Mommy FTW

Yesterday was a rainy day here in DC, so I decided we needed an activity to keep Cameron occupied in the afternoon.  I thought banana bread would be an easy, tasty, thing to make.  Just as I believe growing food makes kids excited about eating fresh fruits and veggies, I believe cooking makes them excited about eating fresh, home made, food.  I’m pretty sure it’s a fact that kids are more willing to try things they were involved in creating!  Here’s the banana bread recipe I used (based on this one) and a few tips to help make baking with your toddler fun for both you and them.

Super Yummy Banana Bread

1 stick butter, softened (1/2 cup)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth.

Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

A few tips for baking with your toddler – before Cameron and I got to baking, I set out all the ingredients on the counter and all the measuring cups and spoons we would need. This way everything moved along smoothly once we got started.

I also did all the measuring while Cameron watched, and Cam got to do all the dumping into the mixing bowl, as well as turn on and off the mixer. Operating machinery is fun, after all!

I let Cameron crack the eggs in a small bowl. His method of egg cracking is basically smashing the egg repeatedly in the bottom of the bowl until the egg guts spill out. Having it in the bowl gave me the ability to pick out the egg shell bits that ended up in there. Then he dumped the eggs into the mixer.

Cameron had a great time mashing up the bananas – I put them in a big tupperware and gave Cam a potato masher and let him go to town.  Squishing things is almost as fun as operating machinery.

Every now and then during the baking we turned on the oven light so Cameron could watch the bread get bigger and change. This added to the excitement and the anticipation. He was so excited to eat it when it was done. And, it was SO tasty! This is a really yummy recipe!  Enjoy!

Unfortunately Violet and I have been really sick lately – and what is better when you are sick than chicken soup?  The other morning we found ourselves at Whole Foods in Tenleytown and I got some soup for Violet and I.  I remembered that Cameron used to eat chicken soup without the soup – and that it was an easy, protein and veggie filled meal that we could share.

Yummy yummy in my tummy!

So get yourself some chicken soup, and fish out all the chunks – the veggies are usually really nice and soft and easy for baby to handle (Violet still only has 2 teeth!) and the chicken bits and noodles are easily made into little pieces.  Violet even let me feed her little spoonfuls of broth.  Just make sure it’s not too hot!

If you happen to know that your little one has no egg allergies, then quiche is a great (and easy) way to get them to eat lots of different things (hello, hidden vegetables!) as well as clean out your fridge.  Here’s my simple recipe – but feel free to add anything you like to your quiche!

6 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of nutmeg (optional)
A dash of hot sauce (optional)
1 cup shredded cheese (swiss, cheddar, whatever you have on hand)
Options for fillings – choose as many as you want, or get creative!:
1/2 cup cut up ham
1/2 cup broccoli florets (steam first to soften)
1/2 cup cut up asparagus (steam first to soften)
1/2 cup defrosted frozen chopped spinach (squeeze as much water out of it as you can first)
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 (9-inch) frozen pie crust

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and hot sauce in a food processor or blender. (FYI if you only have milk on hand, just use that). Layer the fillings and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. You can really put anything you like in a quiche – get creative! You really can’t go wrong with all that cheesy goodness. The one I made had cheddar and emmentaler cheese, ham, green onions, and broccoli.

I’m always on the look out for a kid friendly place to take Cameron for a meal – and when I can find a place that I also enjoy eating it’s a bonus! Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza is perfect for us. There are a few locations, but the one we frequent is in Friendship Heights (4940 Wisconsin Ave). Their pizza is “New Haven Style” – I’m not exactly sure what that means – but having moved to DC from New York (and having eaten a lot of really good pizza) – I can say that “New Haven Style” must mean “tasty.”

It’s a thin crust pie with sophisticated, quality, locally sourced toppings available (don’t worry, they also have peperoni – Cameron’s favorite) like broccoli rabe, roasted while garlic, and sautéed wild mushrooms to name a few. This isn’t Dominos, people! They also have super delicious salads, some pasta dishes (which I admit I’ve never tried) and desserts.

If you head there for lunch, which is what we do, be sure to consider one of the lunch specials – 2 slices of cheese pizza + a fountain drink, or 1 slice of cheese and a small salad + a fountain drink for $5.99 (you can get toppings on your pizza for 25 cents each).

After you order, the food comes out quickly. There’s plenty of places to sit, and it isn’t a huge deal if your kid is a little rambunctious. There are plenty of high chairs and booster seats, they have kids cups with lids, and a bathroom for the all important potty break.

If you are a fan of Pete’s A Pizza like me, be sure to sign up for their email list so you can hear about specials. For example, October’s special is on Tuesdays 25% off your order, all day, all three locations (dine in or take out only). Not bad! You can also follow Pete’s on twitter.

A mom friend of mine brought these Blueberry Crumb Bars to my 4th of July BBQ earlier this summer, and Cameron (not to mention everyone else) gobbled them up.  I asked my friend for the recipe, made a few tweeks to it, and baked up another batch for Cameron.  He is still loving them, and I wanted to share the recipe with you all.

Blueberry and Peach Crumb Bars

2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
Zest and juice of one lime
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 peaches, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/4cup white sugar
6 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a food processor, mix together 2/3 cup sugar, the all purpose and whole wheat flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Cut the cold butter into cubes, put it in the food processor, along with the eggs. Pulse the food processor until the mixture becomes crumbly. Press half the mixture into the pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, lime juice and zest. (You can use lemon if you don’t have lime, I’ve just found that lime really goes great with blueberries). Gently mix in the blueberries and peaches. Sprinkle the fruit mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the fruit layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. I even chill mine in the fridge overnight before cutting.

FYI, this recipe is based on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen – here’s the link if you’d like to see the original (I basically used some whole wheat flour instead of all all-purpose flour, cut out some of the sugar, added more fruit, changed the method a bit to make it easier….)  I hope you enjoy it!

My husband and I are big fans of Chipotle, so I was super excited when I learned they had a kid’s menu…. and that Cameron loved eating their food!

Cameron is ready to dig in!

The kids meal comes on a super cute tray – you can get tacos or a quesadilla, it comes with beans, rice, a little bag of chips, and a drink (apple juice or milk).  Cameron likes the quesadilla – I get it with Carnitas (the shredded pork) because the chicken is a bit spicy for his taste.  It is extremely affordable (around 3$) and a heck of a lot more healthy than most fast food kid’s options.  So next time you go to Chipotle give the kid’s meal a try for the little one….  It’s a great option!

Cameron is a lot better at eating his vegetables than he used to be, but I still like to try to sneak in extra veggies whenever I can – it’s good for him and good for me and my hubby too!  So, when making spaghetti I like to pump up the vegetable content.  Here’s my how to guide for spaghetti with hidden vegetable tomato sauce:

I buy a jar of tomato sauce (I happen to like Trader Joe’s marinara).  Before putting it in the pot to warm up, I sautee some carrots, onions, green peppers, and garlic.  Don’t bother chopping them up too much.  You’ll see why soon.

I also sautee some ground beef (but you can keep it vegetarian if you like).  Then, add in your pasta sauce.

Here’s where it gets extra sneaky – if you’ve got some salad greens in your fridge, take a couple heaping handfuls, give it a rough chop, and toss it in the pot.  It might seem like a lot, but it will really wilt down.  Put the lid on and let it simmer.

Then, take the whole mixture and give it a whir in a food processor.  When it comes out, it looks and tastes like the regular sauce, but you’ve added tons of extra veggies.  No one will be the wiser – except you!

Loyal readers of Mommy FTW know that Cameron is a very picky eater – especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables.  The best way I’ve found to win him over is with creative packaging – and that’s why I decided to try Buddy Fruits.  I am really excited to say that he LOVES it.  He will eat at least one package a day, and sometimes two.  I wrote Buddy Fruits to ask them about writing a review of their product, and to my amazement (and happiness) they sent me a box which a whole bunch of flavors.  Cameron has been sucking them down ever since.

Why do I love Buddy Fruits?  Let me count the ways….

1) Cameron eats it – and it’s just fruit – no sugar added.

2) It’s easy to take on the go, so I always have a healthy snack on hand.  And if he doesn’t finish it, I can just screw the top back on and save the rest for later.  No utensils are required, and usually there is no mess (only once did he manage to squirt it on himself).

3) Cameron’s poops have gotten more regular and softer.  Sorry if that was TMI – but he’s had some pretty hard poops which have caused some bleeding in the past, so this is kind of a big deal for me.

4) Cameron now seems more willing to try fruit in it’s regular form, perhaps because he is more familiar with the taste.

Buddy Fruits comes in 5 flavors, apple, apple cinnamon, strawberry, apple banana, and multi fruit.  Cameron pretty much likes all of them except the apple cinnamon – I guess it’s just not his speed.  I think strawberry is his favorite.  And guess what, he now loves regular strawberries.

Buddy Fruits are available in lots of stores.  Check out their website to see the full list.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.  I for one will be cooking up a storm – and I am really hoping Cameron will enjoy eating with the family.

A lot of Thanksgiving food is very baby / toddler friendly – Butternut squash soup is full of hidden vegetables, sometimes Cam can be convinced to eat green beans (green fries,) mashed potatoes and stuffing make good finger foods, and Cameron has rarely met a roast chicken (we don’t really do Turkey at my house) that he didn’t like.  And apple pie filling can make a great apple sauce, or perfect finger food.  YUM!  I can’t wait to dig in.

These Earth’s Best Organic Letter of the Day Cookies make a great snack or post meal treat.  I was first introduced to them by a mom friend while we were having lunch at the tots with Whole Foods after a swim at the Wilson Aquatic Center.  She had bought some for her daughter Lily and was kind enough to share with Cameron who gobbled them up.

C is for Cookie, that's good enough for Cameron!

I was pleased when I looked at the nutrition information to see that they are a great source of iron (9 cookies gives them 20% of their daily requirement!) zinc, and 6 B vitamins.  So if you are looking for a reasonably healthy snack or treat, try these cookies.  And, don’t forget that Earth’s Best website has printable coupons – they’ve currently got one for $1 off two Sesame Street products.