Sorry for not posting yesterday. I assure you that it was not for lack of effort or dedication. The truth is I have good news and bad news. The bad news you already know: no new Friday video today. The good news is that the reason I didn’t post a new video today is because we are going to be the Daily Candy Kids pick of the day this coming Monday and Kenya and I have been working around the clock to finish a new video that will run simultaneously.
We had a lot of fun doing it. So I hope that’s even more good news: two videos next week! Monday and Friday!

Sweet, creamy, beautiful, delicious… there are so many words to describe these little edible jewels filled with silky puree. These bites are easy to pick up with your fingers and look gorgeous on a platter. You could even serve these at a fabulous cocktail party and make extras for the kids.
But back to the recipe. Purses?? Huh? Well, I found some gorgeous gala apples at the farmer’s market and was trying to think a fun and original recipe for a birthday party. I had also kept passing wonton wrappers at the market and wanted to play around with them. Apples are full of fiber and vitamin C and sweet potatoes are a powerhouse of nutrition especially given their abundance of beta-carotene and vitamin C and E.
These only took minutes to prepare and you can serve them warm or cool. You could also serve the puree on its own to babies over the age of 8 months.
Of course Kenya ate almost the entire recipe in one sitting (that seems to be the norm with him these days), so I highly recommend making a double batch!

Sweet Potato, Apple, Cheddar Purses (Makes 10 purses)

1/2 Sweet Potato (yams), peeled and cubed
1 Small Apple (about 1/2 Cup), peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
10 Wonton Wrappers (found in the refrigerator section of your grocery)
*Bowl of water

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the apples and continue to cook another 3 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Place the apples, sweet potato, cheese and cinnamon in a food
processor and puree until smooth.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
5. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface. Place a tablespoon of the puree in the middle of the wonton.
6. Take the four corners of the wonton and lift them up around the
puree.
7. Pinch the wonton together in the middle, just over the puree, to seal. Moisten your fingers with a little water and pinch once more to ensure a good seal.
8. Repeat process with remaining wonton wrappers. When all 10 are formed into purses, place 3-5 at a time in the boiling water.
9. Cook for 2 minutes.
10. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, cool and serve.

I still can’t believe that we’ll have fresh peaches at the farmer’s market until early November. Its kind of crazy, but I cherish every minute of their presence. Since we literally buy them by the crate from my favorite purveyor, Tenerelli Orchards, I’m always trying to come up with new and delicious recipes for the entire family.
Most fruit crumble recipes have so much sugar it makes my teeth ache just thinking about it. This recipe has NO sugar and only calls for 1 tablespoon of my favorite kid friendly sweetener, agave nectar. Agave nectar is low on the glycemic index, so you can serve it after dinner and know your little one won’t be wired on sugar. This is also a perfect sweet dessert for the entire family since it’s super healthy and loaded with oats and flaxseeds giving it a nutty flavor.
Kenya especially liked having his own ramekin. After it cooled, I handed it to him and he gave me a big bright smile. It was like he just won the peach crumble grand prize (and he ate every last bite)!

Fruit Crisp (Makes 5 individual ramekins)

2 Ripe Peaches, diced (you could also substitute pears, apples, strawberries or other fruits in season)
1/3 Cup Oats
1 Tsp Flaxseed
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp Butter, chilled
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Divide peaches evenly between 5 dishes.
3. In a mini food processor, combine the oats, flaxseed and flour.
Pulse to combine.
4. Add the butter and pulse until butter is in small pieces (you don’t want it to turn into a dough, so make sure to just pulse the ingredients).
5. Add the agave to the crumble and pulse once or twice, just to combine.
6. Place small clumps of the crumble on top of the ramekins.
7. Place the ramekins on a sheet tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and cool.
9. Serve.

When Kenya was 8 months old and teething non stop, I started giving him these whole wheat mini bagels. I would keep a few in a zip lock bag in my purse, in the car, and in the house for those times that I knew his little hands wanted something to hold to help soothe his gums. Somedays I could tell his gums were itching so much that he would rub the bagels on them until the dough was super soft.
Teething or not, bagels are a great first food for babies going beyond solids because they can gnaw on them at their own pace.
At my local Trader Joe’s, you get 18 “edible teethers” for $2.29 a bag which is a pretty good price. I realize that many people don’t have Trader Joe’s which is a total crime — Trader Joe’s, open more stores! — but there are lots of other companies such as Lenders and Sam’s
Bagels that sell mini bagels. Even better they contain no artificial colors or flavors, so you know you’re giving your little one a wholesome first food.

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.

Almond Milk (Makes 3 1/2 Cups plus 3/4 Almond Puree)

1 Cup Almonds
2 Tbsp Agave
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
4 Cups Water

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree on high for one minute or until almond are in tiny pieces.
2. Place a strainer in a large bowl and cover the top of the strainer with cheesecloth (this step is important because the almonds will be in such small pieces that the cheesecloth and strainer need to stop them from going into the milk).
3. Pour the almond milk through the cheesecloth. You may need to do this in stages so the milk can slowly strain through the cheesecloth. It may help taking a spoon to scrape the bottom of the cheesecloth so the milk can pass.
4. Pour the milk and the almond puree into separate containers and refrigerate.
5. Serve.

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 (I’ll post this drink recipe tomorrow) and my personal favorite, chicken noodle soup.
Almost nothing seems to taste good when you’re sick, but there’s something about chicken noodle soup that always makes you feel better. For years doctors have deemed it medicinal and I have to agree. I always considered my recipe for chicken soup fast, easy and fresh, but I became a true pro at making it day after day this week to feed my “patients”. Chocked full of carrots, celery and leeks, I got smart this time and made a huge batch for the freezer for the next time we’re all down for the count.

Chicken Noodle Soup (Make 12 Toddler Servings)

32 Oz Chicken Stock, preferably low sodium
2 Carrots or 3/4 Cup, chopped
1 Celery Stalk or 1/3 Cup, chopped
1 Leek or 3/4 Cup, halved and sliced thin
1 Large Chicken Breast
2 Tsp. Vegit
3/4 Cup Fine Egg Noodles

1. Heat chicken stock in a large pot over a high heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, chicken breast and vegit. Cook for 12 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken breast and cool. Then tear or chop into bite size pieces.
4. Add the egg noodles to the broth and cook for 6 minutes.
5. Add the chicken to the soup.
6. Cool for little ones and serve.

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!

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”.
Anyway, seitan isn’t exactly a common ingredient in American kitchens — but luckily most health food stores carry it. Seitan is a great alternative to meat and its versatile texture is perfect for absorbing the full flavor of sauces and has a texture similar to chicken, although a bit spongier. Although it seems like and odd choice, this was my total craving when I was pregnant with Kenya. I wanted seitan for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s probably the reason Kenya loves it so much. I think he consumed pounds of it in utero.
Seitan, also know as wheat gluten or “wheat meat”, is made by rinsing away the starch in wheat, leaving a high-protein gluten behind. Seitan is popular in vegetarian cuisine because of its unique ability to replicate the texture and flavor of meat. It’s also easier for little ones to chew then beef.
When I made this dish, I had so much fun telling people it was chicken stir fry. Everyone got that it wasn’t chicken, but couldn’t figure out what it was. They were shocked at how delicious it tasted and couldn’t believe they hadn’t tried seitan before.
This dish only take minutes to prepare which is an added bonus. I like to make plenty to have leftovers for at least a day or two. Of all the people that tried it, though, Kenya seemed to enjoy it the most!

Seitan Stir fry (6 Toddler Servings)

1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Tsp Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Broccoli, chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Cup Shitake Mushrooms, julienned
1 Cup Seitan, chopped
2 Tbsp Braggs (or low sodium soy sauce)
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1. Heat a wok or saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic for one minute.
2. Add the broccoli, bell pepper and mushrooms. Continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add the seitan and the remaining ingredients and stirfry for 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Cool and serve.

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.