RECIPE::: Fat Free Zucchini Carrot Muffins

It's been a while since I've logged into the ole Blogger Platform...but here I am with a YUMMY recipe. It's a great snack for Back to School!

I posted this recipe a few years ago, but I've since changed it to make it fat free for Emerson, so I thought I'd post it here! Several of you had asked for it, and I aim to please... It was a BIG HIT!

Easton took these to school a few days last week and Emerson had them for snack as well!  I love when I can find something they will both eat.  NOT TO MENTION it's got veggies!  

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini **I used a half of a large zucchini and 3 carrots. I threw it in my NINJA and it was perfect for this!  Emerson also chomped on a raw carrot while I made these!  #winning
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan.  I use mini muffin tins.  Set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, zucchini + carrot mixture and applesauce. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Makes 24 mini muffins

ENJOY!!!

 

 

Emerson's First Birthday

I love a good party.

And this one was so much fun.  

So much fun to have some pink.  {{who am I?}}

We celebrated Emerson the day before her birthday.

I will always do parties on days around their birthday.

The party day gets so crazy and before you know it, it's over.  

I want to always have their BirthDAY, low key and with just them.  

Maybe this will change as they get older, but for now, that's how I like it.

So, we did a lunch time party.

Chicken Salad, Ham & Rolls, Fresh Salsa, Fruit, Pasta Salad, Dipped Pretzels & Cupcakes.

It was all so yummy, if I do say so myself.

I kept the decor simple.

Some babies breath, a tissue tassel garland, balloons & some Paper Lanterns over the food table.

 I'll let the pictures do the talking, but I think you'll see we had a wonderful time celebrating our Emerson!

Happy Birthday Emerson Sloan!

I know you'll never remember this par-tay, but I will.  Forever.

Love you sweet girl!

Emerson Sloan:: 12 Months

12 Months

How?

This has been the fastest year of my life.

I don't even know where to begin with this little darlin.

She's a spirited little thing.  Whiskey in a TeaCup would describe her.  

Or Bull in a China Shop.

But I wouldn't trade her personality for all the sweet tea at Chick Fil A.  

Let's see.

Eating.  Sister loves to eat.  Praise the Lord.

I can mix her Procal in just about anything and she'll down it.

I am thankful for this every time I feed her.

So many struggle with picky eaters, but so far, she loves most anything I give.

Nursing.  We made it to a year!

We are down to 3 times a day.  When she wakes up in the morning, around 2pm and at bedtime.

I don't know how long we'll go, but I'm in no hurry to stop.

Sleeping.  Geez.  This is a doozy.

Thankfully, her night time sleep is consistent.  She goes to bed about 8 and gets up about 7.  

Naps stink.  I've worked on them about 2 weeks now.

She cries for 20-30 min when I lay her down, then sleeps for 45 min max.

I'm just working on morning nap for now.  I don't have it in me to do this twice a day.

Typically we are in the car for the afternoon snooze.  

Sister is full of personality!  

She knows what she likes and she'll let you know.  Very strong opinion.

Head Strong.  But this will take her FAR one day.

I have no doubt she will do big things and make a big impact.

She's a lover.  She loves to snuggle and can melt you in a moment with her smile.

My prayer for her is that she will grow to love Jesus and love others.

I pray this every day for her and for Easton.

I pray that she will grow to be a strong independent woman and a light to those around her.

She surely is a light to us.

She's 'talking' more and more.

She'll say 'Bubba', dada, momma, ba (ball), bye, up.

She waves.  It might be one of my favorite things.  Ever.

Her little right hand just swirls around.  I love it.

She also will throw her arms up when you say "are you SO BIG?"

She loves to peek out the window when anyone comes or goes. 

She bends over and peers around.  Little nosey thing.  

She can find her toes.

She knows a few sign language signs.  All done being her favorite.

She loves her brother.  He can get her to do anything.  And he's pretty crazy about her too.  

Emerson Sloan, we LOVE you SO MUCH!!!!

We are so thankful for you and for the joy and ACTION you bring to this family!

I am thankful for a healthy first year!

We love you a Bushel & a Peck Emmy Boo!

Emerson Sloan:: 11 Months

11 Months

Full of life & personality.

Really opening up to other people!

Waves, laughs, says bye, blows kisses.

If someone leaves the house, she walks them to the door and watches them out the side porch window.

She steals our hearts a little more each day.

Eating everything I'll let her eat.

It's a struggle to make sure our meals are fat free & finger foods friendly

We eat a lot of rice and veggies.

She loves grilled chicken too!  

We cut out one nursing time during the day, so she now eats at 8a-2p-7:30p & sometime between 3am-5am.

We've gotten tooth #2 and #3 is not far behind.  If it doesn't come through today, it'll be tomorrow.

It's so close!  #2 came in with no trouble, but #3 came with fever & a little fussiness.

Still in size 4 diapers and is now in 18 month pants and either 12mo or 18mo shirts.

Got our first pair of shoes this month. 

Some sweet little Mint Green Toms, Size 4.  They're too big.

She loves to be outside.  If you go outside, you better be taking her with you.

She loves riding the Gator with Easton.

They are big buds!

She's opinionated.  She's fiesty.  She's funny.

Whiskey in a Teacup really does sum her up!

Emmy Boo, we love you!!!!

Emerson's Eczema Combo

I have struggled with 2 kids having eczema.  Both internally, by changing diet, which did help for Easton and externally, through dermatological treatment, which has helped Emerson.

With Emerson being just breastfed and having fruits and veggies, I started watching what I ate.  I thought I had linked her eczema to gluten, then to peanuts and peanut products and even to strawberries.  I'm still not convinced that her eczema isn't linked to those things, as I now eat all of them in moderation.

However, what I was doing was not working.  I'd eliminate things then see improvement, add them back in and no change.  Then all of a sudden it would come back again.  It was so mean and angry looking.  Red dry patches all over her little body.  Her trunk, the inside of her right arm and the inside of the right leg and the back of her neck.  You could tell she was uncomfortable.  She'd claw at her skin all the time.

I finally decided to take her to the dermatologist.  He gave us a very generic combination of things to do for her, that is his 'go-to' for sensitive skin.  I talked with him about it being a food allergy and he said that food allergies typically show up in the folds of the eye lids.  Her face was totally clear.

He instructed us to bathe her in Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and to NOT dry her off.  On her wet skin, apply baby oil all over.  After the baby oil, on her wet oily skin, apply the rx ointment to the eczema spots.  Once the eczema was gone, he said to eliminate the rx ointment and on her oily wet skin, apply the Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream.  Within 2 days, her eczema was gone.  I kid you not.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This little patch has just returned on her leg, so we've started the prescripton again.  It'll be gone in a day or so I'm certain.  And just like Eastons, where the eczema was, it's now white fresh skin.  His skin doesn't tan in those spots but I was told that the skin pigmentation would return eventually.  His was bad in the bends of 

I did purchase Melrose Oil from Young Living and I plan on treating any flare ups with that first.  We also have Rose Ointment and the combo of the Coconut Oil, Melrose and Rose Ointment are very helpful with eczema.  

If you need a good Dermatologist in the Nashville area, email me {a (dot) farrar (at) hotmail (dot) com}and I can get you the name of ours!  Or, even if you'd like more information on Young Living Essential Oils, I can send you some information on that too!  

Emerson Sloan:: 10 Months

Mercy Sakes.  10 Months.

These months are sure flying by.

This month, 

We walk.

We dance.

We shake our head "no".

We clap.

We 'talk' and laugh and scream!

WE HAVE FUN!

Emerson Sloan, you win our hearts over a little more each day.

Such a joy.  Such a little love.

We had our 9 month VLCAD Check Up last week.

Her CPK (Muscle Enzymes) were 219.  Normal is 29-169.

Her Liver Enzymes were:

ALT: 30- normal is 5-33

AST- 67- normal is 20-67

All good news from Genetics and Nutrition.

We continue to feed MCT ProCal in pureed foods.  Typically I do this at breakfast and dinner.

She gets 1 packet a day.  Roughly 6 teaspoons.

She loves to eat.  She prefers finger feeding to pureed but she'll eat puree if she's hungry enough.

And if you're quick enough.

We are still nursing.  Praise the Lord.

8am-12pm-4pm-8pm and once in the middle of the night anywhere between 3-5am.

Dare I say it, sleep has finally become routine.  

She's an early riser just like her brother, but I can take that with only on 'get up' a night.

Naps? well...  They happen everywhere but her bed.

But it allows for flexibility so we just roll with it.

She adores her brother.

She lights up when Daddy comes home. 

I can't believe in 2 months, she will be 1.

I guess the birthday party planning shall begin.

I'm thinking something soft and sweet.  Simple.  Peach & gold to match her nursery.

We'll see how it all plays out.

Happy 10 Months Emerson Sloan!

WE LOVE YOU!