No Excuses!

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When you’re short on time or lazy it is really easy to rely on ‘convenience foods’. Especially with all the fast food chains bragging about their new healthier kids menus it might make it seem not as bad right? Take a closer look, McDonalds for example, their kids meal comes with a hamburger made out of who knows what with small fries or the new ‘fish’ bites with.. fries and last but just as least, the ‘chicken’ nuggets and…. fries. Yes, your right, they also come with apple slices. Two thoughts on that, 1- it’s not even close to a full serving of fruit, 2- How exactly does a couple slices of apple negate the rest of the empty calorie/void of nutrition meal again? Not to mention what kid is going to save room for the apple slices with an immortal burger, low quality blend-oil soaked fries covered in iodized salt and chocolate milk in front of them?? Barf.

Just because they like it does not mean they should have it. If your kid is ‘picky’ it is because you let them be. There are endless flavor combinations available which means there is zero chance the only thing your kid likes is chicken nuggets. It is up to you to help them step out of the box and ideally prevent them from getting in there in the first place. It is work, but it does not have to be time consuming or hard work at that.

This war on food we are fighting does not help either. People that are educated on the topic and want to avoid GMO foods are stuck buying strictly Organic and that can get expensive. While other people that have just scratched the surface of the issue may think buying products labeled ‘all natural’ will suffice. The ‘all natural’ label really makes me sad. Fundamentally all food is created from natural sources, sources does not mean fresh, nutritious or quality foods.  Just remember: dog shit is “all natural” too; you don’t want to put that in your mouth do you?

So organic it is. These 2 meals are organic, feasible on a budget and take about 1-½ minutes to prepare. Now there is no excuse!  

Most of you have seen the rice in the freezer section right? Comes in a box of 3 packets, pop them in the micro and it yields about 2 servings per bag? Well that’s too much to make just to feed Olive, I don’t like reheating rice nor do I want to scramble around for something to keep the leftovers in. So, I just found an answer to my prayers. It now comes in a bag that allows you to decide the portion, Thank you!!

This is a super fast breaky, organic brown rice, mango puree (also in the freezer section) and some strawberries. The end. No need to sit in a drive thru for some maple flavored sugar goo injected GMO cakes with a sausage-flavored patty of…something. This fruit packed whole grain breakfast is faster than any drive through can offer and you don’t have to feel guilty after. Like always get creative, switch up the purees and fruit to your liking.

Dinner is hard too. Everyone is just getting home and it is a bit chaotic. Of course you are in charge of homework, baths, dinner and whatever else. Dinner is an easy one to let go of. Grab that rice, a box of organic soup and call it a night. 2 minute prep time and add a salad for whoever wants one. 

 I always feel best knowing Olive went to bed on a full stomach of good food. What parent wouldn't! Whole unprocessed foods are the best for us all, but in a pinch I’d say these are the next best things!  

Snaaaaaaaa?

I am an eater by nature. I think about the next thing I want to cook while I am currently cooking. A 'Snacker' to be exact. So is Olive, all day long she says, "Snaaaaaa??" if she sees anyone eating she says, "mmmm, snaaa". We take our snaaa's seriously around here. It is easy to get junky with your snack food and while it tastes good (sometimes) for a minute or two, don't you always regret it right after?? Ugh I hate that! The more food aware I became as an adult those junk decisions became fewer and fewer. You have to come up with alternatives that give you the illusion of that super salty crunchy whatever and the crazy sweet something that you love. Here are a few of my alternatives.

Chips, mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Salty, crunchy, dippable, endless flavors, they are quite possibly the perfect snack. Except for the amount of BHA the major brands add to prevent fat from spoiling. (BHA is known to cause cancer, not that you were popping those cheddar and sour cream ruffles for your health in the first place right!) Making your own can be tricky and intimidating. The oil has to be at the perfect constant temperature, it is messy and not exactly kid friendly! Your second choice: the Oven. I prefer it, they come out crunchier and you can pretty much ‘set it and forget it’ (remember that infomercial? K, never mind). Don’t limit yourself to potatoes, get some veggies in there too. I like yellow crookneck squash, zucchini, potato and sun chokes (we will get into sun chokes in the next blog).

I suggest using a mandolin for this because the thickness really does need to be uniform for even cooking. Slice your veg to your liking; grab a basting brush, some EVOO and your favorite seasoning. You can line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment but I like to oil up a cooling rack and use that instead. Faster cooking and your chip is not just sitting in oil.  Lay out your raw chips, brush with a lite amount of oil, one or both sides it’s your choice. Sprinkle your seasoning on and pop into a 225-degree oven. Baking time depends on the density of your vegetable; just keep an eye on them the first time. For example potato chips usually cook for an hour –an hour and a half depending on thickness.

 

Sweet snacks are usually favored in kids. This is like eating spoonful’s of strawberry jelly minus the refined sugar. Core a basket of strawberries put on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 225 for about 4 hours. As an added bonus your house will smell so amazing for those 4 hours! 

You know I had to sneak Justin's peanut butter in here! Warm up about 1/2-3/4 cups of Peanut butter in a sandwich bag (microwave, warm water however you chose). Snip a corner of the bag like your about to pipe frosting and pipe chips onto a lined cookie sheet. Put them in the fridge for about 30-45 min and now you have a much healthier version of -enter any sugary crap food here-. Add a couple carob/chocolate chips too!  

Who doesn’t like garbanzo beans? If your answer was ‘me’, than you can skip this recipe. This is the easiest, super crunchy, wonderful toddler snack of all time. Open a can of garbanzos, rinse and dry them. Dry them really well it is important. Toss in EVOO and your favorite seasoning (we switch between curry and salt & rosemary). Spread the beans out on a cookie sheet lined with foil and pop into a 400-degree oven for about 30-40min. I suggest making two cans at once because making only one is just silly. For kids with less teeth try using butter beans, they yield a much softer crunch!

 

Polenta part II

Last nights ..relics..  can often be repurposed into tonight’s dinner and you would never realize. It is all in the application. Tonight we are going to use the rest of the polenta in two ways, a ‘baby chopped’ salad and ‘polenta dippers’.

The salad is super easy, just be sure to make enough for yourself as well as baby. You can pick and choose what you want in this salad. This is just what I know Olive likes and I happened to have on hand.

Take your polenta out and cut half of it into ½ inch cubes. To do this you can use a knife but a pizza cutter is easiest. Pop the little cubes on a parchment covered cookie sheet and into a 400 oven until they are golden brown on the outsides, you want a crust to form (about 30 min depending how many your baking).  When the cubes are done remove them from the oven and let cool at least ¾ of the way.

Halve some grape tomatoes and rinse a can of garbanzo beans. If you have some broccoli stalks at hand cube them the same size as the polenta, steam them until tender and let cool.

When everything is cut and cooled, toss them all together in a bowl with some vinaigrette and enjoy!

With the second half of your polenta cut them into about 2-3 inch bars. Bake or pan-fry them until they have a crust on the outside and set aside.

You can make just about any sauce to dip these polenta nuggets in. I chose romesco and sorry to say I can’t give that recipe out.. LAME I know, you will get over it. In the meantime there are plenty of recipes for romesco online I am sure but you can also consider a red pasta sauce or a flavored hummus etc. 

If you choose a marinara you can add a little cheese to the polenta to make a healthier version of mozzarella sticks, because seriously, who needs that much cheese…

This is the base for my romesco to give you some ideas. Such a tease!

 The reason I chose this sauce over others is because I also made fish for some company consisting of grownups. You can put romesco on virtually any meat. I even use it as a dip for veggies. 

These nuggets can also be supped up for older kids, add flavors to the polenta while it is cooking. There is a vegan 'chicken' stock sold in some stores in powder form, if you add a small amount of that to the polenta you just made your own fake chicken nuggets. it is really salty so use sparingly. Add curry powder or pesto, the list goes on. The most important thing is you get creative, surprise yourself!  

   

Polenta Part I

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Corn meal, grits, polenta, call it whatever you want as long as you’re eating it. Polenta is more versatile than most other starches I can think of. So much so this post has to be split up in two parts. We all know the deep breakfast roots corn meal has so let’s talk about other ways to employ them.

Because our food supply is so shady right now it is really important to stay away from GMO foods period. Corn is at the top of the most genetically modified food list here in America so make sure you buy organic corn meal for this recipe. I like Bob Mills brand, it was $3.49 at Whole Foods so don’t give me that crap about how expensive organic is. This one little 1lb package is good for about 8 meals for a 4-person family, that’s a steal for health and your wallet.

Polenta is perfect for babies and kids of any age. It can be made in porridge like consistency for infants to a sliceable loaf for bigger mouths.  A perfect food to learn how to use a spoon with too. It is pretty bland by nature so you are free to pair it with just about anything. Dinner tonight is a polenta mash up with sautéed mushrooms and a tomato salad. Mm hmmm

Turmeric is really great for heart, brain and liver health. It has also been linked to inhibiting cancer cell growth. It is really mild in small doses; I even throw it in my juicer on occasion!

Mushrooms are a great source of fiber, potassium, niacin and selenium among other things. Selenium is an antioxidant that helps fight cancer and shut down free radicals. Don’t like mushrooms? Try using only the white button mushrooms they have the mildest flavor. Still scared? Get over it.

Follow the directions for whatever brand of Polenta you buy. I made 1 ¾ cups (dry) which yielded about 6 cups cooked. (1 ¾ cups corn meal, 6 ½ cups water). Make sure you stir frequently as you do not want the polenta to burn at the bottom. Add the fine chopped scallions or chives from below in at the last minute. 

Mash-up:

1 small organic sweet potato

1-2 small raw organic turmeric root

¼ cup hot water

Bake the potato at 375 until fork tender (I started dinner late so I nuked the potato, don’t tell anyone..)

When the tater is done cut into 4 pieces and toss it skin and all into the food processor with the turmeric root. Process the potato and turmeric while adding just enough water to get a baby food puree.

Set aside

Topping:

1 small- medium Organic yellow onion

1-2 cloves Organic garlic

4 cups chopped Organic mushrooms (mix and match for more flavor and texture, I used shitake and oyster)

¼ cup sherry. Yes, Sherry…

¼ cup Veg stock

3-4 sage leaves (julienned)

1 bunch Organic chives or scallions (fine chopped)

S&P to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in a small amount of EVOO, when the onion is almost translucent add all the mushrooms and let them cook down naked. When I say naked I mean DO NOT salt at this point. You will lose all the juicy goodness your looking for in the first place.  In 8-10 min they should be about half the volume they originally were, add the sherry and sage let the booze cook out (about 3-4 min). If you have a gas stove PLEASE remove the pan from the flame when adding the booze, don’t start a fire here we are just trying to eat.

Add the stock and the salt and pepper. Finish cooking the mushrooms until they are tender. The liquid should have reduced by half.

Portion out enough polenta for everyone eating. You hopefully have some leftover that we will talk about later. Add the potato puree to the polenta and mix thoroughly. The ratio should be about 4:1

So right now you can dish out the polenta into bowls or if you have fun molds use those. I had a mini bundt sunflower pan so I greased’em up with some EVOO, ladled some polenta in and stuck it in the fridge for 5 min to set up.

Top your polenta mash up with your supper yummy mushrooms and enjoy!

I served this with halved grape tomatoes tossed in vinaigrette for olive and I had a salad on the side. Perfect dinner or lunch for summer or winter. You can trade out the mushrooms for any sautéed veg really. If you want to sneak some mushrooms in you can always puree some raw ones up with the potato and mix into the polenta.  

With the remaining polenta I want you to pour it out onto a parchment covered cookie sheet and spread out to about ½ inch thick. Cover and stick in the fridge, we will deal with that in part II! 

 

Twofer

Squash, squash, squash I love squash. I can think of a million ways to use squash and that is something I absolutely look for in a main ingredient. Not to mention they are relativity cheap!! Butternut squash is in my top three favs, it is incredibly versatile and because it is pretty well received in general it is a safe bet when cooking for company.
I LOVE throwing dinner parties. It gives me a chance to test out new recipes for work and feel like I had a night out at the same time. Now that most of my friends and I all have kids, planning a meal for everyone has been a learning curve. While trying to accommodate everyone it usually turns out to be a bigger (and more expensive) ordeal than it has to. For your next dinner party invite the kids along, make this pasta and enjoy your night. Especially because the ... remains.. will be just as delish when you reincarnate the sauce for dinner tomorrow night, making this recipe an awesome twofer.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce:

• 3 small or 2 medium Organic butternut squash
• 1/2 a medium Organic yellow onion
• 2 ribs of organic celery
• 2 small carrots
• 1 Organic red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 tbs organic tomato paste
• 1 package fresh oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flake
• salt & pepper
• 1 package of good quality pasta

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place on a cookie sheet. Stick one or two sprigs of the fresh oregano in the cup of the squash, drizzle each squash half with EVOO and hit it with some salt and pepper. Pop them in the oven at 400 for 40min or until cooked through. About 10 min before it is done I add the bell pepper after I have cut and seeded it.

when the squash comes out let it sit to slightly cool. Small dice the poix (onion, carrot, celery) and sweat it with a little bit of EVOO in the bottom of a sauce pot. I actually dump the liquid from the squash cups in the pot to get it started. Pull the leaves off the remaining oregano sprigs and toss in with your diced bell pepper and red pepper flake.
The most efficient way to separate the squash from the skin is to flip them over flat side down and peel it away. Once the veg in the pot is cooked down you can finish this one of two ways-

Food processor-
Add the cooked veg and pulse until almost pureed. add the squash and tomato paste and puree.

Immersion blender-
Throw the remaining ingredients into the pot with the cooked veg and blend away. I prefer this method because you still get the tiny specks of color from the veg.

If you would like.. a little butter to finish this sauce is nice (UNSALTED!!).

Either way you choose you may need a small amount of hot water to get things movin. you can use chicken stock or veg stock if you like as well.

Toss with your al dente pasta and garnish with some fresh herbs (sage would be lovely), pine nuts and/or reggiano if your into it.

To adapt this for a smaller baby you can make rice instead of pasta. 6-9 months I would throw the rice in the food processor to break the rice up a little better.


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Gratin, yum. Vegan gratin.. not so yum. This is a not so vegan recipe but can be easily converted and I will indicate how. But if you are a 'mostly vegan' like me~ forget about it! WOW WOW WOW, your gonna thank me for this one later.

So away from blogging (in real life) my company specializes in reducing produce waste from farmers. There are a lot of ways you can help cut down on food waste at home as well, such as properly using everything you buy and not buying more than will be consumed before it goes bad. Properly using everything means using all consumable parts of your produce. So lets do that, I am about to blow your broccoli mind.

This has been a trick of mine for years, not until I had a kid did it become even more handy. Olive conditionally likes broccoli florets, she unconditionally loves broccoli stalks. 

Not So Vegan Veggie Gratin

1 small bag Organic creamer potatoes (multicolored is good)
4 heads Organic broccoli (you want long stalks, don't mind the florets) 
 1 cup Organic white cheddar (for Vegan use your favorite cheese or ground cashews)
1 1/2 cups Organic butternut squash pasta sauce from above
1 bunch Organic sage
(this is to fill a loaf pan)

Wash your potatoes, cut the florets off the broccoli and put in the fridge. Grab your veggie peeler and get those arms ready. Broccoli stalks have a thick multilayer .. um, bark, if you will. Luckily they are also multicolored so you will know when you have hit the goods. If you are confident with your knife skills you can stand 1 stalk upright and slice a thin layer off all sides for a head start. If you feel more comfortable with just the peeler then have at it. The stalk has the outer layer, a beige layer, a white layer and finally the opaque green and that's what we are looking for. You can kind of see from the picture the top is half way peeled and the bottom is what you want. I recommend a mandolin for this but if you don't have one try try try to get the thickness uniform. Cut the stalks and potatoes the same disc size.

Heat up your.. residual.. sauce. Start layering your veg in the bottom of the pan. I do 3-4 layers (alternating broc for potato). Next a very thin layer of your organic cheddar and 1/2 the sauce you have left. layer the remaining veg and top with the rest of the sauce and a final layer of cheese. If you want to do a crust you can mix breadcrumbs with the top layer of cheese if you would like. Cover this with foil and pop into a 400 oven for 45min. When the timer goes off let that cheese have it! Remove the foil and crank the oven to 450, once the cheese is to your liking remove from oven and let stand for 10 min.

In the meantime heat some EVOO up in a skillet on medium high. Make sure the oil is up to temp every time you fry something or it just soaks up oil like a sponge. When the oil is ready drop in your sage a few leaves at a time. Flip them once and remove to a paper towel to drain. Total cooking time for these guys is maybe 30 seconds. Please don't skip this step it makes SUCH a difference!!

 Because the sauce has a creamy texture you wont even miss the cream of a standard gratin. We rarely eat dairy in this house so this is such a treat. Lets stop and think why this is different from a lasagna or gratin. It's all whole vegetables! Can't go wrong. No kid I have ever made this for has turned it down. Adult either! Your welcome ;)

To adapt for a smaller baby when it comes out of the oven and sets cut the pieces of veg up so it is easier for your baby to eat on a spoon.

Breaky

That's breakfast in this house and oh how we LOVE our breaky. While I am a huge supporter of the full on breakfast spread there aren't always the greatest options for baby. Sure you can get away with fruit, maybe a pancake or oatmeal but that can get old. Especially if you have a picky eater! Olive's little BFF is a hard one to feed for me. I wouldn't say she is a picky eater but she is very particular. This week I have been racking my brain trying to come up with something she will eat and has some good fats in it. This post is the baby breaky jackpot so get your pen and paper out! (Do people still use those?)

So first off I want to share this oatmeal recipe. This would be perfect to make on a cold Sunday morning and will give you 2 days of breaky on the go too. I think standard Quaker oatmeal is boring. I rather eat sawdust if you really want to know how i feel. Steel cut oats are the answer. Creamier, fuller bodied, hold up longer than that... wall paste. Steel cut oats are the bees knees of oats, for that reason I beg of you not to substitute with that other kind.

Prepare whatever serving size that is appropriate for your family. This is for 2 portions and 12 'cups':
1 cup Organic steel cut oats
2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk
3/4-1 cup organic blueberries
3/4 cup freeze dried organic strawberries
2 tbs organic brown sugar
(I also added 3/4 cup fine shredded coconut-optional)

Combine the oats and water until boiling. Turn down the heat and add the strawberries. about 3/4 of the way done add the almond milk, sugar and blueberries stir frequently until oats are tender. Ladle into bowls while warm and serve. The remaining oatmeal can be poured into a non stick cupcake pan, let cool on the counter, cover and refrigerate. These are awesome little weekday breakfasts in a hurry for you and baby.     

Next I hopefully want to convey to you my love for everything toast. Toast has endless possibilities and can provide all kinds of nutrients your baby might miss otherwise. We use Ezekiel bread, it is a live grain flourless bread, one slice has 3 grams fiber, 4 grams protein as well as vitamin B. As most vegans know vitamin B6 and B12 is really important to integrate into your diet because the majority comes from meat and fish. Ok so here are my top toasts for baby:

The first one is super simple, no recipe needed. Toast and EVOO. I also put salt pepper and dried oregano. Dried herbs for a baby!? Absolutely. You want to develop their tiny pallets early so they aren't the kid that only eats pizza and hot dogs throughout elementary school! More importantly dried herbs are a really great source of antioxidants.

Lets get serious now. I am sure you remember my love for Justin's brand peanut butter. They make almond butter too and it is ever BETTER!! You can just spread some on a piece of toast OR you can spread some on a piece of toast, add some bananas, quarter the toast and top each piece with your kids choice of the following:

• Cinnamon
• nutmeg
• coconut
• raisins
• mini choc chips (or carob)

Get creative, there is no method here. 

We love avocado. Hopefully you do too. I often just give olive a piece of toast with avocado and cut a tomato up on the side. If she is really lucky she will get some dressed up avo. Avocado and citrus are a match made in delicious heaven and that's nothing new. Olive is lucky if any of this even makes it to her plate:

Spread avocado on a piece of toast, salt and pepper and quarter it. Segment 1 grapefruit and cut into baby bite size pieces. place fruit on top of toast and bring it to my house. Just kidding that would be creepy.

If your baby is lacking in the teeth department you can squeeze citrus juice over mashed avocado or bread. If you soften the bread with the juice serve avocado next to it.

Now you have some good ideas for toast (that word is even awesome) go try your own. Forget the sugary chocolate spreads and the peanut flavored sugar in a jar. Get creative with real food. It will taste better every time.


Last but absolutely not least. This recipe is perfect for a weekend. I like to make yummy things that save well on Sundays so I can carry a piece of weekend into the week. This is an excellent example. I am not a baker. I rather eat hot coals than bake. With bread as the exception, I figured these are pretty close to bread right?!

Vegan Blueberry Coconut Scones:
2 cups organic flour
1/2 cup organic flour (reserved)
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/4 cold organic coconut oil (or one stick cold butter)
1/2 cup cold organic almond milk (or 1/2 cup heavy cream)
1 organic mashed banana (or one egg)
1tbs baking powder
1/2 cup organic fine shredded coconut
1 cup fresh organic blueberries
1tbs Orange zest
raw sugar

Combine all dry ingredients (minus the reserved flour) coconut and zest in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (olive 'misplaced' mine so i used the hook - not a baker- worked fine)
add the coconut oil and mix on low, you don't want to melt it down.
add the mashed banana, almond milk and blueberries
Mix until it is well combined. Flour anything this dough is gonna touch! Turn it out onto a floured surface (use the reserved flour if your dough is too sticky to handle) roll out to 3/4in thick and cut to a desired uniform shape. You can make these into whatever shapes as long as you do not handle them excessively and be sure to use a knife. you do not want to further melt the oil. I brushed the tops with more almond milk and dusted with raw sugar.
place on a parchment covered cookie sheet and bake at 415 for 20 min. The way your house smells while these are cooking is heavenly, so is knowing these have less sugar than any other baked breakfast good, has whole fresh fruit and no animal product (though you would NEVER be able to tell). Win win win. 

Don't like the flavor combination? replace it. I also made a ginger pear scone: replace the berries with peeled small diced pears, orange zest for lemon zest, and coconut flake for 1 1/2tbs fresh fine grated ginger. (coconut oil will not be detectable over the ginger).
You can use this vegan-or not vegan- base and get creative. As for Olive's BFF, there may not be any left for her...














Sorry Bestie!

Pebble Stacks?

One thing that  kills me is when people condescendingly say "who cares just give her a cupcake! It's not gonna kill her.." Kids have so many occasions from preschool to 5th grade that revolves around sugary crap from birthday parties in the classroom, birthdays at home, bake sales, fundraisers, holidays, ice cream socials etc. I don't feel I need to feed Olive crap at home regularly too. Now that doesn't mean I don't let Olive eat a 'death cake' at a birthday party either. I want to instill smart food choices in my daughter. Of course kids are going to like treats, that's what kids do. Try getting them involved and create some family time, with this recipe for example. Clean up is a breeze just one measuring cup and one bowl, so make them do the dishes too! Ha just kidding. Maybe.

 I don't know what to call these. They never last long enough to be given a name. Everyone has made haystacks, super easy, no baking and everyone loves them. These are basically the same thing but easy for baby. I have given these to Olive since she was 11 months old. Every baby is different, you just have to make sure your baby is ready for this type of crunch (and has some teeth!).

I love these because they have protein, iron, fiber and low in sugar among other things. You can make a million versions of these. Think of flavor combinations and experiment you really can't go wrong.
 I tend not to rely on measurements with these and suggest you eyeball it as well, this should get you started:

1/2 cup Organic Vegan (or carob) semi-sweet chips
1/2 cup Justin's Peanut butter (THE BEST!!)
2tbs Wheat Germ
Organic puffed rice

If you want to get fancy you can melt the "chocolate" and peanut butter over a double boiler or you can just nuke it for about 2 min, just keep an eye on it. Pour over about 1 - 1 1/2 cups organic puffed rice, add the wheat germ and mix. Add more puffed rice until you are satisfied  with the consistency. I add more so they are a bit easier to eat.
Drop them by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper and pop in the fridge. In about 30 min you will have yummy little..... pebble stacks.?

There are all kinds of ways to alter this, try other butters, nuts, dried fruit, white chocolate chips or butterscotch  chips. The goal with treats in this house is try to sneak a little nutrition in somewhere w/o sacrificing taste. One of my favorites is white chocolate, almond butter and chopped dried strawberries, so delish! 

JUICE!

There is no better way to get crazy amounts of nutrients into your family than fresh juice. The health benefits of fresh juice are immeasurable, there is really no reason not to juice at least once a week. The only down side is fresh juice only lasts up to 3 days in the fridge before it needs to be tossed. So if you only make 2 batches a week your not only set but your kids will be so healthy other moms will be knockin your door down for your secret.

Equipment. That's the number one excuse I hear, "Oh I wish I could but I don't have a juicer and I know they are expensive." The second  is, "It's so time consuming, if it were easier I would do it." Where there is a will, there is a way. Juicers range from $30 and up. There may be some cheaper ones but you want to make sure you purchase a juice extractor. The cheaper ones may not be able to handle leafy greens and the more expensive ones can probably get water from a rock. Mine is in the middle of the spectrum and it still has a hard time with leafy greens~ you know I have a trick for that..

Juicing can be frustrating, you probably wont get anything tasting like V8 (for the sodium content alone, thankfully) but the more you experiment the more comfortable you will get. It's just like cooking. For kids there are a couple codes I live by when it comes to juicing.

1. Get as many vegetables that they will not regularly eat in there. and,
2. Never dilute. 

I despise beets. Can-not-stand-them. So I don't know if Olive would like them, they are too much of a hassle to cook just for her. However beets are SO good for you I can't just delete them and their benefits from both our diets, so juice it is. The best trick I have to mask strong flavors (like beets) is pair them with a really sweet heavy fruit, most fruits in the tropical family would do the trick such as pineapple, papaya or mango.  The following two recipes are a couple of our favorites. If they seem too crazy for you a great beginner one is 2 apples and 6 carrots. 

The best way to get started is peel and cut up whatever needs to be, place them all in a bowl near your juicer. Put a straw in the container your juicing into so you can taste as you go, this helps you not have the need to dilute your juice and risk less nutrients per oz. You want as much bang for you buck!

2 small Organic Red Beets (size of lrg radish)                                 1 Medium Organic Cucumber
2 medium Organic apple                                                                   1 Medium Organic Apple
3 Medium Organic Carrots                                                               1 Organic Pear
3 Organic kale leaves                                                                        1 cup Organic Spinach
1 Medium/ Large Organic Mango                                                     Organic raw Ginger to taste
Organic raw Ginger to taste

So the way I get around my juicer lacking the gusto to take on the leafy greens is: Wrap up an apple slice in 1 kale leaf and jam it in there. The apple helps hold the kale in place instead of it getting sucked away from the blades.

Ginger is a digestive aid and I like to add it to all my juices, this is where your straw may come in handy, only add as much as you and your baby will tolerate. If they don't like it, omit it all together. Beets trump ginger.

Most baby books tell you to dilute the juice you give your baby, for the sugar content I assume. You would not want to dilute this type of juice for them. Olive has been drinking fresh juice since I have been feeding her real food. She downs it, barely comes up for air. I whole hardheartedly believe this helps their palate develop and become more accepting of fruits and veggies to eat.   


If you think you don't have the time, make time. Prep all the ingredients you can the night before and keep them in the fridge. Make your batch of juice while the kids are at daycare, asleep, school, recruit your husband to make it! Give him the bowl of ingredients, cant mess it up after that. Even better, if your kids are old enough get them involved~ supervised of course. 

juice never goes out of season. No matter the time of year there is always something you can juice. There are endless combinations to experiment with as well. Fresh juice is also very filling, it would make a perfect breakfast on the go for mom, breakfast or lunch for your baby maybe with a piece of whole grain toast. Last but not least make your own Popsicles with fresh juice in the summer time!

Go Bananas

Sugar highs suck, especially when your kid has one. They are crazy, bouncing off the walls, doing exactly what you say NOT to, driving you nuts. Then they crash and throw a fit at the smallest thing from their shoes being the wrong color to the direction the wind's blowing. Anytime you try to pick them up they limp noodle to the ground scream crying like you beat them. Totally worth that pack of chocolate chip cookies right? Remember that term from earlier? Moderation.

I was very fortunate to grow up with a mother that didn't even allow sugary cereal (which she appropriately calls sugar bombs). Did I miss it? Limp noodle it in the grocery store because I couldn't have it? Nope, because I didn't know any better. As I got jr. high/ high school age and started to realize what junk food was I would eat a snickers or buy a soda here and there but it never really appealed to me. To this day I don't drink soda and I probably have her to thank for that. We all have her to thank for this recipe that I have tweaked a little...

Prep time is about 5 min, you can make enough for a couple weeks or just that day~ I suggest a couple weeks so the "sugar bombs" don't slip in while your short on time. This yields 4 'cookies':

1 Organic banana
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice

See below for variations and age appropriate alterations. This is what I prepare for Olive (15 months)

 


















Mash banana with a fork in a bowl until...well it's mushy.
Add spices and mix well
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
drop spoonfuls of banana mixture onto paper to the desired cookie size (make sure it is a size they can get a grip on.)
place cookie sheet on a flat surface in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
The ones you don't use right away after frozen place in a freezer bag and back in the freezer.

These are perfect for teething babes, toddlers learning temperatures, kids after school, summer time treats and especially new moms trying to cut the baby weight!

Age alterations:
Depending on the size of solid food you feed your baby, that should be the size of the largest banana pieces in the mash. So I would guess 6-9 months put the banana in the blender until smooth. From 10+ months you can get by with a fork. Regardless of what is written here you are responsible for knowing what your baby can handle and feed them accordingly.

Recipe variations:

• Add a half tsp vanilla extract
• Add nuts (if appropriate) 
• Mini peanut butter or chocolate chips (older/age appropriate kids)
• Put a Popsicle stick in them prior to freezing for a 'banana pop' (age appropriate only)
• Spread an even layer inside a cookie cutter to make fun shapes
• There is endless other fruit to puree and add as well, your imagination is the limit.

Two Birds

The older your children get the easier it is to just feed them 'whatever'. It is hard trying to make multiple dishes for multiple people at the same time. Then the processed food starts sneakin in because it's 'convenient'. Next thing you know your 3 year old is eating KFC on the couch playing some murderous video game and telling you to clean their room and mind your own business. Ok, maybe not that far but.... EZ Mac is the gateway drug, make no mistake. Resolution? Kill two birds with one stone.

This recipe will please everyone and is so cheap you wont believe it. Most of these spices you probably have in your pantry already. Potato Samosas are not only really good they are super easy to make. They do have about an hour prep time but you can split it up. If you make the dough (yes, your going to make the dough) the night before or earlier in the day that is fine. Or you can make the filling prior to assembly. Don't be afraid of the ingredient list I am about to throw down they are mostly spices!

• Organic flour 2 cup
• Baking soda ¼ tsp
• Salt ½ tsp
• Organic canola oil 3tbsp
•  For filling:
• Russet potatoes 3 (peeled & boiled to just fork tender)
• Organic onion ½ chopped
• Whole cumin ½ tsp
• Red chile powder 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds ½ tsp
• Whole coriander ½ tsp
• Organic English peas (frozen)
• Organic lemon juice 2 tsp
• Fresh coriander 2 tbsp
• 1 carton organic vegetable stock
• Salt to taste

  Easy stuff first ~ combine all the dough ingredients together mix by hannd and set aside. If you are preparing the dough for later use now is where you would wrap it in saran and put in the fridge. When you are ready to use it, leave the dough on the counter until room temperature to continue the process.

Gather your spices, minus the mustard and cumin seeds, and combine them a a small bowl, also set aside. ( I would put them all away at this point, that's a lot of clutter and confusion on the counter.. I get confused easily)

Back to the dough, Roll into little balls about the size of a ping pong ball (bigger ball means bigger samosa) and roll out. The shape doesn't really matter but try your best for round. Lay all your pretty little shapes on parchment and cover with a second piece of parchment. This is such a beautiful dough it should give you no problems.

Pop those potatoes into a pot and boil until just fork tender (always start potatoes in cold water). While the potatoes are draining, saute onion, cumin seeds and mustard seeds on medium low until onions are translucent. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash. Use that term loosely, we are not talking mash potatoes here but close. You want some texture in there other than the peas.  Add your bowl of spices, peas (however many you like) and lemon juice. While your folding everything together it may seem a little bit dry, add some vegetable stock at your discretion ~ you are looking for a moist mixture not wet. I am not going to lie... I put some organic butter in at this point, completely optional. S&P to taste.

Depending on your kiddos age, I would reserve a portion for them now.  If that is the case, you are free to vamp up this filling after you set a portion aside. Some suggestions: Green chilies or cayenne pepper. 
I am not the biggest fan of Olive eating fried food, even if i did make it myself, but once in a while is fine.

Add a few tablespoons of that organic canola oil to a saute pan and heat on medium high.
Depending on the size of your dough rounds take a heaping spoonful of your mixture accordingly and place near the edge of the dough on one side. roll over into a cone shape and fold the bottom flap up creating the typical samosa standing cone. To be honest it really makes no difference what shape you get them in as long as all edges are secure. Place a couple samosas at a time in your hot oil until all sides are golden brown. Remove to a towel to absorb excess oil. Serve hot with your favorite chutney or chile sauce for mom and dad. I like a tomato chutney I find at Whole Foods and so does Olive! Depending on what products are available at the time we might have something here for you to use.

Anything but 'Leftovers'...

I am not a fan of the term leftovers. "We are having leftovers for dinner." ugh, takes the wind right outta my sails. I like to use the term reconstitute or revived or renewed, resurrected even! Am I getting carried away? Ok, the point is leftovers don't have to be boring or even taste the same as the day before. I know what your thinking, "... this is for my baby, are they really gonna notice?!" absolutely. Olive (my daughter) used to love sweet potatoes, until she OD'D on them..

So yesterday I made a simple roasted acorn squash. I peeled and gutted a medium size squash, cut into small cubes, tossed in a small amount of EVOO, salt, pepper, oregano and a very tiny pinch of red pepper flake~ for flavor not heat. The trick to peeling an acorn squash is choosing one that is relatively smooth or as close as you can find. I usually cut the top and bottom off and cut away the shell  with my knife. If you have a sturdy vegetable peeler with a good blade on it that would be easiest. Arrange the cubes on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 until tender, about 20 min. 

I had about half if not more (a cup to cup and 1/4).. remaining.. in the fridge today. I popped the cold squash into the food processor with about a cup of raw spinach, 1/4 cup pine nuts, salt, pepper and pureed with just enough hot water to make a paste ( the consistency of hummus). I made some organic brown rice (2cups) and had some.. residual.. organic black beans in the fridge (1/4-1/2 cup). Fold all components together and test the temperature. Because most of these ingredients came straight from the fridge you may want to heat up depending on what your little one prefers. Personally I really liked the taste the pine nuts gave, almost pesto-esque, unlike pesto because the liquid in this recipe is water not oil so it is less heavy and almost fat free. Mommy and Daddy can also use with dinner vegan or not. Pair it with some chicken or pork. For vegans use as a main dish accompanied with a salad.