Recipes of the Day- Peach fruit leather and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I love Weelicious! You should too...here are two amazing recipes from their site for you and your kiddos to try today.

Peach Fruit Leather

4 Ripe Peaches (skin on)
1 Tbsp Honey

1. Preheat oven to 225 F degrees.*

2. Rinse and remove seeds from peaches.

3. Place the peaches and honey in a blender and puree until smooth.

4. Pour the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula in a large rectangle (my rectangle was 11 x 15 inches) making sure that the thickness is completely even.

5. Bake for 3-4 hours or until dry and not sticky to the touch. Remember, cooking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit.**

6. Set aside and cool at room temperature; it takes several hours for the fruit to soften up. Note that when you first take the fruit leather out of the oven, the edges will be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit out for several hours it softens up nicely.

7. Cut with a knife, pizza cutter or scissors into strips, keeping the paper on if desired, then roll the leather into “roll ups”.

8. Serve.

* If you choose to use a dehydrator, cook the fruit leather at 135 degrees for 5 hours.
** Every oven is different, so the cooking time maybe less than 2 hours if your oven tends to run hot.

 (http://weelicious.com/2011/07/25/peach-fruit-leather/)



Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

10 Tomatillos, husked & rinsed (about 1 lb)
2 Small Garlic Cloves
1 Small Onion, cut into chunks
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, packed
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Preheat oven broiler.

2. Place tomatillos, garlic cloves and onion chunks on a foil-lined baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven. Broil for 10 minutes, remove and set aside to cool.

3. Once cooled, place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree.

4. Serve with tortilla chips or over grilled fish or chicken

(http://weelicious.com/2011/07/20/roast-tomatillo-salsa/)



Click HERE to visit Weelicious

(photos courtesy of http://weelicious.com/)

A FANTASTIC article for expectant or new parents!

Finally- a mainstream parenting article that gives good advice and help for breastfeeding!! (They are rare).

Please pass this along to any expectant parent or new parents- some very helpful information about breastfeeding and issues that come up!

http://www.parenting.com/article/breastfeeding-problems?page=0%2C0

Breastmilk donation in Arizona

I just wanted to share some great information. If you are in need of breastmilk/colostrum or have a surplus that you would like to donate, consider donating to Eats on Feets. (They have chapters all over the country, including here in Arizona)

"Eats On Feets ~ Central AZ supports commerce-free sharing of breastmilk for babies and children. We provide a space where families can connect with each other to share human milk. All of the milk matches are made by the families, and this space is owned by the babies and children that are served."

A friend of mine from high school just donated some milk and I am just so happy to know that a baby in need will receive this liquid gold! 


Click here to access the Eats on Feets website

Click here to access the Eats on Feets Central Arizona Facebook page, where you can connect with donors and moms in need.

Baby Led Solids

Baby led solids (or baby led weaning) refers to the practice of not giving babies pureed foods, and giving them regular foods so that they can decide how much they want to eat.

This is important because babies are born knowing exactly how much food their bodies need for survival, and then adults interfere and that instinct goes away. (Then...we eat emotionally, for fun, etc.). Many parents worry about choking, but if done properly, this is not a big problem.



Check out these great resources for information on Baby Led Solids:

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyledweaning.htm

I have a great pdf. as well, leave me a comment and I will e-mail it to you!



Also watch these cool videos, both of which clearly demonstrate Baby Led Solids in practice:

Want to know what ISN't toxic in Cool Whip?

Check out this article- it discusses how bad Cool Whip is for you and why only 2 ingredients are not hazardous to human health!



Cool Whip, invented in the late 1960s, used to be all the rage for housewives perfecting a key lime pie, strawberry shortcake or chocolate mousse for the family. The fluffed whipped cream alternative is a quick-fix for all things dessert-in-a-snap, but nothing about it is reminiscent of real whipped cream. In fact, of the 12 or so ingredients in Cool Whip, there are only two that aren’t toxic to humans—and water is one of those.

It’s hard to resist the charm of Cool Whip: It’s fluffy, it’s sweet, it’s light and, until just recently, it used to be dairy-free. But there’s nothing natural about the stuff. In fact, its ingredients are loaded with chemicals and additives known to be toxic to human health.

Here’s a rundown of what’s inside the Original Cool Whip: Water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skim milk, light cream and less than 2% sodium caseinate (a milk derivative), natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate and beta carotene (as a coloring).

And here’s a play-by-play on just how toxic each of those ingredients may be to our bodies:

Hydrogenated oils: Hydrogenated oils have been shown time and again to cause heart disease by increasing LDL (the bad stuff) and lowering HDL (the good stuff).

(High fructose) corn syrup: Not all calories are alike, and neither are all sugars. Princeton University recently found that corn syrup causes stronger weight gain than regular table sugar—and may also contributete more heavily to obesity and diabetes. And recent studies show it may also contain trace amounts of mercury, which may cause cancer, reproductive disorders and a myriad of degenerative diseases.

Skim milk and light cream: Researchers have found a strong association between skim or fat-free milk and cancer—especially prostate cancer in men.

Sodium caseinate: This dairy derivative has been linked to autism, brain malfunctions and allergies.

Natural and artificial flavor: Come on now. This can really be anything. “N&A,” as dubbed in the food chemistry world, can be from vegetable or animal sources, can contain gluten or chemicals, can be various forms of MSG (which, as a “flavor enhancer,” pops up in most “flavors”).


Xantham & guar gums: These are used as a laxative, in medicines, and as a thickener in foods by mixing sugars and bacteria. In small doses, it shouldn’t pose a problem for individuals, but large amounts can cause diarrhea.

Polysorbate 60: Used in foods and beauty products, this chemically-derived emulsifier has been linked to organ toxicity, diarrhea and tumors in lab mice.

Sorbitan monostearate: This chemically-derived substance is commonly referred to as “synthetic wax”—yes, you’re eating synthetic wax. In numerous studies, this substance has been linked to skin, eye and respiratory irritants to stomach disruptions.

Beta carotene: This might be the sole ingredient in Cool Whip that actually isn’t toxic. Hooray for that!

This summer, when you're making key lime pie or want a perfect garnish for your fresh cherry cobbler, skip the Cool Whip and opt for the real stuff: Homemade Vegan Whipped Cream.
Follow Kimberley on Twitter @GreenGourmetKim
image: vauvau


(http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1G34As/www.organicauthority.com/health/skip-the-cool-whip-you-dont-want-to-know-what-its-made-of.html)

Recipe of the day- Strawberry Muffins!

Thanks again to my friend Mattie for finding this recipe from Weelicious!

Strawberry Muffins (Makes 18 Muffins)

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Large Egg
3/4 Cup Milk (low fat or whole cow’s milk, almond, rice or soy milk will work)
1/4 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Honey or Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Lemon Zest
1 1/2 Cups Strawberries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg and add milk, oil, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest and stir.
4. Using a standing mixer or hand mixer, slowly combine the dry ingredients with the wet until incorporated (try not to over mix the batter).
5. Add the strawberries to the batter and slowly combine.
6. Line or grease muffin tins and fill 2/3 of the way with batter.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean.
8. Cool and serve.

* If you want to make mini muffins, fill 36 muffin cups and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Click HERE for more recipes from Weelicious


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I LOVE this video!!!

A great PSA about breastfeeding...

My favorite line..."It's what your tits are for!"

It's funny because it is true. Share this video!!