Baby Food 101 Part 2: Where to begin and pureeing in bulk

March 6, 2013 Arielle

Click Here to read Part 1 _____________________________

It's that time again...

Only this time instead of preparing a meal for one baby, I've added a toddler into the mix...oye.

Before I had kids, I figured I would be that good little wife that made everything homemade and make everyone happy. After Boo was born I realized it was harder to home-make everything, and my goals before hand were definitely harder to reach. Then came Sweet Pea and if I've even been able sit down and eat that day I consider myself accomplished and amazing...

I'm going to throw this out there and say the thought of making homemade baby food sounds daunting, too much work, and even to some ridiculous. I agree that I've thought the same at one point, and if you told me in high school that in the future I would be writing a blog post all about homemade baby food I'd throw my half eaten chili dog at you and laugh in your face.

Today I'm going to share with you how I've made it work for me and my family, and the important and helpful things along with making your own baby food! I wrote a few posts about homemade Baby Food when Boo was a baby (sad...she's no longer one...), so if you want check it out you can HERE!

Everything you need to know about Homemade Baby Food! From The Diva Dish

Decide what and how much baby food you want to make-

Do you want to do a bunch at once or a little at a time?

This was the method I chose because I'm a"let's get it over with so I don't have to think about this for a while" kind of person. :)

The idea here is to purchase a larger quantity of each food item that you want to puree, set aside a few hours at home, cook, puree, and have baby food ready for 1-2 months.

With this method, the idea is to take it slow so you don't overwhelm yourself. It also works great if you are a working mother, or don't have time to set aside 2 or so hours to puree a bunch of food.

Each week, along with your normal grocery lists, buy 2-3 items in a larger quantity (like 3-4 large sweet potatoes.) During dinner, nap, cleaning the house time, etc., cook that food item, puree it, and store it. You can do one every other day, or twice a week, etc. This will allow your baby food stock to fill up slowly and at your pace!

(Pic on Left: Boo @6 months, Pic of Right: Sweet Pea @ 6 months)

Before going crazy and buying out the produce section, make sure certain foods sit well with your little one. When you are first starting out feeding your baby, you have to introduce foods slowly to make sure there are no allergies, sensitivities, or reactions to certain food types. I would hate it if you pureed tons of sweet potatoes and your baby can't eat them!

With this, I always buy canned organic baby food! It's the most wholesome and pure, to me.

Make a list, check it twice, and set aside the time/s that you need to puree the food. I usually do my grocery shopping on Monday, and then that Tuesday I set aside time to puree the food. If I did it all at once on Monday, well..I would have gone cray cray. (crazy...)

Make sure you have the appropriate cooking and storage items! For this you will need:

-Small storage containers with air tight lids (I used the ones above, they were the cheapest I could find @ 3 dollars for 8 containers!)

-a good blender, food processor, or a Magic/Baby Bullet

-Pot with a steamer on top

-labeling stickers

On the day of the food prep, wash and dry all your veggies/fruits. If you are doing it all at once, here is where the prep and planning will be important. If you are baking an item, put that in the oven first so it can cook while you are steaming and pureeing the other items.

Here is how it laid out for me:

As I steamed one item, I prepped the others (such as cutting, peeling, dicing, etc.) Then when one item was done steaming I would dump them in my food processor, turn it on and let it puree. While it was pureeing I would throw the next batch of veggies or whatever into the steamer to be steamed. While it was cooking I would finish pureeing, package it, and label it and set it aside and let it cool, with the lid off.

If you aren't doing items that involve cooking, like fruit purees, just do them one after another.

Some items may require soaking such as prunes, raisins, dates, or dried beans. Soak everything the night before, or maybe just need a few hours to soak. Remember that in your planning. If the beans need cooking, start their cooking process at the beginning of your plan.

Here are the items that I pureed for my little one. It's not everything that I would like to have on hand, andI know that one day I might try apple sauce and maybe next week I'll make some bean purees!

Ingredients:

Dried, pitted, prunes-Make sure there are no other ingredients or additives, and if it's in your budget go organic

water

Directions:

1. add prunes to a large bowl and fill with water until all the prunes are covered. Soak for at least a couple hours or if you want overnight. Once done, dump the water out and add prunes to processor and blend until creamy and no chunks appear.

2. Place in individual air tight containers and store in the freezer. When needed thaw in the fridge the night before.

I did a post already on how to puree butternut squash HERE! :)

Ingredients:

Carrots

Directions:

1. Wash, Peel, and cut carrots and add to a steam basket. Steam until tender.

2. Once done, blend until creamy, and if needed at a little water.

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes

Directions:

1. Wash, peel, cut sweet potatoes. Place in steam basket and steam until tender.

2. Once done puree until creamy, add water if needed.

Ingredients:

Squash

Directions:

1. Wash, peel, cut squash and place in steam basket. Steam until tender, then puree until smooth. It will be a little watery.

Ingredients:

Fresh or frozen peas

Directions:

1. If using fresh peas, scrape out the peas from their pods and place in a steamer basket. Cook until tender.

2. If using frozen peas, boil until peas are tender. Then puree until creamy.

Ingredients:

Beets

Directions:

1. Wash, peel, and cut beets. (Make sure to remove stems and leaves.) Place in steamer basket and steam until tender.

2. Puree until smooth, this may take a few times to get it the right consistency.

Ingredients:

Fresh spinach

Directions:

1. If spinach needs to be washed then do so. Place spinach in a pot or stovetop pan over medium heat with a tiny bit of water. Toss spinach until it becomes wilted, this will only take a few minutes.

2. Place in blender and puree.

Whether you decide to use individual containers, I always set aside some of my purees in ice cube trays for a fast pop out and go option. With ice cube purees, you can throw them into warm soups, grains, smoothies, etc. Something fast and easy.

As for the individual containers, freeze what you aren't using and place the ones you are using in the fridge. When you are running low, take some containers from the freezer and plop them in the fridge and let them thaw.

I brought home the following items:

2 large sweet potatoes

2 large packages prunes

1 large bag peas

1 large box spinach

1 large bag carrots

1 large butternut squash

2 large squash

3 large beets

TOTAL COST: under $20.00

20 dollars would buy about 20-25 cans worth of baby food.

If you child eats 1-2 cans a day then you could end up spending $20-$50 on canned baby food per month. (Sweet Pea tends to be a little piggy and has eaten 4 can's a day. So for us, it sometimes is more!)

I made about 2 months of baby food for $20.

SO..I saved money! (Trust me friends this doesn't happen often...)

I cut my cost in half...at least!

I'm telling you friends...Initially making the food is a lot of work and takes time. Oh...and your house will be a complete mess.

But after it's done, the worry is over and you saved some money! And when the food runs out, your baby won't be eating strictly pureed foods so you won't have to do it ALL over again. :)

Hope this was helpful, and if you have any questions, please let me know!! :)

Happy pureeing!

Boo's Kitchen Makeover

March 3, 2013 Arielle

It's been a battle of the computer this past week, I'm so sorry friends... When you've got a husband who is constantly studying, taking tests, and doing research it's a fight for who gets the computer. You would think I would do something valuable with my time like watch Bachelor...

But instead of planting myself down on my back side to watch Sean take off his shirt 457 times and make out with 3 woman who are madly in love and having the best time ever of their entire life...I painted Boo's kitchen.

(Note: This is a before of the kitchen to the left in this picture . It's not a before picture of the half naked toddler who oddly resembles Jeff Daniels from Dumb n Dumber.)

Since living in a rental and not being able to basically decorate my house the way I would love to, I've taken it upon myself to enhance the things around me. Like Boo's kitchen. I knew I always wanted to paint it, and figured it would most likely be pink! So this week we went after it.

I'm far far away from being a creative person and I most definitely can't paint in the lines (so I've learned), but this project was pretty easy.

I painted over the whole thing with craft paint, but spray painting definitely would have been easy too. I didn't want to spend any money on this project so I used what I had at home which was craft paint!

For the doors, I replaced them and made a curtain using old fabric I had and a tension rod from Walmart that costs me 2 bucks!

But it wasn't just me who took part in the refurbishing of the kitch, Boo had a huge part as well!

I'm back to normal posting this week friends, the hubs and I made a deal. Computer time for me...and he doesn't have to watch Bachelor.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta-Quick Meal Time

February 27, 2013 Arielle

It's 10:30 p.m., and I am finally sitting down to relax. I've got a chocolate chip muffin with a dollop of peanut butter on it, i'm tired, still hungry, and for some reason i'm sucked into the HGTV channel staring at people with large muscles smash their walls with large hammers...

The days seem longer now that the littles are getting older, and I swear having one kid versus two kids feels like you jumped the gun and had 5 more. Yet these two little smiley gals bring me more joy than I thought possible, a long with the dirtiest yoga pants known to man.

I love it.

I talk a lot about dinner time, and I figure I'm like most busy mom's & dad's when I say dinner time can end up being, "Freak, it's already 5 in the afternoon?! What the heck am I going to make? I have bread, chocolate chips, and some oranges..."

No one wants to chop a bunch of veggies or prepare a meal with tons of steps because let's face it...Cutting one single carrot with two kids demanding attention feels like an ETERNITY! Or you do what I did when your attention is focused on the littles and not the task at hand, and decide 5 fingers is too many for one hand...4 sounds much better...

Any who I'm rambling, let's talk about a quick dinner that I made with only a few ingredients.

*I've always wanted to make my own roasted peppers, because I LOVE roasting veggies. To me it brings out the better flavors that food has. This dish is simple, quick, and requires only a few ingredients!

First step is roasting your pepper. You can do this under your broiler, over a grill with fire, or on the stove top right above the flame. For this recipe I used 1 1/2 red bell peppers. You could definitely use more, but I was just using what I had. Roast and charr that red pepper like no other.

While it's roasting, toast a few TB. of walnuts in a pan over low-medium heat for about 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, cook some pasta. I used about 6-8 ounces of spinach pasta because it was all I had.

When your red pepper is roasted and charred, it should look somewhat like this:

Place it in a plastic baggy and seal it up! You need that pepper to get nice and schweaty! :)

While it's sweating it out, cut and dice one large shallot and 2-3 garlic cloves, (like the one pictured above with missing finger.)

When that is done, remove red pepper from bag and peel off skin and scape a few seeds away. Discard skins.

In a blender puree the red pepper until smooth, then throw in the walnuts and puree for about 20-30 seconds, or until no large chunks appear. (Walnuts are optional, but add great protein and flavor!)

In a saucepan over the stove heated to medium/low add your diced shallots in a pan along with 1-2 TB. of oil (I used coconut.) Once the shallots begin to cook and brown, add your pureed bell peppers/walnuts. Stir until combined, then add in about 1/4-1/3 c. of coconut milk. Stir until creamy.

Turn heat down to low and season the sauce. Add salt, lots of pepper, and a variety of fresh or dry herbs. I did some oregano and basil, and really anything would work! Then toss in your cooked pasta.

Top with parmesan cheese and serve warm!

I could emphasize over and over again how easy this is for those busy days, but let's face it. Nothing is easier than a bowl of cereal..Especially when you only have 4 fingers. :)

So keep in mind, a few extra easy minutes of time can give your family something filling and healthy! Save the cereal for the bum crack of dawn when the littles wake up and you can barely function! :)

The Best Scrambled Eggs

February 22, 2013 Arielle

I know it might be odd to do a post all about scrambled eggs...

But I just couldn't keep this to myself.

Ok, it's actually not a big secret, it's more like, ok big whoop so ya know how to make some delicious scrambled eggs. Seriously guys, here me out.

I've probably gotten 3 hours of interrupted sleep every night for the past two weeks. This sickness has been slowly creeping up on my kids, and just a few days ago BAM..it hits them.My poor babies. Come morning, I'm exhausted and delirious and I'm pretty sure a a few of my meals have only been a piece of bread and a banana.

So in an effort to give myself a little extra something and not make a complete mess in the kitchen, I made my favorite eggs.

The secret is in the sauce...

Listen. When you cook your eggs in coconut oil it literally makes them taste...not like eggs.

I don't know how to describe it, but plain scrambled eggs make me gag and think about morning sickness. BUT, eggs cooked in coconut oil make me feel like I'm eating breakfast at a fancy cafe...Instead of the reality which is me wearing a bath robe in my dirty sickness filled house with two sad babies...

It's really easy too, not much effort or talent required.

1. Add a little coconut oil to coat the pan. You can use a solid coconut oil, or if you are lucky and find the liquid version like the one shown above, use that one! I used about 1 tb or so for about 3 eggs...

The next part needs no explaining, but if you haven't slept since christmas and need some help remembering, here's the low down.

2. Set your heat on the stove to low-medium. Whisk the eggs together every so often, letting rest every 30 seconds or so.

3. Eventually the eggs will start to stick to the pan as you are whisking. Continue to whisk, until the eggs scramble and are cooked all the way through. If you don't want them too scrambled, use a rubber spatula to flip the eggs here and there!

Honestly, I don't even add salt, to me it taste great the way it is! Of coarse, if you douse with 1/2 c. of ketchup, I won't judge because I've done that many many many times...

This morning I made a tortilla with hummus,eggs, avocado, and pepper. I felt somewhat refreshed, but of coarse it didn't last long! Come 8:30 I was ready for bed...A.M. Not P.M.

Speaking of bed time, it is now 9:18 p.m. and someone decided to wake up and play...

"Screw bed time!"

-actual quote from Sweet Pea....

Maybe when she's 12, she will sleep?

Homemade Oat Sandwich Bread

February 19, 2013 Arielle

It's funny how ONE thing can alter so much more...

Like one little tooth means hours and hours lost of sleep. Yes that's lots of hours times 2!

Or one little tiny teeny piece of a toy cupcake that becomes lost forever...Holy heck was someone shot?! Why is that child screaming non stop?? So loud...

How about when you want to take a cute Valentines picture of your kiddos, and another stinkin' toy causes more drama than yo mama can handle.

Or an abundance of one simple thing after another making you second guess a decision to move to another state for 'better opportunitues' away from family and everything you were comfortable with...

All it takes is one thing.

But did I mention that all it takes is one thing to bring you back and reminds you of everything your blessed with and all with be ok.

Like when your sitting on your couch at 7:30 at night, tired and worn out from life, and someone rings your doorbell. Only to find that it's your parents who just drove 3 hours to surprise you and say "Hello!"

And that one gesture created relief, smiles, laughter, a full nights rest, and a fridge full of groceries..

Not to mention an overwhelming feeling and sense of Love, knowing that someone above is taking care of you!

And after one good thing, comes another good thing, and then another...

Soon you find yourself making homemade bread, making the house smell delicious and inviting, and forgetting about toys and enjoying a slice of fresh from the oven bread...

Homemade Oat Bread

*This bread is not whole grain or whole wheat, which is not something that I would necessarily go for. BUT, this was my first experience making homemade bread so I wanted to follow the recipe exactly as is. Usually afterwards I tweak the recipe because I know it works well. BUT ALSO, I would go out and say this bread is a whole foods bread. It's made from scratch, I used organic dairy, and everything I used was unprocessed and natural. Stay tuned for a whole wheat version!*

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

3 c. unbleached bread flour-I used king arthur brand

1 c. old fashioned oats

2 Tb. butter, diced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 TB. honey

2 tsp. instant yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/4 c. lukewarm milk

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until the mixture comes together. (I used a dough hook on my kitchen aid!) Afterwards, place dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. If using a kitchen aid, let it knead for 5 minutes.

2. Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour. The dough won't double in size, but it will increase a little.

3. Afterwards, take the dough out and form into a log. Place in a greased bread pan and cover with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap. Let rise for about 60-90 minutes, or until the bread is close to 1 inch over the rim. At this point I let mine rise over night because I started this process at 8 at night :)

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once heated, bake bread for 35-40 minutes. If the crust is becoming too golden, place a tented foil over the loaf the last 10 minutes.

5. Once done, remove from pan, and slice a piece immediately because you have little to no patience! Also, if you top it with goat cheese, herbs, tomatoes and balsamic...Yum.

Sometimes one thing can alter things for the worse. But it's much more worth it to focus on those simple one things that can make everything and anything all the better.

Like a smile.

Those smiles can change my whole day!

Chocolate Chia Seed Truffles

February 13, 2013 Arielle

A holiday dedicated to chocolate and pink makes me all giddy inside.

I'm was so close to buying myself a box full of See's candy, you know the ones covered in those chocolate jimmy sprinkles? But then I had to remind myself that I've finally noticed my hips are somewhat shrinking from having baby number two...And I really really want to fit into a cute pair of colored jeans by spring. Pink ones preferably...with glitter. I think my 2 year old has a pair.

Cute?

So I figured I would make a truffle that would still give me that sweet taste without making my butt looking like a large pink jaw breaker in those pink skinny jeans...

And a what a jaw breaker that would be to see something like that...

Chocolate Chia Seed Truffles

makes 12-15 small truffles

Ingredients:

20 pitted dates

1/4 c. + 1 TB. chia seeds

1/8 c. cocoa powder

(For rolling)

grated chocolate-I used 90%

sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend all ingredients together until fully blended and a round ball of dough forms. Make sure there are so chunks.

2. Roll a ball of dough about 1 inch thick. Roll it in grated chocolate or sprinkles. Keep in air tight container in the fridge, or cool place.

If you ask me, Boo's definitely up to date with what's in style...

Pink glitter pants with sprinkled lips...Sounds like the perfect Valentine's Day look to me! :)

Lover's Salad with Easy Balsamic Dressing

February 11, 2013 Arielle

I've always been that kind of girl...

The one who always orders a salad when going out to eat. It's like my husbands favorite quality about me...

Not.

I also always order water, change and switch 50% of the salad toppings, and usually end up sending it back because the order is All Wrong! And just when I can't be annoying enough, I slowly start sneaking bites off of other people's meals because my lettuce and water weren't satisfying enough.

Pain.In.The.Butt.

I can only think of like 1 or two places that have amazing salads, and it's all because of their toppings. I'm a 75% toppings and 25% lettuce kind of gal. Add a bomb dot com dressing and I basically could eat salad every single meal. No need to build a plate of everyones leftovers.

It just causes lots of weird looks, and less invitations to go out to eat.

Lover's Salad with Easy Balsamic Dressing

*I call this Lover's Salad because I've topped it with every RED topping imaginable. It really is super versatile, and you could change it up on a whim. It's not a fancy salad that takes a lot of work, more of something that you could make quickly and enjoy that night! Don't forget the bomb dot com salad dressing to go alongside!

Ingredients:

Green & Red Romain Leaves

Red Apples

Red Grapes

Dried Red Cranberries

Strawberries

Cherry Tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese Shavings

Candied walnuts/pecans

Chicken cooked with Cranberry BBQ Sauce (optional-not pictured)

Easy Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients:

2 TB. Greek Yogurt-optional

1/4 c. good quality balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. olive oil

1/8 c. honey

1 tsp. dijon mustard

Salt&Pepper

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

Oh, one more thing.

Don't forget your hot red lipstick to go with your Lover's Salad...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Puddin'/Mousse

February 7, 2013 Arielle

Nothing says Love more than a bowl full of puddin'...

Especially when you've got a your sweet lil' puddin' to make puddin' with you! :)

Puddin' Puddin' Puddin'.

Speaking of lil Puddin' we've decided to no longer have her take naps. It's like mommy suicide, but unfortunately we've had too many late night, "Mommy I'm awake..." moments.

So instead of a two hour window of trash tv and laundry folding, I'm excited to have one on one quality time with my growing girl.

Our favorite thing to do together is cook in the kitchen. We put on our matching aprons, she drags over her little tiny chair, stands on it and looks at me with her sweet and goofy smile.

It's pure bliss.

Most of our kitchen adventures involve chocolate, and by the end Boo has made her way into the pantry to find sprinkles to top it with. Whether it's hummus or a bowl of ice cream, you can bet it will have a colorful assortment of sugar specks. It always ends up delicious.

And if you can imagine the type of damage I do in the kitchen by myself, add a two year old to the mix and the whole downstairs has managed to be dusted with sprinkles, cocoa powder, and measuring spoons. It's a half a days work just to clean up the mess, but I'd make that mess over and over again.

I'm going to sound like a master card commercial here but...It's priceless.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding/Mousse

Ingredients:

2 avocados

1/4 c. peanut butter

1/3 c. liquid sweetener:Honey, maple syrup, agave

1/4 + 1/8c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 TB. vanilla

1 can full fat coconut milk-placed in fridge the night before

Directions:

1. Blend your avocado in a blender or food processor until creamy. Then add your PB, Sweetener, cocoa powder, and vanillla. Blend until all creamy. Place pudding in a large bowl and set aside.

Note: You may be tempted to eat pudding as is. A large spoon or your finger do the trick.

2. Remove your can of coconut milk from the fridge and open it. Using a spoon, scoop out the thick cream from the top of the can. Fold the thick cream into the pudding until smooth. There might be a few little bumps here and there. If you don't want the bumps, you could always whisk the coconut cream a little bit before you fold it into the pudding.

3. Eat at that moment or set in the fridge until ready to eat. Serve with berries, top with extra coconut cream, sprinkles, chocolate shavings, etc.

And in the spirit of Love comes the spirit of Sharing...

Even if none of it made it in her mouth anyways...

:-)

Roasted Veggie & Chickpea Quesadillas-Last Minute Fast Dinner

February 5, 2013 Arielle

So...This is happening...

Well...It's not happening, but it kind of is. We are merely just discussing and getting comfortable with everything, along with trying to meet the specific potty training demands of our two year old.

She must wear her crown...

and she must have her croc shoes on.

Like, where does she come up with this?

To add to it she's been more clothe-less lately due to the training, and our sweet neighbor so happened to stop on by when my child was bare.

Try talking to a friendly and sweet neighbor who brought over delicious bread while your noonie bum child runs wild getting her nakie bottom on every part of our house. "Come on over anytime! Promise I'll clean and my child will wear clothes next time..."

By the end of the day I'm pretty tired, and i'm this close to laying down those wee wee pads that are used for dogs...

Did I mention I'm a really good mom?

Anyways end of the day means everyone is hungry for something filling, easy, fast, healthy, fast, and fast.

Because by the end of the day I'm...pooped.

Watch the Video for the recipe and details!

Baby's First Food: Avocados

February 1, 2013 Arielle

We're about to talk some dirty details my friends...

A while back when Sweet Pea was only 2 weeks old she got a really bad cold. This led to lack of eating, and eventually she completely gave up on breastfeeding.

Lack of breastfeeding led to me sitting on a rocking chair pumping the life out of my 'lack there of', while taking care of a newborn and a two year old. Obviously it didn't last long...

So then came formula.

Formula did harsh and mean things to my sweet little angel. It made her cranky, and kept her from sleeping. Her belly didn't always feel good, and the poor thing would go a long long time with out..well...makin' a dirty diaper.

Fast forward to her almost being 6 months old and her body has finally adapted to formula, and now she is regular.

Sorry for the dirty language my friends, but this is all the harsh truth.

Now that she's ready to eat, the first thing everybody tries is rice cereal. With Boo I did it, and didn't think much of it, but with Sweet Pea I'm thinking twice.

About a week ago I gave a little to her, and it sent her right back to how things used to be. Cranky baby, upset belly, no dirty diaper. That was only after ONE feeding.

I've decided she's really too young for the rice cereal, and it's obviously too hard on her stomach. I've heard this coming from other mommy friends of mine, such as Laury from the Fitness Dish!

So one of the first foods we've started trying is Avocado.

Avocados have been so gentle on my little Sweet Pea. It's also full of healthy fats needed for her brain to grow!

Not to mention she obviously loves it. :-)

My goal is to add on other foods slowly, like the other day we tried mashed bananas. But for now we aren't going to do rice cereal.

When I feel she is ready, we will introduce it slowly so her body can become adapted.

And at the rate Sweet Pea is going, I can tell she's going to LOVE eating food almost as much as her sister...

FYI: My kids are like the best eaters and sleepers that there ever were....

Not.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Healthy Ice Cream

January 29, 2013 Arielle

We are big fans of ice cream in our house.

My husbands like a woman during that special time when it comes to ice cream. Who the heck needs a bowl, give him a freakin' spoon and don't even think about looking in his direction as he eats it.

It's serious business.

Boo loves it too, yet with less drama.

She's all about the toppings at yogurt station. You know the ones that 150 sick kids ran their fingers through right after they picked their noses...

If your new to the blog I need to let you know that Boo has quite an attitude and unfortunately our house has had a little bit more chaos than normal. I decided to introduce a sticker chart for her, and every time she does a good job at something she get's a sticker. After so many stickers, she earns rewards. Her first reward was ice cream.

As fun as going out to an ice cream shop is, making it together at home is much better.

Oh...And it helps that 150 sick kids didn't touch the toppings.

Eat Me Ever Day Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 1/2 frozen bananas

1 TB. Peanut Butter

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Eat Me Every Day Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:

Spoonful of cocoa powder

drizzle of water/non dairy milk

liquid sweetener to taste (opt.)

Directions:

1.In a food processor or blender, puree bananas with PB and vanilla until creamy. If the mixture becomes to thick to, add a few drizzles of non dairy milk and then break up the chunks a little. Let it puree, it may take a few minutes.

2. While it is pureeing, make the chocolate sauce by whisking all of the chocolate drizzle ingredients together until combined.

3. In a bowl, add your 'ice cream', drizzle with some chocolate, and top with desired toppings.

4. If you like to scoop your ice cream and have it a little harder than soft serve, place the pureed ice cream in a tupperware and spread it out. Let it sit in the freezer for at least 30 min-1 hour to let it firm up. Then you can scoop it out! :-)

You can definitely get creative with the additions and toppings in this ice cream!

If you want to check out what and how we did with making this ice cream, watch our video we made! Be warned that I talk a lot and 87% if it doesn't make any sense...

Awesome right? :)

Healthy/Natural Homemade Cafe Rio Sweet 'Chicken' and Creamy Cilantro Dressing

January 23, 2013 Arielle

Since moving to a new state, we've been lucky enough to live quite close to one of my husbands favorite eating places. Actually lucky for him, not so lucky for me...

If you've ever been to Cafe Rio, you know that they make these fresh, soft, carb-licious tortillas. Their sweet pork is like a dessert, and that freaking dressing...

Holy heck. I could drink, bathe, and wash my hair with that dressing.

Too much?

I say it's not lucky for me because as a person who tries hard to eat healthy and natural foods often, the second we get to Cafe Rio all I want to do is order 5 tortillas and a grande dressing and go to down. It's dangerous.

So when I looked up the copycat recipes on line, I found that my husbands favorite sweet pork was made with well...A lot of sugar. DUH. Lots of soda, and lots of brown sugar. My husbands dream. A healthy wife's worst night mare. As for the dressing, I figured it was mayo based and I was right!

Did I mention it's really delicious?

Now...I'm not saying it's wrong to eat the real thing, or make it at home the way it was intended to be made. I've definitely drank that green sauce more than I would like to mention...

This was more like a challenge I wanted to give myself, to see if I could do it. To see if a recipe really needed soda and mayo, and how I could possibly replace them.

Let me put it this way:

My husband thanked me for PICKING up his favorite meal for dinner.

That's hot.

Homemade Cafe Rio Sweet Chicken

* Cafe Rio is famous for their Sweet Pork, not Sweet Chicken. But since I'm not a pork eater, I figured swapping it with chicken could and would totally work!

Ingredient:

2 lb. cooked chicken*-shredded

Homemade Enhilada Sauce

1/4 c. sparkling water

1 c. maple, coconut, or date sugar-you could probably get away with 1/2 c.

12 oz. green chilies

salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

*The best way I have learned to cook my chicken is to liberally salt and pepper the chicken, then generally coat it with coconut oil. Cook at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until done. You could also easily sub beans for chicken, and create a baked beans type of dish, which would work well with the dish too!

Directions:

1. Prepare and cook your chicken. While it's cooking, make the homemade enchilada sauce.

2. The enchilada sauce will make about 3 c. of liquid. In a crockpot, add 1 1/2 c. of prepared enchilada sauce. Then save the extra sauce to top on burritos or to make enchiladas with the leftovers.

3. Along with the 1 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce, add the sparkling water, green chilies, and sugar. Add the cooked shredded chicken and warm the chicken with the sauce for about 30-60 minutes. (I used the warm setting, but you could also use low/med heat. Just make sure not to overcook it.) Season with spices to desired taste.

Homemade Cafe Rio Creamy Cilantro Dressing

*Originally this recipe calls for 1 cup of mayo and a prepared ranch packed.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. non dairy milk mixed with 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar-OR-1/2 c. greek yogurt (Yogurt might add a more sour taste though)

1/2 c. plain hummus (I used Sabre brand)

1/2 bunch cilantro

2 tomatillos

1 jalepeno, seeds removed (optional)

juice and zest of 1 lime

2 TB. dried parsly

1 tsp. dried dill

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion flakes

1 tsp. dried chives

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Blend all together, then let sit in the fridge until ready to serve!

Now, the way to layer a Cafe Rio salads is like so:

-Large Whole Wheat Tortilla

-Black Beans

-Cilantro Rice (Brown)

-Lettuce

-Pico Salsa

-Guacamole

-Sweet Chicken

-Chopped Cilantro

Oh..And that dang good dressing

OR, if you are a into the wet burritos, make yourself a burrito with all the fixings, top with the extra enchilada sauce and some cheese and melt in the double broiler for a few minutes. Top with the Cilantro dressing, and dig in!

And if your wondering how to get your child to eat their very first salad ever....

It's all about the dressing my friends....It's liquid gold.

Be Consistent & A 100 Workout Challenge!

January 21, 2013 Arielle

Before we begin this weeks #BeConsistent talk and challenges, be sure to check out what Be Consistent is all about! Check out the first post!

Then check out last weeks post about my favorite online fitness resources!

We are finally getting settled into our new home, and I'm beginning to feel a little less crazy because things are settling down! Like many of you around the world, there are definitely some weather challenges which keep up hiding in doors! (Under the blankets, snuggled with your babies, watching trash TV. You know...the Usual.) Or, your house could be battling the plague, therefore you husband and kiddos are quarantined to their rooms. Either way, I'm sure a lot of us may be dealing with some type of cabin fever and if you don't have a full blown gym in your house and you are sick workout videos well then...what to do?

A long with the theme of Being Consistent, these little challenges are some of my favorite workouts! If your gone all day and don't have time to fit in a full workout but are in desperate need of one, this 100 challenge can do the trick!

You don't have to repeat it 3x, one after the other. If your short on time or a beginner, only do it once or split it so you do it 3 times that day! What ever you do, remember it's all about doing the best you can do at least do something each day to Be Consistent with living a healthy lifestyle!

And if motivation is a problem, try enticing yourself with a little sweet treat after your sweat sesh packed with nutrients and protein!

Apple Date Smoothie (serves 2)

Ingredients:

3/4 c. milk of choice

2 small apples, core removed

5 dates, pitted

1/3 c. greek yogurt

dash of vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

ice

Directions:

1. Blend and Smile!!

If you do the 100 Challenge, let me know!! Tweet, FB, etc! I would love to hear it!! :-)

Baked Lentils w/ Sweet Potato

Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (I will try and bake them! :) )

Carrot Soup w/ Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas

Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon

Homemade Pizza with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

Date Night!

Indian Spiced Lentils w/ Naan Bread

Have a great week everybody! I have a recipe I'm posting soon that rhymes with tafe tio! (Hint Hint: Cafe Rio...) ;-)

Black Berry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

January 9, 2013 Arielle

Yesterday was the first day that I was actually able to 'cook' a meal in a kitchen.

It was also the first day I went grocery shopping in 3 weeks.

And finally it was also the start of the new season for The Bachelor.

Yesterday was like Christmas all over again.

We are still staying with family and haven't moved to our new state/house just yet, but I begged my mom to let me go grocery shopping for her and make dinner because I was starting to go bananas. Is it normal that I want to grocery shop and make dinner, probably not? But I've also been switching between 2 different sweat pants in 3 weeks, and I'm beginning to look homeless so at this point I've lost any sense of what's normal.

Another repeat outfit:

I'm pretty sure every picture I've posted on Instagram in the last few weeks has shown Boo in the EXACT.Same.Dress.

This time it's not a lack of clothes, but more of a "I'm going to wear my Princess dress every day I don't care what you say, and if you won't let me I'm going to make you regret it by throwing a huge tantrum..."

At this point, our family is just down right aDORable...

But even if we wear the same clothes and people are starting to feel sorry for us, it doesn't mean the food we eat has to resemble our appearances in any way. In fact we prefer our food 'pretty'.

It means we haven't given up completely.

(Inspired from Pink Pistachio)

Ingredients:

1-2 bruschetta baguette*

2-3 TB. melted coconut oil

1/2 orange (rind included)

1 c. fresh blackberries

2 TB. honey

1 8 oz brick goat cheese

2 ripe pears

Balsamic Vinegar

*I bought my loaf from Trader Joes, it was long and skinny. It made about 25 pieces of bruschetta. You could easily buy two loaves and still have enough cheese mixture for the second loaf. If you want to only use one loaf, you can either cut the recipe in half for the cheese spread or use a larger amount on top. If at all, you will have left overs for toast, bagels, sandwiches, oatmeals, etc.! :)

Directions:

1. Cut the loaf into thin slices, and set aside.

2. In a food processor add the orange, including the rind, and process until there aren't any large chunks left. Add in the goat cheese, blackberries, and honey and pulse a few times until everything is combined. Do not over process. Add cheese mixture to a bowl and set in the fridge until ready to use.

3. Melt your coconut oil, then spread a thin layer on the front and back of each slice of bread. Toast bread in a grill pan, or regular pan, until both sides are golden and somewhat crispy. Let the bread cool.

4. While the bread is cooling, slice the pears into thin slices. Grab the cheese mixture out of the fridge and spread a nice helping on top of the bread slice. Add a few slices of pears, then drizzle with balsamic. (A really good thick balsamic works best!) Serve immediately.

I'm looking forward to that day when I can open up that box that holds all my other clothes in it.

Let's hope it didn't get lost in the transition because that would mean more sweat pants...

Actually that would mean I would have to buy new clothes, so on second thought...Screw that old box of clothes. I hope I never see it again.

Be Consistent with Living a Healthy Lifestyle

January 3, 2013 Arielle

Here's the truth about New Years Resolutions... I loathe them.

I think every New Years since I was a 12 I've always said I wanted to loose weight. Then come February and those cute pink and red chocolate candies some how find their way into every isle and corner of shopping stores, and then mysteriously end up in my shopping cart.

Of coarse after chocolate candy February comes chocolate covered bunny Easter, and before you know it BAM it's June and everybody and their mom is wearing bathing suits and your still pounding that huge box of vibrant colored marshmallow peeps because they are your favorite.

(Note Picture above: Peep eater in a little coat...)

Like I LOATHE New Years Resolutions.

After many battles with myself and trying to change to a healthier lifestyle, I've learned that a new date and a new year does nothing but give me a little bit of hope, followed by a lot a bit of pressure, then eventually total failure.

I'm going to give a series of scenarios, and I want you to think in your head if you have ever done any of the following.

-You decide you are going to start eating healthy at the beginning of the New Year! Come that morning on the 1st of the year, you have NO idea what to eat and everything healthy sounds repulsive. You do the best you can though, and continue to make somewhat healthy choices through out the week. Come day 7 you are pretty cranky because healthy eating is becoming difficult, overwhelming, and it's too hard to eat healthy every single meal and snack. Eventually you give in to that Ben & Jerry's because you just can't accomplish the goal you set out to do.

How about this one?

-At the new year, you decide you are going to exercise at least 5-6 times a week. Your goal is to wake up at 5 a.m. every day and run on that treadmill or go to the gym for at least 60-75 minutes. Come the 1st, you pull yourself out of bed and get your butt to the gym. It's hard but you continue to do it for a couple of days. Then your husband is on call for the weekend, all of your kids get sick, and your just too tired to get up at 5 and go so instead you just give up. It's to hard to fit in that amount of time with your busy schedule.

Ok, so I know those scenarios sound extreme, but in all honesty I've been there. I've been the girl who tried so desperately to change my eating at the first of the year and the pressure, my laziness, lack of knowledge, etc. made me give up. I've also been a mom, and more so a single mom due to my husbands schedule, and unable to have even an hour for a solid workout. Many a times I've given up on exercise because my family and it's priorities were put first.

SO...What do you do?

Over the past month, many of you know our family is moving out of state. Besides the end of the year being super crazy with holidays and work schedules, we've been packing up our lives, living out of boxes, and staying at different family members homes until we can move into our rental. All of this has made me crazy, and quite frankly it's been REALLY easy to get off track on living a healthy lifestyle.

Yet this past month I changed my way of thinking, and put it to the test. I wanted to see if this ONE phrase/ONE word could change the way I viewed staying on track with living a healthy lifestyle. You know what? It really did!

All you have to do is think of that simple phrase/word in order to stay on track with your goals of living a healthy lifestyle. Let me explain:

What this Does NOT mean-This does not mean you make a goal to be consistent with running 45 minutes on the treadmill each day. This does not mean be consistent by making sure every single meal is healthy, every single day.

What this DOES mean-This means that as long as you are consist every day with doing SOMETHING that goes a long with your goals, you are doing the best you can!

For example, one of my goals this year is to become better at exercising. With everything that has been going on, it's been really hard to have even 20 minutes to myself to workout. So on days where it's too crazy, instead of giving up and not exercising because it won't be a great workout, I take 10 minutes to do some floor exercises. (Something simple like sit ups and lunges.) Or I do a ten minute You Tube video. It may not be the greatest workout where I burned 400 calories, but I did something. And on the days where I have more time, I'll definitely do something more intense. But the main point I am trying to make here is that:

Eventually exercising, eating healthy, and living a healthy lifestyle will become a habit, and apart of your everyday lifestyle!

Here's a look at some random days exercises that I've partaken in over the past few weeks:

Some of those workouts may have been small, but none were insignificant. Despite having a crazy schedule (and now two sick kids!), i've consistently done some sort of workout every day. (Except on rest days/Sundays.)

And if eating healthier is one of your goals, consistency will definitely benefit you too! For example, all of my favorite kitchen appliances, like my other child named vitamix, are all packed up. We've been staying at a family members houses and not everbody eats lots of freaky green food like we do and that's ok! So eating healthy has been somewhat of a challenge. So I've done my best to balance and moderate the unhealthier foods, followed by consistently eating a few healthy things each day. I do the best I can with what I've been given! Here is an example:

So my goal for you this year is to :

Every Sunday I will keep you updated with ideas for you to be consistent with healthy living along with links for quick/effective workouts that you can do on your own! On top of that, Sundays will also be the day I will post a sample menu of healthy foods that you can make for your families through out the week! I'm really excited about this new series, and I truly hope all of YOU, my blog friends, will get involved and make an effort to be consistent everyday with making small and simple healthy choices!

Here are ways to get involved:

-Send me links/pictures/tweets about ways your were consistent with either eating healthy/working out/ making a healthy decision! Use the Hashtag #BeConsistent

Have a great start to the New Year everyone! Can't wait to see all that this New Year brings!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Fudge

December 20, 2012 Arielle

I hope you can forgive me for really crappy pictures of really delicious fudge.

Things are like cray cray right now. (Just to clarify Mom, cray cray means crazy. Straight up.) You see...things just aren't right over here. In the midst of packing our lives up in boxes in order for the big move, I've discovered there are things hidden in every crack and corner of our little apartment. I've noticed that I must shed bobbi pins on a daily basis because I've probably found over 1000 just throughout my house. And there is also a 30 oz. bag of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips in my freezer...Well there was.

But it's not me that has an emotional attachment to every single item that needs to be packed and put away. It's Boo.

Every.Dang.Thing. is something that she wants to play with, and the second it goes in the box there is a meltdown above all meltdowns.

Sweet Pea is just fine, except she's perfected this pout look that makes me want to call it a day and just hold her...

All of this brings me to fudge. At this moment fudge is that answer to my sorrows...

I remember the exact time and place that I first had fudge. That's both sad and weird, but seriously...It was amazing. This fudge is a little different. It's only 3-4 ingredients, doesn't have 3 c. of sugar, heavy cream, or corn syrup. And if your chocolate is dairy free, it's completely vegan!

I'm not going to lie, this isn't a 'light' dessert, and eating 4-5 pieces probably isn't the best idea. Not that I know that from a life experience or anything...

Dark Chocolate Ganache Fudge

Adapted from HERE and HERE

Ingredients:

3 c. or 20 oz. chopped dark chocolate

1 can coconut milk

2/3 c. coconut sugar

1 TB. vanilla

Desired toppings for fudge

Directions

1. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. In a pot over med/low heat add coconut milk and sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for about 12-14 minutes, whisking frequently. Once done remove from heat, whisk in vanilla then fold in chocolate.

2. Pour and smooth chocolate mixture in baking dish. Like spatula. Top with desired toppings. I chose chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and walnuts!

3. Put in fridge and let set overnight.

4. When it comes time to cut, pull fudge out of dish. Carefully peel parchment paper off of the sides of the fudge. Using a good knife, run it under warm water and wipe it dry. Carefully cut fudge into desired size pieces. Place fudge on (optional) chocolate shavings or shredded coconut so it doesn't stick to serving dish, or just place on parchment paper. Place cut fudge in fridge until ready to serve. The longer it sits out, the more soft it will become, so my suggestion would be to let it sit in the fridge before serving.

And don't worry if it sticks to the paper when you are chopping it...It's normal.

What isn't normal is trying to take a family picture on a timer and it NEVER working out.

Happy Holidays...

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

December 13, 2012 Arielle

This month has been overly chaotic.

You can always tell my stress/busy level by the fact that my eyebrows will start to come together into the shape of an unkept mustache above my eyelids.

(P.S. I've got two mustaches.)

Besides the holidays starting and ending sooner than I can call and make and appointment for a brow wax, my husband has OFFICIALLY finished all of his schooling and residency as of 12-12-12!

(Seriously...He's the greatest! I am so proud of this guy!)

I truly never thought this day would come and that forever we would be living the life as 'students' without any money. NOW, we aren't students, and we are finally just regular ol' people!...still without money. :-)

In the next few weeks our little families lives are going to change as we prepare for the next step. Besides working a normal job and a husband who will be home a lot more, we will be picking up our bags and moving out of the state! It's going to be a big and scary change for us, but I am SO excited! And sad. And nervous. And I want my mommy....

I also want to stop stress eating. Stress eating for me is quick un-filling meals where I don't sit down and eat, but I grab a bite of something here and there. Usually something that looks and taste like chocolate.

Actually it's always chocolate.

Except for today...Today I made brussel sprouts. One being because it's a great Christmas side dish, and two because the brussel sprouts in my fridge had been in there way to long...

Afterwards I ate chocolate though, so don't worry...

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

20 med/lg. brussel sprouts-outer leaves off, then cut up sprouts into medium slices

1 tsp. coconut oil

1 large shallot diced

4 cloves garlic diced

sprinkle of salt and pepper

sprinkle of nutmeg (1/4 tsp.)

3 TB. maple syrup

1/3 c. dried cranberries

1 heaping TB. finely shredded coconut

1 1/2 c. walnuts

1 TB. maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat your broiler to the low setting. On a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper add your walnuts and the 1 TB. of maple syrup. Cook in the broiler for about 5 minutes, checking periodically and tossing the walnuts. Remove from oven when the maple syrup begins to harden on the walnuts. Once done set aside.

2. In a sauce pan on the stove, heat coconut oil, shallots and garlic. Cook for a few minutes or until shallots are translucent. Add sprouts, 3 TB. maple syrup, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir constantly and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add cranberries, coconut, and walnuts. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and serve.

Let's hope that things remain somewhat normal this month amidst all the crazy-ness...

Actually it's probably going to take more than hope...

Where's the chocolate?

Toddler Christmas Breakfast

December 10, 2012 Arielle

Every child, and do I dare say even I, love to wake up on Christmas morning excited for the day's festivities!

The spirit of surprise, celebrating our Savior, families fighting over who really has the best recipe for that family favorite dish, and hoping that your husband got you something shiny instead of something that goes vroom and sounds like/is a vacuum. It's all a beautiful and memorable time!

A long with Christmas comes sugarplums and food comas, and visions of 'I shouldn't have eating 587 of grandma's homemade rolls' dancing in your head. Christmas morning is always a treat, whether it's sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, mile high pancakes, or a pan crackling with bacon. Everybody enjoys a great meal after opening presents!

Whether you want to indulge all the way or dip a carrot in some spinach dip and call it good, it's almost a necessity that the food be fun, enjoyable, and especially as memorable as your grandmothers rolls.

GREEN SMOOTHIES: Coconut water/milk, handful of spinach, dollop of PB, banana, sweetener of choice, & Ice. (For a chocolate minty version, add fresh mint leaves along with cocoa powder!)

SNOWMAN PANCAKES: THIS recipe. Along with an apple hat, carrot nose, chocolate chip eyes/mouth, and blueberry buttons. Don't forget the Coconut Milk Maple Whipped Cream for the scarf and snow!

CANDY CANE FRUIT: All that's needed is one banana and a handful of raspberries or chopped strawberries. Form into a stripped candy cane! (Also seen Here.)

Don't forget to have your littles close their eyes!

(Ignore that Sweet Pea is wearing Halloween Pumpkin Pajamas...)

Then after breakfast comes more eating, buttered rolls, and unbuttoned pants...

Don't you just love Christmas? :)

Give Me Some Energy Granola Bars (No Bake)

December 4, 2012 Arielle

Tomorrow (Or Today if you are reading this on Tuesday) we are going to Disneyland.

You can't even begin to understand the excitement that is generating through my body at this moment. Each time that I've been to Disneyland in the past years, I've been pregnant. Which means each time I've smiled my way through Dumbo, Pirates, and the Carousel. All the while my husband runs around like a 5 year old hopped up on churrrrros smiling his way down every drop, turn, twist, and other exciting rides as I sit back and watch.

Not this time my friends.

Although my tolerability (word?) might have changed, and I may find myself looking for the nearest bathroom after one 'exciting' drop off of splash mountain, I plan on enjoying all that I missed out on! I will prevail...I will have the energy!

And I will have a Churrrrro.

Give Me Some Energy Granola Bars (No Bake)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. crunchy peanut butter (natural)

1/4 c. coconut oil

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. maple sugar (you can sub brown sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar too)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. oats

1 c. brown rice cereal

1/8 c. ground flax seeds

1/8 c. chia seeds

1/4 c. chocolate chips (you can sub chopped dates, cocoa nibs, chopped nuts)

Directions:

1. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl add oats, cereal, flax seeds, and chia seeds.

2. In a sauce pan, heat PB, oil, honey, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir often for about a minute. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour liquid into the medium bowl and mix all ingredients together until fully coated. Pour ingredients into pan and press firmly and evenly into pan. Press in chocolate chips on top.

3. Set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden. Cut and individually wrap and store in an airtight container. (I keep mine in the fridge, then let them sit out a little bit before eating.)

I've already wrapped and packed these bars for tomorrow just in case I find myself drifting off while waiting for a ride that pregnant people aren't allowed to ride on.

It's.Going.To.Be.Sick.

Maple Sugar Sweet Potato Wedge Fries

December 3, 2012 Arielle

“This recipe is the perfect side dish to pair with dinner when you are looking for something that everyone will eat! I love adding sweet and savory touches to sweet potatoes because it really brings out their flavor and definitely helps attract the taste buds for the pickiest eater.”

This recipe made it’s blog debut in 2012, back when I only had one child and I thought life was hard… ;)

{But dang, isn’t that Baby Boo cute. I sure to miss her two year old naughty-ness. I would trade her third grade homework any day to have a moment with her tiny self again!}

Since then I have been making this recipe for years. I love to make it as a side dish pretty much with anything because my kids will eat it and I feel good about my self when they eat vegetables and not Pop Tarts. ;)

This recipe is also so versatile. You can dice them, chop them, change the spices, add a squeeze of lime juice, or even a little pure maple syrup! You won’t regret adding this to your weekly dinner menu, that I can promise!

If you’ve never worked with Maple sugar, it’s similar to coconut sugar. If you have never worked with either sugars, they are basically natural and unrefined sugars vs. regular white sugar. I love to use them in place of regular sugar when cooking because it is much more pure.

Maple Sugar Sweet Potato Wedge Fries

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes-skined and cut into fries/wedges

3 TB. olive oil

3 TB. maple sugar OR coconut sugar

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. pepper

salt to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and spices, minus the salt. Set aside.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add your potatoes. Drizzle in oil, then using your hands, toss the fries to coat the oil.
Sprinkle in the spices, and toss again to coat the fries evenly.
Pour onto a baking sheet, making sure they all lay flat and are not on top of each other.
Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, flip the fries, then bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Enjoy!