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