I went to a sweet 1 year old’s birthday party this year on my birthday.  His mommy is a dear friend of mine, and his older brother has a lot of food allergies.  I don’t know how she constantly comes up w/ delicious foods to feed their family, but she does and she amazes me (as does the taste of her food).  My group of friends had a blast sampling all the healthy treats at Jude’s party.  And, Jim Bob, may have eaten ten done more than just sample these muffins.  Because they were such a hit, I had to get the recipe from her.  Thanks for sharing, Vanessa!  You have to try these muffins for yourself and let me know what you think…  I swear, you’ll be amazed that they have no sugar and no grains.  When mom sampled them, she kept asking me, “But, what kind of flour is in them?!”.  They’re full of healthy fats and protein too.  Next time I bake them, I may try adding some pumpkin; you know, in celebration of this gorgeous cooler Fall weather we’ve been having.  The recipe comes from here originally.

Grain-Free Muffins

1 cup of Nut Butter (I used Almond Butter from Whole Foods)

1/4 cup Honey

2 Eggs

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice (I used lemon juice)

Chocolate or Carob Chip (optional.  I used a little of both )

Combine all ingredients (except for the vinegar/lemon juice), and mix well. Then, add the vinegar/lemon juice and mix well.  Pour into either muffin cups or a greased muffin tin. I chose the larger muffin pan, and it made 9.  Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. They are done when an inserted toothpick some out clean.

Well, I finally got around to purchasing something I’ve wanted for quite sometime now.  I tried several cheap options, of which some ended up broken, others ended up forcing me to dig the final product out of the mold and others didn’t allow the product to turn out at all.  Why oh why didn’t I go w/ the high quality- oh so worth the money- machine to begin w/?!  Lesson learned!  I adore William-Sonoma and I could spend hours upon hours in that place.  Well, this recent purchase has only deepened my love for the place!  It’s gotten great reviews, and my family added in their thumbs up tonight too…  In order to get full enjoyment out of these hot Texas summer nights, you too need a Zoku Quick Pop Maker! In fact, Harper enjoyed his first popsicle from this little machine tonight.  He said, and I quote, “Mama, it is deelish-US!”

I can vividly remember as a kid some of my first experiments in the kitchen were popsicle recipes.  It was so frustrating to invent a really cool combo of flavors, poor it in a stirofoam cup and add a stick or pour it in ice cube trays and add toothpicks only to have to wait hours for the freeze so you could enjoy your hard cold treat.  Well, thanks to Zoku, the days of cups and trays are over!  And, even better, that long wait for freezing is really over.  Yep, this nifty machine really does produce your frozen treat in about 10 minutes.  In fact, you watch it freeze before your eyes.  Too cool, huh?

Mommypotamus hosted a giveaway for a popsicle cookbook recently, and I’ve heard great things about that book.  I tried a recipe off of their website for our first treat from the machine.  And of course, you know me, I can never leave a recipe alone.  This recipe is great because I’ve been fighting an itchy throat every morning, and there’s a lot of immune boosting in this popsicle.  Plus, if you use local honey it’ll help that itchy throat/allergy issue too.  And, grapefruit has one of the highest contents of vitamin C of any food.

Rooibos Red Tea Immunity Pops

3 Rooibos Red Tea bags (I used 2)

¼ cup agave nectar (I used less than 1/8 cup local honey)

1 whole grapefruit, squeezed (I used 1/2)

1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped

½ lemon, squeezed

1 cup of ice (I didn’t add ice)

(I added a handful of fresh mint from my garden)

Boil 4 cups of water on stove top and add in tea bags (I boiled 2 cups). Add agave nectar. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes. Let cool to a luke warm state. Pour tea mixture into blender. Add in grapefruit juice, strawberries, lemon and ice and blend to a smooth texture. Pour mixture into chosen pop molds. Freeze. Enjoy!

We will also be making this recipe again in our new machine.  We’ll enjoy licking them, you know like how actual popsicles are supposed to be enjoyed!  Instead of like last time, when we were digging them out of the cheap $1 molds because the sticks broke off…  Not enjoyable!

If you have a favorite recipe, please share…  I need new ones to enjoy making in my new toy machine.  Happy Summer!

1. In a medium-sized saucepan or skillet, combine the two sweeteners and the oil, and gently warm over low heat while stirring until the sugar crystals have dissolved. This should just take a couple of minutes.
2. Stir in the nut or seed butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes.
3. Stir in the flaxseed, followed by the oats and cereal.
4. Now you have two choices here. If you want the chocolate chips to stay intact, let the mixture cool for few more minutes, and then stir in the chocolate chips. Or, if you are antsy like me, stir in the chocolate chips right away. They may melt a little against the warm pan, but I like them that way.
5. The mixture will be crumbly, but that is okay. Press it firmly into an 8 x 8 pan (use saran wrap or wax paper over your hand if it threatens to stick while pressing) or into 10 to 12 muffin tins. Make sure it is packed in there nicely, and then place the bars into the freezer to chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Cut into bars or pop them out and eat. Store them in the refrigerator to keep fresh and from getting too soft.  Enjoy!!

Last week, we enjoyed a family breakfast of scrambled eggs and these biscuits.  It was so nice to have a biscuit option that didn’t have a ton of preservatives, wasn’t hard to cook and didn’t have wheat.  Thanks, Mommypotamus!  I thought they tasted even better as a snack than they did fresh out of the oven.  Again, these are wonderful for pregnant/nursing moms as they have lots of protein and healthy fats too.  Try them and let me know what you think.  I’d love to hear what you enjoy for breakfast…  It’s the one meal a day that I really need but have a hard time being creative with.

If the question isn’t about what to feed an infant just starting solids, obviously the other popular one is when to start them on solids.  I’ll admit, there is a lot of fun to be had with this milestone of food introduction.  Who doesn’t enjoy snapping pictures of their baby’s funny grimaces as he/she takes his/her first bite of solid food?  I even really enjoyed being able to eat more of my meal because Harper was now entertained with trying to pick up peas off his tray instead of needing me to nurse him while I tried to eat to nourish both of us.  Like many new parents though, we anxiously rushed into that new stage with excitement.  As soon as we could fill his lil’ tummy up on all those yummy solids, we just knew he was going to sleep through the night  more than his typical one hour stretch at a time.  Well, remind me, and I’ll tell you the rest of that story- the eating helps sleep one (yeah right…)- another day, and what the research really says.  Hint:  If you are banking on solids helping you get some extra sleep, don’t throw all of your eggs into that basket.  It definitely wasn’t the sleepy happy ending we had hoped for!  And, like many parents often say, we sure are cherishing the stages this second time around.  With Ellington, you won’t see us as excited to rush into the solids stage.  No, in fact, we really enjoy being able to walk out of the house simply carrying her and a diaper.  There’s no huge bag stocked full of water bottles, peas, apple, clementine, almonds and seaweed like we have to lug when Harper comes along for the ride.  Plus, if Ellington’s appetite is anything like Harper’s, I’m not looking forward to the extra job I’m going to have to take on to help pay the increase in the Whole Foods bill!

Most major health organizations (WHO, AAP) and breastfeeding experts recommend that baby’s diet consist primarily of breastmilk for the first year of life- specifically that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life.  Many parents are unaware of the latest research that shows that introducing solids before six months of age- like in the case where babies are given rice cereal around 2 to 4 months- has been shown to increase risk of high blood pressure and heart disease later in life.  Breastmilk is the ultimate, perfect form of nutrition.  If you and your baby are unable for whatever reason to have an exclusive breastfeeding relationship, I recommend a homemade formula recipe instead of commercial formulas (due to commercial formulas content of sugar, corn syrup and/or poor quality milk- often containing hormones/antibiotics).  As long as mom’s nutritional intake is adequate for her and her baby, baby is gaining weight and continuing to achieve normal developmental milestones, it is fine to continue exclusively breastfeeding a baby through his/her first year of life, waiting until 12 months to introduce solids.  As a baby ages, his/her gut continues to mature and gaps in the stomach which are meant to allow breastmilk to move freely into the body slowly close up.  These gaps, with which a baby is born- a natural “leaky gut”, are important for breastmilk to travel easily into the body.  However, if a baby is given formula or solids before these gaps close, harmful substances may get into the body.  You really want this leaky gut closed and mature before introducing anything other than breastmilk, and waiting on solid introduction accomplishes this.  Furthermore, baby’s enzymatic function develops as he/she ages so as they aquire more enzymes- and different types of them for different foods- they are better able to digest foods.  One interesting fact about enzymes: The enzymes that digest carbs do not develop until babies are at least 6 months old, but some argue that it may not fully develop until 18 months of age.  So, remind me why some doctors recommend starting rice cereal (A CARB!) at 4 months- or earlier to help w/ reflux/sleep- and why so many baby foods (Puffs, teething biscuits) have carbs?!  It is important to remember that even though iron in breastmilk is lower than in formula and certain solid foods, it is a more readily available and digestible form of iron; therefore, there is a lot less chance of a baby being anemic while being exclusively breastfed.  Additionally, the brain is growing and maturing at a faster rate than it ever will in a lifetime during a baby’s first 2 years, and the immune system is also developing and maturing.  During this stage where such vital systems are perfecting themselves, why would we want to feed our babies anything other than the perfect food.  Breastmilk is that perfect food, and even when it’s not their exclusive diet, it is vital that is it their primary nutritional source…  Don’t forget that as you rush into the solid stage !

What do you watch for in your baby to show you that they are ‘solid ready’, since BLW is allowing them to lead this fun, new process?  The two most important things, given that you have waited until they are at least 6 months of age, to watch for is that baby can 1) sit up on his/her own unassisted, and 2) that baby can take things to his/her mouth.  These not only give us signs that baby is moving towards ability to eat solids, but it will make this stage a lot safer too.  Watch as they develop further and start to put things in their mouth and make smacking motion with their lips and chewing with their mouth.  To quote the book, “The very best sign that a baby is ready is when she starts to put food into her mouth herself- which she can only do if she is given the opportunity.  When the child on your lap grabs a handful of dinner from your plate, chews it and swallows it, then it might be time to push the plate nearer to her.”  I find that a lot of parents tell me that they feel it’s time to start solids because their baby “keeps looking at me like he/she wants to eat what I have”.  The more children a parent has, the earlier this comment arises.  Remember, babies are curious by nature, it’s how they learn!  And, the more siblings in the baby’s environment, the more the baby has to watch (hence those earlier comments).  Just because baby is fascinated by what is going on around him/her, does not mean he/she is necessarily needing solids yet.  Research also, counter to popular thought, has not shown that the addition of solids helps babies sleep through the night, and it doesn’t show that adding it to a baby’s diet is warranted simply because baby is underweight.  Solids are not warranted before six months, and weight shouldn’t be an isolated indicator for their addition (reaching normal developmental milestones and experiencing normal brain maturation tell us a lot more about health than weight does).  Many things can be done to increase a person’s- or baby’s- weight, but it doesn’t mean those things will increase their health!

One of the most important things I can emphasize about the when is that when a baby starts solids, they are mostly learning.  The actual eating part will take weeks to months to develop.  I think there is this idea in our heads early on in our babies lives that they need food, solids.  When you do start this food, they will be learning- learning what it looks like, how it feels, where it’s at in relationship to them, how to get to it, how to grab it, how to bring it to them, how to place it in their mouths, what texture it has, how that texture changes how it moves in their mouth, how to chew and swallow it, and so much more.  This new food will do way more for their brain than it initially will do for their stomach.  So please don’t buy into the fact that you need to feed them soon to simply give them food.  Breastmilk is the best food for your baby, homemade formula second to that- if breastmilk is not an option/choice; and, one of these needs to remain their primary food until they are at least a year old.

You may be new to the term “baby-led weaning”, and on seeing it may be wondering, “What is she talking about?  What is this ‘baby-led weaning’? ”  Well, contrary to what some may think, it really isn’t a new concept at all.  Like with many other parenting and child-rearing concepts, it’s something old and basic- innate really- that we’ve complicated and come away from.  However, I think many parents listening to their instinct- especially in our busy society where we need as much ease as we can get out of our day- are quickly gravitating back to this natural concept.  In a nutshell baby-led weaning is this: Babies will feed themselves when they are ready.  The authors explain, “Weaning is the gradual change that a baby makes from having breast milk or formula as her only food to having no breast milk or formula at all.”  The first solid food that baby has is the beginning of this weaning process.

Now, why should baby lead this process?  Well, several reasons really…  First, it plays an extremely important role in baby’s development.  Babies develop at their own pace, when they are ready, and we don’t want to rush this.  It’s just like other milestones- take crawling- because each one stimulates the brain, shouldn’t ever be skipped, and will lead to the next important stage.  Baby-Led Weaning, shortened ‘BLW’- will help with these vitally important skills:  Facial muscle development, chewing, swallowing, speech development, manual dexterity, and hand-eye coordination.  Just to name a few!  I feel like so much focused has been placed on the when and what of solids…  But, there’s an important reminder of the why!  In addition, BLW helps baby develop his/her self-confidence and independence.  It also helps make eating more enjoyable- whether that be snacks or family mealtime.  It allows baby to control what they eat, how much they eat and how quickly it’s done.  And, there’s a lot of money saved when families choose to do it this way too!

Also, like so many other aspects of parenting, starting solids and choosing BLW can be very convicting for the parents.  ”Convicting? Why and how so?”, you may ask.  Well, with BLW, most parents choose to let their babies eat what they eat.  If that image gives you a lump in your throat, maybe some change is in order.  Again, to quote the authors, “As long as your own diet is healthy and nutritious there’s no need for separate recipes.”  On this note, let me say, you may choose not to change your habits now and still do some aspects of BLW by allowing your baby to feed him/herself but still making seperate food items for him/her to choose from.  Let me encourage you to make the change now.  Move the family diet to something that you’d be happy for your baby to eat.  The change will need to happen at some point; otherwise, you’ll be looking at a toddler who is begging for pretty unhealthy choices!  Make this a positive move closer to health and wellness for the entire family.  The latest research is showing that our babies health has been affected by what our grandparents ate!  Isn’t that amazing?  So this food thing has so much more to do with a large picture we are just painting a tiny part of…  It’s so sad to me where we are at as a society when it comes to food, but it gives me so much hope to look at where we could be!

Stay tuned, we’ll soon look at the rest of the story…  What should babies be fed, when should it start, and what do the specific how’s look like?

Last week when I was unable to move much from a car accident I was in, an old employee and sweet friend came over with her mom to bless me with a meal.  It was so delicious, and totally hit the spot.  She was even kind enough to bring over a copy of the recipe for me, making sure it was safe for Ellington since I’m nursing.  People’s kindness is so humbling!  One bite of her soup, and I was texting her that I would have to blog that incredible recipe.  Yum!  I have been craving it ever since I finished it off, and I made it today for my family to enjoy.  It was a hit with them too!

An added bonus is that it can be used on the Standard Process 21 Purification Program, on the Hallelujah Acres Diet and you can easily add in more protein for pregnant/nursing moms.  I cooked it as the recipe said for JB (vegan diet), and then I added chicken and quinoa for me (more protein).

Here is the recipe.

We have really been enjoying quinoa because it tastes so good, is easy and quick to cook, and provides a great source of protein.  Try it if you’ve never used it before.  It’s easy to replace recipes that call for brown rice with quinoa instead.  You can do so many things with this delicious food!  I ran across this recipe for quinoa that we also tried tonight.  Again, my family loved it!  Plus, I had never roasted garlic before, and I will definitely be doing that more often too.

Here is that recipe.

I sauteed the bell peppers and mushrooms in coconut oil, and added a little bit of tamari to them.

Finally, this third quinoa recipe is from my friend Lesley.  She brought it to a party, and as soon as I tasted it, I begged her to post the recipe.  She did, and we’ve already made it three times at the house; one of those was for mom who insisted she watch and learn how to do it.  It’s really simple and so delicious too.

Several of you have asked me to post my immune boosting drink.  A few days ago, Ellington was congested (not nursing well) and I started to experience the symptoms of a sinus infection.  With all this crazy weather, it has been hard to feel great…  So many people have come in to the office or called with questions complaining about sore throats, coughs, congestion, runny nose, just to name a few of the nasty symptoms.  After drinking my special drink, I felt better immediately.  I was able to go to bed without a sore throat, and could even breathe through my nose a little bit.  I received several comments about how Ellington would respond to my breastmilk after the drink.  Actually, it helped her too, and her bowels are even moving better (not that my children ever have problems in the diaper department…  We actually laugh about how many diapers we change!).  Even though she hasn’t gone a day without a bowel movement, and wasn’t necessarily having problems, she hadn’t been going as much as usual.  After my drink, she was back to her normal digestion.  Here is the recipe:

2tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg’s)

1-2 cloves of minced garlic

dash of Cayenne pepper

Honey to taste (optional. I use local, raw, organic.)

Combine the above ingredients in a glass of water and drink.

It may not look appetizing to you; however, it really doesn’t taste bad.  Try it, your health is worth it!  In my opinion, it kind of tastes like pickles with a hint of garlic.  However, your breath will definitely remind you of a strong Italian meal- apologize to those around you .  And, you don’t have to feel ill to benefit from this drink, I would even recommend doing it to keep you feeling well.  It works because Apple Cider Vinegar is a great pH balancer, garlic is a very strong antiviral/antibacterial, and cayenne opens the sinuses and raises body temperature.  Drink to your health!

Emerald City Salad

2 1/4 cups of water or stock (I used Whole Foods’ boxed veggie stock, and just enough to cook rice by directions)

1tbsp butter (I used coconut oil to fit JB’s diet)

1tsp sea salt (I salted to taste)

1 cup wild rice (I used Lundberg’s Organic Wild Rice Blend)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 cup chopped fennel bulb

1/2 diced red or yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped red cabbage

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

2 cups finely chopped dark greens (I used Swiss chard)

Cook rice according to directions.  I saute my rice in coconut oil before adding stock or water to cook.  Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt in a large serving bowl.  Add fennel, red pepper, cabbage, parsley and then the greens .  Once rice is fully cooked, cool until it quits steaming but is still warm, and then spread like a blanket on top of the greens.  When the rice cools to room temperature, toss rice, vegetables and dressing together. Taste the salad and adjust seasonings, some extra salt and/or lemon may be required.  Garnish with cheese if desired (I left cheese out).  Enjoy!

This recipe and the siteit comes from were recommended at least a year ago by a dear friend and patient, who sadly just moved out of town with her fam.  I will share some of our favs from this site over the next few days, again as baby’s arrival allows.  However, this particular recipe is the one we use the most from the site.  It has made frequent appearances at parties we throw and/or are invited to.  I always get compliments on it, and have passed out the recipe a lot.  Our friends make it often too.  It’s a winner in our books!

Massaged Kale Salad

1 Bunch of Kale (we often use at least 2 because we eat SO much of this salad)- any variety is fine

1tsp of sea salt

1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (I use raw, organic and do not toast.  Walnuts are also great)

1/4 cup diced red onion (I make sure it’s diced real thin, sometimes using less)

1/3 cup currants

3/4 cup diced apple (I use one large organic apple, crispy varieties best)

1/4 cup olive oil (I use extra virgin cold pressed organic)

2tbsp apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s)

1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (Omit for cleanse/raw diet, when I use the cheese I do feta or goat)

The video on the site shows exactly how to make the recipe; another reason why this site is so neat!

De-stem the kale by pulling leaves away from stems.  Wash  leaves, spin and pat dry.  Stack leaves, roll up and cut into thin ribbons.  Put kale in a large mixing bowl, and add salt and massage salt into kale with your hands for 2 minutes.  Put kale in a fresh bowl and discard any leftover liquid.  Stir onion, currants, apple and seeds into kale.  Dress with oil and vinegar and toss.  Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary. When at desired flavor, toss in cheese.  Enjoy!

On to the recipes…  Some of these have been our favorites around the Haggerton household for a while, but some have become new favorites since JB is doing the Hallelujah Acres Diet.  You can read about his journey here.  He is, ironically, content just eating plain salads a lot, but I feel the need to be a great wife and come up with really good recipes that are raw (or mostly raw) and creative.  This is especially true when we have to go to parties, which has happened frequently with the holiday season.

First, the Sunny Raw Kitchen’s Ranch recipe.  A friend and client told me about this a long time ago, but I hadn’t tried it out for myself until recently.  It is as good, if not better, as she bragged about it being.  And, the longer you leave it in the fridge, the thicker it gets so as to make for a great dip.  I love the fact that the cashews fill it full of healthy protein, and there are not the typical chemicals that you find in normal ranch dressings.  I’d say we like the taste better than store bought ranch too, so it’s a win win! 

Sunny Raw Kitchen Ranch Recipe

1 1/2 cups of organic raw cashews (soak them in purified water for 1-2hrs and then drain)

1 cup of purified water

3 tbsp of lemon juice

1/3 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg’s)

1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil   

3tbsp of Agave (I used 2 dates and 1/2tsp of honey instead of agave)

2 garlic cloves

1tsp garlic powder

3tsp onion powder

1tsp dill

1tbsp of sea salt

1/2tsp of basil (ours grows like a wild weed, so I use fresh)

Throw all ingredients in a Vitamix (or high powered blender, I assume you could try a food processor but I’ve only used the Vitamix) and blend until creamy.  At the end, mix in 1/4 cup of minced parsley and 1/2tsp minced dill.  Stir well and store in fridge until it reaches desired consistency. 

I use as a dip on all sorts of veggies, and have heard it’s good on chips too.  If the consistency gets too thick for dressings, add more water or olive oil to thin it out.

I’ll post some other favorites later on this week (unless- of course- I have a new baby to fill the blog with instead) so stay tuned, and they are on our Christmas dinner menu so you may want to add them to yours too.  If you try the dip, let me know what you and your fam/friends think; also, I’d love to hear about your favorite healthy holiday recipes.