A Pink Pancake Morning!

This seems like such a silly thing to post about, but I'm still going to share anyway.

 

 

We had one of those nights where Cece was not staying in bed and kept coming out into the living room to tell us things like "My stuffed animals are being too loud!" So we straight-up bribed her and told her that if she stayed in bed and went to sleep that Joe would make her pink pancakes in the morning. "With sprinkles and whipped cream???" she asked. It worked like magic.

 

 

Joe stayed true to his word and made a gigantic batch of pancakes for us in the morning which we girls all loved. Rosie had a mini pancake in each of her tiny fists and devoured them. And Cece did, in fact, eat hers with whipped cream. It was like dessert for breakfast and the perfect way to start a Thursday.

 

I'm so thankful that Joe's work has calmed down a bit this month so he doesn't have to rush out the door super early all the time and he can be with his little ladies just a little more. It's the best. 

 

Legit Toddler Muffins

You might ask, "What are these STRANGE looking muffin things?"

Answer: me being a VEGGIE NINJA, thank you very much. And a somewhat questionable food stylist.

I've been intending to try to make these "toddler muffins" for awhile now and I finally got around to it yesterday. They look like muffins, but they are actually filled with fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, they are legit.

Here is the original recipe.

Here is how I did it with just a few adjustments. (It's very close to the original recipe)

I used:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste
• 2 large bananas, mashed
• 1 3.5 oz Up & Up baby food pouch of squash and pear
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon  cinammon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 24 mini muffin cups or 12 standard muffin cups.

 

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the mashed bananas, squash baby food, carrots, and eggs. Stir in the flour, oat meal, baking soda, cinammon, and salt until just combined. Spoon the batter equally into the prepared muffin cups.

 

3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze.

And you know what? Cece overcame her new food skepticism and actually ate them instead of throwing them on the floor and calling "MAYA!!!" My heart swelled. You can also serve them to a husband who probaby could use a few more healthy food options.

Haha, it's the little things in life, isn't it?

It may have taken me longer to make than the recipe said it would (which kind of always happens, especially when exact measurements are called for). Sometimes when I think I'm seriously failing in the kitchen, I take a moment to remember that there are 37 people who are worse at cooking than me.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A Smoothie Success

 

After a week of over-indulging on delicious food from home, I'm trying to figure out some lighter fare now that we're back in Minnesota.

My Aunt Gina (who is the very definition of "the cool aunt") shared with me a SUPER simple smoothie recipe. I made it today and Cece and I both loved it. Her purple smoothie mustache/beard was adorable. Mine... not as much.

All you need is

• 1 handful of baby spinach
• 1 banana
• 1 handful of frozen mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
• about 4 oz of water

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to your desired consistency. Such a tasty and easy way to get in those fruits and veggies. Thanks again, Gina!