MM - Baby Days! Snackage.....

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I don't know about all of you, but snacks make the world go 'round in our household. Once Noah could eat solids, snacks were gold, in fact, this is still the case! My little guy is a super eater and loves meal time. Most of the time we are super busy and snacks fill the gaps for us. So today I thought that I would give you some "food for thought"!

Has anyone tried those yogurt bites that they have in the baby isle? Either the gerber brand or the store brand, to me they taste so weird. Now, have you tried the THRIVE yogurt bites? AMAZING!!!! In my humble opinion, the THRIVE yogurt bites melt easier in the little ones mouth, taste WAY better, and kiddos love them!! Not to mention that they are a ton cheaper! Noah's fav is Strawberry!

The thing I love most about THRIVE foods is that they make the perfect snack right out of the can! The fruits and veggies are awesome for when your little one starts to feed themselves! Try the peas, corn, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mangos, and pears! They are great starter foods and they love the crunch! Noah absolutlely loves the fruits and veggies especially while he is teethin!! The applesauce is also amazing!



What about when they get a little older and goldfish are the bomb.com? Well, I was perusing the THRIVE cookbook the other day and I found this little gem! AMAZING!!! We made a batch this weekend and they were devoured!!!

***I have to add a disclaimer. I don't have an actual picture of the ones that we made this weekend. They were gobbled up rather quickly and I forgot to take a picture in the craziness that happened this weekend. Me and Noah got some burns on saturday as i was cooking. Some hot oil splashed on the both of us. Things have been just a little out of whack ever since then. ***


Photo courtesy of THRIVE Cookbook

Here is what you will need:
1 1/4 Cups TRIVE Flour (Whole wheat or white)
1/2 Cup THRIVE Cheese Blend
1/8 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon THRIVE Salt
3 Tablespoons Oil (I use coconut oil)
1/2 Cup Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all your dry ingredients. Slowly add oil until the mixture is crumbly. SLOWLY add water until you form a tight dough.
Roll out you dough very thin (they will puff up when they bake) about 1/8 of an inch. Cut into squares or your favorite shape. Poke a hole in the top of them and transfer onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool completely before removing them from the pan.
Happy Snackin!

Mama Mondays - Baby Food Series!

Happy Monday Mamas!!!

I am starting a new series for everybody out there how wants to make their own baby food, but just doesn't know where to start.

 I was in your shoes not too long ago, you can do this!! It is so much more simple than it seems!!! Actually let me rephrase that....It is so much more simple with THRIVE!!! I will admit that I tried to make noah his baby food from the foods that we were eating, but it did not always work so well. I was really busy (as most of us are!) and I found myself using the already prepared "back up" baby food way more often than I ever wanted to. It was just so inconvenient!!! Once I started using THRIVE, it was like the heavens opened up and the angels sang a halleluia chorus!! SO SIMPLE!!! Once I started using THRIVE foods to make my baby food....he started eating everything! By this time, he was really loving finger foods and feeding himself, but I figured out something amazing....while he hated baby food peas, he gobbled up THRIVE peas!!! YAY!!! And THRIVE foods are non-GMO and you can even get them in organic now!

So I thought that I would start right where I started. I am a firm believer in starting your kiddos on greens! I believe this for a couple reasons. First, these are the least likely to cause an allergic reaction. Second, I think that if you create a love for veggies first, they will hang on to that! Third, they are easy on the digestive system. So....I started with green beans. He actually really loved them!

 

 I just do a couple simple steps........

1. I rehydrate whatever food I am using (I used THRIVE peas)

 

2. I then cook it just long enough to make it super soft and warm!

 

 

3. I put it in my blender (or baby bullet, food processor, whatever you got!)

Can you see the little man in the background anxiously awaiting his yummy peas? That would have NEVER happend with store bought baby food!

4. For some foods you may need to add a little extra water or maybe something to thicken it, like rice or rice cereal, (depending on your little one and what they prefer, I keep it pretty thin for the beginners!) Enjoy!

 

You can do this for any veggie (or fruit if you want to do that). My THRIVE Veggie Favorites are Sweet Peas, Green Beans, Sweet Corn, Zucchini, Tomato, Spinach, Carrots, and Asparagus. Just keep in mind that it takes 7 days for your little on to develop a liking for any food. If after 7 tries they still hate it, then move on. I will post a new tip, trick, or flavor blend every 1st monday of the month....So stay tuned!