The HopeFULL Muse

I’m going to make this post short and sweet (no pun intended). Some of you may know that our BellyFULL Recipe Book contains a recipe called Monkey Business. It quickly became a favorite of ours as well as a favorite of little kiddos across the land. We often say “It’s our healthy version of the Fugsicle!” 

Recently Steph took the time to look up the ingredients that make up the Fugsicle, and ohhhh boy. We figured you’d want to know what they are.

Fugsicle: 

Nonfat milk, sugar, corn syrup, whey, high fructose corn syrup, water, palm oil and cocoa processed with alkali, tricalcium phosphate, mono & diglycerides, cellulose guy, guar gum, malt powder, salt, polysorbate 80, poplysorbate 65 and carrageenan.

I won’t even get into what these ingredients really are...that’s a whole other blog post. (But go ahead, Google alkali.)

So what's in our Monkey Business popsicle?

Bananas, rice milk, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, honey and walnut oil.

Which would you rather eat? Which would you rather put in your child’s body? 

I rest my fudge lovin’ case. 

xo, jessie

I love this time of year. It’s romantic and cozy and nostalgic. Come about September 15th every year I get this gust of wind under my wings, making me feel like wonder woman - ready to conquer the world (or at least a meal plan!). I recently read a fantastic blog post by my friend Eila (Full Plate Blog/Meals in a Snap/Swell Mom) entitled “September is my New January” and totally related to her idea of this season marking a “New Year”. Perhaps it’s because I’m a parent with school aged kids? Perhaps l’m just welcoming change more as each year comes and goes; 

Changes to our daily routines, the colors of the leaves and new recipes to try, using delicious earthy foods found at the market this time of year (visit Jeanette's Healthy Living on Pinterest for some amazing recipes!).

My kids tend to resist change. They crave routine and stability, and I strive to offer that for them when I can while attempting to teach them that change is unavoidable and good, too. This time of year is a little rough for them though; entering a new grade at school, adapting to new expectations (and new bedtimes!) So I try and add familiarity when ever I can. 

My son is on a traveling baseball team this fall, so I brought a few batches of frozen BellyFULLs for them to enjoy as a familiar “treat” in between games. I’ve made them for sports snacks in the summer, so I thought I’d continue to offer BellyFULLs in the fall to this new group of boys. The boys gobbled them up, passing on other snacks (like chips and cookies) to have seconds. The kids and their parents were surprised at how good acorn squash, bananas and yogurt can taste together!

Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD, LD of Real Mom Nutrition offers an amazing “Snacktivism Handbook” on her website which offers great resources if you would like to take charge of changing the way your kids snack on the sidelines. I encourage you to check it out!

So next time your kiddo has a ball game, make frozen whole food BellyFULLs to hand out to their team. Offering BellyFULLs on the sidelines is one change your kids will welcome!

To download our BellyFULL Recipe Book for just $4.99 click HERE! 

Today my son turned eight years old. It seems like just yesterday that he was born a sweet, soft little bundle of joy. Now he can breakdance, fit in my tennis shoes and do a farmer’s blow. It’s amazing how the time flies. 

I find so much fulfillment in watching him grow up. I love when he finds joy in the things I embraced as a kid - playing baseball, marvel comics, painting... and I enjoy falling in love with new things because of him - hockey, legos, video games...(ok, maybe not the video games so much.) I would do anything for this green-eyed, silly, passionate kid. He truly is my Hero!

One of the things I love to do for my kids is introduce them to new combinations of healthy foods, so today I presented the Birthday Boy with “Marvel-ous Pudding” (which was what was left at the bottom of my blender after making BellyFULL Pops to snack on later). The smooth, creamy texture was a fun change from the frozen-on-a-stick form I typically serve my kiddos, and since it turned out to be a hit I thought I’d share the recipe. Try serving your Belly/HopeFULL recipes in “pudding” or smoothie form and see how it goes over with your family - it’s fun to switch it up!

Cheers!

Marvel-ous Pudding

3 medium bananas

1 large ripe avocodo

3/4 c vanilla yogurt

3 Tbs honey

Blend and pour into two HopeFULL molds (or pop trays). Makes about 16 pops BellyFULL Pops. Add spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours. 

*measurements are approximate. ;)

I love that we have crazy national holidays like Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! What a fabulous thing to celebrate. I’m a big fan of the sandwich myself - I seriously cried the day they closed down PB Loco in our Mall of America. (Being 8 months pregnant at the time didn’t help.) I still have a PB&J sandwich at least once a week - it’s one of my favorites...always has been, always will be. (A 2002 Prepared Foods survey showed the average American will have eaten 1,500 of these sandwiches before graduating from high school!)

Sure I mix it up at times (I love adding banana “coins”, honey, butter spread, Nutella or use sunbutter or almond butter (my favorite is sunbutter - YUM!). What ever tickles your fancy, go for it. Indulge, and don’t feel guilty for it being a “go-to” for your kiddos - if you make healthy choices when it comes to your ingredients then you’ve got a healthy meal ready in seconds. (Just remember any tree-nut rules your child’s school has in place when packing lunches!) 

In honor of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day we are serving up our version of this American staple - the Peanut Butter and Jelly HopeFULL! Who says you can’t have PB&J in a frozen treat? It’s the yummy without the sticky! And just for fun we’ve added one of our favorite Shel Silverstein Poems for you to read to your kids over dinner this evening. 

Now go nuts!

~ Jessie

Peanut Butter and Jelly

1/2 cup fresh strawberries 

1 1/4 cups vanilla soy milk (or milk of your choice)

2 T natural creamy peanut butter (or butter of your choice)

2 T honey

1/4 cup infant oatmeal cereal

1/2 cup whole wheat graham cracker crumbs

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFULL tray, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze.

Peanut Butter Sandwich

by Shel Silverstein

I'll tell you a story of silly young king

Who played with the world at the end of a string
But he only loved one single thing and that was just a peanut butter sandwich
Now his scepter wand his royal gowns his regal throne and golden crowns
Were brown and sticky from the mounds
And drippings from each peanut butter sandwich
His subjects all were silly fools for he had passed a royal rule
That all that they could learn in school was how to make a peanut butter sandwich
He would not eat his sovereign steak he scorned his soup and his kingly cake
And told his courtly cook to bake
An extra-sticky peanut butter sandwich
And then one day he took a bite and started chewing with delight
But found his mouth was stuck quite tight
From that last bite of peanut butter sandwich
His brother pulled his sister pried the wizard pushed his mother cried
Oh my boy's committed suicide from eating his last peanut butter sandwich 
The dentist came and the royal doc the royal plumber banged and knocked
But still those jaws stayed tightly locked oh darn that sticky peanut butter sandwich
The carpenter he tried with pliers the telephone man tried with wires
The firemen they tried with fire but couldn't melt that peanut butter sandwich
With ropes and pulleys drills and coil with steam and lubricating oil
For twenty years of tears and toil they fought that awful peanut butter sandwich
Then all his royal subjects came they hooked his jaws with grapplin' chains
And pulled both ways with might and main
Against against that peanut butter sandwich
Each man and woman girl and boy put down their ploughs and pots and toys
And pulled until kerack, oh joy! they broke right through the peanut butter sandwich
A puff of dust. a screech. a squeak. the king's jaws opened with a creak
And then in voice so faint and weak the first words that they heard him speak
Were...”how about a peanut butter sandwich?”

The other morning as I looked in my refrigerator, ready to scrounge up something for breakfast, I heard my body ask for something pretty specific. It was saying “chocolate...give me chocolate!” over and over. When I listened closer I also heard protein, healthy fat and iron (you might guess which week of the month it was!). 

So here is what I came up with. I drank a cup of it as a smoothie and froze the rest to eat as HopeFULLs later.

Mangolicious

1 cup Vanilla Rice Dream

1 package Tera’s Whey dark chocolate protein powder

1 package of Trader Joe’s frozen mango puree

3 small cooked beets (I used Trader Joe’s cooked beets found near the bagged salads)

2 Tbsp Avocado Oil

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until consistently smooth scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour into HopeFULL mold, add spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours.

It hit the spot! My little guy was home from preschool with a cold and had little appetite. I make a simpler version for him. Like me, he drank a cup as a smoothie and I froze the rest as HopeFULLs.

Simply Mangolicious

1 cup Vanilla Rice Dream

2 packages of Trader Joe’s frozen mango puree

2 Tbsp Avocado Oil

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until consistently smooth scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour into HopeFULL mold, add spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours.

That afternoon, we both enjoyed HopeFULLs for a snack...both were delicious (he liked the one with beets the best)!

Did you know that if you’re not eating HopeFULLs or BellyFULLs your brain could be shrinking!?

Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. However, a recent study of elderly people did find that those whose diets were high in certain essential nutrients (those which are commonly found in our frozen whole food pop recipes) were less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease and were more likely to score better on tests of mental performance. The researchers published a paper on how they came to these findings in the 28 December online issue of Neurology.

The paper's first author is Dr. Gene Bowman from the Departments of Neurology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. He and his colleagues describe three sets of findings:

1. Elderly people with diets high in several vitamins or omega 3 fatty acids were less likely to have the brain shrinkage that usually accompanies Alzheimer's disease than people whose diets were low in those nutrients.

2. Those whose diets were high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E and the B vitamins were also more likely to score better on tests of mental ability than those whose diets were low in those nutrients.

3. Those whose diets were high in trans fats were more likely to have brain shrinkage and perform less well on thinking and memory tests than those whose diets were low in trans fats.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for human health but the body can't make them. These are primarily found in fish, also an essential source of vitamin D; some plants and nut oils are also good sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which are also called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are primarily found in fruits and vegetables. Both HopeFULL and BellyFULL recipes are PACKED with these essential vitamins, antioxidants and omega 3’s!

“I'm a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your brain and make it work better," Dr. Maret Traber says, adding that for anyone "considering a New Year's resolution to improve their diet, this would certainly give them another reason to eat more fruits and vegetables". (Meaning; eat more HopeFULLs and BellyFULLs!) ;-)

Bon Appetit!

Source:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239762.php

Carrot Creamsicle BellyFULL Recipe

¾ cup carrot puree

1½ cup mandarin orange slices, drained

¼ cup vanilla ice cream

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFULL tray, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze for three hours.

Halloween is often described by children as one of their favorite holidays. Some children spend months deliberating over which character they want to be or what costume they will wear. For parents whose child has cancer, it can be an event that adds stress to an already stressful life. They want to help their child enjoy the normal fun of childhood, but it can seem like one more thing that makes life overwhelming. The nurses in the Children’s Oncology Group have many years of experience in helping children with cancer and their families. 

Click HERE for great tips for creating a fun, safe and memorable Halloween for kids with cancer, by Mary “Casey” Hooke, Ph.D, R.N., C.P.O.N. at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, and her nursing colleagues from the Children’s Oncology Group (COG).

If you and your children would like to donate some or all of your halloween candy to the US Troops oversees stop by either Cosmopolitan Orthodontics locations on Nov. 3, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Cosmopolitan is located at 17757 Juniper Path in Lakeville, and 8310 C.R. 42 in Savage. For more information click HERE.

Or...you could sell it!

Wellspring Health Center is offering to buy Halloween candy from trick-or-treaters for $1 per pound of candy. Parents will also receive a voucher for a $15 30-minute sports massage. The candy will then be shipped to troops overseas through the non-profit organization Operation Gratitude.

What ever you do with your Halloween Candy we hope that you have a safe and spooktacular holiday! In the Halloween Spirit we created a special "creepy" frozen HopeFULL.  

We hope you and your little goblins enjoy it!

Trick or Treat HopeFULL

1 cup vanilla almond milk 

½ cup applesauce 

½ cup raisins (soaked in water overnight and drained)

¾ cup pumpkin puree

½ cup infant rice cereal

¼ tsp cinnamon 

pinch of nutmeg

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFULL tray, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze for three hours.

We’re in a bit of a funk at my house. We are preparing for a big yard sale, so our home is filled with boxes and boxes of STUFF.  It’s created a stressful and chaotic environment which is starting to take a toll on my family. There has been stubbed toes, lost homework, short tempers and nowhere to eat a meal together. It will feel so good to be simplified and de-cluttered. (I’m envisioning a Real Simple magazine cover.) The sale starts Thursday, and Thursday can’t come soon enough!

With this chaos in mind, I decided I would do something special for my kids to get them up and ‘attem on good note this morning, so I got creative and made Muffin HopeFULLs! C and G got quite a kick out of them this morning (and the egg-filled toast , too - see below). They were delighted about their delicious breakfast and it seemed I found the solution to our crazy chaotic surroundings (Ah ha! Things on a stick + heart shaped foods = happy kids!) That is until my oldest hurt his hand racing into the house to grab something he forgot just as the bus rounded the corner leaving me no other option than to drive him to school which was sure to make me late for a business appointment (I couldn’t put him on the bus crying, poor kid). So, chaos ensued once again. 

By the time we got to school my son had calmed down (and so had the swelling of his hand). I gave C and G kisses and hugs and sent them on their way knowing the ride into school helped. I made good time since there was little traffic so I thankfully was not late for my appointment. I used the time to reflect...my son’s hand was fine, my children got a good breakfast...so why did I still feel so awful? I couldn't find an answer so I decided to cut myself some slack. (I mean, I made egg heart toast that morning for crying out loud. I’m doing my best! Aren’t we all?!)

Here is the recipe for the muffins. The great thing about them is that they freeze well, making it super easy to make them in advance and in larger batches. Plus, since they’re on a stick they are the perfect no-mess, on-the-go snack to eat on the way to school or soccer practice. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope they bring a fun, healthy and peaceful start to your most chaotic of mornings!

Om Muffin HopeFULLs 

• 15 oz. can of natural sweet potato puree 
• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) carrot cake mix 
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/3 c water
• 2/3 c raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Spray each HopeFULL Tray crevice with baking oil spray (I use canola oil spray). Combine first 4 ingredients into mixing bowl and stir until completely mixed or beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into HopeFULL Tray, filling only halfway to the top. Use the rest of the batter to make regular muffins. 

Bake for about 22 minutes. Use a knife to cut off any over-flowing muffin. Inert spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours. Once frozen, the Muffins will slide right out of the tray. Defrost at room temperature on a plate and serve with breakfast.

*For a delicious variation: Use pumpkin puree instead of sweet potatoes and spice cake mix instead of carrot cake.

For the toast: Use a cookie cutter to cut out your favorite shape from two pieces of toast. (Use the cut-out shapes for a sandwich in your child’s lunch that day.) Drop the toast “outlines” into a shallow pan. Crack an egg into each cut out shape and cook them over-easy style. Serve with your Muffin HopeFULLs and some fresh fruit.

Steph and I have new kindergartners this year. Both our daughters are extremely proud of themselves for being independent little school girls. They march onto the bus as if they own it, declare “adora la escuela!” and play “school” using their fairy wands as Smart Board pointers. (Fingers crossed that this attitude lasts forever!)

It’s been a rewarding time for us, watching our girls embrace school. We love hearing about their day and “ooh and aah” over the work that they bring home. It was during a conversation Steph and I had surrounding our girls’ school work that we came up with the idea to make ColorFULL Crayon-Pops using our HopeFULL molds.

Our kids loved the whole process! Finding the broken crayons around the house, peeling the wrappers off and sorting the colors. It was a perfect time to sit down and be present with our kids and talk about what’s going on in their sweet little lives. 

We were delighted to see how the crayon-pops turned out, so we just had to share the recipe and process with you! They are a perfect craft activity to keep your kiddos entertained on a rainy non-school day (with your help, of course). They also make great little party gifts or gifts to share with classmates on your child’s birthday (teachers would much rather have you bring these colorful crayons instead of sugary cupcakes to school!) 

Below you’ll find the recipe as well as some helpful tips. We hope that you and your kids enjoy these ColorFULL Crayon-Pops as much as we all have!

ColorFULL Crayon Pops

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Unwrap old and/or broken crayons and break further into tiny pieces, an inch or less long (we recommend using washable crayons to make clean-up easier)*

4. Fill the tray with the crayon pieces (Fill each section with like colors or experiment with mixing colors!)

5. Put the HopeFULL tray in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake until the crayon pieces are melted (about 15 minutes - check every 5).

6. Remove from oven and insert spoon sticks with the spoon side out (we like to cut our sticks down a little so they aren’t so long)

7. Put them in the fridge to cool for a hour to so. Once cooled, you can push out your crayon-pops and start coloring!

* We suggest you reserve one HopeFULL Mold for all your craft purposes, or be sure to use washable, non-toxic crayons to make cleaning easier and to ensure food safety. 

** The cooking spray helps the crayon pops come out MUCH easier