I’ve been munching on these tasty fruit and veggie treats for years. When I used to travel for work non-stop and knew there weren’t going to be many healthy snack choices where I was going, I would toss a container of these in my bag. The different varieties they have are endless!
Just Fruit sells salad, corn, cherries, mixed veggies, bananas, peas and soon. This is another one of my favorite on-the-go snacks because they don’t make a mess, they don’t spoil like fresh fruit and veggies do and their packed solely with what they advertise, “just fruit” (and vegetables). Some fruits and veggies are crunchy and some are squishy, but their deliciously intense taste comes from the concentration of the natural flavors during the dehydration process.
When I was trying to photograph them for the picture above, Kenya almost had a conniption fit waiting for me to finish so we could dig into them. We sat on the floor and opened the containers one by one tasting each flavor. He was so funny commenting on each one. Thank goodness for stores like Whole Foods and our local health food store which carry
these yummy yummies!

I’m sure I’m not the only person greatly saddened by the passing of Paul Newman several weeks ago. Not only was he one of the greatest actors ever to grace the screen and stage, but he was also an incredible philantrospsit. Newman’s Own is a brand that you count on to make quality food products which also send a positive message and do a lot of good in this world. The Newmans started their company with a $6000 investment which 26 years later turned into a $250 million company. The proceeds of the sales of their products go to thousands of charities and camps such as the Hole in the Wall Camps.
When Kenya was just starting to get teeth and I wanted him to have simple, healthy snacks to munch on, I found these unsalted pretzels. They’re still one of his favorite snacks and mine too.
We miss you, Paul.

The inspiration for this recipe came from some gorgeous, uber-ripe Bartlett pears I found last week at the farmer’s market. At first thought I would make Kenya some pear puree or just slice them for a snack, but then I remembered I had some canned organic pumpkin at home and wondered if that combination would work.
I’ve never seen pumpkin-pear bread, but it sounded like something yummy to eat in the autumn. The pears were so ripe, all I did was peel and mash them before adding to the recipe.
QUICK TIP: if you don’t have ripe pears you could place them next to bananas in a fruit bowl and they will ripen faster.
I’m usually not a fan of any type of canned fruit or veggie, but canned pumpkin really is a life saver. It’s really a pain to make pumpkin puree, even when you roast it, the flavors never quite become as rich and sweet as the canned variety. So, this is one of those times that I give into convenience.
When Kenya woke up from his nap, the smell of fresh bread was all through the house. After it cooled we sat and tried it with all kinds of yummy spreads like pumpkin butter, apple butter, honey and just plain butter.
Mmmm… fall really is here!

Pumpkin-Pear Bread (makes 1 9×5 inch loaf or 6 small loaves)

1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree, preferably organic
1 Ripe Pear, peeled and mashed (it’s ok if there are small chunks) or a little over 1/2 cup pear puree
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and agave with a standing or handheld mixer.
3. Add the pumpkin and pear purees.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. In a separate bowl sift the flour and remaining ingredients.
6. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time until combined. Do not overly mix or beat the mixture.
7. Place in a 6 individual greased loaf pans or in one 9×5 inch greased loaf pan.
8. Bake for 20 minutes for small loaf pans or 1 hour for single loaf.
9. Cool for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the loaf pan to help release on to a cooling rack.
10. Cool and serve.

*A regular weelicious Mommy made muffins instead of the bread which cooked for 15-20 minutes and replaced maple syrup for the agave. She said they were delicious!

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 thought Labor Day would be a perfect time to introduce a new, once-a -week post on weelicious, snacks. I’m not talking about potato chips and candy bars. Little ones need between-meal, healthy, high energy foods that help them run around and keep their bodies growing.
I want to present snacks that are easy to prepare and can just be tossed in your bag for whenever you need to jet out the door. For me, the most important part is that whatever the snacks are, they don’t turn your car into a bottomless garbage-pit.
Most of the snacks I write about aren’t “messy” or they come in travel safe containers.
Freeze-dried fruits are one of my new favorite finds. Different markets sell variations on the product, but Trader Joe’s recently introduced their own line and I think they’re AMAZING! These freeze-dried snacks contain only fruit — no sugar. The intense flavor comes from the process of freeze-drying the fruit so their natural tastes are concentrated. They come in mango, banana, rambutan and mangosteen. I mean, how often do you eat rambutan (a tropical fruit grown in Hawaii and southeast Asia)?! Ever?
I brought a few bags to a back-to-school party yesterday and the kids went crazy for them. Don’t you just love it when kids are begging for more fruit? And the best part was that I didn’t have to wash, peel or pit anything. Just unzip the bag and everyone gets to enjoy (even the parents were digging them)!

The hardest part about making dips that are both flavorful and delicious is that they’re usually packed with mayonnaise and sour cream which are heavenly, but not very healthy — certainly not anywhere as nutritious as a rich avocado, which is a great substitute.
Avocados have the creamiest consistency for making a dip. They’re packed with the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. Even better is that you can add to this recipe virtually any fresh herb you can find. I have cilantro, dill and garlic chives growing like weeds in my garden, so that’s the combination that I used, but now that Kenya seems to want to eat this dip at every meal, next week it could be basil, parsley and tarragon.
No matter what vegetable you are serving, it will be a perfect match with this dip.

Avocado Herb Dip (Makes 1/2 Cup)

1 Avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise or Vegannaise
2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt
2 Tbsp Herbs (I used cilantro, dill and garlic chives and a pinch of marjoram, but you could use tarragon, basil, parsley, or anything you enjoy)
1 1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

Of all of the delicious recipes (at least, I think they’re delicious!) created for weelicious, I have to say 
that few things get everyone in my house hustling to the kitchen faster than when I’m making something that smells as heavenly as these 
chicken, cheese and pinto bean quesadillas. I knew these were going to be a hit even before my number one taster, 
Kenya, put one in his mouth because he was standing at my pant leg grunting and repeatedly saying “mamamamama”, which translated in baby language is 
”whatever you’ve got up there I want right now)!!!
These quesadillas couldn’t be easier to make. They take only minutes to 
prepare and I think Kenya ate more of them in one sitting then anything I’ve ever 
served him. You can use any type of tortilla, but I like to use whole wheat or spelt. Both kinds came out great, but after the spelt tortillas were cooked, they had a 
really toasty, nutty flavor. These quesadillas are packed with protein 
and as we say in our house “yummy, yummy yummy!”


Chicken, Cheese and Bean Quesadillas (make 20 Triangles)

1 Chicken Breast (about 1/2 cup cooked)
3/4 Cup Pinto Beans
1 Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
4 Whole Wheat or Spelt Tortillas

1. Place the chicken breast in a steamer pot over boiling water and steam for 8 minutes or until it’s cooked through.
2. Cut the chicken into several pieces and place it with the beans in a food processor. Pulse until well combined and little pieces remain.
3. Spread 3 Tbsp of the chicken mixture on half of a tortilla. Cover with 1/4 cup shredded cheese.
4. Fold the tortilla in half.
5. Place the tortilla in a saute pan over low to medium heat (there’s no need to add oil, butter or spray). Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip on the other side and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
6. Cool for several minutes and then cut into 5 triangles.
7. Serve.
* The cheese can remain quite hot even after you cut the tortillas into triangles, so make sure it’s cool before serving to your toddler.