QUINOA

The more baby food blogs/articles/books/magazines I read, the more I see about this increasingly popular "super food" for babies. This is a great additional source of protein. We've tried a couple of recipes that call for quinoa and Caeden has loved them. So... here are some I found from Homemade Baby Food Recipes. I've been using this site regularly for new recipes.



Creamy Quinoa Breakfast

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 drop of vanilla
4 fl oz (1/2 cup) natural yogurt
2 oz (1/4 cup) cooked quinoa

Steam the apple and pear dice, then puree with the vanilla in a blender.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 5 mins.
Mix the fruit puree with the yogurt, then stir in the quinoa and serve.




Easy Quinoa and Banana Breakfast

4 oz (1/2 cup) cooked quinoa
1/2 ripe banana
4 fl oz (1/2 cup) milk - you can use breast milk, formula or whole milk

Blend the milk with the banana and pour into a small saucepan.
Add the quinoa and simmer gently for 5 to 10 mins, until thickened.
Puree if desired.

Variations: Add a little chopped dried fruit at the start of the cooking time - apricots taste great!




Pretty Pink Quinoa

1 medium beet (beetroot), peeled and diced
1 small apple, peeled and diced
4 oz (1/2 cup) cooked quinoa

Steam the beet cubes and apple until tender, then puree together in a food processor.
Stir in the cooked quinoa and serve!




Sweet and Savoury Vegetable Quinoa

This is quite a textured dish, ideal for babies who are already chewing.

8 oz (1 cup) quinoa, cooked in vegetable broth

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp diced zucchini/courgette
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 spring onion/green onion/scallion, chopped
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp chopped, dried apricots

Soak the raisins and dried apricots in warm water to soften them.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan/skillet.
Saute the zucchini and sweet potato dice with the onion until golden.
Stir in the cooked quinoa, raisins and dried apricots.
Serve warm - mmm!




Easy Quinoa Curry

This recipe is ideal from around 10 months of age.

4 oz (1/2 cup) cooked quinoa

1 small onion
olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp fresh ginger, crushed
6 oz (3/4 cup) cannellini beans
1/2 tsp curry powder
6 oz (3/4 cup) canned tomatoes, chopped

Heat the oil in a frying pan/skillet and saute the onion for 2 mins.
Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 2 mins more.
Stir in the cannellini beans and the curry powder.
Add the tomatoes and cooked quinoa, then lower the heat.
Simmer for 10 mins, then mash well and serve.




Chicken and Quinoa Patties

A wonderfully nutritious finger food for older babies!

8 oz (1 cup) ground chicken
1/2 sweet potato
1 medium apple
1 garlic clove
1/2 small onion
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 oz (1/4 cup) cooked quinoa
pinch dried thyme

Peel the sweet potato, apple, garlic and onion and grate them together into a bowl.
Stir in the ground chicken, beaten egg yolk, quinoa and thyme and mix thoroughly.
Divide the mixture into balls, then press with your hands into 1/2 inch thick patties.
Cook under the grill/broiler for 10 mins each side, until cooked through.

If you want to prepare some of these in advance for future use, then freeze the patties BEFORE cooking them!



Nutritious Quinoa Meatballs

Another great finger food idea!

1/2 lb lean ground beef
4 oz (1/2 cup) cooked quinoa
2 oz (1/2 cup) grated carrot
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tbsp applesauce
pinch dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F (200 deg C).
Mix all the ingredients together and form into 1 inch meatballs with your hands.
Cook for around 15 mins, unitl the meat is done.
Serve warm, storing excess meatballs in the freezer.

SLACKER

this post is just to say.... SORRY!! i've been slacking. i haven't forgotten about it. i PROMISE today i will post at least a few new recipes! i've been cooking.... just not writing about it!

little side note... a few of the recipes i've read called for chicken sausage. i was really hesitant to use it because its, well, processed. but... for memorial day weekend, with all the grilling, i broke down and let caeden try it. he LOVED it! and after reading the ingredients, i'm not worried about it anymore. another great protein source. i buy the Al Fresco brand. they make them in all kinds of fun flavors. so far he loves the traditional "sweet italian" as well as the "sundried tomato and basil". :)

i keep trying to include links and its just not working out for me so.... you can check out the chicken sausage at: www.alfrescoallnatural.com

Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa

This is a recipe I actually made for Kevin and I one night but gave Caeden a few bites and he loved it! so... perfect family recipe! The ingredients below are for 6 servings. You might not need that much. The burgers ARE freezable. Here it is:

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (you can obviously leave this out. I don't and Caeden is fine with it.)
2 large egg whites (be careful for young babies who haven't had egg whites yet)
1 and 1/4 cup peeled mango
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 and 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, lightly toasted
6 green lettuce leaves

- preheat oven to 350 degrees
- place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 7 ingredients (through egg whites).
- shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2 inch thick) patties.* Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (I use olive oil in a sprayer). Bake for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.*
- combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl.

* Since you can freeze the burger mixture (either before or after you cook) you can really make them any size you need. I make them smaller ("baby size"). You just need to watch the cooking time. I take mine out after around 17 minutes. To freeze the burgers before cooking you'll need waxed paper cut into 5 inch squares. Just layer paper and burger, stacking them on top of each other, and then place in a freezer bag. You might want to stack them even if they are cooked because the consistency is a little mushy.

Soooo..... for the adults.... you just place a burger on the bottom of a hamburger bun, and then top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1/3 cup mango salsa, and the top half of the bun. For the babes... I serve the burger (cut up into the appropriate size pieces for your baby) and then the salsa on the side. Both are great "finger foods".

Don't be intimidated by the length of this recipe. They're actually super easy to make and quite yummy!

Making Life Just A Little Bit Easier...

Hey Everyone!
Wanted to share this "ah ha" moment I had last month-- I was eating a bowl of granola with freeze dried strawberries in them at 9:00 pm on the kitchen floor with my precious baby girl standing there, staring at me, saying "mum mum." I gave her a little bit of the milk-- then some of the strawberry and her face lit up! And I thought-- "ah ha!" I had read an article earlier that week about the 6 worst "healthy" snacks to give your child and on that list was one thing I had started giving Baby D-- crackers! The horror I felt as I was faced with the fact that I was diluting my child's system with cheesy crackers (hey, at least they are organic!!)--- and boy oh boy does she love those cheesy, salty crackers! Let's face it, we all need a "quick fix" at times, and I couldn't figure out what I could throw in her "snack trap" that wouldn't leave me riddled with guilt. Then it dawned on me-- freeze dried fruit!!! If we are on the go and need to take something that won't spoil, or I don't want to lug a huge ice pack and sack, I throw freeze dried fruit, yogurt melts, and/or cheerios in to a snack trap and off we go! SHE LOVES IT! You can find freeze dried fruit at Trader Joe's in yummy flavors like strawberry, mango, and banana-- she LOVES the strawberries and bananas! I hope the babes like it!

YOGURT

Babes can't have cow's milk until after a year, but they sure love their yogurt LONG before that. Here are a couple yogurt recipes to switch things up a bit.

We had this one for lunch today:

Cucumber, Yogurt and Mint

1/4 cucumber
1/2 cup organic plain whole-milk yogurt (I use Stoneyfield)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint

Shred the cucumber using the large holes of a box grater. Place in a bowl with mint. Stir in yogurt. Voila! You can also substitute the cucumber for edamame puree, and the mint for parsley. We like lots of flavor here so I stick with the mint. We even got to use the fresh mint from our herb garden today! Nothing better than being able to walk out the door and pick the herbs you're going to need!

Yogurt and Fruit Smoothies

Here's your chance to get creative with all kinds of fresh fruit. You can really dump anything into a blender and have it turn out delicious, but here are some of our favorites.

I always start with:

1/2 banana
1/2 cup organic plain whole-milk yogurt

From there I add:

1 ripe mango
1 cup fresh or frozen sliced strawberries (for older babes)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup red raspberries (for older babes)
1/2 cup blackberries (for older babes)

Mix and match at will. We usually do all berries, mango/banana, or mango/banana/strawberries. If you add a few ice cubes you can make it thicker so younger babes can eat it with a spoon. Smoothies can also be frozen for up to three months.

I also make my own fruit yogurt instead of buying the already mixed flavors. I found that there's a lot less sugar if you make your own fruit purees and add them to plain yogurt.

That's it for today!

Asparagus anyone??

I've been slacking! SORRY! I really have nothing useful to say this morning. Let's see... food-related. Caeden will be enjoying something with asparagus today. "why" you might ask? Well, I just read this fabulous little tip the other day... I THINK it was actually from Parenting magazine.... that there's something in asparagus that helps ward off the common headache and nausea associated with having one too many a cocktail. HA! I guess if you eat asparagus before, during, or after drinking it will help with the hangover. Sadly, I need that help today. I promise I'm not a bad parent. The last time I went out, without Caeden, prior to last night, was MARCH 14th!!!! And I don't know about you but since having a baby I can't even have one small drink without getting the BIGGEST headache. So.... we're trying the asparagus trick today. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Easy Breakfast Ideas

These aren't really recipes. More like, stuff I throw together on short notice in the morning.

Today we had:

"Mexican" Scrambled Eggs

1 egg
1 slice tomato, diced
3 fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 pinch garlic powder

*whip it all together and cook.

Another thing I do a lot:

Baby Oatmeal

Earth's Best Baby Oatmeal cereal. Mix in 2 ounces of babe's favorite fruit purees. We usually do Berry puree, Peach, Apple, Pear and Banana.

* I've tried making my own oatmeal by throwing organic oats in the food processor but the little man doesn't seem to like this as much as the baby oatmeal. I suppose this works out better since the baby oatmeal is fortified with Vitamin D and iron.

Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes

I use the Maple Grove Farms whole wheat pancake mix and substitute homemade apple puree for the egg and the oil. Toss in a little cinnamon. Voila!

* These need to cook a little longer and don't come out as light and fluffy as a "regular" pancake but they're quite delish!

Foodie FUN!

Messy Mama-
I am so pumped you are doing this blog, what a great idea. I am foodie to the fullest and love everything about food, EVEN baby/toddler food. I would certainly say one of my biggest challenges feeding my little one is making sure she is getting her daily servings of protein and iron. Raising a vegetarian baby definately keeps things interesting in the food department and we are always having to come up with quick and clever ideas to sneak in iron/protein packed foods that she may not be so inclined to eat! It's always an adventure at our house! Here are a few of Baby D's FAVORITE throw downs that are jammed with iron and protein and yummy to the taste buds!

Beet Grilled Cheese (that's right people, I said beets)
1 slice of 7 Grain Bread
1 slice of organic provolone cheese
1/2 of beet bulb, finally chopped (I buy them from whole foods in a vaccum seeled package)
1 smiggen of butter (I am a HUGE fan of Kate's Homemade Butter from Maine)

Lay 7 Grain Bread flat, cut in half.
Cut your slice of provolone in half, lay the cheese on the halfs of the bread.
Spread your finally chopped beats in between the halfs.
Throw your smiggen of butter in the skillet, heat until cheese melts.
Cut to your baby's size liking and watch them throw it back!!!!!! It's amazing--I was shocked!
I always serve this with sliced Danjou Pear.


Spinach & Brown Rice
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup spinach
1 garlic clove (small side)
3 grape tomatoes
1 naked Quorn cutlet (protein packed "fake" chicken made with microproteins and egg whites, you can find in your natural section of your local grocery or whole foods)
1 smiggen of butter
Sprinkle of Parmesean Cheese

Cook the brown rice and spinach as directed.
Cook the Quorn cutlet as directed.
Heat a smiggen of the butter in your pan and throw in your garlic, quickly heat your tomatoes.
Once everything is complete, mix together, sprinkle your cheese, and serve!
Store the rest in fridge for quick heat-up or in the freezer for another dinner!
This one goes beautifully with blackberries.

Hope you all will try these recipes and most of all that your little one will love them!

PS- Sorry I don't have exact measurements-- I just throw it together and pray that it works! HAPPY COOKING!

Meal Makeover Moms

A friend of mine in VA sent me an email with this website for everyone to check out. She's tried a lot of their recipes for her three kids, who are quite adorable by the way. I started looking through it and it looks great! Just click on the post title. Thanks Colleen!

Another Great Resource

I promise to post a few more recipes today, and figure out how to organize them so they're easy to get to, but I didn't want to forget about another great resource. Allergies are a HUGE issue when it comes to cooking/baking these days. This cookbook (The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book) is supposed to be great! I say "supposed to be" because I don't actually own this one. I tried a sample recipe from it though (egg-less whole wheat pancakes) and they came out great. She also offers a great substitution list, meant for removing the high-allergy foods but also great for moms in a pinch that seem to be missing something from their cabinets or fridge. I know we can all relate! I've attached the Amazon link (just click on the post title) in case anyone's interested. There's a great list of reviews on this one.

A Big THANK YOU!!!

I would just like to give a shout out to my mommy friend STACEY ROUISSE for being the first follower to post a comment on the blog! THANKS STACE!!! This is EXACTLY what i'm looking for! Keep them coming!! I hope little miss sophia enjoyed the stew!

Some of Mom's Favorite "Helpers"

I have to give credit where credit is due. A lot of the recipes I have cooked for Caeden come from these two books:

The Baby and Toddler Cookbook
Cooking for Baby

I highly recommend both. The recipes are broken down into age groups. The early chapters of both are similar given baby's need for finely pureed meals (there's only so much variety you can offer a 6 month old), but later chapters offer a large range of recipes. The Baby and Toddler Cookbook has more recipes for the older baby/ toddler/ child than Cooking for Baby. Both are available at Williams Sonoma.

My favorite baby food-making "gadget" is the Beaba Babycook (also available at Williams Sonoma). Yes, I realize you can accomplish all you need to accomplish with a large sauce pan and a steamer basket as well, but this thing is awesome! It steams,purees AND reheats your frozen food. I don't know. To each his own, but I find it a whole lot easier to use than fumbling around in the cabinets for the right size pan and the steamer basket, then the food processor. Call me lazy if you want. Then having to clean all of that! Blach! The babycook is super easy to clean too AND it's dishwasher-safe. Perfect!

A Few of Caeden's Favorites

Putting a few more up to get us rolling....

Potato & Butternut Squash Stew

1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded
6 small yellow potatoes, peeled
1 medium fuji apple, peeled and cored
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water

- Cut the squash, potatoes and apple into chunks.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the squash, potatoes and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer about 30 minutes.
- Most of the liquid will have cooked off. Now you can mash it or put it in a food processor depending on the appropriate consistency for your baby.

*I leave this one on the chunky side. It makes a great side dish for an "adult" meal also. I double this recipe and put a bunch in the freezer for future use. Like most vegetable and fruit dishes, it will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.


Green Beans with Mint

1/2 lb green beans, trimmed (I have used organic frozen green beans as well)
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp olive oil (I haven't used olive oil with this one yet)

- If you're using frozen green beans, cook as directed on package. If you're using fresh beans, using a large frying pan over medium-high heat, bring 1 inch water to a boil. Add the green beans and return to boil. Cover and cook until very tender and bright green, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Puree green beans with 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp olive oil (if using) and mint.

*This is a good puree for young babies but you can still use this one when they're self-feeding too. Instead of pureeing I just drain most of the water and add mint with a few minutes left to cook. Then I cut them up into bite-sized pieces. This is another great one to freeze (if you puree).


Avocado-Cheese Spread

1/2 large avocado
1/3 cup cream cheese
1 slice bread (I use organic whole wheat)

- Mash avocado until smooth. Add cream cheese and stir together.
- Spread onto bread and cut into pieces small enough for your wee one.

*I don't really follow the "recipe" for this one. I just grab some cream cheese, mush some avocado into it and spread it on the bread. It doesn't keep well once stirred together and I found that the recipe made too much for one serving. This makes a great lunch (I serve it with a vegetable and a fruit serving) or a great snack. Caeden LOVES this one.


Indian-Spiced Lentil Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium red potato, peeled and finely chopped (I have used white potato and its just as good)
1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup red lentils
2 cups vegetable stock or water (vegetable stock adds a lot more flavor)

- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add carrot, potato, onion and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, and cinnamon and stir to mix well, then add the lentils and the vegetable stock. Stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes. Vegetables should be very tender.

*Baby can eat this as is, or you can mash it or transfer it to a food processor depending on the consistency he/she can handle. I have served this over pureed white potatoes and brown rice (separately). I eat this one too. It's delicious!

Last Night's Dinner

Last night's dinner was a BIG hit! My little man will eat just about anything, and cries at the end of every meal because its all gone, but this generated even more fuss than usual.

Baby's Chicken Chili

1 cup (7oz) cooked low-sodium black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup (2fl oz) vegetable stock (homemade or low-sodium store-bought) or water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon paprika
pinch of mild chili powder (optional for older babies)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (optional for older babies)
1/2 cup chicken (either diced or pureed, depending on age of babe)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

- In a saucepan over high heat, combine the beans, stock, cumin, paprika and chili powder (if you're using it). Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. If you're adding diced tomato, do it now. Stir occasionally, until beans are heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 8 minutes.
- Depending on the age of your babe you can mash some or all of the beans to a consistency he/she can handle. Stir in the chicken and cilantro and serve.

That's it! Super easy! After adding the chicken and cilantro you can puree everything if need be. Just add more vegetable stock or water to thin it out if necessary. The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month. This is also a great dish to double or triple the recipe and serve as a dinner for the whole family. I just cooked the chicken by baking it in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. I also served sliced avocado on the side.

Day 1

OK. I've decided, after much hesitation, to enter the world of blogging. But here's the thing.... this will NOT be like most other "mommy blogs" where i tell you about the crazy day I've had, what milestones the babe has reached, or how exhausted I am because naps are non-existent in my house. I know, I know. Some of you are very disappointed. I realize I can be quite witty and entertaining on a regular basis. But....I think its fair to say that not everyone would agree with that. I can't imagine it... but it must be true.

So..... with that being said, I've started this blog because I want your help. Prior to having Caeden I would say my culinary skills were lacking.... at best. I would consider it a good day if I managed to boil water and add pasta without killing it. But with the arrival of my little man I decided to embark upon the journey of homemade baby food making. I thought: "how hard can it be to mush up different fruits and vegetables", while at the same time thinking: "he's never eaten anything before so he has nothing to compare it to. I'm safe". What I discovered was that I LOVE cooking for him. And I must say.... almost all of it is pretty darn good. Kevin (husband) actually asks me to make the same stuff for him. He NEVER asked me to cook before baby. :)

This is where YOU come in. Share your recipes. Recipes you've created. Recipes you've found/tried/and baby has enjoyed. Recipes kids can help bring to fruition. Recipes for the babe/kid-on-the-go. Recipes for the mom-on-the-go. Recipes that can be made and frozen in bulk. Recipes for the newest foodie. Recipes for the foodie ready to graduate to "big people food". Snack ideas. Cookbooks you like. Websites you like. Must-have kitchen items. Photos of the deliciousness you've created. Photos of your little ones eating those delicious dishes.

In a nutshell, I want this to be a place where moms of kids of all ages can exchange recipes and food ideas. We all know how hard it can be to get a child of any age to eat. The more options we have the better. So here it is: Ready, Set, GO!

I also realize I have to post some recipes to get us started but I wanted to wait until I sent out the blog link. But..... don't worry. I have plenty of recipe posts saved and ready to go. :)