Oh. My. Lusciousness! I just tasted my first batch of homemade almond milk minutes ago and it is so delicious I ran to the computer, bumped today’s planned “recipe of the day”, and started writing this. This almond milk is so creamy, frothy and easy to make, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered to buy it in the store. Not only is the milk itself incredible and perfect to add to your own cereal or coffee, but my best little taster just made a case for drinking it all on its own! You should have seen Kenya chowing down on the ground almonds and milky solids which are strained out of the finished milk. He totally made a meal out of it (as did I, stealing bite after bite).
Almonds are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E, which boosts your little one’s immune system. They’re also a good source of calcium which plays a part in healthy bones, teeth and immune function. Don’t feel limited to only almonds, though. You could make this exact recipe with cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts and more. Just pour a touch of this over fresh berries and it’s as good as the taste of fresh cream. Obviously, if your little one has a nut allergy, this recipe isn’t for them.
Again, I do realize that you can buy a box of almond milk at the store to keep handy, but one taste of this recipe and you will understand why it’s worth the MINUTES it takes to make your own.

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Before you all jump down my throat, yes, I do realize that this recipe sounds like it could be on the cover of Gourmet magazine instead of being the “recipe of the day” for weelicious, but when I made these for Kenya, he actually let out one of the bigger “mmm’s” I’ve ever heard him utter when trying one of my new recipes. When I get a big “mmm,” that generally means he really loves something. This particular “mmm” was the biggest I’d heard in a long time, so, trust me, you may have more success with this dish than you think. Kenya’s eyes lit up when he saw me placing the entire fig on his plate and serving a drip of balsamic vinegar for him to dip it in (although this added ingredient isn’t necessary, just fun).
Fresh figs are luscious, chewy, rich and textured, but when they’re roasted they become uber sweet. The best surprise for your little one will be the tiny piece of cheese inside the fig which melts and turns this into such a heavenly treat. I love using gorgonzola cheese, but you could also try other types of blue cheese, taleggio or anything else that sounds good to you.
Also, if you want wanted to give this to a baby under the age of one, you could roast the figs without the cheese in the same way and puree the roast fig. Now that’s really gourmet puree.
Bon Appetite!

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Good for the heart, good for the soul….good when everyone in our household has been sick for 6 days straight! Poor little Kenya got a bronchial infection at one of the kid play spaces (a.k.a “germ factories”) I take him to and within days everyone in our house was down for the count. Since there’s little you can do medicinally for kids Kenya’s age, out came my homemade ginger-lemon-honey tea and my personal favorite, chicken noodle soup.
Almost nothing seems to taste good when you’re sick, but there’s something about…

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I have to admit that one of my pet peeves is when my car transforms into a garbage can. It’s tough, though, when you’re on the go and want your little one to have a snack for the wrappers, napkins and crumbs not easily find their way onto the seats and floor.
I’ve always been a fan of rice cakes because they’re healthy, crispy and delicious. They’re great to top with all kinds of jam, almond butter or just some avocado slices, but even plain they’re yummy too. Kenya and I were rolling through the aisles of Whole Foods the other day and came across Kamut Cakes, a divine twist on these favorite of my snacks. “Put the brakes on, Kenya! Oh my goodness, wow!” These Kamut cakes are slimmer then your typical puffy rice cake and have an intense nutty aroma. They contain no sodium or preservatives and are higher in vitamins, minerals and amino acids than commercial wheat. The first week I bought them I was making all of our friends and their kids try them! (When I get passionate about a product, watch out!)
So now I buy bags of these by the truck load and always keep one pack in the car for a “no mess snack” for Kenya….and me!

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I remember the first time I encountered seitan. It was at a vegetarian restaurant in New York City. So many of the ingredients on the menu were completely foreign to me and I felt like I was butchering their names. Seitan for example. Was it, “see-ten”, “s-e-i-ten”….oh, whatever!! Finally, the waiter came to my aid and told me that it was pronounced “say-tan”.

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Once in a while, when Kenya starts to go a little batty while I’m cooking in the kitchen, I’ll stop what I’m doing to make something with him. Even at 18 months it’s amazing how much he’s capable of doing. He can totally be my co-pilot on this recipe. He helps me peel a banana and plop it in the blender. Then, I’ll wash and scoop the avocado and yogurt into the blender and then let him press the buttons so he can watch it all mix together. His eyes light up so brightly at this culinary achievement. It’s amazing how including Kenya in the process makes him want to enjoy new foods and snack on healthy favorites. Even better, helping Mommy out in the kitchen chills him out a little and takes that crazy baby energy down a notch.
Bananas and avocado are not only monsters of nutrition, but they also make a creamy and delicious combination for babies and toddlers. Avocados are rich in the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C and E while bananas are filled with magnesium and potassium. This puree is so thick and rich, I decided to get all fancy and call it a mousse — yes, we’re so fancy here at weelicious .
I wrote that this recipe makes enough for 3 toddler servings, but after Kenya and I finished making this batch and dug the spatula in the blender for bite after bite, nothing remained at the end….except for the smiles on our faces.

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When I was 18 years old, I did a modeling job in Venice, Italy — one of the world’s most incredible food cities. There’s a famous restaurant there called Harry’s Bar (yes, one of Venice’s best restaurants has an American name), which serves some of the most delectable food I’ve ever tried. The entire Italian film crew ordered heavenly dish after dish for us to share family style. Salads with rich burrata cheese, pizza margherita, pasta pomodoro and the first risotto that I ever tried. I had no idea what risotto was, but I knew that it was the closest thing to heaven I’d ever tasted. I was shocked at how something that appeared so simple could be so complex in flavor.
Risotto is a rice dish made specifically with arborio rice (easy to find at most grocery stores). The arborio rice is the essential ingredient that gives it such a creamy texture. Although most of the dishes on weelicious take minutes to prepare, I personally think the 30 minutes that it takes to continually stir this dish is totally worth it. Especially if your whole family is going to be eating it!

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Let’s be honest, giving nutritionally balanced snacks that are satisfying and filling can be tough. With so many high sugar and salt filled foods on the market, it’s hard to navigate what’s actually good and what’s crap. Trust me, just because it says “all natural,” “organic” or has bunny rabbits and Elmo all over it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be good for your little one.
That’s one of the reasons I love Lara Bars. If I had my way, everyone would make their own protein bars, but sometimes that’s not possible. There are tons of bar companies on the market, but most of them are full of sugar and words that I can’t even pronounce.
Lara bars come in delicious flavors like lemon, apple and cherry pie and my favorite, banana bread. The base ingredients are nuts and dates and most of them only have 3-4 ingredients. You can now buy them at almost every grocery and health food store. When you’re rushing in the morning or want to keep something healthy for you or your child in your bag, this is a perfect treat.

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