14/01/2013

FREE OUR KIDS

Well at least this is what Hattie says. And you know what, on most points, I am totally in agreement with her. (Thank you to Charlotte for pointing me in her direction.) The one thing she said that really struck a cord was how much money I must waste buying food items specifically labeled towards kids. Now I'm not obviously saying scrap all of that healthy rice cake stuff and lets get them a mega size bag of flamegrilled crinkle cut crisps. But I am saying hey, all the healthy snacks I buy Stanley, do I really need to, could I make my own at home, save a wad of cash (to plough straight back into the coffee market, hmmm, one step at a time hey) and keep him happy at the same time?! Of course right? Well he's my first foray into recreating all the crap I love to buy.

I'm as much to blame with Stanley sometimes and his eating habits, even though boy oh boy to I like to moan about it to. I am the worst for food bribery, not so much in the highchair to get him to eat, I've gone waaaaaaay past that, more if I want him to do something like go somewhere, leave his precious train set at home or be strapped in his buggy for any great length of time... My bribery of choice has been the goodies fruit bars, he is a crazy baby for one. And it is not like they are bad for him, heck they are good for him. I feel no guilt passing him one to eat other than the money I must be wasting or that really I am lazy for dishing them out so easily. I'm not saying I won't be still occasionally bribing him when I feel I really need to, it is just going to be with the things I make rather than the convenience food I have previously bought.


So I buy them, or did. We have run dry of them and I am determined not to buy any more, ever. again. Or any of the nakd bars I like so much which he also goes nuts for. It is just fruit and nuts whizzed up. I can create that right? He will love my snacks.

So here goes, this is what I did. I mainly looked at a bunch of recipes on line, more specifically this one, this one and this one. And then just went for it, me, the healthy stuff and a blender!











So I just whacked all the ingredients into the mixer and hit go. In hindsight perhaps I should have soaked the dates as it took a couple of tablespoons of water to get the whole lot moving and I should have put in the nuts first to whizz to a powder because they got stuck in all the date moosh. You live and learn, and now I've learnt I can tell you! In the end though it made this rather attractive paste. Hmmm.
























After I scrapped it out I wrapped it up in the clingfilm and made it into a squarish shape and popped it into the fridge to chill for a few hours.

It was pretty sticky still when I got it out, even after having left it in the fridge overnight, I'm not sure it'd travel too well, you'd be picking up all sorts of fluff after eating it and would probably need a hose down of sorts. So next time I think I'd up the quantity of nuts or else one of the recipes said to add oats which I quite like the sound of. I am going to try it out again so if I improve it vastly (and if you care) I'll bring you an improved recipe! It tasted amazing though and very much like the nakd bars I'm addicted too.



I had to cut stanley's up into tiny bits as he totally flips out if he gets anything on his hands, neat freak!


I enjoyed mine with a cuppa, and Stanley even did a cliche 'Oliver' pose with his bowl completely unprompted. A success I'd say! Let me know if there are any kiddo snacks you can't currently live without and maybe I'll try and re-create them here on the blog. Or if you already have a killer recipe up your sleeve please do share I'd love to hear it. And of course for more of this and to see how Hattie and family get on on their year long journey please do pop on over there to have a good read, or click the link below, it is inspiring.























14 comments:

  1. I was literally talking to my friend about this yesterday, you always seem to read my mind! I waste so much money on baby snacks it's ridiculous! I'm definitely going to try making these, plus have a go at dipping some fruit in yoghurt that theo loves so much! I'm such a bad one for bribing to get him moving or to keep him quiet for a bit in the buggy as well.

    As the rest of that list goes I seriously need to stop buying so many clothes for theo! (Slightly addicted to shopping and its slightly cheaper than buying clothes for myself, so I still get the hit!) but charity shops seem particularly dry in 2-4 year old boys clothes I find! Need to have a scout on free cycle.

    But thanks for sharing, this year is definitely one for tightening our belts!

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    1. I've never bough the yogurt coated fruit, but I guess I could give them a go... If you do though let me know how you get on! I think it is important to just change it up a bit. I can't do what Hattie is doing and go cold turkey it is too much for me, but it is nice to have a little look at what I do buy and see if I an change a few things to save some money!

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  2. Ha! I just came back from doing the weekly shopping and, I swear, one fourth of the shopping consisted of snacks for the kids (especially Robin, who NEVER STOPS eating). I don't find many organic alternatives here so most of their snacks are fruit or Organix or Ella's Kitchen goodies. And Robin is crazy about the fruit sticks (they make the rest of us gag). I'll have to try your version out and I look forward to seeing more home-made versions. We are heavy consumers of the smoothies, gingerbread men and raisins too. The problem is, with the smoothies, they're very conveniently packed in pouches so Maia can take them to school easily. The biscuits I know I could make. I guess I'm lazy.

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    1. Ha! It is so easy though. Just to wander down that specific aisle and keep chucking it in the trolly! I think though like I was saying to abi above, a little bit of change still makes a difference. I think those pouches must be so handy for school lunch boxes, and I am in a different situation with only having one child just 2 years old (hattie is the same) so I don't have that school thing to think about. However the few bits I can do to save money and not be so lazy with the snacks I dish out will make me happier and keep Stanley on his toes when it comes to treats!

      I'm going to make fruit leather next which I guess is like those fruit sticks?

      And no, you're not lazy. You are like all of us, a busy mum! x

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  3. Thanks for this recipe and congratulations for making snacks for him!

    My baby's food is created by be 99% of the time. I make nut milk and nut milk yogurt, vegan cheese, "cookies", crackers, bread, juices and smoothies...everything!

    This way he doesn't eat enormous amounts of salt,sugar and additives. And I save a lot of money!

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  4. Here's an odd feeling for you: when someone who's not actually trying to do what you're doing is still, actually, doing it better than you..! These look DELICIOUS Sarah - going to try them ASAP.

    And for the record, the Dyer family's green stance was one of the inspirations for our experiment. GO STAN!

    Hxx

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    1. Well it is a lot easier Hattie when you are only sticking to half your rules ;)

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  5. I love your illustration so much!!

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  6. oooo thought i'd show you these http://www.shutterbean.com/2012/apricot-coconut-bars/ I'm going to have a go tomorrow i think :) x

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  7. Lia, THANKYOU! Let me know how you get on, but so going to try this out asap! x

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  8. This is such a good idea! We can't get the kid snacks here (well they do have a few in health food shops but they are VERY expensive) but I'm always trying to think of new healthy snack ideas - I'll have to give this a go. And thanks for linking to that blog, it's very interesting reading

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  9. Totally agree with you on the snack front. I feel terribly guilty buying them when I know I am perfectly capable of making our own plus it feels so rewarding handing your child something you've made. I will definitely be trying these out! Here's to a money saving 2013!

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  10. Finn too loves Nakd bars, I'm going to try and make my own now, thank you! I just need to master flapjacks that taste like the goodies apple & orange ones and the carrot cake ones :/

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