Baby Food Recipe :: Chicken/Turkey Purée

Chicken and turkey are great "first meats" to offer to babies 8+ months. Both poultry products are high in protein and iron and are also easily digestible. 

The lean white meat often found in the breast is high in protein while the dark meat found in legs and thighs offer higher amounts of iron but also have more fat. Either way, whether you choose white or dark meat your baby is sure to be satisfied with this basic chicken recipe.

Note: this recipe can be used for either chicken or turkey.

Ingredients:
Chicken or turkey (your choice of cut)

1 tsp Olive oil

1/4 cup of liquid ( low-sodium vegetable stock, low-sodium chicken broth, or water) for every cup of chopped cooker chicken

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit 
• Lightly oil baking dish with olive oil
• Rinse chicken in cold water and dry
• Place chicken in baking dish (if using skinless chicken lightly coat the chicken in olive oil)
• Place aluminum foil over baking dish and place dish in oven
• Bake until the juices run clear (this should equate to roughly 20 minutes per pound)
• Remove chicken from oven and cool
• Dice chicken into small cubes (see picture at the bottom of the post) 
• Place chicken cubes in blender / food processor 1/2 cup at a time and purée while alternating liquid and chicken until desired consistency is reached

Note: If your baby has already been introduced to seasoning please feel free to add those seasonings to the chicken just before baking. Remember, NO SALT.

Storage:
Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days or place chicken purée in ice cube trays. Once the chicken is frozen transfer the frozen chicken cubes into a freezer safe bag and store for up to 3 months. 

Each cube = roughly 1 ounce. As your child is introduced to new fruits and vegetables mix the thawed chicken cube in for a complete meal. Some suggestions include: apples, peas, rice cereal, avocados, and sweet potatoes. 

Baby Food Recipe :: Baby Guacamole (BONUS - Recipe for Adult Guacamole Too!!!!)

Baby Guacamole

Yum! Guacamole is a go to favorite in our house for babies, kids and adults alike. Fresh guacamole can be made in under 10 minutes.  There are two recipes below one for babies 8+ months and one for adults.

Baby Guacamole

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1/4 lime (remove seeds)
1 tablespoon of minced onion
1/8 teaspoon of minced garlic

Instructions:

• Cut avocado into halves and remove pit
• Scoop flesh from peel, place in bowl and mash with fork 
• Add minced onion and garlic and stir
• Squeeze lime juice over guacamole, mix and serve

For babies 10+ months add diced tomatoes (cubes should be about half the size of a pea to avoid choking)

Note: For a smoother puree use a food processor 

Storage:
Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days; do not freeze

Adult Guacamole

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1 lime
1/2 cup small onion - minced or 1 small scallion
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1 jalapeño pepper - minced (optional)
Cilantro
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:

• Cut avocados into halves and remove pits
• Scoop flesh from peel, place in bowl and mash with fork 
• Add minced onion, jalapeño  and garlic and stir
• Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste and stir
• Squeeze lime juice over guacamole, mix and serve

Storage:
Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days; do not freeze

Baby Food Recipe: Baby Chili

With the start of Fall this week, now is as good of a time as any to introduce filling comfort meals. Chili is a hearty american classic which with a couple of modifications can also be a good whole meal for babies.

For this recipe you can use ground beef, ground turkey or omit the ground meat altogether and just use beans (skip steps 3 and 4 in the instructions below). Recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of ground meat (chicken, turkey or beef)

1 cup of diced tomatoes with the juice

1/2 cup canned kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup of diced green peppers

1/4 cup of corn

Chili powder (if the baby is over 12 months)

Cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Spray cooking spray in the bottom of a medium sauce pan and heat the pan on medium-high heat
2. Add green peppers and onions to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes 
3. Add the ground meat and brown the meat while also breaking  meat into tiny pieces with a spatula. 
4. Drain the meat and return to pan
5. Add tomatoes with juice and kidney beans (drained and rinsed) and corn to the pan (optional: add a 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder to the mix if the baby is over 12 months old)
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend
7. Let the chili cool for 5 minutes then transfer to blender or food processor and purée to desired consistency

Storage:

Option 1: Store the chili in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Separate the chili  into 4 ounce portions and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze overnight and save for up to 3 months 

Baby Food Recipe: Lentils with Brown Rice and Carrots

Lentils, Carrots and Brown Rice

Lentils are quick and easy meal saver in my house.  Both of my kids are on the borderline for anemia so we are always searching for foods that are high in iron.  In addition to being high in iron these legumes are also high in fiber, protein, maganese, folic acid and potassium. Combining lentils with rice (brown rice in this case) enhances the nutritional value of both foods.

This is a good first whole meal to offer to your little one since the taste is not overbearing and rice is still incorporated.  Recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

1 cup of low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of dried red lentils, rinsed 

1/2 cup of brown rice

1/2 cup chopped carrots

Instructions:

1. Add the water and low-sodium chicken stock to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil
2. Once the water and low-sodium chicken stock come to a boil add the remaining ingredients
3. After one minute, cover the sauce pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until lentils, rice and carrots are tender
4. Place lentil mixture into a food processor/blender and puree to desired consistency (If additional liquid is needed to puree alternate between water and low-sodium stock until ideal consistency is reached)

Storage:

Option 1: Store the lentil mixture in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Separate the mixture into 4 ounce portions and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze overnight and save for up to 3 months 

Baby Food Recipe: Pears

Pears are packed with Potassium and Vitamin C.  They also are full of fiber which improves digestive function (good for the little ones). Their sweet taste and easy of pureeing compared to other fruits makes them a win-win for mommy (or daddy) and baby.

Follow this simple recipe to make a quick pear puree for your little one.

Ingredients:
1 ripe pear

Instructions:

Peel, core  and cube pear

Steam pear for 2 minutes to soften and breakdown sugars (only for babies 8 months and younger - for older children skip to the next step)

Purée the pear cubes using a hand mixer or blender (Fully ripened pears usually purée easily and there is no need to add additional liquid to the purée)

Storage:

Option 1: Store the pear purée  in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the pear purée in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipe: Baby Candied Yams

Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Cinnamon

If you love candied yams, you can be sure that your baby will too!  The sweetness of the apples coupled with the cinnamon and nutmeg spices are sure to please your little one's palate - without adding sugar.  Baby Candied Yams were a hit for both of my kids and my go to dish because it was quick and easy.

Try this Baby Candied Yams recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 apple
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• water

Instructions:

1. Peel, core and cube sweet potato and apple
2. Place apple and sweet potato cubes in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover the sweet potatoes and the apples
3. Boil the apples and sweet potatoes until tender
4. Place corn, sweet potatoes and carrots in a blender/food processor/hand mixer bowl and reserve water
5. Blend/process/mix and add reserved water until desired consistency is reached
6. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg

** Ensure that baby has tried both apples and sweet potatoes before offering this medley to avoid food allergies**

Storage:

Option 1: Store the baby candied yams in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the baby candied yams in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Breakfast Today: Frittata with Turkey Bacon, Onions & Colby Jack Cheese

This morning I needed breakfast in pinch, but we wanted a variation from our normal go-to breakfasts. When in doubt make a frittata! It goes down in history as being one of the quickest crowd pleasers there is - and people with think you spent more time than you did on the "quiche sans the crust."

Here was my quick recipe:

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped large onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

3 pieces of turkey bacon (or your favorite bacon chopped* -- if using pork or beef bacon cook first in a separate pan then drain it and add to step 2)

2/3 cup colby jack cheese

1 teaspoon of unsalted butter

Pepper to taste

*For babies ensure that the bacon is chopped in very small portions smaller than a pea to avoid a choking hazard

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

In a warm oven-safe skillet place melt the butter then sauté the bacon, onion and pepper until onions and peppers begin to soften

Combine the eggs, pepper and cheese in a separate bowl and beat then add to the pan

Once eggs begin to set up on the bottom transfer to the oven and cook until eggs are firm (about 10 minutes)

Transfer frittata onto a plate and serve

Serving size is 1/6 of the frittata

** For babies chop the frittata portion into bite-sized potions about the size of a pea

Dessert Tonight: Buttermilk Bundt Cake!

 

Look what I did this weekend!!! I made a buttermilk bundt cake for dessert. So I am pretty good at making savory foods, but I'll admit that baking is a challenge (primarily because by nature I can be inpatient and baking is a science which calls for exact measurements of ingredients --eek!). 

Well, now's as good as time as any to try my hand at making homemade desserts for my family (that way I know what's in it). I adapted this recipe from www.cookinglight.com

Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

Cooking spray (canola oil will do)

3 level cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 3/4 level cups of granulated sugar

12 tablespoons of unsalted butter (softened)

3 large eggs

1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of fresh lemon rind

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/3 cup of powdered sugar

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Spray the Bundt cake pan with cooking spray

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix (note do not combine all of the dry ingredients yet)

Place SOFTENED butter in a bowl with SUGAR in a large bowl (this will become your mixing bowl). Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients. 

Add the eggs one by one and blend well after adding each egg

Blend vanilla and lemon rind into the mixture

Add flour mixture  and buttermilk to the butter mixture. For best results, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk

Spoon batter into Bundt cake pan

Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick or fork is inserted and comes out "clean"

Remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar

Serving size is 1/18 of the cake (roughly 250 calories)

Baby Food Recipe: Bananas

Pureed Bananas

Bananas are full of B6, Potassium, Manganese and Vitamin C.  They also are full of fiber which improves digestive function as well as B6 in them aids in transporting iron through the body.  Their sweet taste and smooth texture makes them an easy option for a first food.

Follow this simple recipe to make a quick banana puree for your little one.

Ingredients:
1 banana

Instructions:

Peel banana and place in a bowl
Take a fork and mash the banana until it reaches a smooth, creamy, consistency

Storage:
Store the banana puree in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to a day
Bananas may brown as they are exposed to air, try to use the remaining banana puree quickly

Top 10 Things to Do with Toddlers on a HOT Summer Day

Photo Credit: www.wjla.com

For the past few weeks there has been a excessive heat warning in the DC Metro Area.  The actual temperature is 94 degrees Fahrenheit, yet due to high humidity it feels like 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  Get this -- they say this heat is deadly and it is so bad that they even threatened to close the pools - I never heard of such! 

With 2 kids under the age of 3, I have been desperate to come up with ideas of what activities we can safely do since it seems to be this hot day and night.  

Below are the top ten things that I came up with:

1. Bake some cookies from scratch - kids love to cook and this is a safe way that they can get involved (1 hour)
2. Do some chores - I learned that kids love to dust! My house has never been so clean (40 minutes)
3. Turn up the music and just dance - it is a great way to get that energy out so that they will nap (30 minutes)
4. Skype and FaceTime friends and relatives - easy entertainment for the kids and Grandma and Grandpa will love it (30 minutes)
5. Lay on the floor and let them crawl all over you - effortless for you and the best thing in the world to them - you are on their level (30 minutes)
6. Fill up a wading pool outside and let them splash around - don't forget water to keep them hydrated as well as sunscreen.  Limit the time outside to 20-30 minutes (25 minutes)
7. Turn off the lights and get some flashlights, turn them on and give them to the kids.  They will think that it is the best thing since sliced bread (20 minutes)
8. Grab 3 books each and read (30 minutes)
9. Make a tent - use two chairs for the ends of the tent and drape an oversized blanket over the backs of the chairs (45 min)
10. When all else fails, sing all of the kid songs that you know to keep them entertained (30 min)

Add your suggestions in the comment section of this blog :)

Baby Food Recipe :: Carrots

Pureed Carrots

The vibrant orange color in carrots can be attributed to the high amounts of beta-carotene present in this vegetable.  This along with other nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium, coupled with their naturally pleasing taste make them a great first food for babies.  A bonus is that they are also easy for young babies to digest.

Follow this simple recipe to make a quick carrot puree for your little one.

Ingredients:
2 cups of carrots
2 cups of water

Instructions:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil
Peel and cut carrots into chunks (note: you may use full carrots or baby carrots)
Place a steamer pan over the boiling water and steam the carrots until they are tender (you should be able to push a fork through the thickest point of the carrot chunk with ease)

Transfer carrots to blender/food processor/hand mixer and reserve 1/4 cups of water

Puree carrots and add reserved water to achieve desired consistency

*Using the water from the pot enables you to return the nutrients from corn to the puree

Storage:

Option 1: Store the carrot puree in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the carrot puree in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipe :: Sweet Potato, Carrot and Corn Medley

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Corn Medley

Looking to add some variety to your baby's diet? Try mixing foods that you already offered to create a unique baby blend.  By now you have likely already offered sweet potatoes, carrots and corn as a first food.  

Try this recipe below which incorporates all three in a brand new baby blend:

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 cup of corn
• Water

Instructions:

1. Peel, core and cube sweet potato and carrot 
2. Place 1/2 cup of corn, sweet potato and carrot cubes in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover the vegetables
3. Boil the corn, sweet potatoes and carrots until tender
4. Place corn, sweet potatoes and carrots in a blender/food processor/hand mixer bowl and reserve water
5. Blend/process/mix and add reserved water until desired consistency is reached

** Ensure that baby has tried all three foods before offering this medley to avoid food allergies**

Storage:

Option 1: Store the sweet potato, carrot and corn medley in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the sweet potato, carrot and corn medley in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipes :: Applesauce

Applesauce

Apples are packed with fiber and vitamin C (great for the immune system).  Their sweetness makes them an awesome choice for a first fruit and they are useful for improving digestive and dental health.

Follow this basic applesauce recipe for your baby's first applesauce puree:

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples (of your choice - my suggestion is to try the sweeter ones e.g. gala [my favorite], red delicious, golden delicious, braeburn, or honey crisp)
• Water

Instructions:

1. Peel, core and cube apples (you can make large cubes maybe 6-8 pieces for each apple)
2. Place apple pieces in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover the apples
3. Boil the apples until tender
4. Place apples in a blender/food processor/hand mixer bowl and reserve water
5. Blend/process/mix and add reserved water until desired consistency is reached

**As a first food make the applesauce more on the soupy side **
**As your baby becomes comfortable with food add cinnamon to the applesauce to add variety**

Storage:

Option 1: Store the applesauce in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the applesauce in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipe :: Green Bean Puree

Pureed Green Beans

Green beans mild flavor and nutritional benefits make them a great first food for babies 4-6 months and older.  They are rich in Calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and maganese.  To ensure a smooth consistency for young babies (below 8 months) use frozen green beans -- it's less work to break down the skins in comparison to raw green beans.

Below is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup of cut green beans

Water

Instructions:

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil

Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen french cut green beans to the boiling water

Boil or steam for 15 minutes or until tender

Drain green beans in a colander and reserve water

Puree green beans using a blender/food processor/ or hand blender 

Add reserved water until desired consistency is reached

**As a first food make the green beans more on the soupy side **

Storage:

Option 1: Store the green bean puree in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the green bean puree in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipe :: Sweet Potato Puree

Sweet Potato Puree

Sweet potatoes are an AWESOME first food for your baby (4 months and older).  The sweet and mushy nature of them often makes them a certified baby pleaser in terms of their budding palate. For mommies they are a great vegetable to use for your first try at making baby food and later serve as the go-to-vegetable of choice.

The bright orange color serves as assurance that they are high in beta-carotene.  They also are full of vitamin A and potassium and are a good source for vitamin E, folate and calcium. 

I recommend baking the sweet potatoes to retain the nutrients while also bringing out their natural sweetness.  

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash the sweet potato under cold water
3. Wrap the sweet potato in aluminum foil 
4. Place the potato in the oven and cook for 40-60 minutes
5. Check the potato with a fork (the potato is done when you can drive the prongs of the fork easily through the potato)
6. Let the potato cool for about a half hour
7. Peel the potato (on a well cooked potato the skin should peel easily)
8. Place the potato in a blender/food processor/hand mixer bowl and blend (for older babies 8+ months mash the potato with a fork to provide a chunkier texture)
9. Add water/breast milk/formula to reach desired consistency

**As a first food make the potatoes more on the soupy side **

Storage:

Option 1: Store the sweet potato puree in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the sweet potato puree in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipe: Corn

Corn Puree

The sweetness of the corn is often pleasing to even the most pickiest eater.  The American Association of Pediatrics indicates that you can introduce corn to babies after 6 months.  Once you have this puree down it makes for an easy natural sweetener and combination ingredient for Stage 2 and Stage 3 baby foods.

Follow this simple recipe to make a quick corn puree for your little one.

Ingredients:
2 cups of corn
2 cups of water

Instructions:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil

Add 2 cups of frozen or fresh corn to the boiling water (you can also steam the corn as well)

Boil for 10 minutes or until tender

Drain corn in a colander and reserve 1/4 cups of water

Puree corn and add reserved water to achieve desired consistency

*Using the water from the pan enables you to return the nutrients from corn to the puree

Tip: Push the corn through a sieve to ensure a shell-less puree

Storage:

Option 1: Store the corn puree in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the corn puree in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Guilty Pleasures (Lunch Edition) :: French Fries or A Medium Coke?

Like most Mommys I am trying to lose weight. Unfortunately when stressed - I eat - bottom line, and this week work really took a toll on me. Knowing where this is heading I decided to download the My Fitness Pal app to keep track of what I eat. 

So based on my goal to lose 35 lbs I have been placed on a 1,200 net calorie diet (eek!). I learned that I have been eating double that (and sometimes more). Going forward I am going to try to stick to this goal since I'm not getting any younger. 

With all of that said, here is my dilemma of the day  - oven baked french fries or a medium coke. I can only choose one (i know that Coke shouldn't even be an choice but baby steps)...

Cheers to my new lifestyle change! In the end it will be best for me and my family :) Oh and I am super thankful for modern technology - let's add this one to the top mommy app list. I will let you all know how this journey goes.

Dinner Tonight :: Stir Fry Chicken and Veggies Over Jasmine Rice

Full day at work + fussy kids = I need a quick dinner before I lose my mind

In my pantry I had just the right combo for a quick semi-homemade meal - STIR FRY
(chicken, pre-cut veggie mix from TJ's, stir fry sauce (sans the high fructose corn syrup) and some jasmine rice)

This first picture is before the sauce was added - I'm thinking I can do his same mix with pasta or another sauce! It's pretty isn't it?

The picture below is of the finished product (in the pan) - I just added the sauce

For my baby girl I cut the veggies and chicken into bite-sized pieces (smaller than a pea) and served I with the rice. [Note: for a creamier texture for babies between 10 and 12 month place in a mini food processor, then blend and add water until desired consistency is reached]

A yummy dinner in just 25 minutes start to finish! Although I prefer meals made from scratch the truth is that as a working mom I have to plan for times like this and that always trumps most fast-food/takeout options.

Crossbody Bags - Function Meets Fashion for Moms

Crossbody bags have been a mainstay in the "mommy" wardrobe purely based on functionality. Being hands free is a major score when the kids are in tow. One thing has changed though, they are now in STYLE - which means a win-win for mommys!

Sara Jessica Parker in a Crossbody Bag
photo: smtmn/Flynetpictures.com via Elle Magazine

Whether you choose a petite bag packed with a punch of color, or a large messenger style bag to carry all of your essentials as a mom you are sure to draw attention as a fashion-forward mom!

Here are some of my faves to get you started:

Nordstrom - Marc Jacobs Mini Natasha Flap Bag in Blue

Lord & Taylor - Joelle Hawkins Messenger Bag

Vince Camuto - Christina Crossbody