Freddie's Friday - Banana Date and Oat Muffins

To get me back into the habit of blogging I have decide to run a healthy, tasty snack series over the next 8 weeks. For all of you mums with toddlers you’ll know that they have little tummies and need to eat quite frequently during the day. A hungry toddler equals tantrums in our house so making sure there are healthy snacks available is crucial!

It’s all too easy to resort to wine biscuits instead of something healthy and sustaining. This recipe ticks both those boxes will keep you little one feeling full and full of energy too. This is because of the oats which are not only high in fibre and a source of iron, but also have a low to medium GI so they help prevent sugar highs and lows. The recipe also includes LSA a great source of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.
 

This recipe is also great for breast-feeding mums as oats are recommended for helping to increase supply.

Although the recipe contains sugar it is less than you will find in shop bought oat muesli bars or muffins and you could always substitute the brown sugar for about 2 tablespoons of honey if you prefer.

Banana and Date Muffins
Makes 24 mini muffins
Preparation: 5 mins (soak dates) & 10 mins (making)
Cooking: 15 mins

1 cup wholegrain Oats
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup LSA powder
¼ cup soft brown sugar
¼ cup oil
1 egg
2 mashed medium bananas
½ cup dates
1 tsp baking soda

·         Place your dates in a bowl sprinkle on the baking soda and pour on just enough water to cover the dates. Leave to soften for about 5 minutes.

·         Blend the dates to create a smooth paste.

·         Add all the wet ingredients to the date pure and combine.

·         In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients.

·         Make well in the middle of the oats and pour in the wet ingredients and fold in until just combined.

·         Divide the mixture into mini muffin trays. I don’t bother using cases for these muffins, I just grease the tray.

·         Cook for about 15mins at 180 ‘C. Once cooked cool in the tins before turning out.

If you are looking for inspiration for dinner for the whole family you might want to check out the slow cooked recipe series I’m running on freddie’s food at the moment. These recipes are great for all the family and perfect for the busy mum or dad trying to get healthy, tasty food on the table while juggling all the other elements of family life.

Munch Mummy, Kate Day

100% Nutz peanut butter review

Last week I was thrilled to receive three tubs of heavenly 100% NUTZ peanut butter to review:

· 100% natural peanut butter
· 100% natural peanut butter with sea salt
· 100% dark chocolate peanut spread


100% NUTZ peanut butter is made right here in New Zealand using GMO-free hi-oleic peanuts, which apparently have a fatty acid composition similar to olive oil. That makes it healthy to eat and incredibly shelf stable.

 

All three 100% NUTZ peanut butters are delicious and have a surprisingly short ingredients list.
 

The original spread - 100% natural peanut butter - is literally just peanuts, nothing else. And the funny thing is I think it’s my favourite of the lot. In any case, I’ve been devouring it on crackers like it’s nobody’s business.
 

100% natural peanut butter with sea salt only contains what the name suggests – peanuts and sea salt.
 

The nuts are roasted a little longer in this one, which gives the peanut butter a stronger flavour and darker colour.

 

I also enjoyed this spread on crackers, but it really shone in the recommended satay dip recipe I made by mixing four teaspoons of peanut butter with a cup of natural yoghurt, a teaspoon of sweet chilli sauce and a teaspoon of curry powder.
 

What a heavenly accompaniment to vegetable sticks! We made and devoured two bowls of satay dip over the past week.

 

100% dark chocolate peanut spread is a healthier chocolate spread choice. It’s made with dark Donovan chocolate and peanuts, so it has way less sugar than other brands and no added salt.
 

I’ll be honest, we’ve mostly been spooning it straight from the tub to our mouths. However, you can also make simple truffles with it by rolling balls of it in chopped nuts or desiccated coconut.
 

I’ve also discovered it tastes divine in chocolate smoothies– just blend a hunk of the 100% dark chocolate peanut spread with a banana, 1 cup of cream or milk, ¼ cup kefir or yoghurt (for beneficial probiotics), 1 cup of ice, 1 Tablespoon of cocoa, 1/2 Tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence and 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil (optional). Too yummy! And your kids will never suspect it’s healthy!
 

Now I’m hoping the crew at 100% NUTZ will start playing around with other nuts. If they can make the simple peanut taste so good, I would love to see what they came up with if they got their hands on almonds or cashews.

Emma Abrahams, Craving Fresh and Munch product reviewer

Munch Monday Madness - Microgreen Madness

Goodness me it's PRIZE TIME again for Munch Monday, this week. So, recently, there has been a lot of chatter between the Munch Ladies about "organic advertising". SO I have a challenge for you!

If you like what were about here at Munch, please shout all about it by letting your friends know how to find us!

Simply post our Facebook page along with your FAVORITE thing about Munch to be in the WIN this awesome 'Micro-Greens Growing Kit'. Please comment below to let us know you have taken part.

The prize will be drawn this Sunday.

Munch Mummy Anna

Do your kids know where food comes from?

My kids are city kids, so I believe it is very important to ensure that they actually know where food comes from.  Not just from the supermarket, but actually from the land.  We do have our vegetable garden which is a great way to talk about how food is grown and a fantastic form of entertainment (as long as you don't mind occasionally that plants are pulled out rather than planted!), however there are also many other ways or activities that you can do with your kids to ensure that they know where food comes from.

I am sure some kids think that the common potato is grown at Countdown or Coles.  Supermarkets make it very convenient for us to purchase produce which is great for our busy life's but we should also know how things are grown.

So we have just put up some fantastic 'Plants for kids' under our new section called 'Food Growing' over at the Cupboard www.munchcupboard.com..  See below some of the activities.  They range from just $7 to $44. Also do check out some of the other 'Food growing' products like the sprouting kit or the microgreen kit.

A short and sweet post as have a couple of snot ridden kids at home today.

Enjoy A

Allergy awareness week

It is Allergy Awareness Week here in New Zealand. 

For more information on allergy issues and allergy awareness week, see www.allergy.org.nz. Last year I attended their Gluten Free Food and Allergy Show which was excellent. It is being held again this year, later in May.

If you fancy a Munch gluten free recipe, then check out this great one: Gluten free banana chocolate muffins.

Mummy to three small boys

Mumsday Sunday - how life has changed

Life changes once you have kids. That is a given. No matter how much you think it won't, it does.

Much of the change is amazingly cool. Your kids will be the light of your life and the funniest thing since sliced bread.

But some aspects of parenthood just stink. (Ridiculously) early mornings; a whole pile of crap to clean up; mess from breakfast to bathroom. And then you have to (constantly) remind people to 'walk inside', 'talk' rather than shout, say 'please' and 'thank you' - despite providing their life for them on a plate. And then there's the washing. It is constant. I can wash all week and still have nothing of my own clean to wear.
 

Luckily, I have changed somewhat since I was in my twenties, so I have been able to make the shift to parenthood without excessive drama. Although getting up at 5.30 is still completely unnatural to me, I can cope with it. It’s still completely poo-bum, but I can do it day after day it seems.  

I’m not sure when and how I changed, but I know I have changed because the things that get me excited now are completely different now to what they once were.

These days I find it exciting when my pots can stack neatly on top of each other, thus creating order and space in the cupboards. When we moved to the house we live in now the most important things to me were fencing, the size of the pantry, and the existence of a separate laundry.

Pantry accessories are pretty cool too. I get satisfaction out of neatly folded clean towels and a fresh chux cloth. I can't get enough of glass jars for storing foodstuffs in, and I am a sucker for a good set of measuring cups. I have four sets now. I recently found some of these old Tupperware ones, which also neatly stack inside each other. And they have all the measures: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, and 1 cup. Love it. Just look at them (or a picture of some identical to mine):

 

 

I know I have changed because I can now understand why my mother did certain things. Things which back then I could only explain to myself as her being a bit daft, completely uncool or just a down right weird. I know there will be a point when my kids feel the same way about me.

I now know why she wore those funny trousers. You know the ones, they come right up high around the middle. Other mummies with tummies, will understand. Those ones. And the long tops. The ones she would pull right down over her bottom.
 
I now also understand why she would always get changed into really ugly clothes when she got back to the house! And why there was always a (soggy) tissue up her sleeve.

I now know why she always always seemed to be doing washing and why she often seemed to be a pre-occupied and a little bit vague at times.

It's not just me either. My friends have experienced similar revelations. One friend used to think her mother was really weird to be washing and hanging out to dry plastic bags. Now it is urban chic, environmentally sensible and something we all should do. I guess the world always changes.

Happy mothers day Mums! What about you, what makes you happy these days?

 

Mummy to three small boys

Maintain a Healthy and Delicious Diet While You are On Vacation

 

A great vacation may include a trip to the mountains, or it may include a trip to the beach or visiting a metropolitan city that offers affluent art houses and theater shows. Whatever your idea of a great vacation may be, there are numerous ways you can eat healthy and maintain your fitness goals while you enjoy one of the best times of the year.

Going on vacation often leaves people wondering how they will avoid all those scrumptious meals offered by restaurants so extra pounds are not put on each day of the trip. You can indulge in fine meals at your favorite restaurants without throwing out all your health commitments during your vacation. Adhering to a few tips will give you the resources you need to have an amazing vacation that is filled with delicious, wholesome foods.

A Healthy Departure

Prior to leaving for your vacation destination, make sure to eat a filling and nutritious meal before you leave. This will prevent you from indulging in the unhealthy cravings of fast food and such. It is also very smart to bring along a bag of of healthy snacks for your trip. Whenever you feel the need to eat something, having a bag of dried fruit, vegetables, and nuts at your disposal will fill your belly with quick snacks that also provide your body with nourishment. Lastly, make sure to hydrate. Drinking an abundance of water is a good way to stage off hunger while also keeping yourself hydrated.

Create a Checklist For Your Hotel

Your hotel can be the place that makes or breaks you while on vacation. You can ensure that it isn’t the place that breaks you by doing a little research and planning ahead. Making sure that your hotel has the appropriate amenities and offerings for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle on vacation is very important. I recently took a trip to Sin City and found a great site that listed reviews for hotels in Las Vegas ranging from their amenities, to their services, even to restaurants in the surrounding area. This made is extremely easy to plan ahead and pick a place where I could be healthy within my hotel as well as outside of it.

When you arrive at your hotel and get unpacked, creating a checklist for food items is a good way to plan out many of your meals. Booking a room that has a kitchenette in the hotel will give you access to a small kitchen that is equipped with items to store and prepare foods. Create a menu filled with snacks and a few dinner meals that you can serve your family from the hotel room. The next thing to do is ask the hotel concierge about local health food stores you can shop at.

Picking up items like fresh fruits and vegetables and some whole grain pastas will equip you with food you can prepare for your family throughout your vacation. If you’d like to dine out a few times during the vacation, preparing some of your meals at the hotel room will cut down on costs and allow you to eat healthier without breaking the budget.
Load Up Your Dining Out Meals with Vegetable Sides

Load Up Your Dining Out Meals with Vegetable Sides

When you go out to eat a restaurant, you may be tempted by a large, sizzling steak and gooey desserts. If you opt to order a steak, consider ordering a small one and add steamed vegetables and a salad as your side dishes to fill you up. If you want to order a dessert, consider ordering a fruit bowl topped with a light amount of cream. These simple options can make a big difference in the amount of calories you eat at each meal when you dine out. Instead of an after-dinner cocktail, consider ordering an after-dinner cup of coffee.

Be Reasonable with Your Expectations

The last thing you want to do when you go on vacation is feel like you are micromanaging what you eat. By committing to staying away from fried foods and eating modest portions, you can accomplish a lot of nutrition goals. Also, you can get creative and pack healthy snacks filled with nuts and fruits so you do not feel like you are going hungry.

Guest contributor, Cole Millen