Healthy Chocolate Chip “Kangaroo” Cookies

It went down like this:
We just picked up big brother from Kindergarten and it was after school snack time and I had nothing but a counter full of fruit, which never seems to be just what a 5 and 3 year old wants. So I asked my boys “Do you want me to make animal crackers or granola” both of which would be much better than the alternative quick and easy snack : Chocolate Marshmallow Mateys (I can’t believe that I have that stuff in my house! Yes I let me kids eat it, as a treat occasionally. Like once every 2 weeks, if their room is clean. I’m such a mean mom.)
The vote was:
Ryan: “Animal Crackers!”
Simon: “Granola!!”
Ryan: “Animal Crackers!”
Simon: “Granola!!”

Ah, the sweet sounds of kids fighting over healthy snacks.

And they fought about it until they got distracted by their Legos and so I frantically searched Pinterest for a sugar-free granola recipe. My internet was running at a snail’s pace so I gave up the search before I got sucked into the swirling, time-stealing vortex of Pinterest.
I really love baking and I’ve made plenty of cookies in my life but this was my first rogue, no-recipe cookie making experience and let me tell you it was empowering! I got out my favorite healthy ingredients and started measuring and mixing. When the finished result came out of the oven I was pleasantly surprised the my creation was so tasty!They are a good mix between Animal Crackers, Granola, and good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. These little morsels are nutrient packed and there is NO SUGAR added to them!






Kangaroo Cookies
Ingredients:

3/4 C Whole wheat flour (fresh ground wheat is best)

1/4 C Ground flaxseeds

1 C Rolled oats

1 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 Banana, mashed

3 T Butter, softened

1 Large egg

1/2 C Unsweetened applesauce

1-2 T Honey

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 C dried cranberries (or raisins)

1/2 C Chopped walnuts

1/2 C Dark Chocolate Chips (mine were Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together flour, flaxseed, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon.

In a separate medium sized bowl mash banana with a fork and mix in softened butter.

Add egg. Mix well. Then stir in applesauce, honey, and  vanilla.

Add banana mixture to the dry flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in cranberries, walnuts, and chocolate chips. You can also substitute your favorite nuts or dried fruits.

Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet and press down slightly. The cookies don’t flatten out much in the oven.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, until the edges are slightly golden.

These cookies are full of omega-3 fats from the walnuts and flaxseeds, fiber from the whole wheat and flax, vitamins and antioxidants from the dark chocolate and cranberries (or raisins), and the cinnamon is a great metabolism booster.  since they are sweetened with fruit and honey you don’t have to feel guilty about eating more than one or two. And you WILL want to eat more than two! 

We have been trying to really cut back on sugar and I’ve cut it out of my diet almost entirely so this is a great way to satisfy a ravenous sweet tooth without giving in to sugars that can harm your health.

And why are they named Kangaroo cookies? Big brother said that the chocolate chips looked like little kangaroos in a pouch. I love his imagination.

Enjoy!

Healthy Lemon-Colada Smoothie

Spring is officially here! The first day of spring was only 2 days ago and to celebrate my favorite season in the desert I am making a yummy Lemon-Colada Smoothie that will put a a spring in your step.  And it’s full of healthy stuff that will make you feel good inside. Can’t beat that!
My kids loved it too. It tastes like a sunny day on the beach.

Lemon Colada Smoothie

Juice from 2 fresh lemons (about 5-6 Tbs. juice)
2 bananas
1 C Frozen Pineapple
1 Ripe Pear, cored
1/2 C  Fat Free Greek Yogurt, plain
1 1/4 C Silk PureCoconut Milk
1 C Ice
1Tbs Honey (optional)

1. Juice your lemons and remove and seeds. I recommend using fresh lemons over lemon juice because it is so much tastier and healthier and most of the time store bought juice has preservatives, check your ingredients.

2. Add lemon juice, bananas, pear, yogurt, coconut milk, honey,  and ice to your blender and blend until smooth. Taste your smoothie and if you like it sweeter you can add more banana or honey.

The lemon juice helps to keep your blood sugar from spiking and is a great gut cleanser. The fruit is full of fiber potassium, vitamin C, and healthy enzymes.  Greek yogurt adds protein and calcium. Coconut milk has tons of calcium, and vitamins D and B12. This smoothie is a great energy booster and it is low fat!
Mix it up, drink it up, and smile! It’s spring!

Pinterest Project Calendar

I’m a Pinterest addict.
What? You are too?
Ok, so we all are. It’s completely addicting.
I have pinned so many beautiful inspiring pictures of recipes, inspirational words, and amazing projects. I have even seen some of them come to life here in my own little house. But there are so many projects and so little time so I need to pick my favorites and get to work.
One project a month. That should keep me busy.
Here is the schedule.  (BTW you can checkout and follow my Pinterest boards Here)

March: New pillow for my couch like this cute striped pillow with a big yellow flower (Love!)

(This pillow is from UrbanFringe)

April: Bapron (bib apron)- because Little Mister is a messy eater.

May: Puffy Paint canvas.  I’m feeling a fun damask design would rock the canvas.

June: Painted Knife Block.

July: Cake Stand. I like this one because of the bright colors. I love the upside down tart trays and the bright colored paint. There are a million ways to make these.

August: Drawer handle jewelry organizer.

September: Stenciled Curtains. 
October: TBA. I am on the lookout for a great Halloween décor tutorial.


November:Pottery Barn Inspired Finials
December: TBA. Something Christmassy, of course.

What pinterest projects are you making this year?

Super Power Green Smoothie recipe

What does every mom need? I mean besides a day off, a spa day, and to eat anything she wants without gaining weigh.
Super Powers!
Being a mom is hard work. We run a around like a crazy, stressed out, chicken with our head cut off all day long and then I go to bed and to it again. Caffeine seems to help pick you up for an hour of two but then *crash*. The energy is gone as quickly as it came. Not to mention all of the not-so-awesome side effects of caffeine, like keeping you from sleeping well, which makes you even more tired. Soon you are dragging your tired butt out of bed and reaching for the caffeine first thing in the morning just to make it through another day. It is a terrible, vicious cycle that MUST be broken.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am a caffeine addict and I crave it every day. But the important thing is that I don’t give in to those cravings. I have found something better! When I start to feel that tug that takes my car directly to the nearest Circle K or McDonalds, I know that I am in need of some super powers to get me through my day.

When I was pregnant with my baby I craved fruit all the time. I knew it was healthy so I indulged often. By far my favorite way to eat (or drink) fruit is in smoothie form. I am now a smoothie addict too. seriously. This is AMAZING stuff! I would dump in my favorites like bananas, pineapples, blueberries, mangos, cherries, etc. Blend them up with some milk and ice and enjoy. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. All food tastes even better when I’m pregnant, and fruit was like my crack.
Now that I am trying to shed the last 10 pounds of baby weight I discovered the miracle of the green smoothie! I started adding spinach for the extra iron, omega-3, and fiber. Once I got used to adding a few leaves I added more, and more and more until I worked my way up to about 2 cups of spinach in my smoothies. Astounded by how awesome I was feeling, I decided to go even further and add another power food: Kale. If you haven’t tried this yet, throw some kale in your cart next time you hit the grocery store. It has a cabbage-like taste which some people don’t like but if you can get used to it, or if you love it, the health benefits are phenomenal!!
Kale is packed with antioxidants, (a.k.a. cancer fighters), fiber, calcium, vitamin B6, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and a whopping 1020% daily value of vitamin K. And it has high amounts of lutein which helps fight aging and keeps those nasty wrinkles away.
The next ingredient is Kefir. Kefir is kind of like a yogurt smoothie drink but it even better.

“Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match” (Source kefir.net )

In other words, kefir is the bomb.  It will help regulate your digestive system and keep you in balance.
To sweeten this healthy concoction I use a ripe pear or sometimes a banana. More fiber, vitamins, and cancer kickin’ nutrients!
I have experimented pretty much every day with this recipe and come up with my favorite combinations. I have even added things like almonds, chia seeds, mint leaves, ginger or cayenne pepper (I don’t recommend that last one.) My favorite addition is fresh mint leaves.
Try this Super Power Smoothie in the morning or anytime you need a natural, immune boosting, energy kick that lasts.


SUPER POWER GREEN SMOOTHIE:

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
2-4 large kale leaves, stems removed
1/2 banana (optional, add for sweeter smoothie)
1 ripe pear
handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup kefir or yogurt
1/2 - 3/4 cup coconut milk (or almond milk, or whatever milk you love. You can even substitute water if you are counting calories.)

(other optional ingredients: 1/4 cup rolled oats, a few fresh mint leaves,1 tsp. fresh ginger, or whatever fruit you love.)

Stuff all of the ingredients in a blender of food processor and blend until smooth. I use a Ninja Food Prep Blender. I absolutely love my Ninja! And this sounds bad but I kind of hope it dies so I can buy a fancy new super Ninja System 1100. It’s on my list of things you can buy me for my birthday. *wink wink*
If you prefer a sweeter smoothie you can add honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. The more simple, raw, and natural the better!

I drink it straight from the ninja bowl. Sooo good. I’m telling you, you are going to be hooked on this nutrient rich, body fueling smoothie. It makes me feel like a super hero!

Coconut Flour Pancakes Recipe

I just bought my first bag of coconut flour! After seeing coconut-this and coconut-that on Pinterest I had to try this stuff out. There are lots of recipes out there using coconut flour and I was experimenting with my own recipes this morning and came up with a yummy pancake that would be perfect for a gluten-free or paleo diet. And because of the coconut and eggs they are also packed full of protein. I love all things tropical so coconut flavor in these pancakes is  right up my alley.  I'm dreaming of trying this with fresh pineapple on top. mmmmm.
I bought my coconut flour at Sprout's Farmer's Market but you can order it on Amazon Here.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Ingredients:
3 Tbs Coconut Flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk


1. Mix together coconut flour and baking powder
2. Whisk in eggs and milk
3. Add extra if needed to get to pancake batter consistency.
4. Pour into hot greased pan and spread around with a spoon to get a pancake shape.
5. cook until edges are dry and the bottoms starts to turn golden brown. Flip and cook the other side to golden brown.
6. Add you favorite topping and enjoy. I like almond butter or pure maple syrup (or a mixture of the two) on top of mine.

Makes approx. two 6-inch pancakes


I would love to hear your feedback since this is my first coconut flour recipe. :) Thanks bunches!

Making Baby Food

I'm totally there. Those first few months of feeding my baby "real" food. This is my third baby so you would think by now I would be an old pro at this. Not so much. On the contrary, I'm more nervous and careful this time around than with my other two rug rats. I no longer trust the judgement of Gerber to feed my babies.
I made my own baby food for my other 2 boys about 30% of the time. I liked the idea of them eating fresh fruits and veggies rather than canned. And whipping up a batch of butternut squash or carrots in the blender is a piece of cake. This time around I am feeding my little guy homemade baby food about 70%  of the time instead. I save those convenient little bottles for when I'm low on time or when we are out of the house.
I'm sure you agree with me about homemade food being much better for baby. The foods haven't been overheated or processed so the nutrients are at their peak. Bottled food has to be heated to high temperatures to kill off any bacteria that would spoil the food. And the nutrients strart to break down at those high temperatures. If you have ever done pressure canning before you know how much the heat changes the food.

The fun is in experimenting with different flavor combinations.

Some of the foods need to be heated to soften them and to make them easier for your baby to digest. But I like keeping the foods raw whenever possible. One of my favorite combinations is steamed carrots blended with a ripe pear.

Carrots and Pears Baby Food

10 baby carrots (or about 3 whole carrots, peeled)

1 ripe pear

Water

Directions: Place baby carrots in a glass microwave safe dish (no plastic in the microwave please). Add 1 inch of water. Cover and steam in the microwave for about 4 minutes. Let sit for at least one minute before removing from microwave.

Wash and peel your pear. Core and roughly chop.

Add steamed carrots and pear to your blender/food processor. Add about 3 Tbs of water or more if needed. Blend until smooth. For beginning eaters you can press the mush through a fine strainer to remove any lumps.

Use it immediately or you can freeze it. I like using ice cube trays to freeze extra baby food. Once it is frozen, pop out the baby food cubes and store them in nicely labeled bags. Pop out 2 or 3 cubes and defrost whenever you want to use them.

Easy.

Some of my other favorites are blueberry banana spinach, pineapple pear,  blueberry banana, peas and carrots, green beans, avacado banana, sweet potatoes, etc. 

Keep the nutrients in, and have fun with your baby's food.  



Slowing Down Time

Time is a funny thing. One day you are blogging along daily about the ups and downs of life, contributing to the world of useful and useless knowledge. Then baby number three comes along and you and your computer decide you can't be friends anymore. So your blog goes unnoticed and you forget about it for a while. Out of sight, out of mind.
You've been there, right?

Well, baby number 3 is now 8 whole months old and he is chubby, happy, and full of life! I call him my little ray of sunshine because that is exactly what he is. He fills my whole heart and soul with happiness. He has big blue eyes and the longest eyelashes I have ever seen. (Why do the boys always get the long eyelashes?) 

So I've been a little bit distracted by all the cuteness. The chubby baby thighs and cheeks, slobbery kisses, and baby giggles. He's way too much fun!
With every child I hang on to the baby days a little bit more. With my first I wanted to see how fast he could sit up, crawl, and walk. I felt like it was a race with the other babies his age. I wanted to prove my baby was the smartest. It's sounds so silly now. My second son was very colicky so I wished away the first 3-4 months, hanging onto my sanity and spending a lot of time bouncing him to sleep on my giant exercise ball. (Which, by the way, is a must have for putting baby to sleep in the first few months, especially a colicky baby. It really did save my life and my sanity.) Pretty soon he was running around at the park with his brother and before I knew it he was 2 years old and we were talking about having another one. Time is a funny thing.
I started Cantaloupe Corner when my second son was only 6 months old. And having 2 kids and a business made time fly by at light speed. Then came along baby number 3 and now weeks go by in the blink of an eye. Then months, then years. Whoa! Slow down!!!
What I'm saying is my goals this year don't focus so much on "lose weight", or "watch less TV". This year I am making a daily effort to enjoy the amazingly blessed life I have. I want to spend more time cuddling with my babies, reading them books, and teaching them about life. More time kissing my husband and spoiling him. Less time yelling, and less time being stressed out about things that don't matter.
That's right, I'm going to slow down time. That's my new years resolution.
 So you may or may not see daily blog posts about all the fun things we do around here but that's ok. I will still be doing what I love. (I really do love designing and printing t-shirts.) And I will share as much of my projects, and useful and useless information, as my new found time will allow.

This is going to be the best year ever!

A momentous occasion

We did it!! We just hit a milestone that I am extremely excited about. We just made our 1000th sale from our Cantaloupe Corner Etsy shop!

It has been thrilling watching that number climb daily, One or two sales at a time. It makes me feel all nostalgic thinking back on my very first sales. I hadn't even learned how to screen print yet. I was individually stencilling every shirt. And I loved it! Every sale from 1 to 1000 has been just as exciting as the one before it.

I just wanted to leave a simple THANKS to all of our customers who have helped us to build my little business and making it what it is today. I still think of Cantaloupe Corner as my playtime. I enjoy creating and printing shirts, and interacting with all of you. I have met some amazing people along the way.  The best part has been everything I have learned! I have learned that selling t-shirts isn't about selling cheap, or spouting out sales and links anywhere I can. It's about really listening and caring about my customers. I get so excited when I get emails from you telling me about the great train birthday party you are putting together, or about how much your child loves tractors or ninjas. I have been able to meet so many moms that are just like me.
So thanks for teaching me more about myself and what a girl from a small town in Arizona can do. It's amazing what a dream, some ambition, and a little time can do.

Now on to 2000!

And, BTW, there is a coupon code waiting for you on our Facebook page.  (Yippee!) The coupon code is good through this Saturday 1/21/12

Photo Card

Classic Damask Frame Christmas

Click here to browse our Christmas photo card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

NEW! Custom BIG NAME Bath Towels

The best part about being the boss of this company is that I get to do whatever I want, including stepping out of the norm and making something new to add to our collection of t-shirts and bodysuits. Who doesn't love new stuff?

Our newest item is unlike anything you have seen! And my two biggest fans really love them!(my kids, of course.) Especially because Ryan's is orange and he is kind of obsessed with all things orange right now.

They are personalized BIG NAME Bath Towels!

These towels are completely unique because there is no scratchy ink, paint, or embroidery to scuff up your beautiful skin. They are extra gentle on our children's delicate skin. They are ink-free printed just like our Toddler Shirts and the result is spectacular!

Your name, last name, child's name. . . or whatever you would love to see on your custom towel is printed in LARGE letters across the long side of the towel. It kinda makes you feel like a super hero when you get out of the shower.

The towels are fluffy and soft and 100% cotton.
These personalized towels make great gifts for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, housewarming. . . and just because.

Click over to our Cantaloupe Corner Etsy Shop to see what colors we have available.

I would love to hear what you think about our newest addition.