Baked Blueberry Pan Cake

Breakfast: Turkey and cheese egg muffin, blueberries and pumpkin whole wheat pancakes (LQ had a hard boiled egg, not an egg muffin)

Lunch: Steamed vegetables and breaded baked chicken

Afternoon snack: Peaches and cottage cheese (LQ had a sprinkle of shredded cheese on her cottage cheese)

Breakfast: Turkey and cheese egg muffin, raspberries and pumpkin whole wheat pancakes (LQ had a hard boiled egg, not an egg muffin)

Lunch: Pizzadillas (quesadillas with black olives) with veggie marinara dipping sauce and grapes

Afternoon snack: Baked blueberry pan cake and yogurt

Breakfast: LA had turkey and cheese egg muffin, Asian pears and pumpkin whole wheat pancakes.  LQ had a hardboiled egg, baked blueberry pan cake and Asian pears

Lunch: whole wheat shells topped with veggie marinara and a side of Asian pears

Afternoon snack: Puffs and yogurt

Breakfast: LA had a hardboiled egg, baked blueberry pan cake and apples.  LQ had a hardboiled egg and baked blueberry pan cake

Lunch: LA had 2 beet rice cake peanut butter mini sandwiches and apples and LQ had cheese, Triscuits and apples (I let her pick her food today)

Afternoon snack: LQ 2 beet rice cake peanut butter mini sandwiches and a yogurt. LA was picked up early and had no afternoon snack

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Baked Blueberry Pan Cake

These are basically pancakes but I've added blueberries, cinnamon and agave to give them a different taste and feel.  I didn't feel least bit guilty about giving my kids this for breakfast or as a snack.  To be honest I can't remember which brand I used, but I will update this post as soon as I see it at the grocery store.  Sorry :-(

Veggie Packed Egg Muffins

Breakfast: Pumpkin-banana pancakes, hardboiled eggs and clementines

Lunch: Turkey, cheese and avocado melt in a whole wheat tortilla, pretzel sticks, steamed carrots

Afternoon snack: Mango and trail mix (whole wheat Barbara cereal, raisins and raw cashews)

Breakfast: Pumpkin-banana pancakes, hardboiled eggs and honeydew melon

Lunch: Oven baked chicken breast, steamed vegetables and sliced and peeled apples

Afternoon snack: LA had puffs and a yogurt.  LQ had apples topped with peanut butter and raisins and a yogurt.

Breakfast: Pumpkin-banana pancakes, hardboiled eggs and blueberries

Lunch: Whole wheat pita filled with cheese, turkey and avocado, black olives and grapes

Afternoon snack: Steamed vegetables and hummus, and yogurt

Breakfast: Pumpkin-banana pancakes, baked egg muffins and grapes

Lunch: Chicken quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla, sliced avocado and clementines

Afternoon snack: LA had puffs and clementines.  LQ had puffs and apple slices.

Breakfast: Pumpkin-banana pancakes, baked egg muffins and grapes

Lunch: Turkey and cheese roll ups, blueberries and pretzel sticks.  LQ also had nutella chia seed pudding

Afternoon snack: Asian pears and yogurt.

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Baked Egg Muffins

Ingredients

Turkey

Shredded cheese

Eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Chop the turkey and add to the bottom of the muffin tin.  Sprinkle cheese over the turkey.  Scramble eggs in a bowl and pour over turkey and cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until the center is cooked (check with a toothpick)

I made a variation of this with vegetables for my husband and he loved it.  To add vegetables chop onion, potato, bell peppers and jalapenos (or any combination of these) and saute in very little olive oil until semi-soft.  Once this mixture is cooled add it to the muffin tin, before adding the egg.

Pumpkin-Banana Pancakes are Here!!

Breakfast: Pumpkin-Banana pancakes, hardboiled egg and sliced strawberries

Lunch: Breaded and baked chicken strips, steamed carrot slices and strawberries

Afternoon snack: Puffs and organic yogurt

Breakfast: Pumpkin-Banana pancakes, hardboiled egg and blueberries

Lunch: Spaghetti, steamed vegetables and clementines

Afternoon snack: Puffs and organic yogurt

Breakfast: Pumpkin-Banana pancakes, hardboiled egg and honey dew melon

Lunch: Turkey quesadilla, black olives and sliced avocado

Afternoon snack: Sliced strawberries and peanut butter crackers

Breakfast: Pumpkin-Banana pancakes, hardboiled eggs and sliced strawberries

Lunch: Peanut butter and mashed banana roll up in a wheat tortilla, steamed baby carrots, 1/2 string cheese and whole grain Goldfish.

Afternoon snack: flavored rice cake and organic yogurt

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Pumpkin-Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas

1 15oz can of 100% pumpkin puree

1 TBS cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cups pancake mix

1 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

1/2 cup hot water

Method:

Mash the bananas. Add pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and cinnamon.  Add pancake mix.  Add milk.  Add water until the mixture gets a bit watery.  Combine well after each addition.  Cook on a lightly greased griddle.  They take a bit longer to cook than normal pancakes so be patient.

Labor Day is For Laboring, Right? At Least It's Delicious!

I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to do this again, but I have to say that preparing a week's worth of meals is AWESOME!  

Morning snacks:

- hard boiled eggs, raspberry whole wheat pancakes, clementines

Lunches:

- whole wheat mac and cheese, baked chicken, and watermelon

- quesadilla, apple slices (rubbed with lime to prevent browning) and avocado (will be cut morning of, not pictured)

- turkey and cheese roll up, steamed carrots and hummus

Afternoon snacks:

- grapes and granola balls

- puffs and yogurt (not pictured)

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Granola balls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup almond butter (oil removed, only because I couldn't get it to mix so I opened up a new jar, poured out the oil and added butter)

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 TBS unsalted melted butter

2 TBS dark chocolate chips

2 TBS white chocolate chips

1 cup Evoke almond and raspberry Muesli.

Method:

Place all dry ingredients in a food processor.  Add the butters to the food processor to help everything combine.  Form bars or balls.  Place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow it to harden.  ENJOY!!!!

**This actually ended up a little too sweet for me, so we'll likely add more Muesli and butter next time.  But, LQ loved them!

Orange you glad school is back in session!

LQ has been home for the last 3 weeks and she's READY to be out mingling with all her best friends (in case you don't have a 3 year old girl,  everyone who is semi close is a best friend). So here's to a great school year!

   

Morning snack: Hard boiled egg,  apple cinnamon pancakes,  clementines

Lunch: Black olive pita pizza and peaches

Afternoon snack: cottage cheese and cantaloupe

Morning snack:  Cottage cheese, apple cinnamon pancakes and blueberries

Lunch: LA had a turkey and cheese roll up, shredded carrots and apple slices.  LQ had an cinnamon peanut butter apple sandwich, carrots, and string cheese.

Afternoon snack: puffs and yogurt

Morning snack: hard boiled egg, apple cinnamon pancakes and plums.

Lunch: breaded baked chicken, steamed sweet corn and plums.

Afternoon snack: LA had puffs and a yogurt.  LQ had Triscuits topped with avocado, shredded cheese and olives.

Morning snack: hard boiled egg, apple cinnamon pancakes and peaches.

Lunch: whole wheat pita filled with hummus, turkey, avocado and Parmesan cheese, steamed vegetables and hummus.

Afternoon snack: string cheese, peaches and apples.

Week 7 - Daddy prepped meals

Morning snack: cottage cheese and Triscuits

Lunch: Turkey, cheese and avocado whole wheat tortilla roll up, steamed broccoli, and cantaloupe.

Tuesday-Friday

I don't have pictures for meals prepared for Tuesday through Friday this week because LA and I went out of town and left Daddy and LQ at home.  I left a menu for Daddy and he prepared all the meals for school.  According to LQ Daddy did GREAT!  Here's the menu I left him. 

Week 6

Morning snack: Banana cinnamon whole wheat pancakes and Yotot/Yokids yogurt.
Lunch:   LQ leftover pita cheese pizza, black olives, steam broccoli and sliced apples.
Afternoon snack: LA sliced turkey, cheese and blueberries. LQ trail mix with Barbara cereal, shredded coconut, cranberries and cashews.

Morning snack: Hard boiled egg and Yotot/Yokids yogurt.
Lunch: LA banana and peanut butter roll up on wheat bread and blueberries.  LQ banana, raisin and peanut butter roll up on wheat bread and peach.
Afternoon snack: Triscuits, sliced black olives and cubed cheese.

Morning snack: Hard boiled egg, whole wheat apple cinnamon pancake muffin and Asian pear
Lunch: LA turkey quesadilla, Asian pear and steamed butternut squash.  LQ turkey quesadilla and Asian pear.
Afternoon snack: LA puffs and vegetable pouch (not pictured).  LQ trail mix with Barbara cereal, raisins and cashews.

**NOTE: The whole wheat apple cinnamon pancake muffin uses the same recipe as the pancake recipe it is linked to except that I just added raisins and a little water to make it a bit more water.  Then I baked it for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Morning snack: Strawberries, blueberries and mixture of shaved coconut and pistachios
Lunch: breaded chicken, steamed peas and pretzels.
Afternoon snack: Cottage cheese and Triscuits

**Only LQ went to camp today.

Week 5 - Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Morning snack: LA Annie's cheddar bunnies and watermelon.  LQ Triscuits topped with peanut butter and raisins and watermelon.
Lunch: LA mac and cheese, oven roasted chicken and halved cherries.  LQ whole wheat pita pizza topped with homemade pizza sauce, mozzerrella and black olives and blueberries and plums.
Afternoon snack: LA puffs and butternut squash and pear pouch.  LQ trail mix with almonds, pistachios, shaved coconut and raisins.

Morning snack: Hard boiled egg and Yotots yogurt
Lunch: LA grilled cheese sandwich, steamed peas and plums.  LQ cheese, turkey and avocado sandwich and cherries.
Afternoon snack: LA sliced plum. LQ plum and pistachios.

Morning snack: Whole wheat apple cinnamon pancakes and hard boiled egg.
Lunch: LA turkey and cheese roll up, Goldfish and blueberries.  LQ grilled cheese and turkey whole wheat roll ups, shredded carrots, blueberries an dried cranberries
Afternoon snack: Mango and cherries.

Morning snack: Whole wheat apple cinnamon pancakes and Yotots yogurt.
Lunch: Breaded chicken, brown rice, steamed butternut squash and broccoli and apples/blueberries.
Afternoon snack: LA peach.  LQ insisted on eating the camp provided snack, cheese crackers, I think.

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Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
3/4 cup vanilla 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
2 TBS cinnamon

Method:

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl  Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl  Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Cook on a preheated, pre-oiled griddle.

**NOTE: depending on the amount of cinnamon packed into each tablespoon you may need to add more liquid.  Cinnamon has a tendency to coagulate a bit.  

Week 4

Morning snack: LA zucchini pancake muffin, Yotot yogurt. LQ zucchini pancake muffin topped with peanut butter and blueberry jam and blueberries and raspberries.
Lunch: LA diced turkey, diced cheese stick, sliced black olives and steamed mixed vegetables. LQ stuffed whole wheat pita with turkey, avocado and cheese, baby carrots and pretzel Goldfish
Afternoon snack: LA Blueberries and raspberries and buffs. LQ plum.

Morning snack: LA banana whole wheat pancakes with cantaloupe and blueberries. LQ banana whole wheat pancakes with Yokids yogurt.
Lunch: Mac and cheese, hard boiled egg and steamed mixed vegetables
Afternoon snack: LA puffs and organic fruit yogurt smoothie.  LQ blueberries and cantaloupe.

Morning snack: LA hard boiled egg and blueberries. LQ hard boiled egg and Triscuit topped with cream cheese and raisins.
Lunch: LA oven roasted chicken, Triscuits and sliced peach.  LQ whole wheat pita stuffed with oven roasted chicken, hummus and shredded cheese and sliced peach.
Afternoon snack: puffs and Yotot/Yokids yogurt.

Morning snack: Banana whole wheat pancake cupcakes and Yotot/Yokids yogurt.
Lunch: Oven roasted chicken, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and wild rice
Afternoon snack: puffs and mango

Week 3 - Blueberry Banana Whole Wheat Pancakes

Morning snack: Blueberry banana whole wheat pancakes and blueberries
Lunch: Oven roasted chicken, wild rice, steamed mixed vegetables, and strawberries
Afternoon snack: LA halved red grapes and Annie's cheddar bunnies. LQ green grapes and cheese stick

Morning snack: Blueberry banana whole wheat pancakes and scrambled eggs
Lunch: Whole wheat bowtie pasta topped with homemade spaghetti sauce and shredded cheese, steamed peas and sliced black olives
Afternoon snack: Hazelnut and raspberry almond milk chia pudding

Morning snack: Yotots yogurt and puffs
Lunch: Turkey quesadilla, sliced avocado and black beans
Afternoon snack: Diced mango

Morning snack: Zucchini pancake muffins and Yotots yogurt
Lunch: Breaded chicken, brown rice, steamed mixed vegetables and blueberries
Afternoon snack: LA watermelon.  LQ red grapes and a cheese stick.

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Blueberry Banana Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 1/4 cup soy milk/almond milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp sodium-free baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS blueberry jam (we use the Wegman's organic blueberry jam, it contains very little sugar)

Method:

Mash up the banana in a large bowl and add the milk and jam.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.  Cook on warm pre-oiled griddle.

Week 2 (Zucchini Pancake Muffins)

Posting daily his quickly become an impossibility....so, here we go a weekly post.  I hope you guys stick around!  I'll try to throw in some fun yummy stuff between my Sunday posts, ok!

Morning snack: Zucchini pancake muffins topped with peanut butter and blueberry jam, blueberries and raspberries (yogurt for LA)

Lunch: LA got diced roasted turkey and cheese, black olives, and steamed mixed vegetables.  LQ got a pita pocket stuffed with turkey, avocado and cheese, baby carrots and pretzel Goldfish.

Afternoon snack: LA got puffs, blueberries and raspberries.  LQ got plums.

Morning snack: Peanut butter filled zucchini pancake muffins and yogurt

Lunch:  Breaded and baked chicken, brown rice, and steamed mixed vegetables (LA also got blueberries).

Afternoon snack:  LA got plums.  LQ got grapes and cheese sticks.

Morning snack: Puffs and yogurt.

Lunch: Quesadilla, black beans and avocado

Afternoon snack: Mango.

Morning snack: LA got watermelon and cheddar rabbits.  The girls got watermelon and peanut butter and raisin on top of Triscuits.

Lunch: LA got baked chicken, mac and cheese and cherries.  The girls got pita pizza with black olives and plums with blueberries

Afternoon snack: LA got puffs and a butternut squash and pear puree pouch.  LQ got trailmix with coconut shavings, almonds and raisins.

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Zucchini Pancake Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 medium eggs

2 TBS vegetable oil

1 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS vanilla almond milk

3 TBS vanilla Greek yogurt

2 1/4 cup shredded zucchini

Method

Set the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the dry ingredients.  Combine the wet ingredients.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients.  Spray a mini-muffin tin with nonstick spray.  Pour batter and bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

These are not sweet....at all, so I'd recommend having them with syrup or the way LQ prefers them, cut in half with peanut butter on the inside and blueberries on the top.  She calls them peanut butter jam cupcake sandwiches.

My New Saturday Morning Ritual

Now that I'm making lunch for three kids it only makes sense that I try to simplify a part of it.  I've decided that I can do that by making mini-pancakes on Saturday mornings.  This past Saturday LQ and I made over 75 mini-pancakes.  Although pancakes will be a regular part of the kids' morning snack, I'll experiment with topping them in different ways so it doesn't get boring.  One of LQ's favorite ways  to eat mini-pancakes is with peanut butter and raisin (peanut butter and raisin pancake sandwich), so that will definitely be prepared.  These pancakes are a great way to get your children to eat whole wheat and get some fiber in their diet.  

I've posted my pancake recipe in the past, but in case you missed it here it is again...

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
1 1/4 cup soy milk/almond milk (more if the batter is too thick to pour)
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 (LQ normally likes to add this part and there have been times when she adds a tiny mountain of cinnamon, if you accidentally do that add more milk, otherwise the batter is too thick)

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. 

Summer Camp Day 4

Morning snack: Scrambled eggs and peanut butter-blackberry jam pancake sandwich (no jam for LA)

Lunch: Whole wheat spaghetti with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, steamed peas, black olives and chia seed hazelnut pudding

Afternoon snack: green grapes and cheese stick (not pictured, from yesterday)

Copycat dessert - Cosi's Nutella Chia Pudding (Chia Seed Hazelnut Pudding)

So I recently went to Cosí and had a Nutella Chia pudding.  Have you had one?  They're pretty delicious,  but they're over $4 and pretty small.

SERIOUSLY!!

They're killing me with that price! So over the long weekend LQ and I did some experimenting and I think we got it!  Let us know how we did.

Ingredients
2 TBS white Chia seeds (or the normal black ones,  just expect a weird color)
1 TBS Nutella (we used the Wegmans brand because it has less sugar than the real Nutella,  next time we'll make our own!)
2/3 cup vanilla almond milk
Food process dry freeze mixed berries into a powder

Method
Put everything in an airtight container and shake your booty until you no longer see nutella streaks.  Make sure your nutella is room temperature,  or even heat it a bit in the microwave.  Once everything is combined, place the closed container in the refrigerator for about 5 hours.  When you serve sprinkle with berry powder.

Why dry freeze berries?
I find them to more sour than fresh berries.  The sourness will bring out the flavor in the pudding.

Summer Camp Day 3

I made a deal with a friend of mine....she drives LQ to camp and I pack lunch for her daughter.  It's a total win-win!  So you're not seeing triples, I'm just making 2 big girl lunches and 1 little man lunch (though these days it's difficult to tell the difference with this big eater!).

Morning Snack:  Whole wheat pancakes, syrup and blueberries (LQ didn't get syrup)

Lunch: Baked chicken, wild rice, steamed mixed vegetables and strawberries

Afternoon Snack: LA got red grapes and Annie's cheddar bunnies.  LQ got green grapes and a cheese stick

Summer Camp - Day 2

LQ Morning snack: Peanut butter and raisin pancake sandwich and YoTot yogurt

LQ Lunch: Quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla, honeydew melon and cantaloupe (from yesterday's lunch, she was picked up early)

LQ Afternoon snack: Triscuits with cream cheese and black olives

LA Morning snack: Peanut butter and raisin pancake sandwich and YoTot yogurt

LA Lunch: Baked chicken, peas, honeydew melon and mac and cheese

LA Afternoon snack: Triscuits with cream cheese and black olives

Summer Camp - Day 1

It's an exciting part of the year!!  It's summer camp time!!  LQ is over the moon about the thought of having a water day each week.  Of course with all this activity the kids are super hungry!  So here we go...

LQ Morning snack: Whole wheat pancakes and Yotot yogurt.

LQ Lunch: Quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla, peas and pineapples

LQ Afternoon snack: Puffs and honeydew melon

LA Morning snack: Whole wheat pancakes and Yotot yogurt.

LA Lunch: Quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla, peas and pineapples

LA Afternoon snack: Puffs and honeydew melon and cantaloupe

Keeping foods simple

We come into this world with taste buds that enjoy the simplest flavors.  As children, we enjoyed pureed steamed vegetables that contain little to no seasoning.   Then over time those foods become bland to us.  In the simplest form, I see this as a battle between nature and nurture.  Do our taste buds change as we age? Are we biologically predisposed to like certain foods?  Are our taste buds changed by our exposure.  My guess, is that it's like anything, a little of both. 

For example,  when my parents met, my dad's favorite condiment was ketchup.  (Really dad,  ketchup,  yuck! )  But I'm happy to report that after a few years he began requesting salsa with every meal.  So my dad was introduced to a more intense (non-sugar laced condiment) and his taste buds changed.

Another thing, we know that if we reduce our daily salt or sugar intake our bodies will adjust.  Then what we considered salty enough before will taste too salty.  But here's the thing, and the reason I wanted to write this post,  we know that the healthiest foods are those that are in their purest form,  without salt, sugar,  dyes,  preservatives, etc. added, the so called clean foods.  So shouldn't we do what we can to keep our children's taste buds' desire for clean foods? 

Having said all of that, (and before I'm overly judged)  I have to admit that I genuinely enjoy salty and sweet foods.  And of course, I'm not perfect so my kids also indulge every once in a while. But I want them to stay as food "pure" as possible for as long as can, so I try.

LQ Morning snack:  Vanilla Greek yogurt and blueberries

LQ Lunch: Roasted organic turkey, Colby Jack cheese cubes, avocado slices and almond, coconut, and dark chocolate trail mix

LQ Afternoon snack: Organic peanut butter and pretzels

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Almond, coconut, and dark chocolate trail mix

Ingredients:

1/4 cup semi sweet dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup coconut shavings (roughly chopped)

1/2 cup raw almonds (roughly chopped)

Methods:

Roughly chop the almonds and coconut shavings.  In the meantime heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for a minute.  Combine all the ingredients.  Enjoy!

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LA breakfast: blueberries and yogurt

LA lunch: Roasted organic turkey, Colby Jack cheese cubes, avocado slices and whole wheat pasta