Week of Toddler Meals (23 months old)

About 6 months ago, when my daughter was 17 months old, I created a post that showed what she ate for an entire week.   It was my hope that my post would help another mom/dad to get ideas for feeding their own little one, something that I struggled with for a long time.  Well, Olive is almost 2 years old now (just one more month!), so I thought it might be interesting to do it again.  She eats a lot of the same things she did at 17 months, but there are some differences.  Some things you might want to know:

1. My husband and I have recently adopted a vegan diet.  That means no meat, no dairy products,  no eggs, and no animal products of any kind.  What does that mean for my daughter?  Pretty much the same.  We took her off whole dairy milk (we were going to stop at 2 years anyway) and switched over to almond milk.  She used to eat eggs a lot, so there is no more of that.  When we decided to go vegan, we still had meat and cheese in the house.  You will see some meat and cheese in some of the meals below - Olive got to help finish it all (my husband and I ate something different), but it's gone now and we won't be buying more.   
2. Even though I am vegan, I am choosing to still buy yogurt for Olive.  I think yogurt has a ton of good things for her and I don't want to let my choices take away something from her that is so healthy.
3. She drinks about 10 oz of almond milk in the morning and about 8 oz at night.  We plan on weaning it a little when she turns two, offering it more throughout the day in smaller amounts.  I also let her have water throughout the day when she wants it.
4. Most days, Olive eats what we eat.  But she is a toddler!  I occasionally make her something different because she doesn't want what I serve her (or I can't because it's too spicy).
5. This is actually a little more than a week.  There are 8 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 8 dinners.  So....bonus! :)
6. If you want to know the recipe to something below, just leave a comment and I'll let you know! :)

Okay then, without further adieu....

Breakfasts

blueberry muffin, sliced grapes, cup of veggie/fruit smoothie (homemade)

vegan whole wheat pancakes with pure maple syrup, chunks of colby-jack cheese, applesauce

oatmeal with mixed berries, flax meal & almond milk

yogurt mixed with applesauce & flaxmeal, vegan whole wheat blueberry pancakes

English muffin with natural peanut butter & all-fruit spread, sliced grapes, chunks of colby-jack cheese

banana, potato-onion-bean scramble

yogurt with applesauce & flaxmeal, rye toast with vegan butter, sliced grapes

warm quinoa with chopped bananas and coconut milk

Lunches

peanut butter & fruit spread sandwich, fresh tropical fruit mix, small cup of almond milk

whole wheat crackers, chunks of colby-jack cheese, hummus

vegan quinoa "burger" and hummus sandwich, clementine wedges

grilled cheese sandwich, black beans, cantaloupe

cous-cous, corn, tomato & white bean salad

watermelon, whole wheat cracker, bean-cucumber-corn salad 

hummus on lavash bread, banana & blueberries

watermelon, peanut butter & fruit spread on pita bread

bean & rice burrito (BRC burrito from El Pollo Loco, minus the cheese), frozen blueberries

Dinners

crispy chicken bites (last of the meat!), roasted brussels sprouts & carrots, lemony yogurt dipping sauce

sweet potato chunks, broccoli, avo-dilla

veggie burger, sweet potato tater tots

roasted zucchini, frozen peas, slice of cheese pizza

vegan "chicken" patty, frozen banana chunks, fruit/veggie smoothie

roasted broccoli, carrots & cauliflower, homemade spaghetti & cheese

pinto bean soup, baked potato fries, brocolli & cauliflower

vegan quinoa sloppy joe, vegan potato salad (note:  This is my serving - I forgot to take a picture of hers before she started eating.)  

I hope some of these ideas inspire you to create some new meals in your own home.  Happy Eatings! :)

A Year of Dates: January, February & March

A few months ago, I posted about a gift I gave to my husband for Christmas:  A Year of Dates.  As you might be able to tell, I haven't been that great about posting my monthly date ideas.  Well, no more of that!  I'm going to start posting every month from here on out!  Since I'm a little behind, I'm going to put 3 months into this one post.  (Also, I didn't take any pictures of my first two dates, so I didn't think they would make such a great post.)  So without further adieu...

JANUARY:  Dinner at a Restaurant


I don't have any pictures of this because we were basically the only ones in the restaurant and it felt weird to be taking pictures of us and our food.  Anyways... To save some money, we bought a gift certificate from Restaurant.com, which allows you to buy a gift certificate for less than what it's worth.  For example, we spent $15 on a gift certificate that was worth $25 to spend at the restaurant.  It's a pretty cool idea.  Just make sure you read the fine print before you purchase.  Some restaurants only allow you to use the certificate on certain days or on certain items.

FEBRUARY: Bowling


We went to an bowling alley that has daily specials.  On Sunday, they have $2 shoe rental plus $2 per game.  Pretty good deal!  Plus, they had cheap drinks and food which made it a really fun and frugal night.

MARCH: Taylor Guitar Factory Tour


Finally, pictures!  We live about 2 hours away from San Diego, where the Taylor Guitar Factory is located.  My husband is a wonderful guitar player and I thought it would be fun to tour a guitar making factory.  Taylor Guitar Factory offers daily FREE tours, which is awesome.  We made a day out of it, eating at a yummy vegetarian restaurant prior to the tour.  On the way home, we took the top off our our Jeep and enjoyed the awesome California weather!  It was a great, cheap, and relaxing day.  If you have any factories in your area, guitar or otherwise, I definitely recommend checking them out.  Who knows, they might even let you tour it for free!

Date Cost: Free (well, we did have to spend gas money to get there)

Time Spent: 1.5 hours

When to go: M-F

Lots of guitars you can take off the wall and play - this was just a small selection, there were a ton more!

Play Away!

Oh yeah, you get to wear a cool pass when you're on the tour.

Guitar necks waiting to find a body.

Wood that's waiting to be turned into a guitar.

Carved out front panels of guitar body.

This was a fun and interesting tour.  Definitely a unique date idea.  We were able to take home some free coasters that were made from the hole in the guitars and my husband got a new baseball cap.  At the very least, my husband and I were able to spend a purely adult day together.  And as much as we love our daughter, we were actually able to find lots of other things to talk about.  Crazy, huh?  :)

I'll be posting our April date soon!  (I've been sick, so we've had to postpone.  Hopefully we can go next weekend!)

Delicious Vegan Rice Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Jennifer when she was over a few weeks back for a little "mom's night in".  Jenn adapted it from the cookbook Quick-Fix Vegetarian by Robin Robertson.  This recipe is vegan, delicious, healthy, and so flavorful!  A big plus is that everything is soft enough for a little toddler's mouth to chew on!  I usually end up making a double batch and pairing it with something like these awesome quinoa cakes for a healthy, vegetarian meal.

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 16 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 roasted bell peppers, diced (I use orange and yellow - here's a link on how to roast the peppers.  It's super easy, I promise!) 
2 scallions, minced
4 tbsp fresh lime juice (more or less to your own taste)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro (I use cilantro.)


Directions:
1) Cook rice according to the directions on your rice cooker and set aside.
2) While the rice is cooking, roast the bell peppers.  (You can use jarred roasted bell peppers, but roasting your own is very easy.)
3) In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, bell peppers, and scallions.
4) Whisk together the lime juice, chili powder, salt, and olive oil.
5) Add the cooled rice (doesn't have to be cold, just cooled a little) to the bean mixture.  Toss with the dressing mixture and cilantro or parsley.  
6) Serve and enjoy!


I've recently decided to slowly make my way to becoming a vegetarian, and maybe a vegan.  My first step was to give up all processed meats/meats with nitrites (bacon, sausage, lunch meat, etc.), and I did that successfully about 4 months ago.  My second step is to eat less meat and more vegetables.  I started that this week - 5 out of 7 meals were meatless and included way more vegetables.  I can't just go from omnivore to vegan in one step.  I first have to find more recipes that will support my new eating choices.  The recipe that I've described above is one such recipe.  It is in my recipe book and will be made for years to come!

Healthy Dinner Idea: Vietnamese Pho

If you've never had pho before, your taste buds are in for a flavor party!  Pho (pronounced "fuh") is the national soup of Vietnam and, while it can be made in a variety of ways, typically includes noodles, herbs, and some type of protein.  My husband used to go to pho restaurants all the time and although I love the soup, I actually have never been to a pho restaurant.  All my pho experiences have been with my own homemade version, which I've adapted from a recipe in the magazine Vegetarian Times.  This recipe is so flavorful, even my daughter loves it.  I modify it a little for her, chopping up the chicken and noodles and using less broth.  I give her a spoon and a straw (to slurp up the broth) and she goes to town!  Here is the recipe for your tasting pleasure!

Yes, there are a lot of ingredients.  Get ready:

Broth:
3 large shallots (1 cup), sliced
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
fresh ginger, sliced into 12 1/4-inch-thick coins
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
5-6 fresh basil stems
5-6 fresh cilantro stems
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Pho:
10 oz. package udon noodles (or rice noodles)
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breast (or 1 pkg. Asian-flavor baked tofu, thinly sliced) - not pictured
2 cups soybean sprouts
4 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cups watercress (I hate this, but many people like it.  You will not see it here, but feel free to use it!)
2 limes, cut into wedges

1) To make the broth:  Add all the broth ingredients, shallots through cilantro stems, into a large pot.  Don't worry about how pretty you chop things up - it's going to get tossed later anyways.

2) Add 6 cups vegetable broth and 8 cups water to the pot.  Cover and bring to a boil.  When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

3) While the broth is cooking, prepare the chicken.  Slice as thinly as possible into bite-sized pieces.  If your chicken is frozen, it's even easier to cut into thin slices.  Cover and place in the fridge until it's time to use.  If you are using tofu instead, read on to find out what to do.

4)  Cook the noodles according to the package.  These are udon noodles (I prefer these over rice noodles) which require you to cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  After they are cooked, rinse under cold water and set aside.  I'm not sure about how to cook the rice noodles, so make sure you read the package.

5)  After the broth has simmered for 1 hour, strain and discard the solids.  I placed a colander over a large bowl and poured.  You aren't going to use any of this stuff, so just throw it away (you were only using it to extract the flavors).  Put the broth back in the pot.

7)  If you are using tofu, skip this step and go to step 8.  If you are using chicken, read on.  Bring the strained broth back to a boil and add the raw chicken.  If you sliced it thinly, it should cook in about 4-5 minutes.  In fact, it will probably start to turn white as soon as it enters the broth.  When it is fully cooked, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside.

8)  Assemble your soup ingredients:  sprouts, chopped basil, cilantro, and green onions, cooked noodles, lime wedges, and cooked chicken (not pictured).  If you are using tofu, slice and place in a bowl as well.

9)  Assemble your pho:  In a large bowl, place noodles in the bottom of the bowl.  Ladle broth over the noodles and top with chicken/tofu, sprouts, green onions, basil, cilantro, and squeezed lime on top.  Of course, feel free to use as little or as much of each of these "toppers" as you like.  It's all up to you on how you want it to turn out.

This is a very slurpy soup, so grab a fork and a spoon (or a pair of chopsticks) and a big napkin.  And if your family members don't like the slurpy sounds of a happy pho eater, get them some earplugs, too.

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do and that you have a "pho"ntastic day!  :)

Quick Dinner Idea!

I made one of my favorite, easy, standby dinners tonight.  It's called...Meat-Bean-Macaroni Mix?  Okay, I don't have a very good name for it, but it's delicious!  I got the recipe from a magazine (I think Cooking Light) a few years ago.  I love it because I usually have everything I need to make it already in the kitchen, which means no last minute runs to the grocery store.  There's a sense of pride I get when I can make a meal using what we have in the house, without spending any extra money.  So, without further adieu, here is my Meat-Bean-Macaroni Mix! (If you think of a better name, by all means, let me know!):

Ingredients:
16 oz package elbow macaroni
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Italian sausage (or ground turkey, ground chicken, whatever's your pleasure - I used ground chicken in tonight's dish because that's what we had.  If you don't use Italian sausage, I'd probably add a little Italian seasoning for flavor.)
2  15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, undrained
2  15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
shaved/shredded cheese (Romano & Parmesan are good choices)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta to al dente (almost soft with just a little bite).  Set aside when done.  Meanwhile...
2. Heat olive oil in large pot.  Add onion and garlic and saute until soft.
3. Add meat and cook until is starts to brown.
4. Add wine to break up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add tomatoes, beans, fennel, chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring mixture to a boil.  Turn down heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.  (I usually let mine simmer for a little longer to soak up all the flavors.)
6. Add cooked macaroni.  Add a little at a time - see how much you want.  I usually have about 1 1/2 cups leftover that I'll use in something else the next day.
7. Serve with a little cheese on top.

I hope you all enjoy this dish as much as my family and I do.  It's quick, simple, and relatively healthy, and as a busy mom, I couldn't ask for anything more! :)

Week of Toddler Meals (17 months old)

My daughter has been eating real food and full meals for a while now (she's currently 17 months old).  But when she turned 12 months and we started transitioning off of formula, it was overwhelming.  Formula use to be her 100% nutrition.  Now I had to make sure:  Is she getting everything she needs?  I bought books, I researched, and finally, I calmed down.  I realized, as long as she eats healthy foods, most of the time, most of the week, she'll be fine.  But it took me a few months to get to that point.  I always wish that I had had a mom just say, "Here are some meal ideas to get you started."  So, with that in mind, I thought that I'd record everything Olive ate for a full week: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and some snacks.

A few notes:

1. Olive still gets whole milk twice a day: 12 oz when she wakes up and 8 oz before she goes to bed.  (I just didn't take pictures of it!)  She also gets water throughout the day when she wants it.
2. This actually took me about 10 days to complete because:  Some days were leftovers of the day before - not that interesting - and some days we were out and about and I didn't have my camera.
3. These are the meals I made for my daughter, not necessarily the meals she ate.  Truthfully, she has a good appetite and usually eats what I give her, but she's a toddler so she likes to be difficult sometimes! 
4. Sometimes she eats what we eat and sometimes I make her a different meal.
5. Yes, we eat a lot of bananas, flax meal, and sweet potatoes.  Hey, they're easy to make and healthy!  Also, you caught me on a week that I had a lot of grapes and pears.  On another week, you might see a lot of cantaloupe and peas or apple and green beans.  It just depends on what we bought that week! :)

Breakfasts

Bananas and Homemade Waffles (the waffles are made with flax meal, blackberries, and peaches)

Applesauce with Flax Meal & Potato Pancakes (made by Grandpa)

Bananas, toast sticks, scrambled egg

Egg, Cheese & Hash brown Burrito 

Greek Yogurt with Banana, Flax Meal, & Applesauce mixed in

Oatmeal with Banana, Flax Meal, Blueberries, and Applesauce

Diced Pears with Whole Wheat Pancake Sticks

Lunches

Peanut Butter Pita Triangles, String Cheese, Grapes

Greek Yogurt with Bananas and Garbanzo Beans 

Slurry (our name for smoothies in our house).  This one has:  spinach, carrots, sweet potato, kidney beans, cantaloupe, bananas, almond milk, flax meal, blueberries, mango, green beans, strawberries, applesauce, peas, and blackberries.  If you want to see me making a similar one, click here.

String Cheese, Diced Pears, Toast Sticks

Scrambled Eggs with Shredded Cheese & Peas

Almond Butter and Banana Sandwich with Organic Cheddar Cheese 

Kidney Beans and Dried Mixed Fruit

                                                Dinners

Pearl Couscous Mixed with Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Corn, Tomatoes & Spices

Sweet Potato and Turkey/Chicken Burger Patty

Sweet Potato, Cheese Quesadilla, Grapes

Turkey/Chicken Meatloaf, Sweet Potato, Roasted Cauliflower & Carrots

Grilled Polenta, Sauteed Spinach, Baked Pork

Taco Bake:  Ground Chicken/Turkey, Pinto Beans, Tomatoes, Crushed Tortilla Chips

Burrito:  Chicken/Turkey Mix, Cheese, Tomatoes, Flour Tortilla

Snacks (these aren't all the snacks she ate - just the ones I photographed)

Baba Ganoush & Pita (shared with Grandma) 

Grapes and Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich (shared with Mama)

Hummus & Pita

For all the parents about to transition into full-fledged meals with their little ones, I hope this can help!  For all the parents with toddlers that are already transitioned, I hope this helps give you some fresh ideas.  And to all parents who choose to offer their little ones healthy choices, even if they don't always eat them...high five to you! :)