Great Snack Idea!

We had a very successful snack this week that I wanted to share with everyone! 

Diego helped to whisk the eggs!

Stefan and Riley helped to tear the bread!

The recipe comes from a book called The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue, by Missy Chase Lapine.  This book and her first book simply titled The Sneaky Chef are full of great recipes that utilize vegetable purees inside traditional "kid" foods,  http://www.thesneakychef.com/

We chatted a little at our parent night about the idea of "sneaking" nutrients into our kids food....is it a good idea...will our kids every learn to love (or even tolerate) veggies if they never eat them in their natural form?  Heather Garrison, Ian's mom, had a great idea that she uses with Ian. Whenever she sneaks a veggie into a food (like spinach scrambled eggs) she always offers the veggie in its natural form on the side.  That way Ian is getting a chance to taste the veggie and experience its natural texture.

This week the children made:


"Breakfast Banana Bread Pudding"

• 1 cup low fat milk (we use hemp milk for our dairy/soy intolerant friends)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 Tbl of maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Orange Puree (a blend of carrots and sweet potato)..we added even more of this good stuff!
• 3 large bananas mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)...you could really use any fruit (pear, apple, berries)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbl of melted butter (or oil)
• 6 slices of whole-grain bread (torn/cut into 2" pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or spray a 2 quart (11x7inches) glass baking dish.  In the prepared baking dish, whisk together all the ingredients except the bread.  Add the bread and toss to combine.  Let sit for a few minutes until the bread absorbs most of the liquid (its best if it sits overnight).  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon and continue baking another 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the pudding is firm in the center.  Serve warm, drizzle with maple syrup if desired. 

Yummy!