Sugar detox

| gloss | Peplum top |

Today is day 1 of my sugar detox and oh my goodness, not reaching for cookies or some other dessert after lunch was so rough. Pretty sure I text my sister telling her I really needed my afternoon fix!

Some background on why I’m doing this: I have a HUGE sweet tooth. It’s ridiculous. Typically I keep it in check and treat myself to something small a couple times a week. I realized last night as I was scarfing down a blizzard from Dairy Queen that my sugar addiction was out of control and I needed to do something about it. Sooo...I’m cutting all desserts out of my diet for the next seven days. I’m not cutting fruit out. I figure that’s natural and is fine to keep in there. I am also not doing the whole 30 - I’m just looking to make a lifestyle change that makes sense for my life.

While I was craving a cookie this afternoon, yI reached for a few strawberries. This evening was so tough though because I was semi bored after dinner and dirk was eating ice cream...I stayed strong though! I sure hope I can keep up the running AND no desserts!

Flourless Baby Pancakes

Our family doctor (she’s amazing!) gave me this recipe when I was starting Tynsleigh on solids and it is still a favorite in our house. Morgan tried them for the first time a couple days ago and she loved them!

Don’t be fooled by the seriousness of her face lol. She seems to always become focused/intent nowadays when it’s mealtime. I sure hope this is a sign that I will have another good eater!

The Flourless Baby Pancakes are made out of two ingredients (yes, TWO!!) and they are a healthy alternative to the pancake recipe you know and love. They’re also DELICIOUS and the banana sweetens them so there’s no need to add anything else. I’m not going to lie...I definitely eat my fair share when I make them! Hope y’all enjoy!

Flourless Baby Pancakes 
serving: 1

1 egg
1 banana
spray Pam or coconut oil to grease the pan

Mash banana in a small bowl. Add egg and mix until incorporated.
Heat pan over medium low heat. Grease pan. Place a spoonful of mixture in pan and allow to cook until edges set (1-2 minutes). Flip and cook on opposite side. Pancake should be medium brown in color on both sides.
Serve warm.

Baby led weaning: On The Go

I used to stress about how I would feed my baby solids if we were out runnning errands or at a restaurant. I had no idea what to pack, how to pack it and if I would be able to contain the mess she made while eating! After awhile I realized that babies are just messy and that I needed to plan ahead before leaving the house in case she decided she wanted more than to nurse. It is an extra step to pack ahead but it’s much better than being out and not being able to find something she will eat before she gets HANGRY!

Morgan chowing down on egg and blueberries (and GiGi’s reading glasses).

 

I realize these next two are at home but surely y’all get the idea!

In Morgan’s first month of BLW she has been given almost everything we have eaten, with the exception of peanut butter. You can see the list here. She will get peanut butter in the coming weeks but I plan to add it to a pancake or muffin recipe first. We don’t have any allergies that I’m worried she may have but I do feel like the consistency is a little bit much for having just been introduced to solids. She may be more ready than I think but I’m more comfortable introducing it slowly. I have several friends that put peanut butter on a spoon and fed it straight to their 6 month old! 

When thinking of snacks to take with us when we are going to run errands, I always follow the same guidelines I do with my toddler. I go for healthy alternatives over convenience even if it takes one more chaotic minute for me to get it together. I found some small containers on amazon that I put a little bit of chopped up fruit in, a couple flourless pancakes or avocado. Sometimes I do all of this if we have a ton of errands to get through in town! As she gets older I will bring different veggie spears, a piece of cheese and dried cereal (Cheerios) with us when we go shopping. My toddler LOVES raisins so I always have a box or 6 stashed in the diaper bag to bribe her with. I do try and change out the fruit and vegetables so they are exposed to a wide variety and don’t get bored with it. Morgan loves getting something when Tynsleigh does so I always go prepared as if she is going to want more than to nurse. These are the containers I use - nothing fancy but it does the trick!

When we go out to eat (which I admit is not very often), I always bring snacks (same as above). the girls typically eat food from our plates and I order a side of fruit or vegetables depending on what is offered. I am leery of a vegetable plate because it’s typically loaded with butter - I want them to learn to enjoy the different tastes and textures of foods (especially vegetables) and in my opinion, adding butter hinders this. I do not do kids meals, even for my toddler. Have you ever paid attention to what is on the kids menu? It’s typically high fat, greasy foods and I fully believe going out to eat should be an experience. It should test kids palates and make them want more than chicken nuggets and grilled cheese. That is a whole other post for sure though.

It does seem overwhelming to feed your baby outside the home at first. However, with a little  planning you can provide healthy snacks that your baby will love and you will feel good about!

WE EAT | crockpot bbq chicken

This recipe is on repeat at my house. Because it’s DELICIOUS. Also, because it’s so incredibly easy.

CROCKPOT BBQ CHICKEN 
serves 4 people

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian dressing
2 cups bbq sauce, plus more for serving
4 sweet potatoes
garnish: cheddar cheese, jalapeños, bbq sauce, steamed broccoli

Put chicken, Italian dressing and 2 cups bbq sauce in the crockpot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until fork tender. Use a fork to shred in the crockpot and mix in with the sauce.
When chicken has 1 hour left, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 1 hour or until tender.
Serve chicken over sweet potato with desired garnishes.

Sooo as I gear up for potty training this weekend, this will definitely be one of my go to’s over the next week! And yes, the girls love this also!

WE EAT | Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup

This is one of my absolute favorites. I grew up on pimiento grilled cheese and tomato soup (y’all are going to cringe but the canned stuff). I started my first garden in my mid twenties and had a surplus of tomatoes my first year - I’m still not sure why I thought it was a good idea to plant THREE tomato plants. As I was desperately searching for recipes that required tomatoes, I decided I’d try my hand at tomato soup. I remember thinking that it wouldn’t be as good as Campbell’s (lol!) but I’d give it a shot. The original recipe called for tomatoes, dried herbs and vegetable stock, and oh. my. word. Sooo much better than the canned stuff! I’ve tried a few variations over the years depending on how my tastebuds have changed but the basic concept has stayed the same.

It’s the beginning of April in Canada and the tomatoes from last summers garden are long gone. However, canned tomatoes are a great substitute and allow you to add in different flavor combinations that otherwise wouldn’t be available.

I LOVE the flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes but I don’t enjoy roasting and then peeling them. If I have fresh tomatoes then I use 2 pints of them along with 2 cans of fire-roasted tomatoes. If I don’t then I use a big can of diced tomatoes. You can’t go wrong either way! Sharp cheddar cheese and a fresh loaf of bread are delicious additions to the meal. Enjoy!


FIRE-ROASTED TOMATO SOUP
Servings: 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes, in their juice
1 can (20 oz) of diced tomatoes, in their juice
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp Basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
2 cups vegetable stock

Preheat the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in olive oil and onion. Cook 1 minute - onion will not be translucent. Add in celery and garlic, mixing occasionally. Cook 2 minutes. ***Note: I like the celery to have some crunch so that it gives the soup texture.

Add in the next 7 ingredients, mixing occasionally. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to boil. Add in vegetable stock to bring it to a soup consistency. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Serve warm.