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.

This weekend my mother said to me, “I was an awful cook when you were 
little”. I admit, part of that statement is true, but there were actually 
some things my mother made for breakfast that I loved. I was a bit of a garbage can as 
a kid, eating anything and everything on my plate, unlike my little brother who 
wouldn’t eat a thing. There were a lot of cereal mornings — I mean a lot. BUT, there were 
also those mornings when my mother would muster the energy to make 
fresh muffins, omelets and my favorite, pancakes. Somehow those times seemed so important and someday I want Kenya to have nostalgic breakfast
 memories of his own.
Yesterday morning I whipped up his first batch of pancakes. I didn’t 
want them to be out-of-the-box Aunt Jemima style, but I also had a busy morning, so 
they had to be quick. 
This recipe is a perfect option. In minutes I had delicious pancakes 
that he could hold and much on while I ran around trying to get our 
morning started. If you know you’re really going to be in a 
hurry, you could also mix the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls the night before and combine them in the morning.

Whole Wheat Banana Cinnamon Pancakes (Makes 16 Mini Pancakes)

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Wheat Germ
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Egg
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 Tbsp Oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1 Banana, sliced

1. Whisk the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the egg, milk and oil in a separate bowl.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until
combined.
4. Heat a non stick pan or a griddle to medium heat. Pour a little oil
(or butter) in the pan and take a paper towel to evenly coat the pan
(make sure not to overly grease the pan).
5. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of batter into the pan to make one pancake and
let it cook until tiny bubbles start appearing and it firms up. You can make
several pancakes in the pan at once.
6. Place 1 or 2 bananas on top of the pancake. With a spatula,
gently loosen the pancakes and flip them over. Continue to cook until they appear
firm and cooked through.
7. Cool and serve.

Some mornings when I walk downstairs bleary eyed (wait, that’s every morning), I wish there was something already made in the refrigerator that I could just pull out. I came up with this recipe for just that reason.
After staying out late while the grandparents were in town, I knew that making things easy on myself in the morning would be important. Fruit, dairy, protein and wheat germ are the perfect start to Kenya’s morning of play.
Wheat germ was one of those foods I thought only older people ate. I remember my Grandparents talking about adding it to their food and thinking it was only for “old” people. Turns out it’s delicious in everything from muffins to cereal. Wheat germ is the product left behind after the processing of refined flour. In actuality, it’s the best part containing all the nutrients that have been stripped from the final product. It’s packed with B-Vitamins, Vitamin E and Iron, and a rich antioxidant.
Truth be told, this also makes a great dessert for your wee one.

Blueberry & Mango Breakfast (8 Baby Servings)

1/4 Cup Blueberries, washed
1/4 Cup Mango, chopped
1/2 Cup Tofu
2 Tbsp Whole Milk Yogurt
1 Tbsp Wheat Germ

1. Place ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve

I always take pictures of the food I make for the site, but this was a picture I couldn’t resist. This was the first time Kenya tried THE Teething Cookie and devoured it. He had so much fun holding it, eating it, sucking on it and rubbing it on his gums. The best part is that there’s no sugar in them and they’re packed with healthy nutrients. I’ve been giving him one every night after dinner and it’s a great treat before bedtime.

*I wouldn’t start giving these to a baby under the age of 8 months. You always need to be around when baby is eating something they could choke on.

THE Teething Cookie (makes 12 cookies)

1 Egg Yolk, beaten
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Blackstrap Molassess
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Rice/Soy Milk
3/4 Whole Wheat Flour plus 1 Tbsp for rolling
1 Tbsp Soy Flour
1 Tbsp Wheat Germ

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a Food Processor or bowl put all liquid ingredients. Blend.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl and then add to wet ingredients. Blend until mixture forms a ball of dough.
4. Sprinkle whole wheat flour on a clean surface and roll into a square.
5. With a knife, cut into 1 1/2 inch logs.
6. Place the logs on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Cool on the sheet or tranfer to a wire rack.
9. Serve.

When I was trying to find a teething biscuit for Kenya, I was shocked at how many recipes contained 1-2 cups of sugar. Do you really want your infant to be jazzed up on tons of sugar. I played around with a bunch of nutritious ingredients and came up with this soft and wholesome cookie Kenya loves.

“Not Too Sweet” Mini Cookies” (makes 22 I inch bars)

1 Egg Yolk, beaten
1 Tbsp Molasses
2 Tbsp Brown Rice Syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp Oil
1/4 Cup Rice Milk
2 Tbsp Oatmeal Cereal
1 Tbsp Soy Flour
2 Tbsp Wheat Germ
1 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour, plus more for sprinking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, place all the wet ingredients and blend for several seconds.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
4. Add the dry ingredients into food processor with the wet ingredients.
5. Process until the mixture forms a ball of dough.
6. Sprinkle extra whole wheat flour onto a counter surface and place dough. Roll or pat into a rectangle.
7. With a knife, make a cut down the center of the dough and more across to create 22 mini cookies.
8. Place cookies on a silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Cool throughly on cookie sheet and serve.