Welcome to Not-So-Ultimate Mommy—a real-life parenting blog for the perfectly imperfect. From fun kids’ activities to honest takes on motherhood, this space is all about finding joy, creativity, and sanity in the chaos. Whether you're crafting with toddlers or navigating parenting curveballs, you’re not alone—and you’re doing great (even when it doesn’t feel like it).
Walnuts serious brain food, especially for children, and they taste good enough on their own. Packed with omega-3s, walnuts keep the neurons in kids' brains firing, protects the heart, lowers cholesterol, and may even help ward off certain types of cancers.
But sometimes we don't want to eat a handful of walnuts all the time. Walnuts are versatile enough to fit in many different recipes, so try the following maple walnut crunch.
Ingredients
1 cup raw walnut pieces
1 tbsp maple syrup
pinch of salt
Method
Preheat over to 325°F (160°C).
Combine all ingredients in a large bow and mixing gently. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed and all walnut pieces are coated with the syrup.
Spread walnuts evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, turn, and bake for 10 minutes longer.
Let cool before serving.
Make sure you use real maple syrup, not the fake stuff. You'll also want the sweetest nuts possible, so buy smaller walnuts that are lighter in color. Purchase them in small amounts and keep them in the fridge or even the freezer to keep them as fresh as possible.
Kidney beans really are a superfood. They are packed full of fiber, protein, iron, folate, and even antioxidants. Unfortunately, many kids avoid them like the plague. I know mine do. And while you can tuck them into nachos or burritos, they're often quickly spotted by eagle-eyed children. Why not try hiding them in a burger everyone will enjoy?
Ingredients
1½ cups red kidney beans, mashed until smooth
½ cup quick oats
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (medium works best)
1 cup grated sweet potato (raw)
¼ cup coriander, fresh and copped fine
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp oil (choose your favorite for pan frying)
¼ cup red onions (optional)
Barbeque sauce (optional)
Method
Take out a large bowl. Add all ingredients except the oil and the optional barbeque sauce and mix by hand. Make sure all ingredients are equally distributed.
Form mixture into six equal patties.
Heat oil in skillet. Cook patties for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on each side. Feel free to add barbeque sauce as if you were barbequing. In fact, these can also be cooked on the barbeque outside if you like.
Place on buns, add ketchup, mustard, cheese, lettuce, or other toppings and serve warm.
This is a versatile recipe, so experiment with different herbs. I like to do basil, oregano, and thyme instead of the herbs listed here, but you might have other favorites. The flavor comes from the herbs, so don't be shy.
Who didn't grow up on oatmeal? When I was a child, oat were a staple in our house. They could be prepared, becoming oatmeal, but we also sometimes ate them dry (do not ask me why; maybe we were horses in our past lives). They were delicious, but they were more than that. Oatmeal is also a superfood, though I wouldn't realize this until I became a fully fledged adult.
With high levels of beta-glucan soluble fiber, oat flakes help lower cholesterol (the bad kind) and protect kids' hearts. But oats will also help stabilize blood sugar level, helping to keep highs and lows at bay. For our family, the best thing about oatmeal is that it's a complex carbohydrate. This means kids will burn up the calories they gain from oats slowly, resulting in them being more alert and better behaved at school or at home. This, combined with how easy this simple recipe is to prepare, make this the perfect breakfast food.
So before reaching for the cereal every morning, consider throwing this sweet and savory oatmeal together.
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup oats
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup fresh blueberries (or any berry you enjoy)
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
maple syrup
Method
Put the water and the oats into a medium-sized pot, add the salt, and bring to a boil. As soon as boiling occurs reduce heat to low. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring well. Simmer this mixture, leaving it uncovered, until the oatmeal is soft. Stir occasionally so the oats don't all stick together.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Mix in the walnuts. You can really use any nut you like, substitute with a seed of your choice, or even skip this step altogether. You might also choose to use granola instead.
Divide the oatmeal into serving dishes. Top with blueberries (or another fruit; I like blueberries and raspberries) and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve immediately.
Oatmeal is incredibly versatile, so get creative. You might want to add cold milk, leave out the berries, use a different syrup, or use honey or brown sugar instead. The options are limited only by your imagination and personal tastes.
Broccoli is a wonderfully healthy food. It's full of vitamin A and calcium, making it essential for building strong bones, but it does so much more. It helps eyes due to the zeaxanthin and lutein buried in the stalks and it boosts the immune system by means of beta carotene, zinc, vitamin C, and selenium.
The healthiest way to eat broccoli is either raw or steamed, but getting kids to eat it can prove a problem. When in doubt, try these tried and true favorites every parent should know about.
Broccoli Stir-fry
Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high heat and saute chopped onions and firm tofu (you can use diced chicken or turkey if you like). Add chopped broccoli and cooked rice. Brown is best, but any rice your kids like will do. Combine until warmed through. Remove from heat and add soy, tamari, or teriyaki sauce.
Broccoli and Cheese
This one is so easy it almost makes itself. Chop your broccoli into bite-sized pieces and steam. Place in a serving bowl and top with melted cheese. Cheez Whiz is probably the most common cheese to use, but you can use any cheese your kids enjoy. Mine like mozzarella, so experiment and find what works for you and your family.
Broccoli Frittata
This one is great if you have any leftover broccoli that you're trying to use up. Take four to six eggs and beat them before pouring into an oiled frying pan. Heat over low heat and top with chopped broccoli and grated cheese (any kind is fine). Keep this over the heat until the eggs are just set. Place under a broiler for two minutes to give the frittata a golden-brown top and serve immediately.
Broccoli Salad
This is my personal favorite and a great way to enjoy raw broccoli. Take your favorite lettuce (mine happens to be romaine) and toss with chopped broccoli, diced cucumbers, chopped red onions, and tomatoes. Drizzle with your favorite dressing and a little feta cheese. Both my boys will happily eat any salad with a little broccoli and some cheese, so they get their vegetables for the day, which can only be a good thing.
Get creative with broccoli and you'll find a delicious and nutritious snack or even a meal for your children and yourself. There are many ways to use this versatile vegetable. You're only limited by your imagination.
Can't get your kids to eat broccoli? Try this classic video and see if a Muppet can't convince them.
Salmon is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These help nourish growing brains and are important for proper brain development, especially at a young age. It can also protect the heart and its high in protein and iron. Add the fact that it's delicious, and you have the perfect food for children. And if you choose wild salmon, you'll avoid most of the contaminants associated with farmed salmon.
Ingredients
1 lbs salmon fillets, boneless
3 green onions, chopped
¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp white wine
1 tbsp sesame oil
¼ tsp sugar
Method
Find your largest frying pan (large enough to hold all the salmon at once) and fill it with ¾-inch of water. Add the wine and the ginger . Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a low simmer.
Put the fish in the pan and cover with a loose-fitting lid. Poach until the fish flakes and is no longer opaque, about 15 minutes. This will vary according to the thickness of the fillets.
When the fish is fully cooked, remove from the pan carefully. Use a spatula to avoid damaging the fillets. Place on a serving dish and remove some of the liquid from the pan. No more than ¼ cup of liquid should be used, but half that is usually enough. Reserve this liquid in a bowl and discard the rest.
To the liquid add soy sauce, oil, and sugar. Whisk together until smooth, making a sauce.
Drizzle this sauce over the fish. Garnish with onion and serve immediately.
This dish is excellent served alongside a hearty salad or over pasta. Don't like salmon? Try some of your other favorite fish. This dish is simple enough that it will compliment many different flavors.
Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin C and fibre. They're also loaded with carotenoids which help fight cancer, protect your heart, and boost your immune system. In addition, one single sweet potato gives you well more than the recommended daily amount of vitamin A and supplies you with copper, vitamin B6, potassium, iron, and manganese (which is good for your bones). With all these benefits, it makes sense to create some tasty dishes using the sweet potato. And so comes one of my favorite recipes: Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries.
Ingredients
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed but not peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the sweet potatoes into fries. These should be no larger than ½ inch thick and should be as long as the sweet potatoes themselves. Think standard french fries. Rinse and place these in a large bowl.
Pour the oil over the sweet potatoes and mix well. Add the cinnamon and toss.
Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes and turn over.
Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the fries are golden brown.
Season with salt and serve immediately.
These fries are a favorite in our home. You can peel the sweet potatoes if you like, but since most of the fibre is on the skin or just below it, you want to keep as much as you can to maximize the health benefits of this simple dish. Store any extra sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place, but not in the fridge. They'll last longer in the bottom of your pantry than in the refrigerator.
Blueberries are sweet and delicious, but they're also one of the healthiest berries around. They help aging memories and fend off free radicals to protect people of all ages. They're also packed with fibre, helping to prevent constipation, relieve diarrhea, and protecting against urinary tract infections. Any mother will love that. And children love them. Love them so much that they'll eat them straight out of the fields.
But not everyone has a blueberry patch in their backyard. Some of us have only the frozen blueberries you get at the supermarket. Kids may not like to eat them frozen, but you can do plenty of things to frozen blueberries to make children crave them. So if you have some frozen blueberries lying around, try this simple and sweet blueberry sauce.
Ingredients
1½ cups frozen blueberries
2 tbsp berry sugar (a little more if you like a sweeter sauce)
2 tbsp finely grated lemon peel
Method
Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Warm on the stove at medium heat, stirring constantly. Do this for 4 minutes or until the sauce begins to boil. When the boiling occurs, immediately remove the sauce from the heat. Continue stirring for 1 minute.
This sauce can be poured over French toast, waffles, or pancakes. You might also want to blend it with vanilla yogurt for a quick snack or even use in in a smoothie. You can refrigerate this sauce for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for up to 2 months, so make a large batch and use it whenever you can.
We like to use it as a dip for fruit such as pears and apples. My boys like to dip whole bananas in the sauce and freeze them, making blueberry-dipped banana popsicles. It's a healthy addition to any dish.
The fall is a wonderful time for comfort food, and this one-dish meal practically cooks itself (after you've thrown in the ingredients!). Most children will love this dish but it's still elegant enough for adults to enjoy. Baked Pumpkin Risotto takes about 40 minutes to prepare and only 35 or 40 minutes to bake. It will serve 4 to 6 people. If you don't like pumpkin, sustitute the same amount of butternut squash.
Ingredients
1 white onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 cups arborio rice (uncooked)
5 cups vegetable broth (chicken if you prefer)
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 cups diced pumpkin, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup crumbled feta (optional)
½ cup fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Method
Heat your oven to 375°F. Get out a large skillet and add the olive oil. Warm over medium heat and add onion and thyme, cooking about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to ensure everything is evenly coated. Add half of the vegetable broth and all of the pumpkin. Allow this to come to a simmer.
Pull out an ovenproof dish that holds at least 8 cups and transfer the mixture into this dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Take the dish out of the oven and add the rest of the vegetable broth. Stir in the peas, salt, and pepper. Cover once more and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender-firm (al dente) and most of the liquid has been absorbed. The mixture should look creamy, so add a littel more broth if it seems a little dry and mix well. Return to the over for 5 minutes if necessary.
Top with feta and basil, if desired and serve immediately.
