Jax’s Favorite Applesauce

Every Baby loves applesauce..and whether it is store bought or made from scratch it will for sure make your little baby smile! I also love to freeze my applesauce in ice cube trays to make for a fun teething snack! 

Here is our recipe 

Jax’s Applesauce

2 Gala Apples ** Yellow bakes well too if you want to try another kind**

1 freshly squeezed lemon

a pinch of lemon zest

1/4 cup water

cinnamon

Procedure

Peel your apples and chunk them into small chunks

place them in a baking safe dish 

pour the water and lemon juice over the apples 

toss with cinnamon and the lemon zest

coat well

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes

let them cool for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle and blend them in either a food processor or baby bullet.

freeze them for fun applesauce bites or save and serve cold!!!

ENJOY!

Springtime/Summer Fun ideas for Babies!!

Today is a typical Friday at our house..we have already done our early morning workout with Fit4mom ..gone to the grocery store, ate lunch, and now Jax is down for his nap. Here in Texas is has already reached a whopping 85 and 90 degrees during the days.. it is HOT and its only March. That is scary! I have been deciding how we are going to beat the heat this summer.. and with a baby in tow it can prove to be challenging. Today after Jax wakes up from his nap I have a fun little water play activity that he HOPEFULLY will like.. 

Below I have listed a few fun activities to do during the warmer months with your baby!!!

1. FROZEN APPLESAUCE BITES

These are not only a fun little snack for a hot day but GREAT for teething babes too! Simply make your applesauce ( my exact recipe ) and you can either freeze them in ice cube trays or find a fun little pop out cut out to make fun shapes with! 

2. TURTLE SANDBOX

Now my baby is to little for a sandbox ( I am not a fan of sand anyways) but I bought this at Wal-mart the other day and plan to use it for water play! I like that it has a cover ( so pollen and dirt can’t find its way inside and make it dusty) I filled it with a little bit of water and threw some bath toys in there. I blew bubbles and it was a MAJOR hit! I also like that I can put it where I want to ( like my shady porch) This can also be filled with a sensory object to mix it up a bit.

3. FUBBLES

My baby LOVES bubbles.. this is a NO SPILL can of bubbles. They come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, colors, some are battery operated and some you can blow yourself. This is just a simple activity that will entertain Jax. 

4. THIS sunblock is great. 

There are no tears involved while slathering it on, it is gentle on baby skin, and it rubs in really well. I have found that my child has VERY sensitive skin so I am careful what I try on him.. this stuff is great for outdoor play.

5. Home made Popsicles

Hot outside AND a teething baby.. this would be great. Sort of like the Applesauce bites except these come in neat little trays and you can  use a ton of different fruit combos. These would be fun! I ordered mine off Amazon HERE

Thats all.. just a few ideas.. there are tons out there but these are what I have tried thus far!!!

Organic Mac n’ Cheese for baby and a few new products!!!

Happy Monday Friends!!!!

Today I am coming at you with one AMAZING macaroni and cheese recipe along with some of our favorite products as of late!! Jax has been going through a major growth spurt as well as cutting six teeth so a lot of our products are food and teething related!!!

I absolutely LOVE to cook for Jax.. not every mom loves to cook and thats OK! It can be time consuming and you have to pre plan and grocery shop and when you have three or four littles racing around your heels sometimes you want to throw your hands up in the air, give your kid a fruit pouch, and suck down a glass of wine. I totally get it. 

I try and post easy and not so meticulous recipes for baby so that even the busiest of mamas can find the time to whip up just something special for baby. 

**For my Maccaroni Recipe you can get a little crazy and add in some veggies ( broccoli and spinach were a hit!!) even some chicken would be wonderful to add a little protein.

To start I will post the most amazing and flavorful macaroni for baby!!!! Here ya go!

Homeade Organic Maccaroni and Cheese

Shopping List

10 cups water

1/2 pound whole wheat macaroni - I used shells 

6 tabelspoons unsalted butter

3 cups 2 % organic milk - I used whole milk and it was super creamy!!!

1 cup grated sharp organic cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated sharp organic cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated colby cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Procedure

In a large pot, boil about 10 cups of water ( just cover the macaroni)

and cook until tender

Next, in  a large saucepan over medium heat, melt unsalted butter, add flour, and continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Add organic milk and continue to stir until this thickens up. Remove from heat and add cheeses and the salt and pepper. Pour the cheesy mixture into your drained pasta.. mix well and season to taste if needed.

Serve to your sweet baby..and yourself!!!

Delicious!!!

Next Up!! I want to talk favorite products!!!!!

1.  My favorite cookbook for baby can be bought HERE

I know that most of us moms can get in a cooking rut for ourselves.. and then really in a rut when it comes to cooking for baby. I know that I have pureed avocado and banana 340298342 times and finally J was just done with it. I am constantly creating yummy baby foods to make for him but this book helps give you a little bit of a creative boost!!! It has a great older baby section that could be so useful during meal prepping ( before a new baby arrives) or just having healthful and organic snacks on hand for your baby to eat. My goal is for Jax to eat healthy and to learn habits that are good for him. This book is so great for that!!!!

2. THESE BIBS are a must if you are letting your child learn to self feed. High chairs can get downright gross!!! This is a catch all bib that is easy to clean, dishwasher safe, and comfy for baby to wear while eating. We love ours!

3. The teething monster has hit our house and hit us HARD!! Jax is cutting SIX teeth. Four uppers and two bottoms and his poor mouth is in constant pain!! In addition to rotating tylenol and motrin I apply Punkin Butt oil SHOP HERE

It is an all natural, safe, teething oil that can be applied throughout the day. I find that it takes the edge off of his sore little gums and helps him relax a little bit better.

4. Home made Applesauce pops.. 

use my “ Jax’s favorite applesauce recipe”  found HERE

and then pour the applesauce into the Nuby Popsicle Mold for some yummy and good teething pops!! 

Those are a few of our faves!!!

A mommy and Jaxie picture for good measure

I have an amazing Baby Banana Bread recipe coming up on the blog soon!!

Grocery * Pantry* Staples for your Baby

Happy Tuesday!!!!

When does everyone do their weekly shopping trips?? I have yet to get a perfect system down- Normally I shop on Satrudays with Brandon
Sometimes on Sundays after Church ( always a bad idea)

and then a lot of times I will shop on a random Tuesday but then find myself going back on a Saturday because we need an extra item or two..

I digress. I ll get it right one day

Anyways I was going through my pantry and found some of the MAIN items that I pretty much buy weekly for baby Jax and decided to share. These are the times that he eats either daily or weekly. Also some fun little tidbits on some homemade fun snacks!!



1. BANANAS - easy to mashup, blend, or cut into chunks. Pairs well with other fruits and is easy to disguise veggies with :) WE LOVE BANANA

2. SWEET POTATO-  Great for mashing, whipping, adding other proteins with.

3. Mini Mangos-  loves this for breakfast, frozen chunks for teething, and for blending with a banana

4. AVOCADO GREAT FOR EVERYTHING!!!

5. HEB BABY APPLEJUICE- I have started giving Jax two five oz diluted bottles of apple juice water to introduce water into his system per Pedi recommendation. I add 1 oz of pure baby organic apple juice and then four oz of water and let him sip on it while we are outside on a run, or playing in the pool, or when he wakes up from his nap and I pair it with some puffs and he will seem to take it. He hates plain water.. so this was about as good as I could get for him.

6. APPLES- for making applesauce and frozen applesauce bites- HIS FAVORITE!

7.  PUFFS- We love the happy baby organic brand and we LOVE ALL OF THE FLAVORS! I love these because they are not only yummy for Jax ( taste like a little soft cheerio) but they are awesome for fine motor skills ( pincer grip) and they entertain him!

8. Organic Rotisserie Chicken- I am all about cooking our own chicken so that I can control the salt content, ingredients and ect. HOWEVER when I am in a pinch and need to make baby food or casserole or whatever that may call for large quantities of chicken I buy the organic rotisserie chicken and it works great! I can shred it easily and pair it with avocado for an easy lunch for J.  I can blend it and add a ton of veggies and serve it for dinner.. the sky is the limit and we love these.

9. Veggies of choice right now- Asparagus, Spinach, Zuchinni, and Butternut Squash. These are all of our favorites right now and ALL OF them cook easily and soft. The spinach I do have to mix in with something sneaky because he won’t tolerate it on its own.

10. Berries- Blueberries, Rasberries, and Strawberries are all fun easy to cut up ( for finger foods) and also make great purees. Alone they are very tart but mixed with a banana they are fantastic!

** EGG MUFFIN RECIPE**
Shopping List:
4 eggs, 2 bananas, and a handful of fresh blackberries ( blueberries or raspberries will work too)
mash everything together and pour in to a greased muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
These make GREAT breakfasts for baby.. soft and easy to chew. They can hold the little muffins in their hands too!

Healthy Fruit Muffins for Baby!!!

Happy Sunday friends!!!! We are SO excited to be sneaking off to the beach with our little boy!! With that little boy in tow though I KNOW I need  to pack smart, have organized food, and LOTS of snacks on hand. I also know that I am going to be one tired ( and hopefully TAN :)) mama after getting back so throughout this week I have prepped meals that can be easily frozen so I won’t have to worry about cooking meals upon our return! 

I love muffins because, like a meatball, you can pack an abundance of fruits, veggies, or proteins ( think chia seeds!) that are super healthy for baby. My sweet boy LOVES to independently feed himself so muffins are an easy food that can be grabbed, torn, and stuck right in his pretty little mouth! 

Here ya go!!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat organic flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt ( just a pinch y’all)

1/2 cup of applesauce
1T vanilla

1/2 cup flaxseeds

a pinch of chia seeds ( a little goes a long way!)

1/4 cup canola

3/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup baby yogurt 

1/4 cup organic whole milk

3/4 cups fruit of choice 

Procedure:

1. preheat oven to 350

2. in a medium bowl, combine flour, 1 t baking powder, and salt

3. in a larger bowl combine applesauce with 1/2 t baking P

4. to ^^ that mix, add flax, chia, oil, agave, vanilla, yogurt, and milk..stir well

5.  Add fruit of choice

6. Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean!

Summer Popsicle Combos for Baby

Happy Friday Friends!!

I talked about THIS particular popsicle mold on my favorite things a while back. I have been using the heck out of it especially since Jax is cutting so many teeth!! We also love to get out in our backyard in the baby pool with a yummy popsicle as well...it has been so hot!!!

Here are some of our favorite combos we have been making lately!!!

1. Watermelon & Kiwi: 1 cup chopped watermelon + 1 entire kiwi blended can make up to four molds

2. Avocado/Banana with Chia seed: mix 1/2 banana with 1/2 avocado and a sprinkle of chia seeds and mix together in blender.

3. Applesauce Pops: Create my applesauce recipe found HERE and pour into molds

4. Pineapple and Breastmilk/Whole milk: Blend pineapple chunks with added Breastmilk for extra vitamins and calories and or whole milk. 

5. Papaya and Pineapple: 1/4 a papaya chopped with 1/4 chopped pineapple blended.

These are a few of our favorites right now!!!! 

A few Mommy and Jaxie pictures of us doing what we do best in the summer...THE POOL!

8 Months Old!!! & A few Favorite Products!!

8 MONTHS!!!!!

The thief of time has come and stolen my sweet little newborn and replaced him with this spunky, giggly, curious 8 month old!!!! A few things about Jax this month is that he can; clap his hands!!!! he won’t do it on command quite yet so I am unsure if he knows the meaning behind the action, however when he gets really excited he gets into a clapping fit and it is pretty much the cutest ever!!!! Jax can “ Give Kiss” He will lean in for an open mouthed smooch and melts my heart. Sleep is great, officially crawling, LOVES food!!! His favorite foods this month are: Guava Banana, Cinnamon Applesauce, Turkey/Broccoli/Butt.sq combo, any sort of meat combo I make..and his newest favorite is yogurt. I am still making all of his food and I really enjoy making the different combinations to see what he will like :) I am about to start baby sign language with him ( per my moms request) I will see if I can remember haha!!! Jax still absolutely LIGHTS UP like a birthday candle anytime we go to our Gymboree classes- he absolutely LOVES the music and baby activities they offer. Stroller strides is another favorite ( not only for Jax but for mommy) it has been a great outlet and he enjoys his stroller. he wears 9 month clothing but still fits into some 6 month stuff. He is as cuddly as ever and always wants mama. I can’t imagine my life without him.. I know I say this constantly but he truly brought a part of me to life that I didn’t even know was dead. I am so grateful God answered our prayers on that halloween of 2015 when we got pregnant with him and then again on July 13 when I met him face to face...not a day goes by that I don’t get sentimental thinning about how lucky I have been to have this baby. Thank you God for my JOY in JAX!

We are continuing our #PROJECTHANDPRINT and this is our second canvas. I am absolutely LOVING doing this with Jax. In our new house we are going to have a big playroom for the kids and I envision all of his little artwork on the wall ..and once brother or sister comes, their artwork too :)

I think he looks like me here. :) 

On our way to breakfast on saturday morning

at breakfast on Saturday ...daddy is so silly

at our favorite...GYMBOREE!!!!

Working on some gross motor stuff

Daddy comes on Saturdays and its cute to see him do the baby workouts :)

another favorite this month is BUBBLES

Randomness thrown in here: my FAVORITE polish for spring has and always will be OPI mod about you! It looks so clean on your nails right?!

Saturday evening we sat on the porch and drank wine while playing with this little cutie

looking dapper as ever for church on Sunday

:)

The answer to our prayers

now for some favorite 8 month products!!!

1. Can I just say I am obsessed with everything GAP right now!!!

How cute is this stuff???? 

Follow the link to buy HERE

2.  Pottery Barn has the CUTEST Easter baskets right now.. I got Jax  this one but you can view all of the cute Easter stuff HERE

3.  WE LOOOVVEEE Oilogics bath and sleep time oils!!! I rub a little on his feet before he goes to sleep and then with his bath I pour a little bit of the sleep oil and let him play. it smells delicious!!! **Sidenote I don’t know if it ACTUALLY makes him SLEEP but I do know that it makes him calm and as part of his routine he knows its bedtime.  You can find this at Target or Amazon

Those are our favorites for month 8!!!!! I am going to add a link in my portfolio tab to add some of Jax’s favorite baby recipes!!!!

Happy Wednesday!

Life Lately

“ No eye has seen. No ear has heard. And no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

Sometimes it is hard to imagine that God still has THE BEST yet to come for us. Often times when we are dragging feet through the valley..or perhaps finally content with life at the moment we cannot fathom that God has even bigger and better things in store for us. 

I know that throughout my journey in life sometimes I feel like everything has come to a never-ending pause and I never know what is happening next. However, isn’t that the beauty of it all?? Not knowing what is to come is part of God’s beautiful mystery in blessing us daily! Most of the time God’s miracles are right around the bend.. that small piece of hope is something BIG to hold onto. 

We should never be without hope, because God is never without a plan.

Happy Sunday Friends!!!

Here is just a little bit of our life lately...

AKA photo dump :)

Naps with Daddy are the best..

My youngest brother has been visiting over the summer so we enjoyed a FUN day at the JW!

Like so fun..!

Mommy and Jaxie!

Getting our workout on!!! My fabulous Fit4mom group is the BEST!

Teething popsicles and his new ride..

“ Yummy popsicle mommy!"

applesauce pop

I cook.. he cooks...

Some of the best “dates” are on the back porch.

Gymboree!

River Crossing pool..

Grotto with dad

Found this halogen dress for a steal at Nordstrom!

After church brunch

Afternoon Juice

I <3 THEM!

Laundry with mommy..

Hangin’ at Honey and Pa’s AKA our new house!

Sharing with mommy ( his newest thing)

Hangin at the redneck yacht club!! AKA front porch pool time!

Love this life. Thank you Jesus!!

xoxxoxo