Larabar Love & Gelato Learning

(31 Months)

We love Larabars.  I made my first one, several months ago, after reading rave reviews about the recipe.  It only had four ingredients, so I  gave it a try.  We've been hooked on Larabars ever since.  They are filled with chewy, healthy deliciousness.  They are cinch to make, all that is needed other than the (usually) four ingredients is a food processor.  No oven, no chopping with a knife.  There are few things in life that are this simple to make.  With that said, they do need to be refrigerated (unlike the real Larabars that are packaged to maintain freshness), so it's not a great emergency snack that's kept in the backpack/diaper bag/purse- your best bet is to keep a real Larabar.

Here are our favorites:
Happy Healthy Mama's Peanut Butter Cookie- Maryea was the one who hooked me on making Larabars.  I love her site, she's a genius!
Delicious Organic's Pecan Pie- This is sweeeeet, but it tastes just like the filling of a homemade pecan pie.  Just a bite or two will satisfy that nagging sweet tooth craving.
Roxana's Home Baking's Chocolate Chip Brownie- These are incredibly fudgy and addicting (use 1/4 tsp of salt, instead of 1/8 tsp).  This is their absolute favorite (ok, and mine).  They have asked for this one again and again, "Momma, please can I have a chocolate bar."  I love saying yes (as I secretly giggle - ha ha, it's not a chocolate bar).  I knew as I was making this that it would be an immediate favorite with Little Miss, she loves anything chocolatey.
Two By the Sea's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough- We used cashews instead of almonds, because that is what Larabar uses in their bar.

I'm hoping that when Wild One and Little Miss have children (several decades from now), that they pass along these recipes that they loved to their itty bitties.  Right now, it's pretty easy getting them to eat healthy.  I hope it's always like this.

Speaking of healthy... So... we were at the Farmers Market and the kiddos wanted an iced tea from one of the usual vendors.  Of course, she wasn't there this week and they were asking over and over again for an iced tea.  My husband loves to spoil the kidabunks, so he chimes in- who wants some gelato.  To which both kids immediately smiled, eyes lit up, and started asking for gelato.  We're lucky to have an incredible mom and pop Italian gelataria where they hold the Farmers Market.  There the four of us were at 10:30, yes 10:30 in the morning having gelato.  To which my husband responds, "it's healthier than ice cream."  When we asked the kids which flavors they wanted, Little Miss said "pink, pink, pink pink" and Wild One said "brown" (can you tell that they don't get a lot of ice cream- pink? brown?).  It wasn't my idea to have gelato for second breakfast.  I wasn't too happy about it before we walked in, but seeing their excited faces as they were handed cups of gelato was priceless.

Are you ready for this?  Here is how eating gelato at 10:30 in the morning is a learning opportunity.  Look at that hand-eye coordination.  Do you see those pincer muscles working to grasp the tiny gelato spatula?  Ohh, colors- reinforcing pink is strawberry and brown is chocolate.  Sharing!  Wild One was awesome with sharing.  At first he thought we were spooning onto a second spoon for him (not for us), so he kept taking the spoon with the chocolate gelato and eating it.  Then when we told him that we wanted a taste too, he gladly shared.  Now, Little Miss on the other hand.  Well, they have been opposites in almost every aspect of their young lives and this was no exception.  She actually started saying (loudly), "no, no (Daddy/Mommy) don't eat my ice cream".  We had to have a quick talk about the importance of sharing, although to be fair I don't like sharing my desserts either.  The one thing they both had in common, was saying that the ice cream melted or disappeared on them and that they needed (not wanted, needed) more please.