{Recipe} Honey Whole Wheat Graham Crackers

I'm always looking for baby snacks that are easy to make and take, that Felicity actually likes to eat. When my friend Liz shared this recipe with me I just had to try it out and I'm so glad I did! These homemade graham crackers are super easy to prepare and they are a hit with our whole house. Mine turned out a little more cookie-like than intended but I kinda love that! These are naturally sweetened with honey, and even have some whole wheat flour in them so I feel good eating them and giving them to the baby! Here's what you'll need:

(Original recipe found here)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, chilled & cubed
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl or food processor and mix thoroughly. Add the butter and using your food processor, hand mixer or pastry cutter, combine with the dry mix until you reach a mealy consistency. It is important to keep the butter very cold before mixing, like you're making a pie crust.

Last, add the vanilla, honey, and water and continue to pulse/mix until the dough takes shape. It will look like a sandy consistency in the bowl, but will stick in a ball when pressed together. Turn the dough out onto a floured or non-stick surface (I used one of my silicone baking mats - I'm totally obsessed with these!) and roll out into thin disk, about 1/4" to 1/8"thick. The thinner you roll out your dough, the crispier your crackers will turn out.

Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes for your crackers. I picked some spring shapes since it was the first day of spring this week! Sure, its snowing here in Northern Michigan, but butterfly shaped crackers make it seem springy anyway!

Arrange your crackers on a non-stick baking sheet (did I mention I'm obsessed with these!?) and bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes. My oven runs hot so I only baked for 10 and these came out just perfect!

I got about 2 dozen cookies out of this recipe and its a good thing, because they are going FAST! Felicity made short work of one right out of the oven. The little hint of cinnamon makes these feel like such a treat, but they are really not a bad-for-you snack!

True confessions- I whipped up a quick batch of buttercream frosting for a treat and my hubby and I had it on these as an afternoon snack with some tea. Y-U-M! I'd like to figure out a chocolate variation of these cookies in the future, and I'll be sure to share the recipe here if I do!

I hope you enjoy this little whole wheat treat! Check in later this week for an update on my cloth diapering journey, and info on how to get your diapers *really* clean. Thanks for reading!

xo Allison

Quick Tip Tuesday: Baby Led Weaning Simple Snack Bars

Our little sweetheart is 8 months old, and she is really starting to get the hang of solid foods! When we started introducing "real foods" to her diet at 6 months of age, we opted to go with Baby Led Weaning versus the conventional puree route. We are so happy we did!

BLW works for us because there is no pureeing or buying jarred foods, and believe it or not, BLW also reduces choking risk since it teaches little ones to chew before swallowing. Babies who start on real foods versus purees generally grow up to be great eaters since they are used to different textures and flavors, which was a big reason for us picking this method. Best of all, and the most important reason for us... it is really easy! There's no need to prepare a special meal for the baby; Felicity just gets a little portion of whatever we eat at dinner. Her favorite things are pickles, apple slices, plain greek yogurt, and these little granola bars.

I got this great recipe from my friend Leslie who did baby led weaning with her sweet little Maddy. The bars are easy for little hands to grip and for toothless mouths to mash up, and are naturally sweet without any extra junk. They were a huge hit in our house and are super simple to make! Here's what you'll need:

1 Ripe Banana
1/2 C Rolled Oats
1/4 C Raisins or Chopped Dried Fruit

Method

Preheat the oven to 350*F

Mash up your banana, and combine with oats and fruit. If you prefer a finer texture, pop the oats into a food processor before use. You want the mixture to be a thick dough that you can easily form into bars. Add some more oats if needed to get to a good texture. 

Form your mixture into bars. I got 5 bars out of this recipe but  you can make the bars any size you like. Lay out on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the outsides are firm and a light golden brown. Cool and serve, or freeze for use within 1 month.

These are a great day care snack, and perfect for tossing in the diaper bag for eating on the go. My favorite way to use this is as a distraction when I'm eating something I really don't want to share ;) She happily eats her granola bar while mama enjoys her own treat! Babies can make just about any food a messy one, but these keep the mess to a minimum.

Felicity just loves these healthy snack bars and I think your baby will too! For more information on Baby Led Weaning, check out www.babyledweaning.com. KellyMom also has some great information on how and when to introduce solids to your baby's diet. Check out those links! Thanks for stopping in to read 

xo Allison

Quick Tip Tuesday: Get Outdoors!

As the weather gets colder (highs in the 30s here all week... Brrrr!), it is harder and harder to remember to spend time outside. Not only are we busy and distracted, timing our days around naps and meals, but getting the baby ready to go outside takes more coordination than just donning our own shoes and coats.

Real Health Benefits!

Getting outside and enjoying fresh air is so so good for us, though! Exercising outside is shown to be even better for us than popping in that workout tape indoors, studies show. There are real, measurable health benefits to just being outside in nature! It takes us away from our mind-melting iPads, laptops, and televisions, gets fresh air in our lungs and even helps us get in a little all natural vitamin D, courtesy of Mr. Sun. Optimal levels of vitamin D can help balance our hormones, reduce inflammation, strengthen our immune system, and even reduce risk of obesity and cancer ! Just living near nature (versus an urban setting) can reduce our risk of more than 20 dangerous conditions including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases. Natural sunlight also helps calibrate our circadian rhythms leading to better, more restful sleep. Not to mention, the air outside is literally more "fresh"- that's not just a figure of speech! Plants and trees constantly clean the air as part of photosynthesis, making the air outside more pure and clear of toxins. Even our self-estem can be boosted from just 5 minutes spent in a green environment! (source)

 I am always amazed how refreshed I feel after going out for a short walk or even playing outside on the deck with the baby a little bit. We spent our Sunday out doing yard work, and I wrapped our daughter up onto my chest while I worked. She loved the constant mommy time attention, and I enjoyed finishing up our outdoor Autumn projects, hands free :)

So Get Out!

As the last leaves fall this week, remember to enjoy the great outdoors! Take a walk, go to a local park or outdoor mall, or spread a blanket in the grass for a quiet fall picnic. Sit outside at a restaurant, or even park down the block from the store you're visiting! Just be sure to enjoy some of the gorgeous natural settings around you. Bundle up if you have to, but take the whole family out for at least a few minutes. Your body and mind will thank you :)

Quick Tip Tuesday: Get Hydrated!

We have all heard the statistic that our bodies are about 75% water, so why do we so often fail to stay hydrated? Drinking enough water can help us feel more awake during the day, keep our skin clear, ward off headaches, help us feel full and therefore not overeat, and so much more! The average person needs about 64oz of water each day, even more if you work out, or are pregnant or nursing. Forgetfulness, being too busy, and lots of other things keep us from staying hydrated but I think that just one main reason is to blame:

Water is boring.

It doesn't have that fizzy delicious feeling like a cold Coke, doesn't put a spring in your step like coffee, or taste like a treat like something bright colored might. I get it! If boring water is getting you down, check out these delicious and fun tips to jazz up your H2O.

Race the Clock!

Get a couple of cheap water bottles and use a sharpie to mark times down the side. When that time hits, you must have sipped down to the marked line! If you haven't, take a couple minutes and drink up!

(source)

Accessorize!

Get a cute water bottle that you like carrying with you! Yes, water is available everywhere for free at pretty much all times, but I find I am much more successful with my daily water intake if I bring my own water bottle everywhere. Order something cute with your kids' pictures, add a cute bow, or even order a cup from one of your favorite designers, like the Vera Bradley cups below. Better yet, get one with a straw built in so you don't even have to unscrew a lid to sip your water!

Warm Up!

Warm water is a surprisingly delicious treat! Boil water and add to a mug with some of the yummy infused water ingredient ideas below. Lemon and mint in hot water are my favorite!

Set Your Alarm!

Since we are already so busy looking at our smart phones, we might as well use them for good! I love the Daily Water app for iPhone. It allows you to set your water goals and reminds you to have a glass several times throughout the day. The water pouring sound effects and little checkmarks you get when you log your water intake are so satisfying for some reason! Its those little things that keep me going! :) 

Infuse It!

If infused water is your thing, grab a water bottle with a built in compartment for your yummy add-ins. This one has some awesome reviews on Amazon. Here are a couple things I love to add!

-Lemon juice: I like some serious zip to my water, so I squeeze about half a lemon into my water bottles before heading to work.
-Mint leaves: For even mintier water, chop or crumple the leaves a little before sprinkling in.

-Strawberries: These juicy berries are perfect for a little sweetness and flavor without giving up the healthy benefits of water in favor of juice.

-Basil: It might sound strange, but basil has a wonderful spice to it that makes ordinary water seem like a treat!

-Orange: If you don't mind a little pulp, the meat of an orange is a totally delish addition to a glass of water. If using a full orange slice in your infuser, be sure to thoroughly wash the rind.

Be careful!

While there are lots of great ways to enjoy your daily ounces, there are some tips out there that aren't great for you. 

-Mio, Crystal Light, and other powder or liquid additives contain artificial colors and flavors and aren't good for you! You might as well drink fruit juice or soda if you're using those!
-Essential Oils are not intended for use in water! Some EO companies and reps recommend this but it is not a safe way to use these powerful and highly concentrated homeopathic remedies. More information on that here.

Thanks for checking in for this Tuesday's quick tip! Grab some water, drink up, and I'll see you here on Friday for my first product review! FREE snacks in the mail. You're gonna love this one :)

xo Allison

Quick Tip Tuesday: Get Baking Soda Clean

True confession: I make messes in the kitchen. Big messes, like "did a bomb go off in here" type messes. It doesn't help that our little one has started eating "people food" and her table manners aren't exactly on point.

 

(This is pre-mess, I assure you!)

 Usually cleaning dishes and wiping counters gets our kitchen back in pretty good shape but every once in a while I'll stain our counter tops with coffee, tea, black beans, or even pink lemonade...

Oops! Not pretty. Our laminate counters seem to soak up stains like a sponge and not even bleach will do the trick. I hate to use bleach at all but especially on food prep surfaces, so I was thrilled when I discovered a cheap and stunningly easy solution... Baking soda! 

Sprinkle a little on the stained area...

Scrub a lite with a wet cloth (I used hot water, not sure that matters though!), and voila!

Good as new! This works on old stains and new, and on all sorts of surfaces! Baking soda is also great at scrubbing burned rice from the bottom of pots and burned cookies from cookie sheets (don't ask me how I know that!). I now keep a little container of baking soda by the sink and it truly comes in handy for all sorts of messes.

Thanks for checking in for this week's quick tip, I hope you can put it to use in your kitchen!

xo Allison

Quick Tip Tuesday: Cleaning with Vinegar

Hello all! Thanks for being patient while I took the weekend off of blogging! Scott truly spoiled me rotten for my birthday, we had a ton of fun! 

We went out to a local farm & winery for a delicious lunch and a house-made beer tasting. It was a gorgeous day! 

They had the prettiest little farm store and cafe! Our lunch was incredible, totally fresh and delicious. 

I had a Parmesan encrusted Havarti and Swiss grilled cheese, and Tomato Bisque with basil oil. Yum-o! The view from the vineyard out over Lake Michigan was unbeatable!

So, thanks for being patient while I enjoyed a relaxing weekend with my family. 

Today's quick tip Tuesday is about cleaning with vinegar! 

Ditching conventional cleaning products is something I am super excited about. Did you know that whatever comes into contact with our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream within 3 seconds? My 6 month old will be on the move in no time, and I am realizing how many dangerous poisons we use to keep our home "clean". The labels scream "keep out of reach of children", "if ingested, contact poison control", and "rinse surfaces that will come into contact with food". Nothing about that seems safe to me! So here we are... Vinegar is nontoxic, safe to ingest and *bonus* totally cheap! A big jug of white vinegar was only a couple bucks at my local grocery store.

Vinegar can be used in a shockingly huge number of different ways! I found the tips and tricks I used online at VersitileVinegar.org. Sorry for the lack of photos in this post, but I figured nobody wants to see the "before" photos of my carpet stains, dirty mirror, etc! Here are a couple cleaning tips I tried and loved:

- Use a Vinegar/Water 50/50 mix to wipe windows and mirrors for a streak free shine. Make sure to dry thoroughly so you don't end up with water spots.

- Run several cups of straight white vinegar through your automatic coffee maker. We have really hard water and this helps get all the junk and buildup out. Make sure to run a few pots full of water through following this to clear the vinegar from the machine.

-Pour a small amount of 50/50 warm water and vinegar onto carpet stains. Scrub with a scrub brush or toothbrush. Vacuum and let dry. This worked like a charm on our living room rug!

- Wipe down shower walls with a soft cloth soaked with white vinegar to remove hard water buildup.

- Fill a reusable spray mop (we love our Libman!) with 50/50 vinegar water mix to clean floors. This really made our flooring shine, with no toxic floor cleaner stink!

I love how clean our house is after my vinegar cleaning spree! I was concerned that there would be a vinegar smell lingering in the house, but I haven't really noticed that. Best of all, I don't have to worry about my little beauty coming into contact with cleanser residue during her bath, when she's learning to crawl, or when she is playing with that cute baby in the mirror. Pretty sweet!  

What baby-safe products do you use in your home? Let me know your favorites in the comments below! Thanks for checking in!

Xo Allison

Quick Tip Tuesday: Eat Local

This week's Quick Tip is to eat local by shopping at your local farmer's market! This is the easiest, best way to get healthy organic produce at affordable prices. 

Farm markets have a variety of in season produce, which means the items you purchase will be at their peak freshness. I have never had a strawberry so juicy as from Farmer Brown's cart... Red through and through and absolutely dripping with sweetness. 

These are what strawberries should taste like, not like the mondo berries from the grocery store- white on the inside, tough on the outside, shipped from California... Not knocking on Cali, but no thanks! Fruits and veggies that have to travel the globe to reach you are more likely to contain preservatives or GMOs (not to mention transport costs jacking up the price!) so shopping local keeps your plate greener! It is always good to support small businesses, and shopping at these markets is a great way to do that! It is truly a win win! I stopped by my local farmer's market last week to take some pics of the delicious bounty.

I live in a pretty small town, and our farm market is relatively little, but there is still a huge variety of fruits and veggies available, as well as baked goods and flowers. (I just couldn't resist these carrot cake "muffins" while I was there... Hey, carrots are a vegetable!)

 Between the 3 or 4 vendors each week, they've got us covered! It doesn't get much better than this! 

Don't know when or where there is a farm market near you? Never fear, the internet is here! The Michigan Farmers Market Association has a great "Find a Farm Market" resource on their website here (http://mifma.org/find-a-farmers-market/). Each listing will show the hours for the market, as well as other info, including whether they accept Michigan Bridge cards. If you're traveling or looking for a great market while on vacation, don't forget to check that site!

Thanks for checking in for this week's Quick Tip Tuesday! 

Xo Allison

Quick Tip Tuesday: Using Dried Beans

Each Tuesday I'll post a quick tip or product swap. Something really simple that you can implement in your family's home without too much work or prep time. This week, I decided to swap out our usual canned beans for dried.

We made this swap for two reasons-
1. Using dry beans helps us avoid all the extra sodium used to store prehydrated beans in a can.
2. It is way cheaper! A 1lb bag of all natural dried beans was $1.29 at Meijer, which yields a little more than  three 15-oz cans of hydrated beans.

Dry beans are most likely available at your regular grocer, displayed right near the canned beans. Hydrating them for recipes is incredibly simple, and can be done a couple different ways. If you're using your beans right away for a recipe, try the hot soak method. I won't be using these for our chili until Friday, so I used the overnight soak method:

You will need:
Beans
Water
Container for soaking

Method:
Sort and rinse your beans before you begin. This is just to make sure they are clean and that no pebbles or other objects make their way into your recipe.
Measure out however many beans you want to use (I used 2 cups dry) and pour into your soaking container.
Fill the container with cold water so that the beans are completely covered.

Leave the mixture to soak 8 hours or overnight.
When complete, drain and rinse the beans with clean cold water.

Transfer to clean container for storage until use (use as soon as possible for best results).

(instructions adapted from the US Dry Beans Council... who knew there was a US Dry Beans Council!)

Pretty simple, huh? These beans aren't the prettiest, but since they are just for Chili, that's fine with me. If you need nice looking beans for a bean salad, I would suggest going with the hot-soak method instead, as the beans are less likely to crack or wrinkle that way. Since we are trying to reduce our meat intake in favor of other proteins, this trick will definitely come in handy! Thanks for checking in, and I hope you enjoyed this Quick Tip Tuesday!

xo Allison