When I started making homemade baby food for Kenya (back when he was just a wee mushy thing), one of my biggest concerns was HOW I was going to store the food. Something just didn’t sit right with me about making pure, naturally delicious food to feed my 6 month old only to keep it in a plastic container until it was ready to be eaten. I tried several glass containers on the market, some better than others, and then I found Wean Green Cubes. For a mom/cook, it was one of those “ah ha” moments. Made from tempered glass with colorful matching tops (this is a container that actually looks appealing in my fridge), they were the perfect solution for refrigerating and freezing the purees I took so much care in preparing.

Just as weelicious has grown over the past few years, so has Wean Green, which started with baby food cubes and whose line has grown to include super cool tubs, sandwich and snack cubes and more. Lucky for us, Wean Green is offering 4 weelicious moms the chance to win all 5 products they sell (that’s a total of 12 containers!) in a rainbow of colors. For a chance to win, simply tell me the first food you ever made for your little one.* Winners will be chosen at random and announced next week. Good luck!

* even if your little one is 18 years old now, that’s still OK!

Congratulations to the winners of the Wean Green containers!
Natalie B
Colette
Esther Fancher
Monette Clingaman

One of the greatest things about having a mother-in-law who is a veteran preschool teacher is that she has an encyclopedic knowledge of children’s books. She has always been able to effortlessly suggest to us amazing titles that contain wonderful morals and lessons, but are first and foremost a ton of fun to read.

One of the first books we got for Kenya based on her recommendation was “If You Give a Mouse A Cookie” and it’s still a favorite of both my kids. Even though it appears to be a chocolate chip cookie that the mouse is eating in the book (and there’s also a biscotti), we like to talk about what other cookies that we think the mouse might enjoy, going back and forth with our favorites. Raisin Oatmeal, Graham Cracker, Peanut Butter, Gingersnaps….wait, Gingersnaps? The kids had no idea what I was talking about. How could that be? Had I really never exposed them to the crispy, delicious taste of a gingersnap?! Armed with a big bag of whole wheat flour and iron packed molasses, I set out to right that horrible wrong.

These cookies are so much fun to make with the kids, but make sure to close your cookie jar lid because even a little mouse will want to get it’s paws on these!

Ginger Snap Cookies (Makes 32 cookies)

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Molasses
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place the first four ingredients in a bowl and combine.
3. Place the butter and sugar in a standing mixer or bowl and beat on low until fluffy.
4. Add the egg, molasses and ginger and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
6. Using a cookie scooper, drop 1 tbsp of cookie batter onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart from each other and bake for 12 minutes for soft cookies or 15 minutes for crispy cookies.
7. Cool and serve.

As I’m sure most moms would agree, the checkout line at the supermarket can be a scary place — especially when you have kids in tow. That’s the place the store knows they have you captive and bombard your field of vision with overpriced candy and loads of other unhealthy stuff your kids are undoubtedly going to beg you for. That’s certainly the way it is for me at our local grocery. I have to do everything in my power to distract Kenya or Chloe when we get up to the counter.

Months ago, my eyes were drawn to the bright and fun packaging of a treat that was completely new to me: Somersaults. Usually I try and avoid buying anything in the checkout line, but something about this product seemed healthy and so much more appealing to me than the usual checkout choices. Plus, I loved their motto, “turning snacking upside down”. Crunchy nuggets with sunflower seeds and toasted grains not only sounded delicious to me, it seemed liked the perfect protein and fiber-filled snack that’s great for kids’ lunch boxes, especially when so many schools these days are nut-free.

With flavors like Sea Salt, Santa Fe Salsa and Chez Cocoa, how can you go wrong? I don’t know who loves them more — me, my husband or my kids.

See, not all things in the checkout line are there to harm you!

For most people, the “O” in these “O” Cookies will stand for the type of cereal used to make them. But for me, the “O” stands for obsessed, because that is what everyone in my family has become since I started making these cookies.

Starting from the time my kids had them as one of their very first finger foods, Trader Joe’s O’s have remained a household favorite. Between Chloe scarfing dry fistfuls of it every morning for breakfast and Kenya slurping it down with rice milk by the bowlful, we go through a lot of O’s each week. In an effort to make food exciting for kids, I’m always trying to take ingredients they love and feature them in recipes they’ll hopefully adore even more.

This is my healthy take on the cereal bars you can buy at the grocery, but I used “O” cereal and decided to mold them into a cookie shape instead of a bar. These aren’t exactly a tough sell no matter what shape you make them into, but I find going with cookies adds to the fun visual appeal. Not to mention I sometimes feel like I could serve my kids drywall for breakfast and simply by calling it a cookie would increase its chances of being consumed tenfold.

No matter whether you decide to make cookies, bars or balls, have fun making them and be careful, they’re totally addictive. “Oh” yeah!!

“O” Cookies! (Makes 30 Cookies)

1/2 Cup Nut Butter (almond, peanut or sunflower)
1/2 Cup Rice Syrup
4 Cups O’s Cereal (you can use whatever “O”-type cereal you like: Cheerios, Trader Joe’s O’s, etc.)

1. Place the nut butter and rice syrup in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and warm for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth and combined.
2. Place the cereal in a bowl.
3. Pour the warm nut butter/rice syrup mixture into the bowl with the cereal and stir to combine.
4. Shape into cookies (I used a mini ice cream scooper to scoop out each portion, but you could also use a tablespoon). You can also place the mixture into a 9 x 9 inch ungreased pan, pat down and then cut into bars. As the O’s mixture cools, it will harden.
5. Serve.

Again, I have to praise Trader Joe’s for another affordable snack that kids love. Whenever Kenya sees a bag of these fruit bars sitting out, he looks at me at say “Mo!” (translation: more). They’re made from a mix of fruit pulp such as apples, boysenberry, blackberry, nectarine, cherry, passion fruit and more so there sweet, but also a bit tangy. They’re also totally unsweetened with no added sugar. Another good thing is they don’t make a mess, so they’re a good travel snack on the days that you don’t feel like dragging around fruit slices in a ziplock that end up getting stinky after a few hours. This is a perfect choice no matter if your child is vegetarian, eating a gluten free diet or you’re just just looking to give them something easy and delicious.

I don’t know a kid or adult that doesn’t like string cheese (maybe I have to stop hanging out with all those people from the National Dairy Association). I’m sure to most of you this is one of those obvious snacks for kids, but for those of you who are just getting into the snack game, string cheese should be a staple in your fridge.
This is one of Kenya’s favorites. When he hasn’t had enough calcium or protein in his day, I give him one or two of these and it fulfills both requirements. I know if I let him, he would subsist on cheese sticks alone. Babies and toddlers get so used to us breaking and cutting their food into tiny pieces for them, so when they get a food they can actually hold and control in their tiny hands they’re usually elated.
There are many different brands and types of string cheese sticks on the market, but two of my favorite are Horizon’s Organic Mozzarella String Cheese (6 individually wrapped sticks to a pack) and Trader Joe’s Organic String Cheese (9 individually wrapped sticks to a pack). You definitely pay a higher price for the organic, but I think it’s worth it. When you know the product your child is eating is produced without antibiotics, added growth hormones or dangerous pesticides, it puts your mind at ease.

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.

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.

Every time we go to a Mexican or Middle Eastern restaurant with Kenya, the first thing he grabs for are the chips. He loves them but I don’t want his taste buds to get too used to the super salty and fried flavor of them. So, I decided to come up with a recipe for pita chips that are healthy, delicious, really easy to make and Kenya can snack on them all week.
I used just a sprinkle of parmesan for a nutty salty flavor and some garlic powder to kick them up a bit. He devoured these like you can’t imagine. I made “Baby Ghanoosh” at the same time and he had a blast trying to dip the pita chips in the eggplant spread and licking it off before taking bites of the chips. I love a fun culinary activity for kids that’s also actually healthy for them.

Crisp-wee Pita Chips (Makes 72 Chips)

3 6 inch Whole Wheat Pita
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the pitas in half and then into pie shaped pieces or strips
(you can cut them into any shape you want).
3. Place the pita pieces on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they start to turn a golden color.
6. Cool 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)!