baby/toddler Archives - Alida's Kitchen

Cocoa Pebbles Dirt Pudding

August 12, 2013 ·

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Post Pebbles but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PebblesBTS http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

The other day Adam and I made a trip to Walgreens for some Post Pebbles Cereal, but if you follow Alida’s Kitchen on Instagram, you already know this. I had several tasty recipe ideas swirling about, but also wanted to show Adam that you can take everyday items, such as cereal, and be creative. While I do have an easy recipe to share with you, first I have to tell you about the fun project we made with our Pebbles Cereal!…

Filed Under: Admin, dessert, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, chocolate, easy, quick, snack

Banana Buttermilk Muffins

August 1, 2013 ·

Banana Buttermilk Muffins are healthy muffin recipe that is not only delicious, but takes 10 minutes to prepare. These are sure to become a household favorite!

While I thought it was safe to assume that Pumpkin Banana Muffins are Adam’s favorite muffin, these Banana Buttermilk Muffins may quickly take the top spot, if they haven’t already. Within the first week of making the first batch, I had to make another…and another! It seemed that Adam and Mike (and I too!) were devouring these faster than I could make them. Fortunately, they are super quick and easy to make! The hands on time takes about 10 minutes, and for some reason, these just seem easier to make than other muffins….

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, banana, brunch, buttermilk, easy, low fat, muffins, whole wheat

sunflower seed butter buttermilk waffles

Sunbutter Waffles

June 27, 2013 ·

Sunbutter Waffles are whole wheat, buttermilk waffles made with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter (or other nut butter), making them a nut-free alternative. While perfect just as-is, we also enjoy them topped with additional sunbutter, berries or maple syrup.

We have had a waffles iron for years, but for whatever reason it hasn’t been used much…well, until recently. If you’re a regular reader, you know how much my Adam loves pancakes. At least once per week, I make his favorite kind(s) of pancakes to load up the freezer and/or just to have on hand. Sometimes I would end up making a double (or triple!) batch. On my small little griddle, this exercise could take hours. A labor of love I guess. These days, with a newborn in the house, it’s a bit tricky to devote that much time to cooking or baking anything. On a whim, I decided to try my hand at waffles. Due to Adam’s peanut allergy, I opted to transform my beloved peanut butter waffles into sunbutter waffles. I was pleased to discover cooking waffles is much quicker than flipping pancakes. And Adam had 5 waffles for breakfast that day. Operation waffle was a success!

For another recipe using sunbutter, try these Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars. They make a great snack!

Sunbutter Waffles

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
¼ cup canola oil
6 tablespoons sunflower seed butter
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat oil and sunflower seed butter until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until combined. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat waffle iron. Cook waffles according to the manufacturer directions for your waffle iron.

Notes

Note: Store leftovers in the refrigerator and toast to reheat. These also freeze well.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, brunch, buttermilk, easy, freezer friendly, quick, sunflower butter, waffles

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt {Garbanzo Beans}

May 15, 2013 ·

honey roasted chickpeas with sea salt | alidaskitchen.com

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt are a healthy, sweet and salty snack that is easy to make. They are high in fiber, protein-packed, gluten free, dairy free…and Adam can’t get enough of them (in other words, they’re toddler friendly too!)

Honey Roasted Chickpeas are made with only a few simple ingredients, and you most likely have everything you need already in your pantry. In fact, all you really need is one ingredient, and that’s the chickpeas. The additional ingredients are simply for flavoring, but roasted chickpeas are super crunchy and delicious straight from the oven. In this case I made them honey roasted with sea salt, however I have other variations in the works that I am excited to share with you soon!

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
sea salt, add to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Empty chickpeas into a colander. Rinse until no longer foamy and drain. Put chickpeas onto paper towels to pat dry. (Optional: remove skins from chickpeas. Not necessary, but I recommend it).
Place chickpeas in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy. (If they're soft, put them back in for 5 minutes until crunchy).
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk honey and oil. Add hot chickpeas and toss to coat. Pour chickpeas back on lined baking sheet and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until caramelized. Sprinkle with sea salt, as desired, and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Slightly adapted from fitsugar.com

Filed Under: appetizers, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes, vegan Tagged With: baby/toddler, chickpeas, dairy free, easy, honey, quick, roasted, snack

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

May 3, 2013 ·

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are fun, little individual deep dish pizzas made in a muffin tin. First you roll out little pizza dough circles and then gently put them in the muffin cups. Then fill each dough round with your desired sauce and toppings and then top it with cheese. I used premade dough (from Trader Joe’s), topped them with a marinara sauce, broccoli, red onion and mozzarella cheese, and they came together in less than 30 minutes. These Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are completely customizable with your favorite sauce and toppings. Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are a definite crowd-pleaser. Besides – there is always something fun about anything in miniature!

Today I am being featured over at Momma’s Meals where I’m being featured as part of Tammi’s Featured Fridays series! Every Friday, Tammi gets to know her fellow bloggers and makes one of their recipes to share with her family and then with her readers.

I thought it would be fun to make something from Tammi’s site to share with you, and her Individual Deep Dish Pizzas were perfect! Incidentally I had been looking at an Everyday Food recipe for little deep dish pizzas made in a muffin tin, so these Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas that I’m sharing with you is sort of a combination of the two recipes.

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

Yields: 12 pizzas

Ingredients

Cooking spray
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) - in 12 pieces
Salt and pepper
1 cup pizza sauce (I used a homemade marinara sauce)
Your favorite pizza toppings - about 1 to 2 tablespoons per pizza (I used chopped broccoli and red onion)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of pizza dough into 6-inch circles. Place into prepared muffin cup, gently pressing dough into bottom and up the sides. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Put 1 tablespoon sauce in each dough cup. Top sauce with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pizza toppings and then top with cheese.
Bake until dough is browned and crisp, approximately 12 minutes. Let cool for 2-5 minutes before removing from cups.

Sources: Everyday Food,September, 2010 and Momma’s Meals

Filed Under: appetizers, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, cheese, dinner, easy, italian, muffins, pizza, quick

Healthy Banana Cookies

February 17, 2013 ·

Healthy Banana Cookies are a chewy, fruit-filled cookie made using some of my favorite foods – oats, dates and bananas. They are made from simple, wholesome ingredients, have no butter and added sugar, thus making them a healthier choice. I love the simplicity of these cookies and have to admit these cookies made a delightful breakfast! These Healthy Banana Cookies also happen to be dairy free and can be gluten free.

Healthy Banana Cookies from Alida's Kitchen

I have had this at the top of my ‘to make’ pile for months just waiting for some super ripe bananas. While we always have plenty of super ripe bananas in the house, they’re typically reserved for Pumpkin Banana Muffins or Pumpkin Banana Pancakes (or Strawberry Banana Pancakes once strawberry season hits). Fortunately, I was a muffin and pancake making machine in advance of our new baby’s arrival, stocking the freezer full of Adam’s favorite banana goodies. With a stocked freezer and 3 very ripe bananas, it was finally my opportunity to try these Healthy Banana Cookies!

Healthy Banana Cookies

Yields: approx. 24 cookies

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking work fine)
1 cup (8 ounces) pitted dates, chopped
⅓ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, mash bananas. Add oats, dates, oil, vanilla and cinnamon, and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonful onto prepared cookie sheets. [Note: the cookies don't spread so you may want to shape them a bit]
Bake cookies for 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

These are best enjoyed the day after baking.

Coincidentally, this is also the first month of the Eating the Alphabet Healthy Recipe Challenge for 2013, hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic. Each month, several bloggers will focus on healthy recipes featuring fruits, vegetables grains or legumes, from a couple different letters (this month it is A or B). I thought Healthy Banana Cookies would be the perfect healthy recipe to start off this fun series.

Filed Under: breakfast, dessert, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Popular, Recipes Tagged With: alphabet challege, baby/toddler, banana, cookies, dairy free, dates, easy

healthy oatmeal raisin buttermilk pancakes

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pancakes

January 17, 2013 ·

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pancakes are an easy, healthy, delicious breakfast treat that taste like oatmeal raisin cookies. Yum! They are made with the hearty goodness of oatmeal and whole wheat flour, sweetness from brown sugar and raisins and buttermilk, which of course makes everything good.

The first morning after I made these, Adam polished off six pancakes. In fact, he ate that first batch so quickly, I wasn’t able to get any pictures. Because he loved them so, I made another batch a couple days later. Fortunately, one afternoon I found myself with three pancakes and a good napper, so I was able to quickly snap some pics to share this wonderful recipe with you!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pancakes

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups quick oats
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup raisins

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine oats and buttermilk and let sit for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
After 5 minutes, add eggs, oil and vanilla to buttermilk mixture, whisking until combined.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just moistened (Note: batter may be lumpy). Add raisins, folding until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Preheat nonstick skillet to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
Spoon batter onto skillet by the ¼ cupful (adjust to desired size) (Note: If batter is a little thick, use the back of your spoon to spread/shape the pancakes). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until bubbles form and the edges look set. Flip pancakes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden.

Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, brunch, freezer friendly, make ahead, oatmeal, pancakes, raisin

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 11, 2012 ·

Every time I drop Adam off at Preschool, he asks what I’m going to do while he’s at school. Last week I told him laundry and other boring things. He told me I should make something…I should make something with pumpkin. Little did he know, I had these Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies on my list of things to do, so easy enough. I told him I would make some pumpkin cookies, and he just beamed! That definitely sounds better than laundry 🙂

These Pumpkin White Chocolate Chips cookies are very soft with a little chewy bite from the oats. I changed up the sugar ratio a bit from the original recipe because I love what brown sugar does to baked goods. The original recipe calls for 1 egg, but I initially made a half recipe. How do you cut an egg in half? I used the full egg in half, and 2 in a full recipe. The dough is a little gooey, so it helps to refrigerate it a bit before baking. Otherwise I don’t know exactly how this impacts the recipe, but I do know these cookies are perfection and would not change a thing.

I am sharing these delightful cookies for week 3 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, hosted by Meal Planning Magic. While these cookies are perfect for any holiday cookie platter, I do think they would also make an excellent Halloween or Thanksgiving treat, or any time treat for other fellow pumpkin lovers!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: approximately 48 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup canned pumpkin
1½ cups white chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, cram butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
Stir in flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with pumpkin. Fold in white chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Adapted from Taste of Home

If you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us!

Filed Under: dessert, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, baby/toddler, brown sugar, christmas, cookies, easy, halloween, holiday, oats, pumpkin, white chocolate

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

September 12, 2012 ·

Pumpkin Banana Muffins put a Fall twist on banana bread with the perfect balance of pumpkin and banana.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins | alidasktichen.com

Pumpkin Banana Muffins are a huge hit in our household. They are made with whole wheat flour, bumping the nutrition value. The pumpkin and banana make for a moist muffin, so not a lot of oil is needed. I typically make these as a combination of mini muffins (24) and standard muffins (3) and freeze half of the mini muffins.

So last week was Adam’s first day of preschool. I decided to make Pumpkin Banana Muffins as a special surprise after school. Pumpkin Banana Muffins are his favorite muffin of all time, so I knew they would be a hit. He loved school and was welcomed home with his favorite treat. It is safe to say, he had the best day!

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Yields: 30 mini-muffins (or 15-18 standard muffins)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour/1 cup whole wheat flour)
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 bananas, mashed
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with baking spray and fill empty cups with water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
In a separate bowl, whisk the bananas, pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla, until well-blended.
Add banana mixture to flour mixture, gently folding until combined.
Divide mixture evenly among prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes for mini muffins / 13 to 15 minutes for standard muffins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

ETA 10/19/12: I have made these several times since posting and have experimented with different flours, since white whole wheat flour isn’t an ingredient I always have on hand. All whole wheat pastry flour works really well, and the recipe has been updated below accordingly.

Source: Pumpkin Banana Bread

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Popular, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, baked, banana, brunch, easy, muffins, pumpkin, snack, whole wheat

Carrot Zucchini Bread

August 23, 2012 ·

Carrot Zucchini Bread is a moist, delicious twist on zucchini bread. If you have extra zucchini, this is definitely a must-make!

The end of summer is one of my favorite times of year because it means zucchini is everywhere. Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable that gets turned into delicious dishes, both savory and sweet, with so many possibilities! I found myself with some zucchini and some leftover carrots from making Carrot Cake Pancakes. My first instinct was to make pancakes (which might come later), but Carrot Zucchini Bread has been on my list for quite a while. A quick bread with double veggies has got to be a good thing. Carrot Zucchini Bread is a super tasty, fun twist on zucchini bread!

Carrot Zucchini Bread

Yields: 1 loaf (12 servings)

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 eggs
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cup grated zucchini (squeeze out some excess moisture)
½ cup grated carrot

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x4 loaf pan (or spray with baking spray) and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and oil until well blended. Add sugar and vanilla, and whisk until combined. Add zucchini and carrot, stirring until combined.
Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture, gently folding until just combined.
Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Food.com