Yum-O Chicken Nuggets

Do processed frozen chicken nuggets have you feeling, well, guilty? Your kids like them, but the nutrition info isn't exactly.... promising. Have no fear, Mish+Mash is here! We actually got this at a Baby Chef class we attended this winter, and I've made these several times. My husband and daughter really like them, and we've used the mix to make chicken patty sandwiches too. Check out the fabulous ingredients- who could feel guilty popping some of these out of the freezer for their hungry tots?

On that note: we got a great question yesterday: Do we post all of our recipes on our blog, or just the ones we don't make in class? The answer is that we will reference these recipes often in our classes, though we may not actually make them. The amount of diverse and nutritious recipes out there can be overwhelming, so in our classes we focus on making large amounts of a few promising ones, but we are sure to give out all of our other favorites on the blog for reference. The blog saves paper and is a resource for our customers and the greater community.

Anyway, on with the nuggets!

Yum-O Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
3/4 lb organic ground chicken
1 medium onion, peeled and diced (I love the food processor for this part)
1 small apple, peeled and grated (just switch to the grater attachment on your processor)
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled well
1/4 or more cups of frozen spinach, crumbled
1 cup dry bread crumbs
canola oil or olive oil for frying (canola oil can take higher heats)

Directions:
1. Combine first five ingredients in bowl. Mix together with your hands or spoon. Shape into small patties.
2. Put bread crumbs in a shallow dish and press the pieces into the coating.
3. Heat enough oil for shallow frying in large frying pan. Add nuggets and cook about 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until light golden and cooked through.
4. Suitable for freezing- they will be mushy if you microwave them so consider letting them defrost in fridge and then heating them up stove top. Or, you could throw a few in the oven or toaster oven at 375 until crispy again.

Chunky Monkeys

Yesterday, we had our first Chunky Monkeys workshop- we made some super yummy recipes and talked through the importance of this phase. For those of you with older kids, you remember this age: the one around 9 months when everything was going from hand to mouth, the pediatrician told you to get more protein in the diet, and it sort of felt like an "in between" phase before toddlerhood? There really is more to this stage than just buying puffs and sticking with purees, as I tended to do at first.

Through our research, we've learned a lot about how important it is to build up to table food during this age. This is also the time when you can start making recipes that the whole family can enjoy. Yesterday, we made ricotta with summer cherries, turkey meatloaf with veggies, grits with greens and cheese, fruit bran muffins, and roasted bananas and pluots with Noosa yogurt... yum. The participants left with a boat load of yummy food to try on their little ones and themselves. I only wish I had such a workshop when I needed one.....

Our summer workshops are a great deal; a chance to get a quick overview on your child's stage, make food, and leave with plenty to try PLUS Nicole's awesome little recipe books. Plus, you get to be around other moms and dads. Pass on the word to mamas and daddies you know- they won't be disappointed!

Tricks of the Trade, Tried!

To end off our toddler (and adult) snack week, we thank you for trying our recipes, tips, and tricks. Please send your feedback; we're building our repertoire of recipes and this blog is one way that we hope to share our research and help those of you who can't always make it our workshops. One of our Mama Social participants, Kari, sent us an example of one of the tips she tried; making food "art". This sounds goofy but works with some toddlers and preschoolers. See below:

Had to send you this photo. I’ve never even THOUGHT to make shapes with food… we are working on meat, and when I told her this was a kitty cat, she actually ate some. Winner! Thanks for the ideas…

Love it, Kari! That's what we're all about at Mish+Mash; making cooking for you and your little one fun, approachable, and nutritious. :)

Sweet Potato Fries: A Customer Recipe!

A huge thank you to Brittney Coffey,a Mish+Mash friend who contributed this fabulous sweet potato fries recipe. Try it with your BBQ or main entree- you won't be disappointed. We tried them today and the yummy spices absolutely made them disappear! Oh, and that reminds me: we love recipe recommendations!

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

2 Large Yams/Sweet Potatoes

2-3 Tbs EVOO

Cumin (to taste)

Pumpkin Pie Spice (to taste)

Chili Powder (to taste)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Peel sweet potato (you can also leave the skins on). Cut potato in half lengthwise. With flat side down slice potato into 6-8 long pieces. Cut the long pieces in half, so their shorter and easier to manage.

Toss cut potato into mixing bowl. Drizzle with EVOO. Toss the potatoes. Add cumin, pumpkin pie spice, and chili powder. I put less cumin in and more PP & CP. I just kind of eyeball it. Toss potatoes, they should be coated evenly with spice mixture. Spread foil onto a baking sheet. Put potatoes on the baking sheet evenly. Bake for 30-45 min. Yummy!

Kale Chips.

Kale: want to know why it's great? Well, I did some research: It's a superfood known for its calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans. The "Icing on the Kale" are the natural occurring all important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer. Let's not forget the all important antioxidant Vitamin E.

Right, but how many ways can one really enjoy the rarely eaten kale? Ah, hem. I found one! Kale chips! Try them, I dare you- you will be surprised at how great they are. And your toddler or preschooler just might follow. Maybe kale will even replace your regular potato chips? Dip 'em in some hummus or salsa. And let us know how they go over!

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil (or more if needed)
1 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 15 to 18 minutes. Salt after baking.
   

Breakfast as a Snack!

YOGURT CEREAL BARS

-2 cups (make sure they are multi grain) corn flakes
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2cup butter
-1 cup flavoured yogurt (banana/strawberry etc..)
- 1 egg slightly beaten
-2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350FCombine cereal, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.Press 1/2 the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 8inch square pan.Mix yogurt, egg and 2 tablespoons flour in another small bowl.Spread over cereal mixture in pan and then sprinkle the remaining cereal mixture on topBake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cut into bars when cooled. (Courtesy of Stonyfield Farms Yogurt)

The Toddler Melt Down

So a common theme to every outing we attend with other toddlers between the hours of 4 pm and 5 pm is they all start looking like they are on the brink of just completely losing it or for some of us they simply cross over and have the public meltdown. This usually starts happening late in the afternoon before dinnertime. When Sofia first became an official toddler I was so excited for all the new food I would finally be able to prepare her with no restrictions holding us back. But very quickly it became clear that only three meals a day was completely and totally unacceptable to her. So I began to schedule out her snacks - twice a day - the same time every day. After lunch and again after dinner I would give her what I would consider healthy snacks for me...cheese, almond butter on whole wheat toast, crackers, fruit. What I didn't consider until I began to research the nutritional needs of a toddlers diet is why snacks seemed so detrimental to her mental well being (and mine!) in other words why the total meltdowns if the crackers & cheese did not come quick enough? So the first step in my 12 step recovery was to admit I had no idea what I was doing when it came to snacks. The next step was to stop thinking of them as snacks at all and truly think of them as mini-meals. They should be a way to provide optimal nutrition and to keep your little one satisfied until her next meal, her snack should resemble a mini meal made from real food. Aim for a mix of protein, fats, and carbohydrates to keep her satisfied and nourished until her next meal. When a toddler does not get enough of their nutritional needs met throughout the day this can in fact result in erratic eating habits. An overly hungry toddler will have a hard time making sense of why they are so hungry long enough to actually eat what is in front of them. Here are some things to keep in the diaper bag so you don't always have to try to fill their little tummy's up with crackers alone.

• Mini peanut butter sandwiches on whole-wheat bread. If your child is or may be allergic to peanuts try alternatives such as a soy or sun butter.
• Minimize mess by choosing snacks that don't drip, like the mini banana apple muffin (found on our blog) or slices of bananas or zucchini bread.
• Organic Turkey breast rolled in a Whole Wheat tortilla or stuffed in a Whole Wheat pita.
• Cooked carrots, zucchini, broccoli, and squash served cold. Roast them with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil to add flavor. 
• Bagel and cream cheese. 
• Cheese, fruit,and crackers are always winners as well just know when they might be in need of a little more. 

All of these things can be quick snacks that will fill up those little tummies quickly as opposed to always going for the carbs which can be a quick but temporary fix. And most importantly make sure you give them a super healthy snack before dinnertime - you may notice the toddler melt down soon begin to melt away. xo