Wheat Germ

Wheat germ is VERY healthy, and luckily it doesn't have a strong taste at all! It's just this powdery stuff. I like to add it to Isaac's yogurt, applesauce, and cereal. I also like to cut up bananas and roll them in wheat germ. I think it actually makes the banana taste better and it gives it a cool texture. Kinda crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside! Isaac has this for breakfast every morning. YUM!

Green Smoothie

I try to make these for my family each morning. Thomas and I don't love the taste, but we chug them down quickly so it's no big deal. Isaac, on the other hand, LOVES it and always wants more! The more fruit you put in, the yummier it is. I don't put a lot of fruit in because it can get expensive! I make it so we all get almost twice our recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

I use a Vita-mix, but you can use any type of blender. My Vita-mix makes 2 quarts.

-2 1/2 cups of water
-a pound of spinach or other leafy greens. (I use mostly spinach and a little bit of kale)
- a frozen banana
-around 2 cups of frozen berries
-other yummy fruits that are in season
- a few drops of natural sweetener like Stevia (optional)

Put water in blender. Fill up the entire blender with leafy greens. Blend until smooth. Add fruit and blend until very smooth.

I started Isaac on these at a very young age, so he is accustomed to the taste, which I am very happy about! Although there are numerous health benefits to drinking these every day, I find myself doing it mainly for the emotional benefits. Knowing that I am giving myself and my family an incredibly nutritious breakfast makes me feel VERY good throughout the day. Even when I mess up at being a mom and wife, at least I did one very important thing right that day. :)

Homemade Baby Food Purees

Making your own baby food is SO much cheaper and can also be healthier for your baby. When I made Isaac's baby food, I used organic produce, but you definitely don't have to do that. For vegetables, just steam them in the microwave until they are done, put them into a blender with some water, and Voila! You have baby food! You can make them in bulk and then freeze them in ice cube trays. I made a whole month's worth of baby food in about 30 minutes and it cost me less than 5 dollars. You can also mix different cubes together so baby gets more variety!

Black Bean Chili and Quinoa

This meal made quite a bit! If you have a few kids it will last for a few days. Next time I make it I will cut the amounts in half since my family is so small!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed (I accidently used millet because I couldn't tell the difference between the two, and it tasted fine!)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (19 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (I left this out)
1 tablespoon minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I left this out)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1.Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes; set aside.
2.Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook and stir 1 minute to release the flavors. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, jalapeno pepper, chipotle pepper, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
3.After 20 minutes, stir in the reserved quinoa and corn. Cook to reheat the corn for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cilantro to serve.

Veggie Burgers

I made this for Isaac and he really liked it! I used mushrooms instead of carrots because that is what I had. I couldn't help but eat some myself, they were much yummier than I had anticipated!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, grated
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 carrots, shredded
1 small summer squash, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat, and cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in the carrots, squash, and zucchini. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and mix in oats, cheese, and egg. Stir in soy sauce, transfer the mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Preheat the skillet for medium heat. (I added a little olive oil)
3. Place the flour on a large plate. Form the vegetable mixture into eight 3 inch round patties. Drop each patty into the flour, lightly coating both sides.
4. Cook patties 5 minutes on each side, or until heated through and nicely browned.
5. You can serve it on a bun for older kids, but I just melted some cheese on top of the patty and cut it up into pieces for Isaac.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

These can be served with butter and syrup if you like, but I gave it just plain to Isaac. You could also put some Agave Nectar on top in place of syrup and it would be a lot healthier!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
11/2 cup milk, plus more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon (or whatever amount you like) Stevia or any natural sweetener
1/2 cup blueberries

Directions:
1.Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside. Beat together the egg, milk, salt and sweetener in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened, add blueberries, and stir to incorporate.
2.Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking until golden brown.