MINT

Mint is the best. The best herb that is in my humble opinion. I add fresh mint leaves to my green smoothies for a burst of flavour, toss in a salad for a little je ne sais quoi that is delicious and unexpected, and boil in hot water for a soothing after dinner drink.

Mint is healthy too. Not only does it aid in digestion, it is an antioxidant that contains trace amounts of iron, fibre, vitamin A and potassium.

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PLASTIC-FREE WITH S'WELL BOTTLES

 

It has become my mission to rid our family of plastic in all its forms. The child-friendly melamine dishes were replaced with bamboo, plastic cups were replaced by glass, storage containers were replaced with glass or stainless steel and drinking bottles with any trace of plastic were replaced by stainless steel.

A S'well bottle is a must in our family. Made from non-leaching and non-toxic 18/8 stainless steel, these fun bottles come in three sizes (9oz, 17oz and 25oz, which holds a bottle of wine!) and keep your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. And, the kiddos love to pick their favourite designs.

You can feel good about supporting this company too. S'well has teamed up with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to provide good, clean drinking water to children around the world.

Next on my plastic-free mission is helping Little Bean say goodbye to her pacifiers, which she so loving calls her 'soo-soos'. This will be tough ... for us all.

RECIPE: A PERFECT TODDLER SNACK (OR BREAKFAST)

Fruit, veggies and dip, crackers and cheese ... I was suffering from snack fatigue when I found this recipe on Oh Joy! for banana peanut butter pancakes. So good, so easy and protein-rich. This is Monkey's new favourite snack, and these pancakes make for a good breakfast too!

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana

1 egg

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/2 tablespoon flour

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients. Heat a non-stick skillet evenly over medium heat. Spoon out desired amount of mixture for each pancake, cook until little bubbles form on surface and then flip just like a regular pancake.

Here's a tip: Make sure you heat your skillet before adding the batter otherwise you might end up with a sticking issue (I had that the first time I made this, but the second go-around worked).