{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