Quick Applesauce Cinnamon Oat Muffins

I used to make muffins all the time especially apple and cinnamon ones, but trying to find a recipe that called for less sugar without the texture of the muffin becoming too heavy was a bit tricky. This applies to the banana oat muffins, as the texture gets heavy rather than light and cakey... I've experimented with using honey instead of sugar but have never gotten the results I wanted. I don't have as much time on my hands to bake as I used to but want to give my wee fella some super scrumptious snacks or breakfast so muffins with oats are our thing. What other breakfast or homemade snack ideas do you make?

Anyhow, I found this recipe from Taste Of Home which turned out pretty good and was so easy to make that I managed to get it out of the oven before the the little one woke from his morning nap. I didn't make the topping though but I'm pretty sure it would have tasted amazing.

Applesauce Cinnamon Oat Muffins

Makes: 10 ServingsPrep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used stevia - sugar free)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce - I used two apples and boiled them with a little water then mashed it up - you can puree if you wish.
1/2 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg white (I used a whole egg)

I also added half of an small apple, finely chopped and upped the amount of flour used.

TOPPING:
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the applesauce, milk, oil and egg white. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups coated with cooking spray three-fourths full.

Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400°

Realistic daily routine for stay at home mum

via Pinterest this link

I saw this pop up in my Pinterest page and as I read through, I thought, wow, I'm knackered already and I only have to raise & care for one toddler, she must be supermum! Ok, I have a severe back problem but still, after making sure my little one has had an awesome day, been well-fed and bathed, all I want to do after I've cleaned up the chaos & had a shower is sit down and have some mind-numbing TV flash before my eyes with the occasional glass of red. Anyone else feel like this at the end of the day?

Being a parent to toddler is super fun & hard work at the same time, there are endless rounds of laundry & ironing - more laundry if like me you're also doing reusable nappies (what was I thinking at the time of purchase I'll never know), keeping them entertained, keeping the house clean & organised, running errands, preparing home-cooked meals etc - yup all of this on my own as the Mr. doesn't ever get home until after 10:30pm everyday except Sundays.

What's your daily routine/schedule like with your toddler if you're a stay at home parent? Do you have a jam packed daily schedule of meet ups with other mums, Monkey Music lessons, soft play? How do you even find the time to fit in personal grooming? As in manicures (whether DIY at home or at a salon), haircuts etc or a work out? 

What about preparing meals in the kitchen (I am rubbish or incapable of menu planning when tired, hence being a Hopeless Mum at times) whilst your toddler is screaming bloody murder in the living room or sitting in the high chair in the kitchen with you, how do you get anything done?

If you're a stay at home mum with a toddler & kids that go to school, I found this sample schedule very useful, i'm definitely hanging onto this for the future and would like to share some other finds below.

Sample toddler & mum daily routine via Pinterest

Download and print Daily Routine checklist for your diary via Pinterest this link

Busy mums to do checklist via Pinterest this link

Daily routine for mum with toddler & infant via Munchkins and moms here

The "Anywhere" workout via Fit Sugar here 

That's if you still have the energy or find the time to squeeze in a work out!

Easy Toddler Friendly Pesto Pasta (nut free!)

Easy basil pesto pasta with peas

Yup, I even surprised myself, in fact I reckon I ought to do a mini victory dance after making a rather sinfully good pasta sauce I whipped up for the wee one and family.

I love the green stuff, as in pesto sauce. It goes with everything, ok maybe not everything, but I love it in a mozzarella cheese & tommie sandwich, with chicken, portobello mushrooms, on fish & on pizza... you get the idea.
As a wary mum of a toddler I wasn't keen on giving my little fella pine nuts and the salt levels in the ready made jars was a big no-no, so off I went on the world wide web in search of a kid-friendly recipe.

I've never made pesto before and as I'm usually mind-numbingly exhausted come 4pm the last thing I want to do is spend forever cooking up a meal, only to perhaps have it chucked on the floor. (He's at that age where he does that a lot.)
Anyhow, I swear pesto takes no time at all to make and if you throw some spinach/kale into the mix, it will still taste scrumptious. You can even make a large batch and freeze some in ice cube trays & transfer to a freezer bag to save for another time or keep some refrigerated in an airtight glass jar.

Ingredients:
Approximately 2 cups fresh basil leaves (I literally stripped my poor plant naked)
3 garlic cloves - you can use less or more, depending on how much of a kick you want.
1/2 cup Olive oil - I'm a sucker for lashings of olive oil so drizzled a little more after pulsing the ingredients together.
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese - I didn't have any to hand, so used another hard yellow cheese (grated) with less salt content.
(For adult version of pesto add about 1/4 cup pan roasted pine nuts and adjust consistency by adding more oil or a little water)

I literally threw all these ingredients into a plastic measuring jug and used a hand blender to pulse everything in short 10 second busts about 5 times, scraped down the sides and pulsed again.

The garlic definitely gave the sauce a kick, I think I'll experiment a little more next time and maybe squeeze in a little lemon juice too.

Opinions, Opinions - What time is bedtime?

I am currently fighting the urge to go back to the cafe (along with fighting back some angry tears) to tell a women exactly what I think, which is basically thanks for your opinion, but please mind your own business & F*** off.

via Pinterest.com

Yup, my Sunday has been ruined by a 'Knowitall' mum of three and I am still seething, you can positively smell smoke & see fire erupting.

Rewind to a little more than an hour ago; the Mr. my deliciously cuddly toddler & I are enjoying a coffee whilst watching the world go by and a couple with their toddler arrive and sit at the next table. It's very normal to start chatting to other people on neighbouring tables (that's how things flow in Greece). 

The conversation that popped up when we were talking to another couple with their 7 month-old baby beside us as to what time the kids/toddlers/babies went to bed. The family that sat on the other side of our table had an 18 month-old son who we learnt from Mrs. Knowitall, went to bed at 10pm - which is apparently the norm for most toddlers & kids living the Med life & although I've tried putting my little one - who is almost 14 months old to bed at 8:30/9pm, he'll still wake up early, as in anything from 5am-6am resulting in a grouchy toddler who won't eat properly etc. So he goes down naturally (as in I'm not forcing him to sleep) around 7:30/8pm and rises between 6-7am which is fine with me as he wakes up happy, smiling and is super active throughout the day. Plus, he naps really well twice a day at around the same time everyday, give or take half an hour, depending on his wake time.

via Bored Panda

On hearing our conversation, Mrs. Knowitall asked why I put him to bed so early,  'he's not on British time, you've got to be careful' (of what exactly I don't know), it's still too light outside! How does he fall asleep?' He doesn't need a routine and that I should be doing this and that! 

OMFG! Needless to say I was a little peed off & explained that all toddlers/babies are different and each require different amounts of sleep and that the little one at his age requires the recommended amount of 12-14 hours sleep total which he gets and if he gets anything less than that he's super grouchy.

Despite being someone who is occasionally strong-minded, usually open to advice and listening to others to form my own opinions as to what might work or won't work for something, I have no idea why I was taking her comments and opinions so personally. Perhaps it's the hormones or the heat, who knows, but I just really despise when people you don't know start telling you what to do when it comes to raising a child - as I clearly didn't ask for her opinion. I know, I really should have just ignored her but something just niggled at me, you know?

via here

Anyhoos, what works for us, doesn't necessarily work for other families and I don't need to be brought down by someone who thinks they know it all.

Excuse the venting! Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

x.o.x.o

BE RIGHT BACK

Via Pinterest

I suddenly had this ingenious idea of starting a blog during an exhausted moment & now I have to get back to being a mum & prepare supper whilst my little runs wild... You know how it is! Perhaps I'll be make it back with a glass of Pinot later.

Ciao for now loves.

x.o.x.o