I’m always shocked to find out how many people know of and adore noodle 
kugel. I only tried it for the first time recently, but when I shared 
my feelings about how much I loved it with friends, I got some pretty darn 
passionate responses about what a recipe for noodle kugel MUST include. The variations made my head spin. Some people said nuts were a must. Others cited raisins, cinnamon and all kinds of other additions.
When I was originally doing research on kugels and their history, I 
was shocked to find that most recipes called for a cup or more sugar. That much 
sugar would send me into outer-space, so I can only imagine what it 
would do to our kids.
My version is a much healthier toddler-and-family-friendly recipe that 
you could eat as a side dish or even for dessert! After it comes out of the 
oven, cut it into squares and take a bite of the soft, tender, creamy 
noodles perfumed with cinnamon — you’re in heaven. Of 
course Kenya tried to shove the entire square I gave him into his little mouth in 
one bite which he quickly figured out wasn’t such a good idea! As for my friends with very strong opinions on what is and isn’t kugel, most of them gave this their stamp of approval.

Noodle Kugel (makes 20-25 squares)

2 Cup Eggs Noodles
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Raisins

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 5-7 minutes. You want them to be tender, but firm.
2. Strain the water off the noodles and place them in a large bowl.
3. Add the butter and toss the noodles so they’re evenly coated.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Place the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, agave and cinnamon in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine throughly.
6. Pour the liquid mixture over the noodles and stir to coat.
7. Pour the noodle mixture into a 9 x 9 greased baking dish.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
9. Cool and cut into square pieces.
10. Serve.

Who doesn’t like granola?! Scrooge, that’s who. But besides him?!


Crunchy and sweet, granola is the perfect 
breakfast treat or snack to keep in your purse for when you and your little one 
need a pick me up.
This wee granola is a powerhouse of nutrition containing dried fruits, 
wheat germ and nuts — packed with vitamin B and magnesium to name just a 
few. You can easily serve the granola in a to-go cup for your toddler 
or pulse it in the food processor as a topping for fresh roasted peaches, yogurt or baked apples.
I always make a huge batch of this granola, sometimes even doubling the recipe so I have plenty for Kenya and other little guests who come over to play.

Wee Granola (makes 4 1/2 Cups Granola)

2 Cups Rolled Oats (make sure not to use the 1 minute oats)
1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup Cashews, chopped
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Raisins and/or Currants
1/4 Cup Dried Cherries (you could also use dried blueberries)
2 Tbsp Wheat Germ
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
Whole, Rice, Soy, Almond or Low fat Milk

1. Preheat over to 275 degrees
2. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir until completely combined.
3. Place the granola mixture on a cookie sheet and spread it out until it covers the sheet.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Bake another 40 minutes, remove from the oven and let it remain on the sheet until it’s cool before stirring (this way it will be a little crispy and chunkier which is fun for kids to break up with their spoon).
6. Place a serving in a bowl and pour in milk.
7. Serve.

Wheat berries. Are they wheat? Are they berries? Well, as the name implies, they’re kind of both. Wheat berries are a delicious member of the grain family.
You rarely see them in restaurants or at the market, but health food stores carry them and they’re great for kids. They’re so easy to prepare and really delicious. I love feeding Kenya different types of grains and I have to say that these are one of his favorites.

Wheat berries, also called groats, are whole wheat kernels that have not been milled, polished, or heat treated. They’re brown, nearly round in appearance and have a robust, nutlike flavor. They usually take over an hour to cook, but you can reduce that time if they are presoaked.

When you mix them with the dried fruits and celery in this recipe, it takes on a sweet crunchy texture which in my experience, babies love. He’s not the only one in our family, though. I usually grab a cup when I’m exhausted and need an energy boost. See, this is a great recipe for everyone!

Wheat berry Salad (Makes 6-8 Toddler Servings)

1/2 Cup Wheat berries, soaked for 8 hours or overnight if possible
1/2 Cup Apple, peeled and chopped
1/3 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Celery, chopped
1 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Bring 4 Cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the wheat berries, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Cook for 1 hour or until wheat berries are tender to the bite (it make take over an hour, so just keep testing them).
3. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fine pieces remain.
4. In a bowl, throughly mix the wheat berries with the apple/raisin mixture.
5. Serve.

We have the most fantastic next door neighbors. Not only are they the 
most easygoing and kind people, their yard is essentially a farm. I get a 
phone call at least once a week asking me to come outside so they can 
hand me a grocery bag full of sweet peaches, bushels of delicious beets or in the latest 
case, a bag of perfectly gorgeous Fuji apples. The apples were like little 
gems, sweet and crunchy, not too big or small. For me, there is 
nothing like fruits and vegetables that you grow in your yard. This way you can be absolutely sure that there aren’t any harmful sprays or pesticides being 
used. My neighbors grow their food like this and so do I.
Apples are not only a rich in vitamin C and an excellent source of 
fiber, they’re also a favorite of Kenya’s. When he’s teething and 
doesn’t feel like having to chew, this recipe comes in handy because the apples get really soft. It is 
a real winner with him. When the apple bakes, the flavor intensifies giving it 
almost a caramel flavor. A perfect dessert for your little one.

Baked Apple with Cinnamon and Raisin (1-2 Toddler Servings or 3 Baby
Servings)

*recipe can be doubled, tripled and so on

1 Apple, cored
6 Raisins
1 Tbsp Apple Juice (you could substitute another tbsp of water for the
juice)
1 Tbsp Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the apple in a small baking dish.
3. Fill the center the the apple with raisins.
4. Mix the water and apple juice and pour over the center of the apple.
5. Bake for 55 minutes or until apple is fork tender.
6. Cool, peel off the skin and serve (alternatively, you could peel
the skin and puree the apple and raisins for babies 8-12 months old).