Spring ahead

Spring rolls tend to be a go-to snack in our house. They also help celebrate our pending spring, eating lighter and satisfying snacking cravings in a healthy way. Rice paper rounds are available in the international section of the grocery store. They're easy to use; I just wet each one with warm water as I'm getting ready to use it, fill it, and roll it.  A quick internet search can show you how to roll them if you're not sure. The finished rolls can get sticky if they're left out too long...but this usually isn't a problem for us :)

Our typical filling includes avocado and shredded carrot. Sometimes I add cabbage or kale, asparagus, herbs, or other veggies. Many people add noodles to theirs, and some add meat or shrimp. It depends on what you like and what you have on hand. With just cold veggies, it's a quick and nutritious snack...and gluten-free, too.

You can make your own dipping sauce or use a store-bought Asian salad dressing (like I often do). They're so fun to dip and surprisingly filling. Happy Spring!

Pumpkin pancakes

Fall is in the air as we near October and I picked up some pumpkin to celebrate. There was a lot of puree so I was hoping our baby would love it. She ate it, but it didn't seem to thrill her. There were no reactions to the pumpkin, though, so I was determined to make good use of it on the whole family.

I've also just discovered Pinterest...and although I know I'm late to the game, it has consumed my before-bed Internet browsing and given me a lot of inspiration for some DIY home projects, as well as cooking and baking ideas. There is a flood of fall pins lately and the Food and Drink board is full of pumpkin recipes. I saw pumpkin pancakes and was smitten. Though I wanted to try a lower calorie and lower fat version which preferably didn't have eggs, since we haven't yet tried eggs with our daughter. I found this recipe through SparkPeople and tried it this morning. It was a hit! We ate it up and so did Charlotte. She has been loving feeding herself, putting bite-sized pieces of food in her mouth and chewing them. This is the first "recipe" food she's had and I'm thrilled to say she ate it (and it was something I made!).

Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try this seasonal breakfast:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy (or regular cow's) milk
 2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white if that's what you have on hand)


In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Wait about 5 mins until it curdles which is "like" buttermilk.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the water, pumpkin, spices and extract with the milk mixture mixture. Add in the other ingredients and mix until it is just combined (don't over-mix). Let rest about 5 mins, which is about the amount of time it will take to warm up your pan or skillet. Then stir the mixture again and you can start ladling out your pancakes. Wait until their bubbly on top (like regular pancakes) and then flip.

These tasted pretty good for vegan pancakes, though next time I think I will add more pumpkin, more spices and some brown sugar for sweetness. Some reviewers on the original post suggested the same and also to add agave nectar, walnuts or banana for different flavours and textures.

The recipe also yields quite a few pancakes so there were enough left over to freeze for baby's (and Daddy's) breakfasts later this week.