toddler tantrums... err favorites.

hello toddlerhood.

how nice of you to join us in the dead of winter, in ohio, where there is just too too too many options for us to get out and about.

okay, enough sarcasm.  yes this winter has been/is difficult and I may or may not feel like I am currently an inpatient in an asylum, but I wanted to do a quick post and share what I feel is a true treasure trove.  and that is the following recipe


Banana/Spinach Smoothie:

• half a banana
• handlful of spinach
• tablespoon of peanut butter
• splash of whole milk

throw everything together and blend blend blend.  adelynn literally EATS THIS UP.  she LOVES it.  I've tried different smoothie recipes with her and none have had the success that this one has.  I think it is the peanut butter as she sniffs every smoothie I make and only really drinks this one.  plus I love that she is getting all the health benefits but especially the RAW SPINACH!

 I make this in our nutribullet in the short size cup which proves to be the perfect size for her but it can easily be made in a blender.  In the summer I will most likely freeze the banana for a different texture/colder drink.

Hopefully some of your toddlers/picky eaters enjoy this as well and I PROMISE to be back later this week with some more posting :)

healthy treats and good eats

it seems that i am continuously revamping my eating habits.  always trying to be healthier and cut out more processed food.  during my pregnancy though, i developed quite the sweet tooth and and have since been trying to cut out that darn craving for sugar.  that being said, recently i have redoubled my efforts as i now have a little one that is not only interested in food and what mommy's eating but will also be eating everything that we eat very very soon.  i am definitely inspired to continuously step up y eating and focus on eating whole foods.  that being said, i am still going to be making my killer cakes on the weekends!

here is what i have been enjoying recently

avocado and egg over hard.  a little bit of salt and hot sauce and this is a delicious lunch high in protein and the good for you fat!!!

coconut milk and chia seeds (thank you danielle at sometimes sweet for this recipe via instagram! i have loved it!)

take one can of coconut milk and mix with 1/4 cup chia seeds for every cup of milk, refrigerate for two hours and top with berries and a little agave nectar/honey if desired!  it comes out the consistency of a rich custard and was so satisfying.

beets - i have busted out my juicer again and am hard at work making a juice first thing in the morning.  i started juicing beets this morning and was pleasantly surprised not only by how pretty they made my juice look but also their pleasant and subtle flavor!

so those have been my go to recently.  anyone have any healthy secrets or favorite foods to share?  i love how easy the above "recipes" or flavor combinations are, that's one of the great things about whole foods - the flavor is there you don't need to add much!

it's friday friday friday

quick story.  i have been on antibiotics for the past almost two weeks (hallelujah i'll be done tomorrow) since i did end up having mastitis.  and that means 3 pills every 6 hours.  since i am up at least once a night anyway, i normally just pop them when i wake up and lay my little head back down.  even though my bottle of medicine explicitly states "do not lie down for 10 minutes after taking medication" and for 12 days i was fine.

except last night, when i woke up and could literally feel my esophagus all the way down my body because hello i had swallowed battery acid.  turns out the reflux from my medicine came up and burned me, literally.  i spent the next hour sitting up guzzling water, hot tea, and chomping saltines while my poor husband suffered from heartburn and the sound of me chewing next to him.  then of course a half hour after i fell back asleep, A woke up to eat.

suffice it to say, you guys... when will i learn to follow directions??!!?

but nevermind, it's friday.  and i thought i would share this recipe i came up with yesterday except try not to hate me but i don't have any pictures.  i just think it is so weird time consuming to take pictures of my food.  but it is delicious and we are having leftovers on pasta tonight.

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I threw mine in frozen)
1 green pepper
1/2 of an onion
handful of jalapenos to taste
1 jar of rotel undrained
1 cup of water
1 1/2 tablespoons of taco seasoning (i got my recipe for homemade here)
3 ounces or so cream cheese

basically throw that junk in there and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  my chicken was frozen so it cooked for around 7 hours.  serve over rice or in flour tortillas (we had ours on brown rice).  i also think this would be excellent over pasta... which we are having tonight!

happy weekend, here's to something other than 10 degree weather!