Love this new post by Kid Crave featuring a 5 second journal to keep those precious moments documented…cause… http://fb.me/14pNYqvYn

Love this new post by Kid Crave featuring a 5 second journal to keep those precious moments documented…cause… http://fb.me/14pNYqvYn

Even before I had Sophia, deciding what to make for lunch has always been a challenge for me. I can only eat so many sandwiches a week and salads often leave me hungry and unsatisfied. Now that I have a one year old to feed at lunch too, I need to make sure I have some fast and healthy options available for both of us.

Most kids love quesadillas. They are a great finger food for babies. The cheese is a great source of calcium for little ones. However, a traditional quesadilla has little other nutritional value. Therefore, I decided to jazz up the quesadilla by using a spelt tortilla (you can find these at Trader Joes) and adding a black bean puree.

Black beans are a great source of fiber and protein. They are also filled with phytonutrients (both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory).

Spelt is an ancient whole grain. It is similar to wheat, but it does not seem to cause sensitivities in most people who are intolerant of wheat. Spelt is also a great source of fiber and contains many phytonutrients.

Organic Black Bean Spelt Quesadillas

Ingredients

• Spelt Tortillas (you can substitute whole wheat or flour tortillas)
• 15 0z can of Organic Black Beans
• Organic Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

1. Drain the can of black beans. Make sure to reserve the liquid in the can.
2. Place black beans in a blender or food processor. Add 2 TBSP of water to beans and puree. Keep adding reserved bean water until you reach the desired consistency (should be the consistency of hummus or a paste).
3. Grate the organic cheddar cheese
4. Heat a skillet with some butter and place one tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle grated cheese on the tortilla.
5. Spread black bean puree on another tortilla and place that on the top of the tortilla with cheese.
6. Cook approximately 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

**Note: You could also make these quesadillas using the microwave if you are really short on time.

Serving Suggestions: Cut these in strips or bite size pieces for baby. Add smashed avocado. You can save the bean puree and feed it to your baby at another meal or use it as a dip with tortilla chips for older children or adults.

Sophia likes plain veggies about half of the time I offer them to her. Grilled Zucchini, Broccoli etc. Sometimes she gobbles them up, and others she spits them out of her mouth and gives me a look like I have tricked her into eating something horrible. However, she will always eat veggies when they are mixed into a main dish such as quiche, pasta or frittata. I love to make frittatas in the summer, so I decided to make some individual veggie frittatas for Sophia. She did not spit these out, she loved them.

Personal Organic Veggie Fritatta

Ingredients

• 8 Large Organic Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Organic  Whole Milk (you can leave this out and add an extra egg)
• 1/2 Cup of Chopped Onion
• 2 Cups of Chopped Organic Zucchini
• 4 Cups of Organic Baby Spinach
• 1/3 Cup of Organic Gruyere or Organic Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 TBSP Organic Parmeasn
• 1 TSP Organic Dried Basil or 2 TBSP of Chopped Fresh Organic Basil
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1-2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 TSP Salt
• 1 TSP Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat Oven to 375
2. Add olive oil to pan on medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes, add garlic and saute for 1 minute. (If you are using dried basil, add it to the onions while they cook.) Add chopped zucchini to the pan with the onions and garlic.  Remove onion, zucchini, garlic mixture when the veggies are soft. (approx 10 minutes of cooking). 
   
   



3. Add baby spinach to the pan with 2 TBSP of water. Cook spinach until wilted (2 minutes). Remove spinach and wring out excess water with paper towel. Chop up spinach.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, add the milk, grated cheese, chopped fresh basil (if you are using fresh basil), salt and pepper.
5. Add the spinach and zucchini to the egg mixture.
6. Grease Muffin Pans (I would highly recommend using an olive oil cooking spray (Trader Joes sells this) or Canola Oil spray to the muffin pan. I tried this with butter only and the frittatas stuck to the pan.)
7. Pour Mixture into the muffin pans.
8. Cook at 375 for 12 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly on the top.

Serving Suggestions: This is a great summer dish for the entire family. Serve with a large green salad for the adults. For babies ready for finger food you can cut these up into pieces. For younger babies you dice up and feed with a spoon.

Storage: I like to freeze these so I have a healthy dinner or lunch option ready to go.

I’ve blogged about my love of TOMS shoes before- whether it be the original slip on’s or their summer espadrilles, I am always a fan of this humanitarian company and their ability to offer a product that is functional, good looking (some of friends think I have been living at the beach too long to love the way these look- but I disagree, I am obsessed with the comfortable fashion they provide) and at the same time, completely charitable and benefiting our brothers and sisters in need. Now, they’ve done it again by introducing an eyewear line that is fit for the trendy consumer.

Just like the shoes, with every pair of eyewear that is purchased, a person in need will receive the eye care that he or she needs.  Click here to learn more about the program…

The look is very So Cal, with a touch of Ray Ban influence…I for one will be sporting the Classic in Navy with light blue…which ones will you rock?

Want to add some more protein to your little one’s diet? Ever try Quinoa? Quinoa, pronounced “Keen-wah” is 12 to 18% protein. Just a half of cup of Quinoa will meet your child’s protein needs for the day. Quinoa is considered a “perfect protein” because it contains all 8 essential amino acids. In particular, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair. It’s also a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and it has a high iron content. This grain like seed is similar in texture to couscous and a great substitue for rice or other grains. The soft texture of Quinoa is perfect for little ones who are just starting to eat foods with a more lumpy texture.

There is a great new cafe in our neighborhood called Jane. They have the most amazing muffins. Sophia always wants to try what we are eating so I gave her a few bites of my blueberry muffin. She loved it! Big surprise, it was probably the closest thing to dessert she has ever tried. Well, I decided an occasional few bites of a cafe muffin is fine, but I wanted to give her a healthy muffin option with less sugar. After searching on-line for inspiration I found a recipe for Pecan Quinoa Muffins by Martha Rose Shulman in the NY Times and I decided to modify that recipe.

Lets start with a great basic method for cooking quinoa.

Basic Steamed Quinoa by Martha Rose Shulman

1 Cup Quinoa
3 Cups Water, Vegetable or Chicken Broth
1/2 Tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Place Quinoa in a strainer and rinse until the water runs clear. (this is a very important step, otherwise the quinoa will taste bitter)
2. Bring the water or stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the Quinoa and salt. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is translucent and tender and each grain displays a little thread. Drain quinoa and return to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dish towel, replace the lid and allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Yield: 4 Cups Cooked Quinoa

Storage: Cooked quinoa will keep for 3-4 days in your fridge. I usually freeze quinoa in baby food freezer tray. I use Kidco Baby  Steps Freezer Trays because they are BPA/Phthalate free and have a lid.

Serving Suggestions: For younger babies starting to eat textured food, add a 1 ounce serving of Quinoa to a 1 ounce serving of any puree in your freezer (butternut squash, carrot or peas). The result is a risotto like dish. For older babies, mix with a puree and then add diced chicken, mushrooms, peas and parmesan cheese. (if you are finished making purees, just leave it out and mix with chopped veggies and some parmesan cheese).

Mini Blueberry Banana Quinoa Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup organic quinoa flour (you can purchase organic quinoa flour, Bob’s Red Mill) or grind 1/4 cup of quinoa in a mini food prep or coffee grinder and sift). **I highly recommend purchasing the quinoa flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large organic eggs
1/4 cup organic maple syrup or agave nectar
3/4 cup organic buttermilk
1/4 cup organic canola oil
1 teaspoon organic vanilla
1/2 cup of organic frozen blueberries thawed (I love Trader Joe’s Wild Organic Blueberries)
1 ripe banana mashed until it is smooth (this is optional, but I think it adds a nice flavor and little more sweetness to the muffins)
Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle. Oil mini muffin pan. Sift together whole-wheat flour, quinoa flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, maple syrup or agave nectar, buttermilk, canola oil and vanilla. Quickly whisk in the flour mixture, then fold in the cooked quinoa, blueberries and banana. Combine well.
3. Spoon into muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove from the mold and cool on a rack.

Serving Suggestions: These are slightly sweet and moist muffins (don’t expect your typical cake like coffee shop muffin). The mini muffins are a great finger food for babies. You can give them the entire muffin…watch out it gets very messy with little ones who are just learning to self-feed OR break the muffin into pieces and allow your child to feed herself. These muffins are great for breakfast or a snack. They freeze well.

Other Quinoa Recipe Suggestion: Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese, another recipe from Martha Rose Shulman. I followed this recipe exactly and Sophia really liked it. It was also a great healthy side for our family meal and a yummy leftover lunch for Mom. When I make this again, I will freeze small portions of it in the baby freezer trays to heat up for Sophia’s lunch or dinner.

I am constantly amazed by what my lil man decides to love when it comes to food. The first surprise was salmon, he couldn’t get enough of it…then came steak, and the most recent shock, split pea soup! He is not a huge fan of vegetables, so when he downed a bowl and asked for more, I was totally thrown for a loop! So, since it was such a success with my lil guy, I thought I would dedicate a blog post to this not so gorgeous soup but super healthy soup…

Organic Split Pea Soup Recipe courtesy of MyRecipes.com

Ingredients
5 1/2 cups water
4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
2 cups green split peas
3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
6 ounces diced Canadian bacon (about 1 cup)
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in carrot, celery, pepper, and salt. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes or until peas are tender and soup thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Serve immediately.

If you are diabetic, or have it in your family, split peas can be your best friend. Peas help stabilize your blood sugar levels while providing a steady supply of energy. Studies have shown that type 2 diabetics who eat at least 50 grams of fiber per day can lower their cholesterol, their triglycerides, and the VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein) by a considerable amount.

Peas can also reduce the amount of plaque in your blood vessels and help your heart remain healthy. If you are sensitive to sulfites, which are added to most deli foods and salad bars, the mineral molybdenum will help you detoxify them. Peas can provide you with almost twice the recommended daily allowance of this mineral from a single 1-cup serving. Signs of sulfite sensitivity may include rapid heartbeat, headache, or disorientation.
- Information courtesy of articlesbase.com

History

• Split pea soup has been eaten by man for thousands of years, with record of the dish being made and sold by street vendors in Greek and Roman society as early as 500 to 400 B.C. Many cultures have relied on the dish in times when meat protein sources were hard to come by, primarily in the winter.

  

  Since the pea was commonly grown throughout Europe, variations of split pea soup were present in the regional cuisine of Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom. Split pea soup was often associated with the poorer classes since peas were easy to cultivate and meat was often too costly for the working classes.

  European colonization of North America brought split pea soup to Canada and the United States, where the dish is still widely eaten today.

  - Information courtesy of Ehow.com

Today I am thrilled to be participating in a blogging initiative – Schools4All- for an organization called Pencils of Promise. A dear friend mine, who also happens to be what I consider a partner in Bloume baby, is involved in this amazing organization…so when she came to me with the opportunity to support the growth and awareness of Pencils of Promise, I was honored. I have always been inspired by the amazing power and strength of children, and am simply enamoured by their innocence. Anytime there is an opportunity to better their quality of life I feel its my place as a mom, and a lover of children everywhere, to do what I can. With that said, I am happily promoting Schools4All blogging initiative. Take a minute to read the below and if you are inspired…I hope you pass along and maybe even donate.

Pencils of Promise is a non-profit that builds schools in the developing world through a movement committed to education for all. PoP is unique in its mission, as it partners with the communities in which it builds creating a lasting relationship and a foundation for continued success. PoP started with just a single $25 donation by founder Adam Braun, and in just two years, they have successfully built more than 25 schools in Laos, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.

Part of PoP’s mission and the motivator behind the Schools4All Campaign is to educate and train young leaders across the world to take action at home and abroad. Schools4All challenges supporters to raise money to help PoP build schools and provide basic education to children in need by creating a fundraising webpage at www.schools4all.org. The top fundraiser wins a visit from Justin Bieber himself and PoP Founder Adam Braun to a school of their choice. Each supporter who raises over $100 is also entered into a drawing to win one of 4 trips to visit a PoP school on the ground in Guatemala.

Education is something we take so for granted. It’s free for us, and we don’t think twice! Join the Pencils of Promise Movement and help provide education for the 75 million children across the world currently without access. It only takes $10,000 to build a one room schoolhouse for kids who currently have nowhere to go to school!

To start your own Schools4All fundraising page, go to: www.schools4all.org and follow the instructions. All of your donations go directly to building schools in Laos, Guatemala, and Nicaragua

As our lil ones continue to amaze us with gorgeous, modern artwork its hard to find the right way to display them. The refrigerator door wont do, it simply does not do justice to the brilliance of that finger paint. Stuffed in the kitchen drawer is not sufficient, after all you want to show off that stunning pencil drawing, not hide it. And taped to the wall in their room just wont display the true genius of that crayon masterpiece. So, how should you preserve and display such important artwork? Here are some ideas that will give your lil artist the attention and praise they deserve, while not sacrificing your impeccable sense of style.

Frame a group of drawings or paintings in the same size white frame. The clean lines of the white frames will provide structure to all the color and shapes your lil one has created. We especially like this idea on a brightly colored wall! It keeps the integrity of the artwork…the innocence, playfulness and energy!

For a more mide century modern look try hanging the images from wooden hangers. You can do this either off a structure like the one pictured or simply from unique hooks like the ones pictured below.