Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted a recipe on here. But, these muffins are definitely worth mentioning. I actually found a recipe online for lemon-blueberry bread, modified it a little bit (as usual), and made these delicious muffins! Lemon and any kind of berry make a really delicious combination, in my opinion, and everyone loves blueberries, right? Anyways, here's my modified recipe: 

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup melted butter, cooled to room temp

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole-wheat flour)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp grated lemon zest

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a muffin tin, or line with paper cups.

In a mixer, beat together butter, sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the egg mixture until combined. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin. 

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool on racks completely... or enjoy hot! Yum! :)

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Pumpkin-Banana Muffins

Here it is... as promised! :) I made these muffins on Sunday, and was pleasantly surprised how well they turned out. I get a little nervous when I'm trying new things (and winging it) when it comes to anything baked. I've had mistakes a couple of times... muffins come out looking good, then deflate... But not this time! :) Basically, I just added some pumpkin puree and extra spices to my favorite Banana Muffin recipe, and prayed they would come out delicious. My husband kept calling them "Frankenstein" muffins, since they were "my own creation". When I was taking them out of the oven, he started chanting, "They're ALIVE! They're ALIVE!". :) What's funny is, I actually made some muffins a while back that are even more "Frankenstein" than these... I don't know why he didn't call those "Frankenstein" muffins..? Anyways, these muffins turned out yummy and all three of us are still enjoying them... 

This recipe makes about 12 to 18 muffins.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz) Neufchatel Cheese, softened (cream cheese is fine too)

1 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup Agave Nectar)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)

3/4 cup pumpkin puree*

2 eggs

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour muffin trays or use paper liners; set aside. In a stand mixer, beat neufchatel cheese, sugar and butter on medium speed until well blended. Add banana, pumpkin and eggs; mix well. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add combined dry ingredients to mixer; mix until moistened. Pour into prepared muffin cups until 2/3 filled. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in trays for 5 minutes; remove muffins and cool completely on wire racks... or serve steaming hot because your family can't wait to eat them! ;) 

*Note: For the pumpkin puree--canned pumpkin is okay, but NOT pumpkin pie filling. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand, click here for a recipe to make your own. Also, for a boost of Omega-3, you can add 2 tbsp flaxseed meal to this recipe! Just mix it in along with the dry ingredients before you add it to the rest of the batter. :)

Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Banana Muffins

Pumpkin-Banana Pancakes

I've been craving all things "Fall" again. Hurry up, Fall! So, since I hadn't made any pancakes in a while, I decided to make some pumpkin pancakes yesterday. My son loved them, and so did I! I made a similar recipe a while back (before I had followers...), but I think this is a much better recipe. The bananas brought in some natural sweetness, and I used my own pumpkin pie spice in the mix. Again, if you are a syrup lover, these would be great topped with some maple syrup! I am not a fan... so my son and I eat them plain (although, I'm sure he would love some sugary syrup on top!). They are good either way! 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Pancake Mix

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice*

1 tsp agave nectar

1 banana, chopped

Heat skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients, except banana, in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Fold in banana chunks until evenly distributed. Pour batter in skillet to make 4 or 5-inch rounds. Flip pancakes when bubbles start to form on top, then cook for another minute or so. Serve and enjoy!

*Note: If you are like me, and don't normally have store-bought pumpkin pie spice on hand, Click Here for a recipe to make your own pumpkin pie spice. 

Pumpkin-Banana Pancakes

Muffin Tin Monday

This is my first time participating in Muffin Tin Monday. When I saw the idea at Her Cup Overfloweth, I thought it was so cute! And what a great way to mix things up and add some extra variety for a picky eater... like my son (occasionally). Anyways, since this week there is no theme, I thought this Monday would be the perfect day to start! So, I gave my son a mix of four different things in my 6-cup muffin tin. I think next time I'll use all 6 cups to give him even more variety...  In this muffin tin, I put some strawberries, bite-sized chicken-apple sausage, cut up string cheese, and Banana Nut Cheerios. Excuse the shabby muffin tin... it's been used. If you've been following my blog, you know that I love making muffins, so I definitely make good use of all my muffin tins! :)

Well, this was one of my son's "picky" weeks, so... much to my dismay he wouldn't touch the sausage or the cheese (big sigh...). But of course, he loved the Cheerios and the strawberries! Hmmm.... I wonder why...  Anyways, like I said, I will keep trying, and maybe we will be a little more successful next time. I still think this is a super cute idea and it is great to make things a little different for meal time. I think my son really liked picking the food out of the little cups. :)

Muffin Tin Monday

Cranberry-Orange Pancakes

More Pancakes... yum! I need to get even more creative and start making some delicious syrups to go along with all these different pancake recipes! 

As I said in my mini-cranberry corn muffin post, I have been in the mood for cranberries lately. I think it is mostly because I cannot wait for fall... as usual! It is my favorite time of year with all the different colors and foods... I am already excited for Thanksgiving! 

Cranberries are usually around in the fall and winter, but you can probably find some frozen cranberries in your supermarket. I used frozen for this recipe since fresh were not available... I love orange and cranberry together! These two flavors are like butter and popcorn... they just go together! :) So, I thought some yummy cranberry-orange pancakes would be a delicious morning breakfast! As usual, my son gobbled them down... even though they weren't very sweet! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Pancake Mix

1 tbsp Canola oil

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp orange juice*

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed, rinsed, and chopped*

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and coat with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except cranberries. Stir well until moistened and smooth. Gently fold in cranberries until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Pour batter into round circles on skillet, and cook until bubbles begin to form on the top and edges begin to firm up. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve plain or with hot maple syrup! 

*Note: If you have fresh oranges on hand, you can use fresh squeezed orange juice and some orange zest for more orangey flavor and fragrance! I chopped the cranberries since I was serving these to my toddler son. I figured the whole cranberries would be a little too big for him. You are more than welcome to use whole cranberries if you desire! Dried cranberries would probably be fine in this recipe too! :)

Cranberry-Orange Pancakes

Peach Pancakes

Yum! I got some delicious juicy peaches the other day, and I wanted to do something different with them. I hadn't made pancakes in a while, and since it was Sunday, I thought it would be a great pancake morning! I made these yummy peach pancakes for my son. I added some flaxseed meal to this recipe for a boost of Omega-3! I was thinking of making a yummy peach syrup to go along with these, but my son was gobbling them up plain as usual, so I didn't feel the need to add more sugar.  You can serve these with some hot maple syrup if you like. :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Pancake Mix

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp canola oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp agave nectar

1 large peach, diced or pureed

Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-high heat, and spray with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients except peaches until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add peaches and stir to distribute evenly through the batter. Pour batter into pancake rounds on the skillet and cook until bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Serve plain or with syrup. Makes about 6 to 8 four-inch round pancakes. 

Peach Pancakes

Mini Cranberry Corn Muffins

Can you tell I'm getting excited for fall already?! I LOVE cranberries! I usually get a lot of them when Thanksgiving rolls around, but frozen are usually available all year. I hadn't made any muffins in a while, so I thought I'd make some corn muffins this time. And instead of blueberries and lemon, I used cranberries and orange. I love those flavors together! I recently got a mini-muffin tray for my birthday, and I was so excited to use it. As much as my son loves any form of bread... especially muffins, I thought it would be great to make him some "easy to eat" muffins. I normally have to break pieces of muffin apart for him, otherwise he tends to try to cram the whole regular-sized muffin in his mouth, and nearly chokes! These mini muffins are perfectly sized for little hands, and little mouths! :) This recipe is not very sweet. Cranberries are very tart, so if you want them a little sweeter, you could either coat them with some extra sugar before adding them to the mix, or use dried sweetened cranberries. I think these taste great as is, and my son agrees! :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup yellow corn meal

1/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp orange zest

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped, and rinsed and drained if frozen

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a mini muffin tray* with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Set aside 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a separate medium bowl, combine all wet ingredients except cranberries, making sure the melted butter has cooled. Add wet ingredients to dry, and stir until just combined, don't over-mix. Coat the cranberries with the remaining 1/4 dry ingredients before adding to the batter. Gently fold the cranberries into the batter.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups until about 2/3 full. Bake at 425 F for 12 to 14 minutes (*or 20 to 25 minutes for a regular 12-cup muffin tray). Cool tray on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tray, and cool completely on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy! 

Makes about 24 mini-muffins, or 12 regular sized muffins. 

Mini Cranberry Corn Muffins

Coffee Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Don't you just love dessert for breakfast?! This has got to be my favorite pancake mix ever... so far...! I obviously don't give these pancakes to my son since they have coffee in them, but my husband and I LOVE these pancakes! We don't have them very often, so they are a special treat, and let me tell you they are so delicious! The first time I had these, my sister-in-law had gotten us a canister of mix, and I immediately thought, "Coffee and chocolate for breakfast?! Sounds perfect!"... then we tried them, and they were! Since I'm not a maple syrup fan, I drizzled mine with caramel sauce (you know, the kind you put on ice cream..?)! It was the perfect topping to this already decadent dessert... I mean breakfast... And it paired so well with my big mug of coffee (yes, more coffee...)! Try it sometime! :) I have found this at Cost Plus World Market, but you can also order it online at Mezzetta's website. Look under Kona Coast products. I am thinking of creating my own recipe for these sometime... Maybe I'll make them healthier... yeah, right! 

Coffee Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

So, my son was having one of those weeks, where he wasn't eating very much protein... He goes in phases--good protein weeks, and bad protein weeks. I guess he eventually gets what he needs, but I would really like him to eat more meats! We were having Dim Sum the other day, when a lightbulb went off in my head. My son loves Cha Siu Bao (barbeque pork buns), so I thought I would wrap some meat up in bread with some other yummy ingredients. Crescent rolls to the rescue! I suppose I could make my own rolls, but it is soooo much easier to just buy the refrigerated crescent rolls! So I rolled up some ham and cheese and some crushed dried herbs, baked them, and voila! Protein time! Success! He LOVED them! Hee hee hee... (my sneaky laugh). I'm sure this recipe exists elsewhere, and I know that Pillsbury has some recipes online too. So check them out as well if you're looking for an easy snack or side to make. I'm thinking of making my own "barbeque pork buns" next time... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls (I get the Pillsbury Big and Flaky type, 6 crescents per tube)

3 slices lunch meat, chopped into small size bites for toddlers (I used ham, but any kind is fine)

6 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp crushed dried Italian seasoning (or crushed dried herb of choice)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Unroll and lay crescent rolls flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle a little bit of the Italian seasoning over each crescent roll, and lightly press the herbs into the dough. Place lunch meat dices over crescent rolls, distributing evenly on the roll. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese evenly over each crescent roll. Carefully roll up the crescent rolls from the wide side to the angled side, then curve the ends into a moon shape. If desired, sprinkle a little more dried herbs on the tops of the rolls. Space the rolls about 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet (no need to spray/grease the sheet). Bake for 15 to 19 minutes or until golden brown. 

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

7 Grain Hot Cereal

I found this at Whole Foods the other day, and I was so excited to try it and give some to my son. Seven grains?! Awesome! So, here are the seven grains that are in this delicious mix: whole grain cracked wheat, steel cut oats, whole grain barley grits, soybean grits, wheat bran, whole grain buckwheat grits, yellow corn grits, and whole grain hulled millet. Phew! That's a lot of fiber and protein! :) So, this is my new favorite mix of ingredients! Oh, and by the way it's all organic! Yay! My son loves this cereal just as a yummy breakfast mixed with different fruits. But, he really loves it when I mix it in with his muffins! It is delicious any way you like it. I also plan to create a pancake and a cookie recipe using this stuff! I'm sure there are probably other versions of this type of cereal. I found the Arrowhead Mills version at Whole Foods, but it is probably available elsewhere. Try it and enjoy a delicious and nutritious start to your day! :) 

7 Grain Hot Cereal

Apple-Cherry Amaranth Muffins

After I made my quinoa muffins, I thought to myself, "I bet I could make these muffins with amaranth too!". I had a bag of amaranth in my pantry, and some dried cherries and thought they would make some great healthy muffins! Amaranth is a seed which is similar to quinoa, but much smaller. Both are treated like grains, but are actually seeds that are packed with protein! Usually I cook up some quinoa or amaranth and mix them up with some fruits or veggies for one of my son's meals. Of course, he never turns down a muffin, and they make such a great traveling snack! As I was making this recipe, I started mixing up the wet ingredients with the dry, and then realized I had no eggs! Luckily, applesauce and mashed bananas make a great substitute for eggs in muffin recipes, and I almost always have both of those on hand at all times. So, it turns out, these muffins are also vegan! As you probably know from my previous recipes, I'm definitely no vegan. But if you are, these are a great muffin for you! They taste pretty good even if you're a carnivore like me. :) My son says, "Mmm Mmm!"

Ingredients: 

1 cup amaranth

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped*

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup applesauce (or 1 large egg)*

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium saucepan, bring amaranth and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce to low heat; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and amaranth is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, brush a 12-cup muffin pan with oil, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, cherries, and 2 cups cooked amaranth. Reserve any leftover amaranth for another use. 

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, applesauce (or egg), and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean 25 to 30 minutes.* Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12 muffins. Enjoy!

*Note: It is not necessary to chop your dried cherries. I did only because I knew I would be serving these muffins to my son, and I wasn't sure if he could handle a larger-sized dried fruit. To substitute eggs in future muffin recipes, use either 1/4 cup applesauce or 1/4 cup mashed banana for each egg in the recipe. My muffins took a little longer in the oven, about 40 minutes. I'm not sure if it's because of the amaranth, or if the applesauce made the batter too moist. They still turned out good, just took a little longer. :)

Apple-Cherry Amaranth Muffins

Protein Smoothie

I was feeling like making another smoothie for my son (and me), but I wanted to add some extra protein to it. Tofu is great for smoothies since it has a smooth texture, and blends very easily with the other ingredients. And for anyone who is not a tofu fan, you can't really taste it when it is mixed up with delicious fruits! I like to use the firm tofu, since it has more protein than the soft or silken versions, but any tofu is fine. I also use whole milk and whole milk yogurt since this is for my son. But you can certainly use low-fat or skim to make this lighter. This smoothie is packed with nutritious ingredients! Protein from the tofu, flaxseed meal, and wheat germ, as well as the milk and yogurt... Vitamin C from the mangoes and pineapple... Potassium from the banana and sweet potatoes... and many more vitamins! To put it another way, this smoothie is a meal in itself! :) Oh, and by the way, it is delicious too! Enjoy! :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tofu

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup pineapple chunks

1/4 cup mango chunks

1/4 cup sweet potato puree

1 medium banana, sliced

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

2 tbsp wheat germ

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy! This smoothie came out a little bit thick, so if you like yours thinner, you can add more milk. 

Protein Smoothie

Good For You Muffins

I think I seriously need to open a bakery or something. I make waaaay too many baked goodies! I made up my own muffin recipe this time, and it turned out delicious! I was pleasantly surprised! The best part is, they are good for you too! I didn't know what to call these muffins, since they have so many delicious ingredients in them, so I decided to just call them "Good For You Muffins". It works! I recently bought this hot cereal for my son to try that is 7-grain hot cereal. I thought, seven grains is way better than just one or two, right? The mix (I got the Arrowhead Mills version) has wheat, oats, barley, soybeans, buckwheat, corn, and millet in it! Super hearty! I made some for him, mixed it with some fruit, and he loved it! Well, on the back of the package there are a couple of recipes for muffins/bread. I think my husband noticed the big lightbulb above my head... I got so excited to experiment with a new muffin recipe, that I made some later that night after my son went to bed! I didn't use the recipe on the back of the box because I wanted to put different ingredients in it, so I just made one up based on a bunch of different ideas I had in my head (and also what I had in my kitchen)! I think they turned out great, and when my son does his usual, "Mmmm, mmm!" I know they must be good! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz) Neufchatel Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup applesauce (homemade or no sugar added)

1/2 cup carrots, grated

Zest and juice of 1 lemon*

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills Organic 7-Grain Hot Cereal

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat neufchatel cheese, sugar, and butter on medium speed until well blended. Add banana, egg, applesauce, lemon zest and juice, and carrots. Mix well. 

In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients (except cranberries) together until combined. Add combined dry ingredients gradually to the wet ingredients and mix until moistened. Leave about 1 tbsp of the dry ingredients in the bowl to coat the cranberries. After coating the cranberries with the flour mixture, add to the batter, and fold in with a spoon until evenly distributed. Pour batter into greased and floured, or paper cup-lined muffin tray. 

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from muffin tray. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve and enjoy! Make 12 "puffy" muffins, or up to 18 normal-sized muffins. 

*Note: I had a "Momnesia" moment and thought that I had some oranges on hand, which would have tasted delicious with the cranberries and carrot! However, when I went to grab one, I noticed that the only citrus I had was lemons... Oops! So, I used lemon and it turned out fine. If you decide to use orange, you could use half or all of the zest of one orange, and about 2-3 tbsp of the juice. :)

Good For You Muffins

Blueberry Oat Bran Pancakes

So, I had this bag of oat bran that I had just gotten from the market, and I was looking online for what I could do with it, besides make it into a hot cereal for my son. I didn't have a bunch of it, but I wanted to incorporate it's goodness into something yummy. Woo hoo! Pancakes it is! As usual, I found a recipe online, got some ideas, and made my own creation. The batter was a little bit thicker than normal pancake batter, but it worked fine, and tasted delicious! And, of course, my son LOVED them! I was happy because oat bran is high in fiber, protein and B vitamins! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills Multi-Grain Pancake Mix

1/2 cup Oat Bran

1 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp milk

1 tsp Agave Nectar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)*

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except blueberries, until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries. Spray a non-stick skillet with non-stick spray. Over medium-high heat, pour batter by the 1/4 cup-full into skillet. Flip when bubbles begin to form on top, or when edges turn light brown. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

*Note: You can use any fruit you like. I had a bunch of blueberries on hand and wanted to use them up. :) 

Blueberry Oat Bran Pancakes

Egg Scramble

I was so excited to use my first veggie from my garden... a beautiful green bell pepper! I picked it in the morning, then used it in our breakfast! It was delicious! I'm sure this recipe exists elsewhere... cookbooks, diners, etc. But, I just threw a bunch of stuff I had on hand together and it made a great start to the day!

Ingredients:

5 eggs

1 tbsp butter

1 medium tomato, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced (I like Vidalia... so sweet!)

1 tbsp garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together until smooth. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat (I also spray a little non-stick spray, just in case..). Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add tomato. Cook for about 2 more minutes. Pour egg mixture into pan and start scrambling! Mix all ingredients together until eggs are done. Add salt and pepper to your desired taste. Serves 2. 

Egg Scramble

Fruit and Ricotta Parfait

This is a super easy and delicious recipe that my son LOVES! It is simple to put together in no time when I can't think of what to make him for a snack, but I know that I don't have a ton of time to think about it... This particular recipe only uses a few ingredients. You can make it as simple or complex as you want by only using a couple of ingredients, or adding things to make it more interesting. :) I am not a big fan of cottage cheese, which is often times paired with fruit. But, I LOVE ricotta cheese and fruit. It seems so decadent, like eating ice cream! I had mangoes and strawberries (and of course bananas) on hand, so this has a wonderful amount of vitamin C, plus potassium from the bananas, calcium and protein from the ricotta. I used whole milk ricotta for my son, but you can use low fat (skim or part skim) if you are making this for older kids or adults. If you are making this for babies who aren't eating bigger chunks yet, you can use pureed fruits. You can add a little more flavor to this by using a little bit of cinnamon or nutmeg mixed in with the ricotta. It will be yummy either way! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Ricotta cheese

1/4 cup strawberries, chopped (or pureed)

1/4 cup mangoes, diced (or pureed)

1 medium banana, chopped (or pureed)

1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)

1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)

If using spices, stir together with ricotta in a small bowl. In a fancy glass or dish, alternate layers of ricotta mixture and fruits/fruit purees. You could also just mix everything together if you don't have time to make it "pretty" ;). It will still taste pretty! You could also add a little wheat germ for some extra folic acid and protein! Makes about 1-1/2 cups. 

Fruit and Ricotta Parfait

Fruity Couscous

I got the idea for this recipe from my Cooking For Baby cookbook (see April 2nd post), but changed it up a little bit, as usual. My son LOVED it and kept saying, "Mmmm Mmm!". I figured he would since it has fruit in it, and that is always a hit with him! He has had couscous before, but I wasn't sure how he would like the texture of Israeli couscous, since it is a little bigger than regular couscous. I guess I had nothing to worry about! If you haven't tried couscous before, it is a great substitute for rice with your meals. It isn't a grain, but a pasta made from semolina wheat. I think it is delicious mixed with almost anything! Here, I mixed it with Golden Raisins and Pear puree. You can use any fruit you like. I thought about using some of my dried peaches or dried cranberries too... maybe next time! :) Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup golden raisins (any dried fruit would be fine)

1/4 cup pear puree (any fruit would be fine)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tbsp agave nectar

1 cup Israeli couscous (regular couscous would be fine too, just not as creamy)

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1-1/4 cups water with raisins, butter, salt, cinnamon and cumin, and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add pear puree and stir to combine. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Give a final stir, then serve. Makes about 4 cups. 

Fruity Couscous

Nature's Path Oatmeal

I normally like to make my own oatmeal for my son. I get some old-fashioned rolled oats, cook them over the stove, and add my own mix-ins. Then I have to wait for my oatmeal concoction to cool to room temp before I can feed my son... When I have a busy morning, or need to get my family out the door early in the morning, it's instant oatmeal to the rescue! I LOVE these instant oatmeal packets from Nature's Path! I purchased mine at Whole Foods, but they might be available at other stores. They come in many different flavors and they are delicious! My husband and son love them! Since they are organic and have other great healthy ingredients, I don't feel so bad giving them to my son for a quick breakfast. I usually still like to mix in a little more fruit with this oatmeal (I almost always have extra fruit cubes in the freezer or a banana on hand). This particular variety has blueberries and flaxseed in it, which is great for an extra boost of Omega-3 (and of course the antioxidants from the blueberries)! Yum! By the way, these also make a great breakfast or snack to have with you in the hotel when you're traveling! :)

Nature's Path Oatmeal

Veggie-Fruit Smoothie

Although my son has been getting better at eating his veggies, sometimes I like to mix them in other things that I know he will eat (or drink, in this case). Of course, he loved this smoothie just as much as the other one, and my husband and I enjoyed it too! I have been on a smoothie kick because it is so hot here in AZ already! I get up in the morning and I am craving something cool to drink. Plus, this is such an easy recipe for a snack any time of day!  I saw a recipe for carrot-ginger smoothies in a magazine that I was reading, and it gave me inspiration for this recipe... although my recipe is quite different. I didn't have carrot juice or ginger root, but I had leftover frozen carrot and sweet potato purees, so I thought I'd use them up. Both carrots and sweet potatoes (the red kind) are naturally sweet and are loaded with Vitamin A and Beta Carotene. My son loves them as a finger food too. If you like, you can use all carrot, or all sweet potato and it would probably taste fine. I was just using up my frozen cubes. You can also use any kind of fruit you like. I had some strawberries and bananas on hand (Vitamin C and Potassium). I used whole milk yogurt and whole milk since this was for my son, but you can certainly use skim or reduced fat, or even soy if you are making this for yourself. :) I added some wheat germ for a protein boost. These were a little thick, so if you like your smoothies thinner, you can use more milk. Also, if you want yours to be more of a "slushy" texture, you can add some ice, or use frozen fruits or veggies. 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp carrot puree

2 tbsp sweet potato puree

1/2 cup strawberries, chopped

1/2 cup banana (about 1 medium), sliced

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

2 tbsp wheat germ

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Or if you have an immersion blender, put all ingredients in cylinder container, then blend with immersion blender until smooth. Makes about 2-1/2 cups. Serve and enjoy! 

Veggie-Fruit Smoothie

Mini Frittatas

These make a delicious and healthy breakfast! I have seen similar recipes for frittatas on multiple websites, but I do mine a little different. These ones are easy to make, and you can use a muffin tin to make mini frittatas, which are the perfect size for little hands (cuts down on cooking time too)! I use a regular sized muffin tin, and just fill them up halfway with my egg mixture, but you can also use a mini-muffin tin for bite-sized frittatas. You can use any vegetable you like (or what you have on hand). I like to use a green veggie with tomatoes. Not only do you get protein from the eggs, you also get iron from the green veggie and vitamin C from the tomatoes, which helps your body absorb the iron. I normally add a little dash of garlic powder for extra flavor, but I forgot this time. My son LOVED them, even without the extra flavor! I love when he nods his little head while saying, "Mmmm mmm!" :) These little frittatas also make a great hors d'oeuvre for a breakfast or brunch party! 

Ingredients:

3 eggs

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese (any cheese would be fine)

1/4 cup Chinese Broccoli, steamed and chopped (regular broccoli or other greens, like spinach or asparagus would be great too)

1/4 cup Italian style tomatoes, drained and diced (I like to blot them with a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture so the eggs aren't so "liquidy")

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and/or herbs and spices

Preheat oven to 375 F. Whisk eggs and milk together until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until equally distributed. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. Use a small spoon or measuring cup to pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups, filling only halfway. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the egg mixture is firm in the middle. My mixture made 9 mini frittatas. You can double or triple the recipe to make more, if you like. Enjoy!

Mini Frittatas