Welcome to The Littlest Foodie

Hello Everyone! Welcome to The Littlest Foodie.

Check out my Facebook page for the most up-to-date posts and check out the archives for all of your healthy eating needs.

There is TONS of information on sugar substitutes, and no sugar recipes, healthy recipes and more!

Thanks for stopping by!

Taking a break

Hello!

I am letting everyone know that I will be taking a break from blogging for awhile. Thanks for reading and keep up with me on Facebook under The Littlest Foodie. 

If anyone is interested in blogging under this topic for me while I am on hiatus- let me know on Facebook.

Thanks!

Happy Hanukkah!

Hello to all of my Jewish friends! I wish you lots of fun and blessings over the next 8 days and nights. How fun that Hanukkah and Christmas overlap this year! We all will be celebrating.

Here are some great resources to add some healthy meals to your Hanukkah table!


Eating Well- healthy recipes and meal planning


The Atlantic- 16 healthy recipes


Food Network- Traditional and healthier versions


Martha Stewart- recipes, crafts and more!


 Eat Better America- Lots of guides on how to make your favorite recipes healthier


Here is a classic favorite- I will be making these soon!

Crispy Potato Latkes

From EatingWell:  December 2005/January 2006

12 latkes

Active Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, (about 2), shredded
• 1 medium white onion, shredded
• 2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 pieces whole-wheat matzo, (6-by-6-inch), broken into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Preparation

1. Toss shredded potato, onion, shallots and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer to a sieve set over a large bowl; let drain for about 15 minutes. Squeeze the potato mixture, a handful at a time, over the bowl to release excess moisture (don’t oversqueeze—some moisture should remain). Transfer the squeezed potato mixture to another large bowl. Carefully pour off the liquid, leaving a pasty white sediment—potato starch—in the bottom of the bowl. Add the starch to the potato mixture. Stir in egg. 
2.  Put matzo pieces in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs and pepper over the potato mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until the matzo is softened, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir the potato mixture. Cook 4 latkes per batch: place 1/4 cup potato mixture in a little of the oil and press with the back of a spatula to flatten into a 3 1/2-inch cake. Cook until crispy and golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the latkes to the prepared baking sheet. Continue with 2 more batches, using 1 tablespoon oil per batch and reducing the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Per latke: 100 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 18 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 204 mg sodium; 278 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (20% daily value).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat
(http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/crispy_potato_latkes.html)

Recipe of the Day- Cheese Crackers!

Thanks to my friend Mattie for finding this great recipe! Healthy and delicious...plus, what kid does not love a cheese cracker?!

This recipe comes from 100 Days of Real Food, where a family of 4 cut out all processes food and only ate "real" food for 100 days. It has now become a lifestyle for them and they blog about healthy eating.

"Easy Cheesy Crackers

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into tablespoon size chunks
• 4 oz. or 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese…the sharper the cheese the cheesier the crackers

(Yep, that’s it…only 3 simple ingredients!)
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all three ingredients in a food processor and blend. The mixture will eventually turn into one big ball chasing itself around the bowl. Be patient because it can take a few minutes.
3. Roll the ball into a log about 1 ½” in diameter. At this point you could refrigerate the dough until later.
4. With a sharp knife slice ¼” thick pieces off the log (pictured) and place each one flat on an ungreased baking sheet. Try to rotate which side you are cutting down on because the top of the log does start to flatten a little. It is like your very own homemade slice and bake!
5. If you want your crackers to look a little fancy (as pictured above) take a fork and gently mash down the top of each one before baking.
6. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until golden brown.

These crackers can be stored in the freezer so double the recipe and save some for later!
Yield: Two dozen"


(http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/03/23/recipe-easy-cheesy-crackers/)

Breastfeeding and Cough/Cold Remedies

Here is some very helpful information from Dr. Hale and the Infant Risk Center about which cough and cold OTC remedies are compatible with breastfeeding:

http://www.infantrisk.com/content/cold-remedies-and-breastfeeding

I personally skip all of the medications and go the holistic route. In my personal experience, they work MUCH better than any medication. Of course, check with your doctor about anything you take, including homeopathic remedies.

At the first hint of illness, I take:

- raw manuka honey (1 tbsp every few hours)
- probiotic pills (as directed on the label, usually twice per day)
- Edlerberry syrup (as directed on the label, usually 1 tbsp every few hours)
- pre-natal vitamin
- lots of water

This has literally cured me of illness, and at the very least, has made my illnesses last only a few days instead of a week or more. Everything can be found at your local health food stores.

What do you do?

Toddler Meal Ideas

Need a handy site to jazz up your meals for your toddler?

Well- check out Wholesome Toddler Food! 

Or, check out these quick links on the site:

Breakfast

Lunch 

Snacks

Dinner 


and- my favorite- the meal planner!

Now- anyone who knows me, knows that I do not make separate meals for my son. He eats what we eat. Period. But, there are sometimes when he needs to eat and my husband is not home yet, or when I just need to make my son something quick for lunch and we are not going to eat.

And, most of these recipes can be adapted for the whole family.

Click here to visit Wholesome Toddler Food

Healthier Turkey Recipes and MORE!

Check out this great site called Eat Better America for some great healthy recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner!

They take your favorite recipes, and tweak them just a bit to make them healthier and just as tasty as before. There are user reviews to help you know which ones taste great!

Turkey Recipes

Sides Recipes

Desserts Recipes

Appetizers Recipes

Vegetarian Dishes

Drinks

Leftover Ideas





Click HERE to visit Eat Better America and get hundreds of recipes!