Kid Friendly
Must Have Products for New Mamas
This week, we are continuing to celebrate Moms – Woohoo!! Being a mom can be overwhelming and hard, and finding the “BEST” products can be even more overwhelming and hard! Today, I am going to share with you a few of my Must Have Products that I have loved as a new mom! These are products that I would call more of an investment – a few items that we spent the most money on, but also the products that we used the most, and probably more than we ever thought imaginable.
4MOMS PLAYARD
We have used our 4MOMS Playard more than I ever thought we would. When my daughter was first born, the playard is what she napped in and played in when we weren’t holding her so that we could easily see her while we worked around the house. Having her out in the living room also helped her to get acclimated to noise. In the last year, we have traveled with this to friends’ and grandparents’ houses, hotels and more – we never had to worry about where Sophie would sleep or the hassle of a long setup when we were away from home.
Here is what I love most about the 4MOMS Playard…
- It packs up really nicely and is light enough for me to carry on my own.
2. It is SO EASY and QUICK to assemble and breakdown! (Probably our FAVORITE part)
Click the link to see my demo that shows the base being assembled in less than 7 seconds!!
3. Sophie loved it!!
The top mattress bassinet allowed me to use it when she was little. As she grew, I simply took the top piece off to use the bottom mattress. She spent a lot of time in this and …
Read MoreEaster Craft to Share Love
Only two weeks before Easter Sunday and I am thinking of how I can bless others and at the same time expose them to new and exciting ways to add deeper meaning to their Easter celebration. I am always looking for how to creatively combine the fun aspects of Easter with the real reason that we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. I saw this website and really liked this free printable the blogger offered. So I downloaded it and made a basket full of Easter M&M treat bags to share with friends. I am hoping to invite them to our church for our Easter celebration if they don’t have a place to worship on Easter Sunday. I have found that in my community there are many women who want to feel like they belong. They do not want to be alone. They may be entering a new season of life and they feel unprepared. They may be facing some emotional hardship in their life. They may just need a friend to talk to and get advice from. Maybe when I am willing to take a risk and give a small gift of love and friendship to my neighbors or new acquaintances I might meet, it may open a door of communication. I serve and love a God of grace who brings peace, love, security and purpose. I want to share this love and grace with others. In the gospel of John 14:27, John quotes Jesus who says, “I give you peace, I do not give you what the world gives you. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid.” So this Easter season, I am going to make a basket of these little M&M treat bags and share them with others. I will be hoping and praying that this …
Read MoreHealthy Snacks for Kids – Part 2
Sophie has been eating SO much the last few weeks! She must be going through a growth spurt because it has been so much that I have been running out of ideas of what to give to her. So, I went to my best idea resource (Rachel!) who tapped in to her best team of resources (Mom Squad!) to help me out! They gave such great options that I wanted to share the list with you!
The Mom’s List of Favorite Healthy Snacks for Kids:
- Yogurt Drops – place yogurt in ziplock bag, snip off the corner and drop onto wax paper on a tray. Place in freezer to make a fun chip-like self-feeding snack!
- Peanut Butter or Butter on Healthy Bread
- Goldfish or Annie’s Cheese Bunnies
- Pirates Booty
- Pouches (with that fantastic anti leak top) or DIY pouches (disposable or reusable)
- Cheerios
- Oatmeal Squares
- Bars: Larabars, Granola Veggie Bars, Ella’s Kitchen Snack Bars, or Kind Bars (esp the fruit and green ones)
- Muffins with hidden fruits and veggies and mostly all no or low sugar (check Pinterest) or Mini Muffins with any muffin recipe
- Baked Pea Snacks (Inner Peas at TJs or Harvest Snaps from Costco) -Very low salt and high fiber and protein for a snack
- Steamed Veggies – store in snack bags for on-the-go
- Chia Crunch
- Lundberg Farms Brown Rice Cakes
- Seaweed
- Kale Chips
- Champagne Grapes from TJs – really small and sweet
- Avocado
- Fig Bars (Nature’s Bakery)
- Graham Crackers
- Favorite brands for Freeze Dried Fruits: Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Little Duck, Fruit Crisps
Sophie’s Snacks — Healthy Snacks for Kids
As we continue through National Nutrition Month, I wanted to share with you some of Sophie’s favorite snack foods that she eats throughout the day! The last few days, we were at a camp/retreat center for my hubby’s work retreat. It was a lot of fun, but the food was not great – even Sophie didn’t like most of it :p
When we are home, some of her staples for each meal are Bananas, Cheese (Colby Jack and Monterey Jack), Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, Peanut Butter Toast, Veggies, Meat, Veggie Burgers, Noodles, and Hummus.
But, because we were away from home for a couple days and I couldn’t make her anything, her snack bag that I packed as a “just in case” became a lifesaver! Here are Sophie’s favorite snacks that she will either have paired with a meal or just as a snack…
Freeze-dried Fruits
- Her favorites are Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Apples, Mango
- I buy them from Trader Joe’s and Sprouts
- There is no added sugar, either!
HappyBaby Organic Creamies
- Her favorites are Apple, Spinach, Pea, and Kiwi and Strawberry, Banana, and Carrot
- Dairy-free (made with coconut milk)
- No added sugar
- Melt-in-your-mouth so they were a great “first snack” when she was starting to eat and helps her to practice picking food up and feeding herself
- A snack without rice flour (Studies have shown that rice contains arsenic so we have tried to limit how much rice we give to Sophie. Unfortunately, 90% of baby snacks contain rice flour. But, this was an exception!)
Trader Joe’s Golden Rounds
- Sophie loves these crackers
- Healthy alternative to Ritz
- Soft, break easily, and melt in your mouth
- They are messy but pretty cute to see how she eats it
- Because she only eats a few a day, they stay fresh really nicely!
Trader …
Read MorePumpkin Oat Scones with Ginger and Goldenberries
Although I hate to admit it….Autumn is coming and the lazy days of summer are over. BUT I seriously do not feel like I had even one lazy day all summer. With two new babies in our family, this summer was anything but LAZY! It is such a miraculous blessing to have 9 grandchildren but the reality for me of being the Gammie I want to be means traveling……I am so grateful for the privilege of being an active part of each one of my grandchildren’s lives but they all live away from where I live so “On the Road Again” is my theme song at this season of life.
The Fall season brings memories of school starting and decorating with colorful leaves and BAKING everything PUMPKIN!!! I am not ready to totally put my summer mindset to rest but I am beginning to get the baking bug. So here is my first experiment with pumpkin this fall season. I chose to add Goldenberries because of their sweet but tangy flavor and their chewy consistency. Here are a few facts about the goldenberries I use. You can find out more by clicking on the picture at the end of this post.
- Our Organic Goldenberries are grown on small family farms in the Andes Mountains where the bountiful rain produces the mouthwatering berries. Each berry ripens on the vine and is succulently sun-dried to retain just the right amount of moisture. Delicious and nutritious, just the way nature intended.
- They’re perfect right out of the bag and can also brighten some of your favorite recipes from smoothies to salads.
- And best of all, Made in Nature’s Organic Goldenberries are rich in fiber and a good source of Vitamin C.
- NON GMO verified, USDA organic, OU Kosher
Pumpkin Oat Scones with Ginger …
Read MoreGreek High Protein Salad
Bethany and Mike have been blessed to receive many delicious meals since baby Garrett was born a few weeks ago. This was one of their favorites. Last week, Bethany and I tried to recreate the recipe, making a few adjustments to increase the protein and we added some fresh basil. The original recipe that we adapted was from www.thelemonbowl.com- Brown Rice Greek Salad. We substituted quinoa for the brown rice and added seasoned browned ground turkey to increase the protein.
Ingredients
1 ½ cup quinoa
3 cups water
1 ½ pounds ground turkey
2 cloves garlic smashed
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons greek seasoning
2 cucumbers peeled and chopped
2 can garbanzo beans
1 cup sliced scallions
1 or 2 large yellow or orange pepper chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup kalamata olives
2 cups cherry tomatoes
10 basil leaves chopped fine
¼ cup chopped mint
Dressing
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons juiced
zest of 2 lemons
2 Tablespoons oregano
2 Tablespoons chopped mint
4 cloves garlic
Cook quinoa in water. Bring to a boil and then turn to simmer and simmer for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Allow to cool. Brown ground turkey with smashed garlic, garlic salt, oregano and greek seasoning. While quinoa is cooking and ground turkey is browning, cut the cucumbers, slice scallions, chop the pepper, chop basil and mint and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Make dressing by combining all ingredients and set aside. When quinoa is cooled, add cucumbers, peppers, scallions, cherry tomatoes, feta, olives, basil and mint. Stir in dressing. Add cooled browned ground beef and stir until dressing is mixed throughout. Refrigerate and serve with pita bread and hummus.
Zucchini Soup
Our summer days are hot and the nights are a bit cooler. I love this zucchini soup recipe because it uses up my abundant zucchini crop. This soup is a light and scrumptious meal to serve on a summer night with a piece of crunchy sourdough bread or on a cooler fall evening with a grilled panini or quesadilla. You can actually serve this soup hot or cold. You can easily double the batch for a crowd. One summer when I was young, I was left in chafe of our family garden while my mom was traveling in Europe. I made at least 10 batches of this soup. We served it for company, gave it to friends, and froze a few batches so we could enjoy it all fall. When you freeze the leftover soup and defrost it for later use it tastes just a delicious as the day you made it.
Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion chopped fine
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 zucchini cut into cubes
6 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon vinegar
4 Tablespoon arrowroot
1-2 teaspoon dill weed (fresh is best)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
Saute onion in oil in a large soup pot. Add zucchini and broth. Bring to a boil and turn to medium and cook until zucchini is soft. Take a bit of the broth out of the pot and pour into a 1 cup measure. Add the vinegar and arrowroot and stir until dissolved. Add the vinegar, arrowroot, broth mixture to the soup pot and stir until blended and the soup starts to thicken. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend in food processor or Vitamix adding yogurt and seasonings. You can serve this soup cold or hot.
Zucchini Bread-Healthy Style
Healthy Zucchini Bread
This summer, I planted a large garden filled with all of our favorite vegetables. The zucchini plants have gone crazy and are producing daily a crop of delicious and nutritious zucchini. I have baked, stir-fried, barbequed and added them into omelets, pizza and frittatas. The following is a conventional recipe for zucchini bread with healthy adaptations.
ENJOY!!!
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
3 eggs
3 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup mini chocolate chips and/or 1 cup chopped raisins
Grate the zucchini (one large one from the garden or three medium) into a colander and sprinkle salt on it and let it sit for a few minutes and then squeeze out excess moisture. In a medium bowl combine sugar and applesauce and oil and stir. Add the eggs and stir until mixed well. In a small bowl measure out the flour (you can use a combination of white and whole wheat or experiment with different varieties of gluten free, oat flour, rice flour and feel free to add wheat germ or flax seed as long as it measures a total of 3 cups). Next, add other dry ingredients and stir. Add wet and dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Add the vanilla, the zucchini and the nuts and stir lightly until combined. For a fun little treat try adding ½-1 cup of mini chocolate chips or 1 cup raisins. Pour into a well greased bread loaf pan and bake at 350˚ for 60-70 minutes.
If you want to make smaller loaves or muffins adjust time for baking accordingly-40 minutes for small loaves
Succotash
A great way to cook up some of your favorite vegetables is with a succotash twist. Enjoy this easy showstopper recipe with whatever meat you can grill up on your BBQ. Serve this up with some shredded BBQ chicken made in a crockpot-recipe coming next week…….
- 2 TBS coconut oil or olive oil (if you want a touch of coconut flavor, use coconut oil)
- ½ diced onion
- ½ diced bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 TBS paprika
- 1 TBS tumeric
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 stalks of corn (corn cut off)
- 1 tomato
- 1 zuchinni
- 1 TBS cumin
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Saute the onions, bell peppers, and garlic
- Add paprika, tumeric, and cilantro. Cook for 3 minutes
- Add the corn, tomato, zuchinni and cook for 5 minutes
- Add the cumin and chiken broth and bring to a boil
- Add the parsley, salt, and pepper at the end.
What is one of your favorite side dishes to serve at your summer BBQ?
…
Berry Cobbler-Best Red, White and Blue Fourth of July Dessert
This is my absolute FAVORITE summer dessert is this berry cobbler that I make each summer with berries that I have picked in Brentwood. this summer, I missed the berry picking days because we had a wonderful family gathering for a wedding. So this summer I will use the organic berry blend from Costco. So take my word for it……..For a delicious and nutritious summer dessert try making an olalliebery/blueberry cobbler. We will be having a wonderful afternoon barbecue with family and friends to celebrate the 4th of July. I enjoy these times of fellowship, the beautiful weather and some competitive corn hole games. We will eat delicious bbq turkey burgers, chicken apple sausages, orzo salad, and a green salad with watermelon and feta cheese and I will make this cobbler recipe for our dessert. I baked it in a 9 x 13 pan and when it was cool, I will decorate it like an American flag with blueberries for the stars and sliced strawberries for the stripes. 
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
Fruit filling
8 cups olallieberries fresh or frozen (mine were fresh picked out in Brentwood and then frozen)
2 cups Maine blueberries (I used frozen)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ cup butter (¼ of a cube) cut into small pieces
Topping
2 cups oats
1 cup flour
½ cup wheat germ
¾ cups brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter
½ cup coconut oil
In a large bowl, combine the thawed berries with ¼ cup each brown sugar and white sugar. Add the 3 Tablespoons flour, fresh lemon juice and nutmeg. stir gently until combined. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with …
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