5 Things to Do With Leftover Baby Cereal & A Giveaway! #CookingWithGerber #ad

This post was sponsored by The Women Bloggers. All opinions are honest and are my own.

In the earlier days of parenting, our family utilized the county WIC program, receiving milk, eggs, formula, and more to help offset grocery costs. The program was very generous to young families and we always received a lot more baby cereal than our babies would eat. In my limited young adult knowledge, it didn't occur to me that the cereal could be used in other ways. If you're looking for ideas to use up leftover baby cereal, try some of these:


Before I tell you about these easy-to-make wraps, let me just say how much I love the plastic resealable containers from Gerber. They're way less messy than the former cardboard containers and they help keep the food safer and fresher, as well.

This wrap recipe is such a great idea, if I do say so myself. You can make one in less than two minutes, they cost pennies to make, and they're so great if you're focusing on a high protein, low carb way of eating. Just whisk one egg white, then add 2 tsp. Gerber baby cereal, and a pinch of salt, garlic or onion powder, rosemary, basil--whatever seasonings you'd like to add. Let it sit for about a minute, then pour the mixture onto a hot and greased griddle or frying pan. Spread the mixture out as thin as possible, and flip when the first side is cooked. These don't take long at all so don't leave them! Then flip it out onto a plate and fill it with whatever sounds good. You can do quesadillas for the kids, salad wraps for you---they're a savory and less expensive alternative to store bought wraps.

Tip: use Gerber Rice Cereal for a gluten-free option.

In the same style, why not try a breakfast crepe? This one features Gerber Lil' Bits Banana Strawberry flavored oatmeal, filled with Gerber Strawberry Banana Yogurt Blends and some fresh strawberries. Since Gerber is focused on healthy, high-quality ingredients, it makes me feel good to use these as creative breakfast starters. For the crepe, whisk two egg whites, then add one heaping tablespoon of cereal and your preferred sweetener, if desired. I just added a little white sugar, but you could put in honey, stevia, or nothing. Whatever makes you happy. Again, grease your pan or griddle and spread the mixture out as thin as you can. Flip it when the first side is done, then cool a few minutes on a plate before filling with yogurt, jam, and/or fruit.

Tip: Gerber cereals are iron-fortified so they're a good choice for healthy growth and development for all members of the family.

You've probably used oats as a binder or thickener for your meatloaf, meatballs, and stews---but have you considered using oatmeal baby cereal? Give it a try in my easy meatloaf recipe and let me know what you think.

So we've established that baby cereal is a great substitute in all kinds of recipes. But it goes further than that. How about using Gerber Oatmeal Cereal as an exfoliating face scrub? Just mix it with a nourishing oil like coconut or almond oil and add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil like lavender, citrus, or even peppermint for a refreshing scrub. {Note: it only looks like I'm sticking this in my eye...}

Another use for the oatmeal cereal that never occurred to me until this past week is its effectiveness as a compress or in a bath to treat skin problems. Our Kynthia broke out in a horrible rash earlier this week. I was thinking everything from allergies to measles and she was clawing at her skin so bad that I finally took her in to the clinic to see what was up. Turns out, it was just a bad case of hives at the onset of a cold, and some allergy medicine cleared it right up. Still, an oatmeal compress or warm oatmeal bath would have helped soothe the irritation.

To make an oatmeal compress, mix one cup cereal and one tablespoon cornstarch. Mix in water, a little at a time, until it makes a paste. Apply to irritated skin and leave on for about half and hour before rinsing it off.

Well, there you have it. Five things to do with that extra baby cereal in your cupboard. Don't have any extra baby cereal? Well, head to Walmart and grab some! Gerber offers single-grain and multigrain varieties, along with Lil Bits and Hearty Bits containing fruit. Walmart also offers a good selection of Gerber baby fruits, vegetables, blends, and yogurt. You can also check out the website for some great #CookingwithGerber recipes and more ideas for using baby cereal in creative ways.

The Women Bloggers is giving away a $50 prepaid gift card to one of my readers! Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win.


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The Homemaking Party

Gorgeous flowers in Ashton Gardens, Utah. We visited Lehi with my brother's family in April. Who can tell me what kind of flower this is?

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Thanks for stopping by The Homemaking Party! Hope you're having a beautiful week!

Teaching Our Daughters to Thrive

Friday night was our local homeschool spring formal and my two oldest teens had been planning the night for months. Sixteen year old Lynzie wanted a Cinderella dress---complete with multi-colored butterflies---so I put aside everything and made it for her the day before the dance.

We arrived to a gorgeously decorated ballroom and a lovely dinner laid for the guests. It was their time to enjoy so I hung back with a couple friends and chatted the evening away. Sometimes, while my mom friends were off visiting with other moms, I had time to just watch the kids dancing, playing, laughing, and enjoying their special evening. ...and I did a lot of thinking. {A seven-hour prom gives one lots of time to think}.

Lynzie is about a year and a half away from a state of full independence. She's already expressed her desire to stay home with us until she's out of her teen years. She doesn't yet know that love changes everything and, if she's anything like her mama, she could be married and expecting her first baby by 20!

I stood there watching her brilliantly smiling and moving gracefully around the room and all I could think was---live. I want her to live. I want her to thrive. To reach into the great big pot of life before her with both hands and scoop up every bit of wonder and throw it up into the air and let it come showering down over her. Then I want her to raise her hands and spin and delightfully dance in every ounce of it.

I want to teach her how to conquer fear.

I want to teach her to find fulfillment in blessing others.

I want to teach her to look for diamonds in the rough.

I know I'm not the first mom-of-a-teen to panic at the thought of running out of time. I don't know why we tend to think 18 is the magic number at which the clock strikes midnight on our influence in the lives of our children.

God, please help me to remember that the best way to teach my daughter to thrive is by living the example of an abundant life myself.

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