FEEDING BABIES. PART 3. BREAKFAST EDITION

Thank you all so much for the feedback. That was extremely helpful (and affirming, which I wasn't expecting, but was well needed). We've started quite a few house projects, approximately 8 weeks before having a baby, one of which will put me out of a kitchen for a few weeks, so we may fall a little quite over here. I suppose this gives me time to process everything each of you said while we are out of order over here. A handful of you chimed in who say you never comment and I appreciate that! Just know from the other side, the comments are huge, so big hugs.

So our little guy is almost a year and a half and while I am so excited to have a little baby that cuddles and snuggles, I love love love the boy Curran is right now. He is so curious and observant and active and smart. He doesn't really cuddle at all, but he is so engaged and enamored with Hugh and I that it makes me feel pretty special. I have however found this to be the most draining stage so far because he is constant and nothing keeps his attention for longer than 5 minutes. He gets frustrated when he can't communicate something and has learned the art of a tantrum. He's so much little boy but still has plenty of baby in him. Quite the crossroads. 

As for eating, he is totally over mashed things and prefers to always feed himself. His skills are fair with a fork but a spoon is a complete mess which I believe is pretty standard. The thing about this stage at our table, is that we can all eat a lot of the same things, but there are still a large amount of our stand-bys that he can't eat. I keep trying to give him bites of my salad but he acts like there is a hair in his mouth. I find myself having to think harder about meals that will feed all three of us. I don't have the energy to be a short order cook but I'm still learning what that is going to look like. A few of you mentioned last post that you really liked the extra ideas for kids so a few other items I try to keep ready that, in the right combination, suffice as a meal: tortellini, tofu chunks, cut up bbq'd chicken, string cheese, cooked peas, edamame, pomegranate seeds, grapes, raisins, mandarins, fresh dates. I have found that having food ready is the key to avoiding a meltdown, even if it just buys you ten or fifteen minutes to get something else started. It takes a one and a half year old a long time to get the beans out of an edamame pod and that is helpful. 

Even if you don't have little people, or they are of the age that can eat anything, I would make these recipes. They are just easy, versatile snacks or meals.  

MUESLI BARS // Makes one 8x8 pan

I love the Seven Sundays brand of muesli and they have a few different flavors to choose from that I use for these. I use a combo of butter and coconut oil because I like the flavor and moisture both give, but either exclusively as the fat will work just fine. Because these have no wheat or strong binder in them, they are quite tender. If you can let them sit for a day, they'll settle into themselves even more. 

1/2 cup brown rice syrup
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, coconut oil or a mix of the two
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup almond butter
1 ripe, medium banana, mashed
3 cups prepared muesli
2 Tbsp. flax meal
pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350'. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment and coat it well with coconut oil. In a small saucepan, warm the brown rice syrup and butter and/or coconut oil together to melt. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, almond butter and banana and stir everything to mix. It'll be a gloopy mess. 

Put the muesli, flaxmeal and a pinch of sea salt in a mixing bowl. Pour the liquid mixture into the muesli and mix well. Press the mixture down firmly into the prepared pan evenly. Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden but the bars are still fairly tender. Let them cool completely before cutting. These are very tender. Store them in the fridge and cut off pieces as needed.

MINI SWEET POTATO FRITTATAS ("EGG BALLS") // Makes 12

Curran calls them egg balls and I find that fitting. Here is the thing, the three of us can go through a dozen of these in one day no problem. You could easily make two dozen of these by adding two more eggs to the mixture plus a splash of milk to extend the batter. Potato size varies, but I'm confident you could get two dozen. Or add in cooked and crumbled chicken breakfast sausage if that is your sort of thing. 

1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
1 cup tender greens, roughly chopped
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese
4 extra large eggs
sea salt and pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced sweet potato and a pinch of salt and saute for 8-10 minutes until tender. Add the greens and saute again to just wilt. Turn off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350' and generously grease a mini muffin tin. Like, really generous. Eggs have a tendency to stick. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs well and then stir in the white cheddar. I put a sprinkle of salt, pepper and dried herbs here but this is optional. Tip the potato and green mixture into the eggs and stir to mix. Spoon the egg mixture into the muffin tin up to the top. Bake on the middle rack for 12-14 minutes until just firm but not overcooked. Cool and then remove them from the tin soon as they are cool to the touch. They can be stored in a covered tupperware in the fridge.

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FALAFEL SANDWICHES WITH TAHINI SAUCE

I can remember a specific conversation from high school where some friends and I, then, maybe 15 years old, talked about what we thought our life would look like at 25 years old. You know how some memories seem so crystal clear? I actually, vividly remember my answer. I remember where I was sitting when we had this conversation and how ambitious and confident I felt about what I was going to accomplish in the next ten years. "I will be running a company - like be the lady in charge in a tailored black suit and heels, my hair will be nicely done. I'll be married, have two kids and own my first home." Maybe like an Olivia Pope meets June Cleaver sort of thing but with more Restoration Hardware/West Elm sort of taste, tracking with me? I actually don't think I knew a twenty five year-old person who had necessarily accomplished those things, but it seemed do-able.

A "what are we doing?" conversation seems to be a recurring between Hugh and I lately and I keep recalling that one moment; a little smug at my nievete but also jealous of her self assurance. Isolated, each of those goals are so hard - working, parenting, renting or owning and caring for your own place and honestly, I still can't figure out how to make my hair look nice. I have had a lot of business lady talks about the work we are doing here and what Sprouted Kitchen is going to look like for us over the next year or two and I am both overwhelmed and excited. It is hard to think there will be much left to give after caring for two babies under two but I love that this space is so ironically close but so far from what my 15 year old self thought I would be doing. I may be able to wear whatever I want, but it is ours. The tricky part is, I would love a little feedback from you all. I realize this is a large, perhaps unprofessional survey sample, but I have been wanting a bit more conversation going in the comments anyway so suppose this is one way to start. Why do you come here? I will always keep it some variety of weeknight meals, lighter treats, would like to continue the 'feeding kids' series, travel snippets and maybe a few personal or home posts on occasion, but I need to solidify my thesis. As much as this is my journal, it has also become my work, and I care what makes your visit here feel light and lovely. So, if you feel like throwing in your (constructive) two cents on what sort of things I could keep in mind for you, that'd be just great.

Now I know there have been a few falafel recipes here and I love them mostly because they are a vehicle for lots of veggies and a good sauce. I was reading last months' Bon Appetite magazine and read the tips about keeping the beans coarse and lightly frying them which I intended to do, but I am just not a fryer - I hate how it makes the kitchen smell! I did my best to follow directions, which I soon predictably deviated from, and then lathered the tops in oil and baked them in a hot oven hoping I would still get a crisp crust. It yields nothing as crisp as what frying gives, let's say that, but these fit into a veggie packed sandwich just perfectly. To be honest, often times I am deterred from entertaining because it gets expensive, but this is a perfect solution. It was so easy that next time I'll invite more than one couple over. And toddler/kid friendly too if you keep in mind they're pretty delicate. I served these with a naan or brown rice tortilla option and some matchstick roasted potatoes that I tossed with fresh rosemary and oregano hot out of the oven. Something to consider next time you have a few extra people at your table.

FALAFEL SANDWICHES WITH TAHINI SAUCE // Serves 4-6

Inspired by Bon Appetite

If you're trying to get ahead on dinner or make these for a party, make the falafel dough in advance and let it sit in the fridge. The flavor and texture actually benefits from a little rest. When ready to cook, prepare your balls and go from there. If you have any leftover, they can be kept covered in the fridge for a week, drying out a tad as they age. 

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 serrano chile, roughly chopped
1 tsp. baking powder
3 T. garbanzo or oat flour
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 T. ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 T. fresh oregano
2 T. fresh mint
extra virgin olive oil, as needed

// tahini dressing //

1/2 cup tahini
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. orange juice
2 T. water
1 clove of garlic, grated on a microplane
1 tsp. real maple syrup
zest of a small lemon
pinch of salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste

to serve: naan or brown rice tortillas, thinly chopped romaine and cabbage, tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumber, pickled red onions, feta cheese and toasted sesame seeds. 

Preheat the oven to 425' and grease a rimmed baking sheet with coconut oil. Drain the garbanzos well. Into a food processor, combine the beans, onions, garlic, serrano, baking powder, garbanzo or oat flour, salt, pepper, cumin, parsley, oregano, mine and a dash of oil. Pulse the processor until you get a very coarse paste, about ten times, scrapping the sides down every few times for even texture. You want it to stick together but not resemble hummus.

Form small, ping-pong-esque sized balls and place them on the baking sheet 2" apart. With a brush or your finger, generously oil the top of each falafel. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 15-20 minutes until the tops are just dry and crisp. Remove to cool. 

While the falafel bake, make your dressing. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, adding orange juice or water to thin if your tahini is really thick. 

Assemble your wrap with a generous swipe of sauce, a few falafel and pack it with vegetables. 

THE FAMILY FORTE. HYATT ZIVA LOS CABOS

A few weeks ago, we jumped on a flight south to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico in partnership with the new all inclusive Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara All Inclusive Resorts. I'm not really one for reviews here, more so just sharing a few photos, but amidst a busy fall and knowing a baby en route would be slowing us down soon, we wanted to take an easy family vacation. An active 16-month old on a plane is a little rough and perhaps he is still too young to fully partake in all things "all inclusive" but it was nice to be away regardless. We ate crispy fish tacos by the pool, both got a spa treatment (which my pregnant body would have made the trip for exclusively), and walked the beach. Having worked in luxury hotels for a handful of years, one of the most important things to me is customer service. I'm not talking ultra-luxury, royalty treatment, but staff who stop and say hello, or servers who make it easier to be in a restaurant with a kid, or one very specific instance where an employee anticipated and provided a much appreciated service without us even asking for it. In my opinion, that sort of kindness can trump a sheet's thread count or how quick the room service is. My dining curiosity may not fit the ideal client for an all-inclusive, but the mom in me really liked it. You truly don't have to think about anything. I am the travel planner between Hugh and I, and it was so nice to just show up and play things by ear; knowing everything we'd need would be on site and included.

The trip was sponsored by Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara All Inclusive Resorts. All statements are my own.