My Favorite, Most Delicious, Apple Pie*

Ok, for pie purists, this may cause balking and huffing in opposition.  But for everyone else, this version of apple pie is phenomenal and far superior to traditional apple pie in my opinion.  Oh, and for added kicks, it also happens to be gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, and it is easily made vegan as well if you so desire.  This is not a recipe that's "really good for being gluten free" type of deal.  It's pretty much the best pie recipe ever, gluten free or not.  More bonus: the crust is actually made up of only 4 ingredients: dates, shredded coconut, walnuts, and sea salt and is hands down, the easiest crust you will ever make.

And the filling is just apples, butter (coconut oil is easily sub'd), cinnamon, and lemon.  While it manages just fine as a regular pie, I recommend considering serving this in mason jars or small ramekins as "personal pies".  Not only are they super cute but they also hold up well.  And, since this is a feeding blog that is geared towards feeding your family (children) small mason jar pies are just the bees knees for little ones and whatever you don't eat is easily saved by screwing on a lid.

So much goodness in a pie! As you can see here, I even left all the skin on the apples for added fiber and nutrients.


Personal Apple Pies
aka:  Gluten free, refined sugar free, possibly vegan if you want, yet still amazingly delicious, Personal Apple Pies

Makes 6

Crust:  I use this recipe but I rarely follow it exactly and even without measuring anything, it always seems to turn out perfectly.  I just watch for the consistency to be right (crumbly but starting to get sticky and clump together).
6 small mason jars or small ramekins
1/2 cup pitted dates (about 10-12 dates)
1 cup walnuts
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut 
1/2 tsp of sea salt (1/4 tsp might be enough for some people, but I like my desserts salty-sweet)

Toss all 4 ingredients in a food processor and turn on for ~1 minute.  Turn off, scrape down the sides with a spatula or spoon, then turn back on, pulsing on and off for about 1 minute until everything finely diced and the mixture is starting to stick together in small clumps.  You can also check it by squeezing it between your fingers.  It should easily stick together in a ball that doesn't fall apart very easily.  If it doesn't easily stick together when pinched between your fingers, add a few more dates and keep pulsing in the food processor for another 20-30 seconds.  If it seems like a goopy mess, add some more walnuts and pulse a bit more.  Once it's ready, separate into the 6 ramekins/mason jars and pat down against the bottom and sides of each one, forming a "crust."  It should easily stay in place even along the walls of the jar.  If it does not, you need more dates.  Once done, place all 6 jars/ramekins in the refrigerator while you make the apple pie filling. 

Apple pie filling:
4-5 medium to large apples (I like apples with a tart flavor, like granny smith or fugi)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, or ghee
juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Core and chop the apples into small pieces (~1/2 inch cubes).  I suggest you don't peel the apples, as the peel adds in a good amount of fiber and nutrients.  However, some people hate the texture of the peel in the pie.  I seriously don't even notice it.  Throw the apples into a heavy bottom pot and add in the butter, cinnamon, and lemon juice.  Place on stove and cook on medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes, or until completely tender. Stir periodically and turn the heat to low if needed to avoid scorching the apples. 

Once the filling is done, let it cool for about 20-30 minutes then spoon into the mason jar crusts.  Put back in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.  I suggest taking them out of the oven 30 minutes prior to serving, and warming them by pre-heating the oven to 325 degrees and putting all the jars on a cookie sheet then placing them in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Once warm, serve with a small scoop of ice cream on top!

The Lolla Cup- An interview

I recently did an interview for the Lolla Cup on straw drinking.  I discuss straw vs sippy cup use, focusing on reasons why you might choose straw over sippy cup and typical oral motor development. That can be found here:

Easy Toddler Food Crafts: Fruits

Apple & Blueberry Race Cars

Super easy and very fun!  You cut an apple into wedges then give your toddler the apple wedge, 2 toothpicks (supervise this, of course,) and 4 blueberries to assemble into their very own car snack.  

Keep extra berries and apple slices within easy reach so your toddler can snack while crafting. Extra points if you make a car too and model eating the fruits for your toddler to see!

"Treats!"

As a feeding specialist I generally don't advise using food rewards or "treats" because it causes kids to covet these food items and see other foods (usually healthy foods) as less desirable. BUT! I think I found a way around this. (I started this when my daughter was around a year so maybe an older child would be less inclined to cooperate with this technique...and yet it still works well for us at 2 years!) I walk around with a healthy snack and don't offer any to my daughter. I wait until she shows some interest then I tell her it's a special snack- a "treat!" I say. If she's still interested, which she always is, I say, "ok I'll share with you." Then I share my health food item with her. She is hooked every time. Totally drawn in and excited to try what I've got. That may be some roasted butternut squash, or fresh snap peas, or seaweed. Sometimes it is something the average person would consider more of a "treat," like chocolate covered sunflower seeds, or blackberries but not always. Sometimes it's home roasted pumpkin seeds with sea salt, garlic and cumin. A really "treat" in my book.

Case in point: the other day her very special "treat" was freeze dried sardines.  She loved these "chips" and carried around a small bowel of them for a while. (Yup, she is naked, outside, in an Honest Co box, eating sardines.  That's how we roll.)

This might not be my very finest feeding advice, but I'm curious to hear if this little gem works for you! We really need to get away from junk food and sugary desserts being synonymous with "treat" and teach kids that delicious, home cooked or store bought but healthy foods can qualify as a "special treat."

Baby Led Eating, 8 months

Greek yogurt mini pops with the Zoku

I just recently found this mini Popsicle maker by Zoku at Sur La Table and I love it.

Birdie snuck her hand in there while I was trying to take a quick picture. 

The pops slide out easily from the silicone mold once frozen and I love the small size for my 2 year old and for myself. Our past experiences with popsicles for my Birdie were very messy and usually ended with her leaving a half-eaten, melty pop somewhere around the house. Not so with these! They are the perfect size to allow her to eat the whole thing before it gets a chance to melt all over her and my furniture. AND! They are exactly the size that a sweet Popsicle treat should be for a toddler (or any person, really) to limit sugar intake but still feel like you've had a special treat. 

Even better (though not exactly original) her favorite is plain Greek yogurt with chopped fruit in it!

I literally just spoon in a bit of unsweetened Greek yogurt then push a few pieces of regular chopped fruit inside before putting the Popsicle stick in it and freezing. No sugar added to the yogurt. 

We're also made ones with coconut milk, Nutella, and cinnamon:

as well as a coconut water with lime and mint. All of them have been delicious!

Easy and Healthy Banana Coconut Polka Dot Crepes- Gluten and sugar freefamily breakfasts with a toddler

Ok, sugar free is a bit of a misnomer, because these do have fruit which of course is sugar, but otherwise, there is no refined sugar in these. Best part though- they are delicious and very easy to make. Second best part, my daughter loved them as much as I did. Third best part, a homemade crepe sounds even fancier than a pancake and actually my day is already off to a more refined start (in my head. In reality, I'm still in pj's with no make up and my Birdie just peed on the kitchen floor).  Forth best part, these have sesame, flax, and chia seeds in them which make them "polka dotted" but also even more healthy.

Banana Coconut Polka Dot Crepes

Made 3 large Crepes

(Gluten free, refined sugar free. Recipe adapted from Super Nutrition for Babies)

Ingredients

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 mashed banana
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup +2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
1/4 tsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. black sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. flax seeds

Butter for pan

Instructions

Mix eggs vanilla cinnamon and banana and a medium bowl. Add arrowroot and mix to form batter. Heat a small pan over low heat melting butter. Continue to heat butter until it begins to brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Once butter browns for in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Tilt and turn pan so batter coats the  pan creating a flat crepe. Let cook ~1 minute until edges easily lift. Flip the crepe and cook for another minute then remove from heat, top with whatever delicious topping you want and serve.  Add a bit more butter to pan between each crepe.

Topping ideas:

Berries

Peaches or nectarines
Homemade Ricotta

Bananas and chopped walnuts

Applesauce

Peanut butter or any other nut/seed butter