Finger food for the toddlers

So since the kids have started walking, they have transformed into little finger-food eating machines.  They are barely letting me feed them by spoon anymore and if I try to,  they each have to have their own spoon and I can only fill it with food and then THEY have to feed THEMSELVES.  This can be quite a mess so I default to finger foods for most of their meals.  I have been trying to get them to eat raw veggies like broccoli but most of the healthy stuff ends up on the floor (where even the dogs won't eat it..lol)

So I found these recipes for easy healthy finger-foods that I thought I would share with you.
The first is a Bisquick based mini-"quiche."  I think it's more of a fritatta but regardless this is SUPER easy and a nice recipe because you can easily customize it to your nutritional needs.  It is also nice because the cheese is just added on top and not in the batter so you can keep the fat down.  I got this recipe from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom (hey that sounds like me!  lol)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups bisquick
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash of pepper
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Generously grease mini muffin cups with shortening or cooking spray.
2. In small bowl, stir all ingredients except filling options until blended. Spoon dough/egg mixture into the muffin cups.
3. Sprinkle your filling options over the top of the muffins, finishing with cheese.
4. Bake about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown and centers are set.  

I just made a batch and I use my mini pan and my regular muffin pan for more adult-sized portions (that I eat for lunch along-side the kids...).  Here, I added a head of broccoli finely chopped and just sprinkled the tops with shredded cheddar.  These also store nicely in the fridge and or freezer for a couple day's worth of meals.

fill almost the whole cup with egg mix

then add your fillings

ready to go in the oven

baked goodness

The second is a recipe for oatmeal breakfast bars.  I just bought a huge box of those single serving sized intand oatmeal packets and about a third of the box is the apple cinnamon flavor which I don't really care for. And since I'd like the kids to eat more grains in finger-food form, I thought I'd try out a breakfast bar recipe from Food.com.

2 cups rolled oats, uncooked
1 cup oat flour (can be made by pulverising rolled oats in a blender or food processor)
1 cup packed currants or 1 cup raisins or 1 cup chopped prunes or 1 cup other dried fruit
1 cup apple juice or 1 cup orange juice (you could also use 1/4 cup molasses and 3/4 cup water)
1/4 cup white sugar or 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds or 1/4 cup nuts, pieces


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9 inch by 13 inch pan, or two 8 inch by 8 inch pans.
3. Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well.
4. It should be moist enough to form a ball, without extra liquid.
5. Put mixture in prepared pans and spread evenly.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.
7.Remove from oven and cut into squares while still hot.

So I substituted 6 packets (2 cups) of the apple cinnamon instant oatmeal,  1 cup raisins, 1/4cup brown rice syrup and 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds.  For some reason it didn't quite make enough to spread into a 9x13 pan so I just spread it out as far as it would go.  Next time i'll either double it or make it in a square pan.  The baked up nicely and they taste pretty good.  A tad bland for me but it will be good for the babies. I hope they like it!

So what do you think?  Do you have any one-bowl easy and healthy finger food go-to recipes?? 

All Organic Milk is not created equal

Since the kids turned one we have been starting the process of converting them to drinking whole milk instead of formula.  You would think it would be an easy decision to give them organic milk.  I mean it has to be better for them that regular old hormone filled good enough for adults milk, right?  Well it turns out it's not that easy. Not all "organic" milk is created equal and just like everything that is labeled "organic" you really have to do the research about the company producing the product because the term "organic" is not regulated by the government. My pediatrician told us she recommends Horizon Organic Whole milk with DHA so I went out and bought the (9$ a gallon!) milk.  Then I thought I'd better do some research on this company.  Boy was I disappointed!  I started reading about Horizon and that it was owned by Dean Foods and that it uses factory-farmed cows for the production of their milk and is notorious for stating that cows have "access" to pasture but that in reality actual spend very little time eating from those pastures.  I ran across the Cornucopia Institute website  which published an Organic Dairy Report and Scorecard in 2006 and continuously updates it.  The Cornucopia Institute's "mission statement" is below and it appears to be a legitimate research group that is operating to provide the most accurate information about organic agriculture.

The Cornucopia Institute will engage in educational activities supporting the ecological principles and economic wisdom underlying sustainable and organic agriculture. Through research and investigations on agricultural issues, The Cornucopia Institute will provide needed information to consumers, family farmers, and the media.

The Cornucopia Institute is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public interest group. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of law.

The Organic Dairy Report and Scorecard ranked dairies on a scale of "5 cows" (best) down to "1 cow" as determined by a 19 question survey filled out by the milk producers. The criteria and study design for the study are here and if you are interested in these issues I highly recommend you read it before looking up your favorite brand of milk on the Report. The main focus of this survey was to ascertain the animal husbandry practices of the producers, which most consumers who buy organic will hold as a core value of their reasoning for purchasing organic animal products. 

So where does Horizon/Dean Foods rank? Ethically Deficient with 0 cows.  Horrible.  I've decided to switch over to Organic Valley which is commercially available in our area and ranks a excellent with "4 cows."  It is an organic dairy produced cooperative rather than a huge agribusiness like Dean Foods.  There is a very nice comparison on this blog's post from 2011.  I really appreciate the Cornucopia Institute's (apparently unbiased, at least as far as I can tell) study that will hopefully help many make smart choices about the food they decide to purchase.     

Later this month I plan to examine another Food Policy called Prop 37 in the state of Ca which will put stricter regulations on labeling of products containing GMOs (genetically modified organisms).