Family Snack Time

Peachy Green Smoothie:

It can be a struggle for most babies, toddlers, and adults to get a daily dose of leafy greens. I constantly find myself squeezing them into our daily meals by incorporating them into recipes I know my son and hubby love. Smoothies are my go to option! 

Many people are intimidated by the color of these green smoothies, or by the pure fact that there is spinach or kale pureed in a drink. In all honesty, you cannot taste it! Incorporating the spinach with other fruits "disguise" the greens and ensures a healthy dose of fiber, antioxidants, and loads of vitamins and minerals. 

^^Any almond milk will work for this recipe, I've tried them all, but I love the taste of this unsweetened almond milk from Whole Foods.

^^Flax, chia, and hemp hearts aren't something that you usually eat solo. They're great as a "mix-in" and smoothies are the perfect snack to use these three superfood's. 

They contain essential amino acids, antioxidants, fiber, omega-3s, and protein. 

 Ingredients:

• 1-1 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen peaches
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon ground flax
• 1 table spoon hemp hearts
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Directions:

• Toss all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until all ingredients are incorporated. 
• Fill a glass with a larger-hole straw or enjoy as a smoothie bowl.

 ^^ Matt and I will make smoothie bowls if we're having breakfast at home, but if we're on the go, smoothies are our go-to mid-day meal. You can top smoothie bowls with fruit, nuts, granola, coconut, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips... you name it!

^^ He does a happy dance for this smoothie... really, he does.

W drinks his smoothies from a 6 ounce mason jar.. The reusable lid and straw screw on with a normal mason jar lid. Link here

Apple Pie Energy Bites:

This protein packed snack literally tastes like an apple pie stuffed into one small energy bite. I mostly love them because I can make a batch on the weekends to keep in the fridge to last us all week. These are my not-so-guilty pleasure with my afternoon cup of coffee while W takes his nap. Then... after nap time, I give Walter two of these Apple Pie Bites with a sippy cup of milk. He loves them!

^^  This snack requires minimal prep and mess! Just throw everything in a food processor!

^^ Once all components have been completely combined, the mixture will easily stick together. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 apple sliced (I use honey crisp)
• 1 cup unsalted almond butter
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor until incorporated.
• Using your hands, roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a wax lined cookie sheet.
• Let the energy bites sit in the fridge until they're set and hardened. (30 minutes)
• Store in the refrigerator in a glass air-tight container for up to 7 days!

Gingerbread Animal Cookies:

For those of you who know me, you know I LOVE to bake. Baking became even more fun for me once my son started becoming interested in muffins, cookies, and crackers. I started to experiment and came up with this recipe. Kids need cookies sometimes (and so do mommies), and cookies need fat and sugar. While I subbed oils and butter for coconut oil and almond butter, I maintained a small amount of sugar using brown sugar and molasses. The first time I made these, Walter would not stop standing at the pantry door asking me for a "tookie, tookie". 

^^ Once the cookie dough is complete, wrap it in wax paper and place in the fridge for at least one hour. The longer it sits, the easier it is to handle. 

^^ Flour each side of the dough, and use the wax paper that you wrapped the dough in to roll out the dough. This dough is seriously sticky, so this makes for a much cleaner process. 

^^ Making cookies is always more fun with kiddos around. You can let them pick which cookie cutters they like, and teach them how to use them! 

I'm embarrassed to tell you how many cookie cutters I actually have... it's quite a collection. 

^^ He watches them for the entire 8 minutes that they're baking...

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup oat flour (made my placing rolled oats in a food processor.. or you may purchase)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, sugar, molasses, almond butter, coconut oil, and apple sauce- whisk until combined.
• Add the ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt, baking soda, and flours to the wet ingredients and stir with a large spoon until combined.
• Wrap the dough in wax paper and place into the fridge for at least one hour, or over night. 
• Flour both sides of the dough. Place the dough between the same wax paper and roll out until 1/4 inch thick. 
• Use small cookie cutters of your choice and place the cookies on a silpat baking mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. This recipe will make about 25 cookies.
• Baked for 8-9 minutes and let rest on the pan for 2-3 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack. 
• These can be stored in an airtight container for the week. 

And at last.. they've cooled! I love how perfectly these animal shapes fit in his hand. These animal cookie cutters are from Amazon. Link here.

Banana-Yogurt Pops:

My son, my hubby, and myself are ice-cream/popsicle lovers. Frozen treats are our favorite, so these banana yogurt pops are a great healthy snack alternative. 

^^ I used paper straws instead of skewers or sticks. The paper straws are easy to hold, they're sturdy, and soft enough so that W won't hurt himself while eating them. 

 Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 8 paper straws
• 1/2 cup yogurt (we usually switch up the flavor, but Walter loves the apple one.. blueberry is yummy too)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Toppings of your choice

Directions:

• Slice the bananas into 2 inches pieces. Each banana usually produces 4 pops.
• Poke the bananas with the paper straws to create the "pop".
• Mix the yogurt and milk together in a mug or cup.
• Dip and cover each banana in yogurt and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle each yogurt covered banana pop with your topping. I used chocolate sprinkles, but shredded coconut and chopped nuts are yummy too!
• Place uncovered in the freezer for an hour or until they're completely frozen set.
• Store in a freezer safe ziploc, lasts well up to 2 weeks.

^^ These banana pops are so great for teething or sick babies too. Frozen treats can really help soothe those inflamed gums and calm a feverish toddler!

Happy meal prepping!
xo-Monica