RAINY DAY CHOCO OATMEAL COOKIES

I'm finally off from work... and of course the forecast is RAIN 3/5 days and 70s ALL WEEK. So much for my beach plans! What better way to kick off the staycation than baking cookies on a rainy day! I had no eggs in the house, and I also wanted to sneak in some oatmeal into the cookies without actually tasting them... but I only had old fashioned rolled oats. Luckily rolled oats can be used for ANYTHING.

I ended up moving the mixer to the floor because we don't have enough counter space for my helper to be helpful!

RECIPE

1 cup of butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups oat

1 bag of chocolate chips

- beat butter, sugars & vanilla until light and fluffy

- add flour, salt

- dissolve baking soda in boiling water and mix

- add oat and choco chips

- preheat to 350 and bake 10-12 minutes. (uncreased sheet- this recipe is basically all butter anyway!)

- cool before moving cookies

Always my #1 helper

Emilia is amazed at the kitchen-aid. Honestly, so am I!

Adding choco chips

eating cookie dough!! Benefits of eggless dough!

Soft, chewy chocolatey deliciousness!!

Homemade baby food pouches

I never pictured myself as an organic, homemade pureed mom... but here I am, making Emilias babyfood and then packaging them into pouches!! Honestly, it can be a little time consuming and I don't always have that much time to do it. I spend the morning/afternoon on my day off making these pouches and hope that I have enough for the week and hopefully into the week after. I steam all the veggies and whatever I don't get the chance to puree, I will freeze. My mom will help me steam veggies and meats to freeze. 

Some of Emilia's favorite puree combos:

- butternut squash OR kobacha squash + yams + carrots

- green peas + squash + carrots

- white beans + carrots + broccoli  + yams

- yogurt + berries + banana  (because berries alone are too tart)

- white rice porridge can be added to any puree also ( although not my favorite because it makes the mixture thicker and sticky)

*when starting out, I did only veggie purees. Slowly started adding meat into the mix.. chicken, shrimp, fish, beef. THANK GOD SHE LOVES IT ALL!!

- I use the Infantino squeeze pouches for Emilia because the plastic is soft and its easy for her to squeeze and suck out the food by herself. The squeeze station is also a super efficient way to fill the pouches. I love that the pouches are clear so you can see what is inside, AND the pouches are disposable (not reusable) so its convenient when you're on the go. You can also freeze the pouches and it melts within minutes of placing in hot water... so that's a plus also! Only bad thing is non-recyclable, so may NOT be the best for the environment. 

Filled Infantino Squeeze pouches 

She loves her pouches! I also put on a silicone topper so she wouldn't squeeze out all the contents of the pouch. 

Infantino Squeeze Station 

For Henry, I use the little green pouch because it is reusable. It is easy to clean with a brush and because it is top fill, and side squeeze, the chances of food spilling out are very slim!! Other reusable pouches are bottom fill, so if you overfill or don't close the pouch tightly, food will spill out. Because it is reusable, the plastic is a little stiffer so you have to such harder to get the food out. Emilia is unable to eat from this pouch efficiently. I have to squeeze the food out for her to help her eat it. 

Henry basically uses these pouches for snacks. his favorite combos include:

- yogurt + berries + banana + honey

- yam + carrots + squash

*he will also eat anything Emilia eats in puree form, unfortunately, he will not eat the veggies on a plate!!

The healthiest & tastiest snack!!

Acai is a delicious super fruit from the Amazon rain forest and it is chock full of healthy nutrients! The acai bowl falls somewhere in between a tasty refreshing smoothie and cold creamy ice cream. Think smoothie with toppings! 

Note: this is NOT a LOW calorie snack! It is an energizing snack- but you can make it low cal or high cal... however you like with your favorite toppings!

You can pick up acai berry powder OR puree at your supermarket. I like the puree because I can get it on fresh direct AND it keeps my acai bowl COLD!

my ingredients: almond butter, acai puree, berries!

I like to mix some frozen fruit in and top with fresh fruit

top with fresh fruit and granola. YUMMY

"Acai berries contain antioxidants, fiber and heart-healthy fats. They may have more antioxidant content than other commonly eaten berries, such as cranberries, blueberries and strawberries." (Mayo Clinic)

PRESSURE COOKER KOREAN SHORT RIBS

Galbijjim, or braised short ribs is a favorite dish of ours...  Its super easy to make, so you can really make it in 90 minutes with a pressure cooker. 

Ingredients: 

8 beef short ribs on bone

3 potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

broccoli

1 apple, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/2 onion, sliced 

Marinade:  (taste it before you pour it over the meats and veggies)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2-3 tablespoons of honey

4 tablespoons of miring

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

Step 1- OPTIONAL - 

Soak your meat in cold water for 30 min.

This draws out the blood and makes the meat more tender.

Step 2- 

Prepare your veggies while meat is soaking.

Step 3-

Boil your meat for 30 minutes. 

This will draw out the fat in the meat. It also draws the nutrients from the bone into the meat and into the water, so now you have delicious BEEF STOCK!

Step 4-

Mix your wet ingredients and coat your meat and veggies with the marinade.

Step 5-

Cook in Pressure Cooker for 40-60 minutes!

Enjoy!!

CHICKEN SOUP in 5 MINUTES!!!

With the cold weather and flu going around, it was inevitable that both babies get sick :( here's a recipe that is perfect for both my 3 year old and 7 month old.
Almost all my daily meals are prepped under 10 minutes. Once in awhile I'll get glamorous and cook a gourmet meal with lots of prep. Thankfully that's like 1-2 times a year. Haha

Prep the chicken soup in 5 minutes!
Total cook time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
Whole chicken
Chopped Carrots
1/2 White onion, sliced
1-2 Ginger roots, peeled and sliced
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1. Throw all the ingredients into a pot big enough to fit chicken and fill 2/3 with water. Cover and boil for 45 minutes.

2. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Put in fridge for few hours or overnight. The fat will harden.

4. Scoop out hardened fat and reheat.

5. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.

Optional: add rice or cooked noodles right before serving.

Voila! Bon apetit!
This chicken soup is perfect because the chicken will slide off the bones, tender enough for my 7 month old and the flavor is simple enough for my toddler.