Kid Friendly
Gluten Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bites
Here is a great option for a healthy and delicious grab and go breakfast. Wonderful to have on hand for a mid-morning snack or take a platter to a mom’s gathering or bible study. There are so many ways to jazz up these yummy oatmeal bites. I made a fruit and nut variety and a chocolate chip, pecan and coconut variety.
Ingredients
3 cups gluten free rolled oats
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup coconut oil melted
1 cup coconut milk (you can use almond milk as well)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add ins-⅓ cup of any of these-chopped nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, any kind of chopped dried fruit, unsweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square pan and line with parchment paper.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl stir eggs, honey, melted coconut oil, milk and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until mixed together.
Add your choice of mix-ins. Stir well.
Press into greased pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and firm in the center.
Cool and cut into bite sized pieces.
I cut my batch into 36 small pieces because i am taking them to a breakfast buffet but you can cut into 12 larger bars.
- 3 cups gluten free rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup coconut oil
Trader Joe’s Favorites March 2019
We LOVE Trader Joe’s!
I love it because it has great, healthy options for meals, snacks and treats (my favorite dark chocolate!!) at great prices. The kids love it because we buy their favorite snacks, they have tasters and they get stickers at the end of each trip 🙂
Here is a list of some of our most recent favorites with some added “Oldies but Goodies in there, too!
Dry Roasted & Salted Mixed Nuts (50% Less Salt)
- I love having different kinds of nuts around the house when I need an afternoon snack- such a healthy snack
- I usually prefer unsalted but this mix is not too salty
- A little pricey but lasts for a while if it is used as a pre-lunch snack or afternoon pick-me-up
- TJ’s has great to-go trail mix options in small grab-n-go bags, too
Cheddar Rockets
- These are a definite go-to in our house
- Much less salty than goldfish
- They go fast so if you don’t go to TJs often, grab an extra box!
Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - ORGANIC
- The kids LOVE this snack and I like that it has a little more substance than some other snack foods
Organic Spicy Avocado Hummus - ORGANIC
- So good and versatile – can eat with chips, crackers, pita chips or as a spread on a sandwich or burger
- Not too spicy but has a great kick
100% Whole Wheat Middle Eastern Flatbread - This has become a staple in our house
- We like to eat it with melted cheese in the panini maker, rolled up with turkey, dipped in hummus, or as a side to many different dishes
- Good source of fiber
10 Minute Farro - Delicious and healthy side dish
- Really only takes 10 minutes to make
- Cooking it in chicken broth or chicken stock adds a
Crazy Schedules and Saying no
I think it is safe to say we all say yes to too many things! We run from one thing to the next, stay connected on all our devices, minds are in a million different directions, our time is filled, and our lives are busy! As a mom, no matter how many kids, or what ages, or what activities involved in, moms are wearing lots of hats. Whether its dinner or laundry or work or personal time, it is all taking up space in the day and in the mind.
Saying yes to too many things is not only saying no to freedom, space, and a little rest, it could also be saying no to what you really need. Saying no can leave room for the big yes, more time to think through decisions, and more bandwidth for creativity. I fall into this trip all the time. I want to say yes to everything. I love keeping all my options open. But I have realized that doesn’t always lend to depth or freedom. It also doesn’t always leave room for the best thing. Saying no to something on the schedule can lead to more family time. Saying no to staying up later can leave room for more energy the next day. Saying no to another commitment may help you dive in deeper into the things you are already involved in.
I know I know, as a mom, I want to do it all. But that frame of mind and way of living probably isn’t what is best for my family. Yes I can maybe get more done, but if I am stressed out in the process it is going to affect my family, my marriage, my ability to be present. What if saying no was the courageous thing to do, …
Read MoreApplesauce Yogurt Cake
Once again, I am baking away for something to serve at a bible study luncheon or a gathering at our home for fellowship and prayer time. This applesauce cake recipe is an adaptation of a good old standard family go-to cake that has been updated with more nutrition and more spices and a better overall consistency.
1 ½ cups white or whole wheat flour
¾ cups coconut flour
½ cup almond flour
1 ½ cups sugar (white, brown or coconut)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 3/4 cups applesauce
1 1/4 cups yogurt (see notes regarding fat percentage)
1 egg
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix applesauce, yogurt, egg, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Pour into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool 30-45 minutes or longer before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Before turning it out, you might want to run a paring knife around the center circle to loosen it a bit.
What is your favorite easy to make snack cake recipe?
- 1 ½ cups white or whole wheat
High Protein Chewy Nut Butter Granola Bar
We love to eat healthy in our family and we are always looking for ways to sneak healthy ingredients into our snacks. We also sometimes need to have some easy on-the-go ideas to grab and go that everyone loves…but healthy ready to go snacks can be pricey. And like our family you might also be tired of paying high prices for protein bars that your kids won’t eat. So for those of you who are looking for options we have a recipe for you to try! This is easy and healthy and delicious!!!!!
Ingredients
2 cups oats
½ cup coconut
½ cup natural peanut butter (almond butter, cashew butter or sesame seed butter)
¼ cup honey
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tablespoon Cacao Bliss (or any brand organic Cacao powder)
2 Tablespoons whey protein powder
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
You can use quick oats or whole rolled oats. If you want to use the whole rolled oats you might want to blend just a bit in the vitamix or blender. Combine oats with remaining ingredients and mix until all ingredients are blended together evenly. If your mixture seems a bit too gooey you can add a bit more oats. Press into a lightly greased 9 inch square pan and refrigerate for an hour. Cut into bars or squares and serve. If you have any leftover….you can individually wrap them and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Our Picky Ricky Review on this recipe is missing because Picky Ricky claims to be allergic to peanut butter….HAHAHAHA! Next time I will make these granola bars with ALMOND BUTTER and I will get him to try them and will update this recipe with his review. POOR Picky Ricky!!!!
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
We LOVE cinnamon rolls in our family!!! This recipe is a show-stopper!!! We had a blast letting Sophie and Garrett (both 2 years old) help make the cinnamon rolls. We made three pans full so that each family could take a batch home to bake for Thanksgiving morning.
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
½ cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
2 ½ teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
½ cup butter
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 beaten eggs
5 cups whole wheat flour or Kodiak Cakes baking mix (@kodiakcakes)
Filling
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 cup milk
Dissolve yeast in warm water. (I add 1 teaspoon honey to help yeast start rising)
Set aside.
Beat 2 eggs in a small bowl.
Place 1 cup of cooked sweet potatoes into mixer and mix until smooth. Add salt.
Heat almond milk on medium heat until just bubbling. Remove from heat and add butter and honey.
Pour milk, butter and honey mixture into sweet potatoes in mixer bowl and beat slowly until combined.
Add eggs and mix thoroughly.
Add whole wheat flour or Kodiak Cakes baking mix. Mix until blended and then knead by hand or on medium speed for 5-10 minutes. Dough is very sticky. Cover bowl of dough for 2 hours so it can rise.
While dough is rising, make filling by mixing butter, sugar and cinnamon.
Divide dough into ½ and roll each piece into a large rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half the filling. Roll up and cut into 12 cinnamon rolls. Repeat to make a total of 24 rolls.
We were baking with Sophie and Garrett who wanted to help roll the cinnamon rolls so we took small …
Read MoreHappy Halloween-No Tricks…Only Treats…Dressing up is FUN!
Happy Halloween. Our family LOVES to dress up so Halloween is a really fun time for all the families to be creative. This year many of the kids decided to be characters from books or movies they love.
Emperor’s New Grove
Here is Harry Potter
Here is Jinora from The Legend of Kora
Here is Rae, BB8 and an Ewok all Star Wars characters
Here is Princess Black
We have Harry Potter, Rae, and 2 incredibly cute Beavers
The older Beaver 
Harry Potter with his wand
The younger Beaver
The monster and Princess Black
The monster, Jinora and Princess Black
Rae
How we love our grandkids!!!!!
…
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN…who doesn’t love pumpkin baked goods at this time of year. This one is a show stopper. I modified an old family favorite recipe to bring you this healthier version with just as much taste and a wonderful texture. It is hard to eat just one!
I made a batch of these for a women’s gathering tomorrow and I know they will be gone in a flash. They are so moist and delicious, you can not eat just one!!!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup oat flour
1/4 cup flax meal
1 cup whole wheat flour (or almond flour or coconut flour)
2 cups oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup butter (you can use 1 cup total coconut oil instead of 1/2 coconut oil 1/2 butter)
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut sugar (can use brown sugar here as well)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup organic pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie filling that has spices in it already)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure first 9 ingredients (flour, dry ingredients and spices) in a medium sized bowl. Cream the butter, coconut oil and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and blend. Add the canned pumpkin alternately with the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins and stir until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes 2 dozen large cookies or 3 dozen medium cookie. Enjoy!
Here are the ingredients for the original recipe, if …
Read MoreJuggling “Me Time” and “Us Time”
Finding time for yourself as a mom can be nearly impossible. Emphasis on the “nearly,” because as much as it SEEMS impossible, it is possible. You might have to be a little more creative and willing to INTENTIONALLY carve out that time, but you CAN do it.
Today, I had work I needed to do. I work from home on this blog, building my Isagenix business with my amazing team, and with the little that’s left lead a Girl Scout troop of Daisy girls. Oh and of course first and foremost I’m a mom of 3.
Something that I’ve found that helps me juggle my time is being intentional. I’m trying to write down and schedule the things I need to do every day so I stay focused. I set an intention to complete the things on my list. I am also intentional about time. After I picked up the girls from school I knew I had some things to get done. I told the girls that I needed 30 minutes to work in my office. I set a timer because I told them 30 minutes, which meant I was going to do as much as I could with focus for those 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes I was intentional about spending time with the girls. My 2 youngest were having fun playing together and my oldest had homework to do. It has been rough finding the time and energy to do homework after a full day of school, so I decided to make a little time for the two of us to do something together first.
I wanted to try a new muffin recipe so we baked together. I told her that she needed to do her homework after we were done, setting my expectations before we started. …
Read MoreChicken Shwarma Bowls
Our Growing Weisser family has become obsessed with Mediterranean food. I am sure part of the obsession is our Middle Eastern heritage. This holiday season i will share some of our traditional Christmas food that we make every season. Chicken Shwarma is one of our go-to favorites. This recipe has been adapted from a recipe that Rachel found online. I worked with it and changed it up and bit adding a bit more spice and a few adaptations to the sauce. This is definitely worth the time and would be a fantastic meal to serve for company. We ate this meal as a “build your own bowl” one night and as a pita sandwich the next night. Sure was delicious.
Chicken Shwarma Marinate
2 lemons juiced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic smashed
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon cardamom
Mix all ingredients in a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Add 2 ½ -3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs. Ziplock the bag securely and distribute the marinate around the chicken pieces by shaking and moving the chicken around once bag is sealed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Bake or BBQ the chicken until cooked.
I baked mine in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. I think BBQ would taste even better. Build your bowls with lettuce, tomatoes, a scoop of quinoa, a big spoonful of roasted chickpeas and a dollop of cucumber tahini yogurt sauce-(recipes below). Serve with warm pita bread and hummus.
Other ingredients for Chicken Shwarma bowls, wraps, pita sandwiches…..
Pita bread
quinoa cooked according to package directions using chicken stock in place of water
Romaine lettuce chopped
3-4 tomatoes sliced
cucumbers sliced
fresh …