Month: October 2013


Oct
2013

Sneaky Veggie Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Muffins

categories: recipes, toddlers
Parenting a toddler comes with a special set of challenges, one of which is trying to get them to eat things outside of their favorite food groups.  Similar to Will Ferrell’s Elf character, most toddler consider the main food groups to be candy, candy corns, cake, cupcakes, cereal, milk, and juice.  We fight toddler meal battles on a daily basis around here, and utilize a variety of techniques to get our growing boy the nutrients he needs without losing our sanity.  I make sneaky veggie smoothies every week, and have started baking sneaky veggie muffins quite often.  I’ve tried a few veggie muffin recipes, and have come up with the one I’m sharing today through trial and error.  This recipe maximizes the good stuff without compromising on taste.  We all love them, and I hope you will as well.
Sneaky Veggie Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs or substitute 3 tbsp flax seed mixed with water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 and grease your muffin tin or line it with paper liners.
Beat the eggs or flax seed mix.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.  I use a stand mixer.
Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing and scraping the sides as you go.
After the other ingredients are well mixed, add the chocolate chips if desired.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter in to your muffin tin, filling each spot 2/3 of the way full.
Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.
Enjoy.  These bad boys are not just for picky toddlers.  They are popular with all members of Casa de Eby.
I wish the Bear would eat his vegetables, and I continue to offer them at lunch and dinner every day.  Someday he will choose to eat them.  For now, I’m getting his nutritional needs met in the form of baked goods.
How do you get your kids to eat vegetables?

Oct
2013

Saving Kid Art {No Hoarding Required} ~ Make A Kid Art Mini Bunting

categories: decorating, family, frugal, kids, toddlers
We have entered in to the classic parent dilemma.  What do we do with all of the treasures our wee ones create without ending up on the show Hoarders?  The Bear is quite the prolific painter, and can turn out 5-6 masterpieces in one sitting.  I know we don’t need to keep all of them, but my mama heart has a hard time parting with his first creative endeavors.  I’ve seen some great ideas out there I want to try, and came up with a few of my own.  I’ll share them all with y’all, starting with today’s mini bunting.  This project is super easy, taking less than one nap time.  Let’s be honest, that’s how we measure our free time.  

 To make the bunting you need a pile of your child’s paintings or drawings, a 2 inch circle craft punch, a hole punch, and a length of twine or hemp cord cut a little longer than the desired length of your bunting.

 Start punching circles out of the paintings.  Be strategic about your cuts and get the precious details: little finger and palm prints, great color mixing, etc.

Punch holes at the top of each of your tiny circle paintings, and string them on to your cord.  Tie a knot after each one to help them stay in place.  Leave extra room at one end of your bunting to add more later.  
Because I’m a tad bit ghetto fabulous, I used duct tape to secure my bunting to the back of the mirror in the Bear’s room.  It is hidden, so know one knows except the internet.  I can easily adjust the length and add or subtract as needed.  
This project could easily be one your child helps with, or a surprise gift for them.  I surprised the Bear with it, and he LOVES it.  He calls it his rainbow upside down.  Precious boy.  Below you can see a bit more of his room and how mini the bunting looks next to his gigantic wall art.  My plan is to add additional layers of bunting as he creates more art work.  
How do you save your child’s artwork? 

I love linking my ideas at these blog parties.  Click the links to check them out and find crafty inspiration.  If you’ve never visited a blog party, you will be blown away by the creativity shared and imaginative ideas.
Monday: CraftOManiac, Mad in Crafts, Sew Chatty,  Keeping It Simple, C.R.A.F.T., Boogie Board Cottage, and Sumo’s Sweet Stuff   
Tuesday:  Hope Studios, Today’s Creative Blog, Coastal Charm, and New Nostalgia
Wednesday: The Trendy Treehouse, Polka Dots on Parade, Lil Luna, and The Thrifty Home
Thursday: All Things with Purpose, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Girl Creative, and House of Hepworths
Friday: Sugar and Spice, Kojo Designs, Diana Rambles Pin Me Party, and The Shabby Nest
Weekends: Sweet Tea Social @ Texas Women Bloggers, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, Buttercream Bakehouse, and Candace Creations


Oct
2013

The Love of Grandparents

categories: baby, family, parenting
I love that she looks as though she is breathing her in.  
My parents are the best.
Obviously, I’m biased.
They came to visit last week and we had so much fun.
We didn’t do anything exciting, but spent the whole time playing.
They get down on the floor with my kids and don’t miss a minute.
The effort they make to love on my babies means so much to me.
Both kids absolutely adore Dede and Poppy.
It was such a great reminder to be on the floor, in the moment with my kids.  They don’t need anything fancy, or big experiences, or money spent.  They need love.  A quote hangs on a friend’s wall and keeps coming back to mind daily of late.  “Children have only one childhood.”  So true.  This one childhood is so fleeting as I’m reminded while packing up the tiny clothes they’ve so quickly outgrown.  I want to spend it with them, every bit that I can.  I want to be in the moment, on the floor, soaking it up.  

Look at those little toes! Can you even handle it?
What are you soaking up today?


Oct
2013

Game Day Goodies: Snickers and Milky Way Double Chocolate Brownie Bites {With a Coupon!} #GameDayBites

categories: recipes

As a member of Collective Bias, I was asked to create a tasty tailgate party treat to share with y’all.  Brownies are a favorite of the Eby family, so I whipped up a tiny and delicious version perfect for toting to your next tailgate party.  These pint size cuties are portable and contain a special surprise in the center – Milky Way and Snickers Bites!  If you love coupons, head here to grab 2 for Mars Snickers and Milky Way Bites.  Both coupons double when you share them.

Until a few years ago I had no idea baking brownies from scratch was so incredibly easy and delicious.  I really thought that box mixes were the best option out there.  I still love a baking mix, but try to bake from scratch whenever I can.  You can bake from scratch.  It doesn’t take much more time, and is typically more frugal.  

Tail gate party food is tricky because it needs to be portable finger food, and is best when it can be easily packed and moved and not refrigerated.  These brownie bites would be delicious iced with cream cheese frosting, but then their portability would go out the window.  These game day goodies are so easy, and baking from scratch is delicious and satisfying.  

Ready to make your Snickers and Milky Way Double Chocolate Brownie Bites and be the hero of your game day gathering? Here we go…

Ingredients:
1 bag Mars Snickers Bites
1 bag Mars Milky Way Bites
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
mini muffin tin
48 mini cupcake paper liners (optional)
Serves 24 (2 brownie bites each).

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350.  Line your mini muffin tins with your paper liners.
Add one Snickers Bite to the bottom of each cupcake liner of one pan, and a Milky Way Bite to the bottom of each liner in the other pan.  Be sure to differentiate between the two in case of a peanut allergy.
Beat your eggs with a hand or stand mixer.
Add in the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Mix until smooth.
Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix well, scraping the sides and bottom of your bowl until smooth and well mixed.
Add the chocolate chips and mix slowly until incorporated.
Spoon approximately one tbsp of batter into each cupcake liner.  Smush the batter down into the liner, or go chase your toddler around for a few minutes and let gravity do the work (my method).
Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Check them often because they bake very quickly.
Serve any time and enjoy the compliments.

Grab a coupon here for Mars Snickers and Milky Way Bites.  The coupons doubles when you share it with a friend.  Go get it!

What’s your go-to game day treat?


Oct
2013

Life to the Full: Joy and Discovery

categories: life to the full, play, toddler school, toddlers, travel

This sweet boy is at such a fun, wild, crazy, stage of exploring his world and learning through discovery every day.  I love being there for every minute of it, even though I sometimes just need a minute where someone isn’t asking me a question.  His speech has really taken off and he is asking new questions nonstop.  He found the shell above and decided it had tiger stripes like the tiger he saw at the Dallas Zoo.  I’m completely biased, but I’m pretty sure he is a baby genius (just like every mother in history).  I long to be the mama who is all in with my kids, loving them fully with the love of Jesus and guiding them through these childhood years.  

Daily I marvel at his inquisitive nature and the pure joy he finds when he learns something new.  He inspires me to look at the world around me with fresh eyes.  He laughs with wild abandon and is so free.  Do you laugh like that?  I hope I do.  In the midst of this depression battle, moments of pure joy and freedom are illusive.  I’m soaking them up and trying my best to be in the moment, on the floor, playing, laughing, teaching, and fighting for freedom from this struggle.    

I hope to laugh like this every day of my life.
What brought you joy today?
You can find more from my Life to the Full series here.