Making: Smoothies

        This past week I have noticed quite a bit of discussion centering around the old family favourite the smoothie- mainly amongst my own friends but also online. The smoothie is the perfect way to pack a belly full of nutrients into a little one at the start of the day. My Littles are not big breakfast people- when The Boy started going to pre-school we fell back into our routine of smoothies for breakfast in an effort to get something- anything- into his tummy.

     We love a good smoothie and usually just grab for whatever is in the fridge and freezer- recently we have been switching things up a bit as The Boy has something going on- either allergies or just an aversion to dairy- he gets very "snotty"- for lack of a better word- I had a similar experience as a kid- so I think it is seasonal allergies. At any rate he has been off of milk the last little while- we had found a substitute in Almond Milk but darn if the organic stuff isn't pricey!

    Enter in my friend Michelle from the blog Mint Green Apron- this gal has got it going on- a plethora of meal and snack ideas- as well as accolades from my boyfriend Jamie Oliver no less! Michelle posted a recipe for Quinoa milk last week on the Mint Green Apron Facebook page- the perfect solution for expensive store bought milk alternatives- much less packaging-  bonus points for the kids loving making and drinking it!

    OK this is where my extensive story all comes together- the bit where the smoothie comes together with the Quinoa milk! I thought I would share both our favourite smoothie recipe and Michelle's Quinoa milk recipe. 

Quinoa Milk: soak Quinoa over night- I used about a cup or grains and two cups of water- in the morning cook Quinoa- once cooled place into blender with water to thin out- again I did about a one to two ratio - blend- strain through a sieve. Favour to taste- I used a dash of Maple Syrup and some nutmeg.Voila Quinoa Milk- Thank you Michelle!

Favourite Smoothie Recipe: 1 banana, 1/2 avocado, 1 cup frozen berries, 1/2 cup frozen spinach, tablespoon peanut or almond butter, 1 cup plain yogurt (The Boy can still tolerate yogurt) and 2 cups Quinoa milk- blend- enjoy through a re-usable straw!

Tip: double your batch of smoothie and freeze half in popsicle molds! Yes my popsicle molds are from the 1980's- yes they are the original Tupperware- handed down from my Mom- and yes they smell weird- but they work great! These are perfect for breakfast on the go- no need to worry about spilling on our way to school!

  

     Friends it is Friday again- this week went by so fast- I don't even feel like there were enough days! This weekend we are just chilling out- a little Farmer's Market action- a little Monsanto demonstration at the Vancouver Art Gallery starting at 11:00 am- find a protest in your area and get involved- just say NO to GMOs! Much love and happiness going out to all my Friends and Family this weekend!

Road Trippin' : Snacks

      It's almost that time of year again- you know that magical time when the school bell rings one last time for two full months of Summer Vacation- Fathers Coast to Coast load their families into vans packed to the hilt- yes the kitchen sink might even be in there! What I am talking about is the all Canadian road trip.

    Back in the day- which as we all know by now was a Wednesday- my Dad would load all us kids up into our custom paneled, semi camperized Chevy Van (it was blue)  and we would set off across this great country of ours to visit our cousins in Ontario- yes British Columbia to Ontario in a van with no air conditioner and some shady short cut from my Uncle Jeff- good times always look like a Chevy Chase movie.

   Back to present day- I will not lie- the Mr. and I tend to be of the mentality that if we can drive somewhere instead of fly we should- in the van- which also does not have A.C. -  needless to say we are on the road a lot. Road trippin' can be synonymous with fast food and gas station snacks but it doesn't have to be! We have made it a habit over the last couple of years to pack yummy, smart snacks to go with our yummy, smart dinners- a few favourites include real fruit gummy bears, pop corn, veggies and dip, home made cookies with secret healthy ingredients and of course the ever present apples!

    So before you spend eight or even four hours in the car plan ahead- bake these yummy and secretly sort of healthy cookies- leave the Ipad at home and let your kid count telephone poles- that is what Summer road trippin' is all about- that and the outhouses.

My Sort of Healthy but Still Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup real butter- oh yah!
1/8 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 small egg
vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips- or M&Ms ( or split dark chocolate chips & m&ms- which is what I do as the kid's find dark chocolate a bit too bitter)

- combine sugars, butter and vanilla in mixer and beat until frothy- add in egg and incorporate well, add flour, flax and baking soda- mix well before adding final ingredients. Drop by the teaspoonful and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheets.

In My Kitchen

        In my kitchen we are not fancy or complicated but we are healthy- most of the time- and we are really all about ease and basic ingredients! I love to cook but the less time spent in the kitchen the better- I would rather be outside and so for all those families thinking about school lunches or snack times ( a first for us around these parts this year) I present to you my really easy friendly granola bar recipe. Now I am not sure why kids are completely obsessed with those tiny pre- packaged cardboard like treats that pass as granola bars but rest assured not only is this a litter free treat ( no wrappers) but it can be tailored to your liking- crunchy or chewy- however you like it!

Easy Peasy Granola Bars

I adapted this recipe from my mom's original granola recipe- plus made it nut free for The Boy's school snacks. You can tailor this to pretty much any combination you want- add slivered almonds, peanuts, walnuts or coconut - as long as it adds up to a cup of nuts and seeds of some sort.

The Goods

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins, or dried cranberries or currents
1 cup nuts and seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg beaten
2/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

The Deal

combine all the dry ingredients together, melt butter or if you are in a pinch you can use olive oil- add to mixture along with beaten egg and vanilla. Combine thoroughly. Press firmly into a greased 15x10 pan. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. If you want a crunchier bar- leave in the oven while keeping a very close eye on things for another 5 or so minutes. Do not take your eyes off your bars otherwise they may burn. Cool and cut into squares or bars- enjoy with a cuppa tea or for the under five set and big glass of milk!

 
ps- as you can probably tell from the picture above there are chocolate chips in this particular batch- I say if a hand full of good quality dark chocolate chips is going to get your kid to eat this granola bar then go for it!