Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Around here, we don't think of muffins as only breakfast- they are an easy snack or dessert also. When you put healthy yummy ingredients in them, you can rest assured they aren't chock full of sugar and fat- the following recipe is a great example. Pumpkin makes everything taste and smell more special this time of year, so give this awesome recipe a shot! Your house will smell wonderful.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins (12 Muffins or 24 Mini Muffins)

1 1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Pumpkin Spice
3 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Agave OR Honey
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Medium Apple, peeled and grated (Gala, Pink Lady, Fuji or Golden Delicious are good choices)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Grease muffin tins or line them with muffin cups and fill each cup 3/4 full with the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Serve.

Pumpkin Pancake Revision and Book Rec

Last night at an in-home workshop, I was speaking with a mom who uses our blog recipes (yay!) and we were commiserating about my pumpkin pancake post. I posted that recipe based on another time I had tried it and it worked, but people, I have to revise. Sorry. The old one just doesn't cook as well as I remembered- it's too wet and the middle always remains, well, wet. My little one still gobbled them (what a nice taste tester!) but my honest taste testers called for a revision. Thanks, Meg, for bringing it up, and thanks for following! I guess cooking, just like anything, calls for adaptations and adjustments now and then.

So I'm going to delete the old one and share this one from Allrecipes.com- a great resource with ratings from folks who have tried the recipes. Notice that it uses white flour which would soak up the moisture better, but uses a whole lot less butter. It claims to be fluffy- I'm going to test it out soon.

Another book rec I'd like to share from a mommy point of view is Happiest Toddler on the Block, by Harvey Karp, MD. Yes, the guy who we all know wrote Happiest Baby on the Block also wrote a toddler book, and I was surprised at how helpful this one was. He has a refreshing view of toddlerhood and its developmental stages, along with ways to be proactively reinforcing about positive behaviors and nip "yellow" and "red" light behaviors in the bud. Every strategy I've tried has worked from this book. He also goes over the few things we really can't control about toddlers: what they eat and when they go potty, and uses the strategies he teaches to help you along on those journeys.

Happy reading, and let me know about those pancakes!

5 Ingredient Breakfasts

I was inspired this week by an undiscovered (by me) magazine, "Everyday with Rachael Ray". I usually don't pick it up, but the recipes inside beckoned to me from the grocery line, and I wasn't disappointed. There's a booklet included that actually lays out a grocery list under 100 dollars, along with 7 days of really nice recipes. What a handy resource for busy parents who still want to eat well!

Another feature I enjoyed was the 5 ingredient recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I actually have made variations of both of these breakfasts before, and have never thought to share them, so here they are! I wrote them up in paragraph form with ingredients bolded.

Potato Pancakes With Avocado Mash and Eggs

Place 1 1/4 pounds shredded baking potatoes in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove moisture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1 grated onion, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In large non stick skillet, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Divide the mixture into 4 mounds and pat into 4 inch pancakes. Cover with foil and cook, turning once and adding 1 more T olive oil until browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to platter.

In same skillet, cook 4 eggs sunny side up or to desired point with 1 T olive oil for about 1 minute. Mash the flesh from 2 avocados and season with salt. Top each pancake with avocado, an egg and chipotle flavored hot sauce or fresh salsa.

Peaches and Cream Barley

In medium saucepan, bring 1 cup pearled barley and 3 1/4 cups water to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until al dente, about 30 min., drain and return to pot. Add skinned sliced peaches (about 1 1/2 cups), thinly sliced, 1/4 cup half and half, 2 T brown sugar, 1 T butter and couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Ladle into bowls and drizzle each portion with about 1/2 T more half and half.

Turning One Meal into Three

If there is one thing I've gotten really good at since adding a toddler into the mix is how to make a meal go as far as possible. I love to cook, but just like everyone I don't always have the time to make 3 meals a day 7 days a week all from scratch and just like everyone I need to stick to a food budget and cooking all those meals would be quite expensive. So it is imperative that when I think up dinner ideas I also consider how they can transform into lunch, dinner, and even breakfast over the next couple of days. Here is an example of how different recipes start with dinner and go from there.

DINNER: Lemon-Mint Chicken with Couscous & Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

Lemon-Mint Chicken

ingredients:

olive oil

fresh lemon juice

fresh mint - 1 tsp minced

salt & pepper

skinless boneless chicken breast enough to feed the family and have leftovers (make sure to buy good quality chicken breast, organic, free range. If you have had trouble getting your kiddos to eat meat it could be that it is too dry or overcooked. Shredding it also helps with texture.)

directions:

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Set an oiled rack (optional) in an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. You may also bake directly on baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.

Put Chicken on prepared rack and drizzle with oil and lemon mixture. Bake, turning one, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the enter, 12 - 15 minutes per side.

Couscous

ingredients:

golden raisins - 1/2 cup

unsalted butter - 1 tbsp

salt - 1/2 tsp to taste

ground cinnamon and cumin - 1/4 tsp each

Israeli couscous - 1 1/2 cups or enough to feed your family w/ leftovers

directions:

In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine 1 1/2 cups water, raisins, butter, salt, cinnamon, and cumin and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Give a final stir and serve.

Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes ( or any small potatoes)

ingredients:

olive oil - 1 tablespoon

potatoes - enough to feed your family and for leftovers

fresh rosemary - 2 sprigs minced

salt & pepper

directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes into small cubes and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, rosemary, and salt & pepper and toss. Place potatoes onto an oiled baking sheet and bake until tender 25 to 30 minutes.

Recommendation: Cook potatoes first, then allow the oven to cool down to temperature and bake the chicken. Leave potatoes on the stove top, covered, to keep warm.

Breakfast or Lunch: Egg, potato, & spinach scramble

Egg, Potato, & Spinach Scramble

ingredients:

leftover potatoes

eggs - enough to feed your family approximately 1 - 2 eggs per person. Beaten.

1/4 cup of fresh spinach finely chopped.

butter - 1 tablespoon

salt & pepper

cream cheese - 1 tablespoon

directions:

Heat butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add spinach, salt & pepper, and saute until tender. Meanwhile in a bowl place the leftover potatoes and mash up with a fork to a fine consistency. Add eggs, potatoes, and cream cheese to the spinach and cook thoroughly until the eggs are no longer runny.

This can also be a great lunch idea and can also be turned into a burrito with some fresh salsa added.

Lunch or Dinner: Chicken, Mango, & Avocado Quesadillas

Chicken, Mango, & Avocado Quesadillas

ingredients:

whole wheat tortillas

vegetable oil

cheese (any kind you wish) 1 1/2 cups grated

shredded leftover chicken

ripened mango - 1 peeled, pitted, and sliced

ripened avocado - 1 peeled, pitted, and sliced

fresh cilantro - 1/4 cup chopped

mild fresh salsa or plain yogurt for serving (optional)

direction:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tortillas with oil. Place tortillas, oil side down on a baking sheet, two at a time. Sprinkle each with one-quarter of the cheese, half the chicken, half the mango, half the avocado, half the cilantro, and another one-quarter of the cheese. Top each with 1 tortilla, pressing to adhere, brush top with oil.

Bake quesadillas until filling is heated through and edges begin to crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, carefully turn each over and bake until bottom is crisp, about 5 minutes.

Transfer quesadillas to plates. Cut into wedges. Allow to cool before serving. (Wrap leftover quesadillas in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to two weeks)

Snack: Leftover couscous can be served cold with whole wheat pita bread for a great healthy snack.

Age Appropriate:

For those in various stages of eating you can simply puree, chop, and blend to make all these ingredients work your own little one. 9 to 12 months - simply put the chicken into a food processor and grind into the appropriate consistency add the mango for a different flavor, the potatoes can be mashed as well. Babies (6 to 9 months) may be too young for chicken, but pureed mango, and avocado are always a hit.

I hope these ideas will make you think differently about taking the time to prepare a homemade meal for you family. If one meal can easily be transformed into numerous meals you will save time, money, and frustration.

Bon Appetit!!

A Little Apricot Inspiration

Our friend Holly is blessed with a beautiful Apricot tree in her yard and it's currently chock full of yummy ripe apricots. I found this recipe on Feeding Little Foodies (with a little Mish+Mash twist) and thought it would be such a great breakfast treat for your kiddos now that Apricot season is upon us. Take advantage of all the wonderful fresh produce the summer has to offer by experimenting with different ways of preparing it. It's a great way to get your whole family to eat something new while it's at its best!

Hot Apricot Cereal

Ingredients:

1/4 tspn flax seed meal
1/2 tbsp of steel cut oats
2/3 cup warm milk, breast milk, or vanilla soy milk
2 small, peeled, fresh apricot
½ tbsp golden raisins

Directions:
Put all of the ingredients in a small pan, cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Purée (for kiddos under 9 mos).
Add more water or breast milk if needed for desired consistency.

This recipe was Mish+Mashed by adding a little extra goodness with the Flaxseed Meal, Soy Milk, and for some extra protein add some crushed walnuts or almonds. This cereal is a great source of magnesium and iron.

A Different Take on Puree

When we think about making our own baby food we often think of steaming fruits & veggies and then simply pureeing them to the desired consistency. But did you ever consider how different an apple can taste when it is baked instead of steamed? Or how about baking your babies sweet potato instead? All these various cooking methods will bring out different tastes and textures. Bananas were always tricky for me - Sofia only would eat them if they were at just the right level of ripeness. What she really loved is when I baked them which created a yummy caramelized sweetness. Simply put the banana into a 400 degree oven in the peel for about 8 minutes. Once it cools peel and mash with a fork - add a little cinnamon or nutmeg for added flavor. This is a great one to add to their morning cereal as well. This is one of the many "tricks" we teach in our workshops. Our classes are not just merely steam & puree we show you all different ways to cook your kids food. If you have a little one who doesn't seem to care for a certain fruits or veggies changing up your preparation might just change the way your kiddo reacts to it. We hope to see you in a workshop soon!!

Summer Smoothies

Has your child refused fruits lately, hoping to live on an all-carb diet? Or, if they're like my toddler this week, have they avoided sitting down to eat most of the time? Kids love shakes and smoothies... and they are a wonderful way to get some fruit and protein on those busy days. Store-bought or chain smoothies tend to be filled with extra sugars. Making your own is much tastier and more economical.

Put smoothies in a cup or straw-type cup, or serve it straight up in a spoon with a thicker consistency for your younger baby. You can really combine any frozen or seasonal fruit with OJ, yogurt, or milk (doesn't have to be cow's milk) to make a smoothie. Add some flax seed or even spinach (it's true! you can do this!) in for added benefit. Here are a few other ideas to get you going....

Going Bananas
Blend 1 banana and 1-2 cups of milk. Optional: ice, honey, OJ or 1/4 tsp vanilla. Serve immediately.

Frozen Berry Delight
Blend 1 cup frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, rasberries) with 1-2 cups milk or OJ. Optional: Add 1/4 cup yogurt. No ice needed with frozen fruit. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Peanut Butter- Dessert for Baby AND You... (1 year old or up)
Blend 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 2 TSP peanut or almond butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1/8 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup ice. Optional: 1/2 banana. Serve immediately. (Make sure you've cleared nut butters with your pediatrician before trying this one.)

Homemade Granola

Granola: in my mind, the perfect food. It can be eaten with fruit, milk or yogurt, over oatmeal, or taken as a dry snack on the go. I sprinkled it on pancakes and they seriously rivaled my favorite granola pancakes ever.

Like most things, it's far cheaper to make your own granola in bulk. No matter your likes or allergies, you can change out ingredients. If your baby is younger you can soak the granola to soften it, or soak it then throw it in the blender to add more protein and taste to the usual yogurt (keeping in mind any doctor recommendations or allergy issues, of course). Remember those flax seeds with omega 3's I blogged about earlier? Easily added to this recipe. My only problem; I can't stop eating it! It's sort of addictive. I found a really great recipe recently and hope you enjoy it!

Remember, you can sub in dried cranberries or raisins for cherries. If you don't want almonds, no problem! Try other types of nuts. Let me know what you try!

Cherry Almond Granola

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened grated coconut
3 tablespoons flax meal

Granola Syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons agave nectar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cherries, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In large bowl, combine oats, almonds, coconut, flax meal. Make the granola syrup by whisking all ingredients together. Pour over mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Pour the granola mixture onto the baking sheet and spread to an even layer. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes, until golden in color, stirring twice. It will continue to brown up once you've taken it out of the oven, so don't leave it in too long!

Favorite Muffins

I've tested this recipe from the cookbook Petit Appetit out several times, and it's been a hit with our girls and all kids I've met so far. Added bonus: my husband and I also enjoy these muffins, and all I have to do is make some in a mini muffin tin and some in a regular muffin tin- voila! Perfect option for having families over for brunch! Really, you could make these for anyone. That's the beauty of finding tasty, fabulous foods for your little one- they can usually please all ages.

You could certainly add a handful of berries, a bit of flax seed, or some other yummy nutritious add-on here. These are great for the 9-12 month range and up, as they are easily taken apart to turn into instant, soft finger food for your independent little self-feeder. Be sure you've already introduced wheat and eggs before giving these muffins to baby.

Mini Banana Apple Bran Muffins

Makes 24 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic oat bran
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
3/4 cup organic applesauce or apple puree (you could sub pear puree also)
3 medium organic bananas, 1 mashed and 2 sliced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 24 min i muffin cups or 12 regular.

2. With fork, combine flour, bran, baking soda, and salt. Melt butter and in large bowl, combine butter, applesauce, mashed banana, sugar, and eggs. Mix together with a rubber spatula. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until just blended. Batter will be lumpy and very moist.

3. Spoon into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Place banana slice on top of each muffin. Bake 12 min for mini, 15-18 for regular or until brown and set. Cool for 5 min before turning out muffins.

Family Friendly Baby Recipe!

When Sofia was able to move from simple purees to more solid textures at around 9 months I began trying to incorporate food that we all could enjoy. Pancakes were one of my favorites. They can be made small for little hands to hold and can be made in quantity and frozen. They are also a great on the go food and you can make them sweet or savory. I make whole wheat pancakes for her now with all sorts of super healthy & yummy ingredients - they are a perfect snack for a growing toddler. Here's a great recipe I found on Weelicious - it's basically bananas dipped in pancake batter then cooked on a skillet-what a great idea for a breakfast side or snack. This would be tasty with pears or peaches as well. They also have some fantastic pancake batter recipes. I can't wait to try this one out this weekend! xo Nicole

2 Bananas
1 Cup Pancake Batter (Your favorite boxed brand OR your weelicious favorite recipe: Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes, Raspberr-Wee Pancakes (minus the raspberries) or even Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes)

Accompaniments: Honey, maple syrup, yogurt or a healthy berry sauce

1. Cut the bananas into 1/4 inch slices (I like to make slices on a diagonal bias so their a little bit longer than circles).
2. One at a time, dip the banana slices into the batter, coating all over, shaking off the excess batter into the bowl and place on a buttered griddle or skillet over medium heat.
3. Cook for 1 minute on each side or until golden.
4. Serve.

Breakfast of Champions

 Sofia is 16 months old and is a very good eater - 95% of the time - there is always that 5% where she decides she hates something that she couldn't get enough of the day before or as is the case with chocolate something that she should LOVE cause it's um CHOCOLATE! Breakfast has always consisted of either oatmeal w/ fruit or scrambled eggs w/ cheese & veggies & a side of fruit. I have attempted many versions of oatmeal, different brands, different consistencies all with the same disdain and look of disgust. The only cereal she will eat is the same one she has eaten since she was 8 months old....Happy Baby brand oatmeal. After tasting the difference between my homemade version and their's - I got to say their's pretty much kicks some cereal booty. So while I have always made her food from scratch there are a couple of products on the market that are wholesome and organic and super duper yummy. We realize it's not always feasible to make everything from scratch so when you need to buy prepackaged food for your little one make sure it's as good for them as homemade and always taste it yourself. If you wouldn't eat it there's a pretty good chance neither will they! ....Happy Eating! Nicole