
Snack // Stovetop-popped popcorn.
Snack // Apple slices with all-natural peanut butter and organic oats.
Lunch // Wholewheat noodles with steamed veggies, tofu, black bean sauce, and sesame seeds.
Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Tofu cubes. Energy bites. All-natural turkey, spinach, and avocado on Sovital bread. Satsuma sections. Cheddar slices. Baby banana.
Lunch // Organic wholewheat elk pasta with parmesan, avocado, and garlic.
Lunch // Spinach and tortellini soup with veggies and multigrain breadsticks.
Dinner // Corn on the cob. Roasted cajun chicken. Brown rice medley with black barley and daikon radish seeds.
Dinner // Homemade wholewheat thin crust pizza (on left: BBQ chicken with roasted red peppers, red onions, and herbs, on the right: roasted zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, artichoke, broccoli, red onion, and sun-dried tomato).
Dinner // Creamy baby potatoes with fresh dill {from our garden!} Roasted carrot. Steamed beets. Roasted chicken. Fresh corn {off the cob}.
Dessert // Refreshing watermelon ice pop.
Dessert // Mango smoothie popsicle.
♥
We were on a roll with our mango smoothie popsicles today, and when the disappointment of our kitchen fun being over set in for the little one, I decided that we may as well whip up another batch of popsicles. I mean, why not? Of course, Gracen was more than game.
We chopped up a couple of big slices of watermelon, grabbed a lemon and lime from the fridge, and clipped a couple of mint sprigs from the garden, and we were good to go.
This recipe is pretty much identical to the one for the citrus mint watermelon cooler we made a few weeks back, other than the addition of lime and the fact that you freeze the mixture instead of just drinking it as is. But here it is anyways…
Put your watermelon chunks into a blender.
Taste midway through to ensure yumminess.
Next, juice a lime…
And a lemon.
Pull out the seeds and pour the juice and pulp into your blender.
Next, sniff in the deliciousness that is fresh mint.
Then pop it into the blender.
Secure the lid on the blender and blend everything until smooth. (Depending on the juiciness of your watermelon, you may need to pulse and shake the blender a few times in order to build up a little liquid.)
Once fully blended, carefully pour the mixture into your popsicle moulds.
Then add the sticks and pop them into the freezer.
If there’s any leftover, let you toddler have a little taste and watch her eyes light up with excitement. If Grae’s reaction to the frozen pops is anything like the reaction she had to the juice, I know she’ll love them.
Refreshing Watermelon Ice Pops
Place everything in blender. Pulse and shake a few times in order to build up a little liquid. Blend the entire mixture until smooth. Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze.
Enjoy!
With our abnormally long string of sunshiny-weathered days coming to a screeching halt today, we spent our rainy day inside, stocking up our freezer for the next our next stint of beautiful weather… With homemade popsicles of course!
Cases of mango seem to be everywhere lately and since our crisper was overflowing with them, I decided we’d put them to good use and whip up some creamy mango smoothie popsicles this time around (see our banana almond yogurt pops and our raspberry blueberry yogurt pops here). I quickly peeled and chopped a few mangos, then recruited my little lady to help in the kitchen.
We started by gathering our ingredients. Here’s what you need: mango, plain Greek yogurt, lemons, and pure vanilla (and a blender, spoon, and popsicle moulds of some sort).
Get started by putting all of your mango chunks into your blender.
Then add a generous amount of really good, thick Greek yogurt. (We used the no fat kind this time around because it’s what we had on hand, but since these popsicles are really for Gracen more than anyone else, I’d normally use the full fat kind.)
Next up – juice a couple of lemons…
And add the juice and pulp to the blender.
Lastly, add a splash of pure vanilla for a little hint of sweetness. (Depending on the sweetness of your mango, you may want to add a tiny bit of honey or pure maple syrup at this point too, but if your mango is ripe and naturally sweet, you won’t need it).
Next, blend away!
While your mixture is blending, get your moulds out and ready. (I love these old-school Tupperware ones from Gma Char… They remind me of summers on the back deck as a kid!)
When your mango mixture is smooth and creamy, pour it into the moulds, leaving a little room at the top for expansion.
That’s it! Let your little one slurp up the extras, put the lids on the moulds, and pop them in the freezer!
I must admit that Brad and I tried these tonight while the doodlebug was asleep. The verdict? They’re yummy! Can’t wait for Grae to try them tomorrow!
Healthy Mango Smoothie Popsicles
Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into popsicle moulds and freeze.
Enjoy!
Goodness gracious, have we ever been blessed with beautiful weather recently! And today was no different. What better way than to celebrate with afternoon popsicles on the front porch?
Our popsicle stash has taken a major hit these past few days… If this weather is going to continue like this {and hopefully it will}, we’d better get on replenishing our stock asap.
Our little lady seems to be on an eating binge these last few days. If we didn’t know her better, it’d almost be alarming. She piles away huge portions of food during her snack and meal times, and then just after we get her hands and faced washed, she’s asking for something more. It’s quite amazing, actually. She’s like a bottomless pit. Luckily, we know that she goes through these stages every now and again. She eats everything in sight for about a week, and then everything suddenly levels out and goes back to normal again. Here is some of what she ate the past week:
Breakfast // Organic Greek yogurt with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and a sprinkling of chia.
Breakfast // Multigrain bagel with all-natural cream cheese and avocado. Strawberry slices.
Breakfast // Wholewheat oat waffle with Greek yogurt and fresh blueberries.
Breakfast // Toasted wholewheat cinnamon raisin bagel with all-natural peanut butter, banana slices, and organic raisins.
Breakfast // Toasted Sovital bread (dark 11 gain rye) with olive oil and avocado. Cottage cheese. Blueberries.
Snack // Homemade pita crisps.
Snack // Energy bite.
{Outdoor Picnic} Snacks // Watermelon slices. Energy bites. Blueberries.
Snack // ‘Lulu Mix’ ( pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, organic raisins, organic cranberries, organic corn puffs).
Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Watermelon chunks. Blueberries. Apple slices. Mozzarella slices. Mini turkey and oat meatloaf. Veggie penne noodles. Raw almonds. Avocado.
Lunch // Veggie sandwich on Sovital bread (all-natural cream cheese, cucumbers, spinach, avocado, and red onion). Steamed edamame. Blueberries and strawberries.
Lunch // Grilled {all-natural} turkey, mozzarella, and spinach on chia bread. Orange slices.
Lunch {on the go} // Turkey and oat meatballs. Cheddar cubes. Carrot coins. Strawberry slices. Avocado chunks. Veggie penne noodles. Multigrain flatbread.
Lunch {out with Mama on Mother’s Day} // Bradner Farms Flatbread Pizza (organic free-range chicken, nut-free pesto, roasted red peppers, and red onions) from the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company.
Lunch // Tortellini Salad (all-natural cheese tortellini, avocado, sun-dried tomato, artichoke hearts, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, red chili flakes, and freshly-ground pepper).
Dinner // Quinoa bowl (organic quinoa with spicy piri piri sauce, sautéed red onions, red peppers, and yellow peppers, grated mozzarella, and avocado chunks).
Dinner // Baked vegetable ziti (veggie penne, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, homemade tomato sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella). Mini turkey and oat meatloaf.
Dinner // Seedy turkey and oat burger topped with fresh veggies and cheddar on a multigrain flatbread bun.
Dinner // Teriyaki chicken on sticky rice (a special treat). Steamed edamame. Steamed broccoli.
Dinner // Chicken roasted with garlic and fresh rosemary. Roasted carrots, baby potatoes, and beets.
Dessert // Healthy{ish} strawberry rhubarb crisp.
Dessert // Yogurt berry pop.
{A Special} Drink // Frothy raspberry milk.
With Bradley at work again this Mother’s Day, my little lady and I got to have a special day, just the two of us. It started out with a low-key morning of puzzles, stories, and tickles at home while sipping tea and slowly getting ready for our day.
When we were good and ready, we ventured out to do something we rarely ever do – eat out, just the two of us. We went to Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, a little restaurant on Main Street that is carbon neutral and offers an organic menu. Despite the fact that it was incredibly busy and they could have used another server, we loved it. The menu was filled with local, organic foods, their juices were fresh-squeezed, they gave Gracen crayons and a colouring page (which she was thrilled about), and there was a kids’ corner, complete with two wooden play kitchens, several tiny aprons, and an assortment of pots, pans, and felt food. We ordered an organic fresh-squeezed orange juice (Grae even got a few sips and loved it this time around) and a Bradner Farms flatbread pizza, topped with local organic free-range chicken, nut-free pesto, roasted red bell peppers, and red onions. It was a delish. And to top it off – all moms got a complimentary fudge brownie topped with fresh whipped cream, raspberry coulis, and mint leaves… Who could ask for more?
After lunch, we headed home for Gracen’s nap. She slumbered peacefully while I prepped and packed for day two at the beach. When she awoke a couple hours later, we climbed into the car and made our way to Spanish Banks for another beach adventure. The afternoon passed quickly as we frolicked in the sand, splashed in the water, and collected all sorts of drift wood, and before we knew it, it was time to head home for dinner, bath time, and bedtime. 
Although I’ve already had the perfect day with my wee one, tomorrow we get to do it all over again, as Brad is off and we’ve officially marked the day as our family Mother’s Day. Bring on more beach time any day!
♥
Breakfast // Pepper-enclosed organic egg. Fresh mango. Toasted chia flax bread with olive oil.
Breakfast // Banana nut breakfast couscous (organic wholewheat couscous, milk, walnuts, bananas, vanilla, and cinnamon).
Breakfast // Wholewheat oat waffles with greek yogurt and fresh strawberries.
Breakfast // All-natural shredded wheat cereal with unsweetened coconut and raw sunflower seeds (Miss G’s choice of toppings).
Snack // All-nautral wild rice sticks.
Snack // Homemade energy bite.
Snacks & Lunch // Freeze-dried berries, dried mango, and dried banana. Mango cashew trail mix. Cucumber and red paper strips with homemade tzatziki. Quinoa bites. Baby banana.
{Stroller Fitness} Snacks & Lunch // Mary’s Organic Seed Crackers. All-natural banana chips. Cranberry pistachio trail mix. Steamed edamame beans. Mango chunks. Almond butter, organic oats, and organic raisins on chia flax bread.
Lunch // Curried chickpea salad on grilled chia flax bread. Avocado chunks.
Lunch // Chickpea salad wholewheat wrap. Banana slices and apple chunks. Watermelon cubes.
Lunch // Creamy tuna and herb wholewheat fusili.
Dinner // Homemade chicken, brown rice, and veggie soup. Cape seed roll grilled with mozzarella and herbs.
Dinner // Wholewheat spaghetti with turkey tomato basil sauce. Roasted spaghetti squash with parmesan. Steamed beets.
Dinner // Roasted veggie pesto pizza (sundried tomato pesto sauce, zucchini, orange pepper, red onion, and mushrooms with mozzarella and feta). Banana almond oat smoothie.
Dinner // Parmesan veggie quinoa bites. Homemade tzatziki sauce. Arugula and avocado salad.
Dinner // Veggie and shrimp stir-fry on buckwheat soba noodles.
Dinner // Southwest turkey chili with avocado chunks.
Dessert // Organic Greek yogurt with chopped almonds and organic dried cranberries.
{Fancy} drink // Citrus mint watermelon cooler.
Drink // Triple berry smoothie.