Toddler-Friendly Strawberry Applesauce

7 / 4 / 127 / 6 / 12

Before going on vacation, I had washed, chopped, and frozen a bunch of fruit we hadn’t yet gotten around to eating. Well this morning, when a bag of strawberries landed at my feet as a result of opening the freezer door, I decided it was time to put some of that fruit to good use. I did consider making a smoothie, but I wanted to try something we don’t make all the time already. I ran through a couple of options and quickly settled on applesauce when I saw my dish rack full of apples from washing them the night before. Miss G really enjoys applesauce and although you can easily buy organic ‘just apples’ applesauce at most grocery stores, nothing beats the real thing. I gathered my {always enthusiastic helper} and a few ingredients and we got busy in the kitchen.

The line up of ingredients: strawberries, apples, pure maple syrup (optional), vanilla, and water.

Get started by peeling and coring your apples. (I haven’t yet taught Gracen how to peel things, so I peeled and cored our apples while she gathered all of the scraps and placed them in a bowl for composting.)

Next up, chop your apples into smallish pieces. (We both did this job – Gracen using a regular butter knife, of course. FYI: I’ve done this several times with my Kindergarten classes and decent-quality plastic/wooden knives work too.)

Then, chop your strawberries.

Dump everything into a large pot.

Add a little bit of water…

Just a touch of pure maple syrup… (Only if you want some extra sweetness – turns out ours could have easily done without.)

And a good amount of pure vanilla.

Give everything a quick stir and pop it on the stove at medium heat.

Slowly cook the fruit, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and easily mashed with a fork.

Remove from the heat and mash until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. If you like a smoother texture, an immersion blender works well.

Dish out a small bowl…

And give it to your extremely excited toddler. Watch her gobble it up and ask for more.

Strawberry Applesauce

2 large apples (the sweeter they are the better – we used Fujis)
Approximately 10 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
4 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of pure maple syrup (completely optional – ours would have been plenty sweet without)

Peel, core, and chop apples. Chop strawberries. Add all ingredients to a large pot and cook over medium heat for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from heat and mash or blend fruit until it reaches desired consistency. Serve warm or refrigerate for later.

Enjoy!

Fruit Cars

6 / 21 / 126 / 23 / 12

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.

♥

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {15}

6 / 17 / 127 / 13 / 12

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?!)

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {14}

6 / 5 / 126 / 5 / 12

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!)

Endurance Crackers

5 / 31 / 126 / 1 / 12

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

1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of raw sesame seeds
1/2 cup of Chia Goodness (or plain chia seeds)

1 cup water
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of finely chopped sweet onion
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the seeds together. In a small bowl, mix the water, garlic, and onion. Whisk well.

Pour the water mixture onto the seeds and stir until thick and combined. Season with salt to taste. Add spices or fresh herbs if you wish.

Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet with the back of a spoon until it’s less than 1/4 inch thick. Not to worry if a couple parts become too thin, you can just patch them up at the end.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, slice into crackers, and carefully flip onto other side with a spatula. Bake for another 30 minutes, watching closely after about 25 minutes. The bottoms will be lightly golden in colour. Allow to cool completely on the pan. Store in a container or plastic baggy.

Enjoy!

You can see our other favourite homemade crackers here.

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {13}

5 / 29 / 125 / 29 / 12

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.

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {12}

5 / 22 / 125 / 22 / 12

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.

♥

Refreshing Watermelon Ice Pops

5 / 20 / 125 / 20 / 12

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

2 cups of chopped watermelon (a few seeds won’t hurt)
A small handful of fresh mint leaves
Juice and pulp from 1 lemon and 1 lime

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!

Healthy Mango Smoothie Popsicles

5 / 20 / 125 / 20 / 12

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

3 medium-sized mangos, peeled and chopped
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (you could easily use vanilla instead if you want extra sweetness and don’t mind some added sugar)
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla
1 tablespoon of good honey or pure maple syrup (if desired)

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into popsicle moulds and freeze.

Enjoy!

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {11}

5 / 17 / 125 / 17 / 12

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.

Healthy{ish} Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

5 / 11 / 125 / 12 / 12

When I spotted big, bright pink stalks of rhubarb at the market this week, I just couldn’t pass them by. Rhubarb brings back all sorts of memories for me… Summers at my Baba’s (grandma’s) house, her immaculately kept yard and gardens, and fresh rhubarb stalks picked from the garden and paired with little glass bowls of dipping sugar… Best.thing.ever.

And while I’m not quite ready to be handing Gracen little bowls filled with white sugar, I was sure we could use our rhubarb to whip up something delicious and healthy{ish} together.

So today, after a morning with friends at Campbell Valley Park and an afternoon outside in the backyard, we decided to bake a strawberry rhubarb crisp while our dinner warmed in the oven. (These are the perks to making a big dinner the night before and having more than enough for a second night.)

First things first, gather the following: rhubarb, strawberries (fresh or frozen), wholewheat flour, vanilla, pure maple syrup, old-fashioned oats, and olive oil. The biggest necessity however? One silly little doodle sporting a tiny apron and her “smile face”.

To get started, dump your fruit into a large mixing bowl.

Enthusiastically add some wholewheat flour…

Some pure maple syrup…

And a touch of vanilla.

Then mix it all up. If you’re feeling adventurous, follow Grae’s lead and sneak a piece of flour-covered rhubarb into your mouth (yuck).

When everything is mixed, pour the fruit mixture into a glass baking dish and spread it around evenly.

With the fruit filling complete, it’s time for the topping. Grab a fresh bowl (or rinse the one you have) and dump in some wholewheat flour.

Next, add some old-fashioned oats…

Some cinnamon…

Some olive oil…

And a little bit of pure maple syrup.

Mix everything well.

Next, shake your oat mixture out on top of your fruit, trying to distribute it {somewhat} evenly over the dish. Gently pat everything down in place.

That’s it! Now pop it into the oven for a bit.

And take it out when the fruit is bubbling and the oats are golden brown. Let cool on the counter while you eat dinner.

Then dish out two little bowls, one for you and one for your toddler, and listen to her exclaim “Mmmmmmmmm! Nom-a-nom-a-neh” while she shovels heaping spoonfuls into her mouth. Be prepared – she’ll most likely finish before you do and then ask to eat yours on top of her own. ☺

I honestly wasn’t sure how this recipe would turn out… I’ve made many crisps before and significantly reduced the amount of butter and brown sugar, but I’ve never omitted both ingredients all together and replaced them with olive oil and maple syrup. I’m happy to report, however, that it turned out really well. Although it’s not as sweet as a regular crisp, it’s just sweet enough to balance out the tartness of the rhubarb, plus it’s got lots of flavour and a good crunch to it. And the best part is that I feel okay about giving our wee one a little bowl to enjoy too.

Of course, if you wanted to sweeten it up a little bit, you could increase the amount of maple syrup, add a touch of honey, or, my personal favourite – top it with a little bit of whipped cream or ice cream.

Healthy{ish} Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

4 cups of chopped fruit (we used about 3 cups of rhubarb and 1 cup of frozen strawberries)
1/4 cup of wholewheat flour
3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla

1 cup of wholewheat flour
1 cup of organic old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 – 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the first set of ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread the fruit mixture in the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Put the second set of ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Shake out the oat mixture on top of the fruit, trying to distribute it evenly over the fruit. Gently pat down with your hands.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the oats are crunchy and golden brown.

Allow to cool a while, then scoop into bowls and serve.

Enjoy!

Toddler Food: What Miss G Eats {10}

5 / 9 / 125 / 9 / 12

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.

Nutrient-Packed Energy BItes

5 / 8 / 121 / 26 / 19

Note to self: When planning on doing a cooking project with Miss G, don’t make mention of it until it’s actually time to begin. I learned this the hard way today when I casually asked Gracen if she wanted to make a treat with me while finishing up a load of dishes. I went to pop the dishtowels in the wash and came back to a butcher block littered with with containers – cocoa, cream of tartar, beans, and baking powder. Not sure what she planned on making, but she obviously got a little excited and jumped the gun. My bad.

Today we whipped up a little something I’ve seen a lot of while browsing Pinterest… Energy bites. Here’s our version, and let me tell you, they’re delish. Sweet and satisfying like dessert, but packed with healthy fats, protein, fibre, and vitamins.

Don’t be intimidated by our giant line up of ingredients… These are all things we always have on hand and I wanted to jam pack these little suckers with as many nutrients as possible, so we used a little of everything. It doesn’t have to be this involved though. I like the way Heidi from Food Doodles stated it… This is more of a formula than a recipe. You could easily get away with less than half of these ingredients. Our list includes organic oats, pure maple syrup, honey, all-natural almond butter, hemp hearts, chia, ground flax seed, wheat germ, raw almonds, walnuts, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and pure vanilla.

To get started, put your almond butter into a large mixing bowl (any nut butter will do, so feel free to pick your favourite).

Next, add some old-fashioned oats.

Then gather your “goodies”. For us this included hemp hearts, chia, ground flax seed, wheat germ, raw almonds, walnuts, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds, but it could really be any combination of dry ingredients.

Dump your goodies into the mixing bowl.

Next, add a generous amount of good vanilla.

And a spice (or spice combination) of your choice. We kept it simple in the spice department and chose cinnamon, but you could really use any of your favourites… Nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice could all be good options.

Mix everything together so that all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.

While you tidy up, pop your mixture into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes (or cheat like we did and pop it into the freezer for half the amount of time).

With your mixture chilled, now you’re ready to form your bites. We found it easiest to take a tablespoon measure, dip it into a mug of very hot water (this would work even better if you were using a metal measuring spoon), fill the scoop, and press the mixture down into the spoon to compact it.

Little dome-shaped bites should easily pop out into your hand or onto your baking sheet.

Tada! Little nutrient-packed mouthfuls.

After you’ve formed all of your bites, pop them into the fridge / freezer for storage or feed them to your desperate toddler immediately. (In all honesty, she stuck around to help form the first five and then begged for me to put her in her seat so she could start gobbling down her creation.)

You may not be able to tell, but she’s got a giant mouthful, plus a fistful, and she’s frantically saying “More! More!” You think she liked them?

‘Mama, don’t you hear me saying “more”? Must I sign it for you also?’

I highly recommend you whip up some of these as soon as possible. The original recipe can be found here and this is our tweaked version:

Nutrient-Packed Energy Bites

1/2 of a cup of all-natural nut butter (at room temperature)
1/4 of a cup of honey and pure maple syrup (we used mostly maple syrup with just a little honey because I’ve always found the sweetness of honey to be a little overwhelming, but using more honey will definitely increase the stickiness of the mixture, thus making it easier to form the bites)
1 cup of organic old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups of dry “goodies” (your personal combination of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, unsweetened coconut, wheat germ, ground flax, hemp heats, chia, etc.)
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla
1 teaspoon of your favorite spices or spice combination (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg would all be yummy)

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Stir well.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or pop in the freezer for 15). Dip a tablespoon measuring spoon into a mug of very hot water and fill the spoon with the mixture, pressing it down in order to compact everything. Gently shake spoonfuls out onto a baking sheet and place in the fridge or freezer to firm them up.

Serve or transfer into an airtight container and store in the fridge or freezer. Pull bites out for a quick, delicious, and nutritious snack.

Enjoy!

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Southwest Turkey Chili

5 / 7 / 1211 / 3 / 13

Let me tell you, our little girl loves to cook. This afternoon I made mention of the fact that I might need some help with dinner and she had her apron around her neck and was pushing a chair into the kitchen before I had even gathered my canned goods. On tonight’s menu was one of our household staples – turkey chili. Super hearty, easy to pull together, loved by everyone, and even better as left overs… That’s my kind of meal.

Here’s the line up of ingredients: Ground turkey (cooked with a couple of diced onions, a couple of chopped celery stalks, a few minced garlic cloves, some olive oil and lots of freshly ground pepper), frozen corn, baked beans, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chill powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper.

Once you’ve browned your ground turkey (ground chicken works just as well), you basically just add everything to a pot and let it do its thing. In with the baked beans…

Side note: I hate buying baked beans. I’m rarely able to find a good low-sodium, low-sugar option and always end up juggling 5 cans in an effort to accurately compare their labels while entertaining a toddler who wants the shopping cart to keep moving. Must find a good brand and stock up.

Drain and rinse your black beans and add them to the pot.

Same drill with your kidney beans (white or red both taste great)… Drain, rinse, and add.

Next, add your diced tomatoes. I buy a petite diced low-sodium olive oil and garlic option – more flavour and no chopping!

Next, add in some corn.

And some tomato paste.

Then add your ground turkey mixture.

On with the spices! First, add a generous amount of chill powder…

Then some cumin…

And a touch of oregano.

Depending on how spicy you like it, shake in some cayenne pepper. (We often add some jalapeños at this point too, but we like a little heat.)

Now mix everything up really well…

So that it looks something like this.

We use an awesome really heavy oven-safe Kitchenaid pot (wish I knew what it was really called) that Brad’s parents bought us, so we put the lid on, pop it in the oven, and come back an hour later to a hot dinner. (A stovetop pot or slow cooker works just as well.)

If time allows, let your chili stand before serving.

Dish into bowls and top with your favourite toppings… Avocado, sour cream, jalapeños, and grated cheese are some of our favourites.

Southwest Turkey Chili

*This recipe is very flexible and easily lends itself to changes, so don’t be afraid to experiment and get it just as you like it.

1 package of lean ground turkey (ground chicken works too)
2 small / medium onions, diced
2 celery stocks, chopped
2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
freshly ground pepper to taste

1 can of no-salt-added black beans
1 can of no-salt-added kidney beans
1 can of low-sodium, low-sugar baked beans
1 can of petite diced low-sodium tomatoes
1 cup of frozen corn
1/2 can of all-natural tomato paste
2 – 3 tablespoons of chili powder
1 heaping tablespoon of cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano
cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Sauté onions and celery for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add turkey and freshly ground pepper. Sauté until the turkey is fully cooked, making sure to break up big pieces every now and then.

Add turkey mixture, along with all other ingredients into an oven-safe pot. Stir well. Place lid on pot, pop into the oven, and let cook for a full hour. (If you’re really on your game and have the time to spare, cook for 2 hours at 350 degrees.) Remove chili from heat and let stand 10 – 20 minutes before serving. Taste and add salt if desired.

Top with cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, or avocado.

Enjoy!

Citrus Mint Watermelon Cooler

5 / 4 / 125 / 4 / 12

I must admit, we’re pretty strict when it comes to Gracen’s eating habits. She’s 20 months old now, and we’ve managed to stay clear of all refined sugars, processed foods, and other junk foods thus far (although she did taste her first ever tortilla chip a few days ago while celebrating her Papa’s 30th birthday). So far, we’ve also avoided all juices too.

But today as we were waiting for last night’s leftover pizza to warm in the oven and I was attempting to chop watermelon with a hungry little munchkin tugging on my pants, I needed a way to get her involved in the lunch preparation for a few minutes. Off the top of my head, I decided we’d turn the watermelon into a smoothie of sorts, so I sent her into the crisper to retrieve a lemon and we headed outside to pluck a fresh stem of mint from the yard. What do you get when you combine these 3 simple ingredients? A citrus mint watermelon cooler (which totally reminds me of something we would have seen on an elaborate “drink” menu during our years in Kuwait). Truthfully, I had no idea how this would turn out, but it was deeeeelish.

Here are the required ingredients…. Chopped watermelon, fresh mint, and a lemon or two (ours was of the sweet variety, hence the orange colour, but any lemon would do).

First step – put your watermelon in a blender.

Be sure to save the last chunk for eating purposes. ☺

Pluck the mint leaves off of the stem.

And put them in the blender.

Next, squeeze the juice out of your lemons and into the blender.

Be sure to remove the seeds first or catch them while squeezing!

Then, blend! At first, it may seem as though there is not enough liquid to allow the mixture to blend properly. Start by ‘pulsing’ and then removing the blender from its base to give it a good shake. After doing this a few times, you’ll have plenty of liquid to blend the entire mixture. For a smoother texture, blend for a couple of minutes, and for a chunkier texture, blend less.

Pour a munchkin-sized glass for your wee one…

And a mason jar full for yourself!

If I’m being honest, Grae took a sip or two in the very beginning and let out an enthusiastic ‘Mmmmmm!’, but then promptly asked for water and left her glass of watermelon juice just sitting there for the duration of lunch. It truly was really yummy and she loves all of the ingredients separately, so I’ve come upon the decision that she’s just not a juice girl. She had the same reaction back in January when she was sick and we offered her the juice from a freshly squeezed orange. Oh well. I’m perfectly happy having a kid who would prefer water over juice anyways.

Citrus Mint Watermelon Cooler

2 cups of chopped watermelon (a few seeds won’t hurt)
A small handful of fresh mint leaves
Juice from one or two lemons

*Play with the ratios to get it tasting exactly as you like.

Place everything in blender. Pulse and shake a few times in order to build up a little liquid. Blend the entire mixture until your desired consistency is reached. Serve with ice and a fresh mint sprig.

Enjoy!