Green Smoothie | a very green solution

I have a "preschooler"... let me re-word that... I am the mother of a school-going-age child......I am still in shock. They started school already too... Although the relaxing and extra time to myself and the little one is nice, I still hold back the tears as I drop my oh-so-grown-up baby off at school every morning. It's exciting, overwhelming and heart-breaking all at the same time.

As he gets older, his personality, his abilities and his will-power are developing very rapidly, it's hard to keep up. This goes for his eating habits too. He's becoming quite the "picky" eater, in every sense of the word. He likes cucumber, tomato, cooked celery/carrots/peppers. And he eats his grains, fruits and meat. I should be grateful that he at least eats some veggies some of the time.

My solution to a picky, slow eater? Hide it. Dicing it small may fool a toddler into eating some veggies, but do one better and puree it-- then no one will know! I like to puree cooked veggies into sauces and soups for some added flavor and nutrition! sneaky sneaky, I know. It is so effective, so healthy, and oh so yummy. Smoothies are another way I use this method. I love smoothies, so it only makes sense that my kids also LOVE smoothies -- naturally. The criteria to get the most out of a smoothie: keep the sugar/sweetener low to none, use only low fat liquids and choose nutrient-packed fruits and veggies. This is my recipe for the perfect green smoothie.

1/2 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
1/2 apple, cored and sliced
1 kiwi, peeled - optional
3/4 cup or so of canned/fresh pineapple
1-2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1 cup vanilla almond milk
Ice cubes (probably around 10, adjust to your liking)

First, in your blender, pulse together the fruit until really smooth. If you need to add liquid, add a little splash of almond milk. Then, add the spinach and blend until there is little to no specks of green. Lastly, add the ice and almond milk, blend until no ice chunks are left. If you feel that it needs more sweetness (which I rarely do) add a little Organic Blue Agave sweetener, really carefully, because a little goes a long way.
This is my favorite blend, but play around and experiment with different combinations of fruits and veggies. I've tried adding acai, grapes, bananas, and/or berries, which were all delicious too. Here is a list of ingredients I have yet to try: greek yogurt, avocado, cucumber, kale, broccoli......I'll save some of those for when I feel super adventurous. But for now, I will call this one a success!

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve for picky eaters, or toddlers in general?

Baby's First: Banana Chiffon Cake

My cute little nephew turned one while they were visiting us this past month. It was a time full of celebration and lots of memory-making. One of those moments was the cake smash session that we planned for our 2 one-year-olds, including naked babies, a birthday hat and candle, and of course cake!

I've been on the hunt for a good, "healthy" first-baby-cake for as long as I've been a mommy and I have finally found THE ONE --> a banana chiffon cake <-- not only good for babies, but yummy for adults too, so go ahead and give it a try!

Banana Chiffon Cake | Mini Cakes in a Can
1 banana
1.5-2 Tbsp lemon juice (to keep the banana from browning)
3 Tbsp sugar (30 grams)
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp Flour (50 grams)
2 egg whites [save the yolk for a custard or carbonara ;)]

1. In a ziploc bag, using your fingers, mash up the banana with lemon juice until smooth with no chunks. Pour bananas to a mixing bowl, add sifted flour, and mix.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat once more.
3. Add 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the banana mixture and stir. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites until smooth (be careful not to over-mix!).
4. Spoon mixture into 2~3 well-buttered and -floured empty soup cans (15oz size). Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool and serve layered with whipped cream, fresh strawberries and bananas. 

Happy Birthday,  you sticky little one year olds! Love you to pieces!! xoxo