Tag: vegetables | Baby Doodah!

Delicious Zucchini Pasta

Posted on July 16 by Jillian416 • 30 Comments

Hey everyone! I thought I’d do something a little different today and let a good friend of mine take the reigns and share a delicious (and gluten-free) recipe with you today!

Alright Adrianne – take it away!

Hi all! Adrianne here. I’m super excited to be sharing this recipe with the Baby Doodah community! It’s a perfect light meal for these hot summer days, and you will exponentially increase your chances of getting non-veggie eaters to eat their veggies (this is obviously backed by science). (This post first appeared on my blog adie-cakes, but it was just to good to keep to my own little corner of the blogosphere!)

In my (seemingly) never-ending quest to be the poster child for health and wellness (or, more realistically, offset those crazy days), I’m always on the lookout for interesting healthy meals.

Enter: vegetables masquerading as pasta.

Zucchini-Pasta-BabyDoodah

Now I know some lend themselves better to the task (like spaghetti squash, an obvious choice as the name would suggest), but I like to make things difficult. Zucchini? Without a mandolin? Why not?

Zucchni-Pasta-BabyDoodah1

While cutting zucchini into thin strips may be an annoyingly tedious and time consuming process, it was absolutely, totally worth it. As someone who loves her carby carbs, believe me when I tell you that you won’t even miss the pasta.

Now, don’t go in expecting the zucchini to taste like pasta, because that would be delusional. But, it makes for a pretty decent substitute, as a veggie with a relatively low flavor profile.

I used my zucchini pasta as a sub in my previously-posted pasta with sautéed leeks and mint (link to come later if you don’t feel like searching, but I can’t figure out how to get a link in when posting from the good ol’ iPad), which made for a very Springy green dinner.

So. Gather thee thy patience and a good sharp knife, and a few zucchini (duh), and make some pasta without the guilt!

Zucchni Pasta-BabyDoodah3

Zucchini “pasta” (1-2 zucchini per person, depending on size (of the zucchini, not the person))

Cut off the ends of your zucchini. Slice it lengthwise to about 1cm thick (aka thin – you’d be crazy to think I used a ruler). Slice each piece into matchsticks. Bring a pot of shallow water to a simmer, and simmer the zucchini for about 4-5 minutes. The zucchini should be cooked, but not soft and mushy like it can get (think al dente). Strain out water and toss zucchini with whatever sauce you’re using. I threw it into the pan with my leeks and sautéed for a couple minutes, for reference.

Enjoy!

I’m linking this yummy recipe up with Peas and Crayons and What I Ate Wednesday and Weekend Wind Down.

Filed Under: Food & Recipes

30 Paleo Breakfast Ideas

Posted on March 10 by Jillian416 • 4 Comments

On the Hunt for some Paleo Breakfast Ideas

I think the meal that I struggle the most with when transitioning to healthy eating is breakfast. First off, I just love breakfast, eggs fill me up like nothing else I’ve ever eaten, and a good piece of toast with butter and jelly will make even the gloomiest day seem a bit brighter. But even more than that, eggs taste delicious!

I know what you’re thinking, Jillian, eggs are Paleo so what are you going on about? Well, I love having my eggs with some form of bread, or bagel and those are definitively NOT Paleo. And every week when grocery shopping comes around, I add the same things to the list for breakfast that I always do, eggs, Wegmans everything bagel and American cheese slices. I stick with what works, and that egg sandwich has been keeping me full for a couple years now. But, I really REALLY want to eat better so I decided to look around for some breakfast ideas that include egg, or other options that will keep me full.

Here’s what I came up with:

My Favorite Paleo Breakfast Ideas

Bacon and Heirloom Tomato Frittata with Basil
I am a huge fan of eggs for breakfast, and this would be a great recipe to make on weekends or to make ahead and prepackage for the week.
Paleo Whoolly Mammoth Oatmeal
Oatmeal!? I know! I was surprised too, but Paleo Fuel and Fire has it figured out. I love love LOVE oatmeal for breakfast (not as much as eggs, but still a lot), and this looks pretty good. Something I could probably whip up ahead of time and then throw in the frying pan before leaving for work.
Banana Bites
Okay, seriously, such a brilliant idea. Mornings for a lot of people are rushed but all you need to do is slice up a banana and smother it with almond butter and put another slice of banana on top. Perfection!
Banana Nut Porridge
I love oatmeal, love it like there’s no tomorrow, but unfortunately if you choose to follow a Paleo lifestyle oatmeal is not an acceptable option. This is where those alternatives come in, and this one looks awesome!
Banana Walnut Muffins
I love all things banana! Banana bread and muffins are a primary love of mine. These look like a phenomenal option to fulfill those banana cravings.
Best Paleo Pancakes
Pancakes can be Paleo! This makes me happy, check out this light and fluffy option by Girl Gone Country.
Breakfast Biscuit Sandwiches
I often enjoy egg sandwiches for breakfast, and when I’m being really strict and sticking to a Paleo diet, I miss them a lot. This recipe has you make Paleo biscuits and the other items are already Paleo, perfect.
Paleo Breakfast Casserole
I’ve personally made this recipe and I really REALLY like it. My only tip would be to ensure you cut the sweet potatoes into very small cubes or the whole thing tastes like a sweet potato. If you don’t mind that, then go with larger chunks.
Brussel Sprout Breakfast Hash with Bacon & Apples
Oh my goodness! This look simply amazing! I love sweet and savory together so this would be the perfect breakfast for me.
Churro Waffles
Topped with coconut sugar and cinnamon, these are sure to be a winner at your next breakfast party!
Coconut Porridge
Another delicious oatmeal-like option. Yum yum yum!
Eggs with Avocado and Salsa
Sure this might be a pretty straight forward example of a breakfast, but that’s the beauty of it. You don’t need fancy things in order to make a yummy and filling breakfast.
Everyday Paleo Crap Cake Eggs Benedict
Okay, raise your hand if you love eggs benedict. Is it raised? Mine too! I love it and this is the perfect example of how a recipe can be delicious and Paleo.
French Toast with Grilled Bananas
Here we have bananas again. Something about bananas makes them very breakfast friendly. Check out this yummy looking french toast recipe.
Green and White Omelette
Another great one that is pretty quick to make for those busy workday mornings.
Onion Frittata Recipe
I love onions and I love eggs, so what better than a frittata recipe with both of those items in it? Sign me up!
Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Scones
When I found this recipe, I’m pretty sure I dribbled on my keyboard. These sound amazing! Nothing something I would necessarily eat for breakfast every morning, but would be good for a pot luck breakfast.
Paleo Almond Honey Granola
I absolutely love the idea of making this ahead of time and packing it up for snacks all week long.
Paleo Breakfast Burritos
So good, so simple and perfect for breakfast! A great idea to make really quickly in the morning before heading out the door.
Breakfast Cookie Granola
Another granola recipe, but this one has almond or sunflower seed butter in it. Sounds really delicious!
Paleo Cinnamon Rolls
OMG! Who doesn’t love cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings?? We used to have them all the time, with our Sunday brunch. I want to run and make these now!
Paleo Cinnamon Square Crunch Cereal
Oh yes, you read that right, CEREAL! I love love love cereal but avoid it a lot of the time because it is so full of sugars and other additives, but not this one. This is homemade through and through. I’ll likely be giving this a try very soon!
Paleo Oatmeal
Another oatmeal recipe, and you may very well be sick of seeing them, but they all sound so good that I wanted to be sure to share as many as possible with you.
Poached Eggs with Tomato, Avocado and Basil
Genius and something so simple to throw together. Use the tomatoes as your toast and layer with the avocado, salt, pepper and basil. Mmmm
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
One of my favorite things to order when going through a drive-thru for my morning coffee is a chocolate chip muffin. Now I can just make these, saving the money and the calories!
Strawberry, Spinach and Almond Butter Smoothie
On days when I just don’t feel like eating, I can usually stomach a smoothie. This one sounds like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and like it would be amazing!
Weekend Paleo Breafast Bowl
Om nom nom – This recipe is full of veggies and topped with eggs for some hardcore protein.
Paleo Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich
The maple dijon bacon alone, in this recipe makes me yell about the delicious food from the rooftops.
Coffee Cake Banana Bread
Oh my goodness! This looks like something I could eat in one sitting, so I probably shouldn’t make it, but you should and then bring me ONE slice. 🙂
Paleo Breakfast Bars
Super simple to throw together and make ahead, so that you can grab and go in the mornings when you have no time.

There you have it, my list of favorite Paleo breakfast ideas that I’ve found around the web.

Your turn!

What are some of your favorite Paleo, or healthy breakfasts?

Filed Under: All About Me, Food & Recipes

Dear Emmett (12 months),

Posted on July 27 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

12 months! You have been alive for 12 months, this amazes and thrills me to no end.

This has been a busy month for you, but truthfully you’re busy every month, you just accomplish something knew. Emmett, I cannot believe that you have turned a year, that 365 days have passed since the very moment that I gave birth to you. We have had our ups and downs, but I’ve learned so much and grown even more, I wouldn’t change a moment of the past 12 months.

They made him a birthday crown at day care.

Last month, you were pulling yourself up, cruising along the edges of things, this month you’ve begun to take your first steps. We were actually doing FaceTime with your paternal grandparents when you decided there was something across the room that you wanted to check out. You pulled yourself up on your crib, wobbled a bit and then decided to take 4 stiff-legged steps to the toy you were looking for. I squealed (as I almost always do for your accomplishments), I was just so excited! Your grandparents thought you had fallen or gotten hurt because at the moment, your daddy had the camera facing him. Whoops! We were able to get you to do it again but only for 2 steps, you just know that crawling is so much faster.

As the month has progressed you’ve taken more and more unassisted steps, but crawling remains your main mode of transportation. I don’t blame you, you move so SO fast when crawling. You’ll get there before we know it and then the real trouble begins! 🙂

Another major physical development has been that you can now stand up from sitting without any assistance. You more frequently use the couch, but you are able to sit, then move into a squatting position and finally stand up, sometimes you’ll take a step or two but most of the time you’ll plop back down to play.

You also, sadly, had your first real fever this month, it happened so quick too. The day after the fourth of July your dad and I had taken off and were going to have a ‘date day,’ so we got up early and took you to day care. When I dropped you off, you were fine, happy and sweet but by the time I had gotten nearly home, your day care had called me to let me know you had a fever of 102.1. I turned around and went back and got you. Your fever got pretty high (104.1), so we went to the doctors but other than that, we spent the next 3 days just cuddling you and making you comfortable. Poor guy, just wanted to be held.

You’re a pro mimicker! It started with kissy noises. I had been nursing you and sat you up and blew you a kiss, you stared at me for a few seconds and then kind of puckered up your lips and made the kiss sound. It was adorable! I kept kissing your sweet little cheeks and you kept making the sound in response, but it has since developed into more. Now any time your father or I do anything, you try and do the exact same thing. The other morning, we were all in bed cuddling and your dad touched my nose, he knows I hate having my nosed touched but he did it so you would see and repeat it. Guess what? You did. Your dad was thrilled. Me? Not so much! Either way, it’s really cute having you try and repeat the things we do whether it be a sound or an action, you will try anything.

Most babies around your age start waving hello when someone walks into a room and waves at them. You are no exception, only thing is that you do it a bit differently and it’s THE cutest thing. You throw your arm and hand in the air, like you’re about to present someone and just hold it there. There’s no, flapping or waving of the hand, just a straight, stiff arm. So cute! Toward the end of the month you’ve changed how you hold your hand and now, sometimes you will actually wave. It’s amazing how just (less than) 30 days can change you.

You continue to be fearless when it comes to food, you will try just about anything we give to you. Some days you might not eat much or may not like the way something tastes but if we give it to you again, you’ll love the way it tastes the second time. Case in point, blueberries… you hated them the first time I gave them to you. However, I kept sending them for lunch and putting them on your tray for dinner. After about a week of doing that, you started devouring them, now we are forced (not that we mind) to buy the 2 pound container of blueberries so that there’s enough for the week. You almost always eat what we do, things like salmon couscous, grilled chicken, asparagus, ravioli, Naan, etc. etc. The only time we have to come up with an alternate meal for you, is when we’re eating something spicy and that’s mainly because we figure something hot (in spice) like that may hurt you and you wouldn’t understand why.

For Christmas, you received these Fisher Price Snap Lock Beads and you love them. You get so excited when we connect them all together and then you’re able to break them apart and look in the hole that is on one end. You also love putting them on your fingers, you’ll put one on your index finger and one on your pinky finger and shake your hand around, it pretty adorable and very silly. But anything that has a hole or indentation you love.

Your dad and I haven’t really baby-proofed anything up until the last week of the month. You were mobile, but we were able to wrangle, you in one way or another, so we avoided getting rid of or moving things that weren’t safe for you to play with. However, during the last week, you started pulling down daddy’s DVDs almost daily and getting into things that were completely unsafe, so we immediately started reorganizing and getting the house ready for a baby that is very active.

Has it truly been 12 months? Have I really written 11 different “Dear Emmett’s”? Holy cow! I find that so hard to believe but it’s very obviously true. You’ve come so SO far from that bitty baby that was born and would only eat, sleep and pee/poop. Now you play, hug, cuddle and love. You’re amazing and I have no doubt that you will continue to be this way for the rest of your life.

Happy 1 year birthday, sweet sweet Emmett! Mommy loves you to the moon and back!

Filed Under: Emmett, Emmett's Birthday, Family

30 Day Vegan Challenge – Week 3

Posted on July 5 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Wooo… Has it really only been 3 weeks?!

So I’m going to be brutally honest right now and tell you how much I really REALLY miss eggs! It’s not even that I’m craving them, I just miss the convenience and ease of them. They were my breakfast of choice almost every morning and could be enjoyed a million different ways so I never got bored. Being unable to eat them has been super tough! I’ve come up with a bunch of different breakfast ideas and they all taste good, but none seem to satisfy me like eggs did. Two eggs in the morning, scrambled, hard boiled, sunny side up or poached, and I felt nice and full until at least 9 (I typically eat breakfast around 5 am), when I’d have my smoothie. Finding something that works as well has eggs has been a challenge all on its own.

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For those of you who have been vegan for an extended period of time or those of you who never were into eggs to begin with, you likely won’t understand my lament, but eggs are seriously such a perfect breakfast (or any meal) food.

Overall, the challenge is going pretty well. My meals still remain vegan but I have a mental battle with myself before almost every meal, where I have to convince myself to eat the vegan meal I brought and not go out to get something. I realize this is perfectly normal and this wouldn’t be considered a challenge if it were easy but still I want to share my struggles with my readers. I want them to understand what I am really going through (mainly mentally) so that they don’t assume this is a cake walk for me.

I have found and eaten so many different foods, items that I never would have even thought to eat, not because they grossed me out or seemed unappealing, I just found no reason to eat them. This has been a huge benefit of going vegan. I’ve also found that I am eating so much healthier even though I am struggling. The foods that I am eating overall are so much better for me and mostly veggies that my body has to be happy. I won’t lie and say I haven’t eaten some convenience vegan foods, but the majority of the foods I eat are whole, nutrient dense foods and that feels good. I want to overcome my crap eating so that my son is raised in a house where healthy foods are the norm and junk is a very rare occurrence.

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You’re probably wondering whether my cravings have subsided for junk food. In a word, no. As I mentioned earlier, I miss eggs terribly. It hasn’t bothered me not having cheese or meat, but what I am still craving is the greasy food of McDonald’s or Burger King. I was really hoping that those would go away. Maybe they will in the last week?? Here’s hoping!

As I embark on my final days of this vegan challenge, I want to let you know that I will be giving it my absolute all. I want to finish off with a bang, knowing I tried my best and made a concerted effort.

Has anyone been inspired to try something new recently?

Filed Under: 30 Day Vegan Challenge, Food & Fitness, Food & Recipes

30 Day Vegan Challenge – Week 1

Posted on June 12 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

I recently watched the documentary Forks Over Knives and it appealed to my desire to eat healthier. The movie promotes a whole foods, plant-based diet and it touts that it can (and will) assist you in getting off any blood pressure or cholesterol type meds you are on. Since I currently take 2 different blood pressure medications, it got the wheels turning, maybe this could work for me.

I immediately contacted my friend Kelly from Kohlrabi and Quince. She’s been a vegan for quite some time and has always been a supportive friend in the way of weight loss and I knew she’d do the same for me in regards to going vegan. I was not wrong! I sent her a message on Facebook in regards to watching Forks Over Knives and how I was considering the vegan lifestyle and almost immediately she responded with a huge long list of blogs, other books and articles, that she recommended (I will share the same list with all of you, sometime over the next 30 days).

One of the many recommendations she made, was for Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s 30 Day Vegan Challenge. I immediately jumped on the site and joined, I knew that I could handle anything for 30 days. But, before I fully committed to the Vegan lifestyle, I wanted to read more about it. I’m not one of those individuals that can jump right in and then adjust, I need to adjust, THEN jump. Which is what I did as of this Monday, 6/10/13. I highly recommend Colleen’s site (and I’m even getting into her podcasts, which you can subscribe to on iTunes), she goes day by day and ever so gently creates an environment where you can learn and grow as a vegan.

So for 30 days, I’ve elected to live a vegan lifestyle. I’m sure there are some questions, and I’m hoping to answer some (if not all) of those, to help another “newbie” vegan.

One of the most common questions, I’ve gotten just since mentioning going vegan is, How will you get enough protein?

Well, I’ll share something with you something that I have just newly learned, most fruits and vegetables have protein in them. So along with things like spinach or watermelon, you have beans, legumes, avocado, etc., that are just packed FULL of protein. It is much easier than you think to get enough protein on a plant based diet, and for those of you who are really worried, I am tracking my food intake on My Fitness Pal so that I can ensure I am getting enough.

Are Seamus and Emmett going to follow a plant based diet?

No. Since this is an experiment for me, I am not pulling anyone else into it, unless they want to. As for Seamus, he likes meat and wishes to continue to eat it, I’m completely fine with that. The wonderful thing is that Seamus is willing to try a meat-free meal here and there, so we will definitely be expanding our palate together.

Will you make two dinners?

Kind of. We’ve only grocery shopped for one week so far and how it worked was we came up with our meal ideas and then I bought similar items to make them vegan. So for instance, on a night where burgers are on the menu, Seamus and Emmett will have a beef burger and I will have a handmade veggie burger from Go Veggies. If you live in Buffalo, they sell their fair at the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer’s Market and they are phenomenal, they also have a cafe off of Elmwood Ave. Do yourself a favor and check them out! So, technically it is two meals but they are so similar and can be cooked the same, so no added stress.

What happens after 30 days?

Honestly? I don’t know. At this point, I’d run, skip and hop to my favorite brie case at Wegmans but in 30 days I may feel differently. For now, this question will remain open. Stay tuned!

Why are you doing this?

Like I mentioned above, I’m on two different blood pressure medications and I want to get off both. I know I could simply drop some of the fatty foods I was eating but I want to challenge myself and what better way to do it, than by trying to be vegan.

Am I having cravings?

Oh goodness, YES! It’s only been two and a half days but I’ve probably craved every possible meal with dairy (not really meat) under the sun. This morning I wanted donuts, right now I’d love a cheese and pepperoni pizza but I am committing to myself for 30 days to be meat, dairy and egg free. 30 days is nothing, I can do it!

What’s a typical day look like for you, as vegan?

This is something I’ll share in a future post because I want to give you a couple days, not just one.

I’m very very excited for what the next month will bring and I will share my journey along the way with all of my readers.

What other questions might you have?

Filed Under: 30 Day Vegan Challenge, All About Me, Food & Fitness, Food & Recipes

Emmett’s Baby Led Weaning

Posted on April 5 by Jillian416 • 3 Comments

Around four months of age the topic of solids was broached at Emmett’s doctor’s appointment but we let his pediatrician know that we had no plans of introducing solids until he was 6 months old. We wanted his stomach to be as developed and ready for solid foods as possible. Plus I knew that he could sleep through the night without a “midnight snack” so solids seemed unnecessary for that reason. I will admit that he didn’t always sleep through the night but I knew that he was physically able to.

I have previously mentioned and did a book review of, Baby Led Weaning, you can see my review here. When I came across this method of introducing solids, it seemed like the best decision for us but I still had to convince Seamus that it was the right thing to do for our baby. I’ll be honest, I was concerned it would be tough to convince him but with my solid level of knowledge and armed with answers to all of his questions, it was pretty easy to sway him.

There’s nothing magical that happens on the exact date that a baby turns 6 months but we wanted to wait until that specific date. Well, unfortunately it had to be postponed for a couple extra nights because our power went out on his 6 month birthday and then again the next day. I was disappointed but also it just prolonged the excitement of giving my baby his first solids.

The book talks about what foods are best to start with and the one they recommend most frequently is broccoli, so we went with that. I was really curious on how Emmett would react to his first taste of food, he’s been breastfed since birth so he’s not used to the exact same flavored drink like formula fed babies are, so I wasn’t nervous but I couldn’t wait to see his facial expressions.

Seamus cut the head of broccoli into long stalks and we roasted it plain for about 10 minutes. Once it cooled, we placed a couple stalks in front of him; he almost instantly picked one up and put it to his mouth. He sucked on the florets and his face was instantly covered in the little buds, it was adorable but there wasn’t a single funny expression. He didn’t cringe or look grossed out, he just ate. I was shocked! I truly expected him to have even a slightly negative reaction but there was none. At that moment, I knew I had chosen the correct path for Emmett.

We continued to have success with each of the new foods we introduced to him. He didn’t turn anything away until we gave him plain chicken breast. I’m not sure whether it was bland or he just didn’t like it but he just would have nothing to do with it that night. The next time we gave him chicken we seasoned it and he was fine with it. Who knows, maybe he just wasn’t in the mood for chicken; I know I’m not always in the mood for chicken. 🙂

There were a couple of times where I almost called it quits with BLW because the gagging and choking was making me nervous. Seamus, being a wonderful and supportive husband, encouraged me to skim the book again to look for any tips on how to handle gagging and whether it was normal. Being the nervous first time mom I was, I had read AND HIGHLIGHTED the section all about how gagging was normal, but had forgotten I’d done this. After rereading and see that it was completely normal and even expected, I was right back on the BLW bandwagon. That has pretty much been my only time faltering.

We did hit a few roadblocks with Emmett eating this way while at day care, but we overcame them with the help of our center’s director. This was the first time they had ever heard of a baby being fed this way and because they needed to remain compliant with many different standards they were leery of how things would go. Seamus and I met with the director to explain the process and the reasoning behind Emmett eating this way and after a couple of weeks things were up and running smoothly. They ensured us that someone would sit and watch Emmett while he. As he’s become more and more proficient with food, they’ve begun feeding him while watching other babies at the same time. Not all day care centers may be willing to work with you if you choose this method, but I encourage you to at least check with them and fully educate them before completely writing the idea off. I promise you, that feeding a baby this way is as easy as feeding them pureed food with a spoon and sometimes even easier.

This method may not be right for everyone but it has been nothing but successful for us. Emmett eats pretty much everything and we rarely have to make a separate meal for him, so it saves time in meal prep. Plus, Seamus and I are able to eat our food when it’s hot since Emmett is feeding himself and we don’t need to take extra time to feed him separately. The benefits of a baby eating this way are pretty much endless and I absolutely would recommend this to any parent who will be introducing solids to their baby soon.

To date, Emmett has tried and enjoyed (in no particular order), broccoli, sweet potatoes, corn bread, bananas, rolled oats (prepared), plums, red potatoes, chicken, mini-meatloaf, mini-quesadillas, mini-hamburgers, sweet peppers, apples, avocado, spaghetti, yogurt, mum mums, pierogi, pickles, ham, sausage, eggs, bread, cheese, pizza crust (with a tiny amount of sauce and cheese left on it), asparagus, tomato, peaches, strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, pears, cabbage, corned beef, pork tenderloin, grilled cheese sandwiches and applesauce (which he surprising did not like at all). There very well may be more but this is all that I can recall at this moment.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me!! Go ahead and use the ‘Contact Me’ button at the top of the page.

Filed Under: Family, Food & Recipes