So I guess I'm Mother Gothel, she's a princess and princesses only eat princess food.

Two big things have been going on around here.

1. I have a very independent two and a half year old. She is fearless, bold, adventurous, feisty and just an all around kick in the pants. Every day she surprises me. These days dinner tends to get in the way of these imaginary adventures and she's been opting for on the go foods. 

2. Princesses. 24/7.

So more often than not we encounter days where the only food she wants to eat is "princess food." Does anyone have any idea what "princess food" means to a toddler? My best guess as to the most basic requirement of "princess food" is that it needs to be pink. What is a mama to do?

So like the wicked Mother Gothel, I've figured out how to sneakily disguise her essential nutrients, with the help of a my Cuisinart Baby Food Maker and Yummi Pouches. Mother knows best!

The first part of my master plan is to create an easy to eat, yet very "princessy" puree that even the pickiest toddler won't be able to resist. One of our standard recipes that I have created is Apple, Strawberry and Butternut Squash with a touch of cinnamon. Butternut squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A, fiber, potassium and magnesium. Apples are an additional fiber source, and pack some Vitamin C. Strawberries have lots of Vitamin K and are an antioxidant powerhouse. Combine all of those and you've got the makings of a healthy snack! Mwwaaaa hahahaha! 

The second part of my evil plan involves one of my henchmen, the Cuisinart Baby Food Maker.  It's an all-in-one appliance, meaning I can steam my apples and squash, then add my strawberries and puree, without pulling out tons of gadgets or adapters. That leaves enough time to meddle in my daughter's affairs, boil some toads and worry about my waning beauty while talking to magical mirrors or tending to a mysterious fountain of youth plant.

Finally, to ensure the assimilation of said wicked potion, Yummi Pouches make normally messy purees portable, so that was a no-brainer in my evil plot to ensure Penny eats healthy. We love Yummi Pouch because...

• The shape - it's a rectangle and super easy to clean. 
• Dishwasher and freezer safe. 
• BPA free, PVC free and phthalate free. 

In addition to pureed food, I like to prepare packs of yogurt, applesauce or smoothies thickened up with ground oats for quick on the go snacks.

Does this sound like a truly evil plan or what? Let me tell you, the unknowing princess surely fell victim to my tricks and walked away satiated.

Want to win a Cuisinart Baby Food Maker along with a 4 pack of Yummi Pouch Brights to put your dubious potions delicious creations in? Enter to win this fabulous prize pack by commenting below:

1. Visit Cuisinart's baby food recipe site and tell me which recipe you think your little one will go "goo goo" for. Please leave your best contact email address so that I can email you if you win. (See full rules below)

2. Gain an additional entry point by visiting Yummi Pouch's recipe page and leaving a comment here with a recipe that you'd  like from there too!

This giveaway has ended. Thank you to all who entered!

Rules: Entering this giveaway is completely optional; however in order to qualify to enter you will need to leave a comment answering question #1, and for an additional entry option you may also answer question #2 in separate comments. The winning entry will be validated. Open to the US only, aged 18 years or older. The contest ends at 6:00pm PST 7/25/2014. The winner has until 6:00pm PST 7/26/2014 to respond to the email notification. The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment. The winner will be contacted at the end of the giveaway and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. 

Sour Cream Banana Bread with Coconut Oil {Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway}

I'm a big fan of butter. Don't get me wrong. Butter just makes things better. Better with butter. But with heart disease being fairly prevalent in my husband's side of the family, I've really got to tone it down. After doing a little bit of research, I found that coconut oil is a totally viable and healthy alternative to butter in many aspects of cooking. You can substitute it as a frying oil, buttery spread and in baking. Tropical Traditions has graciously provided me with a jar of their Gold Label Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil so that I could give it a try with my tried-and-true sour cream banana bread recipe and we were all pretty impressed with the results!

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is certified organic & traditionally made. This coconut oil meets our strictest standards and is handcrafted by family producers in the Philippines using traditional methods passed down from previous generations. Recent studies show that traditionally-made coconut oils have the highest amounts of antioxidants. Tropical Traditions also has tons of info if you want to learn what virgin coconut oil is and how to use coconut oil. 

You will need:
non-stick cooking spray
a mixture of 1/4 c of sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for dusting
1/2 c Tropical Traditions Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
3/4 c raw honey (or 1 1/2 c sugar)
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c flour
optional: Add 1/4 cup of mix-ins such as chocolate chips, golden raisins, organic shredded coconut or candied nuts).

You will do:
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
2. Spray 2 bread pans with your non stick spray.
3. Dust both pans with the cinnamon-sugar mix. You don't have to use it all, just enough to lightly coat the pan.

4. In a larger bowl, cream the coconut oil and remaining sugar together. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend until well mixed.

5. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly incorporate into the banana mixture.

6. Divide batter between your pans.
7. Bake for 50-60 min, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool and enjoy with a smear of coconut oil.

Ready to bake some of your own banana bread with coconut oil? I thought so! Check out the giveaway below to enter to win a jar of coconut oil from Tropical Traditions. (ps - if you just can't wait - they are running a BOGO sale on their quart sizes of Gold Label! That's $20 for 2 quarts of amazing coconut oil!)

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Big long scary disclosure: I am not a health professional! Please consult your physician or other health official regarding any questions regarding health claims with any products. Nothing I have written here is intended to treat, cure or otherwise prevent any disease. I received a free sample of the product from Tropical Traditions for the review using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. This post contains affiliate links.   If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you. Giveaway is open to US residents, 18 years of age or older. Winners will be contacted via email and have 48 hour to respond before another winner is chosen. The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment. 

How to Store Summer Strawberries

Last week, Penelope and I visited a local farm that grows all organic berries. Oh my.

In about 2 1/2 hours, I was able to pick 13.5 lbs of strawberries. How does one accomplish this with a toddler? (Many moms have asked me!). Well, I started out wearing her on my back in the Ergo. She wasn't happy about this, but tolerated this for about half an hour. It was pretty tiresome to bend over or kneel while wearing her on my back, and I knew she wasn't too comfortable either.

Once she started squirming in true discomfort, I let her out and run. She's pretty good about sticking close while she figures out the situation when we're in new environments, so she ran around within 5 feet of me for another 15 minutes. She also took advantage of foraging berries from my basket or off the bush - which I was sure to let the proprietress know about! As it goes with toddlers, her courage grew quickly and pretty soon she was off running in different rows or checking out the tractors close by. Sometimes she'd sneak up behind me and I'd find her in my strawberries...When we got home, we prepared the strawberries for freezing. I like to use frozen strawberries in our smoothies instead of ice, so I froze almost all of it! 

This is how I prepare berries for freezing (this is perfect for organically grown, though I would probably take greater care in cleaning them if they aren't organic).

You will need:
A big bowl of water
Distilled white vinegar
Berries of choice
Cookie Sheets
Cleared out space in your freezer
Freezer Bags

You will do:
1. Fill a bowl with a mixture of 2/3 cold water to 1/3 white vinegar.
2. Place berries into the bowl, allowing them to soak for about 5 minutes. Agitate with your fingers and rub off any dirt.
3. Place on a cookie sheet. I prefer mine not to touch each other, though if you don't care it doesn't make a difference.
4. Freeze for several hours. I just left mine overnight.
5. Once frozen solid, transfer into freezer bags.

I did reserve some for delicious strawberry shortcakes.. Which I made 2 nights in a row ;)

Monthly Its: Six - Two Thirteen

 Want to know what's been on my screen lately? 

My "Monthly Its" list will show you exactly that!

Firstly I'm really excited to introduce my sponsors for the month! Lisu from LeLa Studios makes lunch bags, totes, binder pouches and kids' messenger bags for school. Her prints are fun, unique and stylish. Our whole family has been using this lunch tote - Adam carrying his lunch to work and it's been a great place to keep Penny's snacks cool while we visited the zoo.

Hello my name is Lisu, the creator of LeLa Studio, an art lover, designer and crafter.  After graduating from Art Center College of Designs  I worked as a photographer at  major advertising agency for six years then got married and now am a stay at home mom of three.  With our busy family schedule I need something for myself to take me away from the daily family routine.  I am thrilled to see LeLa Studio is flourishing after being on Etsy for one year. It has been a fantastic experience for me.  I love what I do and best of all is being able to share my vision and creativity with a lot of people from different parts of the world.  At home, I have three lovely kids and a 200% supportive husband.  My workshop is full of fabrics. As a kid, I loved to go fabric store with my mom, it was like a candy store for me. Now it has become  an addiction but I am happy that I can use the fabrics I buy for my shop.  I enjoy it very much!!  

Wow, 3 children and she runs a successful business! Go Lisu! 

For you cloth diapering mamas be sure to check out Buttons Cloth Diapers ASAP! Amy, who is only weeks away from welcoming her second baby (a little boy!), is the sweet mama who is behind these super affordable cloth diapers. Be sure to come back here because 6/21 I'll be giving away a set of two covers and inserts here!

What else can I share with you?

• Did you know that most plastics aren't truly recyclable? On that thought, enter to win a handmade lunch tote through 6/20 from my lovely sponsor LeLa Studios, a pair of handmade sandwich baggies from Baby's Growing Up Green and a Citrus Zinger water bottle from Zing Anything.

• I really wish Planet Wise was around in the 1980's - check out my giveaway for a set of awesome wet/dry bags to accompany you on your summer travels! Perfect for cloth diapering families but sooo many other uses, like the pool or camping. This will be live from 6/11 - 6/25, check back daily because I've got tons of opportunities to increase your changes of winning.

• 8 tips for maintaining sanity when your partner is away.

• It's parenting, not syphillis. 

• Blueberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars - lawdhelpme!

• Most of us are familiar with the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15," right? Where do GMOs come in?

• A fruit/veggie wash that uses ordinary household ingredients

• I'm no sewing pro, but I *might* try making this baby girl 4th of July dress!

I hope you found a few things worth checking out here! Please keep an eye out for those upcoming giveaways and be sure to check out LeLa Studios and Buttons Cloth Diapers over on the right hand side.

Toddler Friendly Smoothies Using Avocado

I recently discovered how amazing it is to add an avocado to smoothies. My household has a certain love affair with avocados, so I decided to give this a shot after a friend recommended it to me. Not going to lie, this was an amazing discovery. I think avocado needs to find its way into every corner of my cooking. Into my cereal, into my coffee.. yea, that part I was kidding about.

Avocados are considered the perfect food by many, it's been said that an avocado contains many of the nutrients we need to survive. It's a great first food for babies as well - Penny was chowing down on slices by the fistful when we introduced her to foods via baby-led weaning. Hanna from Endless Simmer hilariously recants the etymology behind the word: "...avocado is a derivative of ahuacatl, which happens to be the Aztec word for testicle.  The avocado grows in pairs, dangling from the tree so suggestively that even the Aztecs noticed, pausing long enough from their daily blood sacrifice to chuckle to themselves and bestow the avocado with its legacy."  Will you ever look at avocados the same again? ;)


But isn't the hardest part first selecting the perfect avocado? Avocado Central has a great interactive widget to help you determine the stage of your avocado's ripeness.

The Freckled Avocado
mmm, our favorite!

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 5 medium to large frozen organic strawberries 
• 1 cup of plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt 
• 2 Tablespoons of local honey

The Tropical Avocado

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 1 peeled and frozen banana 
• 1 cup of plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt 
• 1 cup of fresh orange juice 
• 2 tablespoons of local honey

The Chocolate Avocado

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 cup of plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

The Red Avocado

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 1 cup fresh orange juice 
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries

A few that we'd like to try:

Beet- Avocado: from We are Not Martha

• 2 small beets
• 1 C vanilla soy milk (I used Silk Light)
• 3/4 C frozen berries
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 C baby spinach
• 1 scoop (10 grams) chia seeds

Avocado Apple: from Cooking Classy

• 1 medium ripe California avocado
• 1 large granny smith apple, chilled, cored and sliced
• 1 ripe banana, peeled and frozen
• 1 Navel orange, chilled and peeled
• 2 cups packed spinach
• 1 cup almond milk, chilled
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tsp agave nectar or honey, or to taste (optional)
• 8 ice cubes (about 1 1/3 cups)

Avocado Mango: from Reboot with Joe

• 1 cup mango (fresh or frozen) 
• 3 handfuls spinach
• 1/4 avocado 
• 1 cup almond milk- add a little water if you like your smoothie thinner 

Do you like to add avocado to your smoothies? What is your favorite combination? 

Being Green with Lunch: Review and Giveaway

Bianca factoid: I'm the daughter of an environmental engineer. 

And then I married a plastics engineer. Read on to see how these tidbits relate to each other.

Post factoid: Are you ready to learn something new? I hope you are! I did my best to research each point included in this post, but if you find something lacking / incorrect / want clarification, please let me know. Also, are you ready for a TRIPLE giveaway??!!!

I'm pretty sure that most people will agree with me on this one - plastic has over run our world.

Ok, so that was a pretty broad statement. But have you noticed that (in the US) everything comes in plastic packaging? Sure, it's cheaper. Most of it claims to be recyclable, but that is a little misleading.  Most consumers don't know is that food grade plastic actually gets "downcycled," meaning it cannot be recycled into the same plastic product.  So your recycled milk jug won't become another jug. It might become plastic decking or a Green Toy.

When my husband and I were on our babymoon to Europe in 2010, we noticed that so many things were packaged in glass containers. Even personal sized yogurts came in adorable glass containers.

source

Starting when we moved in together, one way that I helped stretch our dollars was to pack lunches for us every day. Even though we saved a lot of money by not going out to eat every day (and ate healthier too), I quickly realized just how disposable our lunch world is. Each item was typically put into it's own Ziploc or plastic container. Sandwich baggies were used one time, even though they were perfectly fine for another use. But doing so seemed so...hippy. And isn't it a little ridiculous that you buy these one time use items just to throw away a few hours later? I began to research more "green" and sustainable options.

Bags
A lot of us are already greening our lunches by having a reusable bag or lunch box that we use to carry our food in. This is a much better option over a plastic grocery bag, or even the brown lunch bag, as it is friendlier on the environment and saves money in the long run.  Lisu, from LeLa Studio shared one of her super stylish lunch bags with me and I am so in love with it. It's a very well made bag with a nice metal zipper and is insulated to keep my lunch cold. I also can stuff quite a bit in there! These bags come in a variety of pretty patterns.  It's also gone to work with Adam many times and works part time as Penny's snack carrier when we're out and about.

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Sandwich bags
Sandwich baggies are another one of those silly one-time-use items that in reality can be used multiple times but so few of us care to clean and dry them after their use. The good news is that sandwich baggies are recyclable (recycle them along with your plastic grocery bags at your local supermarket) and Ziploc recently partnered with Recycle Bank to encourage consumers to recycle their bags by offering rewards points.

But that doesn't really solve the problem, does it? So here are my two choices for ridding my house of sandwich baggies.

• For wet, messy lunch items (like cottage cheese and canned fruit.. yum!) I like to use high quality plastic containers or glass.
• For everything else - from sandwiches, cut up fruits or veggies to chips - I've been loving these awesome zippered reusable sandwich baggies from Baby's Growing Up Green. 

These reusable bags come in two sizes - handy sandwich and a bigger quart size. They're double layered with a cute print on the outside and food safe vinyl on the inside - so even if you put a bunch of freshly washed grapes inside, it won't leak and get your sandwich wet in another bag! I love the zipper feature for two reasons - it's easier to keep clean than velcro (half of our cloth diaper stash is velcro and picking lint out of the teeth is a biiiiig pet peeve of mine!) and offers a more securely closed container than velcro does. I've even been able to fill it with chips the night before and store my husband's lunch in the fridge overnight and they were still perfectly crunchy the next day.

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Drink Containers
Nowadays there are a ton of options for carrying your drinks. Sometimes it seems like the cheapest and easiest way is just to buy a pack of bottled water from your local grocery and pack it daily. Again, we feel good about ourselves because the plastic or glass bottle is listed as recyclable but is it really necessary to have these be one time use?

As a breastfeeding mother, drinking water is absolutely essential but honestly is really difficult for me - I get so bored with it quickly! When I was pregnant, I asked my midwife is drinking tea counts as hydrating - to which she smiled at me and said no. Drink water, she said. Well drinking water is reaaaaaally hard for me! I even started trying to trick myself by heating plain water and just dunking a slice of lemon in it, to make myself feel like I was drinking tea. It worked for a while, but drinking a hot liquid is not a preferred option year round ;)

So when I came across the ZingAnything Citrus Zinger, I knew my hydration problem had been solved!

This unique water bottle features a "zinger" in the bottom of the bottle that allows you to infuse your water with a variety of citrus fruits like lemons, limes or clementines. The fruit is contained in a compartment that allows the water and some pulp to circulate, but you don't have to worry about slices of lemon slapping you in the face when you go for a drink.  Mix it up! You can use sparkling water, iced tea, add herbs such as ginger or mint, or a handful of berries too.

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Aren't these some great prizes? I hope you enjoyed reading about the topic and that you'll find these prizes interesting - I was pretty excited to share them with you! There are tons of daily entries so be sure to come back often and gain more points by extra tweets, pins and comments!

One final thought about packing a "green" lunch: start a little bit at a time. It's easier to make small changes over time than completely change course in one day. Be more mindful about single use items and see where you can make changes that work for you. Eventually it will add up and make a big difference!

I received products from each of the above sponsors to accurately facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided.

Giveaway rules:  This giveaway is in no way associated or sponsored by Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Open to US residents only, aged 18 and over. Winners will be contacted within 48 hours of the end of the giveaway via email. They have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment, though I will advocate to make sure you receive it!

The Pierogie Mama Whips Up Strawberry Pierogies!

Welcome to the April 2013 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Family Recipes

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants are sharing their recipes, their stories, their pictures, and their memories.

***

Uhm, I'm a little embarrassed. I've been keeping this little blog for over a year and I have not once posted a recipe about pierogies. For shame!!

If you are unfamiliar with what the heck a pierogie is, you've come to the right place. In this blog's context, The Pierogie is my daughter, Penelope. That was what we called her before learned that she is a girl. For the rest of the world, a pierogie is a Polish dumpling. Kind of like ravioli, as the dough is very similar to pasta dough (with the exception of salt and olive oil). It is by far my most favorite food in the world and brings so many memories to mind each time I make them.

I am Polish by heritage - both of my parents immigrated from Poland, I grew up speaking Polish and all of my family still lives there. Growing up, I gained "aunts" and "uncles" via my parents' Polish friends and those sort of became my extended family. One of which is the lovely mama behind The Perogy Project - where she concocts both traditional and pretty-freaking-amazing off the wall renditions of pierogie fillings. Although pierogies are definitely made year round, my mom and I go into a pierogie making frenzy each year for Christmas Eve, Wigilia in Poland, and make several hundred...all of which are eaten. During my last visit to Poland at the age of 16, I got to make pierogies alongside my maternal grandmother and great-grandmother.. A memory I will always cherish. Those ladies make pierogies the old fashioned way - completely by hand. For me, although I love the old-worldedness of crafting your food with your hands, I confess I am often too rushed to take the time to knead out the dough by hand. Instead, I ensure this important task to the workhorse of my kitchen - my beloved KitchenAid.

The recipe I'll be sharing with you today is one of the easiest ways to prepare pierogies. It is one of my favorite ways to eat pierogies - with sweet strawberry filling.

You will need:
Dough:
3 cups of flour  + 1/2 a cup in case
1 egg
a tall glass of cold water
Filling:
3 cups of chopped strawberries
1/2 teaspoon of cream of wheat
1 teaspoon of sugar

You'll do:
1. You can use a KitchenAid or your hands for the dough, but truth be told even if you start out with the KitchenAid, you will eventually switch over to kneading with your hands so be prepared (take your rings off). Mix the 3 cups of flour, egg and about 1/2 cup of the cold water. The goal is to get the dough into play-dough consistency. So add more flour or water as you see necessary. Eventually you'll see the dough come mostly together, so remove it from the mixer and start kneading by hand until it is well incorporated. The dough should not be sticky or overly dry.

2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your strawberry filling by chopping the strawberries. I used frozen organic strawberries today because strawberries are not in season. Transfer the strawberries into a bowl, sprinkle with the cream of wheat and sugar. The cream of wheat is to help keep the filling together a little. If you don't have any on hand, it is not absolutely vital.

3. Working with a little bit of dough at a time (and keeping the dough you're not using covered so it doesn't try out), roll it out on a floured surface. Keep both sides of the dough and your rolling pin lightly floured. Roll it out to be about as thick as you would see ravioli dough being. You can see that I can almost see my fingers through the dough, but you don't want it too thin (the pierogies will break) or too thick (the dough flavor will overpower your pierogies). It's sort of a learning process.





4. Using a raviloi/pierogie press (I bought mine at a kitchen store) or a large cup, press out circles in your dough.




5. If you are using the pierogie press, lay a circle onto the press and fill the center with filling. You don't want to overfill it, because that will cause the pierogie to break when you boil it. If you don't have a pierogie press, you can easily do this by hand. I go back and forth between how I like to make mine - I enjoy putting the time and effort into hand pressing these pierogies together, but using the press is faster and they tend to seal better. It's up to you.



  

6. As you press each pierogie together, lay them on a well floured baking pan. If you leave them on an unfloured surface for too long, the dough will stick and you will have a ruined pierogie. Sad!




7. You can freeze these immediately (see below for freezing instructions) or cook them up right away. Prepare a pot of boiling water, dunk 5-6 pierogies at a time and boil until they float.










8. To serve, lay them on a dish and slather in unsalted butter with a sprinkle of sugar! Sooo good. These remind me of summer afternoons visiting with my babcia in Poland.

9. To freeze: Arrange the pierogies on a floured baking sheet, as instructed above. Freeze in your freezer until they are solid. Transfer them to ziplock bags for up to 3 months - if you can practice enough self restraint not to eat these morning, noon and night!

Alternatives:
This dough recipe can be used for all flavors of pierogies. The Perogy Project features a recipe for Saskatoon berry filling (for you Canucks), or you can replace blueberries in my recipe above, meat fillings (such as beef, pork, chicken, turky), potato and cheese ("Ruske," my favorite!), sauerkraut and mushroom.. Oh yes, the possibilities go on.


And as we Poles say,

***

Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• German Red Cabbage: A Family Tradition — At Living Peacefully with Children, Mandy shares her favorite dish and a part of her family's history.
• Rotisserie Chicken Recipes for Meal Planning — Becky at Crafty Garden Mama shares a new recipe that is in her family's meal-planning rotation. Check out how she uses a rotisserie chicken to get through the week.
• Grandma Wicken's Sugar Cookies — Jana Falls at Jananas talks about how special her Grandma's sugar cookies made her feel.
• Recipe: Seed and Bean Burgers — ANonyMous at Radical Ramblings shares one of her favourite frugal recipes that is also super-healthy and totally delicious.
• PULLING Dinner Together For the Kids – Crockpot Pulled Pork — Lisa at The Squishable Baby PULLS dinner together for the kids.
• The Best Banana Muffin Recipe (Gluten Free & Vegan) — Dionna of Code Name: Mama's adventures in gluten free baking have not been 100% successful. But today she is guest posting at Fine and Fair to share a banana muffin recipe that will knock your socks off!
• The Pierogie Mama Whips Up Strawberry Pierogies! — Bianca at The Pierogie Mama shares her family's recipe for strawberry pierogies…a sweet, summery version of the Polish dumplings that she affectionately named her daughter after.
• Mom's Cookbook — Tree at Mom Grooves digs into the big book her mom created for her six daughters and shares a favorite family recipe.
• Crispy Duck Confit — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama takes the liberty of starting a family recipe tradition with this super simple, totally delicious crispy duck confit.
• Stovetop BBQ Chicken — Amy at Me, Mothering, and Making it All Work shares a yummy BBQ chicken recipe that you can make on the stovetop in less than 25 minutes, fridge to table!
• Twice-Baked Sweet Potato Casserole w/Bacon — Martine at Whey Beyond the Naked Truth shares a naked food twist on an old family favorite!
• Strawberry Panna Cotta — KerryAnn at CookingTF.com shows you her favorite dessert, a quick and easy Strawberry Panna Cotta that she enjoys so much, she had it instead of a birthday cake this year.
• Special crepes for a special day — Mikko at Hobo Mama is learning to cook his grandma's signature holiday meal alongside his dad.
• Three Favorite Family Recipes: To Eat, To Wash, To Play — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings is back with three family favorites: gluten-free vanilla orange sugar cookies, DIY powdered laundry detergent, and something fun for the kids: homemade "Flubber"!
• Black Bean Soup Forever — Mercedes at Project Procrastinot shares a soup recipe that's been around forever.
• Do you want to know a secret? — SRB at Little Chicken Nuggets lets go of her mac and cheese recipe, a comfort food favourite for friends and family for years.
• Creating Our Own Family Recipes — Emily at S.A.H.M. i AM shares how she's trying to create meals that her girls will want to pass down to their own children some day.
• Vranameer Chicken: A Family Recipe — Luschka at Diary of a First Child shares a recipe that reminds her of childhood and more specifically, of her mother. It's a South African take on sweet and sour chicken and what it lacks in healthy it makes up for in tantalising to the taste buds.
• One Recipe, Three Uses: Dishwasher Liquid Detergent, Dish Soap, and Hand Soap — If you love saving money and time, you'll love this green recipe from Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama, guest posting at Natural Parents Network.
• Our Family's Favorite Pies — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares recipes and tutorials for the quintessential American dessert.
• Deliciously Easy Crock Pot Chili — Lactating Girl shares her crock pot chili that is not only quick and easy, but awesome.
• All-Purpose Crock Pot Pork — Crunchy Con Mommy's simple "recipe" for cooking perfect pork in the crock pot is for whatever mood her family is in!
• Family Rules: A Recipe for Harmony — Cooped-up kids + winter weather + frazzled parents can all blend together into a recipe for disaster. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares what brought back the peace in her house.
• Favorite Healthy Family Recipes — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her family’s healthy eating experiences along with links to free printable vegetarian recipes that her family has created with love.
• Grandma's Banana Bread — Megan at The Boho Mama has early and fond memories of her grandma's banana bread. It's love in a loaf!
• Family Comfort Food — Jorje of Momma Jorje shares a recipe handed down that moms have made for their kids, for regular meals as well as to comfort.

Happy Family Toddler Food Review and Giveaway!

Today I'm pleased to share with you a little bit about Happy Family baby food!

We first introduced Penny to solid foods at about 6 1/2 months via the baby-led weaning route. She started out with soft food, like avocado, and has since graduated to pretty close to eating exactly what we eat at every meal (reduced to bite sized portions, of course!). But as adults, we are prone to fall into our own routines and I know that not everything I eat is completely nutritious (we all know about my borderline unhealthy chocolate addiction) and certainly not organic, even though we are edging closer and closer to eating as naturally as possible.

However, as wholesome and nutritious as I endevour to be, it's not always possible. Some foods just aren't available in organic options where I live. So I decided that it was time to take a look at what kind of baby/toddler food is available on the market that fills in the gaps at home. I wanted to be sure that if I am going to be paying for baby specific food it needed be above the ordinary.

So when I discovered the Happy Family brand of baby and toddler food, I was able to breathe a big sigh of relief.  Why? Because their baby food is all organic and many ingredients are non-GMO certified (for a list of their non-GMO certified products, click here). GMOs or "genetically modified organisms" are a big deal for this mama, I've made the commitment to making sure Penny stays away from the whenever possible and am working on cutting them out of my and Adam's diets as well.

Along with having the standard flavors for baby food (pears and butternut squash), there's also a wide variety of ingredients that aren't old fashioned standard, such as kale. Or grains that I've never even heard of - like salba.







For this post we reviewed Happy Yogis, Happy Tot Meal Bowls, Happy Tot and Happy Tot Plus food pouches and Happy Munchies.

Because I am a stay at home mama and love to cook, it isn't very often that I use prepared baby food at home. But when we are out and about, it's a different story. Although Penny is still nursing, as a mama of a very interested toddler it's becoming more and more difficult to just sit down and nurse for a beat. Playing peek-a-boo with the hooter-hider is Penny's favorite game, but definitely not mine!

So for short trips away from home I keep a few different treats in the diaper bag handy. I like to use Happy Yogis and Munchies in the car. If Penny is getting a little grumpy I can pass them back without really worrying about her making too big of a mess back there. The Yogis are little freeze dried drops of yogurt and fruit with pre- and pro-biotics. We were able to try the Mixed Berry flavor and Penny is definitely a fan. They melt quickly, which is great for babies just trying out the concept. As for the Munchies, we've tried out both the rice cakes and cheese and veggie snack...Which remind me a little of Pirate Booty! These have been Penny's favorite lately as she's sprouted 4 teeth since January and is in super crunchy mode.

The food pouches are also a major hit. When we're out on longer shopping excursions and again, Penny is getting grumpy, these are a nice way to momentarily distract her and help us keep going. It seems like my coping mechanism to a fussy toddler is to shovel food at her.. lol! But I convince myself that it's ok because it's full of healthy fruits, veggies and grains instead of sugary snacks. It's also been great on the nights where I don't have my stuff together for dinner and we end up with something simple, but Penny can supplement with a Tot pouch.

Penny's favorite pouches tend to be the sweeter ones (go figure) with fruit. Her favorite by far is the strawberry, kiwi, beet and pear pouch. We've found that the green beans, pear and pea Tot pouches are a little thick and pasty for Penny's tastes, so she wasn't an immediate fan.

Last night Penny had vegetable ravioli in the Toddler Meal Bowl. The little raviolis were so darling and perfectly bite sized! Penny went pretty crazy, signing "more" as soon as each bite was in her mouth! I loved this meal bowl because it keeps in line it our baby-led weaning technique of feeding her foods as similar to ours as possible.

So in short, the Happy Family brand of baby/toddler food is a great choice for making sure your little one is getting wholesome, organic food whether you are on the go or at home.

Love what you see? Happy Family didn't only set me up with these yummy delights, they are giving away a coupon package for The Pierogie Mama readers too! Check out the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Open to US residents only.
Disclosure: Thank you to Happy Family for sending me manufacturer's coupons to facilitate this post and to provide an honest review.  All opinions in this post are my own.

Festival of Food: I'm possesive over my homemade applesauce

Welcome to the Festival of Food Carnival. In celebration of autumn and Halloween, we're sharing recipe ideas for healthy treats, or anything you would enjoy this time of year. Hosted by Diary of a First Child and Hybrid Rasta Mama, you're welcome to join us next time, or if you have a previously published recipe you'd like to share, add it to the linky below. 

 

Mmmmm..can you smell it? The sweet combination of baked apples with a touch of cinnamon, cardamom or chai spice? Applesauce is my tradition for the start of fall. A warm bowl on a rainy afternoon, while curled up reading a book (or, lately - snuggled up with my hubs, baby or dogs.. sometimes all together) perfectly represents this glorious season. That, and brisk walks, apple cider, aromatic pies, scarves, sweaters and seeing my baby in a cute knitted hat.

We're what you might call applesauce snobs. I have a hierarchy for my applesauce. I use applesauce in a lot of my baking (as a replacement for oil and calories), but will only use the store bought stuff. I jealously guard reserve the homemade variety so that it is only enjoyed in a bowl, by itself. Why? Because I painstakingly peeled, cored, chopped, and cooked each one of those apples and I'll be damned if each bite isn't savored.  I even ration my husband's portions, because in my mind if he has too much at one time, it isn't special anymore. Yea, he thinks I'm crazy and controlling over my applesauce. I'm not afraid to admit it, either.

Enough of my melodrama, homemade applesauce isn't that hard. It's time consuming. It can be painful, when your hands are tired or you've accidentally nicked yourself one too many times with the peeler. Or when your hands are all pruney from the juice and the slices slip out of your hands over and over. Applesauce isn't technically difficult - it's just not for the faint of heart ;) I truly see it as one of my labors of love for my family.

Growing up, my mom made applesauce in a pot and it felt like it took days. And a lot of attention. I'm definitely a "set it and forget it" kind of cook (whenever possible) - so that wasn't going to work for me. And lo - behold, the crockpot.  My sister in law taught me how to make applesauce in this manner, otherwise I probably would either a)still be a slave to the stove and pot or b)not making applesauce at all.

So since that first fall where she came over with her own crockpot and borrowed my father in law's crockpot, I've sort of grown my own little crockpot army. I think I have 5 total. And they all range in different sizes, from the tiny party-dip size to the humongous cook-a-turkey size. Whenever possible, I use all of them to my advantage come applesauce time. The smaller crockpots cook the apples faster, so I use them to "flash-heat" the pieces and eventually move them into bigger crockpots as I chop more apples. It's my own crazy little science, and perhaps in my attempt to efficiently cook apple pieces as quickly as possible I've also wasted a lot of time and energy in coordinating the mush between crockpots, but hey- to each her own. You don't need 5 crockpots to make applesauce. I just like to make a production out of it :)

Had enough of my babble? Ready to embark on your own applesauce adventure? Read on.

What you'll need:

• Organic apples (rule of thumb: 1 lb of apples = 1 cup of applesauce)
• crockpot(s)
• Tools to core, peel, chop apples: I use a corer, a peeler and a knife. Although, one of these days I need to get an actual apple peeler and corer. 
• Optional: hot water to heat up your crock pot quickly 
• Optional spices (any combination of your choice): cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, chai spice, apple/pumpkin pie spice blends **No sugar needed! :)
• Containers to store your applesauce - tupperware for freezing, jars for canning (see this link from PickYourOwn.Org on canning)
• Depending on how many apples you have, expect to spend about 1-2 hours coring, peeling and chopping, and about 5-8 hours of cook time depending on your crockpot. 

What you'll do:
1. Start with your apples. I keep an eye out for good prices on organic apples at the start of September. Besides the feel-good portion of choosing organic, it is SO important to use organic apples because they are the #1 fruit in the Dirty Dozen List. The Dirty Dozen is a list of foods that have the highest level of pesticides. Sometimes organic fruits/veggies go on super-sale at your local grocery store, but you can also venture out to your farmer's market or fruit stands that are popular this time of year.  We've always used Golden Delicious apples because they are so naturally sweet, but this year I picked the apples off the tree in my parents' yard (another reason why I should be possessive over my applesauce - I picked these apples with my own two hands! They didn't magically appear one day from the grocery store). But the bottom line is use the type of apples that you find tasty. The amount of apples you use is up to you. Remember, 1 pound of apples will produce about 1 cup of applesauce (see what I meant by labor of love??).

2. Core and peel your apples.

3. While coring and peeling, prep your crock pot. One of my efficient-applesauce-secrets: turn the crockpot on HIGH, and fill it about half way with already hot water. This will heat the ceramic quickly and as soon as you pop your first apple chunks in there they will immediately start to cook.  Keep it closed.

3. For the chopping part, I like to chop them relatively thin and uniformally (another of my efficient apple sauce secrets!) because the apple chunks cook quickly and the applesauce will be pretty smooth. If you like chunky, chop them in varying thickness and sizes. Once you have accumulated a decent sized apple chunk pile, dump the hot water and turn the crockpot to LOW. Keep the lid closed as much as possible.

4. Chop, chop, chop away. You'll be here a while. Transfer into the crockpot when necessary, but don't open the lid too often!

5. Cook until you've reached the desired consistency, stirring every 2-3 hours. If the sauce is too watery, remove the lid for about 5 minutes and stir to allow some water to evaporate. I've never had a problem with my applesauce being too thick, but I suppose if it was too thick you can add a few tablespoons water or apple juice to loosen it up a bit.

6. Now that I have a baby, I prefer to leave my applesauce unseasoned until I'm ready to serve, so that I have the option to give some to her. But if you don't mind, you can season to suit at this point.

7. When done, scoop your applesauce in your choice of storing containers. Average shelf life of applesauce in a tupperware in the fridge is less than two weeks (don't worry, it probably won't be a problem!).

Whew! See, like I said - in theory, not that hard. It's not rocket science, people. But it definitely takes some time. I look forward to one day sharing this responsibility with Penelope / kicking up my feet and watching her toil over those apple slices ;)

So what do you think, am I crazy for hoarding my applesauce? Do you hoard any food of your own?

Here are some fun ways to enjoy applesauce (besides in a festive bowl by the fire)

• As a condiment: on pork chops, potato pancakes, oatmeal, ice cream, apple spice cake (!), waffles or pancakes
• Mix with walnuts and golden raisins (I like to soften mine up by placing them in hot water for a few minutes prior)
• I'm excited to try this one out - scroll about half way down for Organized Living Essential's Recipe for her Vanilla Yogurt and Applesauce with Almond Oatmeal Topping

Comment below if you have your own special way of enjoying applesauce!






Please take a moment to visit the blogs of our other Festival of Food participants. The links in this list will be live by the end of the day, as participants are all in different time zones.

• Jessica from Delicious Obsessions shares her recipe for Lemon Coconut Blueberry Macadamia Nut Muffins, a low-carb, low-sugar treat that won't leave you feeling guilty. You can also find Jessica on Facebook.
• Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares a recipe for Unsweetened Cinnamon Applesauce in the slow cooker, a yummy treat that also makes the house smell amazing. You can also find Abbie on Facebook.
• Lulastic of Lulastic and the Hippy Shake shares a story of urban foraging, and the delicious recipe for the Fruit Leathers she made with the harvest! You can also find Lulastic on Facebook.
• Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares a super easy, fix it and forget about it Crock Pot Pumpkin Custard that tastes like warm pumpkin pie filling without the sugar and grains! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.
• Bianca at the Pierogie Mama justifies why she guards her homemade applesauce from 'unauthorized' uses.  You can also find Bianca on Facebook.
• Jennifer from True Confessions of a Real Mommy helps you take your love of all things pumpkin to the dinner table! A gluten free, dairy free, and vegan if you like Thai Pumpkin Soup to warm you up! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.
• Crackerdog Sam guest posts at Hobo Mama with a slightly sweet, stove-popped Cracker Jack alternative. You can also find Hobo Mama talking about Crackerdog Sam on Facebook.
• Luschka at Diary of a First Child shares her foundation recipe for 'milkshakes' - coloured green smoothies - that her toddler loves to have with 'chocolate' date balls and banana 'ice cream'. You can also fine Luschka on Facebook.
• Amy at Anktangle shares a wholesome version of a decadent treat: Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars. They have a classic, no-bake cookie flavor while being gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan. Nut-free substitutions included! You can also find Amy on Facebook.

Stay connected! Be sure to "Like" the 

Festival of Food Carnival Facebook page.

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