Adventures with Baby: August 2012

Sunday, August 12, 2012

pictures

Damn I can't even manage pictures once a week.

X likes to ride all dinosaurs.

Oma retired, X stole her balloons.

My new classroom. Start date 8/20/12. Gulp.

New School Site. Totally Ready. Ummm.

Effing Wasps.

Ready to hit the construction site, even dressed himself. Priorities man.

text

Dad's truck mom, did you see it? Huh? Did you? Let me point it out again in case you weren't sure.

Wagons, Wagon every where.

Saying bye to dad with a little men showing love wrestle fest.

With Goodnight Moon at B&N--our favorite place. They have coffee and books and trains. Win.

Happy Bath Boy

Did I mention Mike left? For TWO WEEKS?! F F F

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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

We sort of suck at breakfast. I am not a morning person. I am also not a breakfast person. X has the decency to sleep until at least 7:30, most days more like 8:30. Then we get up, get dressed, changed, coffee and out the door to walk Ella in 30 minutes. This is a huge PITA for me. X wants to walk, I want coffee, Ella wants to chase squirrels. What does this have to do with breakfast? Often this adventure takes 45 minutes, and we have places to be at 10, or even 9. Gym class, play dates, story time. Places. Well, X is not a great eater ever. In the morning even less. I have tried yogurt, fruit, cereal, toast, waffles, everything. He will eat it if I let him graze for a few hours. Obviously this doesn't work. So I need things to take with us. Processed foods are so bad for you, and I am so crazy I just can't do it, so I am always on the search for healthy, packable options that he will actually eat. I made one up! I am so proud of myself and my yummy muffins.There are a lot of options, I am going to write the options and what I did.

Toddler Carrot, Apple, Pineapple Muffins
1 1/2 Cups Flour (I used white wheat--you could use a combo of wheat, all purpose, oat, whole wheat pastry, whatever. I wouldn't use all oat or all whole wheat because of texture)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons spices (I would make 1 teaspoon always cinnamon, or both cinnamon, the other one I did a mix of 1/2 ginger, 1/4 nutmeg, 1/8 cloves and 1/8 allspice--but I like my spices)

Veggie and fruit options: 2 cups total
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated apple
(could use shredded squash or pureed pumpkin)
1 cup crushed pineapple in juice
(could use any canned fruit in juice, but I would make sure it was at least diced if not smashed up, pears would be excellent, it needs to add liquid and sweetness)

Fat and Liquid Options:
2 eggs or egg substitute or flax mixed with water

1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup full fat yogurt (vanilla, Greek, whatever you have)
(could use 1/4 cup oil or butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup sour cream--just make sure you have 3/4 cup liquid fat replacement)

Sweetener
1/2 cups raisins (totally optional, but if you omit, add more sweetener, I grind mine because that way I don't taste them)
1/4-1/3 cup honey
(can use agave, maple syrup--that would be good with pumpkin apple ones, brown sugar, white sugar, stevia, whatever you like--sugar is less sweet so you will need more of it)

Preheat oven to 350.
Shred veggie and fruit in food processor. Add to mixing bowl. (if you used pureed ones add them too, add pineapple too, no need to crush it more)
In food processor with chopping blade add all fat and liquid options and sweetener options (if you like raisins only add half of them and put the other half in the mixing bowl with shredded veggies). Process until raisins are thoroughly minced. Add to mixing bowl.
Mix dry ingredients together and then add to mixing bowl (be sure that the spices don't clump but mixing them into the flour, a big bite of cloves SUCKS)
Beat on medium speed at 2 minutes.
Grease or spray mini muffin pans. Add a tablespoon to each cup, bake 16-18 minutes. The sides should be brown and pulling away from the sides. If you make large muffins bake 22-25 minutes.
Makes 4 dozen mini muffins or 1.5-2 dozen large ones.