This past week has been a little quieter (maybe recovering from a busy long week-end?). Paige has figured out how to get herself into a sitting position and has started to pull herself up on things. The down side of sitting up is that she has been doing it in her sleep (I have watched her do it) and unfortunately this wakes her up during the night, so hoping this will pass so we can get back to her sleeping through the night with disturbances.
Paige is definitely loving the warm weather we are having since it means she can go naked out in the yard and only have to wear a diaper inside!
Our Wednesday hike last week had to be cancelled in the end due to rain, so instead Paige and I headed out to run some errands and to pick up a birthday present for Dave. We ended up getting one of his birthday gifts at Sail before heading to pick out hardware for the kitchen cabinets. I wanted something simple in an oil rubbed bronzed. We lucked out and found something in stock and so was able to pick them up that day.
That evening we met up with friends for drinks and dessert at a local pub to celebrate Dave’s birthday.
Thursday was a busy day around here. We did a 6km hike at Greenwood Conservation Area on the dog park side with some other mom’s and babes. It was a great day to be out since it was not yet too hot and the dogs had a great time chasing each other along the trails. We hiked on the dog park side to the end of the trail and back. This is a fairly flat trail with 1 steep hill that follows along a small river. One thing to be aware of if you are hiking on these trails is that there is a great deal of poison ivy now coming up, especially near the first part of the trail.
That afternoon was our Baby Beats class which Paige just loves and we got a new musical instrument. I chose the castanet for Paige and let her pick the colour. Paige was all for yellow that day. She is starting to figure them out and has lots of fun playing with them along with her shaker that she got at the first class.
Friday was our stroller walk along the lake. We had gorgeous weather – warm with a nice breeze from the lake and great company as always. I got some new bread recipe ideas on the walk that I will have to try once it cools down enough for me to run my oven.
After our walk I headed toVandermeer Nursery with a friend who wanted some help picking out some hanging baskets for her place. I ended up picking up weed killer and grass seed (not so exciting!).
Saturday saw us head to Arnts once Paige was up to get mulch, top dressing and triple mix. It was crazy busy. We ended up only picking up 1 yard of mulch in the back of the truck and figured we would pick up our other load another day when it was a little quieter. It was a hot day so we wanted to get the mulch down before it was too hot to be working in the yard. Paige hung out in the dining tent we had set up in the yard while we spread mulch. She was having a great time playing on her quilt and rolling around in the grass. Then headed inside to cool down a bit and play with Tessa (our golden retriever).
Saturday evening we headed over to friends for a barbecue. It was a nice evening and we met lots of new people. It was nice to get out with friends and enjoy the nice evening while the little ones could play together on the lawn.
Sunday morning was pretty quiet around here as we put-zed about in the yard until late afternoon when we had friends over for a barbecue. The little ones were having fun playing out in the tent and then when we moved them inside they had great fun on the hardwood floor and looking out the windows. It was such a nice evening that we had a campfire (before things dried up too much) and had a great visit.
Monday was another hot day here. We had waffles out on the deck and a little play time outside before Paige headed down for her nap. Once she woke up we headed down to the nursery to pick up a couple plants for the gardens before coming home to cool down in the pool that her playmate Charlie had left for her to use for the day. Paige is such a water baby that she was in and out of the pool all afternoon.
Tuesday, Dave was back to work, so Paige and I had a fairly quiet day after swimming lessons. This week we worked on the little ones being in life jackets and falling off the side of the deck onto their face and then going through the movements of rolling over. Paige was not fazed at all by this and as always had a great time at swimming.
Wednesday we were supposed to meet up with a couple moms for a good long hike in the Rouge Valley, but my back was not cooperating so we had to take the day off. It worked out well since Paige decided to sleep in until 11:30am. We ended up using Wednesday as our errand day and went out to pick up photos to mail to all of Paige’s great grandparents, as well as paint for the kitchen and netting to go over our strawberries and blueberries to keep the animals out. Paige and I spent the afternoon playing in the yard and gardening (I was splitting some plants and shifting some others).
Thursday we met up with some moms for an early lunch to celebrate a friends birthday. It was a nice get together and I met some new moms. They all headed to the movies while Paige and I headed home since we had Baby Beats that afternoon. This week we sang transportation songs. That afternoon Paige started pulling herself up on everything.
Yesterday we attended the GTA Baby wearing walk which was part of Baby Wearing Week here in Canada. It was along the boardwalk in The Beach. It wasn’t much of a walk but rather an opportunity to get together with some like minded mamas and have a visit. Paige had a great time playing in the sand for the first time and I dipped her toes in the water for her to feel it. After playing on the beach we then headed for frozen yogurt and to check out a used baby store.
Yesterday evening we went over to friends for a barbecue and our little ones had a blast playing on the grass and just hanging out.
Today the pool is being filled, can’t wait for the water to warm up which will take a bit so that we can get Paige in the pool and have somewhere to cool down on these hot days. I also have to head down to see if they can fix the paint colour I picked up earlier this week as I accidentally told them I wanted the lighter colour on the paint chip rather than the darker one. Keeping my fingers crossed they can fix it for us since the lighter colour is a little more peachy than I would like. We were aiming for a tan colour. Since it seems to be staying a little cooler we may go and pick up the other yard of mulch to get down and maybe start painting the cabinets. Now that I have written that all down it seems like quite a bit to get done today, so maybe the painting will wait for another day.
Did you get out and enjoy this nice warm weather? How do you beat the heat?
The biggest question I had was when do I need to strip my diapers and how. Diapers don’t need to be stripped until they start to smell even after washing or become less absorbent. They should not be stripped unless necessary as regular stripping can break down the waterproofing/water resistance of the diapers as well as damage the elastics if done too frequently. Another reason to strip would be if you are switching laundry detergents for your diaper or you are noticing your little one is beginning to get a rash from the diapers. Generally it is a good idea to strip any new diapers before using them which will help them be more absorbent.
The reason they can start to become less absorbent is that some materials can build up a waxy coating from use. This is what needs to be stripped away.
The rash can be due to either an ammonia build up or the detergent isn’t rinsing clean from your diapers.
There are many different ways out there to strip diapers, but some should not be attempted as they will void your diaper warranty and could damage your diapers.
Methods to avoid: In the dishwasher – Nature Bumz has put together a good post as to why you shouldn’t do this
If they are a pocket diaper or all in one or similar style that does not need an additional cover, then do not boil them as it will melt your PUL.
Do not use bleach unless it is an absolute last resort as this will break down your diapers.
Stripping Methods: 1-2 drops of original Dawn up to 1 tsp max (do not use any more than this as you will have way too many suds in your machine) in the washing machine with your diapers on a wash cycle. If you use this method you need to keep running rinse cycles until there are no suds or bubbles showing in your machine.
You can also use dish detergent to wash them by hand and you will need to scrub each insert with a small scrub brush or toothbrush to scrub the fleece. Then rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.
Use a stripping agent – RLR, Laundry Tarts, Rockin Green and follow directions on package. These you use directly in your machine.
My favourite if you have ammonia issues is Rockin Green Funk Rock.
Hanging your diapers on the line in the sun also helps to strip them some.
If you are still having issues after any of these methods then you may need to strip your washing machine using either one of the washing machine cleaning tabs or you can do it using baking soda and vinegar or baking soda and lemon juice. Diaper Hyena has the instruction for doing this without a cleaning tab.
We were talking about easy snacks the other day that are quick to make and also easy to take with you when on the go with a little one. One of my favourites is scones so I thought I would share the recipe I use. Not sure where the recipe originally came from as this is the one I grew up eating. These are great on a cool day with a bowl of soup for lunch.
Ingredients: 3 cups of flour 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 4tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg milk (optional: you can add raisins, dried fruit or berries)
Preheat oven to 450oF
Put flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and butter in food processor. Process until butter is sort of pea size.
Crack egg in 1 cup measuring cup and fill cup up to 1 cup with milk. Pour this through the feed tube while processor is running. Mix until combined.
Scoop out by dessert spoon onto greased or non-stick cookie sheet, flatten a little with your hand before putting into oven.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Variation: For cheese scones leave out the sugar and add cheese and spices. Use 1/4 cup parmesan along with a good sized handful of old cheddar. If out of parmesan, use 2 handfuls of cheddar. Spices I like to use are garlic, onion powder, thyme. I will also add some worcetshire sauce and a few drops of tabasco to the milk and egg mixture.
Hope you enjoy. Would love to hear what other spice combinations you like in your scones.
It was another busy week with Miss Paige around here.
We started off last week with a good 10+ km hike on the Seaton trail with another hiking mom and daughter. We started at the south end (Forestream) so that we would hit all of the stairs and the bigger climbs at the beginning of the hike rather than the end. Also this way we could have a nice break in Whitevale since they have a nice little park and port-a-potty there. It was a cool and overcast day which made for great hiking since we didn’t overheat.
Enjoying a break and snack before heading back
Tuesday was swimming lessons and since the usual instructor was away it was a bit disorganized. Paige had a nap in the life jacket while floating about. That afternoon I took Paige in the stroller and went for a 3km jog (just starting back so didn’t want to overdo it).
Wednesday was a good hike (7km) hiking in the Rouge Valley with 2 other moms. This is a nice hilly trail so gave us a good workout. We were moving at a good pace too.
That evening we had dinner with one of my mom friends so that our husbands could meet. Paige and their little one get along so well. Paige loved their Jolly Jumper and the height she could get jumping in it.
Thursday saw us taking it easy around the house and yard with Baby Beats in the afternoon. Paige was having a great time chasing the older kids and trying out the different musical instruments. I think storytime was her favourite because as soon as the book came out she was scooting right up to the front with squeals of delight.
Friday was our usual stroller walk on the Colonel Danforth Trail. This is a 7km walk that is fairly flat on a paved path that winds through the woods and along the waterfront. After this walk we had to get home to pack to head to my parents for the week-end to visit and celebrate Mother’s Day.
I had woken up that morning to my Mother’s Day gift which was a Nike+ Sportwatch GPS, so of course we had to try it out on the walk. My only thing is remembering to either pause it when we would stop or restart it after. It is pretty neat to be able to see our path afterwards and also to find out what the actual distance is that we are doing.
Saturday in Kincardine was cool and sunny in the morning and slightly overcast for the afternoon. In the morning, Paige, my sister-in-law Meghan and I took the dogs and went for a walk along the waterfront. Paige had a nap in the carrier while we walked.
Once the guys got home from golfing we then headed up to The Hawgs Breath for some Nachos (Dave says they are the best nachos) before heading to my grandparents for a quick visit. I walked over with Paige in the carrier while the other’s drove. We had a short visit with my grandparents (so we didn’t tire them too much) before walking back to my parents.
That evening we sat outside in the backyard around my parents outdoor fireplace. It was such a nice night.
Sunday after breakfast we headed back home. When we arrived home, it was as though all of the plants exploded. All of the leaves were fully out and lots of flowers had come out over the week-end, not to mention the grass had grown a great deal. We got the lawn cut a little yard work done before friends came over for a barbecue so the guys could head out to see The Avengers.
Monday we went for a 10 km fast paced hilly hike with some other hiker moms and a hiker dad in the Rouge Valley. It was a great hike and good workout. These hikes are great since we always have a good time chatting and so the time flies by. I look forward to these every week and the little ones just love them.
Tuesday we were at swimming once again and the afternoon playing in the yard with a shorter stroller walk up the road.
Today we are off for a shorter hike at Heber Down Conservation Area with another hiker mom, possibly a couple more, I think it may depend on the weather as to how many moms join us.
Vaude is a European company that produces environmentally friendly products and are the first outdoor company to receive EMAS certification.
We have the Farfalla Comfort baby carrier by Vaude. This is their top end carrier. We originally chose this one based on cost and the sales persons recommendation. We purchased it when our daughter was 6 weeks old so we were not able to try her out in it at the time of purchase.
Paige loves being in this pack and will sing and bounce as we hike along.
Pros: – Easily adjustable and many areas of adjustment are available on this carrier to get the best fit. We love the ease of adjusting so that if my husband and I trade off the pack during a hike Paige doesn’t really have to wait long before we are on the move again. – It can fit many heights of both the little one and the adult carrying them – Large pack for storing all of those items you may want to take with you on a hike. – 2 good sized outer pockets on either side of the carrier that will take a larger water bottle. – Front pillow for our little one to be able to rest her head on to go to sleep. – Rear head support for our little one if she chooses to sleep upright rather than leaning forward. – Footrests for once Paige is a little taller to help prevent her feet from falling asleep – Comfortable fit and weight distribution for long hikes – Change pad is included in the pack
Cons: (Many of these are not really cons, but rather observations, since there are pros to some of these notes as well) – The sun canopy could be extended a little further to shade the face a little more when out hiking on sunny days. This may be better once Paige is taller and closer to the top of the canopy. Not a huge issue since she usually has a bucket hat, sunglasses and some sunblock on. – Waist belt pocket is only large enough to hold 1 key, would be nice if it were a little bigger to hold a small camera (many carriers have the slightly larger pouch on the waist). – No rear view mirror (did not know that carriers even had these until we were out hiking yesterday and a couple moms had these) which would be handy to check on your little one if they are fussing. – The carrier supports around the little one are padded and very supportive which I love for Paige’s comfort, however in the summer this may become rather warm. Some carrier have made some of these mesh instead, although you do lose some of the support.
Overall, we love this carrier, it is comfortable to use and I am able to hike for long distances with Paige on my back. I have done a number of faster paced 10-10+km hikes with her on my back without any issues. I think this is a great pack that will last us many years since it will grow with Paige. It still looks like new and this pack gets tons of use (minimum 3-4 times per week).
Return portion of a 10+km hike on the Seaton trail
Paige turned 8 months the end of last week so I am a little late at getting this up, but better late than never right?
Paige has slimmed down some but getting taller by the day (she won’t sit still long enough to be measured!). She is definitely over 20lbs now as well.
Favourite things to do: Singing, dancing and using her shaker to music Swimming Bathtime Going for hikes in the pack Playing out on the back deck or wiggling around in the grass Stories with Daddy Skyping with family Swinging on her swing Sleeping Finger painting
Milestones: Scooting and hopping on her bum all over the place Signing more, thank you, milk (some of these only sometimes) Making choices for food and clothing from 2 options Recognizing faces
Favourite Foods: Frozen wild bluberries Frozen mango Yogurt Yogurt Chips (see one of my previous posts for directions) Oatmeal Spaghetti noodles (she has fun slurping them and pulling them back out) Avocado Cheerios Will eat anything put in front of her, but these are the favourites
Paige now has 4 teeth on the bottom. The 4th one came through yesterday without too much of a fuss only a little fussing early evening (maybe a combination of being tired and trying to stay awake as well as pain).
This morning we are off to swimming and then with this nice weather probably spend the afternoon out on the porch.
It has been go, go, go around here this past week. Paige is scooting everywhere on her bum now and getting into everything (including the dogs food bowl!). One of her favourite things to do now is scoot along and rub her toys on the hardwood floor to see what kind of noise they make. She also likes to scrub the floor (not sure if that is a reflection on my cleaning or not!). We did discover one fun game with the island in the kitchen. She loves to anticipate which side you might pop around on and can spend hours giggling while we play peek-a-boo around that. Paige also attempted our small set of stairs between our dining room and family room by sliding down on her bum. There is so much for her to explore both inside and outside.
She is really testing herself now when standing. She will push our hands away and will also lean back from things she is using to prop herself to see how her balance works. Hoping that this does not mean she will be walking soon! She is not a big fan of crawling, so we suspect she may try to skip that stage.
Paige got to go swimming twice this week. Once for her class and once with a playmate. At class this week we tried them on the bottom of the water slide. Swimming with a playmate Paige had a great time, we were in the pool for nearly an hour. She was having a great time floating around in a PFD and just relaxing in the pool.
Paige got a third bottom tooth this week and continues to be teething (showing some discomfort and a bit of a rash) so I am sure more teeth could be making an appearance soon.
We went in to visit at the office this week since they wanted some help with their dragon boat paddling technique for the team this year. Unfortunately I won’t be joining the team this year since they practice at Paige’s bed time.
Paige was having a great time at Baby Beat this week. They got to try some different instruments. One of the instruments the little ones really enjoyed having in their mouth is sandpaper on blocks that you rub together. Instead they were all rubbing them on their teeth and sucking on them.
We had a hike at Glen Major with a friend and her little one. It was an overcast morning so great for on the trails and then the sun came out as we neared the end of the hike. We had them back for lunch so the little ones could play and we could continue our visit.
We got lots of work done in the yard over the week-end, lots of dandelions removed, lawn cut, some weeding, herbs planted and two nectarine trees planted. Our fruit count is now at 2 nectarine trees, 2 apple trees, 5 blueberry bushes, lots of strawberries, 4 rhubarb plants and 2 raspberry canes that have started sprouting elsewhere as well. We also noticed that our blackberry patch seems to finally be coming back after being whipper snipped by the neighbour a while back.
Replaced the planters with 2 Semi-Dwarf Harko Nectarines
Yesterday was such a nice day that a short hike at the dog park turned into a longer hike at Greenwood Conservation Area. We hiked to the end of the trail and back before getting to work in the yard. It was a nice hike that followed along the water most of the way. Paige took a bit of a nap on the way back and woke just as we got back to the car. We saw some kids swimming in the river. It was a warm day, but not sure I am ready to brave those cold waters just yet!
>Today Paige and I are off for a “serious” hike on the Seaton trail with a friend. She warns me there are lots of stairs to climb at the beginning so it will give us a good workout. I may be needing a nap with Paige this afternoon!
How did you spend your week-end with this lovely weather we have been having?
I have been asked a number of times recently by friends how to start a vegetable garden in ones yard. I figured I would write down what works for us to share with all of you.
The first thing to consider is the size of vegetable garden you would like to have (I suggest starting small your first year, maybe 4’x8′) and then finding a sunny spot in your yard for the garden. Choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Once you have the spot decided on, you will then need to decide if you would like to have a raised bed or will set up your garden at ground level. The up side to raised beds is they are slightly easier to maintain since the weeds will start on the top rather than coming up from the bottom and you won’t have as many weeds.
Raised Beds Important things to remember when building a raised garden, you do not want to use pressure treated wood as all of the chemicals used to treat the wood will leach into the ground and into your vegetables. You will want to consider untreated woods such as cedar (this will last the longest, but is also your most expensive option), or pine. Sunset has easy to follow instructions to build your bed (we didn’t bother with the hardware cloth or pvc tubing, just built the frame). Once the frame is built you will be anchoring it in the ground with the 4×4 portion that sits above the frame.
We like to line the bottom of our raised beds with either shredded paper or sheets of packing paper. This will help prevent weeds coming up from the bottom. If you can afford to splurge you may want to consider landscaping cloth for the bottom of your bed. Once that is in place you are going to fill your box with triple mix. It will take roughly 1 yard of mix to fill.
Ground Garden If you are putting your garden in at ground level, you will want to remove any grass from the area you have marked off. Once you have done this you will want to work the dirt in that area to loosen it. You can then add some triple mix and mix it in to help provide lots of good nutrients.
Planting You will want to plant your rows going south to north to ensure that all of your rows will be getting the required sun.
I recommend at least 1 row of onions planted in your garden which will help keep rabbits away. This can help in preventing you needing to cage your garden in. If you are planting in the ground you may also want to consider a perimeter of marigolds to help keep animals out.
Cold weather vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, onions, potatoes and peas can be planted before the frost is completely out of the ground. These can go in anytime now and some may have added these to their gardens a couple weeks ago already. I like to plant my seeds directly in the garden (saves time and effort). If you are starting seeds inside you can start your cold weather crops mid-March in a sunny window. Now is the time to start your warmer weather crops inside if you are going that route.
Once the weather has warmed up, generally by the May long week-end you can then add your other vegetable seeds to the garden.
Easy To Grow The following are plants that I have found to be fairly fool proof and low maintenance to grow: – Lettuce (easy to grow until temperatures start to climb into the mid-high 20oC at which point they can start to bolt and will become bitter) – Peas – Beans – Zucchini (you will only need a couple plants as each plant will produce a large number of vegetables) – Onions (grown from bulbs, not seeds) – Carrots (if not thinned they could be quite small) – Rhubarb (this will grow absolutely anywhere, so don’t worry about planting it in your raised bed, find a spot elsewhere in you yard as it will grow quite large, quite quickly)
More Difficult to Grow We have found the following to be more difficult to grow and may require more work. – Watermelon – Cucumbers (these can be hit or miss, they don’t seem to produce too many vegetables depending on where they are planted) – Peppers (if planted too late in the season, your fall frost will arrive before they have had a chance to mature, this is one you most likely want to start indoors to get a head start on the season)
We have also had success with broccoli, cherry tomatoes, brandywine tomatoes, and various herbs.
Here is a great link to companion planting (what can be planted next to what) Gold Harvest Organics.
The easiest way to maintain your garden is to check it daily for weeds. This will ensure you don’t need to spend hours weeding at a later date, and instead only need a few spare minutes a day.
For watering, if you use rain barrels in your yard for your gardens, it is best to avoid this water for your vegetable gardens as these can be contaminated with chemicals and sediment from your roof shingles.
In following years, you will want to consider adding a layer of compost to your garden in the spring before planting. Once the ground can be worked if you work in about a 1″-2″ thick layer. Check your local waste management as many have a free compost day around Earth Day when you can pick up compost for your gardens for free.
This is the big question everyone has. I know I read a lot of blogs when we decided to consider cloth diapers for our little one. I started reading months and months before Paige was born, and even still I am looking for more information.
My biggest question at the start was what do I need. I received many different answers on this and it was valuable information.
What we had to start: 19 cloth diapers – this seemed to be enough for us if diapers were done every other day, we did have some disposables for backup as well just in case 20 cloth wipes – this gave us more than enough so that we could also use them for hand and face washing cloth diaper friendly bum cream flushable liners – didn’t need these and only used them once (can’t flush them since we are on septic and we thought they made diapers changes kind of gross). disposable inserts – these were handy when my daughter got a rash that only zinc would clear up and to make it easier during the first few days of cloth diapering 1 wet bag – definitely needed at least 2, but 3 is preferable so you can one for dirty diapers at home, 1 when the first one is being washed and 1 for the diaper bag diaper sprayer – couldn’t live without this
While we had chosen to go with pocket diapers and a couple AIO, we chose to try out a variety of diapers. Our first diapers were of various makes and models. We tried one size fits all and sized systems, diapers with adjustable leg elastics and those that weren’t, aplix and snaps, cotton, fleece, bamboo, microfiber. I would definitely recommend doing this as the diaper you think you might like might not be the best fit for your little one. Even as our daughter has grown our favourites change and we still have 6 different brands of cloth pocket diapers in our stash that we rotate.
As for number of diapers, I think that will be a personal preference, since I don’t mind washing them every other day. I have found now that our stash is about 18 diapers and my daughter doesn’t need changing as often that I only have to wash diapers every 3rd day or so now. Also don’t start off with too large of a stash since you will see new ones you like the pattern or colour of, or a different style you may want to try after you start cloth diapering. To keep cloth diapering cost effective you don’t want to have too large a stash or else it can become rather costly.
We chose to go with cloth wipes and just use water for diaper changes. We didn’t want to expose our little ones bum to anything that might cause a reaction. Cloth wipes are super easy, since you are already doing laundry for the diapers so just tuck the wipes in the wet bag as well for laundry day and they can all be washed together.
Flushable inserts could come in handy when out and about with a dirty diaper. I tend to take extra cloth wipes with us so if there is a dirty diaper I just lay that in the diaper before I fold it up to go into the diaper bag and then I can spray it down when we get home.
We don’t have a diaper pail, we just use the wet bag. We chose to get wet bags that zipper closed. Wet bags are also handy for wet clothing rather than using a plastic bag and handy for at the pool.
As for bum cream, there are many cloth diaper friendly creams out there. Just make sure to avoid anything with zinc or beeswax as these can plug up your diapers.
A diaper sprayer is not a necessary item as you can dunk the diapers in the toilet and have a scrub brush in the bathroom if you wanted instead. I feel a diaper sprayer makes cloth diapering just as easy as disposables since it takes 2 seconds to spray the diaper and you have to wash your hands after a change anyways so you are already headed to the bathroom. It might give you a few laughs at first (bathroom sprayed down!) but in the long run it makes life much easier.
I have been trying to find snacks and foods for Paige that are small for her to be able to pick up herself since she loves Cheerios for this reason. I don’t want to just keep giving her Cheerios, but most of the store snacks either have rice or carrots in them which are two things that she does not seem to tolerate well. I did get my grandmother’s oatcake recipe which I will have to try soon for her, but with the lard in it I am wondering if I should hold off a little while longer.
The other night, I was looking on the internet for instructions to make yogurt drops and all I could find were for frozen yogurt drops which doesn’t really help me when we are out and about. So I decided to try dehydrating it in the oven instead. They have a bit of a tangy flavour when dry that I really enjoy. Paige loves them and they are easy enough for her to pick up as well.
You will need a cookie sheet, parchment paper and plain greek yogurt. You could also add some fruit puree if you wanted as well.
1. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and set your oven to 170oF. 2. You can drop small dollops of yogurt on the sheet or use a plastic baggie with the end cut off to pipe it on. 3. Once your sheet is full, place the tray in the oven. You will want to hang a tea towel on the corner of the stove door that hangs inside to allow the moisture to escape. 4. Let it “bake” for about 3 hours. 5. Once the yogurt is dry you can remove it from the oven and peel the chips off of the paper. 6. I store mine in an airtight container in the fridge.
Are there any easy healthy snacks that your little one likes? Would love to hear about it.
