reusablebags.com is great!!!!

i've been ordering things off of this website quite a bit lately. (click on title to be directed) they have tons of products that are plastic free, enviornmentally safe and all around better for you. i recently ordered the kleen kanteen sippy cup and i think this will be my gift of choice to new parents. we also adore our sigg bottles but then who doesn't these days.
there is also a wealth of info on why/what kinds/and how to avoid leaching plastics and help t ofind cleaner products. not too long ago we disposed of all plastics in our home and replaced them all with either glass (corningware) or safe plastics when neccessary meaning products containing polypropylene #5 which is a non-chemical leaching plastic.



here is a bit of info on checking out what types of plastic your little one may be drinking out of. at the bottom of plastic plates, cups, etc. are numbers on them which contain there recycling code..apparently 1, 2, 4, 5 and fine but 3.6.7 are not..those are the types if scratched, worn, heated, cleaned in dish washers and covered in plastic will certainly cause leaching of chemicals known to cause cancers and release toxins. please be aware! this little tidbt of info came from a great website called z reccomends. if interesed here is the link to some great reviews of safe toddler sippy and drinking cups:
http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/05/sippy-cup-showdown-safer-bpa-free-sippy.html

sweet potato hash with italian sausage

5 sweet potatoes, diced small
2 perservative free italian sausages (i like to use pre-cooked neiman ranch), casings removed and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lg yellow onion, chopped
2 tbl pure organic maple syrup
salt and pepper

cook sweet potatoes in boiling water until tender. remove and drain.

heat olive oil in saute pan and add onion and garlic. cook on med low heat until caramelized. add sausage and cook. throw in sweet potatoes and add maple syrup. season with salt and pepper to taste.

cocoa-nut cinnamon rolls

these were superb. coconut, green&blacks cocoa, walnuts in an ooey gooey cinnamon roll. these would be so easy to make them vegan...just replace the egg with your fav egg replacer...easy as pie. i mostly use coconut oil to replace my butter and it provides magnificent results as well as a ton of healthy benefits that butter does not even begin to supply. plus, i knock out cows milk for coconut or almond to amazing results. please...vegan readers try it veganized and let me know what you think!
the best thing was that i froze them after the last rise then let them thaw for 30 min the next morning and they were perfect!

littlefoodie was all up in these rolls and it made a mama happy even though they were sweet and sugar laden...you only live once!

enjoy!



for the dough:
1 pkg organic yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/4 cup organic unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp natural coconut extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 lg egg, lightly beaten (can totally be replaced with egg sub!!! to make it vegan..yay!)
2 cups King Arthur brand white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup flour as needed

cocoa-nut filling:
2/3 cup organic pure dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened organic coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup green and blacks cocoa
1 tbl cinnamon
1 1/2 tbl organic unrefined coconut oil, melted

pour warm water into a bowl and sprinkle yeast over. let stabd five minutes to bloom.
add to yeast mixutre coconut milk, sugar, coconut oil, extracts, salt and egg or egg substitute.

stir in 3 1/2 cups of flour to mixture. turn dough out on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic...about 8-10 min....push your finger in and if indentation bounces back it should be good to let rise.
add the remaining flour if dough is too soft and sticky.

place dough in a large greased glass bowl coated. cover with a damp and clean towel and let rise in a warm place, free of drafts for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
after 1 hr. punch down and let rise 5 more mins.


combine filling mixture into a bowl.

roll dough into an 18 x 10-inch rectangle on a floured board and brush with 1 1/2 tbl melted coconut oil. sprinkle with filling leaving, leaving a 12 in border around dough and then leave just enough filling to sprinkle onto the bottom of baking pan.
roll up on the long side like a jelly-roll and pinch seam to seal.

using dental floss (cause its way easier than anything else) slice off the size rolls you want..about and inch or so.
sprinkle remaining filling into the bottom of 9 in pan and add slices, cut sie up to pan.
cover and let rise 1 1/2 hrs.
(after this last rise you can go ahead and freeze them...make sure they are tightly wrapped though. i use wax paper for the top so nothing sticks and i don't lose any sugary filling.

preheat oven to 350°. and bake uncovered for 25 minutes. when done drizzle with icing or eat plain.

icing:
1 cup organic powdered sugar
coconut milk as needed
1 tsp pure vanilla or coconut extract

coombine together. add coconut milk as needed for right consistency.

italian beans baked in tomato sauce

so these were supposed to be baked gigantes from the cookinglight website only i could'nt find gigantes and didn't have time to run to another store to grab some. large limas would have worked too which is what i thought i had grabbed but in reality i just had plain ol lima beans and cannelini beans...i had to make do. this dish was delicous and despite the change in beans it was really great although i intend on making it again with gigantes. the bacon really did it justice! make sure to buy good quality bacon with no nitrates...nitrates are bad just remember that. neiman ranch makes great, natural bacon and sausage products that are free of hormones and preservatives. a little side salad to this and perfect meal!

enjoy!

3 cans white beans or gigantes or large limas or like me plain limas
4 strips bacon, diced (i use neiman ranch no nitrate or perservative bacon)
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp basil
1 tbl balsamic vinegar
1 28 oz can organic diced tomatoes
1 tsp pure cane sugar
generous helping of grated parm
salt and pepper
pinch of red pepper

prehear oven to 325F.

drain and rinse beans in colander. set aside.

saute bacon, onion, carrot, celery and garlic until soft and cooked. add basil, vinegar, tomatoes, honey and pepper and s&p.

add beans and add to baking dish. sprinkle with cheese.

bake 45 min.

korean beef stew ala city mama

click on the title to be taken to the original recipe over at family food!

this dish was definitley a keeper although way too hot for littlefoodie and myself. next time the jalapenos will be massively scaled down to 2 or 3. this mama formerly suffers from huge ulcers so hothot food does not sit so well. my jalapenos were like small bananas so i am thinking that could've been the issue here.

i've adapted the recipe to my liking a bit. i added a few carrots chopped in big hunks and some garlic and ginger for a fresh taste. i paired it with brown basamati rice and sesame stir fry spinach to cut the heat. i also cooked it in the crock pot which was so easy since we don't stay home long enough to cook it on the stove...it was flaky and tender. i couldn't come up with korean soy sauce so i used a super rich double brewed soy sauce instead...delicious!

enjoy!

2 lbs fresh cut stew meat
8 jalapenos (mine were HUGE)
5 whole garlic cloves
1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and left whole
4 large organic carrots, cut into big chunks
1 cup of soy sauce
1 cup organic natural brown sugar

put it all into a crock pot and let is sit for 8-9 hours. serve with brown rice to soak up juices.

SESAME GARLIC STIR FRY SPINACH

a big ol bunch of cleaned organic spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
sesame oil
toasted sesame seeds

saute garlic in sesame oil over med low heat until browned. throw in spinach and wilt. add seasoning and sprinkle with sesame seeds. enjoy!

littlefoodie dino munchies

its all things dino week here at casa de lil'foodie. reading books about dinos, digging up "fossils", making dino crafts and cookies and even a trip to the l.a. natural history museum to spy on the giant dinos.

yesterday seemed like such a nice fall day with the cooler weather and warm sweaters...sort of. it was so right to make some cookies. we wanted to make something the dinos would eat...hence the dino munchies. what they really are are banana/granola cookies. oh my, were they good and super healthful. unfortunatley, learning about dinos is rough work cause the cookies are almost gone. with a few to spare i will snap some photos to show there yummy munchiness.

enjoy!

1/3 cup organic natural dark brown sugar
1/2 cup organic, unrefined coconut oil (or unsalted softened butter)
2 bananas, mashed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 lg organic egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of your fav plain granola

preheat oven to 325F.
beat sugar and coconut oil until combined. add banana, vanilla and egg.

combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. add to sugar mixture and combine. stir in granola.

bake 13 min and then let cool. let your dinos have at it!

menus and meals for order...

menus and meals for order in my life. since becoming a mom there seems to be so little i can control these days especially with a very outspoken 3 yr old. for an admitted semi-control freak like myself its a little bit of torture each day however i still wouldn't change a thing.

over here at littlefoodie household we have a very large grocery bill. most of the food we eat is from home and homemade..meaning i make like 3 meals a day almost everyday. i've never been into the meal planning thing until i realized that perhaps i could spend less time and energy each day planning a half hearted meal and instead be prepared and littlefoodie and i can enjoy what were cooking.

since summer i have been cooking maybe 4-5 days out of the week. we have a little dinner rotation going with a couple friends so i do dinner one day and then i have dinner coming for 2 days. also, bigfoodie daddy works a lot of horrible and family stealing overtime and sometimes its not ideal to cook for myself and my screaming sweet banshee.

so in a effort for organization here are 9 meals that we will be enjoying for the next 2 weeks. 4 of those nights we'll have wamr yummy meals delivered to us by friends and another few nights its usally something very simple like quick pasta or cereal if we've been busy all day. of course, the recipes will be posted as they are made!

enoy!

the menu (in no particular order):
SOUTHWEST FALAFEL WITH TABBOULEH AND AVOCADO SAUCE

PUMPKIN/TURKEY VEGGIE LASAGNA

KOREAN BEEF STEW WITH CARROTS, RICE AND SAUTEED SESAME SPINACH (BEEF STEW ALA CITYMAMA AT FAMILY FOOD)

NACHOS PICADILLO

HOMEMADE FETTUCINI ALFREDO WITH CHICKEN SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI

BAKED GIGANTES IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH SALAD

BAKED CRUSTY PORK LOIN WITH MUSHROOMS, ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND MASHED SWEET POTATOES

BBQ CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GRILLED CORN AND CRISPY BAKED ZUCCHINI "FRIES"

its a spongebob cake!

the other day littlefoodie enjoyed a super duper fun birthday party with one of his bff's. it was a great time. i had a some fun creating this spongebob cake for the cutest 3 year old ever!

oatmeal, almond butter and milk chocolate chunk cookies

o.m.g...goodness all around. while cruising around trade joes on a free mommy alone moment i noticed a bag of milk chocolate chunks...ready to be gooey in a cookie just for me. now, we usually eat dark chocolate here. justifying it away since, you know...its good for us but man did these look great.

we don't eat peanut butter around these parts...littlefoodie has never had it. its not that we don't love it, in fact, i lovelovelove it but when it comes to nut butters its the low man on the totem pole. its also a habit i don't want to pass down to littlefooie...the ever easy peanut butter and jelly sandwich...like macaroni and day glo powdered cheese and "fruit" snacks to me...scary, scary stuff.

cashew butter would be good in these as well as the macadamia nut butter i have been eyeing and getting ready to try. you could use the always go to peanut butter but make sure it is just p.b. and no sugar added...but then, isn't nicew to try something different? your littlefoodies will appreciate you for it later!

enjoy!

3/4 cup organic coconut butter, melted (or organic unsalted butter, softened)
1 cup organic raw almond butter
1/2 cup organic pure cane brown sugar
1/2 cup organic pure cane sugar
1 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 large organic eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla ex.
2 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat flour, sifted)
2 cups organic rolled oats
1 lovely bag of ginormous milk chocolate chunks

preheat oven to 375F.

beat coconut butter and sugars in mixer. add baking powder and baking soda until combined. beat in eggs 1 at a time then vanilla.

stir in flour and oats. fold in chocolate chunks.

drop onto cooking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes let cool for a couple minutes on the rack before removing.

cranberry and walnut pumpkin coffee cake

wild oats marketplace recently put out a new fall magazine featuring articles and recipes and info on healthy living and eating. its the fall issue so the pumpkin has begun! around here pumpkin is not just for holidays...packed with flavor, vitamins and veggie goodness we consume it many ways all year long.
their featured recipe is a pumpkin coffee cake. of course, i wouldn't be me without changing it up a lot. there was too much sugar in the original recipe and since its a breakfast treat i felt like it needed the yummy addition of fruits and nuts...oh, and a handful of flaxseed to boost up the nutritional value. all in all...it is a lovely morning treat!

enoy!

2 cups whole wheat organic pastry flour
1 1/2 cups organic oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tbl aluminum-free baking powder
1 tbl cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup melted organic coconut oil
1 cup organic dark pure brown sugar
3 large organic eggs
1 can organic pumpkin
1 cup dried preservative free cherries
1 cup chopped organic walnuts

streusel:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 tbl organic pure brown sugar
2 tbl organic grade b maple syrup
4 tbl melted organic coconut oil


preheat oven to 350 F.

combine flour thru salt in a large bowl.

in a mixer beat coconut oil and sugar until combined. add eggs and pumpkin. beat on low until mixed together. stir in flour mixture. fold in cranberries and walnuts.

pour into greased 10 in square pan.

mix streusel ingredients together and sprinkle on top of cake.

bake 1 hr. cool and eat.

veggie stuffed eggplant with feta

this was an amazing vegetarian eggplant dish and the best part was that it was so simple. after a day at the beach with a way too hard working big foodie daddy and a happy to have his daddy home littlefoodie we were sandy, sweaty and tired. i adapted it slightly from the cookinglight.com recipe (click on above link for original). i served it along side some steamed green and yellow beans with a red wine vinaigrette and fresh basil.

enjoy!


2 eggplants
some water
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large or 2 small yellow squash, diced
3 minced garlic cloves
couple handfuls of spinach
veggie broth as needed
1/2 cup parsely, chopped
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
parm cheese
s & p

preheat broiler.

slice the eggplants in half. scoop out insides, leaving the shell. chop the pulp.

in a glass dish microwave eggplant shells for 5 min to soften.

saute garlic and onion in pan with a generous amount of olive oil over med heat. when soft add eggplant insides and tomato and squash.
add some broth if mixture seems to get dry. when all is cooked remove from heat.

add in feta, parsley spinach, s&p and breadcrumbs. mix together. fill the eggplant shells with mixture in baking dish.

sprinkle with parm and bake 10 min or until warmed thru and crispy.

veg family mag likes littlefoodies

veg family. the magazine for family living recently posted my vegan baked oatmeal with fruit and nuts up on their awesome website as one of their featured recipes. remember, most of the things in that recipe are interchangable so use what you love or have on hand.
thanks veg family and hope everyone who tries it enjoys!

click on the title for a direct link to the site!

fig and almond muffins

wow...it is hot. like breathing in fire and exhaling smoke...its hot. why am i cooking? the farmers markets have been bountiful and our fridge is overflowig in beautiful colors so i need to.
i let littlefoodie do the shopping at our sunday morning farmers market and it ended up being purple day. teeny-tiny purple fingerling potatoes that i cannot wait to turn up and roast to a salty crispness. purple, white and light orange carrots that are sweet and crisp and ready for crunchiing. fresh and dried figs so juicy and bright. and the tomatoes, all colors, all sweeteness and juicy!
this morning i made lovely almond fig muffins adapted from a cookinglight recipe. littlefoodie is in love with all things fig...dried figs only so i get to enjoy the fresh ones all alone...mineminemine.
these are light and delicious and full of fiber and goodness!

enjoy!

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup dried organic figs (your choice)
2 tbl olive oil
1 lg organic egg

topping:
3 tbl organic brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
1 tbl organic coconut oil, melted (or unsalted organic butter)
1/2 cup organic sliced almonds

preheat oven to 400F.

grease muffin tins. combine flour thru cinnamon and stir with a whisk. make a well.

in a food processor blend the amond milk thru egg. pour into the dry ingredients and fold to combine.

spoon into muffin tins.

mix up brown sugar, oats, coconut oil and almonds. sprinkle over muffins. bake for 18 min.

blueberry nut pancakes

its already a hot morning. almost 80 degrees and not quite 9 am. these pancakes will be the only thing this momma will be cooking today.

i changed this recipe up a bit from the original that i found on the wild oats website. they are delicious and littlefoodie couldn't resist!

enjoy!


1 cup unbleached white whole wheat flour (king arthur brand)
1/2 cup whole wheat
1/4 cup organic spelt flour
1/4 cup organic wheat germ
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 lg organic eggs
2 tbl lemon yogurt
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup wild blueberries

sift dry ingredients together. whisk almond milk thru vanilla. mix dry into wet until just comined. fold in berries and walnuts. heat greased griddle and cook on med high for a few minutes on each side.