Green Smoothies - getting the raw greens into the littles

I can't believe how crazy life can get with a 18 month old! Baby T never stops, in fact the only thing she has stopped lately (thank goodness only on occasion) is napping and sleeping through the night! Blarg, seriously I hope this is just because she is achieving some major developmental milestones and adding 3 or 4 words a day, a day! 


Back onto task, I wanted to share one of my favourite recipes that is convent but also the best way I know how to get some major good stuff in my little one.  I first got hooked on green smoothies right after Baby T was born and would go buy them at $6 a pop, it was a great way for me to take care of myself whilst breastfeeding and dealing with a newborn. When Baby T started  solids I shared these smoothes which she loved! The problem was my wallet was feeling this love for green smoothies. I decided to make them at home but keeping Kale, mint and spinach in the fridge just for smoothies was taking up too much room and I found that making them was a little too evolved so I decided to make it more efficient. So out of that I started making green smoothie cubes! 

Green Smoothies Cubes 


1 bunch Kale
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch mint
1 bottle coconut water (make sure it is the water and not juice, the ingredients should just say coconut water)




I split the washed veggies and mint two and blend them to a puree in my blender. After blended I pour them in ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen I transfer them into bags to store in the freezer.

Making a green smoothie: 


2 or 3 green smoothie cubes
hand full of frozen fruit (we always have mixed fruit, blue berries, strawberries and mango on hand)
big piece of banana 
coconut was or juice 
2 table spoons of hemp hearts  




Blend together and it should make enough for a little one and yourself. 


Smoothies are so versatile and you could make tons of different combinations, add yogurt or chia, speralina, add coconut oil for extra fats ,add different veggies? Options are endless. Making them different also keeps Baby T's interest in smoothies. 

Baby T with a green smoothie mustache! 

Learning about Food

If there is one thing that Baby T has taken after me is her looove of food. Since 6 months when we started table food Taya has dug in and eats, boy does she eat! I get tons of questions about it so I thought I would blog about it! 

baby t at 6 months easting an avocado. left part of the peal on so she can grip it. she was amazing at spiting out any peal or even orange casings eating only the insides!  

We decided to go with what has been named 'Baby Led Weening' (BLW) fancy name but what it means is we feed Baby T what we eat and we never mashed or pureed her food - well almost never. Shock horror she lives and we can tell the tale on how it works and what works for us. As a teacher I also feel there is a huge learning exploration involved in this way of food introduction. BLW really lets babies/ children learn about their food taste, texture, feel, colour some of which is lost when pureed and mashed. They develop skills to feed themselves and their fine motor skills develop sooner. Best part is it is fun, messy but oh so much fun

we stared with baby t eating the steamed vegies we had for dinner

So we love baby led weaning because: 

• it's easy (way easier then pureeing then spoon feeding baby)
• it seems natural for us to let Baby T be in charge of her eating
• it lets Baby T explore food in a form that she can be familiar with (unlike purees where only colour and taste differentiates and there is no texture or shape involved) 
• Baby T eats what we eat 
• Watching Baby T build her eating/fine motor skills (this is my fav part!)
• makes us all as a family eat better 

Looking back I fell that added benefits are Taya's ability to eat on her own and with confidents. People I have spoken to about BLW worry about choking which I can totally understand. From what we have observed with Baby T she had  a strong gag reflex at 6 months which helped keep choking at bay. Her reflex to this day helps her deal with food that might be a bit to big or even when she on occasion has been distracted and choked a little she dealt with it calmly and with no problem or intervention from us.  


So here are snack and meal ideas that Baby T loved: 


(please note we often did not follow food introduction guidelines - this was our personal choice as we did not have any food allergies in our family BUT do your own research to see if this is right for YOUR family)


Snacks: 


dippers- viggies, bread sticks dipped in hummus, tzatziki, avocado dip, or this one 
dippers sweet - fruit dipped in yogurt 
Banna pops - cut a 2 inch chunk of banana, stick a popsicle stick in it, roll in yogurt, roll in rice  puffs freeze
Smoothies - options are endless, I hope to share my green smoothie cube recipe with you soon (maybe by tonight!) 
Toast fingers - with either butter, tahini, cream cheese (I mix mine with salmon &herbs) peanut butter, mashed banana & cinnamon
seaweed  - we started with the non salted verity used for sushi
Lara bars
Muffins - I make muffins and breads weekly in my house (we used agave or maple syrup instead of honey or sugar to start)

quinoa, roast veggies and canned mackerel or was it left over salmon (?) that we both had for lunch

Meals:
Meat and potatoes - I roasted or steam vegies cut them and the meat in spires (1 inch or so) and let baby go at it
Pasta - I found elbow or the twisty kind the best to start with
Quinoa - I would make a salad with fish and roasted vegies and Baby T would eat it by the hand full (messy but worth the goodness of the meal)
Scrabbled eggs - mix with veggies 
Boiled eggs - cut in wedges 

so happy eating her favourite meal of pasta! we used to have a specific outfit dubbed the 'pasta outfit' for her to wear as it was sooo messy! 

You can do so much the rule of thumb though is to limit salt intake, eat healthy and as many whole-foods as possible. Start with spires but I soon found Baby T got over that and I cute things into cube shapes. Baby T often let me know that she was ready for the next stage of food or for a whole grape opposed to be cutting it in half. You have to trust your baby on this journey, they are in control and that is ok. My belief is that the child should be in control of their food at this stage it should be enjoyable. Make it about learning and they will love to eat and eat well. You are there as a facilitator, support  in case they need you but really they will show you want they can and can't do. 

by 8 months baby t was drinking water out of a shot glass (it was the best sized cup for her!!)

Few tips to help with the mess - get a bib with arms that looks like shirt, get a splat mat or a picnic table cloth to lay under your high chair (we did not bother as we have hard wood), get a dog to avoid clean up (I wish we could!!). 

Pumpkin Bread - getting the good stuff in the little ones

I love making wholesome foods for my family but more then that I love making delicious food! Well this pumpkin bread is delicious and good for you - double yes but even better Baby T eats it up - Hat Trick! 

So here is the recipe, it is a variation of 'ross's pumpkin bread' in The Good Food Book For Families. 


1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs beaten 
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbs Chia
3 tbs millet 
2 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup raisins 

• preheat oven to 350 F 
• Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside
• Mix together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla and eggs and set aside 
• In a separate bowl (confession, I rarely do this as I don't want extra dishes, instead I just pour the dry ingredients onto wet right away - tsk, tsk, but it works!) pour into wet stir in raisins
• Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into  the centre of the loaf comes out clean. 
• Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaf out of pan and let cool completely on rack (unless you are my husband in which case you butcher the loaf and smother a pice with butter- yum). 

Enjoy!!! 

Snow play!

We have finally been blessed with some snow where we live. I love the snow, kids love the snow! This year Baby T was old enough to really get into snow - literally and cognitively. 


Earlier in the week it was nice enough to go out side and enjoy the snow at the park. Baby T, her little mate Big A and I got to enjoy ourselves before anyone else came along so it was 'virgin snow'! The slide was the most fun as they pushed the snow down the slide with their boddies - sadly I had to be a spotter at the bottom as the gained so much speed they were flying off the end so no pictures of that.  

I was so glade that I was able to take the kids out in the fresh brisk air. I sometimes wonder if children are getting less and less of these opportunities to interact with the natural world for one reason or another and on a day like today if people are saying 'oh it's too cold to bring the kids out side!'. Anywho I did, snotty noses be damned they needed the experience, the fun and most of all the fresh air - in my opinion anyway. 

Today we did not have enough time to get all bundled up and go outside for what is apparently the last snowy day before we get freezing rain tomorrow - boo to that. Since we could not go out side to enjoy the snow I brought some in.  Enjoying the snow inside was wonderful. Were I used to work we would do it all the time and it does bring a whole new dynamic to play involving snow. The play is much smaller, there is less snow and it is in a confined space. I find it can be much more focused depending on the circumstance which leads to more in-depth exploration. Four our little snow play I gathered some 'clean' snow, a tub to put it in, a bunch of laundry scopes, an old apple sauce container and a penguin.  

This activity entertained Baby T for a substantial period of time, very nice for me to sit back and watch!  During her play she spent time, scooping, transferring snow, playing with penguin making tracks, squeezing the snow, dropping the snow (yes it gets a little messy - get a picnic table cloth from the dollar store if your worried), talking.  

Oh yeah and tasting the snow - who can resist, especially my little T who will put anything in her mouth - clean snow, it is important. 


So what is Taya learning, 


Language - as always I verbally observe her actions 'oh you are squishing the snow' 'does that cold feel cold on your hands?' 'look at the penguin tracks your making' etc  and she is talking to me though often in her own language still


Fine motor - small tools such as the scopes help her fine motor skills


There is tons more that she is learning too but the above are the major ones and my brain is half asleep... so let me get back to it!  

To Clean Poop or Not Clean Poop Is It Even a Question?

I am not normally one to rant but today I am. The topic I feel is important and should come to light in order for us as parents, teachers, caring adults to end this ridiculous practice. I added some pictures from my old place of work as I prefer posts with photos!


At the moment I am looking into preschool options for Baby T. Luckily with the preschools in my neighbourhood I can do this when my child is 18 months, where I used to work (before Baby T) the wait list was 3 years!  Which meant you had to put your name down when the baby was in utero! Crazy but maybe I am now starting to understand why. My expectations are high as a preschool teacher and it appears my choices are slim. 

But what really got me today at a preschool information session was an archaic policy that if a child soils themselves with a bowl movement the teachers will call a parent to come clean up said child. Sadly this is a common policy in my area and there is so much that is wrong with it!


Firstly a preschool is a place of learning. Toilet training is a part of that learning. The school I visited claimed that the teachers are great in helping with toilet training, which is great. I am confused how leaving a child in their faecal mess is helping? To me leaving them in their mess for a family member would pass on the message that they did something wrong. That a person they should trust, their teacher, will not HELP them in a time of need!  I can only imagine that after an incident like that a child could possibly fear going number two or even school for making that mistake again. The last thing we need is to have children hold in there bowl movements and/or not want to go to school! Now I am sure the schools who practice this would say they treat the situation tenderly however there is no getting around the message that the child has done something wrong, that they are being isolated in this situation and only their parents can help them. Maybe many children who deal with this won't be effected but some children, perhaps the sensitive ones could be and those might be the ones who have the accidents more often? 

Secondly if you have basic human decency I don't see how you can stand next to a child, or person who can't help themselves letting them stand or sit there with soiled underwear and not help! Alright I am sure some preschool teachers would say they are a 'teacher' and don't do that. Umm ok maybe you should not be a teacher to young children then - young children have accidents - wear some latex gloves deal with it as if it's nothing (which it is people, its just poop!!) and get on with it. 

Lastly why would children be having accidents? They are still learning it takes a few tries and sometimes months. Lets not forget the medical profession does say that often full control of urination and bowl movements does not happen till 4 or older. There could be a medical reason that is not yet known or diagnosed. This happened to a child at the preschool where my niece attends in the states (they deal with bowel movements, it's not a problem for this preschool) a boy had frequent accidents which turned out to be a benign polyp. They could be sick, they could be overwhelmed at the new environment, not comfortable yet to ask the teacher for assistance or just plain busy and ooops an accident. 

The early educators (preschool and daycare teachers) in British Columbia reference a code of ethics and in my opinion leaving a child to sit/stand in their faecal matter violates the following codes of ethics:  


Early Childhood educators  promote the health and well-being of all children. 

• enhance each child's feelings of competence, independence and self-esteem
• refrain from in any way degrading, endangering, frightening or harming children

Early Childhood educators use developmentally appropriate practices when working with children 

• apply the knowledge that the stages of physical, social, emotional, moral and cognitive development within each child may be different 

(with the above one should note that a child may not, as per the medical field, be in full control of bodily functions such as urination and bowl movements till the age of 6. So should those children be denied a preschool education?)


Early Childhood educators demonstrate caring for all children in all aspects of their practice

• respond appropriately to each child's expression of need. 
• provide children with experiences that build trust
• express warmth, appropriate affection and consideration for children both verbally and nonverbally (like changing a poop filled pair of pants?)

When we held open houses at the preschool I taught in toilet training was a major question. When we said no we DO NOT require the children to be toilet trained their was huge relief from the parent asking the question. We stated that is was all part of learning at this age, that  the environment of preschool was a great source of positive peer pressure. That we randomly call out during the class 'does anyone need to go to the bathrooooom??' and four or five kids would pop up and say ' oh yes I do' which helps the others who are learning. Though we did have accidents, mostly at the beginning of the school year - no problem, we deal with it. 


And when their was accident it was dealt with minimum fuss and with discretion but most of all with respect. Some may put out the argument that they don't have enough teachers to support that. That is a load of hog wash! If a child needs first aid attention are you not going to clean their wound and bandage it but call their parents? No you attend to it. Others might say 'oh but we don't have a change table' nether did we at our preschool but we managed just fine. Some like to bend the truth and say that 'regulations' prevent them from performing the task - well here in BC that is BS.  




So please if you visit a preschool and they have this policy, please ask them about it and mention the above. There should be no place for this type of policy in a preschool setting please pass on the message. 


update: after I posted this blog post I spoke with the licensing officer for preschools and daycares in my area and she informed me this practice is against licensing regulations therefore is reportable offence. If you know of a centre that does this or have heard of one please inform them. You can also report them anonymously. 

End Rant