Muffin Tin Meals

Emmalyn has always been a fantastic eater - from the time she was nursing through the introduction of solid foods. She's eaten things I never thought she would - pickles, olives, tuna, cottage cheese, the list goes on...she would try just about everything.

These last few weeks have been difficult in the food area. She sometimes flat out refuses to eat her meals and may only have one full meal in a day. But, I was putting options out there. If she was hungry, she would eat - that was my philosophy.

A while back I had run across a blog and added it to my Google Reader. I don't think Emma was even eating solids at the time, but I knew I had to save it for the future. Enter Muffin Tin Mom. Genius. Meals in cute muffin cups? Even I would eat that, no matter what was served! Michelle has a ton of great ideas and recipes on her blog.

I didn't have any cute shaped tins, but this week I pulled out my old muffin tin and started filling it with different things. Sometimes was just a matter of just cutting things differently. Example: Emmalyn has not been into string cheese lately (one of her prior favorites). I cut up the cheese in small squares and BOOM - empty cup and she was asking for more. The first night I filled the tins, she ate EVERY LAST THING. Amazing.

 

Now, I don't know how long the newness of the muffin cups will last. Just when you think you have toddlers figured out, they go and change things up. In the meantime, I'll be slicing and dicing to fill those cups. What tips and tricks do you use to get your toddler to eat?

DIY Body Scrub

After I had Emma, I started getting red bumps all over the back of my arms. I chalked it up to post-postpartum hormones. When she had weaned herself from nursing at around 13 months, they pretty much went away. Fast forward two years and I have a nursing 2-month old...and the bumps are back. They don't itch, but it looks like I have a constant rash and living in Florida, I want my arms to look good in a tank top.

After catching an episode of The Doctors, I self-diagnosed myself with Keratosis Pilaris. The doctors recommended a DIY body scrub made from sugar and olive oil to help get rid of the bumps. Since all of the lotions, creams and soaps I had tried in the past didn't do a thing, I decided to give the homemade concoction a try.

I added a few ingredients to make it even better (lemon and honey are really good for your skin!). The good news is, most people have these things in their pantry/fridge- so no running out to the store to buy things you won't use again. I've been using it for the past few weeks and have noticed a huge decrease in the amount of bumps and redness on my arms. Even if you don't have any problems with bumpy skin, this is an amazing body exfoliator.

Olive Oil Body Scrub

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons honey

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• Olive oil (amount depends on preference of texture)

Mix sugar, honey and lemon juice. Drizzle olive oil while mixing, until desired consistency is reached. Keep in an airtight jar, or make less for a one-time use. I use it every 2-3 days or as needed.

Cheddar Pancakes

When Emmalyn was five months old, we took a family weekend trip to St. Augustine, Florida. While there, I used the Yelp app on my iPhone to find good restaurants to try. After an amazing dinner at Creekside Dinery, I searched Yelp for some breakfast recommendations. We ended up at a little diner near the beach called Sea Oats Caffe. The review raved about their Cheddar Pancakes, and let me tell you - they did not disappoint.

Every now and then when we make pancakes at home, we like to throw in some cheese to change things up (plus it brings back memories our first mini-vacation as a family!).

These are super easy to make and if your kids are anything like my daughter, they'll love them.

Cheddar Pancakes
Buttermilk pancake mix
Shredded cheddar cheese
Water

Mix pancake mix and water as directed on the box. Pour pancake batter into heated pan (my daughter likes hers in the shape of Mickey Mouse). Sprinkle cheese all over raw side of pancake. Flip pancake and cook until desired crispness. Top with butter and maple syrup.

Feta & Chickpea Greek Salad

About once a week, I'll browse Pinterest for some new recipes to try at home. A few weeks ago, I came across a recipe for a Feta and Chick Pea Salad. I added the items to my weekly grocery list and off to Publix I went. I ended up changing the original recipe a bit to include more items I like (black beans!). It's healthy, refreshing and as an added bonus, Emma will eat it too!

Here's my adapted version:

1 can black beans
1 can chick peas
1/2 red onion (chopped)
1 cucumber (chopped)
1 tomato (chopped)
1 container feta cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
lemon and lime juice to taste

Add all ingredients to bowl, toss and refrigerate for a few hours. Enjoy!