Food & Recipes

Go-To Picky Eater Muffin Recipe

I should preface this post by saying that this been my go-to healthy muffin recipe since before I even got married and started thinking about kids. What makes this a “toddler” recipe is the fact that I can make around 24 toddler-sized muffins from one batch using a mini-muffin tin. I love this silicone one from Target.

This recipe makes the perfect breakfast or snack muffins and is relatively healthy. I first discovered this recipe on Pinterest, which led me to it’s originator: Fit and Healthy with Debbie. She originally posted this in 2012, and seven years later, it’s still a staple in my household.

Not only is this adult approved, but it’s picky toddler approved! Aside from the base ingredients, you can add things like walnuts, almonds, dark chocolate chips (my favorite) and fresh strawberries. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

2.5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas (when there are dark brown spots on your banana, it’s the perfect time to make these muffins)
Optional add-ins: dark chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds, fresh fruit

Steps:

Note: You can either use a food processor or a mixer to make this recipe.

In a food processor or blender pulse the 2.5 cups old fashioned oats until they are almost a meal consistency.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Combine remaining ingredients into your food processor or mixer (I use the KitchenAid Classic Mixer). Optional: add in your favorite nut, fruit or sweet to part of the batter to give it a little something extra!
Depending on what size muffins you’re making, either spray some baking spray in your muffin tray, or line them, or bust out your handy-dandy silicone mini-muffin tray. Add your mixture!
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until nothing comes out on a toothpick.
Refrigerate as they’re perishable. Lifespan of these are about a week.
Enjoy! I love them with a cup of coffee. 🙂

Starting Solids

I can’t believe I have a five month old. Jadyn is not only talking up a storm and can almost roll from back-to-tummy, but she’s now on solids a few times a day.

At her four month well-check, Jadyn’s pediatrician said we could start introducing solids. I always thought I had to wait till 6 months, but by the time Jadyn is 6 months, two of her meals during the day should just be solids. At four months, I thought she was still a little young to truly start, so if I was eating a banana or watermelon or cantaloupe, I’d let her try some. But once Jadyn hit four and a half months, I really thought about it and started thinking of different things to purée. Here are my go to combinations right now:

Sweet potato + apple
Sweet potato + carrot
Mashed bananas
Zucchini + apple (completely tastes like apple sauce)
Broccoli + apple

What I plan on trying next:

Peas
Pears + spinach + kale
Spinach + apple + sweet potato
Apple + spinach
Chicken + sweet potato
Cantaloupe
Watermelon (she already loves sucking the juices from melon!!)

With fruits, you don’t need to steam them (obviously)–puréeing is just fine. However, in order to keep the nutrients in the veggies, steaming is better than boiling. And one of the best gifts I received from my baby shower was the Béaba Babycook. It’s a one-stop-shop to steam and purée vegetables for your little one. I use it three times a week to make Jadyn’s concoctions. You can find the Babycook on Amazon. And for more recipe inspiration, I’ve been browsing ThinkBaby.org’s recipes page. They have some great combinations I need to try and also some tips and tricks for when Jadyn is in the toddler years.

courtesy of Amazon.com

Obviously starting solids was a slight learning curve for Jadyn since she didn’t really know what to do with a spoon, but since I have the Béaba silicone spoons, I let her play with them for a few days and every day when we eat, she’s learning that a spoon helps get food in her mouth. It’s so cute!

I also have to give a shout out to Inspired Start. They sent me a couple samples of their apples and wheat pouches to try out. What I love about Inspired Start is that each pouch contains a couple teaspoons of a common allergen like wheat, tree nut, peanut, seafood or soy, and masks it in a sweeter fruit. We’ve used the apple and wheat pouch a few times and can easily say that Jadyn does not have a wheat allergy! You can find Inspired Start only on Amazon.

I’m so excited to learn what Jadyn is going to enjoy next! It’s always an adventure with her.

What food combinations did you try with your little one when you introduced solids? Leave a comment below!

Cooking Made Easier

I cannot believe I have an almost five month old. Like, she’ll be five months on Saturday.😳 But still, we’re quickly approaching the six-month-old mark. Now that I’m back at work full-time and caring for Jadyn full-time, I’m so exhausted by the end of the day that thinking about making dinner makes me even more tired.

Enter HelloFresh.

I have been obsessed with my meals ever since I claimed my first offer. I’ve had four meals delivered and I have to say they’ve been 4/4, meaning I’ve also kept the recipe cards for reference later on! Here are the meals I’ve tried:

Week 1: Quick Beef Ragú Spaghetti & Creamy Dill Chicken

Week 2: Cheddar Smash Burgers & Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Week 3 (this week!): Hoisin-Glazed Meatballs & Cauliflower Mac ‘N’ Cheese

What I love about HelloFresh is that it’s a one-stop-shop in the sense that all you have to do is cook. The ingredients to each meal come prepackaged and you just need to prepare it according to the instructions. Each meal is based on servings, so I have purchased the family plan which includes four servings. We always have leftovers, so either the hubby takes it to work the next day for lunch, or I have it for lunch. HelloFresh is a bit on the pricier side, but I think that if I were to spend time thinking of recipes, then buying the ingredients and cooking the meals, it’d cost the same. Also, I can skip a week whenever I want without being penalized, so that’s great.

I’ve got a special offer just for my Made To Mommy readers! Use this referral link to score $40 off your first order!

Have you tried HelloFresh or a subscription meal service like it? Leave a comment below!

Review: Imperfect Produce

Photo by Andres Carreno on Unsplash

Before baby I actually enjoyed going to the grocery store. I’d bring my list and browse the aisles, you know, adding unnecessary things to my cart. But the one area of the grocery store I absolutely hated going through was the produce section. Not because I don’t like fruits and vegetables. I mean, c’mon, who do you think I am? I just hated looking at the insanely ridiculous prices.

Enter Imperfect Produce. This is the best discovery I’ve made since having a baby. Good looking fruits and veggies has never been a preference for me. Just give me the goods. Imperfect Produce takes the produce that grocery stores won’t purchase because it’s not pretty enough, and sells it at significantly lower prices. Here’s how it works:

You pick what size box you want based on your family size. They let you know how many a box can feed when you go through the process.
You can choose between regular produce, organic produce or a mix of both. I chose to do a mix of both in order to have the most options.
You can choose delivery frequency. I get mine every other week, but you have the options for weekly deliveries.
You can customize your box. Every week is different so while some are staples, you may see some new items. You’ll get an email notifying when it’s time to customize your box.
They always deliver when it’s cool out, so for me, it’s between 6 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday.

Even though they’re imperfect to put out at grocery stores, the produce is still fresh and tastes great. I was skeptical to sign up at first, but have yet to be disappointed (I mean, who doesn’t love purple cauliflower, right?!).

Currently, Imperfect Produce delivers to the entire Bay Area here in California, as well as Los Angeles, Orange County, Portland, Seattle and Chicago.

If you’re interested in trying Imperfect Produce, you can get a $10 credit when you sign up via this link.

Happy shopping!