Second Pregnancy: 22 Weeks & Healthier Toddler Birthday Treats!

Hey guys! Wow, I just realized I haven’t posted my 22 week update, and I am almost in my 24th week! I think I said this last time, but now you can REALLY start to see the belly popping!

Not much to update on since last time. I have my monthly OBGYN appointment this week, so there will maybe be more to report next time. I also started an awesome book that one of our yoga students lent to me, so once read more I will share! Still feeling good, feeling strong, getting excited for Ella’s birthday party this Sunday and my brother’s wedding next weekend! May is a crazy month for us!

Speaking of Ella’s birthday, she had a little party at her school today during snack time, and I am SO excited to share these simple “healthier” desserts we made for her and her classmates!

Healthier Birthday Berry Party Cones for PreSchool/DayCare/Birthday Parties!

I have been so crazy this week, and last weekend was my soon-to-be sister in law’s bridal shower so I haven’t had much time to prepare for Ella’s actual birthday party, let alone think about a snack for her school. Last night I ran over to Whole Foods with Weez while Mike went to the gym and got some supplies. I don’t even know where this sudden inspiration came from, maybe it was Mike suggesting we pick up a store bought cake. Which is fine, especially when you’re busy (Ella wanted a “Frozen” cake this year, so to prevent myself the headache off trying to pull that off, I found out Whole Foods will make one without any artificial, harmful dyes, so this will be the first year I am not making the dessert). I will always prefer and enjoy making something myself that the kids at her school will enjoy, yet it much lower in sugar than cupcakes and cake!

Originally I was thinking place just berries and cream in a clear plastic cup, but the ice cream cones, although not a “health food” seemed like a much cuter idea that the kids would get excited about. I made avocado chocolate pudding in tiny dessert cups with strawberries and whipped cream for her Valentine’s Day party, so wanted to do something a little different here (I was actually thinking filling the bottom of these cones with chocolate avocado mousse would be another awesome idea for next time—1 ripe avocado, 1 TBSP coconut oil, 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa, pinch of sea salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1 T sweetener of choice. Double or triple recipe as needed).

I prepared everything the night before so that all I had to do in the morning was put them together. I was afraid if I made them ahead they would get soggy, or the whipped cream would get funky.

Here’s what you will need to make 24 cones:

2 boxes of “Let’s Do….” gluten-free ice cream cones
1 bag “Enjoy Life” mini chocolate chips
2 containers of strawberries
1 container raspberries
1 container of chocolate chips
1 pint of grass-fed organic heavy cream (read the ingredient label, and look for one without carrageenan! I like “Natural By Nature”)

I used “Enjoy Life” chocolate chips, which are GMO and allergen-free. The cones were “Let’s Do…” from Whole Foods, and were also No-GMO verified and gluten-free.

For the chocolate simply pour a whole bag of chocolate chips in a metal bowl, and place the bowl on top of a sauce pan with water on medium-low heat, or use a double boiler. Stir constantly until melted and remove from heat. Immediately dip the top of the ice cream cones into the chocolate and place face up carefully on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Let these harden in the fridge when finished. You could even dip these in sprinkles or nuts if food allergies aren’t an issue. You can find those natural sprinkles without the artificial dyes, or use slivered almonds or nuts of choice.

Whipped Cream:

Weezy loved helping with this part.

I always place my metal bowl and whip attachment in the freezer ahead of time. Then place the entire carton in the bowl, whip on high and pour in 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract and 1/2-1 Tablespoon of organic sugar or coconut sugar until stiff peaks form. I actually also added about 1/2-1 TBSP unflavored Kosher Beef Gelatin to help it stay firm overnight (and add a little more nutrition!), but it’s not necessary.

Then, I diced up the strawberries and placed in airtight containers to get them read for the morning. I just washed the raspberries and kept them whole.

This morning it only took me about 10 minutes to put these together since everything was prepped ahead.

I did a dollop of whipped cream on the bottom, lots of strawberries, then another dollop of whipped cream with a raspberry on top!

MUCH lower in sugar than cupcakes, healthier ingredients, and the kids still think they are getting a special treat!

Kids moms=BOTH happy!!!!

They turned out so cute and from what I hear the kids really enjoyed them! I know Weez was super excited to share, and she kept saying “My mommy made these!” I let her and Michael sample a couple last night.

Then, this morning when they were finished I showed them all to her and she goes “Thank you, Mommy!!!!!!” She is truly the sweetest, most grateful kid. Always so excited about things you do for her and ALWAYS, without having to ask her, says “thank you.” Love her.

The biggest issue I had was getting them there. hey kept knocking over in the box, and I thought I was going to cry. A couple all spilled out, and I had to fix them. SO I would suggest placing them tightly in together. I had to use the empty ice cream cone and strawberry cartons to fill the empty spaces. If you make these for your home, then you’re good. Transporting them to another house or to pre-school/daycare/etc, just be careful! After I did this they didn’t move and it was fine!

Have a great weekend!! Hopefully I can get an update in after Ella’s actual birthday party!

-L

PS—sorry it takes so long to respond to comments. I have asked this a million times, and not even my web host can help. My blog will NOT open in google chrome (I write/publish in live writer). So I have to open up firefox and I get MAJOR spam when I do. About 15 pop-ups, and it’s annoying. But it’s the only way I can get into wordpress. I am working on it, but also don’t want you to think I am rude! I appreciate the few of you who have stuck around, and I enjoy interacting and getting your awesome comments! Promise I will get to them, just not as quickly as I would like. But I am reading them!