Quinoa Peanut Butter Flax Seed Bar

Morning snack - whole wheat cinnamon pancakes with clementines

Lunch - turkey avocado and cheese roll up, pretzel sticks and baby carrots

Afternoon snack - quinoa peanut butter flax seed bar and apple

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Quinoa Peanut Better Flax Seed Bar

Ingredients

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (though crunchy may have been better)

2/3 cup honey

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 cups cooked quinoa **

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup flax seed

Method

Cook peanut butter, honey, salt, cinnamon and vanilla over medium to low heat and stir constantly.  Once it has all melted down pour the entire contents over the quinoa, raisins and flax seeds.  Stir until it is completely combined.  Transfer onto a cookie sheet that has either been pregreased or use parchment paper (my preference).  Press down to flatten out the mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, this should solidify the bar a bit more.

WARNING: I haven't gotten the recipe quite right so the bar isn't as firm as I'd like for it to be, but it is still super tasty.  So enjoy!

**If you want something that you don't have to bake try using 6 cups brown rice cereal (very hard to find) instead of quinoa.  Set it in the fridge for half hour or so then cut up and enjoy.

Peanut butter popcorn

Morning snack:  Quinoa porridge topped with cinnamon and raisins

Lunch:  Pita stuffed with hummus, avocado, chicken and Parmesan, red bell peppers and pretzel Goldfish

Afternoon snack:  Clementine and peanut butter popcorn

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It's no secret that our favorite snack is peanut butter.  We eat it by the spoon full on a daily basis.  So, I was ecstatic when a couple of years ago I stumbled across a fantastic product, PB2.  Normal peanut butter has about 16 grams of total fat while PB2 has 1.5 grams of total fat.  So if you're watching your weight but love peanut butter as much as we do, this is a great option.  Plus, it's a powder which makes it easy to sprinkle on all kinds of stuff.  And another bonus, they have chocolate flavored peanut butter!!  

Ingredients

1 TBS popcorn kernels

1 TBS PB2

1 brown paper bag

Method

Put popcorn kernels in a brown bag and fold over the open end.  Put it in the microwave.  Microwave for 3 minutes and listen for when most of the popping stops.  Each microwave is different, it takes a little over 2 minutes in mine.  Once the popcorn is done sprinkle the PB2 in the bag and shake.  (Unfortunately, I didn't have chocolate PB2.)

I'm turning into a fish

Morning snack: Red pear and pistachios

Lunch:  Grilled tilapia, sliced cucumbers and red pear

Afternoon snack:  Grapes and multicolored Goldfish

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LQ didn't go to school yesterday, we had a very tough night.  Daddy was away and my kiddos decided it would be a great night to alternate sleeping.  Because of this I thought it'd be better to keep LQ home, in case she was overtired.  So instead of saving her food for today I gave it to her but she didn't make it to her afternoon snack, so yep, that's yesterday's snack.  

Here's the exchange I had with LQ...

LQ:  Mommy, you're sending fish?

Me: Yes honey.  Is that okay?

LQ: Yes Mommy.  But you're sending fish and colored fish.

Me: Ok (looking confused).

LQ: Mommy, are you trying to turn me into a fish?

Overnight oatmeal

Morning snack: Overnight oatmeal

Lunch: Ground "beef", vegetable and cheese stuffed won ton wrapper and steamed broccoli

Afternoon snack: grapes and multicolor Goldfish

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Stuffed won-ton wrappers

Ingredients

vegetarian ground crumble

corn and peas (steamed)

won-ton wrappers

olive oil

onion

garlic

Method

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add "beef" crumble and vegetables.  Wet won ton wrappers and stuff them.  Fold over like a taco and pinch the edge.  Rub a tad of olive oil on the outside and bake at 350 for 10 minutes on each side or until you see a golden brown color.

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Overnight oatmeal

Ingredients

1/4 cup old fashion oats

2/3 cup vanilla almond milk

1/2 tsp chia seeds

sprinkle of cinnamon

Method

Put everything in a container, stir and refrigerate overnight.  Great cold or warm.

It doesn't look too appetizing yet, but it will!  Now you can't make an excuse about not having time to make breakfast.  Enjoy!!

Datelets

Morning snack:  Wasa whole grain crispbread with almond butter, drizzle of wildflower honey and cinnamon and clementine

Lunch:  Baked breaded"chicken", brown rice, steamed broccoli and datelets

Afternoon snack:  Red pear and pink Goldfish

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My elementary school cafeteria would serve these tiny pieces of delicious sweetness when I was a kid.  I was always so happy to see that little plastic bag on my lunch try.  But I never knew what they were.  Then one day, 25 years later, I was at the Dutch market and there they were!  Yes!  What were they, you ask.  They're actually dates chopped up into little pieces and then covered in some kind of flour to avoid the pieces from getting stuck together.  If you've never had them as a treat, give them a try.  They are definitely LQ approved!

The Dutch market is a great place to get all kinds of other delicious items.  I get all kinds of things like, datelets, mushroom popcorn kernels, cheese, meats, produce and different kinds of seasonings.  The only downside, and the reason why I hardly ever shop there, is that they have limited hours.  The one I go to is only open Thursday - Saturday.  But because it's an awesome market it's generally jam packed!  Not to mention it's pretty far.  So to be honest, I only go there when I need to stock up on datelets....yum!

Pumpkin pancakes

Morning snack: pumpkin pancakes, blueberries and a bit of syrup
Lunch: Cheese pizza (to be provided by the school) and broccoli
Afternoon snack: Apples and peanut butter
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Last night when I asked LQ what she wanted for dinner she definitively said pumpkin pancakes.  Then she mentioned that she wanted to help.  So she did all the mixing and I did the cooking.  It's exciting to think of the things she and I will create as she gets older.  Right now she's only 3 and it's messy but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Plus she made some delicious pancakes!

We cheated a bit on the mix by using Hungry Jack fluffy and light.  I keep a box of it in the pantry for times she wants to make pancakes.  I tried making my version of pancakes with her one time and it was kind of DISASTROUS.

I didn't measure the ingredients but it was super easy to make.  Using HJ you just add water, easy enough right? So all I did was put pumpkin puree in a bowl and added pancake mix.  Then I added cinnamon and water until the mixture easily poured off of my whisk, then I added raisins.  The consistency won't be the same as that of regular pancake mix, it will be thicker.  I then cooked them on a griddle over mid-high heat.

Easy peasy 5 minute meal

Morning snack: Raspberries and pistachios

Lunch: Steamed vegetables with vegetarian ground beef, avocado and cucumbers

Afternoon snack: Cheese stick, grapes and almonds

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This is really just a conglomerate of what is left in my refrigerator right now.  I usually go to the grocery store on Wednesdays.  I'm not sure how I ended up on that routine but I have found that the grocery store ends up less crowded on Wednesday afternoons.  (Well except for Thanksgiving week.  I completely avoid the grocery store that week.) 

It definitely has become a routine.  I usually pick LQ up early from school.  She actually gets excited about the grocery store.  It's the cutest thing!  She likes to point out all the fruits and vegetables that she know, which are a lot considering she's only 3.  Then we hit up the deli where she always asks for a "circle cheese".  Its a colby jack, I think.  But all the deli workers know her and she even has a favorite, Ron.  They give each other a stare down before he finally breaks down with a laugh.  She calls him her guy. Like I said, very cute.  

So anyway, I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store yesterday so this is really all I had left in my fridge.  Lucky for me LQ likes all of these...score!

LQ's choice

Morning snack: Triscuits with peanut butter and raisins and Ella's coconut milk nutritional shake

Lunch: Apples, cucumbers, and turkey, cheese and avocado butterfly sandwich

Afternoon snack: Oatmeal with date puree and raisins

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Yesterday evening we went to a high school basketball game.  Our friend's daughter plays varsity for this school and she's a great player!!  So during half time I asked LQ if she had any suggestions about what I should send to school.  She gave me this exact menu.  This is also why I've listed oatmeal as the afternoon snack.  She refused to say that she would eat oatmeal for her morning snack.  So, nothing fancy here.  I'm just a super proud mama!  She did so great!!

Butternut squash chickpea patties

This one is for you parents, I hope you enjoy.  I will likely use them in a salad or wrap of some sort, likely with hummus.  I know that seems a bit redundant but 1) I love hummus and 2) the texture kind of requires some kind of sauce.  I can imagine either a sweet sauce or sour sauce working well.  

Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash puree

2 cups chickpeas

2 slices of wheat bread (more if you think the mixture may be a bit watery, mine was)

1 egg

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground fennel

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Food process wheat bread and set aside.  Combine all the other ingredients in the food processor until mixed well.  Make sure you add salt and pepper before you add the raw egg so that you can taste the mixture.  Form patties and coat in bread crumbs.  Place them on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  (I flipped them about half way through to get a good color on each side.)  

Mini turkey and cheese tacos

Morning snack: Pumpkin almond butter oat bar and pears

Lunch: Turkey and cheese miniature tacos and heart shaped red bell peppers

Afternoon snack: pears and almonds

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Ok, so I have a slight confession.  I made butternut squash and chickpea patties to send to school with LQ but I accidentally made them a little too spicy so I had to rethink today's meal.  Oops.  On the upside, you parents get a bonus recipe for yourselves!

Anyway, getting back to LQ.  Aside from ballet and playing with Daddy, LQ's favorite thing is play dough.  She has a million and one gadgets, she can spend hours playing with it and we have to make a fresh batch of play dough every few weeks.  Any who, as part of all her little gadgets she has a heart cookie cutter.  We sometimes use it to cut out heart sandwiches, cookies, etc. so she asked me to use it for her food for today.  So I did.  BUT...I definitely don't recommend making heart shaped bell peppers.  My hand will hurt for ages.  But on the bright side, LQ loves them!  So, totally worth it.  

To go along with her heart shaped bell peppers I made miniature turkey tacos.  It's the first time I make them so we'll have to wait to hear from LQ on whether she likes them.  I used won-ton wrappers and I put them in the oven to melt the cheese.  I use won-ton wrappers often and try to keep some in the fridge for quick meals.  LQ often asks for tiny pizza pockets, her words, not mine.  They're super easy to use and they keep in the fridge for a while.  If you're interested I can post a recipe for won-ton wrappers, but I generally just buy them.  

Cheese and avocado turkey roll ups

Morning snack: Cortland apple and Stonefield yogurt

Lunch: Cheese and avocado turkey roll ups, cucumbers, pretzels and 2 pancake cupcakes (not pictures)

Afternoon snack: Cottage cheese and baby carrot sticks

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LQ loves her roll ups!  For a while I tried rolling turkey, cheese and avocado in a wrap but she'd leave the majority of the wrap in her contain.  So I thought, what the hay I'll live on the edge and leave out the wrap.  I totally live a dangerous life...lol.  

So people always ask me whether I buy only organic. For the record, I don't.  But I do have a list of must be organic foods that I live by.  I know buying organic can be expensive but I believe that it is important, especially if you have children.  

On my must be organic list are all animal derived foods.  So, all diary, poultry and meats.  I firmly believe that that hormones that are being used to fatten up cows and grow super chickens and turkeys are to blame for the obesity epidemic, extra tall children, and early puberty, especially in girls.  I could put up some research on this, but I really don't want to get super technical about this.  But think about it, how can those hormones produce bigger animals and not have the same affect on the person who eats them?  So anyway, in this meal the cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and turkey are all organic.

Oh Friday

Morning snack: peanut butter with 1/2 banana

Afternoon snack:  clementines, grapes and pink Goldfish

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Packing lunch on a Friday always seems more difficult than any other day.  For some reason, it's like my brain gives up on finding ideas.  It definitely needs a weekend to jump start it again.  Luckily for me, LQ's school serves pizza on Fridays.  And what kid doesn't love pizza!

Before going to school LQ had never eaten a Goldfish, we used to buy Annie's cheddar rabbits.  But everyone at school has all different kinds of Goldfish and she suddenly became very interested.  She'd come home asking for pretzel Goldfish, Goldfish with sprinkles, multicolored Goldfish etc. 

So I was at Target a couple of weeks ago buying multicolored Goldfish and saw a women looking at the Goldfish options intently.  I was in the same aisle for a while getting a couple of other things but the amount of time she spent in front of the Goldfish made me wonder.  Why is she taking so long?  What is she looking for?  I know there are a lot of options, but not so many that it would take that long to decide.  Then she walked away with a little pink bag.  I thought to myself, what was that?!  I walked over and found the last bag of Princess pink Goldfish!! (The best part is that the pink color comes from beets, not some artificial food coloring.)  I must say, they are hard to find but LQ loves them and apparently her Goldfish were a hit with the girls!

Pumpkin Almond Butter Oat Bars

Morning snack: Pumpkin almond butter oat bars with raisins and red d'anjou pear
Lunch: baked chicken, brown rice, roasted Brussel sprouts and blueberries
Afternoon snack: cashews and red d'anjou pear

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I found a can of pumpkin that didn't quite make it into my pumpkin pie fudge last week for Thanksgiving. So, since I promised I'd take a healthy snack to LQ's school tomorrow I looked through the internet and finally found something that looks delicious (and nutritious, of course)...pumpkin almond butter oat bars!  I made a modification, no chocolate in mine.  Instead I used raisins....yeah, that's all I changed.

Adapted (with slight modification) from The Blonde Vegan.

Ingredients
2 cups oats
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup agave
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup raisins

Method
Dump everything in a bowl, mix it all up.  Pour everything into an 8 x 8 greased pan (I used parchment paper instead).  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes.  Enjoy!

Forget all about canned beans

Morning snack: hard boiled egg and Chex mix

Lunch: turkey quesadilla, black beans and avocado

Afternoon snack: hummus and red bell peppers

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You'll NEVER buy or use canned beans again!  (You should be excited about this by the way.)

I chalk up my love for beans to being Mexican but surely we're not the only bean lovers. They are extremely versatile and did I mention they're CHEAP. I think you can get a bag of beans for about a buck...bonus!

Please don't be frightened by the fact that I said a bag of bean and not a can of beans.  Cooking dry beans is as easy as going to bed, literally.

Ingredients

Water

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 bag of Goya black or pinto beans

Method

• Rinse beans in a strainer and make sure no rocks are present
• Put water in a crock pot, to about 75% 
• Add beans and garlic
• Set the temperature to high (or low if leaving it on over night on high makes you uncomfortable)
• Go to bed
•  In the morning test the beans for tenderness 
• Add salt to taste (I added about a table spoon)
• Refrigerate within 2 hours (in plenty of bean juice)

Note: Pinto beans soak up more water so you may need to add water. I generally add water right before I go to bed and set the temperature on low.

So this is the most basic way to cook beans,  you're creating a bean stock if you will, that gives you the freedom to cook multiple dishes.

Quinoa porridge

Morning snack: quinoa porridge sweetened with dates

Lunch: steamed carrots, pretzel Goldfish, grapes and Quorn meatless "chicken"

Afternoon snack: clementines and almonds

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Anybody who knows me knows that I just LOVE quinoa!  It's a very versatile grain, highly nutritious, high in protein, a good source of magnesium, dietary fiber, folate, zinc, and even contains Omega-3 fatty acids. So every Sunday I make a stock of quinoa.  Yep, you read that right...a stock of quinoa.  I basically cook an unseasoned batch of quinoa that I pull from for the week.  

Quinoa stock

Add 2 cups of water for each cup of dried quinoa to a pot.  Turn the heat on to high.  Once it starts to boil turn off the heat source and cover.  Once the water is all soaked in your quinoa is done.  (Makes 4 cups)

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Another thing I like to keep in my refrigerator is date paste.  I often use it to sweeten foods or baked goods to avoid using sugar.  

Date paste

Using a food processor process pitted dates and add a little water at a time until a paste if formed.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  

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Bare with me here, as I try to describe how to make quinoa porridge because, like oatmeal, it really is a matter of preference.  In my house we all have a different preference, I like my oatmeal a bit runny, my husband likes it dry and LQ likes it a bit in between.  So I've provided the ingredients and I hope you can find your own perfect mixture.

Ingredients

Date paste

Chopped pecans (or walnuts would also work nicely)

Cooked quinoa

Almond milk

Cinnamon

Method

Combine the ingredients to your desired sweetness (dates), moisture (almond milk) and texture (pecans).  If you don't like the texture you end up with you can always throw it in the blender, it comes out very creamy. This can be eaten cold or hot, either way it's delicious!

Pancake cupcakes

 

Morning snack: Ella's coconut milk nutritional shake, Triscuits with almond butter and raisins and sliced apples

Lunch: Vegetarian pasta with veggie crumble, sliced apples and miniature "cupcakes"

Afternoon snack: pistachios and carrots

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Pasta dishes are always my go to when I have vegetables that are on the verge of going bad, when I need a quick meal or when I want to load my kiddos up with veggies.  Here's a one pot pasta dish you can make in under 20 minutes.  Here we go...

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
2 carrots
2 zucchinis
chopped baby spinach - I load it up!
1/2 - 28 oz can crushed tomato
1 carton low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 box whole wheat pasta - I used fusilli to make it more fun

Method:
In a pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is transparent.  Add the remaining ingredients and 1 cup of water.  Lower heat.  It's ready as soon as the pasta is cooked.

Ta-da!  Easy peasy!
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I've convinced my daughter that putting pancake mix in cupcake baking liner is a cupcake!!  As an added bonus I have her help me make them and I teach her about measurements.

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 1/4 cup soy milk/almond milk
1 TBS agave or maple syrup (more if you'd like it a little sweeter)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp sodium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup pecans (crush after measuring)
sprinkle of cinnamon

Method:

Mash up the banana in a large bowl and add the milk and syrup.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and fold in pecans.  Pour mixture into pre-oiled cupcake liners.  Bake at 350.  The timing will depend on what size liners you use.  Just make sure your toothpick comes out clean when you insert it into the center.

These keep pretty well in the fridge for about 4-5 days.

Why I'm writing

I wish I had some prolific explanation for why I am writing this blog.  Maybe my passion for healthy foods and intense disdain for processed foods, sugar and limited kid's menus are enough?  In the end I'm just a mommy who loves to feed her kiddos healthy meals.

I get asked often about the foods that I feed my children.  Specifically, I'm asked about what I send to school with my preschooler.  Up until now I've chronicled everything on Facebook, but really, that's not practical.  When people ask me for this information I need to add them as a friend so they can have access to my page, you know the drill.  What, am I going to friend a million people (wishful thinking...hehe)?

So, a few things about me...

I've been "preaching" healthy eating for about 15 years and though I don't claim to know everything about food maybe this will convince you...

1. I've somehow convinced my 3 year old that healthy food is delicious
2. I like to keep foods simple (my kids tend to like it best that way)
3. When I get my yearly physical, my numbers come back great
4. We go years without getting sick (even my 3 year old went two years without so much as a sniffle) and even when we get sick we recover quickly

Here are my don'ts and won'ts: I don't make everything from scratch. I don't buy only organic, but I do have my own rules about what must be organic.  I won't guilt people into feeding their kiddos the way I feed mine. 

My hopes for this blog are that it inspires you to feed your kids (and yourself) healthier meals and maybe that it gives you some ideas about what to feed them.

I hope you enjoy!

Update:  I've recently enrolled into a nutrition master's program!  So I may start including tidbits about nutrition to help us all get a little healthier.