Flying with Your Toddler

 Elliot waiting for her next flight with Nana and Great Grandpa

E is a little over three years old now and she had flown more times than I can count. She has been to 17 states and has taken the ride across country. Next week we are flying to Boston from Phoenix. So, I may not be an expert on traveling with your toddler but here are a few tips that help me get through it. These tips pertain to air travel for now.

 Elliot with her Auntie Brit

1. Carry on the least amount of baggage as possible.

Yes, baggage fees at airports are astronomical ranging from $25-$35 for your first checked bag but I promise you it’ll be worth the money when it comes time to trying to get through security with a fidgety toddler. Are you about to miss your connecting flight if you don’t book it down the airport terminal? Less baggage means less to carry and a free hand to pull your toddler along for the run. Juggling a three or four year old and a bunch of bags is just not a good mix. Trust me.

2. Bring your umbrella stroller.

Airlines will gate check your stroller for you when you board.  Umbrella strollers easily fold, fit through security belts and are light. Do not attempt to bring the giant bulky stroller. It will not fit through security and they will have to hand check it, holding you up! But, do bring a stroller. Your toddler will get restless and it will be a valuable help to you.

3. Buy drinks past security.

Yes, most airports will let you bring liquids over the 3oz limit for toddlers. But, they are going to pull you aside to check every single bottle of juice/milk etc. If it’s a juice box, they are going to poke a hole in it to check it, rendering the juice box useless. Also rinse out the sippy/straw cup before going through security to avoid the same situation mentioned before.

4. Bring a small backpack for your toddler’s things.

After age two, toddlers are no longer allowed to sit on your lap for travel on an airplane which means they have their own seat and their own two bag carry on limit. Bring something small enough that your toddler can carry it on their back. (Going back to number 1) Put coloring books, crayons, an ipad (or similar tablet), snacks, a small sweater (planes are cold) and anything else that won’t make the bag too heavy but you feel your toddler will need on the trip.

5. Download movies/cartoons on tablets before you get to the airport.

Airplanes are now equipped with WIFI. But, paying $13 for your toddler to get on the internet seems a little ridiculous. Also, the WIFI speeds at 30,000 feet just isn’t quite as fast as in your home, meaning trying to download a movie or television show in the air will probably take you about the duration of the flight. Make sure your tablets/phones etc. are loaded and charged before leaving the house. Also one of those portable batteries wouldn’t hurt with keeping your device charged. Don’t forget headphones!

6. ANTIBACTERIAL WIPES!!!

Yes, I wrote this with much enthusiasm. The amount of bacteria that is found on those airplane tray tables could kill someone. Do you think they clean every single tray table and arm rest between flights? I think not. Bring a pack of antibacterial wipes and be sure to sanitize everything before you settle in. They will be great for the bathroom on board as well.

7. Fill your toddler’s cup before takeoff and landing.

Having your toddler drink during takeoff and descent will help keep their ears from filling and keep earaches at bay. There is nothing worse than having to deal with a hurting, screaming, crying toddler on a plane.

8. Most importantly: Anyone who gives you crap about having a toddler. F- em.

Now, I say this in the most sincere way possible. Seriously, you have the right to take your family on vacation or to see family. If someone has a problem with your little human getting a little upset on the flight tell them you are doing your best and that is all you can do. Don’t be hostile. You have a whole flight to get through with these people, but be confident in the fact that you are a good parent and you are doing everything you can to keep you, your toddler and the other passengers happy. Don’t be afraid to get up and walk your toddler around if the fasten seat belt light is off. Don’t stress out, children sense that. If you’re lucky your toddler will tire out and fall asleep.

Hope these tips help next time you are flying with your little one. They seem to work for me!

Baked French Toast

Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal of the day. More than any other meal, I enjoy going out for breakfast the most. Sadly, breakfast food is often heavy, fatty, salty, too sweet or simply too many calories. I am not one to eat at Denny’s but for comparison sake a French Toast Slam has nearly 800 calories and 45 grams of fat! Want to try the cinnamon pancake meal? Try 970 calories and 49 grams of fat. Denny’s isn’t the only culprit. Restaurants that serve breakfast want their food to taste good and often that comes in the form of fat usually butter or bacon grease. Now don’t get me wrong, potatoes cooked in bacon grease are one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures, but everything in moderation is important. So, I have come up with a healthier version of one of my favorite diner foods, baked French toast. It’s a weekend treat that can be made Friday night and just thrown in the oven Saturday morning. Serve with some strawberries and nitrate free (preferably organic) bacon and you got yourself a delicious breakfast treat.

Baked French Toast

Serves 4-6 

 

8 ounces of wheat bread or challah, preferably stale, cut into 2" cubes.

6 whole eggs

3 tbsp light brown sugar

1 cup of 2% milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp cinnamon

Topping:

2 tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

For serving:

Maple syrup

Powdered sugar

Fresh fruit of your choice

The night before:

Prepare 9x9 baking dish by spraying it with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, crack the eggs. Beat the eggs with a whisk until fluffy. Toss in the brown sugar and whisk again until the mixture lightens in color and the eggs seem to fall off the whisk like a ribbon. Mix in the milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Toss in the bread and mix to combine. Put the entire bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (If you don’t want to wait, try to give it at least 4 hours, but believe me your patience will be rewarded.)

In the morning:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon for topping in a small bowl.

Take the French toast out of the fridge, uncover and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top evenly.

Place uncovered in the center rack of the oven for about 40-45 min or until the top is golden and the egg mixture is set. Raw eggs are yucky.

Let cool ten minutes before spooning out onto plates. Serve with fresh fruit, nitrate free bacon, maple syrup and powdered sugar, if you’d like. J

This would make an awesome dinner too! Assemble in the morning and pop in the oven for dinner. Yum.

Cooking with Kids

Kids can be picky. They will often not like something just for the sake of not liking it. Often it has nothing to do with the food itself but the fear of the unknown. Getting your kids in the kitchen is a great way to get them involved with their food. Bring your kids to the grocery store; let them pick out one or two vegetables they’d like to try that week or even give them a choice between some of your own favorites. When you get home let them help you put away the food so they understand the full process behind what gets on their dinner plate. Finally, let your kids cook! Get a pair of child safe scissors that are only used for the kitchen. (I would suggest for kids 3 years or older) Let your kids cut romaine or pepper strips for salad; mix up a salad dressing, measure and roll out pizza dough. All children are different but by the time they are about 3 years old they should be able to help with whisking, measuring, mixing, tossing and cutting vegetables with child safe scissors. Let kids wash vegetables and watch as they transform from a giant bunch of kale to a small amount in the pan. Cooking to me is always rewarding, especially with the kids. It is amazing to see their faces when something they helped to create is on the plate to be consumed. 

            

Today E and I decided to make banana bread. Now, it wasn’t the healthiest banana bread. I didn’t go crazy with making too many alternatives for the recipe. I did a couple easy changes and just enjoyed the time baking with my lovely three year old. She smiled the entire time. Baking can also be turned into a math lesson. E helped with the temperature on the oven making sure it was at 3-5-0. We also counted ½ and ¼ cups, eggs and bananas to make sure we were following the recipe. It is always such a fun experience cooking with her and I always want to figure out more ways to get her involved. A couple great books on the subject are Rachael Ray’s “Yum-O! The Family Cookbook” and Ella’s Kitchen’s “The Cookbook: The Red One” and “The Big Baking Book: The Yellow One”. Here is the banana bread recipe we used today inspired by Tyler Florence’s version but made just a little healthier.

Banana Bread

1 cup AP Flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

2 tbps ground flax seed

2 tbsp wheat germ

1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

4 very ripe bananas (I like to save bananas that are past their prime peeled, in the freezer in a freezer bag)

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup Earth Balance Butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup apple sauce

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup chocolate chips (optional, we didn’t use chocolate chips today since Jared is allergic)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Spray non-stick spray on a light colored 8” cake pan, aluminum is nice. Then cut out a circle of parchment paper to stick on the bottom and spray once more. Be sure to get the sides.

Combine flours, flax, wheat germ, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they are chunky but not complete mush, set aside.

In a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer beat the remaining two bananas and sugar until well incorporated. About  1 ½ minutes for stand mixer and 3 minutes for hand.

Add in eggs, the cooled butter, apple sauce and vanilla and mix until just incorporated.

Add in the flour mixture slowly so you don’t end up covered in powder, and then add the mashed up bananas.

Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place it in the middle of the preheated oven for 1 hour or until the sides are coming away from the side of the pan and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. (Look at the toothpick, if it’s mushy delicious banana on there that’s fine, you don’t want to see raw batter.)

Let the cake pan cool about ten minutes before turning out the banana bread. Let cool an additional half hour before serving. I suggest with a cup of tea.

Steps where the kids can help:

Measuring the dry ingredients

Mashing the bananas with a fork

Cracking eggs

Scraping the batter bowl into the cake pan

Enjoying every last bite when it comes out of the oven!

Some resources for cooking with kids:

How to Be a Super Parent (Kind Of)

There are times in parenting you may feel defeated. The sink is full of dishes, your toddler is running around in their underwear and you never quite got around to those Pinterest crafts you’d been pinning all week. We see all these blogs with moms creating animals out of their kids’ breakfast; they have spotless homes and seem to have enough time at the end of the day to go to the gym to workout. This type of image can make parents feel like they aren’t good enough. Every parent wants to be a super mom or dad. Here are my not so traditional tips to achieving this phenomenon:

1. Know that no matter what, you are a super hero.

To your children you are the world. They don’t care if the laundry isn’t folded or if you haven’t dusted in a week. All your kids want is to spend time with you.

2. Take a second to reflect on the things you have accomplished.

If you are feeling like there just isn’t enough time in the day take a second to go over what you have already accomplished and feel good about that. Maybe write a to-do list; every time you cross off a task you’ll feel a lot better. But remember, schedule in time for your kids or even ask them to help with small chores so you’ll have more time to spend together.
 
3. Take time for yourself.

Even if you feel like you don’t have time for yourself, make time. Your children will not benefit from a stressed out parent who hasn’t showered and is humming Disney songs all day. Your kids will be happiest when their parents are happiest.

4. Being a super mom or dad does not mean perfection.

Most of us know that no one is perfect. But, as parents we strive for perfection. We want the cleanest homes, the happiest kids, the perfect work-life balance, the ability to cook a four course meal every night. This is a false sense of reality that social media wants us to believe is attainable. Pick your battles and do what is best for your family and time. Striving for perfection and stressing out is not a good example to be setting.

5. Realize your kids won’t be little forever.

Time is precious. Embrace every second. Choose what’s important and try not to stress about the rest. You are perfect just the way you are.

Meal Planning Tips

I tell anyone who ever asks me how to lose weight, eat healthier and/or save money that meal planning is the absolute best thing you can do. Going to the grocery store without a plan is the worst thing you can do for your health and your wallet. Taking an hour or two  just one day a week to take inventory of what you already have and then writing down a solid plan of what you will cook each night is totally worth the money you will save and the amount of junk you will stop buying.

                Every Monday morning I head over to Starbucks with E, Kindle, pencil and meal planning template (google meal planning templates, there are literally thousands) in hand. I get a cup of tea and sit down to write my meal plan and grocery list for the week. I get inspiration from cookbooks, magazines, the internet and what E and my husband have actually told me they enjoyed. Sometimes it’s easiest to set days of the week to certain themes that way you aren’t eating chicken five days in a row. Here are some theme examples:

Monday	Mexican	Monday	Crockpot	Monday	Chicken
Tuesday	Italian	Tuesday	Leftovers	Tuesday	Beef
Wednesday	American	Wednesday	Grill	Wednesday	Vegetarian
Thursday	Indian	Thursday	Braise	Thursday	Chicken
Friday	Spanish	Friday	Stir Fry	Friday	Soup/Sandwich
Saturday	Take Out	Saturday	Take Out	Saturday	Take Out
Sunday	Asian	Sunday	Roast	Sunday	Pizza

                As you write down what you plan to make each day be sure to think about the amounts of each ingredient you will need and try to estimate totals. If you think you will have a hard time with that then try using cookbooks or magazines to help with exact amounts. I absolutely love my kindle fire! I get magazines and cookbooks all in color all in one spot; it is definitely my go to for meal planning.

I often divide my grocery list into sections of the grocery store to make it easier when I am there, rather than realizing half way through the store you forgot something over in produce. This is how I separate my shopping list:

Produce

Meat

Dairy/Eggs

Pantry

Freezer

Household Items

                Now go to the store and stick to your list! This may take some time and self-control but you can do it. At the end of each week ask your family which meals they liked best and keep the recipe with shopping list in a note book or on an index card that way you can rotate your family’s favorite into each week’s menu without a thought. Here is a sample meal plan from the Mazza House:

Days of the Week:	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
Breakfast	English muffin w/ jam and fruit	Bagel thin w/ cream cheese	Whole wheat pancakes w/strawberries	English muffin w/ jam and yogurt	Yogurt w/ fruit	Bagel thin w/ cream cheese	Breakfast Take Out
Lunch	Sunday Family BBQ Tradition	J – Take out at work T & E – Sandwiches, Soups, Yogurt, Fruit, English Muffins etc.	J – Take out at work T & E – Sandwiches, Soups, Yogurt, Fruit, English Muffins etc.	J – Take out at work T & E – Sandwiches, Soups, Yogurt, Fruit, English Muffins etc.	J – Take out at work T & E – Sandwiches, Soups, Yogurt, Fruit, English Muffins etc.	J – Take out at work T & E – Sandwiches, Soups, Yogurt, Fruit, English Muffins etc.	Leftovers from week
Dinner	Lemon and Rosemary Roast Chicken with Brussel sprouts and roasted potatoes	Whole wheat pancakes, bacon, strawberries	Crock pot soup with BLT and avocado sandwiches	Sloppy Joes with steamed broccoli	Falafel pitas with salad	Veggie Stir fry with brown rice	Take out

 
P.s. You probably already know this but, never go to the grocery store hungry! Ever! Promise?