Portion-Size Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal

Portion-Size Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal

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The following is a guest post from Brenda of Sugar-Free Mom

January is always that time of year when everyone looks forward to that fresh start and a clean slate. We have hopes, aspirations, and dreams for a better year than the last. The year always begins with some enthusiastic ideas and hopefully some good planning.

Well, how many of you have ever made a goal to eat healthier or lose weight? Have you hit your goal?

This past year I wanted my children to eat less pre-packaged food items, I wanted to finally lose those last few pounds from my pregnancy, I wanted to stick to a food budget, and I wanted to have more freezer meals to make my life easier as a homeschooling momma. The 31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget series helped tremendously, as well as the post on How I plan my freezer Cooking Day?

Whether you are trying to lose weight, eat healthier, or lower your grocery bill, I’ve got a recipe for you to try! It’s economical, versatile, freezable, portion controlled, and downright delicious.

Portion-Sized Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup Sucanat or brown sugar (Note: if not using any Stevia increase your choice of sugar to 1 cup.)
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 cup fruit of your choice — frozen or fresh blueberries, fresh or dried cranberries, frozen or fresh mango, or chocolate chips (see nutrition info below)
• 5 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup flax seed, ground
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cup 1% milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, and Stevia until combined.
3. Add Sucanat, banana, and other fruit of your choice. (If using chocolate chips add them last)
4. In another bowl, mix oats, salt, baking powder, flax seed, and cinnamon.
5. Dump dry ingredients into wet ingredients; mix well.
6. Pour in milk and stir until combined.
7. Spray one 12 and one 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
8. Scoop mixture evenly into muffin cups.
9. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the center of each muffin is set.
10. Cool and enjoy — or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Nutrition Info with Fruit: Servings: 18* Serving size: 1* Calories: 155.7* Fat: 3g* Fiber: 3.7g* Carbs: 25.2g* Protein: 5.7g* Points+: 4* Old Points: 3*

Nutrition Info for Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal: Serving size: 1* Calories: 196* Fat: 6.7g* Fiber: 4g* Carbs: 30.3g* Protein: 6.1g* Points+: 5 Old Points: 6*

baked oatmeal

The best part about this recipe is that it is not made in a big casserole dish! It makes 18 individualized baked oatmeal portion so that I won’t eat more than my one portion. Its also very inexpensive.

A Few More Tips:

• I buy the basic ingredients at Aldi and the rest at Target or Whole Foods.
• You can find many varieties of chocolate chips without refined sugar at Whole Foods and online.
• I use grain-sweetened chocolate chips, but carob chips are also delicious as well.
• Using different fruits does not change the nutrition info all that much.
• Using chocolate chips does change the nutrition info and you will see that difference noted above.
• This recipe freezes wonderfully in Ziploc freezer bags.

If you only start with one goal this year, make it freezer cooking and start with this easy dish!

Brenda Bennett, is a homeschooling mom of three and author of Sugar-Free Mom.com. She lost 50 pounds and has kept it off for the last 8 years! At Sugar-Free Mom, you will find great recipes for yourself and your family, as well as health-related issues about exercise and refined sugar-free alternatives.

Original article and pictures take moneysavingmom.com site

Pineapple Mango Smoothies (No Sugar Added – Dairy Free Option)

Pineapple Mango Smoothies (No Sugar Added – Dairy Free Option)

This Pineapple Mango Smoothie is more refreshing that you can imagine. Mmmm!

We were on our way home from Kansas City after a weekend event our boys had participated in. The event had been awesome, our boys had done great, and we were all flying high. Except for Asa (our 15 year old) and me. It appeared that the two of us were coming down with the flu. Our throats hurt, our chests burned, and we both began to get feverish. Our eyes were red and achy. Our heads pounded.

(Great story so far, eh?)

We were both a little bit hungry, although nothing really sounded good to eat. We had packed food, but all of it seemed too difficult to eat. Funny how the normally simple act of chewing takes so much energy when you’re sick. All I could think of was, “I just want a smoothie.” (Well, and “I just want my bed.” But out on the interstate, a few hours from home, that was not an option.)

Matt, bless his heart, was determined to find his feverish bride a smoothie. We finally managed to find a place that had some decent options (without too many funky, sugary ingredients). I chose a pineapple mango variety and aside from the fact that it was cold and made my chills just a little bit more miserable – I had never enjoyed a smoothie more. It was so refreshing. It was just what Asa and I needed. We slept the rest of the way home.

Asa and I are all better now. In fact, this all happened a couple of months ago. But ever since, I’ve been craving a Pineapple Mango Smoothie. I typically make my smoothies with berries – which we love. But the refreshment that comes from pineapple, mango, and orange juice all blended up in a glass? I knew I needed to recreate this treasure.

It’s not hard to make – you just need five simple ingredients. Add a little maple syrup or stevia if it’s not sweet enough for you. We think it’s sweet enough as is. Coconut milk makes it taste great and offers a dairy free option if you need it. We like it with plain, whole milk yogurt. I think I may make these every single day this summer.

What’s your favorite fruit smoothie combination? For the record, I don’t recommend getting the flu before trying this. It’s much more fun to eat when you can hold your head up off the pillow.

Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site

Pepperoni Pizza Muffins ~ NEW 31 Days of Kid Friendly Recipes

Pepperoni Pizza Muffins ~ NEW 31 Days of Kid Friendly Recipes

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Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3.5 oz. pepperoni, chopped and divided
• 1/4 cup pizza sauce
• Fresh veggies, as side dish

Directions

• Heat your oven to 450 degrees and spray your muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir to combine.
• Add in the melted butter, milk, and egg. Stir about 5 or 6 times until only a few lumps remain.
• Stir in 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/2 of the chopped pepperoni.
• Spoon the batter into 8 muffin compartments. Top with the remaining cheese and then spoon on the pizza sauce on top of the cheese. Finish with the remaining pepperoni.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before serving.
• Prepare fresh veggies.
• Serve Pepperoni Pizza Muffins with fresh veggies.

Original article and pictures take 344apz3bh6di1m0sag1etg3fxyz.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com site

Peas And Potatoes With Leeks

Peas And Potatoes With Leeks

Peas And Potatoes With Leeks, a simple and nutritious meal for babies 8 months and above.

Good morning everyone. Last week was full of travel and adventure for me. In a way, it was a good start of 2015. There was snow everywhere. It was such a beautiful sight and was really cold. I kept craving for something warm and comforting whenever we took a break from driving.

Even my daughter loved having warm soups after playing in the snow and taking in the beauty that was all around her. So today, I have shared a puree made from peas, potatoes, and leeks. I gave a hint of garlic, cumin, and oregano to this hearty puree or you can also call it a soup. It is indeed a comfort food in these beautiful white days for your little one.

January is the season for potatoes and leeks. They are available fresh in stores. Potatoes, especially white potatoes have a good amount of vitamin A and vitamin C as well as potassium.

They come under Dirty Dozens, so it’s advisable to use organic white potatoes if using it for baby food. Russet potato is a good variety that can be used here as they don’t lose their texture much as compared to other varieties of white potatoes.

While storing white potatoes, store them at room temperature and not at an overly warm place. As it may cause sprouting and shriveling. At the market, choose potatoes which don’t have any sprouts or green marking.

Leeks can be called a part of garlic and onions family. They have a mild onion flavor to it which gives a wondering savory taste to any soup. They are rich in vitamin C, potassium, and iron.

The greens of leeks have beta-carotene which is good for baby’s developing eyes, as well as folate which helps in brain development. Leeks have a good amount of fiber as well. Just a small amount of leeks can add a wonderful flavor to a baby’s meal.

While choosing leeks, look for ones that are straight with dark green leaves. Their bulbs should white in color. Avoid ones, which are wilted or have pale green or yellow leaves or are missing their bulbs. Store uncut leeks in a loose plastic wrap to retain its moisture.

Peas too are filled with the bundle of nutritious goodness. They are full of vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, folate, fiber, just to name few. For peas, we hardly get those in pods here so I usually buy them frozen. It retains its color more and is equal to being fresh.

With all being said, try this recipe for your little one’s next meal. It is a little bowl of comfort in these winter days.

5 from 1 vote

Peas And Potatoes With Leeks

• You can add butter if a baby is ready to have dairy.
• If the puree gets thick, add some more water. You can use the water left from the cooked vegetables.
• If using a food processor, do not pulse this puree too much. It will get sticky.

Important Note:

Talk to your baby’s Pediatrician before starting any new food.

© EasyBabyMeals. All the content is copyright protected. Do not use without prior permission.

Original article and pictures take www.easybabymeals.com site

Pear Nachos with Peanut Butter Drizzle

Pear Nachos with Peanut Butter Drizzle

Easy to make pear nachos are a nutritious snack that will fuel any hungry tummy. Pear slices are simply topped with nut butter and dried cranberries.

It’s no secret that feeding toddlers is one tricky task. From loving a specific food one minute and thinking it was poison the next, sometimes I never know how a meal or snack is going to go with my Joey. But I’ve started taking my own toddler feeding advice and am not giving up on exposing Joey to new foods. Even if he turns his up at it the first 15 times…

Now you might be thinking, “who would turn their nose up at those delicious pear nachos?” I asked myself that too. And do on multiple occasions when it comes to feeding Joey. But believe it or not, having him help pour the peanut butter drizzle and “drop” the dried cranberries over the top of the peanut butter gave him the internal go-ahead to try these pear nachos. And I think it’s safe to say he actually like them!

I’ve seen many recipes for apple nachos on the Internet and haven’t given those a try. Joey enjoys apple “cubes” with a little peanut butter on top [cubes are accepted; slices are not]. But since pears are in season, I thought Joey might enjoy them with his favorite dip. And he did! I’m sure if I try serving this later in the week he’d rather have his pears cubed as well… but for now please let me relish in the fact that a. he helped me in the kitchen and b. he enjoyed a healthy snack that didn’t include cereal.

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A try is a “win” in my book. So if your kids are willing to try this pear nachos snack and they leave the leftovers for you, I say enjoy them! Before they find out they’re too much of a good thing to pass up!

Original article and pictures take i2.wp.com site

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

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Print this out right now, and serve it as an after school snack. Or weekend breakfast…or lunch…or dinner. Or just snack on it all day long.

Holy-yum.

I don’t just love this because it’s got chocolate in it…although that is one of the main reasons.

I love this because all my kids will eat it. It’s kinda like cake…but not quite as sweet and sugar laden. It’s super-d-duper filling…which is exactly the kind of snack I need for these boys who run on an endless energy supply.

It’s also super ‘pantry staple’ friendly, meaning you’ve probably got all the ingredients on hand, except maybe the mini-chocolate chips. So add those to your shopping list right now, print out the recipe and get it made for your family!

P.S. Baked oatmeals are super easy to make gluten free – just substitute 1 for 1 the oats and flour with certified GF oats & whatever gluten free flour blend you prefer to use.

Yield – 16 to 24 servings

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, ground ginger, baking powder and salt.
• Beat in the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, peanut butter until smooth and a “loose” batter forms. (It will seem runny, that’s OK…the oats will soak up all the liquid as it cooks and the end result will be ‘cake-like oatmeal’!)
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into the greased baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cooked through in the center of the baking dish.
• Let cool slightly before serving.
• Serve Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal with milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt, or as is.

To Freeze: Let the oatmeal cool completely, cut into single serving sizes (I usually do squares), and freeze individual portions in plastic baggies.

To Thaw: Drop the frozen oatmeal square into a bowl, and defrost it in the microwave for a minute, then warm it at regular temp for a minute, then add milk or yogurt and any other toppings and gobble it up!

Other Baked Oatmeal Recipes on $5 Dinners

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Original article and pictures take 344apz3bh6di1m0sag1etg3fxyz.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com site

Peachy Cinnamon Smoothie

Peachy Cinnamon Smoothie

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt (we love Fage brand Greek yogurt)
• 1 banana, chopped into pieces
• 1 cup of peach slices (either frozen or room temperature)
• 1 pitted Medjool date, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup of organic non-GMO whole milk
• 1/4 cup of ice

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients into a high speed blender.
2. Blend til' smooth.
3. Enjoy!

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Original article and pictures take www.bestbrunchseattle.com site

Parenting Using Positive Phrasing

Parenting Using Positive Phrasing

I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. - Danielle

Let’s start out this post with a little bit of trivia: Did you know it is impossible for the human brain to visualize a negative action? What I mean by that is, you can’t imagine something not happening.

Let’s give it a try: don’t think about a purple elephant.

You thought of a purple elephant!

Don’t imagine running across a green, flowery field. You can’t do it, can you?

You know what? Our children’s brains work the same way. And now that you are armed with this information, you can use it to increase your and your child’s success in discipline and obedience.

When you instruct or command your child not to do a negative action, you’re really putting that negative action in their thoughts.

A Quick Easy Change

The next time you are about to tell your child not to do something, just take a minute and do a mental flip and turn it into a positive. Remember, they can’t envision a negative phrase, either.

Let’s have several examples, shall we? These are mostly examples from our home, only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Instead of saying:

Emily, don’t spit your food on the floor!!!

Try this positive phrasing:

Emily, keep your food in your mouth! Our food stays in our mouths when we eat.

Instead of saying:

Joey, don’t stand on your chair at the dinner table!

Try this positive phrasing:

Joey, sit down in your chair.

You see, this is much easier for your child to visualize and obey. (Can you tell we have a two-year-old at our dinner table?)

Instead of saying:

Mary, don’t hit the baby!

Try using this positive phrasing:

Mary, be gentle with the baby. Love the baby.

Instead of only correcting your child, you are training them in the way that they should go! You are demonstrating the right way to do something, ingraining it in their sweet little minds.

Instead of saying:

Noah, don’t take that robot from your brother!

Try using this positive phrasing:

Noah, give the robot back to your brother.

Instead of saying:

Kids, don’t go in the street!

Try using this positive phrasing:

Kids, stay in the driveway!

Instead of saying:

David, don’t fall off the monkey bars! You’re gonna fall!

Try using this positive phrasing:

David, hold on tight! Good job! You’re holding on so tight!

NEVER tell your child they are going to fall! You want to give your child a positive to visualize. If you fill your child’s mind with thoughts of falling, you’re increasing their chances of falling, which is the last thing you want to do!

Instead of saying:

Elizabeth, don’t leave the blocks all over the floor!

Try using this positive phrasing:

Elizabeth, pick up the blocks. The blocks go in the bucket.

Are you starting to see how easy it is to make the switch? Pretty soon it will become second nature to you.

Is this earth-shattering, ground-breaking parenting advice? Nah. Is this just a bunch of psychobabble mumbo-jumbo? I hope you don’t think so. Really, it’s just a small tool to keep in your parenting belt to help your children understand you better. And that’s always a good thing.

Do you already use positive phrasing in your home? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Positive Parenting!

Dandy

Original article and pictures take 0fc5cb92f9783431f3abc5cf-ecffocieq.netdna-ssl.com site

Paleo Desserts -- Holiday Dessert Recipes

Paleo Desserts -- Holiday Dessert Recipes

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You won't believe how amazing these Paleo desserts are! They are all gluten free, and great for enjoying the holidays without feeling--or being--deprived! Many are also GAPS Diet legal (you may need to omit a starch ingredient, or swap honey for maple syrup or another sweetener to comply with GAPS, but that is usually easy). I have rounded up a collection of tantalizing treats for you from many of my favorite food bloggers. Enjoy!

Disclosure: I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post.

Pumpkin Dessert Recipes

Here is a wonderful collection of pumpkin dessert recipes, with notes for adjusting some of the recipes to make them work for those on the GAPS Diet: Pumpkin Bar Recipe from Wellness and Workouts. Perfect Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream from Health Starts in the Kitchen (use date sugar in place of coconut sugar to make this GAPS legal). Paleo-fied Pumpkin Pie Bars from Life Made Full (omit the tapioca or arrowroot starch to make this GAPS legal). Bruleed Maple Pumpkin Pie from The Kosher Cave Girl (substitute date sugar for coconut sugar and honey for maple syrup to make this GAPS legal). [October 18, 2015 update: This blog seems to be offline now. Here is a link to the archived version of this recipe.] Paleo Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie from My Heart Beets (omit arrowroot to make this GAPS legal). Silky Pumpkin Pie from Health Nut Nation (substitute honey to taste for stevia to make this GAPS legal). Pumpkin Pie with Gluten Free Flax Crust from Stacy Makes Cents (use home made sour cream instead of heavy cream and sweeten with honey to make this GAPS legal). Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from Healing Cuisine by Elise (use honey instead of stevia, and omit the optional oats to make this GAPS legal).

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Apple Dessert Recipes

Here are a several apple dessert recipes... yum! Recipes with Apples Round-Up by Wellness and Workouts. Grain Free Apple Pear Crisp from So Let's Hang Out (use honey instead of maple syrup to make this GAPS legal). Caramel Apple Cheesecake from Healing Cuisine by Elise (substitute honey for stevia to make this GAPS legal).

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Other Paleo/Grain Free Desserts

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Original article and pictures take www.wellness-and-workouts.com site