monday munchies / easy avocado pasta

avocado with a whole new taste. whip it up in less than 20 min.

ingredients:

- spagetti or angel hair pasta (12 oz)

- 2 avocados (ripe)

- 2 garlic cloves

- a few fresh basil leaves

- fresh squeezed lemon (about half)

- 1/3 cup olive oil

- cup of cherry tomatoes (halved)

- 1/2 can of corn 

- sea salt & ground pepper (to taste)

boil water, add pasta. throw avocados, garlic, lemon, olive oil in a food processor. pulse until creamy. drain pasta. combine avocado mixture to pasta. top with tomatoes and corn. easy peasy -- enjoy! 

very serious about his avocado pasta.

monday munchies / what we had for lunch today

today's easy lunch... 

ingredients: 

- 1 cup broccoli

- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

- 1-2 cups whole wheat pasta

- tbsp butter

- tbsp almond milk (cow's milk) (optional)

1. cook pasta. 2. cut broccoli down really small and steam. 3. drain pasta. 4. add tbsp butter and tbsp milk (optional) 5. add broccoli and cheese. 6. depending on age, cut pasta down to size. 

additional option: mini meatballs. we bought some [earth's best mini meatballs] they were super yummy. 

lincoln has been so curious about shapes and textures lately. these noodles were especially fun to play with. he loved the cheese noodles and meatballs.. i'm trying hard with broccoli but only got a few bites out of him. (yes that is drool down his shirt.. top 4 teeth are currently popping through)

monday munchies / baby brunch

french toast, avocado & banana slices, and fresh oj 

lately i haven't been making "baby food"... lincoln no longer wants to be fed from a spoon. he wants his tiny hands all over everything. the best part of this new independence is that we've been eating better. out of habit, i think "what can i make for my baby"... then i think "ooh that sounds good, ill eat it too" which is how it should be! here's some brunch items we recently enjoyed.

french toast ingredients:

challah bread

2-3 eggs

½ cup of soy / almond / milk

cinnamon (to taste)

my favorite thing about this french toast, other than the challah bread being the perfect thickness, is how easy it is for baby hands to hold. even with only two teeth linc can take a bite because of how soft it is.

we inherited an orange juicer and its probably the greatest way to get your vitamin c, fresh! lincoln recently started drinking from a cup by himself (we need to get some plastic cups!) as soon as he finished his cup of oj he shook his hands for more.

to mix it up a little, instead of just handing him a banana, i added some avocado to the banana slices. i mashed up avocado with a fork and added a tiny bit of sea salt. the best part about having a baby eater is i have someone to share an avocado with! half for him half for me. 

monday munchies / babycakes

banana, cinnamon, oatmeal babycake

i have been trying to perfect a babycake / pancake

and i think i finally got a winner!

i'm a fan of bananas and applesauce for baby baking.

luckily we are visiting the grandparents and 

got to use all of nonni's awesome cooking utensils 

she also has a griddle, which is great for pancakes.

ingredients:

1 mashed up banana

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick oats [you can also use baby oatmeal]

1/2 cup of soy / almond / breast / whole milk (you pick!)

1 egg

1 cup applesauce

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

a little bit of butter to grease the pan

mix together your "mushy" ingredients first (eggs, applesauce, banana, milk)

in a separate bowl mix up your dry ingredients (flour, oats, cinnamon)

mix them both together and stir for about a minute.

take small spoonfuls to your  buttered pan / griddle. 

try to flatten out a little with a spatula so the center isn't really gooy.

they should cook until golden on both sides. 

to spice it up a little: in a side dish, add about 1/4 cup applesauce 

with a dash of cinnamon for a "syrup dip"

also: add some chopped up fresh fruit.

pictured above is: pineapple, watermelon, and strawberries. 

my taste tester approved. and liked dipping fingers in the apple sauce.
to read more about his necklace: [click here]

monday munchies / easy morning baby food

lets face it.. most of us are not morning people. this is my morning go to when i don't feel like cleaning my blender/ food processor/ juicer. the healthiest food for our little ones (and ourselves) should be the most simple ingredients. 

-1 ripe banana (the riper the easier to mush)

- organic apple sauce (no added sugar)

- handful of organic raspberries

- fork (masher)

cut the banana up in little chunks and mash until all big clumps are out. next add apple sauce (amount is normally equal to the banana. and throw some raspberries on top. take the fork and mash and mix until pureed enough for your little one. if there are left overs (rare in my house) you can store them in the refrigerator, in a sealed container for 24-48 hours with a splash of lemon juice.

other banana variations, because lets face it.. bananas are amazing:

[bananas, apples, cinnamon]

[bananas, blueberry yogurt]

[bananas, avocados, a splash of mango juice]