Toddler Eats

So, we primarily make all our food from scratch. We have always been pretty "granola," but after reading 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker? Our cooking from scratch increased dramatically.

Most of our purchases are "whole foods" - meaning our grocery list is primarily organic fruits, veggies, and bulk items with some milk, eggs, cheeses, and meat on occasion. We bake our own bread products and try to avoid things that come "ready made." However, just because that is what we primarily purchase, does not mean I am not above purchasing Annie's on a week where our lives are crazy (or when I am desperately craving cheese powder on mediocre noodles). And if my favorite organic wraps have a sale sticker slapped on them? I buy two or three. If we are out and about, I try to have snacks on hand, but the world doesn't end if we stop at our local coffee shop for a chai tea and bagel.

On top of being kind of obsessed with clean eating and the like, I am cheap. Partially because I just am, but mostly because we are on a tight budget. With Mark and I working part-time jobs, fundraising, a toddler, and another tiny on the way? We are having to great creative with our spending - or rather, our not spending.

So, what to do about food for littles while still attempting to be a frugal-whole-foods-er?

I should preface this with the fact that I am blessed with an eater. But here are some of the things that are regularly lying around my house in small dishes.

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Roasted Chickpeas

I buy chickpeas/garbanzo beans from the bulk section, which is unbelievably cheaper than from a can, but it also means you have to soak them at least overnight before they are ready for cooking.

Take 1 cup or so and soak in them in 3 cups of water anywhere from 24-10 hours before I want to cook them.

Next day drain the water, pay them dry, toss them on a cookie sheet with edges or in a glass baking dish (so they are lying flat and not stacked) with a little olive oil, mix them around with your choice of spices. We do a little salt, pepper, and cayenne because my crazy son was born to live in Mexico, but cinnamon sugar is really good, or you can go with curry powder, chili powder, and turmeric or any blend of spices that you love.

Then throw them in the oven at 350F. You have to keep an eye on them, especially if you are soaking and not using canned chickpeas, because they are all different sizes and depending on how long you soaked them. But just occasionally check and stir them around and eventually they will start to look golden brown and if you pop one in your mouth (careful, very hot) it should be crunchy - like a corn nut!

Once they are done, just put them in tupperware and they keep for awhile - at least, they keep for about a week. I couldn't tell you if they last longer than that. My son gobbles them.

Fresh/Frozen Fruit/Veggies

When it's in season, fresh fruit is the way to go. Lots of good for you things and it's sweet! So you don't really need to spend too much time trying to convince your kiddo to chow down. We are lucky enough to live somewhere that has a pretty decent fruit season, so I purchase as much as I can and then freeze what we don't go through. Peaches, nectarines, berries, figs, pineapple, mango, etc. all hold up pretty well and are a nice cold treat.

Carrot and celery sticks are great, grape tomatoes cut in half, corn, snap peas, bell peppers - Rory likes to dip in ranch/other salad dressings, but he also will just eat them if there is no dressing available. Rory also really likes frozen peas and corn. I cannot for the life of me tell you why. Try it on your children?

Dehydrated Everything

We went big this Summer and purchased a dehydrator. We are semi-obsessed with Laura Miller, Sidesaddle Kitchen, and Raw Vegan Not Gross - so a dehydrator was definitely in our line of thought.

Now?

Dried bananas, pineapple, mango, and plums! Zucchini, kale, sweet potato, and squash chips! Jerky!

Rory is a big fan of all of this. Some fruit for his sweet tooth, some crunchy for his veggies, and the kid absolutely adores jerky.

We have not had a lot of time since the arrival of our dearest kitchen appliance, but I will let you know how further recipes turn out. I am very excited to try Not Chicken Nuggets. It's on my to-do.

Sweet Potato Fries

Cut up a sweet potato or yam (it doesn't matter). Toss in a glass baking dish with olive or coconut oil. Add salt if you want. Throw in the oven at 350F, occasionally mixing around until they are how you like them - for softer, take them out sooner and for crispy, wait a while longer.

Toast, Half Sandwiches, and Other Bready Things

Like I mentioned, we make our own bread. So it doesn't concern me for Rory to munch on toast. Our favorite place ever, The Grainery, has so many options it will make your head spin. We actually considered getting a wheat grinder and just purchasing organic wheat stalks. Then we decided we probably didn't have the time...

If you feel like you don't have the time to bake bread? Get a bread machine. 5 minutes of your time and 3 hours later you have a fresh baked bread loaf. Don't have a bread machine? Put an ask on Facebook. People just don't use them for some reason and are more than happy to get rid of them. I got two before I even knew what was happening. I use it once a week - maybe twice in one day if our menu for the week is kind of bread heavy or I want to freeze a loaf for a busier week.

Avocado toast - toast + mashed avocado + a little salt & pepper if you want.

Egg salad sandwich - piece of bread + egg salad (hard boiled eggs, mustard, a little olive oil, salt & pepper) + some lettuce chopped up into small bite sized pieces.

Melted cheese - piece of bread + cheese (+ sometimes we do a little onion) in the oven on broil till melty.

PB&J - piece of bread + peanut butter + jelly

Braided cheesy bread - Mark makes this, I will find out the recipe at another date. Cause it is magical.

Omelet Bites

Make an omelet! Put all your favorites in, whether it's just cheese or one million veggies, but make sure it is thicker and holds together well so you could pick up a bite with your fingers. Then cut it up and serve it to the small one.

Pumpkin Pie

Yah, you heard me.

Lessen the sugar and make your kiddos pie. I have two in my fridge right now, thought I will admit they were definitely not made from scratch. I needed to get rid of several things in my pantry... But pie, especially Pumpkin Pie is a great way to get them some great vitamins. I am determined to find the perfect from scratch recipe this Fall - I will let you know how my quest goes.

Saimin

So, saimin is like top ramen but from scratch and 100x better.

Veggie stock, saimin noodles, and whatever veggies you so desire (leeks, carrots, celery, and bell peppers are my go-to) all thrown into a pot until the noddles are done. Then break an egg into the boiling water, turn off the stove, and stir it up with your spoon to get that awesome Asian soup egg that my husband literally cannot seem to accomplish. Maybe you just need to have it in your blood? Add salt and pepper as you so desire. Drop in ice cubes and let the tinies at it.

Fish

Frozen wild caught fish fillets are actually not too expensive. So defrost and throw in a pan with some coconut oil or homemade teriyaki or whatever and then give a small chunk to your little with quinoa or rice. Here is fish tip: fish? Should not smell or taste "fishy." Ever. If it does? It's bad. Good fish should have little to no smell and melt in your mouth almost like butter. True story.

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You'll notice that I'm not the most specific recipe writer, that's because I'm not the most specific food maker. I use my fingers rather than measuring and often just kind of wing it. It drives my chef husband a little bonkers.

Also, I will add some pictures - my internet doesn't seem to love me at the moment.

Maybe another day I will do more specific recipes, but this is more of an inspiration post. If you are a recipe person, just follow me on Pinterest. I am constantly making the recipes I post there. Seriously, it's how I meal plan for the week. ;)

Tinies With Littles

So, tiny living with littles.

It's honestly pretty great, but I get the reservations. I think most people assume people who live in tiny homes with kiddos are the Fishers from Away We Go. While I cannot deny Maggie Gyllenhaal's sweet style in this hilarious film (we cannot move forward in our friendship until you have seen it), I don't know many people like that. Which is totally okay with me. Seriously. I love and accept all forms of weirdness, but sometimes it's still weird.

But other than "hippie reasons" to have a small home, there are some awfully great parenting ones.

1. The smaller your space : The smaller the chase. Our house is a rectangle with the bathroom in the middle, making the rest of the space a "C" shape. This means that no, I cannot see Rory 100% of the time, but I can find him in 10 seconds or less. No baby gates or "play areas" in this house (not that those aren't totally fine, it just makes my life significantly easier, maybe it would make yours harder! No judgement here, man.), he can play wherever and whenever without being too far for me to check in on.

This. It's simple and adorable. I would probably lean away from the white toward the natural board look, but that's because too much white makes me feel like I'm in a hospital... or cell.

2. The smaller your space : The less you clean. Now, there is definitely some worry about clutter in small spaces and the fact that it can go from clean to disaster area is less than 5 minutes with the assistance of a determined 20 month old and project-oriented husband - BUT - I can vacuum my whole house in that same amount of time. Cleaning the bathroom (singular) takes all of 10 minutes unless we are doing deep cleaning. Sweeping? 3 minutes. Mopping? 5. So you have more time to play with baby! Or toddler... yikes.

My blog is called "Where In The World Is Malialani," if it's news to you that I like to travel... you are broken. I will post a picture of our maps some time, but this one is pretty neat. It is printed on a sheet and not the wall, so it can easily go up, have things tagged to it, and come down without much fuss or damage to your wall. Brilliant! It is also much more to scale than most maps... bravo. We spend wake-ups asking Rory where in the world he wants to go and he gets to pick a spot and we tell him a fact about that spot or make up an adventure. Maps + Kids = Wonder.

3. The smaller the space | The less crap accumulated. Let's face it? Most kids toys are unecessary. They play with them for maybe 10 seconds and then it's into the bathroom to destroy a roll of toilet paper. Parents in the US drop ridiculous amounts of money on toys that are thrown out or donated to Goodwill within 6 months. When you have less space to throw crappy toys into, you start to get very picky about which toys stay and which get to live at grandma and grandpa's house. How excited would you be if you could say no to toys you hate because "Oh! There's just not enough space for this gem, let's leave it with Nana?"

Also this! We've discussed my desire for 12 children right? And my desire for tiny living? Perfect... We often chat with our good friends about how many rooms you need for children and always end up with one for boys and one for girls. Less trouble that way... or maybe more trouble, who am I to know the future of my babies? ... Probably more trouble if they are my kids, regardless of how many rooms we have.

4. The smaller the space | The more creative the time. Maybe "more creative" is a little bit presumptuous, there is definitely a need for creativity with kids no matter the amount of space you have. With small space though? There is no "new room" to visit. Rory and I read a lot of books, play with a lot of toys, go on a lot of walks, watch a lot of movies, do a lot of yoga, play with a lot of magnets, color a lot of pictures - and it's still only 9:30am? WTF. Seriously though, you have to get really creative time management in a small space. It's good to do one thing in one area, like the living room, then move to the kitchen for a snack while you tidy the living room again to do a different thing there. The more often you tidy a tiny space? The less likely your child will be to get bored. And it has created the very strange but awesome desire in Rory to tidy with me, which is a fun game in itself. It might seem exhausting, but it's actually pretty simple because, again, there is less space and less stuff to tidy.

Built-in for an entryway. This is something I wish we had on the regular. We have a smattering of shoeboxes and coat hangers and shelves piled precariously next to our door, but it's so temporary feeling and just not exactly what I want.

5. The smaller your space | The more the outdoors call. Again "more" might be a bit of an exaggeration. But we are very lucky to live on quite a bit of land and Rory revels in exploring every bit of it. Climbing on old stumps, feeding the donkeys, walking through long grass, jumping in puddles - there is just so much for him to do. We also love to go to the park and run around, we usually bring his soccer ball and he just kicks it around for literally hours. Long walks are the best, Rory just marches forever. And then naps. The best naps.

And you obviously need this to describe living with littles in general... actually, I have needed this shirt for most of my life.

Day Dreamy Home

I am in love (see: obsessed) with the whole tiny homes movement. It's partially because we live in one, but also because I am just fascinated by such a counter-cultural phenomenon taking up in America. The "bigger is better" concept still has hold on the US, but there is a tiny revolution of sustainability that I am so excited about!

I often wish we could build our own tiny house, designed with our little family in mind, but odds are that won't occur for some time. I do day dream that the layout of our 550sqft was a little different, but that is kind of a pipe dream. But in our ity little house, there are several things that I constantly wish we had.

3. A washer and dryer - not having laundry on site makes for long days and large loads, especially with a toddler. I wouldn't mind drying clothes on a rack either, so perhaps just a washer? There are so many great eco-friendly and tiny options available these days, I found this one just the other day. I'm not sure about the rest of the house design, but I do like this washer/dryer combo.

seattletinyhomes.com

Panda also makes a pretty cute tiny two-in-one combination, but I haven't seen it used in any of the tiny home models I've looked at. The reviews seem decent though...

2. A dish washer - if for no other reason than a place to hide the dishes. So maybe just a bigger sink? I am just not disciplined enough to do the dishes every time I use one. The shame.

Verbena

Just look at that pretty little kitchen! I must be honest, I probably spend the least amount of time scrolling through dishwashers, but I definitely crave having one more often than a washer/dryer.

1. A bathtub - and no, not for Rory. For me. I love a good long bath. There is nothing more relaxing or wonderful than a long bath after a long day. Especially after having a baby. And I guess it would be good for kiddos too... but mostly for me.

Beautiful. Just beautiful. I'm thinking something old and lovely, with a holder like the one above, but made by my husband so as to be $60 or so cheaper. :)

nelsontreehouseandsupply.com/

There is so much to tell you about in my dream space. But I'll save that for another day... Or you can just stalk my obsession on Pinterest. That's always a thing.

Get Rid Of All Your Stuff

I always see these articles in the newspaper, online news sources, Pinterest, Facebook, you name it - about how to live on less than $50,000 a year, or maybe even $30,000. There are so many articles on ways to save, books written about it. And, honestly? I'm confused.

Now, these are wonderful goals in the epitome of a westernized country: to live counter-culturally, seeking simplicity instead of extravagance, steering clear of consumerism. But there is also something sickening about it. What about the millions of people living on $1.75 a day - or less? The statistics are overwhelming and it's so easy to ignore because we don't see it. Our lives aren't directly touched by those in need. We don't witness malnutrition or HIV run rampant without medication. There aren't small children tapping on our car windows every time we brake, asking for food or change. We train ourselves to look away from the homeless and the helpless. We live in a way that encourages selfishness, that promotes conceit and egocentricity on top of indulgence.

I am guilty. I squander what has been given to me; time, talent, testimony, and treasure. I am unworthy of the gifts and blessings I am absolutely drenched in. I whine incessantly and forget to be grateful. I am so guilty. I think the most evident example of this in my own life is that the worst part of pregnancy for me is the weight gain - that's entirely vanity speaking. I can think of 3 couples just off the top of my head who can't have children and it broke their hearts. They are now 6 of the best parents I know, not only to their own adopted children, but to each child they happen across within their communities. They couldn't and I can, my discomfort is disproportionate to their heartbreak.

But what if I genuinely lived in thankfulness? What if I woke up each day and was comforted by my inability to sleep and growing waist size because there are people who long for what I am experiencing? What if I lived on as little as possible, not because it makes me a better person, but because my comfort is not worth the discomfort of another. The $100 I spend on haircare a year could pay for a child to attend school for that same amount of time. One dinner out is more than the cost of a goat or chicken that could be the livelihood for a family of 5 or 6. Your lazy afternoon could be spent at your local community center tutoring kids that don't have parents to ask for Math or English help. Telling your story might inspire or encourage someone else. There are so many examples I could use.

I can always tell when my mind is cluttered, because my space becomes cluttered. So whenever I feel overwhelmed or upset with the things that are going on in my mind, I clean. Sometimes insane amounts of reorganizing and deep cleaning ensue, other times it's just tidying up a room. Either way, it's like a weight lifted off my mind. And right now? My mind is cluttered. I am ready to be better, to do better. I am exhausted of doing nothing, of simply accepting that this is how it is, of self gratification being the order of the day. I'm ready for more.

I demand more.