Whining and Dining

Toddler Test Kitchen: Green Juice

During a recent trip to Whole Foods, I came across Odawalla's Superfood Juice, which is green juice with blended green plants and strawberry, peach, mango and banana purees and apple juice. It also includes a 1,000 mg of spirulina per serving, lots of Vitamin C, Manganese and Potassium. On a whim, I bought some wondering if my daughter would try it. She loved it. I mean, really loved it.

Because the Odawalla juice is more expensive, I turned to Trader Joe's to see if I could find a similar juice that's a little lighter on the wallet. I found the Green Plant Juice to be almost exactly the same. Tastewise, I still prefer Odawalla, but the ingredients are almost identical. The only difference really is that the Green Plant juice has less spirulina (620 mg) and pineapple juice in lieu of the strawberry puree.

If you're like me, then you probably already have your nose turned up. Green juice, ICK! Trust me, I was skeptical, too. But then I realized that I could give her a little green juice on those not-so-nutritious days like yesterday, for instance, when she ate only French fries for lunch. I gave her a glass of green juice when we got home from In 'n Out Burger, knowing that hey, she's at least drinking some spinach, broccoli, mango and peach. And then I didn't feel SO bad.

Safe, BPA-Free Drinkware for Babies & Toddlers

Want to find the safest drinkware for your toddler? Thanks to the tip from my mommy friend Tracy, I discovered the ZRecommends blog, where they featured the safe, BPA-free sippy cups in last November's BPA Report . Also, here's a BPA-Free Bottle and Sippy Cup Cheat Sheet from blogger SafeMama. if  you're busy like me and your head is spinning with all of this BPA in plastic news, I'm grateful for those that can break it down and tell me what to buy and what to toss.

Today, Zrecs also did a round-up of the Best BPA-Free Water Bottles.

As a part of your spring cleaning, take a sippy cup inventory this month and make sure your toddler is sipping from the finest of sippies.

Try This: Strawberry Milk

As a kid, I constantly bugged my mom to buy Strawberry Quick. The commercials wooed me first, and then I had it at a friend's house. I wouldn't stop talking about it. And now as an older, more mature version of myself, I understand why my mom vehemently opposed -- the sugar, of course.

It's taken me up until recently that I can make my own strawberry milk. All you have to do is blend up some strawberries with your favorite milk...and duh...you can have close to the same thing, only healthier. We have been making it with Unsweetened Vanilla Soy Milk, which adds a nice vanilla taste. It's even better with frozen strawberries (so freeze those super ripe strawberries before they go past the point of no return).

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup of West Soy Unsweetened Vanilla Soy Milk

Blend until smooth.

**Best to drink in regular cups with straws as strawberry seeds seem to routinely get stuck in sippy cups, which may subject one to an angry toddler slamming their cup on the floor out of frustration (or maybe that's just my daughter's reaction).

It's so simple, so easy and has quickly become an addiction. And many thanks to neighbor Kim who introduced me to this concept during a recent playdate.

A great drink for you and your little one to share on this Mother's Day!

Peanut Butter Pretzels: #1 Snack Food in Our House

If I had to pick a favorite snack food, it would hands down go to Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Pretzels. A protein-packed, delicious snack. Only a handful of these bad boys will keep you going. Hubby, our toddler and me all LOVE them. So add them to your next TJ list as long as you are a peanut eating family.

What's even better than eating the PB pretzels plain is indulging in the  Trader Joe's Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels.

What's even better....making your own Chubby Hubby ice cream. Meaning that you crunch the PB pretzels on top of your vanilla ice cream. And not any vanilla will do. If you're going to indulge here, you should always go with the best -- Double Rainbow Vanilla Ice Cream. (If you haven't tried this ice cream, you MUST, MUST. It is an outstanding vanilla. Well, as outstanding as "vanilla" can be. I say this coming from Blue Bell country, and that's sayin' somethin').

Does my toddler like this?  Of  course, and she loves getting to help crunch up the  pretzels over the ice cream. Fun and delicious.

And there you have it - a snack food and new dessert to love. What more could you ask for?

News Alert: Is Starbucks the New After-School Treat?

Starbucks, the new after-school treat? Please tell me it's not. Well, apparently it IS catching on with the grade school crowd. After thinking about it for a bit, I guess I can understand why. Kids want to be like us, and we get coffee at Starbucks. Or if your kids don't see you going there, they see Britney and others going. And with frappuccinos and the like, it's a dead giveaway that kids would go bonkers for those drinks. Not only is it a high caloric habit, but it's an expensive one, too. And do we really want our kids to be hyped up any more than they already are? Not so much.

As parents, we worry about what our little kids eat. The below article gives good cause to paying attention about what they drink, too.

Excerpt from "Is Starbucks the New After-School Treat?"

"Keep an eye on what your kids are drinking and educate them on what caffeine can do to their nervous systems. Encourage them to drink more ice water, low- or non-fat milk, and 100-percent fruit juice (you can dilute the juice to save some calories while still getting some of the flavor). Your kids don't need caffeine to do their homework. " Click here for the rest of the story.

Meals on the Go: Japanese Balls

Tonight's featured recipe idea inspired me to create a new category, "Meals on the Go." Especially since many of us parents are constantly racking our brains for portable meals.

I thought this was such a great idea to feed an older baby or toddler on-the-go. It's from one of my new favorite blogs, Weeliscious.

Can't wait to make these, wrap'em up and take'em to the beach or zoo or picnic. After all, summer is almost here!

Celebrity Scoop: Apple Martin's Organic Roast Veggie Sticks

Mama Gwenyth Paltrow shares a few healthy, eco-friendly food tips in the April 21 issue of People Magazine. Once her kids were old enough to eat solids she would, "make organic brown rice and keep it in the fridge. I'd puree it with organic vegetables that I'd steamed. It's easy to make organic oats for them in the morning with a little pure maple syrup, or yogurt with flax meal and fruit. As the kids get older: brown rice and black beans with soft tortillas and guacamole - they love dipping."

She also gave People the recipe for Apple's Organic Roast Veggie Sticks. Here goes....

My kids eat these with their fingers. When they cool, the sticks are caramelized and delicious.

-Peel carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips and cut into thick French-fry size pieces. Toss with a drizzling of olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees. After 20 minutes, stir in maple syrup, then return to oven until lightly browned. Allow to cool before eating.

News Alert: Mom's Diet May Influence Baby's Gender

Fascinating news out there for you mamas....

CHICAGO - Snips and snails and puppydog tails ... and cereal and bananas? That could be what little boys are made of, according to surprising new research suggesting that what a woman eats before pregnancy influences the gender of her baby. Click here to read more.

Orange Bran Muffins

Delicious muffins hot out of the oven is a great way to start a weekend morning. These Orange Bran Muffins are fiber-rich, moist and delightful. Plus they are really easy to make, so easy that I can make them in my I-didn't-get-enough-sleep-last-night pre-caffeine haze (you know what I'm talking about).

If you have a toddler or young child like me, you should seriously consider investing in a mini-muffin tin. These little guys love to pop the pint-sized muffins in their mouths, and they make for a good on-the-go snack.

This is also a great recipe to make with your kids. My daughter loves to "make muffins with mama." Although we haven't quite learned the concept of no double-dipping in the batter yet.

INGREDIENTS

·       1 1/2 cups bran flakes crumbled

·       1 cup buttermilk

·       1/3 cup applesauce

·       1 egg

·       2/3 cup brown sugar

·       1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       1 cup all-purpose flour

·       1 teaspoon baking soda

·       1 teaspoon baking powder

·       1/2 teaspoon salt

·       2 teaspoons orange zest

·       1/2 cup raisins (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Mix together bran flakes and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Beat together applesauce, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in orange zest (and raisins) and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Try This: Lifestream Buckwheat Gluten Free Wildberry Waffles

I call myself a conisseur of frozen waffles these days, so I have tried many many brands, different flavors, etc. That said, I must say that the Lifestream Buckwheat Gluten Free Wildberry Waffles are one of the best that I've tasted. Cripsy and flavorful right out of the toaster. Did I mention that they ARE gluten free?!!! For all of you anti-glutites looking for new breakfast ideas, here you are...

The good people at Nature's Path (the same who make my favorite Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus granola) bring you these delicious waffles. You can find them at Whole Foods or Bristol Farms.