The BEST Scented No Cook Play Dough

9 / 21 / 123 / 25 / 20

Gracen and I may have just stumbled upon the best. play dough. recipe. ever. today while combining my old go-to with a few other ideas we found around the net…. Now I know I said similar things about this recipe, but this new one involves no cooking (win!) and smells delish (double win!)

We did have to make a trip to the grocery store beforehand, as a couple of the ingredients are not things we regularly keep on hand, but it was well worth the trip. This is by far the softest, squishiest, smoothest, nicest feeling {and smelling} play dough I’ve ever come across.

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Now before I share the recipe, I want to say that there are LOTS of factors at play when making play dough at home. It seems like it should be a simple enough task {and I promise that it is}, but there a few things to consider and I want to be sure that your play dough turns out well. Believe it or not, things like the elevation at which you live, the weather / humidity where you are, and how you measure your flour can all affect whether your dough turns out too sticky, too dry, or just right.

For the purpose of this recipe, know that I measure flour by scooping a heaping amount of flour into my stainless steel measuring up and pressing it down into the cup on the inside of the bag. Thus, my flour is fairly packed down in the measuring cup.

Also know that if your finished play dough turns out too wet, you can save it by adding a little bit of extra flour, bit by bit (just go slow here – you can overdo it quickly!) and kneading it in. At the opposite side of the spectrum, if your dough seems too dry or tough, you can add moisture and soften it up by adding tiny bits of one of the wet ingredients (boiling water, oil, or glycerine) at a time, again being careful not to overdo it.

The BEST Scented No-Cook Play Dough

1 cup of all-purpose flour (packed down into the measuring cup)
1/4 cup of table salt
1 tablespoon of cream of tartar
1 packet of Kool Aid , 1 packet of Frosting Creations Flavour Mix , or enough Wilton gel food colouring to create your desired colour*

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of glycerine
3/4 cup of boiling water (measured in a dry measuring cup – this is important as wet and dry measures aren’t the same and using a wet measure will likely make your play dough too sticky)

*If using Kool-Aid or Frosting Creations, additional food colouring is not needed. You can also skip Kool-Aid / Frosting Creations all together and use the gel colouring for a coloured but unscented dough. Or leave out all three for a unscented, natural coloured dough.

Place all of the ingredients, save the boiling water, in a bowl and whisk well. Measure the water using your dry measuring set and add it to the bowl. Give the mixture a quick mix with a wooden spoon, banging off it off every once and a while. At this point, the mixture may seem too wet and sticky to make good play dough… Do not fret! Leave the semi-mixed dough on the counter to cool for 5 or so minutes. Afterwards, dump the mixture out onto the countertop and knead really well. You’ll know you’re done when the dough is fully cooled, soft and squishy, and the super smooth.

Enjoy!

FIY: Kool-Aid is a powdered drink mix that you add sugar and water to make ‘juice’ and Frosting Creation Flavour Mix is a powder used to flavour store-bought icing. Both can be used in this recipe to scent AND colour the play dough, but they can easily be left out for a natural, unscented dough or replaced with food colouring for a coloured, but unscented dough.

FIY #2: Non-edible glycerine is readily available in the first aid section of most grocery stores and edible glycerine is available where cake making supplies are sold.

FIY#3: This play dough will last for months if stored at room temperature in an air-tight container or bag. Do not refrigerate or store near a heat source or on top of the fridge.

FIY #4: When making this play dough, we use dry measuring cups only – even when measuring the boiling water.

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The Best {No Sugar Added} Banana Muffins

9 / 9 / 126 / 12 / 19

I originally made these muffins as a healthy alternative to the sugar-filled, buttercream-topped Pioneer Woman vanilla cupcakes I made for Miss G’s 2nd birthday party, and they’ve quickly became a favourite. Gracen loves them, Brad gobbles them up, and I often pack an extra in the diaper bag to eat while on the go. So this morning, on the first football Sunday of the year, Miss G and I whipped up a fresh batch.

Here’s our line up of ingredients…

very ripe bananas (fresh or previously frozen and defrosted)
oil (olive or coconut or grapeseed – I actually think olive might be my fave)
an egg or egg replacer (we’ve used a chia egg or a flax egg* for the last several years and both work perfectly)
pure vanilla
wholewheat flour
baking soda
baking powder
cinnamon
salt (which you can easily leave out if making these for really little ones – there’s not really a noticeable difference if you skip it to be honest)
walnuts or chocolate chips or a combination of both if you wish (Gracen always wishes for nuts, and I agree – the crunch definitely makes these muffins yummier)

*To make a chia or flax egg, put one tablespoon of ground chia or flax seed into a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons of warm water. Mix it well and let it sit for approximately 10 minutes before using it.

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First off, add your bananas and the other wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

Mix until mostly smooth and only slightly chunky.

Next, place all of the dry ingredients, except the nuts and or chocolate chips, in a separate bowl.

And give them a good stir.

Once mixed, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.

Mix just until blended.

If you’re adding nuts to your muffins, crush them up a little bit…

Add them to your muffin batter… If you’re adding chocolate chips, no need to crush them first obviously.

And give the mixture a stir.

Lastly, grease a muffin tin with some oil (or use silicone muffin liners) , scoop the mixute into the cups, and top with a walnut if desired.

Bake until cooked through and golden brown.

The BEST {No Sugar Added} Banana Muffins (adapted from Bob Ewing‘s recipe)

4 large ripe bananas
1 egg (we use a chia egg or flax egg)
1/3 cup of your favourite oil (we use olive or coconut)
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla (this vanilla is the BEST)

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt (completely optional – I’d choose to leave it out in the future if making these for littles)
1/2 cup of walnuts, crushed – plus more for topping, or chocolate chips (or a 1/4 cup of each)

Preheat oven to 350° . Prepare a 12 cup muffin pan by brushing it with oil or using silicon baking cups.

If you’re using a flax or chia egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground chia or flax seed with 3 tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl and allow it to sit for 5 or 10 minutes to thicken. Mix the bananas and other wet ingredients until the mixture is mostly smooth and only slightly chunky. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (save the walnuts and chocolate chips) well. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in walnuts and/or chocolate chips if adding them. Fill the prepared muffin tin with the mixture and top each muffin with a whole walnut. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Enjoy!

Nutrient-Rich Beet Berry Smoothie

8 / 15 / 128 / 15 / 12

Miss G and I got to experimenting in the kitchen this afternoon… We had been out in the garden collecting some goodies earlier in the day, and although we’d eaten most of our finds with lunch, we had a few measly beets left over. We’d decided we’d make a smoothie, and since we regularly add spinach and kale to our blends, I figured, why not beets? The result was a BRIGHT magenta smoothie that was yummy enough for Grae to label it “pink ice cleam” and have two cups full instead of just one.

Here’s our list of ingredients: Plain organic whole milk yogurt, frozen no-sugar-added strawberries and raspberries, a ripe frozen banana, a handful of baby beets, a few teaspoons of chia seeds, and some whole organic milk.

Another must for this recipe? Supergirl and her super girl baby.

Get started by dumping your frozen berries into your blender. Closing your eyes makes for a better challenge. Nothing Supergirl can’t handle though.

Chuck in your frozen banana. Again, amp up this step by trying it with your eyes closed.

Next, add your beets in one. by. one.

And then dump your chia seeds in too.

Next, carefully add your milk. The more you can get into the blender, the better.

Lastly, add a generous scoop of yogurt.

Blend everything up until thick and bright.

Serve with a straw or a spoon. Or both.

Watch your little superhero gobble it up.

Nutrient-Rich Beet Berry Smoothie

1/4 cup of plain organic whole milk yogurt
2/3 cup of frozen raspberries and strawberries
1 ripe frozen banana
5-6 baby beets (or one regular sized one), steamed and peeled
3 tablespoons of chia seeds
1/2 cup of organic whole milk

Put everything into a blender and mix until smooth.

Enjoy!

Another perk, besides the added nutrients, to adding chia to your smoothies? They keep overnight without becoming separating and getting watery. Try it!

Simple Blueberry Popsicles

8 / 11 / 128 / 12 / 12

With our {essential} popsicle stash running on low, Gracen and I decided we’d whip up a new batch this afternoon. I really had no recipe or flavour in mind, but as we rummaged through our fridge and freezer, Grae caught sight of frozen blueberries (her favourite!) and our decision was quickly made.

In addition to the blueberries, we gathered up some plain organic whole milk yogurt (with just a tiny touch of honey added), our new Ring Pop-esque popsicle moulds, and our food processor.

Gracen started us out by putting the blueberries into the food processor (at least the ones that were lucky enough to not be eaten).

Then she added our yogurt and honey…

And we blended it up for a decent amount of time. That’s it. Tout fini!

Now, if you don’t enjoy a bit of texture in your popsicles {and you have the patience}, you could strain the mixture at this point, but since we don’t mind the grit and I feel like they must be more nutritious with the skin bits left in, we left it as is.

With some help, Grae scooped a little bit of the mixture into each mould…

Then snapped the lids on and into the freezer they went.

Simple Blueberry Popsicles

2 parts frozen blueberries
1 part plain yogurt
1 tiny drizzle of honey (if desired)

Blend everything well in a food processor or blender. Scoop into popsicle moulds and freeze for at least a few hours.

Enjoy!

Oh, and be forewarned… There’s sure to be a similar fig popsicle recipe happening soon. We’ve got a tree bursting at the seams with fresh figs and I’m going to have to start getting creative. Surely figs must make good popsicles, right?

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {19}

8 / 8 / 129 / 16 / 13

Here’s our 19th round of Toddler Food… Crazy! I got a question a little while ago, and I thought I’d share.

I know that your daughter eats healthy foods, but can you share your “food philosophy” when it comes to feeding her? What do you try to avoid? Does she ever get treats? If so, what?

This question kind of made me giggle because I can just see my brother and sister-in-law rolling their eyes as I explain what’s important to us when choosing what to feed Gracen. Of course, I believe that every parent has the right to make the choices that they feel are best for their children, but this is a loose explanation of our ‘food philosophy’…

When it comes to feeding Grae, we quite possibly could be referred to as tree-huggin’ granola crunchers (yes, we’re those parents). We do our very best to ensure that she eats nutritious, whole foods and balanced meals. We try to avoid added sugar and added salt at all costs and choose organic products when we can.

Other than sugar and salt, we try to avoid pre-made and packaged foods that are often filled with preservatives, chemicals, colours, and ingredients that are hard to pronounce. We don’t do fast food and although we’ve allowed her to try organic fresh-squeezed juices a couple of times, we don’t normally do juice either (she’s not a fan, which makes this very easy).

On the topic of treats… Yes, Gracen certainly gets them! But here’s the thing… The word ‘treat’ is very subjective and can mean different things to different families. It’s all about what you know well and eat regularly. For Grae, treats include no-sugar-added dried fruit, freeze-dried fruit, healthy homemade popsicles, two ingredient ice cream, crackers, homemade muffins, no-sugar added fruit leather, blueberry milk (her regular milk with frozen blueberries blended in), and anything else that is sort of out of the ordinary. While other kids may not consider these things treats, Gracen does because they are things she only has once and a while.

I hope that covers the question! Now onto the food…

Breakfast // Zucchini fritter. Okanagan cherries. Banana almond oatmeal smoothie (with added chia).

Breakfast // Pumpkin pie steel cut oats with plain organic yogurt and crushed pecans.

Breakfast // Toasted wholewheat fruit and nut bread with all-natural peanut butter. Red plum slices.

Breakfast // Banana walnut steel cut oats with organic whole milk.

Snack // Crispy asiago edamame beans.

Snack // Garden mint (yes, she eats it on its own – weirdo). Garden strawberries.

Snack // Berry yogurt popsicle.

Snack // Red plum slices.

Lunch // Chicken enchilada. Refried beans. Avocado salad.

Lunch // Egg salad on omega sprouted grain bread. Veggie almond Israeli couscous salad. Fruit salad with lime mint dressing.

Lunch // Organic veggie pasta with roasted red pepper sauce and freshly grated asiago. Crispy asiago edamame.

{A random} Lunch // Edamame beans. Avocado. Mary’s Organic Crackers and jalapeño jack cheese. Blackberries. Mini wholewheat flax pancakes. Walnuts.

{Picnic} Lunch // Apple curry tuna salad in a wholewheat wrap. Crackers and cheese. Snap peas. Apple and orange slices. Odwalla Superfood Smoothie.

Dinner // Herb encrusted chicken breast. Wholewheat gnocchi with roasted red pepper sauce. Stewed garlic spinach.

Dinner {on a very hot day} // Quinoa fruit salad with lime mint dressing. Fresh veggies.

Dinner {on another very hot day} // Veggie almond Israeli couscous salad.

Dinner // Turkey oat sliders with fresh avocado, onion, garden lettuce, and old cheddar.

Dinner // Barbecued chicken. Green salad with seeds. Roasted peppers, potatoes, and onions.

Dessert // Two ingredient mango ice cream (made using the same technique as regular two ingredient ice cream, but with fresh mango and yogurt).

Dessert // Banana almond oatmeal popsicle.

♥

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Healthy Two Ingredient Ice Cream (& a PBJ Twist)

8 / 6 / 128 / 6 / 12

There’s no doubt that we’ve jumped on the one ingredient ice cream band wagon feet first this summer. Only we like ours made with two ingredients…

Here they are.

I know, when I first heard about bananas turned ice cream, I was a little skeptical too. But trust me – it’s sweet, creamy, and perfectly satisfying on a hot day. Here’s how we like to make our two ingredient soft serve…

In the morning, peel a few bananas. (Grae loves this part.)

Then slice them up.

Place the banana coins on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for at least a few hours.

In the afternoon, once they’re completely frozen through, take the bananas out of the freezer.

Place approximately 1/3 of the banana coins into a good food processor.

Mix through the chunky stage, past the crumby stage, and right into the smooth, soft serve texture stage. You may have to stop the processor once or twice to mix things up a little with a spatula, but it’s not always needed.

Once the mixture is thick and creamy, stop the food processor and add a capful of good vanilla.

Plus another 1/3 of the banana coins and mix to bring to a soft serve texture again.

Then, add the last batch of banana coins and blend again. If you’re feeling like a vanilla-flavoured treat, you can stop here and serve immediately, or put the ice cream into the freezer for a while for a more hard ice cream texture.

BUUUUUUT, if you want peanut butter and jelly neopolitan-esque treat, divide your ice cream into thirds, leaving one portion in the food processor. Place the two other portions in the freezer in the meantime.

First up, make the jelly flavoured ice cream. Add a spoonful of no-sugar-added fruit preserves…

And a few frozen strawberries.

Then blend until smooth. Pop the berry ice cream in the freezer and give your work bowl and blade a quick rinse.

Remove one of your vanilla-flavoured ice cream portions from the freezer, pop it in the processor, add a heaping tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter, and mix. When blended, transfer the peanut butter ice cream back into your bowl and pop it in the freezer.

While you tidy up a tad, let your toddler ferociously lick the bowl and spoon.

If possible, let your soft serve firm up in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Or, if your toddler is like mine, serve immediately to appease the begs for “iceth cleam”.

Enjoy!

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {18}

7 / 27 / 127 / 27 / 12

Some of the things Miss G has been eating as of late…

Breakfast // Breakfast sandwich (organic egg and aged cheddar on a multigrain thin bun). Black plum slices.

Breakfast // Coconut chia cereal (chia seeds and organic coconut milk).

Breakfast // Cantaloupe. Cottage cheese. Birdie toast with all-natural almond butter.

Breakfast // Seedy bagel thins with all-natural peanut butter and cream cheese. Strawberry slices.

Breakfast // Breakfast sandwich (wholewheat English muffin, jalapeño jack, and an organic egg). Blackberries. Orange slices.

Snack // Garden peas (a new favourite!)

Snack // Homemade strawberry applesauce.

Snack // Organic brown rice cakes with toppings (all-natural peanut butter and apple slices, mashed avocado and extra old cheddar, all-natural cream cheese and strawberry slices).

Snack // Garden strawberries.

Snack // All-natural almond butter and raisin roll-up.

Snack // Garden carrots.

Lunch // Smashed avocado and chickpea roll-up. Kale chips. Blackberries.

Snacks & Lunch // Dried apricot and apple rings. Strawberries and blackberries. Mary’s Organic Crackers and cheddar cheese curds. Almond butter and apple roll-up. Garden peas and carrots.

Lunch // Chicken and veggie soup. Mary’s Organic Crackers.

Lunch // Herbed chickpea and garden veggie pasta salad.

Dinner // Southwest shredded chicken chili with old cheddar and fresh cilantro. (Similar recipe here.)

Dinner // Salsa-baked chicken on orzo, toasted pine nuts, and feta. Steamed broccoli. (A meal idea stolen from my sister-in-law.)

Dinner // Grilled chicken. Corn on the cob. Kale chips. Fingerling potatoes with fresh dill.

Dinner // Veggie and tofu stir-fry on wholewheat soba noodles. Corn on the cob.

Drink // Watermelon lime slushie.

Drink // Strawberry flax smoothie.

Drink // Fruit water.

{No Sugar Added} Nectarine Apricot Applesauce

7 / 23 / 129 / 1 / 14

Gracen’s been talking about applesauce {and the fact that her Mama may have eaten what was left of our strawberry applesauce during nap time one day a few weeks back} for a long time now, so I decided we’d make a new batch today.

There were a ton of yummy nectarines laying around Grandma Charlotte’s kitchen and we just picked up some local apricots during our most recent visit to Davison Orchards, so we decided to switch things up a bit… This time around, it was going to be nectarine apricot applesauce. Sounds yummy, right?

Here’s our list of ingredients… A few apples, a couple of small nectarines, a couple of apricots, a little water, and some of the most delicious smelling Mexican vanilla you’ve ever come in contact with.

You’ll have to excuse our ‘vacation look’… Messy hair, no make-up and comfy clothes is the way to go when in relaxation mode. Plus, you don’t have to look nice to whip up a delicious snack, now do you? ☺

To get started, wash, peel, and chop all of your fruit.

And put it in a pot.

Next, pour in a little water…

And a capful of really good vanilla.

Give everything a little stir…

And pop it on the stove. Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer on medium low for the better part of an hour.

When the fruit is nice and soft, remove it from the heat.

After it’s cooled for a few minutes, arm your little one with giant oven mitts and get mashing.

Eat it while it’s still warm, or transfer it into a mason jar and store in the fridge for later.

{No Sugar Added} Nectarine Apricot Applesauce

3 small apples
2 small nectarines
2 apricots
3 – 4 tablespoons of water
1 capful of good vanilla

Wash, peel, and chop all fruit. Put it in a pot with the water and vanilla. Give the mixture a quick stir, then cover and simmer over medium low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. When the fruit is good and soft, remove the pot from the heat. Mash until your desired consistency is reached. Serve warm or refrigerate for future use.

Enjoy!

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {17: Vacation Edition}

7 / 21 / 127 / 21 / 12

Last month (yes, I’m a wee bit behind!) we spent a glorious 10 days at “home” in the Okanagan with family and friends which is why these photos look a little different than the ones usually on my Toddler Food posts. Here’s some of what our little lady ate during our trip…

Breakfast: Organic wholewheat waffle with a dollop of plain organic yogurt and fresh strawberry slices.

Breakfast // Organic “Cheesy eggs” (Papa’s specialty) and garden strawberries and banana slices.

Breakfast // Multigrain french toast. Mango slices.

Breakfast // Multigrain toast with all-natural peanut butter and Crofter’s All-Natural Fruit Spread. Raspberries, mango, and fresh pineapple.

Breakfast // Mango oatmeal with flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and whole organic milk.

Breakfast // Organic cheesy eggs. Avocado smashed on wholewheat toast. Grapes and blackberries.

Snack // Strawberry slices and mango chunks.

Snacks {on the go} // Dried nothing added mango. Raw walnuts and almonds. Baby rainbow carrots. Granny smith slices. Fresh raspberries.

Snack // Baby rainbow carrots (Grae’s choice of farmer’s market treats).

Snack // Two ingredient ice cream turned raspberry sorbet {simply by reblending with frozen raspberries added}.

Snack // Fresh cherries.

Lunch // Egg salad on organic multi-seed flat bread. Steamed rainbow carrots. Fresh mango, pineapple, and strawberries.

Lunch // Seedy turkey meatballs. Mexican quinoa salad.

Lunch // Brown rice avocado maki.

Lunch // Wholewheat rotini with sautéed spinach, steamed garden green beans, and garlic shrimp.

Dinner // Lemon roasted salmon. Smashed baby potatoes with rosemary. Mexican quinoa salad. Veggie salad.

Dinner // Grilled chicken. Pear and pecorino ravioli. Steamed asparagus. Steamed broccoli with cheese sauce.

Dinner // ‘Knock your socks off’ chicken (chicken, peppers, and onions in a spicy sauce) on brown rice. Sautéed mushrooms.

Dinner // Whole wheat rotini with steamed broccoli, grilled chicken, and fresh parmesan. Sauteed onions and yellow peppers. Kale chips.

Dinner // Grilled chicken. Greek green salad. Curried pea salad. Mexican quinoa salad.

Dessert // Two ingredient ice cream with fresh raspberries.

Healthy Homemade Strawberry Creamsicles

7 / 19 / 127 / 20 / 12

During the last couple of weeks of gorgeous weather, our popsicle supply has been hit hard. With one lone popsicle left in the freezer, it was time to replenish our supply. I came across this idea a while back on Super Healthy Kids and loved the simplicity of it. Just two ingredients? Yes please.

Here is everything you need to whip up a batch of your own… A bowl of strawberries (washed and hulled), plain organic full-fat yogurt (the thicker the better), a food processor (or good blender), and some popsicle moulds (these are my makeshift moulds that I love because of their small size – cheap containers with slits cut in the lids). Ooh – and a spoon. Can’t leave that out.

Get started by putting your strawberries into your food processor.

Let them mix until they start to turn into a puree. You can stop while the mixture is still chunky, or blend a little longer for a smoother texture, depending on your child’s preferences.

Take a little taste. If desired, you can add a touch of pure maple syrup or honey at this point and then mix again, but Grae’s enthusiastic “Mmmmmm” and request for more told me that ours was plenty sweet. (Keep in mind that the finished product will be slightly more tart.)

Transfer your strawberry puree into a measuring cup for easy pouring.

Now you’re ready to put the popsicles together. Start by adding a little scoop of yogurt into each mould. (We used plain yogurt because it’s what Gracen is used to eating, but if you don’t mind the added sugar, you could easily use a vanilla, honey, or berry flavoured yogurt. If possible, try to pick a thicker yogurt as it will make the ‘layering’ easier. Greek yogurt would be perfect.)

Next, cover the yogurt with strawberry puree.

Then add another spoonful of yogurt.

Continue layering until your moulds are nearly full.

Secure the lids onto your moulds and add the popsicle sticks (if needed).

Done! Place your strawberry creamsicles into the freezer overnight (or at least for a few hours)

And now for the best part – let your munchkin slurp up the remaining strawberry juice if there is any. Yuuuuum.

Healthy Homemade Strawberry Creamsicles

Approximately 15 large strawberries, washed and hulled
Approximately 1 cup of plain organic full-fat yogurt

Place strawberries in food processor or blender and mix until they form a puree, then transfer mixture into a measuring cup for easy pouring. Fill your popsicle moulds with layers of yogurt and puree until nearly full. Freeze overnight.

Enjoy!

Homemade Spinach Walnut Asiago Pesto

7 / 16 / 127 / 16 / 12

When I was gifted my first ever {decent} food processor for my birthday, I had two things I knew I needed to make asap. The first, two ingredient ice cream, got taken care of while we were still on vacation. The second was fresh pesto. I returned home eager to whip up my first batch of the delicious green sauce, only to find that both of my basil plants had been badly eaten while away. Phooey. The project got put on the back burner for a little while until it was time to whip up lunch today and my giant container of organic baby spinach reminded me of something I’ve seen numerous times online… Pesto made with spinach! Brilliant, really. Who doesn’t love adding another way to sneak loads of spinach into their family’s meals? So spinach pesto it was. I gathered up my sous chef and a good amount of the basil I did have left in the garden, and got busy.

First, we gathered our ingredients – organic baby spinach, olive oil, sea salt, asiago cheese, basil, lemon, a couple of cloves of garlic, and some walnuts. (I did consider using the pine nuts I have stashed away in the freezer, but those things are like gold nowadays, so walnuts it was. On the plus side, my mom, a health fanatic of many, many years recently told me that everyone should be eating a few walnuts a day, so there you go. Our walnut intake for the day is covered.)

Start out by placing your clean, dry spinach leaves directly into your food processor.

Next, add the walnuts…

And asiago. (Parmigiano would obviously be the more traditional choice here, but I like to change things up now and then.)

Next, add a couple of whole raw garlic cloves. Just be warned that the finished result is quite garlicky. If you prefer a more subtle garlic flavour, I suggest just adding one.

Next, give your fresh basil a good whiff…

And then add it to the food processor.

Grind in just a touch of sea salt.

And add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Give everything a couple of pulses first, then turn it on while slowly drizzling the olive oil in. Blend until your desired consistency is reached. We made ours quite smooth this time around, but slightly chunky is just as good.

Next, take a little spoonful and let your toddler dip her finger in.

When you receive enthusiastic nods of approval and shouts for “More!”, you know you’re done.

Transfer into a mason jar for storage in the fridge, or use immediately for lunch (in this case, a warm orzo salad with spinach pesto, roasted red peppers, and toasted pine nuts).

Homemade Spinach Walnut Asiago Pesto

3 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
1 handful of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup of asiago cheese, grated
1/2 cup of raw walnuts
2 large cloves of garlic
juice of 1/4 of a lemon
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1/3 cup of olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil into a food processor and pulse a couple of times. Turn food processor on and drizzle in olive oil as the mixture blends. Stop the food processor when the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Transfer into a mason jar and store in the fridge or use immediately on pizza, pasta, crackers, or bread.

Enjoy!

{Healthy} Frozen Banana Pops

7 / 15 / 127 / 20 / 12

With a freezer already full of two ingredient ice cream, frozen bananas waiting to be turned into smoothies, and a few beginning to speckle bananas in the fruit bowl, I decided we’d try something new today… A much healthier version of one of my childhood favourites – frozen chocolate-dipped bananas from Dairy Queen (does anyone remember those?)

Our line up of ingredients: bananas, all-natural peanut butter, wooden popsicle sticks, and toppings. (Grae picked sesame seeds, organic raisins, sunflower seeds, and organic brown rice puffs, but almost anything would work… Dried cranberries, chopped nuts, and granola would be yummy too.)

To get started, peel a couple of bananas.

And then chop them roughly in half.

Now for the messy part… Spread your peanut butter on the banana halves. (Gracen started by spreading peanut butter on one side, then I’d insert the popsicle stick, flip the banana over, and gently cover the other side.)

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you want most of your banana covered in a layer of peanut butter by the time you’re through.

Next, take your banana and roll it in the topping(s) of your choice. Larger items, such as raisins, can be added by hand afterwards.

Place your pops on a tray and pop them in the freezer for at least an hour or so.

In the meantime, let your little munchkin {messily} lick the spoon and snack on the leftovers.

Once they’re at least semi-frozen, serve them as a snack or for dessert.

Or heck, why not breakfast?! If there’s ever been a breakfast-appropriate popsicle, this has got to be it.

{Healthy} Frozen Banana Pops

Bananas
All-natural nut butter
Toppings of your choice
Wooden popsicle sticks

Peel your bananas and chop in half. Gently cover the bananas in nut butter and insert your wooden popsicle sticks. Holding onto the stick, roll your banana in the desired toppings. Place on a tray or baking sheet and freeze.

Enjoy!

Crispy Asiago Edamame Beans

7 / 15 / 127 / 15 / 12

This afternoon we did something I’ve been avoiding for much of the week… we used the oven {the perks of a much cooler day}. When I came across this recipe from allrecipes.com on Pinterest a little while back, I knew it would be right up my little edamame lover’s alley. We tweaked the original recipe just a tad, and it turned out great.

The best part is that it’s really simple. Here’s everything you need: edamame beans, olive oil, fresh-ground pepper, sea salt, and some cheese (we used asiago).

First things first, run your beans under some cool water for a few minutes to thaw them.

Next, have your sous chef place them all in a large mixing bowl.

Add a drizzle of olive oil…

Your cheese…

A generous grinding of pepper…

And just a tiny touch of sea salt.

Then mix everything together.

Lay your beans out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (who doesn’t love easy clean up?!) and pop them in the oven, flipping them once about half way through.

Take them out when they’re golden brown and have a good crunch to them.

Let cool for a few minutes and serve while still warm. Mmmmm!

Crispy Asiago Edamame Beans

1/2 a package of thawed, shelled edamame beans
1/4 cup of finely grated asiago
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of freshly-grated pepper
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Lay beans on a parchment-lined baking pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping once about halfway through. Let cool for a few minutes and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {16}

7 / 13 / 127 / 13 / 12

Well, I’m finally caught up on our vacation posts and I can get back to doing regular things like Toddler Food and Small Style posts – yay! It’s been a while and I have a lot share, so there will probably be a couple more of these coming very soon…

Breakfast // Cinnamon broiled grapefruit (surprisingly yummy!) Wholewheat walnut bread with all-natural peanut butter.

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat flax pancakes. Bananas and berries.

Breakfast // Strawberry flax smoothie. Mitten toast with all-natural peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and organic raisins.

Breakfast // Wholewheat oat flax pancakes with organic whole milk yogurt and fresh blueberries.

Breakfast // Organic o’s, homemade granola, toasted almonds, and banana coins.

Snack // Strawberries and a baby carrot straight from our backyard. ☺

Snack // Veggie-packed muffin.

Snack // Organic no-sugar-added mango. Unsweetened unsulfured apple rings.

Snack // Fruit cars.

Snack // Raw red onion pieces (not actually a snack, but the girl came back for handfuls of onion so many times while I was prepping dinner that I finally gave her a little bowl. So so so strange, this one).

Lunch // Organic veggie shell pasta and steamed veggies in a creamy garlic sauce.

Lunch // White tuna and old cheddar on multigrain flat bread. Steamed broccoli.

{Picnic} Lunch // Fresh berries. Roasted red pepper hummus, veggies, and, and seedy flatbread. Watermelon chunks. Fresh pineapple. Rice seed crackers and old cheddar.

Lunch // Cheddar-broiled chickpea patty on a multigrain thin slider bun. Steamed asparagus.

Dinner // Roasted chicken. Organic veggie shell pasta and steamed veggies in a creamy garlic sauce. Spicy sautéed zucchini. Grape skewers for dessert.

Dinner // Brown rice roasted chicken casserole. Green salad with seeds.

Dinner // Homemade pizza. (Top: BBQ black bean with fresh avocado / Bottom: asparagus, feta, and turkey bacon)

Dinner // Turkey veggie stew.

Dinner // Barbecued chicken. Grilled asparagus. Baked potato. Peaches and cream corn on the cob.

Dinner // Chicken veggie soup.

Homemade {Toddler Approved} Kale Chips

7 / 5 / 125 / 26 / 19

If you’ve ever wanted your toddler {and the rest of your family} to eat kale, but didn’t know how to prepare it, or got the thumbs down on the way you did prepare it, this is for you. Not only are kale chips fun to make with munchkins, but if your little ones are anything like Gracen, they’ll munch them up by the bowl full. I’ve always liked kale, but I must admit, the first time I tried kale chips I was not a fan. I’m not sure what it was, but I’m so glad I tried them again recently. For me, the key to delicious kale chips is that they are very crisp (who wants to eat soggy chips?!), not overly oily, and slightly salted. And eating them when they’re fresh out of the oven increases the deliciousness even more. Here’s how Miss G and I whipped up our batch this morning…

{Scroll to the bottom to see our updated method… But in the meantime – Baby G – GAH!}

First, start with a couple of bunches of kale. The fresher, the better.

Fill your sink with cool water and give the leaves a good washing.

Rinse your leaves under cool running water, shake them out, and place on a clean towel to dry.

Place another clean towel on top of the leaves and pat gently to remove excess water.

Next, remove the stems and chop the leafy parts into chip-sized pieces.

Although the chopping part is obviously not toddler-friendly, while I did the chopping, Gracen’s job was to collect the soon-to-be chips and place them in a large bowl. In order to keep her little fingers safe, we stuck with the same rule we always use – no touching anything on the chopping board. This is something I’ve reinforced since I started cooking with her and she’s very good about waiting for me to move things onto the counter before she touches them.

Next, drizzle a small amount of oil on the leaves (a little goes a long way). We used grapeseed oil because it’s flavourless, but olive oil works too.

Mix well.

With the oil evenly distributed, move about half of your leaves onto a large baking pan (Judging by her heaping pile, G got a little excited).

Arrange them so that they are in as close to a single layer as possible…

And grind just a very tiny touch of sea salt on top.

Do the same thing with the other half of your leaves, and pop both pans into the oven. Be sure to watch them quite closely and flip them every now and then to ensure an even crispness.

Voila! Done. They may not look like the prettiest things, but I promise they’re yummy.

Serve them on their own as a snack, or in this case, as a side with lunch (smashed avocado and chickpea roll ups).

Homemade {Toddler-Approved} Kale Chips

2 bunches of kale
2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Wash, rinse, and dry your kale. Remove stems and chop leafy parts into large chip-sized pieces. Drizzle kale with oil, sprinkle on salt, and mix well until oil is evenly distributed. Using 2 large baking sheets, arrange leaves so that they are in as close to a single layer as possible. Bake at 400 degrees, flipping them every now and then. Remove chips as ready to avoid over-browning. Eat immediately or store at room temperature.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: After years and years of making kale chips at home, a) they’re still a favourite and b) our method has changed just slightly. First off, we’ve discovered lacinato kale – the kind that has fairly flat leaves {we get it at Nature’s Fare here in Vernon}. WELL. Game changer. It cooks much more evenly which means that you always get the perfect, crisp kale chip. We also add garlic powder {and sometimes nutritional yeast} because… YUM. As far as prep goes, we now use a salad spinner (so much faster and easier) and we’ve switched to doing just one bunch of kale at a time which I think helps the chips crisp up better. With two bunches / pans in the oven at once I was finding that it sometimes got steamy in there, which is not really what you want when making crisp chips.

Here’s our updated recipe {though the first one does still work just fine}…

Crispy Homemade Kale Chips (UPDATED VERSION)

1 bunch of lacinato kale (approximately 10 leaves)
1 tablespoon of olive or avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
sprinkling of nutritional yeast (if desired)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash your lacinato kale leaves and dry them fully using a salad spinner. Using a knife, remove the stems and cut each leaf into 4-6 big pieces. Dump the kale onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner and drizzle the oil on top. Use your hands to toss the leaves and evenly distribute the oil. Sprinkle on the garlic powder, sea salt, and nutritional yeast if using, and toss them with your hands once again. Arrange the kale in a single layer and pop them into the oven for 10 minutes. When the timer goes, remove the pan, flip each individual chip, and bake for an additional 3 minutes.

Serve fresh out of the oven or let cool completely and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Enjoy!