Easy No-Bake Energy Bites

You know I am always making snacks, ones that are healthy and the kids would love.

With any snack, fibre is a major goal.

Recently, Rayna was bouting some tummy issues. For me, this was super traumatizing watching her be uncomfortable, as well as the fact that I try so hard to give them healthful foods at least 80% of the time. It kind of concerned me that on the odd occasions she may eat something that would send her gut off on this painful course. 

Of course, I may be being a bit dramatic (but food and nutrition are kind of something that I feel I got a handle on, so for me, yeah it's a big deal). 

Anywho, it got me thinking that I want to have home-made snacks on hand for times we have to be on the go, or if I have a meeting to run to and must leave with a sitter, or whatever. Just something trustworthy and healthful yet filling. 

Now, as a bonus, I wanted to create something I would love to eat too...given I'm kind of on the go most of the time. 

I have been seeing the concept of these "energy balls" or "bites" being pretty popular. So, I set off to the kitchen to play with some ingredients I had on hand and test out a few recipes. This was was pretty "rock on" (sorry, Caiden has been saying that lately), and was so stoked I handed them out!

Not only is is fricking jam-packed with goodness and nutrition, it is a fulfilling snack, and gives a little bit of needed energy if you are feeling sluggish.

So give it a go...the kids ate them up, I did, and a few other adults. I think this will be in rotation at my place.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp seedibles cinnawow (if you don't have this use ground flax mixed with cinnamon)
2 tbsp desiccated unsweetened coconut
1tsp honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter)
2 to 3 tbsp peach & pear puree (preferably homemade)
1 tsp vanilla

What to do:

Mix everything well, in a medium-sized bowl, by hand is easiest. At this point you can add in additional items you wish to (see the notes for some ideas). 

Cover and chill in your refrigerator, for 20 minutes.

Take out and roll into small balls (about 1/2 inch balls).

Chill again for 15 to 20 minutes, just to set shape.

Enjoy.

Notes:

• To make puree at home: Peel and cut 1 Bartlett Pear, 1 peach, add about 2 tablespoons of water and blend away. 
• Optional add-ins: dried cranberries, crushed nuts, yogurt chips, dark chocolate bits, raisins, pumpkin seeds, chopped up dates...
• It's up to you what vanilla you use, I couldn't wait to use the vanilla I got from Mexico...honestly it was delicious!
  

I love the way you talk.

Isn't it amazing how quickly kids pick up language, words, and even emotions?

It's dope.

The process of learning how to talk is so fascinating to me, not to mention it is so beyond cute to hear baby-voiced words.

Rayna is such a talker these days. She has mastered the art of stringing together sentences and it is so adorable. The best is when I ask her to do something her reply is "otay momma." Or if she is looking for her dad or brother she says, "hey, where dadda tho" (tho is baby talk for go, FYI). And if she is in her diva, bossy, queen bee mode, we hear, "Caiden, come here right NOW," signaling her brother to come play with her.

Whatever she is saying, I honestly melt inside. Either it's cracking me up, or it is soooooooooo cute.

Sometimes, I cannot believe I have two communicating toddlers. The beauty of it really is watching them interact and tell each other what they want to do...I have to step back and allow myself to fall deeper in love with every moment like these.

The other day, Caiden said to me let's plag hide and seek. So we did. Rayna and I went to look for him and he hid in a small opening between his 2 wardrobes. When Rayna yelled, "I see you Caiden" his response was a cool, "no you cannot, I am camouflaged."

What!! CAMOUFLAGED YOU SAID??? You are 3! Floored me. I think I was in elementary when I learned to talk like that. Never mind he tells me my food is delicious and that somethings are ridiculous...yes my 3-year old's vocab is killing me. 

All of their talk is something I want to remember. I try to record things, but the truth is...they are growing. Growing daily is a beautiful yet scary thing for me. One day both will lose this baby voice, cute way of speaking...and I will probably ask them to shut-up.

So my friends, if you, like me, are at this stage with your kiddos. Do cherish it. I love it. Love it so much, I can cry.

It's things like this that solidify why I choose to spend as much time as I can, when I can, with breaks of course, with these 2 chatterboxes.

I love the way they talk...the crying, let's be honest, I could do without. ;)

2 Stuffed Chicken Recipes You Will Love

I love chicken.

I love the versatility of chicken, I love the lean quality, I love that I can create lunch and dinner with it, and it goes with just about everything. The kids love chicken too. So needless to say, we ensure we always have lean chicken breast in our freezer.

Chicken As Nutritious as Possible and Farm Fresh

Given that we are buying chicken all the time, I do want to ensure I am feeding my family quality foods which is as fresh as possible. So it was a blessing when I found out about Sprout Farm Fresh Meats. 

This is a meat delivery service that is farm-fresh, offering quality butcher-quality meats. Yes, you heard me, from farm to your home, and you don't have to leave the house. Serious win!

Basically, here is no inventory kept on hand, when you order the meats you want, it is only then that the Sprout Farm Fresh Meats goes and gets it from their partner farms and then arrange to have it delivered directly to your home!  What a great service.

Now we can cut out the middle man, have meats that are just a few days young, and hence offering its highest nutritional profile. To learn more go to www.eatsprout.ca

My Order from Sprout Farm Fresh

I had to try it for myself, and what did I get...chicken breast! Beautifully cut, packaged, lean chicken breast, ready to use, came right to my door. I got notification of the date and time to expect my order, and it came without haste.

I urge you to check it out for yourself. I found it, personally to be extremely convenient, healthier and fresher, and surprisingly...absolutely affordable and well-priced. 

Now, normally I would freeze the meat I buy, but knowing it came from the farm that day, I was anxious to use it to cook dinner, right away.

2 Stuffed Chicken Recipes

So I took to creating two different stuffed chicken recipes (trust me, not as difficult as it sounds). One breaded, one coated in a homemade sauce. Both turned out, and I really want to share here with you!

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Breaded Chicken

This turned out beautiful, and because of the garlic, I found the need for seasoning to be so little. I suggest serving with brown rice and a salad or eating on its own (it is stuffed with goodness after all). 

Ingredients

3 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
5 cloves garlic, crushed
5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved
8 broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 tbsp margarine or butter
3 oz gouda, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs

What To Do 

Open up the chicken breasts, so it is in a heart shape (cut down the middle and open, do not split into 2 pieces). Cover with saran wrap and slightly flatten using a rolling pin or meat mortar (not too thin).

In a dish, combine the garlic, cherry tomatoes, broccoli and margarine and mix well.

Place the mixture evenly on the inside of the chicken (just on one side).

Place a piece of gouda on the top.

Fold the chicken over to cover completely.

In a plate, pour your breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper (and any other spices you wish to add). Beat the eggs in a separate dish.

Take each chicken and dip into the egg, and then place into the breadcrumb plate. Ensure it is fully coated and covered.

Place on a baking try (slightly greased) and bake at 325 for about 30-35min (check to see if browned on top to a crisp).

Pepper & Feta Stuffed Chicken with Lime & Cilantro

This is a quick and easy stuffed chicken recipe, with the sauce you do not need to season the actual chicken and ingredients. It's a great recipe to serve with a side of green beans or chickpeas, or on top of some light pasta. 

Ingredients

4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
5 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
1 handful cilantro
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
feta cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
toothpicks

What To Do 

In a small chopper, combine the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro and lime juice. Blend until fully mixed and chopped to a fine consistency. If need be, add more lime juice to make it thinner. Set aside.

Open up the chicken breasts, so it is in a heart shape, no need to flatten. 

In each chicken, place some peppers and feta (do not overfill but the amount is up to you). 

Close each chicken with toothpicks to seal. 

Place the chicken in the sauce and fully coat. If you like, at this stage you can allow it to marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour (marinated seals in more flavour, but if you don't have the time, don't worry, it's still good).

Place on a baking tray and bake at 325 for about 20-25min, checking to see if the chicken is fully cooked through.

That's it, bon appetit!



*All Images were taken by me
*I was provided product to create this post, however, as always, all opinions and thoughts are my own

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

I am not kidding.

These cookies were awesome, nutrition-packed and completely gluten-free and sugar-free.

Though it was a treat, these cookies could be eaten as part of breakfast or a snack, completely guilt-free.

The kids had no idea they were good for them, they polished it off, no problem. They even looked at me funny when I told them they can have it for breakfast.

Here is how to make these delicious treats.

Ingredients:

1 cup of all natural peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 egg

1 banana (optional)

2 squares of natural dark chocolate or 2 tsp natural dark cocoa (optional)

What to do:

Using a mixer, combine all ingredients together until you have a creamy consistency.

Place a rounded scoop amount on a slightly greased baking tray.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

That's it!

It was so easy that I had Caiden assist me, like he actually did help me, vs me giving him some nonsense task.

Enjoy!

At the End of the Day

I'm not the perfect parent. But at the end of the day, I feel like an amazing mom.

My kids make me proud, and I know they are young, and I may sometimes wear "mom goggles", but they truly are amazing kids. It's fascinating to watch their personalities emerge and grow into beings, it tingles my heart when they call me, and it warms my core each time they just want my embrace.

Having a 1 and 3 year old is not easy times. I deal with tantrums and chasing them for baths or nap times constantly. Oh...bedtime can be the worst. Sometimes I am exhausted and spent by bedtime that I actually pray they go to bed with no fuss that night. Seems silly, but in that moment I feel just desperate.

But then they close their sleepy eyes, they sleep with all the day's excitement and play behind them, and they both love cuddles. As I kiss each in their sleep, I fall more in love with them. 

At the end of the day, love for our kids outweighs all the stresses and tiredness it takes to raise a family. 

At the end of the day, they don't care if we got that promotion, or if we made the best lasagna, or if we got that house, or even if we didn't feel well enough to go to the park. Their only concern is feeling loved and happy and safe.

We do that moms and dads. 

At the end of the day, that is all that matters. 

I Am By No Means A Chef.

I recently discovered that I do love to cook. Not just occasionally, and not by following recipes, not creating something great, and not "having to", I actually like to cook.

What may happen when I cook, will it turn out, what am I even making? All these questions are generally (not always) unknowns when I cook...how I cook.

Afterall, I am my no means a chef.

I am not claiming to be. And that is OK. I hear so often people ask "can you cook?" The answer is an expected yes or no, sometimes the no response yielding laughter. However, cooking, to me, isn't something you have to be "good" at to do. Like working out, I may not be an expert but I still do it (ok that part I do need to work on).

When I cook, I generally do it to control what we are all eating and putting in our bodies. I do it because I love to create without judgement in the kicthen. When I cook, I rarely follow a recipe...but just go with the flow. Having said all that, I do:

• generally know what goes with what
• plan what I want stocked in our fridge
• aim to be healthy and nutritious
• focus around creating balance for my kids diets 

When I prepare meals for my family, I add what I can to add nutritional value, as I mainly know what they have eaten through the whole day. I want to ensure they are getting enough protein, fruits, vegetables, calcium and fibre. I also want them to have a varied diet, so not always eating the same things. 

Having all this in mind, pushes me to cook as often as I can.

Back to me not being a chef. I really feel like cooking does not have to be complicated. It can be trial and error. 

• I see fruits, so I try various combinations of smoothies.
• I see produce so I saute different ones with either shrimp or chicken to make a "sort-of" stir-fry.
• I see enough recipes that I kind of play with what I have on hand and just "remix" it to my liking.

At the end of the day, that's what makes it fun for me. Knowing I serve my family wholesome foods (at least 80% of the time) and playing around with food. You will notice my recipes are not complex, they are simple and easy, and kid-tested. 

So don't be afraid of cooking...it's what you want to make of it.

I am by no means a chef, I don't have to be...neither do you.

Happy eating.

Improving Your Parental Posture - Tips from a Chiropractor

We don't realize that sometimes simply feeding and lifting our young ones can in fact hurt our posture, and in turn our backs, necks and shoulders.

I didn't really realize this myself, until I had Ray...I was cluster feeding her always, and she became very used to being in my arms. So I spent a lot of time with her cradled, and didn't pay attention to posture, admittedly. I noticed, a few times, some pinching or knotted pain in my lower back occassionally. At one point, I even was in pain picking her up from her crib. I ignored it for a while, thinking I am in good health, so it shouldn't be an issue. Eventually, Vick told me I need to go to his chiropractor.

I never had seen a chiropractor before, ever. 

Well going was a great idea for me. I felt great, and was told that it would be a good idea to go in a few more times. Me, ignoring my posture, sleeping awkwardly, could do some long-term damage to a normally healthy spine and neck. So I paid better attention to posture, and I'm thankful Vick made that appointment for me. I have notably a lot less back pain (then and now).

So, needless to say, I think it's important to share some tips on improving your posture, or being conscious of it, for all moms with babies.

Here are some tips provided by Dr. Nekessa Remy, a Top Canadian Chiropractor. Dr. Remy works in health and wellness, and helps parents to prevent sore muscles and back. She offers up these key tips to moms with babies. 

Improve your Parental Posture

When Feeding the Baby

Sufficient support on your elbows is key in making sure that your arms and shoulders can relax. Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, make sure you sit tall, preferably in an armchair – a feeding pillow under your baby can help to prevent you from bending forward to reach your baby.

When Carrying or Holding Your Child

Keep him or her close to your body and balanced in the center of your body instead of holding your child in one arm and balanced on your hip. This will lessen the strain and will evenly distribute the weight. When using a child carrier, keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed to avoid straining your back and neck.

When Lifting Your Child Out of the Crib

Make sure you keep your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent when lifting your child out of the crib. Feel the lift coming from the core of your body as you engage your abdominal muscles, while keeping your head up and hips slightly bent. Make sure to use both arms to lift your child as you closely hold him or her close to your body. Straighten your hips, making sure that you are in an upright position with your knees returning to a full stand. To return your child to the crib, use the same technique.

When Lifting Your Child From the Floor

Use a half-kneel lift and work your way up slowly. First, stand close to him or her on the floor and while keeping your back straight. With one foot slightly forward than the other, bend your hips and knees to lower yourself onto one knee. From the half-kneeling position, hold your child close to your body, tighten your abdominal muscles and push with your legs to slowly return to the standing position. To place your child back onto the floor, use the same half-kneel technique.

When Pushing a Stroller

Stay as close to the stroller as possible – this will allow your back to remain straight and your shoulders back. Push with the force coming from your entire body instead of exerting energy just from the arms. Avoid pushing the stroller too far ahead as this will cause you to hunch your back.

For more information, please visit Dr. Remy's website and Facebook page. 

These tips and all images are courtesy of UpLevel Solutions and Dr. Remy's practice.