The Gift of Giving

Ah, the holiday shopping rush... so much fun isn't it? Well sure it is! If you do it correctly! I'm lucky in that I don' have to buy a ton of gifts. I do have a shortage of time and a tight budget, however, so that can always make things tricky. I have a strategy. Come up with one good idea and get everyone the same thing. Last year it was hooded towels. Seriously. I found a killer hooded Yoda towel at the Ridgewood Craft show and fell in love. I then bought six more towels online via Etsy for my nephews, cousins, and the kids I used to babysit. They were a huge hit. This year it's newsboy caps. I just ordered six of those. There's always a few books, girly things, and treats that sneak into the shopping, but at least 75% of what I buy is handmade. Craft shows help. Like the one I did last weekend at West Side Advent-ure. That's my table. Cute, no? I got a great response and it was my most successful show so far, so I'm very happy! All of the new card designs I did for the show are sneaking into the shop this week. 

Here's one I love the bestest:

Baby It's Cold Outside 

Etsy is also my obvious other go-to answer for handmade holiday shopping. Last year's towels came from Rubadub Buddies. This year's hats are from MyMoJo Baby. I'm still hunting for the perfect little something for my brandy new sister in law who is expecting a brandy new baby in February. I found so many gorgeous baby things I had to make a treasury to feature some of them. But now I'm so torn! What would you buy?

'Itty Bitty Holiday - GIfts for Baby' by jojobeandesigns

Perfect presents for that bitty bundle of joy, and for mommy of course:)

Baby's First Christ... SeptemberHouse $29.00	Crochet Off White baby ... JCrochetShop $16.99	Airplane baby mobile - ... LullabyMobiles $44.00	Waldorf doll, organic g... pingvini $63.00
READY TO SHIP Baby sant... TreMelarance $18.00	Hemp Baby Blanket / Rec... rebourne $25.00	Organic Infant Onesie: ... pineapplepetek... $24.00	custom christmas stocki... byebyebirdieen... $15.00
Hand knit classic Irish... IrishWoolen $48.00	Harry Potter - Infant O... ArmadilloDream... $16.00	Organic Baby Blanket wi... bunbunbabydesi... $52.00	Christmas Baby Leg Warm... GigglePoo $12.00
Natural Shea Butter Tea... krugsecologic $20.00	Hearts and Stripes Todd... PeppermintPinw... $45.00	Cotton Crochet Dishclot... SimpleCottageK... $10.00	Christmas Headband - Re... TheSassyTot $12.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Cyber Funday!

Did you survive Thanksgiving? Black Friday? Small Business Saturday?

We at the Bean household held it down, inlaws and all! Phew! 

We had a lovely dinner, plenty of crazy kiddo play time, and good long naps. 

We avoided Black Friday altogether in favor of my very favorite 

almost Christmas tradition, Cyber Monday! 

I've been stockpiling emails from my favorite retailers and bookmarking coupon codes, as well as creating some of my own! Here's one you can use for 15% off any purchase in my shop through tomorrow! Personalized stationery makes a great stocking stuffer, as does a membership to my Card of the Month club! "What's that?" you say? Buy a membership as a gift and your mom or sister or bestie will receive one handmade card with postage each month! Awesome sauce:)

Visit the Shop!

Fell free to Pin or Facebook or otherwise share this code with all of your buddies! 

What other great deals will you be hitting up tomorrow?

Thanksgiving for Dummies: REDUX

Yet again, I have been slipping seriously on the blog front. Thanks to that dastardly Hurricane Sandy, a house full of guests living in our home for a week, gas lines, a sick kid, and a new day care buddy to prep for, I've been too busy to even remember I have a blog. I have been crafting and cooking, and occasionally taking actual photos of these things. Writing about them is a challenge I still don't have time for though! Especially since we are hosting dinner for Thanksgiving this year. I have a few days left to prep, which has me looking back... Thankfully, I already have this list, so I just have to write out the food list:) Here's the perfect prep list and plan for your holiday dinner, copied from two years ago!


Thanksgiving for Dummies:

Monday (Crap, that's today. Get your butt in gear!): 

• Make your list, check it twice, then go shopping. Have everything you need ready to go by checking this list against your fridge and pantry contents and your recipes. You do not want to be running off to the store in the middle of prep.
• Make sure you delegated the appetizers to someone else. And a salad. And maybe some desserts. This isn't a soup kitchen.

Tuesday: 

• This may sound silly, but figure out what baking/serving dishes you'll need for each dish. It sucks to have a pan full of something ready to bake and have no empty baking dish to put it in. This was my first lesson from Germany. I baked stuffing in a lid. Yup.
• Make My Aunt Cynthia's Party Potatoes. These are quick, easy, and crowd pleasing, not to mention sinfully delicious. Wrap them in foil and stick them in the fridge.
• Make Cranberry Citrus Relish.

Wednesday:

• Prep your vegetables for my Roasted Root Vegetables with Herbs de Provençal by peeling and cutting everything. Toss them into a baking dish, wrap with foil and stick it in the fridge.
• Mix up your turkey rub from My Favorite Roast Turkey. Guess where you should stick it?
• Make dessert. My mom's crazy amazing Frosted Apple Squares should do the trick. These actually don't need refrigeration, so just lay them on your serving platter and wrap well with plastic wrap.
• Need something a little more decadent? Make  this Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake. Stupid delicious. Stick it in the fridge.
• Pull out and clean a cooler. This will save your sanity whether or not you have big drinkers. You'll need that fridge space, so beers, juice, and soda can chill in a cooler so that people will stay out of your way :) 
• Set your table. I'm serious.

Thursday:

• In the morning: Take the butter mixture for your turkey out of the fridge to soften. Eat an apple square for sustenance. Put on a pair of stretch pants and some makeup. You're all class.
• 2-3 hours before dinner: Finish workin' on that bird and stick it in the oven. Have a glass of wine. 
• 1.5 hours before dinner: Make dressing. I love this Savory Mushroom Dressing recipe. My mom always did stuffing inside the turkey, but I think it's a messy pain in the ass. I use apricot or pear nectar in place of the cognac (save your pennies for the good wine). Have a glass of wine. 
• 45 minutes before dinner: Finish the veggies and stick them in the oven. Refill your glass of wine while you set out all of the accouterments, like cranberry relish, rolls, and the good ol' pickle tray. 
• 30 minutes before dinner: Grab your potatoes from the fridge. Stick them in the oven.
• Done. Eat, drink, and be merry. Be thankful for those stretch pants. And the wine.

Now for those of you who are insane and also want to take on some fun crafty things in the midst of the week's business, here you go. Tasty links for funsies you can do with your kids or delegate to your kids to keep them out of your hair:

Printable Blessings Tags from Whipperberry. Use them for seating cards, let kids create their own blessings tree or board, whatevs.

More Free Printables from It Is What It Is. Love the colors on these!

Pom Pom Turkeys from Martha. For adventurous folk or independently crafty kidlets. 

Mod Podge Pumpkins from Simple Mommy Secrets. An awesome way to use those baby pumpkins you may still have sitting around from Halloween. I do.

Bottom Line? Enjoy yourself, even if you need to medicate to handle your family. Be thankful that you get to do this at all, and say a little prayer for those who can't. That's what it's all about anyway.

This post is linked to:

Hearth an Soul Blog Hop

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Tasty Tuesdays

Tasty Tuesdays at Beauty and Bedlam

Etsy NJ - Go Team, Go!

 The First Annual Woodbury Fall Arts Fest...

Lots of food, beer, live music, art, crafts, and the Etsy tent, 

manned by lots of lovely members of the Etsy NJ team, including moi:) 

It was so much fun, and HUGE props to Jacqualynn for pulling it off! 

(Your mom is super nice, by the way.)

Check out some of the photos of the day!

Life-sized treasuries! How cool is that?

Demos! This one is jewelry demo by Jaime Sia.

The Raffle Table. Hi Jenn of Paperchoke!

Oh, and I want that little girl's hoodie. I'm so excited for the new Carlo's to open in Ridgewood:)

And the obligatory boy photo. 

Jude was such a trooper on our 2 plus hour drive! 

It turns out that highway rest stops can make 

entertaining playgrounds if you really need them to.

Rethinking Greens (and other shades of vegetable)

And no, you don't have to bake them into brownies. But really, if you have a child who is refusing to eat vegetables, welcome to the club. Jude (the marathon eater who will chow down a beet and goat cheese panini, plus a bowl of pasta, yogurt and an apple) is weird about his veg. One day he ate a huge portion of sauteed summer squash at my mother's house. The next time I gave it to him he threw it at me. The only vegetable I know he will eat without fail is tomato sauce, and that's a condiment.

Sometimes you have to get a little creative when it comes to making sure your picky little gets a balanced diet. You should also start early and try try again. I can't imagine trying to get a two year old to eat broccoli if he's never had it before. Or never giving it to him again after his first refusal. It took me years to eat beets and I'm a food freak. Now I love them! Our kiddos are no different. They have preferences and moods, and the older and more communicative they get, the more they let us know about them. Now that I know this I stick to a few basic rules:

1. BE PREPARED. Keep the freezer stocked with a variety of frozen veggies (some chopped and some pureed) and anytime you prep and cook veggies for yourself, make extra. I always have a backup plan for a meal in case food flies.

2. SEASON WELL. Don't be afraid of your spice cabinet. Would you eat plain cooked carrots? I wouldn't. Salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon and curry powders are your friends. So are cumin, chili powder, ginger, and cayenne. If your kiddo refuses something, switch up the spice and try again! You never know what he (and you) may end up loving.

3. DON'T GET DISCOURAGED. I can't tell you how many times I have prepared a meal and though, "This will be a big hit!" only to find it strewn across the linoleum as soon as I turn my back. It won't kill you or your child to eat PB&J one more night, as long as you pick up and try again tomorrow. Food is fun and not worth getting mad about!

With all of that in mind, here are my favorite ways to get Jude to get his daily fill of veggies, even if he doesn't know it.

BREAKFAST 

4. Eggs. Easy peasy. My go to add ins are greens. I keep chopped kale and spinach in bags in the freezer, sprinkle a few tablespoons into a hot frying pan and pour a scrambled egg over the top. Cook until firm and flip, season with salt and pepper, and cut it into squares to serve. Way less mess than scrambled eggs, and you can add some cheese, too! Sometimes I use leftover veggies from the night before, chop them tiny, and add those instead of the greens. Then I make a second one for me:)

5. Muffins. Not as easy peasy as eggs, but almost. Especially considering you can make one batch and freeze them for a few weeks. Muffins are a fantastic way to add veggies like carrots, zucchini, or winter squash to your breakfast routine. Just make sure you are using a recipe low in sugar and full of whole grains. 

6. Oatmeal. Yup, I said oatmeal. My favorite Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal recipe contains a full veggie serving, and if you leave out the sugar, it's perfect for your babe. You can add a little applesauce if you want it sweeter. Try replacing the pumpkin with sweet potatoes, yams, or butternut squash if you have it. Jude likes his with chopped walnuts and a dollop of yogurt.  

7. Pancakes. Yup, I said pancakes, too. Or waffles! Think of them as muffins, and add grated veggies to your batter! I especially love whole wheat waffles with shredded carrot, a dash of nutmeg, and a tsp. of cinnamon added to the batter. Serve these with cream cheese and it's like having carrot cake for breakfast. Ok, not really.

LUNCH AND DINNER

8. Pasta. I don't know a kid who won't eat pasta. Any vegetable that can be pureed can be pasta sauce. Toss ravioli with pureed broccoli, fusilli with pureed peas, pastina with pureed squash. Whatever. If your kid is like mine, mix half of your puree with tomato sauce and he'll never even notice. I also grate lots of parmesan cheese over the top, of course.

9. Quesadillas. Or dillas as they are called here. Spread your cooked chopped veggie or puree on one half of a tortilla, top with shredded cheese and fold over. Slide the tortilla into a pan over medium high heat and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Cook another 3 or 4 minutes until cheese melts. Cut into strips to serve. 

- Try serving with dips, like salsa, sour cream, or yogurt. Just get ready to clean it off your ceiling.

- These are awesome for adding in protein from mashed beans, chopped leftover chicken, or ground beef.

10. Pizza. We have English Muffin pizzas once a week. Smear a toasted english muffin with tomato sauce, top with chopped cooked veggies or puree, sprinkle with shredded cheese and pop under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Slice into squares to serve.

- Our favorite is eggplant pizza with goat cheese, but again, my kid will eat anything with tomato sauce, so I've snuck in chopped zucchini and broccoli, too.

11. Sandwiches. Just think of purees as spreads. A smear of pureed peas on a ham sandwich works, as does carrot puree with turkey. If you're feeling ambitious, go for sliced beets and goat cheese (or cream cheese) or avocado and chicken. I love the teeny whole wheat pita bread you can get at Trader Joes, because for some reason Jude won't pull them apart. With bread, I squeeze the sandwich together and cut it into cubes. If he can pop it into his mouth, he usually won't bother peeling back the layers. Usually.

12. Meatballs. Another fantastic make ahead winner. Add grated or finely chopped vegetables to your favorite meatball or meatloaf recipe. I try to stick to a 2/3 meat and 1/3 veggies ratio to make sure they hold together well. You can bake them on a sheet tray, or fill muffin tins and then freeze them for later. 

DESSERT

Ok, why not? If all else fails, and there may be days (or weeks) when it does, you may feel the need to treat your kiddo and yourself with something sweet. If it is the only way your little will eat a vegetable, so be it. It's also just another way to sneak in a serving.

13. Cake. I have a slammin' Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe you should definitely try out for yourself. If you want to give it to your child, I'd suggest replacing sugar with applesauce or juice concentrate, and swapping the white flour for whole wheat. But that's just me. 

14. Cookies. Just as with pancakes, waffles, or muffins, you can add veggies to just about any cookie recipe. Have a chocolate chip recipe you love? Toss in a cup of shredded zucchini. Amazing. For realz. Or try this one from one of my favorite food mama blogs, Two Peas and Their Pod. 

15. Ice Cream. Or FroYo. One of my favorite ice cream flavors ever was a long ago discontinued Newport Creamery flavor called Indian Pudding that was full of pumpkin goodness. If you aren't so into making your own ice cream try this: Blend 1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin and 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt in a bowl. Stir in 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch each of ground ginger and nutmeg. Spoon into snack sized ziploc bags and roll the bags up tightly to make all of the mixture form a tube. Tape up the roll and stick it in the freezer for an hour or two. When you take it out of the freezer you can snip off one end and squeeze it out, homemade pumpkin pie go-gurt!

What's your favorite tip for getting your kiddo to eat veggies? Please share it in the comments so I can add it to my box of tricks!

Where I've been...

...holed up in the basement 'craft room' of our new house, getting ready for this:

My very first craft show! The Ridgewood Fall Arts and Craft Street Fair. Yes, it takes a couple of months to stock up enough inventory when you have a toddler and a new house. I still can't believe I pulled it off. E helped with the early AM set up (including pom fluffing, which he is crazy good at. Definitely a secret talent.) and my mom helped man the booth for most of the afternoon and broke it all down with me. We borrowed the tent and tables from my awesome friend Jenn, and the day amazingly went off without a hitch. 

Here are some shots of the booth inside:

  Cupcake poms, gift tags, chalkboard labels, and plantable seed paper cards.

Custom invitation samples, Halloween goodies, and screenprinted cards (personalized on the spot, which was the day's best seller!) 

 Holiday cards and The Basket of Misfit Cards. 

All of my test prints and misprints were on sale, two for a dollar. People love cheap:)

And here is the banner, which I painted and my lovely mother sewed up for me. Now how do I make this my new shop banner? Because I think I need an update.

I designed a ton of new cards for this fair, and I have quite a bit left over. Keep your eye on the shop, because I will have many new items posted by the end of the week! I'm also going to do a coupon code for those of you who have stuck around and read this blog for so long, so pop over to Facebook for that, too!

Blast from the past

It's pretty obvious to anyone that I have a sugar problem. You've been spared the gory details lately (aside from yesterday's slip up) as I've been posting so much baby food, but don't let that fool you. I've just had a freezer stocked with Klondike bars and Ben and Jerry's, not to mention the constant stream of Nutella flowing out of my cupboard. I know that passing this sweet tooth on to Jude is highly likely. I know that isn't good. I'll do my best to keep him from becoming a sugar addict, which is easy right now. As long as he prefers savory to sweet foods, I'm happy to oblige. But mama has to make a treat sometime! Since it's summertime, it had better be ice cream.

Last summer I made ice cream constantly. The summer before that I made a lot of ice cream, too. This year I've been seriously slacking in the frozen treats department. I do believe that this ice cream makes up for it. I wanted to try two new things this time. 1. Make an ice cream without any sugar. You know, so I won't feel so guilty feeding it to the boy. And 2. Make a fruity flavor I've never made before.

The latter part was easy, since all I've been craving lately is Chelo's Banana Berry Pie. I worked there for an embarrassingly long part of my youth, and that pie basically fueled my double shifts. It's the stuff summertime dreams are made of. I figured since I can't have a slice or six when I need a fix nowadays, I can make it into ice cream.

Making sugar free ice cream was another issue. I refuse to use sugar substitutes, so I had to try out a juice concentrate. Cascadian Farms makes an organic grape juice concentrate without any added sugar (it's what I use for my Baby Cakes) so I started there. Subbing juice concentrate for sugar isn't such a big deal, really. You just use about 3/4 of a cup in place of every 1 cup of sugar. I was just concerned that the water in the concentrate would make for icy ice cream when what I want creamy ice cream. I figured that little trick out. The other thing about fruit ice creams is that I hate chunks of frozen fruit. It's like chomping on rocks. Hence the pureeing steps below. If you like chunky fruit in your ice cream, by all means, fork mash it, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Banana Berry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2/3 cup half and half

1 can of organic grape juice concentrate, thawed and divided (see below)

1 ripe banana

1 cup mixed berries (I used blueberries, strawberries, and cherries)

Preparation:

Take your can of grape juice out of the freezer and stand it up on one end in the fridge overnight to thaw. This will give you a layer of juice at the top and a layer of thick concentrated grape sludge (for lack of a better word) at the bottom. When you are ready to make your ice cream, pour off the juice and reserve for another use. Measure out 1/2 c. of the sludge into a large bowl. Whisk in cream and half and half until well blended and place bowl in the fridge.

Set up your ice cream maker. If using the KA attachment, make sure it is locked closed and set to the lowest speed. Otherwise, follow your ice cream maker instructions:) Pour in the cream mixture slowly and set a timer for 20 minutes.

Puree banana and set aside. Puree berries and set aside. Once ice cream has mixed for about 20 minutes, it should be reaching a soft set. Pour in the banana puree and half of the berry puree. Continue mixing the ice cream for another 5-10 minutes until it begins to firm up. Turn off machine and fold in the remaining berry puree. Transfer ice cream to a freezer safe container to freeze, or serve immediately.

Gimme some

Because as my friend Andrew pointed out, "How can I have s'more when I haven't had any?" 

Yes, yesterday was National S'mores Day. If you read food blogs, I'll bet you were smacked in the mouth with all manner of fabulous takes on the classic summer sweet treat. S'mores brownies, s'mores cookies, s'mores cupcakes. The best thing to serve with all of those choices? S'mores ice cream, of course.

I'm a fan of Ben and Jerry's S'mores ice cream, but as much as I love it, it just doesn't taste like s'mores. Not really. To me the star of s'mores is not the chocolate (which is the dominant flavor of their chocolate based version), but the roasty, toasty marshmallow. In order to pay true homage, you just have to have toasted marshmallow ice cream. Don't worry, the chocolate and graham is there in force, but they are second and third fiddle, as they should be:) This ice cream is so good, you may have a problem getting it from the bowl into the freezer.

S'mores Ice Cream 
Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream with Graham Cracker and Chocolate Fudge Swirls

Ingredients:
For the chocolate fudge:
1 c. sugar
2 Tbls. all purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 c. milk
For the base:
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 c. half and half
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 10 oz bag of marshmallows
butter
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter it well. Spread marshmallows in a single layer on the pan. Slide pan under the broiler and toast for about 2-3 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Remove from the broiler and flip marshmallows with a buttered spatula. Return to the broiler for another minute to brown the other sides. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Transfer marshmallows to a blender. Add cream, half and half, and sugar. Blend on high speed until smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for an hour.

Set up your ice cream maker. Remove ice cream base from the fridge and whisk it until smooth (it may seize up a bit as it chills). Pour into the machine and process according to your instructions. (If you have a KA ice cream maker, it will take 15 minutes on the lowest setting.)

While the ice cream blends, make the chocolate fudge. Mix ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Once the ice cream has finished processing, spread 1/4 cup of chocolate fudge in the bottom of a 1 quart container. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the graham crackers. Spread 1 third of the ice cream on top. Repeat layers, ending with ice cream on the top. Freeze for an hour or two to set before serving.

Bean! Beans! The... oh, you get it.

Beans are awesome. Protein powerhouses so versatile and delicious that I could probably eat them is some form every day. The boy who was once a bean himself is confused by them. He loves them, he just doesn't know it. Give him a bean of any kind in its original form and he'll likely flick it across the room. Attempt to feed him a partially mushed bean and he will somehow swallow all but the skin, which he will then pull out of his mouth and flick across the room. Pureed food is not his bag anymore, but that's the only way he'll eat a bean. Luckily beans from a can are practically mush anyway, so a few additional ingredients makes for easy mealtimes. I fricking love black bean soup. I love making it from scratch with dried beans, but this way is just perfect for babies. Quick and easy, and you can adjust the seasonings of course. But really, this is a great way to introduce a little kick, so go for it!

Baby Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 quart chicken or veggie stock

1 small can of tomato paste

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, but why wimp out?)

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Add beans, stock, tomato paste, and pepper to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or food processor, pulse a few times to crush most of the beans. If you have a wee little one, blend until smooth. Serve with a good dollop of whole fat Greek yogurt or some shredded cheese.

The Artist

 OK, not so much. But we did have a blast finger painting for the first time today! I made a batch of paints (one part flour to one part water with a few drops of food coloring) and gave Jude two little bowls so he could get a little texture and color play in before nap time today. I highly recommend it as long as you don't mind messes:) Yeah, it's definitely messy.

What is this stuff?

Ooh squishy!

And pretty!

And fun to smear!

And fun to fling.

The inevitable taste test.

Yummy? Not so much.

Bathtime!

Don't forget to save a bit of art for your memory books!

Temper Temper (and a Giveaway!)

To all of you who downloaded my digital cookbook, Foodie Baby, thank you! If you haven't, what's stopping you? It's free for Pete's sake! The button is at the top right corner of this blog:)  If you did, I'd love to know what you think of it! You can leave a review on the book or comment here if you have suggestions.

***
My kid is going through a thing right now. A weird veggie thing. As in he won't eat any of them. Actually it isn't just veggies. Fruits, too! One day he'll house a bowl of blueberries, the next we throws them at me. He seemed to love sauteed summer squash, now he turns his nose up at it. Or yells at it while squeezing fits of fury. My mother claims it is because he's had so much yummy variety that he refuses to be bored by the same foods day after day. If that's true, I suppose it's all my own fault, trying to get this kid to be a foodie baby after all.

In the meantime I have had to get creative about including veggies in his diet. Any pureed veggie instantly becomes pasta sauce or quesadilla filling, which seems to do the trick. He also has a weird love for winter squash, even though it's out of season and not that good. But whatever, he's a bit young for the seasonal foods talk, so if he wants to eat acorn squash in June, so be it. Here's my new favorite way to make it. It's barely a recipe, and it's creamy and a bit sweet without adding butter or sugar. Love.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Coconut
Ingredients:
1 small acorn squash
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil
salt and pepper (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the squash into quarters and remove seeds. Spray or brush lightly with olive oil and bake for 35-45 minutes or until fork tender. Scoop flesh into a bowl (or a blender if you are preparing this for a littler baby than mine!) and mash with the coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Don't have any coconut oil at home? Not to worry! You can win some! Yup, who doesn't love a giveaway? Tropical Traditions has a huge quart sized jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for me to give to one of you lucky lovelies. They sent me a jar and the stuff is incredible. I love coconut oil. Delicious, organic, versatile, and I can't wait to whip up some hair tonic with it, too! 

To enter, sign up for the Tropical Traditions Newsletter and then leave me a comment. I will choose one winner at random by midnight EST on July 8th. Don't forget to leave me an email address to contact you if you win.

Want more than one entry? You can earn an extra for:
1. Following this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
2. Liking Jojobean Designs on Facebook
3. Following me on Twitter and tweeting this giveaway
4. Follow on Twitter @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals
5.   “Like” Tropical Traditions on Facebook (Please no, “I was sent by…” posts or posting a link to your blog, they will be removed
6.  Follow on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/troptraditions/
7.  Follow on Google + https://plus.google.com/117521286213187663525
8. Find Giveaways and Deals! http://ttspecialdeals.com and http://freecoconutoil.com


Just leave me a comment for each thing you do so I can keep track. I have perma-baby-brain.
Good Luck!

*Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Foodie Baby, The Cookbook!

Are you a BakeSpace member yet? If you aren't, I have no idea what's stopping you. I've been using BakeSpace to catalog my recipes for ages, and was once a total sucker for chatting it up about flour substitutions, wine reviews, Velveeta cheese and other high brow food issues with fellow members. Sadly my time is shorter nowadays, so my chatting is limited to occasional flybys. But I did find a whole hour this week to do something I've been dying to do.  I published a digital cookbook! Foodie Baby is now available for download, for free!


Yup. BakeSpace now has an amazing feature called Cookbook Cafe that allows you to organize your recipes and photos into a digital cookbook. You can choose to sell it, use it to raise money for a charity group, or just offer it for free. Your pals can download it online or on their iPads:) The app is awesome for those of you with iPads, but the online version is just as fun! Here's a sneak peek of how some of the app features look: 

Check me out! Right next to Annette Starbuck from Cupcake Wars! She's so cute :) 

This is how a recipe appears in Cooking Mode. I love how everything is lined up with
highlighted steps as you go!  You can't forget a step that way:) Take that, baby brain!

Even if you don't have a baby, you'll want this Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe. Trust me. I couldn't get Jude to keep his little paws off even though he just finished eating a bowl. Piglet. 


Now what are you waiting for? Go download Foodie Baby! It's free! Feel free to Pin, Tweet and Share away to show some love:)  http://www.bakespace.com/cookbooks/detail/Foodie-Baby/295/ 

So Very Berry

I'm so excited for summer. I can't even stand it. We have so many incredible new things going on at once that I think my head may explode! We're in the middle of buying a new house, I'm getting ready for my first ever craft show, opening an in home day care, and today was my last day of work. Like, the last day ever, of a job I've held for 2.5 years. So freaking psyched about it all that I had to bake to celebrate. Usually celebrations call for chocolate, but E is travelling and I won't let Jude have chocolate or sugar yet for fear of creating a mini junkie. Thus, I went the healthy route and created these no-sugar, whole grain baby cakes. A full serving of whole grain and fruit in each little cake. Plus they are cute! I baked mine in a mini bundt, mostly because I like to say bundt, but you can use a muffin tin!


Cherry Berry Baby Cakes
Ingredients:
3/4 c. white whole wheat flour
3/4 c. spelt flour (you can substitute soy, chick pea, millet flour, anything you like!)
1/2 Tbls. baking powder
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. grape juice concentrate
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. soy milk
3/4 c. blueberries, divided
1/2 c. pitted cherries

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin. In a food processor, pulse cherries and 1/2 c. of blueberries until almost smooth. Set aside.
Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and blend until well combined. Gently fold in remaining 1/4 cup of whole blueberries and 1/4 c. of the puree, just until the fruit is swirled through the batter. Divide evenly among twelve muffin cups and bake 15 - 20 minutes or until tops are golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan before inverting.

* Use the leftover puree to top Greek yogurt, whole wheat pancakes, or to replace jam in a PB&J!

Hippie Mayo

I'm a Miracle Whip girl. I married a Mayonnaise guy. I have no idea what will happen with Jude. Except that so far I won't feed him either one. I read the ingredients for the first time on the back of the jar of MW and decided he wouldn't get to taste it. Enzyme modified egg yolks didn't sound all that yummy to me. But then neither did whipping up some raw egg yolks to make real mayo for my little man.

I decided to make some soy mayo using a recipe I found in an old recipe collection my boss got when she did Outward Bound in the 70's. Hand typed, thread bound, and full of gritty vegetarian and vegan fare that would make a hippie proud. I made a few adjustments for Jude, and was actually pretty impressed with the outcome. I quartered the recipe and it was still enough for his portion and a big bowl for me. Once you make your baby's salad, feel free to add a bit of spicy dijon mustard or more vinegar to your own. It's awesome on a bed of greens with some walnuts and dried cherries!


Baby Chicken Salad with Soy Mayo
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped finely
1/4 c. cold soy milk
1/2 c. oil
2-3 tsp. white wine vinegar
dash of hot sauce
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Pour soy milk into a blender. With the top off and the blender set on medium speed, pour oil into the blender in a very thin stream. Mixture will thicken to the consistency of whipped cream. Turn off the blender and stir in remaining ingredients. In a bowl, add a few tablespoons of mayo to the chicken and toss to coat.

Serving Ideas:
Stuff into a whole wheat pita or bread.
Serve over rice or cold pasta with yogurt.
Add finely chopped veggies or a little vegetable puree to make this a full meal. Jude likes his with beets!

Snort

Jude's favorite animal is a pig. He carries his tiny Little People pig all around the house and snorts enthusiastically. He snorts so much that I worry about his nasal passages. He will do it on command, like when you ask, "What sound does a pig make?" He will also do it random. Or at moments that border on the embarrassing, if they weren't so perfect. Like when an obnoxious lady at Target got all up in his grill in the carriage and shouted at him that he was "SOOO daaarling!" 

"SNORT!" She gave him a funny face, but I think his message was loud and clear. 

I wonder if he'll continue eating pork, once he eventually learns it comes from a pig. How do you teach kids about things like that? Take them to a farm to pet animals and then tell them how tasty they are? Traumatizing much? I guess I'll face that hurdle when I get to it in a few years. In the mean time, I'll continue prepping recipes that can be eaten by all of us, even if it's from a cute little pig.

Pulled Pork with Couscous

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless pork roast

2 apples, peeled and cored

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 ounces molasses
2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
3-4 Tbls. water

1 cup couscous

1/4 c. golden raisins

Preparation:

Place pork apples and onion in slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over the pork. Cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for three. Remove pork from the slow cooker and shred, return to the pot. Remove apples and cut into chunks.

Place couscous and raisins in a bowl. Boil 1 cup of water and pour over couscous. Let sit for five minutes and then fluff with a fork. Spoon a portion into a bowl for baby. Add some apple, pork and sauce. 

*NOTE: Pork is wicked hard to chew. Jude has a lot of teeth, but without molars, chewing pork is like chewing bubble gum. He looks like a little cow. After shredding the pork, I set aside a portion for him on a cutting board and run the big knife through it a bunch of times until it is well chopped. Problem solved.

Also, here's an updated menu sample for you:) How things have changed since I made the last one!

Jude's Sample Menu - 12 Months

Going Nuts

Deciding that your baby is ready to eat nuts can make you nuts. Ask your own mom and she'll likely give you a quizzical stare (did you know anyone with a fatal nut allergy as a kid? I didn't.). Ask your pediatrician and they may say anything between 9 months to 36 months. Ask your friends and you'll get the same vague answers. Don't even think about searching online because the range there will just make you more dizzy. Personally, I take every warning I hear with a grain of salt, weigh my options, and do whatever I want. I'm lucky to have a child with no known food allergies, who has yet to ever have a big reaction to anything (knock on wood!). Nuts and seeds are such little protein powerhouses that I can't think of any reason not to include them in his diet. If you are ready to give nuts to your little, this recipe is perfect for a snack that includes protein and fruit, and it's delicious. It's actually like Baby Crack. If you aren't ready, bookmark this one for later, because it'll be a huge hit.

I made these based on the fact that I'm obsessed with Lara bars and have meant to make my own for ages. The name is a bit deceiving, because they actually don't include peanut butter. They taste like they do, though!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baby Truffles

10 oz. pitted dried dates

1/2 cup dried strawberries

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Place everything in a food processor and pulse until a ball forms. Using a one inch cookie scoop (or fine, use a spoon) scoop into balls and roll in your palms. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and chill for an hour. Then you can transfer them to a container without them sticking to each other and store in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze them if you won't eat them that fast. Depending on how many teeth your kiddo has, you may want to let them come to room temperature before serving!

Variations:

Substitute almonds for the cashews and apricots for the strawberries. That's my favorite:)

You can also use raisins, cranberries, prunes, dried pineapple with coconut... Let me know if you come up with any yummy flavor combos! 

Slacker Cake

Good Lord, I'm a slacker lately! The last time I waited a month between posts was when Jude was born. I have at least half a dozen baby food recipes sitting in a pile to be blogged, but haven't gotten around to it, yet. I have a pile of shop updates to do, but I haven't gotten around to that either. I think I've just been having too much fun with my kiddo and the shop to blog lately, and I'm not going to feel bad about it. If you want a shop update, you can pop over and visit:) If you want some new recipes, I swear I will get to them! Or email me, and I'll send you some:) If you want to bake a little monster cake, here you go! You'll need this ridiculous Big Top silicone cupcake mold for the shaped cake. Or get crafty and see what else you can come up with!

Jude's Monster Mash Birthday Cake


Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. white vinegar
For decorating:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup shredded carrots
White and dark chocolate melts

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients. Fold in wet ingredients until well combined. Pour into a well greased pair of cake pans or a 9x13 inch glass baking dish if you are not using the Big Top cupcake mold for the monster shaped cake). Bake 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. If you are making a monster, you'll want to bake it longer and keep checking every ten minutes or so, the top took at least 40 minutes and the bottom almost an hour! Allow to cool for ten minutes before inverting out of the pan to cool completly on a wire rack.

To create your monster:
Draw your monster arms, horns, mouth and eye onto a sheet of paper. Top with a sheet of wax paper. Melt candy melts according to the package instructions and pour into a squeeze bottle. Draw your monster parts according to the pattern you made and let them harden for at least an hour. Don't stick them in the fridge or they get all dewy! 
Beat powdered sugar into cream cheese. You may need to trim the top and bottom of your cupcake halves to make them flat. A serrated bread knife does this nicely. Smear a bit of frosting onto the top of the cupcake base and top with the em, top, duh. Frost with most of your icing, leaving a few tablespoons for just in case. Press the monster parts into your cake and secure with extra icing if needed. Press carrots into the icing to create fur. And done.

Good luck getting your kiddo to eat it. Mine just pulled off the carrots to snack on, so I ended up eating it all! How did I have a child with no sweet tooth!

• 
  
•