Our delish muffins
Mommy's search for healthy recipes our whole family will enjoy is bearing fruit--er, muffins. SheKnows.com has a recipe for these Oatmeal-Carrot Muffins, and Chance--our pickiest eater--ADORES them, eating 2, 3, or 4 at a time. I've made 3 batches in only 3 weeks, and he ate most of them.
They contain VEGGIES like fresh carrots and 1 jar of carrot baby food (I used 1 jar of baby sweet potatos, actually) along with whole wheat flour, and oats! They're moist and sweet! (See recipe at bottom.) We all like them, except Daddy who hasn't tried (i.e., won't try) them.
But Daddy really loves another healthy recipe, Turkey Sloppy Joes from http://www.weelicious.com/. They really are good and don't contain any ketchup or other icky sweetners or preservatives.
BREAKIN' BONES
When Daddy comes home from work, we eat dinner, then the kids go crazy with a last burst of energy. Last nite, Daddy got creative. He asked Chance if he broke his arm when he fell down. Chance wasn't crying, but because Daddy was grinning and they were in the midst of a game, Chance said, YES! It led to the creation of these "casts" -- Mommy took pics and wrote "I heart you" on his arm cast (I'm SUCH a Mom!). 
Apparently, Nestle was injured too, and the twins comforted him. What a patient pup he is (pun intended).
BREAKIN' BONES
When Daddy comes home from work, we eat dinner, then the kids go crazy with a last burst of energy. Last nite, Daddy got creative. He asked Chance if he broke his arm when he fell down. Chance wasn't crying, but because Daddy was grinning and they were in the midst of a game, Chance said, YES! It led to the creation of these "casts" -- Mommy took pics and wrote "I heart you" on his arm cast (I'm SUCH a Mom!). 
Apparently, Nestle was injured too, and the twins comforted him. What a patient pup he is (pun intended).OUR BABY GIRL FINDS A BABY FROG
We've had lots of summer showers, and the ground has been damp, hence LOTS OF FROGS! We found one in our cup outside--a little bitty baby one. And Grace was so pleased that she carried it around the backyard with a grin on her face.
Mommy has always liked reptiles (maybe growing up in Tallahassee fostered that--lots of 'em 'round there, including alligators), so I've been trying to persuade Grace to hold the baby frog . . . this is as close as she'd get to it. (Isn't that frog CUUTE?) But at least she didn't scream or act scared or run away, like she did about a year ago (remember, Aunt Manda? We have some of that on video!). So proud of her now--that's my girl!
We've had lots of summer showers, and the ground has been damp, hence LOTS OF FROGS! We found one in our cup outside--a little bitty baby one. And Grace was so pleased that she carried it around the backyard with a grin on her face.
Mommy has always liked reptiles (maybe growing up in Tallahassee fostered that--lots of 'em 'round there, including alligators), so I've been trying to persuade Grace to hold the baby frog . . . this is as close as she'd get to it. (Isn't that frog CUUTE?) But at least she didn't scream or act scared or run away, like she did about a year ago (remember, Aunt Manda? We have some of that on video!). So proud of her now--that's my girl!
Here's a pic of Mommy, at about age 6 or 7, holding a snake we'd found in the yard. Uncle Matt is holding some kind of lizard, and little Aunt Manda is holding her stuffed clown--Manda was about the same age as Grace is now, so maybe they are/were too young for reptiles. :)Recipe for Oatmeal-Carrot Muffins
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
* jar carrot baby food
*1/2 cup shredded carrots
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir by hand until combined. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16-18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins. (Allow toddlers to "frost" muffins with fat-free cream cheese, if desired.)
2 comments:
Hey JJ,
I just love the pics of the broken bones (especially Nestle) - they're precious!
Good for you guys for trying to eat healthier. We've been pretty good about it here, at least with our children (not so much with ourselves). Aubrey loves veggies and still eats them plain (steamed only - no salt or other spices added). We use the Bird's Eye Steamfresh veggies bag and the Green Giant steamer bags/boxes a lot. We stock up on them in our freezer when they are 50% off at Publix (about once every 2-3 months), and sometimes I have coupons, too, (making them about $.50 or less). Her favorites are broccoli and the mixed veggies. I also picked up Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, at a local recycled books store (http://deceptivelydelicious.com/site/) I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but they look very good. Another suggestion is to always buy the whole grain/whole wheat version of what you're eating, if there is one (whole wheat bread instead of white, whole wheat Ritz crackers instead of original, brown rice instead of white, etc., etc.) I'd like to move towards organic foods, but haven't succeeded. We do buy organic milk for Aubrey since she still drinks about 20 oz. a day of it. One more suggestion, if you don't love to cook everyday (I don't!): I cook a large, healthy dinner three times a week that will last 2-3 days (Sat/Sun, Tues, & Thurs). Yesterday, I cooked pot roast made with red potatoes, green beans, and carrots. We'll also eat it tonight and maybe tomorrow night, too. I'm working on a rotating list of meals so that I don't keep making the same 'ole, same 'ole meals every other week. I'll be glad to share it with you if you're interested. I'm still a very picky eater, so it's a challenge for me to make healthy foods that I don't like myself. I've found that if I make it for them, I'm more likely to eat it, too. Now, if I could just lay-off of the chocolate, I could get rid of these last 5 lbs....ugh!
I would not have believed it if you didn't have footage of Grace with the frog. I didn't think she would ever get over that fear.
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