Keeping Cool

This summer started out hot here in the Boston area (although this past week was disappointingly dreary and cool).  William has also had a low appetite due to his four incisors trying to come in, so I've been making a nutrient-rich smoothie for him just about every day! There always seems to be some left over (even after Mama has a taste), so I've been freezing the rest in our awesome push-up Kinderville Little Bites Ice Pop Molds.

Here are a few of our favorite smoothie/ice pop recipes:

Purple & Green - good way to get in some extra veggies!
(all measurements approximate)
1 cup milk (or hemp/almond milk)
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 a cooked beet
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
a handful of fresh or frozen spinach, chopped

Tropical - refreshing on a hot day!
1 cup milk (or alternative milk)

William & his buddy Andrew enjoy ice pops at our Memorial Day BBQ

1/4 cup yogurt
1 banana
1/4 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Almond Cream - packed with protein!
1 cup milk
1/4 cup yogurt
1 banana
2 Tbsp almond butter

Optional add-ins
Probiotic powder
honey
flax oil
D/vitamin drops

Keep cool, everybody!

Seriously: healthy chips!

I'd like to thanks a friend of my friend Paige for sharing her recipe for kale chips on a Facebook conversation regarding getting more veggies into toddlers.  I spiced it up a bit, and was really surprised by how yummy they are! William really enjoyed them too, asking for "chee!" every time he saw the container I was storing them in.

Spiced kale chips
1 bunch of kale, washed well, torn into bite-sized peices
olive oil
sea salt
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center.
Toss the torn kale (no thick stems, just green leafy parts) in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil until they are all coated:  sprinkle in a bit of salt and garlic powder and toss well.
Lay each piece of kale out on a baking sheet so that they aren't touching.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crispy to the touch (but not browned).  Allow to cool before eating.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.


It took me about three batches to finish making the entire bunch of kale into chips, but it was well worth it!  Try any combination of spices to season before cooking.
Some ideas:
garlic powder and parmesean cheese
chili powder and garlic powder
dill and black pepper
premixed seasonings like Adobo or Old Bay

Toddler-friendly cookies

All-natural, whole grain, sweetened with honey! (No sugar, no white flour) Any combination of nuts and dried fruit work well in this recipe. They come out light and cakey. Healthy enough to be served for breakfast!
(And they're pretty mama-friendly as well!)

Honey-Bunny Cookies
3/4 cup room temperature salted butter
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1 cup mashed banana (and/or applesauce)
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
(optional: 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg)
(I also mixed in 1/2 cup of plain roasted almonds, ground up in food processor and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream together butter and honey.  Beat in egg. Stir in banana/applesauce and oats. 
Combine the rest of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir into creamed butter/honey/egg mixture.  Stir in optional nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.) and dried fruit (coconut flakes, raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc.).
Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet and cook for 12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Enjoy!