Me & The Moose

Living thoughtfully with littles.

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Dole whip popsicles

May 24, 2018 by Rebecca Davis in Baby eats, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Parenting, Recipes, refined sugar free, Sweets, Toddler eats, Toddler living, Vegan, Vegetarian

If Dole Whip isn't your favorite Disney park food, then what's wrong with you? For those of you who don't know, Dole Whip is basically pineapple soft serve. But's it's so so much better than that description implies.

I swear I'm going to tell you how to make it in a minute, but first I need to talk about some parenting challenges we're having. As always, skip to the next photo if you're only here for the food!

Lately, parenting has felt like being on a high ropes course. It's wobbly and scary and you rarely feel surefooted. Occasionally you reach a platform and feel like a badass who has everything figured out. But then you start the next leg of the course and feel even more wobbly because now you're tired and also annoyed at yourself for not learning enough from the earlier stages. And while you're taking all the necessary precautions, what if you prove the tragic exception?

The long and short of it is, M started preschool 2 months ago and isn't adjusting all that well. He's acting out a bit and having trouble sitting still and it's been hard to watch.

I want to chalk it all up to his being three and starting a new school (any school, for that matter), but words like "evaluation" and "sensory issues" have already been floated.

Maybe I'm just taking it too hard. To me, he's still the chubby cheeked baby with long eyelashes and a silly lisp, so to hear anything different is hard to accept. I'm sure most parents go through some form of growing pains the first time they get any negative feedback about their child. But oof, does it feel like a knife to the heart. 

And I'm doing my best not to let the feedback make me feel distant or separate from M. At first, hearing about his behavior made me feel like I didn't know him at all. But some 3-year-old acting out doesn't make him a bad kid and the more empathy I can have for him while we all hang in there and try to figure this out, the more successful he'll be when facing challenges in the future. 

But for now, it's just... rough.

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Anyway, this recipe is a great one to make with kids. M loves adding the ingredients and pushing the button on the food processor and that's really the whole shebang. He also calls Dole Whip, Dole "Yip," and it kills me.

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If you plan on eating this right away, then you get the true Dole Whip experience (well, a close approximation anyway). If not, and this recipe makes a lot so you won't likely eat it all in one sitting anyway, freezing it as popsicles is the most successful way to enjoy the leftovers. It freezes really hard, so trying to recreate that soft serve texture is nearly impossible later on. But the mixture makes oh-so-refreshing popsicles. Hang on to some for the first 90-degree day (here in CT, anyway) and thank me later.

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Dole Whip

2 large bananas, peeled and frozen
1 lb bag of frozen pineapple chunks
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 can full-fat coconut milk

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Eat immediately or pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Yield: 24 small popsicles or about 4 cups of soft serve

Dole whip bowl. Feel no shame about eating this for breakfast.

Dole whip bowl. Feel no shame about eating this for breakfast.

May 24, 2018 /Rebecca Davis
frozen treats, sweets, dessert, snacks, fruit desserts, ice cream, nice cream, dairy free, dairy-free, gluten free, gluten-free, refined sugar free, vegan, vegetarian, banana, pineapple, dole whip, soft serve, no churn ice cream, no churn, coconut milk, coconut, tropical desserts, toddler eats, toddler life, school, parenting, threenager, advanced eater, baby eats
Baby eats, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Parenting, Recipes, refined sugar free, Sweets, Toddler eats, Toddler living, Vegan, Vegetarian
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These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

Banana bread doughnuts

June 24, 2017 by Rebecca Davis in Parenting, Recipes, Toddler eats, refined sugar free, Sweets

These banana bread doughnuts are the best way to use up old, overripe bananas, cook faster than regular banana bread, and are a perfect bite-sized treat for breakfast or a snack.

Take me to the doughnuts!

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

I've been thinking a lot about feelings lately as M, in typical toddler fashion, has all of the feelings, all of the time. Well, not all of the time. But while it makes life harder for me when he has A DAY, I want him to know that feelings are fine and that "managing" them doesn't mean suppressing them. That reminder is for me more than him because he wants to fly his feelings flag high. Unfortunately, my first instinct is to talk him out of it in an effort to make him "feel better," but which is probably more like "feel nothing negative."

I've read a few articles lately about parenting boys like this one, which was a good reminder of things I already think about and do (and wrote about here). Most writings about raising feminist sons (or just sons who aren't jerks) mention encouraging their emotional vocabulary, but don't give a lot of specific data or instructions. However, this article gives both and made me think about how I talk with M about everything, not just his feelings.

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

Since reading this article, I've tried to be more curious with M, particularly when we're cooking together. He takes his little step stool and stands next to me at our (tiny) counter. I give him jobs and we make a huge mess and in the mean time, I have the opportunity to ask him a million questions about what he's doing, choices he's making, and what he feels while we work on this whole project. Baking is also a great way to teach patience because we can't eat the finished product right away.

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

M made (and tasted) every batch of these banana bread donuts with me. He loved them all, but I liked my final batch with a little more coconut sugar and a second egg, the best. This is truly a one bowl recipe: We mixed the wet ingredients first and added the dry ingredients directly to the wet batter and they've turned out really well each time (with minimal dish doing at the end). This recipe could easily be made as mini muffins, regular muffins, or a loaf of banana bread. But I quite like them as doughnuts because they bake very evenly and very quickly.

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

These healthy banana bread doughnuts cook faster than regular banana bread and are a perfect healthy treat for breakfast or snack. #meandthemoose #healthybaking #bananabread #doughnuts #bananabreaddoughnuts

Banana bread donuts

Time: 20-25 minutes, mostly active
Yield: 10-12 doughnuts, depending on how much you fill the tins

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

3 medium bananas, smashed
¾ cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup full fat plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a large bowl, smash the bananas. Add the coconut sugar, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and no dry flour can be seen.

Spoon the batter into greased doughnut pan and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pushed. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to let cool completely.

June 24, 2017 /Rebecca Davis
raising a feminist, parenting, baking with kids, dessert, breakfast, snacks, classroom snacks, healthy baking, healthy sweets, banana, oatmeal, doughnut, refined sugar free, advanced eaters
Parenting, Recipes, Toddler eats, refined sugar free, Sweets
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Chocolate banana reindeer pops

December 08, 2016 by Rebecca Davis in Recipes, Sweets, Toddler eats, Baby eats, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Holidays, refined sugar free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Nut-free

The treats train has not slowed down since Halloween and we still have a month to go until we all resolve to stop eating like there's a food shortage coming. But thankfully, we can feel full of holiday spirit, and not junk with these chocolate-covered banana reindeer. I tried this with a few different types of fruit, and bananas worked better than apples, strawberries, or grapes.

Chocolate banana reindeer pops | Me & The Moose. Sliced bananas and pretzels dipped in chocolate are an easy, festive, and healthier way to celebrate the season. #meandthemoose #bananas #snacks #pretzels #Christmassnacks #Christmasrecipes

These treats are also easy to make allergen friendly. Melted carob worked just as well as regular milk, dark, and white chocolates. I used spelt pretzels because this ancient grain is easier to digest than regular wheat and the Happy Herbert brand's ingredient list is blissfully straightforward. However, there are many types of gluten-free pretzels out there that would make a good substitution. The coconut oil that thins out the chocolate also makes these frozen pops a little tropical, which reminds me that there are warmer days ahead. Eventually.

Chocolate banana reindeer pops | Me & The Moose. Sliced bananas and pretzels dipped in chocolate are an easy, festive, and healthier way to celebrate the season. #meandthemoose #bananas #snacks #pretzels #Christmassnacks #Christmasrecipes

Chocolate banana reindeer pops

2 large bananas      
12-14 thin wooden popsicle sticks
Mini pretzels
Chocolate chips (milk, dark, white, carob, or dairy-free chips https://enjoylifefoods.com/our-food/baking-chocolate/chocolate-for-baking-mini-chips/) 

Cut each banana into thick slices (you should get about 6-7 slices from each large banana). Snap 12-14 pretzels in half and remove the middle nubbin.

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Stick the ends of each pretzel into the sides of the banana pieces to make antlers. Stick a wooden popsicle stick into the bottom of the banana slice. Place all bananas with antlers and sticks onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least one hour, but up to one day.

Chocolate banana reindeer pops | Me & The Moose. Sliced bananas and pretzels dipped in chocolate are an easy, festive, and healthier way to celebrate the season. #meandthemoose #bananas #snacks #pretzels #Christmassnacks #Christmasrecipes

Once the bananas are frozen, combine ½ bag of your preferred chocolate with 2 Tbsp unmelted coconut oil in a large bowl and melt in the microwave. Cook for 30 seconds on high and then in 10 second bursts until liquid, stirring between each burst. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the bananas from the freezer one by one and dip in the melted chocolate. Tap off the excess and, using a small plate, transfer back to the baking sheet in the freezer and repeat with the other frozen bananas.

Let the covered bananas freeze for at least one hour, but up to five days before serving.

Yield: 12-14 banana reindeer

Chocolate banana reindeer pops | Me & The Moose. Sliced bananas and pretzels dipped in chocolate are an easy, festive, and healthier way to celebrate the season. #meandthemoose #bananas #snacks #pretzels #Christmassnacks #Christmasrecipes
December 08, 2016 /Rebecca Davis
chocolate, reindeer, Toddler eats, holiday, Christmas, Baby eats, allergen-friendly, banana, carob, recipes, healthy holidays, sweets, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, nut-free, advanced eaters, vegan, vegetarian
Recipes, Sweets, Toddler eats, Baby eats, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Holidays, refined sugar free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Nut-free
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