Gift for a New Mom

My best friend is 3 weeks away from having her first child, a little girl!  Unfortunately, she moved out of state a few months ago so I can't physically be there for her.  Now that I'm an "experienced" mom (yeah right!), I know what she can expect and I really want to help her out during her first few weeks of motherhood.  Since I can't be there in there in person, I wanted to send her something that would be helpful.

I thought back to the first few days and weeks of my journey into motherhood.  One of the things I often forgot to do was to eat.  I either was too busy, couldn't get up because I was breastfeeding, or just plain forgot.  If I had had a bunch of pre-made "snacks", I probably would have eaten more and had more energy.  So, that's what I decided to make for my friend.  I made her 20 little baggies filled with non-perishable snacks.  She can keep a few in her diaper bag, some in the car, and some more next to where she'll be feeding her new baby.  That way, if she gets hungry or thirsty, she won't have to worry about searching for a snack (at least for a few weeks!).  In each bag, I included: a granola bar, fruit leather/strip, small bag of fruit snacks, small box of 100% juice, piece of gum, and a small piece of chocolate.  I also put a little note in each bag for some encouragement.  Some of the notes include nice quotes I found or they are my own personal notes of encouragement.

In addition to the snack bags, I got her a couple of "quick" meals: a bowl of instant oatmeal, a bowl of instant macaroni & cheese, and a "just add water" pancake mix.  That way, if her husband isn't around to fix her a healthy meal or if she doesn't have time, she has a couple of things to fill her belly until she can actually make a meal.  (I know they aren't super healthy, but I know they needed to be non-perishable.)  Finally, I included a notebook for recording those first few weeks of baby's life:  poop diapers, wet diapers, feeding times, feeding lengths, etc.  I found that really helpful as a new mom because I often found myself wondering, "When did I feed Olive last?  Was it 2 hours ago?  Has she pooped in the last 6 hours?".  You know how fun that "Mommy Brain" can be! :)

I really wish I could be there with my friend to give her my love and help, so I'm hoping that she will feel some of my love in this box of goodies I'm sending her way.

What are some of your gift ideas for new moms?

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!

"However You Like 'Em" Broccoli Bites

I've made broccoli bites before.  The basic recipe is simple:  chopped broccoli, bread crumbs, egg, cheese.  I thought I would make them today, but switch it up a little bit.  My daughter, who has always been a good eater, is starting to get picky.  It's like she's a toddler or something!?!  Some days, I have to give her choice after choice until she will finally eat something, and it usually ends up being fruit.  She could eat fruit all day long, but veggies have started to not be her thing.  So I made these today with the HOPE that she would at least taste them.  Not only did she taste them, she ate 3 whole ones for her lunch.  A-maz-ing.  I didn't measure anything, so I'm just going to give you estimates, but feel free to change them to your liking.  In fact, this recipe is so simple, you can really change it up to however you like it.  Here are some ideas for variations:

Vegetable:  broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potato, eggplant, spinach
Cheese:  mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, vegan cheese, jack
Flavorings:  cilantro & lime; Italian seasoning; soy sauce & ginger; cumin, chili powder & oregano

Here's the recipe I made:

Ingredients:
2 cups steamed broccoli
1 cup steamed cauliflower
1 15oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Flavorings: see below

Directions:
1.  Steam broccoli and cauliflower.  Finely chop in a food processor.
2.  Add beans to food processor to mix with veggies.
3.  Pour veggie/bean mix into large bowl.  Add panko, egg & cheese.
4.  Season as desired:  I divided my mixture into 2 bowls and seasoned with 2 different flavorings.  In one bowl, I added 1tbsp granulated garlic and 1 1/2 tsp onion powder.  In the other bowl, I added 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp curry powder & 1/4 cup orange juice (I added a little more bread crumbs to this one, too).
5.  Form veggie mix into golf ball size balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  (I've thought about doing this in muffin tins, too, and I think that would probably work!)
6.  Bake at 375F for about 25, turning over half way through.

After the bites have cooled, you can freeze them for another day.  Pop them out and warm in the microwave as you need them.

Okay, so here's the honest truth:  I didn't really care for these.  However, and that's a BIG however, my daughter devoured them, and that's all I care about.  I will try them again, with some different seasonings and hopefully they will turn out to be more pleasing to my palate.  I'm not discouraging you from making them, but I am saying to try out a variation that you'll like!  The basics are:  veggies, egg, bread crumbs & cheese.  So basic, with so many variations to try!  If you get a mix that you really love, please let me know! :)

 Proof that these broccoli bites are toddler-approved!  :)

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!  :)

A Little Green Thumb

Oh boy, has this been a holiday whirlwind!  After Christmas, I spent a fun 3 days sick with food poisoning.  Yuck!  But now, I'm back to my old self and ready to start the new year (well, almost new year!) with something healthy for my body, and my family's bodies as well.

I've been wanting to start a vegetable garden of some sort for awhile now with my daughter.  I found this really awesome website called Sprout Robot where you can put in your zip code and it tells you what to plant and when to plant it based on where you live.  Cool, huh? Based on my zip code, now is a good time to plant broccoli, leaf lettuces, radishes, cabbages, peas, and a few other things.  I decided to go with peas because Olive loves them and I've heard they're pretty easy to grow.  I'm going to try cabbage, too, but that will be in another post.

We made a trip to The Home Depot and picked up our supplies: potting soil & seeds.  We already have a few pots.  The organic soil was twice the price of the other soil, so I figured I'd get one of each and mix the two together so I could save some money but get some of the organic goodness as well.

 Some cute toddler-sized gardening tools don't hurt to have either! :)

Let's play in the soil for a while...That sounds fun!

Let's pour some soil onto the already growing thyme plant...That sounds fun!

Finally, planting the pea seeds.  The directions said to push down 1 inch...We'll see how they do!

Make sure you water the new seeds! (With Mama's help to ensure the water gets on the seeds and not everywhere else!  Normally, I wouldn't care, but it was kind of chilly outside and I didn't want a soaking wet baby!)

Also, make sure you eat some tomatoes that aren't really ready to pick and are kind of sour and gross....Ay yai yai!

After all was said and done, she wasn't really interested in what we were actually doing.  Playing with the soil, eating growing tomatoes, running on the grass...yes, yes, yes.  But planting the seeds?  Not so much!  We'll see if she's more interested when they start to sprout and then grow actual peas.  After I put the camera down, we played around the backyard, finding worms, pulling grass, digging rocks, and getting dirty.  That's what she wanted to do, and when it comes down to it, that's what really matters.  Even though I want her to be interested in the process of growing the peas, she's more interested in other things, and that's okay.  I sometimes forget just how small she really is and I end up expecting her to want and to be interested in different things, when in reality, she's just a little 19 month old baby who wants to eat sour tomatoes and rip apart grass.

Holiday Cookies...Mmmmmm...

For the past few years, sometime around Christmas, my family holds a "Cookie-Off".  We each find a recipe, bake our cookies, and judge to see whose tastes the best.  In the end, it doesn't really matter who wins.  It's more about having a tradition and spending time doing something you love with the ones you love.  And of course, gaining a few pounds in the process.  Kate Moss was once quoted as saying, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels".   Forget that!! I guess she never had a Cookie-Off in her house.  Poor, Kate, she doesn't know what she's missing!

Here are the cookies we created this year!  Enjoy!



Two-Tone Cinnamon Cookies (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

Made with love by...Me!

I really liked the way these cookies came out.  They're so cute!  They have a very mild sweetness and are very light feeling.  I tasted a few one before I put the glazes on, and they were still good, kind of reminding me of shortbread.  These would be great cookies for someone who likes their sweets to be, well, not too sweet.


Makes: multiple, depending on size of cookie cutter

Ingredients:


1/2 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 recipe Cinnamon Glaze (see below)
1 recipe White Glaze (see below)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixture.  Use a wooden spoon to stir in any remaining flour.  Cover in the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Roll out dough on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick.  Using a cookie cutter (whatever shape you like - I used a small heart with fluted edges, about 2 1/2 inches wide), cut out the dough.  Place cookies 1 inch apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to lightly brown.  Cool on wire rack.
4. When the cookies are cooled, make your glazes:
1. Cinnamon Glaze:  In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup chocolate chips, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tsp shortening.  Stir over low heat until melted.  Scoop melted glaze into a piping bag or Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off.
2. White Glaze:  In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup white chocolate chips and 2 tsp shortening.  Stir over low heat until melted.  Scoop melted glaze into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off.
5. Working with a few cookies at a time, spread the White Glaze over the top of the cookie from edge to edge.  Drizzle with the Cinnamon Glaze and use a toothpick to marble the glazes together.  If either glaze begins to cool in the bag, simply warm in the microwave for a few seconds.  Let the cookies stand until the glazes are set (about 25 minutes).

Surprise Cookies (from Martha Stewart)

Made with love by...My husband!

These cookies were decadent and so delicious!  Actually, they reminded me a little of those Snackwells Devil's Food cookies, which I love, only richer tasting.   They're the kind of cookie that you can have just one and be good...well, maybe!  If you're looking to make it easy on yourself, buy a chocolate cookie premix and a jar of premade chocolate frosting.  I'm sure the results will still be very tasty and you'll save some time! 

Makes: about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients for the cookies:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 bag jumbo marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

Ingredients for the frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add flour mixture and beat on low until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, drop dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies start to spread and become firm. 
4. Remove cookies from oven.  Squish a marshmallow onto each cookie, sticky side down.  Put back in the oven and cook about 2 more minutes until the marshmallows start to melt.  Cool the cookies on wire racks.
5. To make the frosting, whisk the powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa in a bowl.  Whisk in milk and vanilla until everything is well combined.
6. When the cookies are completely cooled, spread the frosting over each cookie, fully covering the marshmallow so it is hidden (hence the surprise!) inside.

Dainty Lemon Cookies (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies Magazine, 2002)

Made with love by...My mom!

I love lemon sweets.  They always seem so refreshing, like when you eat them somehow they aren't going to be bad for you.  Lemon is a fruit, right?  Anyways, these little lemon cookies are delicious and great to have on hand in your freezer.  You can just keep the roll and slice off a few at a time, when the mood strikes.

Makes: about 3 dozen cookies, depending on how thick you slice them.


Ingredients:


3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon extract (optional)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
sanding sugar (looks prettier, but you can use regular sugar, too)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and beat until combined.  Add egg, milk, lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extract (optional) and beat until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can and use a wooden spoon to mix in the rest.
2. Divide dough in half and shape each portion into an 8 inch (or so) log.  Wrap each log in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours.  
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut each log into slices, 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle slices with sanding sugar and set on parchment paper lined cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
4. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until edges start to become golden.  Cool on wire racks.

Almond Joy Cookies (adapted from www.food.com)

Made with love by...My stepdad!

These ended up being a pretty hearty cookie, reminding me a little of Ranger cookies.  My mom said they seemed like something you'd take on a hike... :).  I liked them, but to be honest, they didn't really taste like an Almond Joy.  I think it needed more coconut.  Feel free to play with the amounts of coconut, chocolate and almonds to find the right mixture for you!

Makes: 2 to 3 dozen, depending on how big you make them


Ingredients:


1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter together with the white and brown sugar.  Beat in the eggs one at a time and then beat in the vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture until well combined, using a wooden spoon if needed.  Add in chocolate chips, coconut, and almonds.
4. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough onto cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool on wire racks.

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! :)