RSS
 

Archive for the ‘9-12 Months’ Category

Homemade Babyfood Fish Puree – Cod, Carrots, Potatoes and Cheese

19 Oct

I made this puree tonight for my 9 month old. It is one I made for my older son but I don’t remember it being so creamy and smooth. Also, I was reminded as to how ridiculously easy this puree is to make. Hardly takes any time at all!

Perfect For: lunch or dinner, an infant who has been on solids for about a month with no issues and who wants MORE

Time Required: 25 minutes – 8 minutes food prepping, 15 minutes steaming, 2 minute pureeing

 

Servings: 4 approximately

Tools:

  • Small cutting knife
  • Cutting board
  • Peeler
  • Beaba Babycook (or separate steamer and pureer)
  • Microwavable safe bowl
  • Plastic wrap
  • Ramekin for serving

____________

Food:

  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 2 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 pound cod
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • A little bit of pepper to taste

____________

Method:

  • Wash, peel and chop carrot and potatoes
  • Add 3/4 cup water to the steamer (fill up to line 3 if you are using the Beaba) and steam for 15 minutes (automatic on the Beaba)
  • While vegetables are steaming, place fish in microwavable safe dish, cover with cheese and add butter
  • Cover dish with plastic wrap, make a slit in the plastic wrap for an air vent
  • Microwave fish for 2-3 minutes (you can also cook the fish in an oven, covered in foil but it will take you much longer
  • Check the fish by flaking it. Make sure there are no bones.
  • Add vegetables and fish together and puree (quick to get a nice smooth puree) with reserve water
  • Add water or broth for a creamier, smoother puree (I added water)

____________

Annabel Karmel adds orange juice in with the fish, which is quite nice. I made it without the OJ and it worked very well for us.

Same drill, store what you are going to use within the next 3 days in the fridge. Any remainder should go in the freezer. See GEAR section of this site for product recommendations.

Goodness Factor: Beta Carotene, Calcium, Vitamin B

Happy Eating!

Marnie

 
No Comments

Posted in 7 months +, 9-12 Months, Dinner, Fish, Food, Lunch, Recipes

 

Traveling these holidays? My favorite “portable” baby and toddler food.

23 Nov

Sprout Baby – Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence co-founded this certified organic baby food company and you can definitely see his influence on the flavor combinations. The BPA free pouches are thin and very efficient for packing. The pouches close up with a “zip lock” so it can get a bit messy. There are two “levels” for babies who are truly beginning (6 months +) and then for those babies ready for more (7 months +). Definitely healthy options of fruits and vegetables. My son liked the basic purees much better than he liked the combined flavors. I tasted a few of the “not so basic” purees and was not that into the flavor either so I could not blame him.

Plum Organics – When we gave Plum Organics a try, I was immediately impressed with the packaging. The screw cap makes for easy and neat storage, and also makes for an easy way to hand the pouch to your toddler so he or she “suck” the puree out on his or her own. Very convenient. Boon also makes a great dispensing spoon that attaches onto the cap. There are plenty of yummy options for both babies just starting out and toddlers. My son enjoyed these flavors better than Sprout and the texture was more amenable to his picky pallet. The “training meals” are great because the ingredients are pack full of protein and iron. A good way to introduce your baby to flavors rich in these nutrients. I also love their “Fruity Fingerfuls”. They make a great first finger food.

Ella’s – A UK based company with similar packaging to Plum Organics. So my comments on portability are the same. 100% organic with options for babies and toddlers. I really like the flavor combinations. They are very different from anything else I’ve seen. For example, even for those babies just starting out they offer a sweet potato, pumpkin, apple and blueberry puree or a spinach, apple and rutabaga puree.  For older babies and toddlers we have chicken and sweetcorn or salmon risotto. Also I am excited to try their cooking sauces, which include the “Indian One” and the “Italian One”. Available on Amazon or in Toys R Us and Babies R Us in the USA.

Peter Rabbit – One of many products offered with the Peter Rabbit brand. 100% organic with similar packaging to the aforementioned brands. The big limitation with this brand is that there are not many options but those options that are available are good ones. With that said, the purees are delicious, and oh, for your convenience, are available in Starbucks, Whole Foods and Amazon.  Read a great little piece on the company.

Happy Baby and Revolution Foods are two other brands you may want to check out. I have heard good things but have yet to test them out.  I love Happy Baby’s yogurt melts and puffs. Revolution Foods is doing all sorts of wonderfully amazing things in the world of healthy school lunch. Both outstanding companies.

PRICE CHECK (using Amazon as my base):

  1. Sprout Baby – ~$13.99 for a 12 pack of 3.5 ounce pouches (~$1.20/pouch)
  2. Plum Organics – ~$30.00 for a 24 pack of 4 ounce baby food pouches (~$1.25/pouch) or $18.00 for a 12 pack of 4 ounce “training meals” for older babies (~$1.50)
  3. Ella’s Kitchen – ~$10.00 for a 7 pack of 3.5 ounce pouches (~$1.40/pouch)
  4. Peter Rabbit Organics – ~$16.50 for a 10 pack of 3.5 ounce pouches (~$1.65/pouch)

_
Enjoy and safe travels!
Marnie

* I do not get paid for writing this blog. What you can do to help support the effort is at no cost to you. Search within the Amazon search box in the right sidebar and visit the Amazon Store by clicking the link in the upper toolbar. Or click on the product link at the end of this post. Or click on the link within the post to buy the book on Amazon. I get a small % for commission. Thanks!

 
No Comments

Posted in 12 months +, 6-9 Months, 9-12 Months, Finger Food, Product Reviews, Tips, Travel

 

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

28 Aug

Pancakes are hearty. I used Stonewall Kitchen’s pancake mix and very simply added in steamed apples and cinnamon. I love making these pancakes on the weekdays so finding quick and easy solutions was my goal. If it is a weekend, I am all about experimenting with my kiddo’s pancakes. I love making pancakes with a fruit and spice. Banana vanilla is also a favorite in our home!

Super simple.

Super delicious.

Food:

  1. 1 cup pancake mix
  2. 1 egg (or the equivalent egg whites)
  3. 3/4 cup whole milk
  4. 1 tablespoon butter
  5. 1 apple, peeled and cut up
  6. Cinnamon
  7. Flax Oil or Seed
  8. To serve: Greek yogurt, maple syrup, cottage cheese

_______
Super Complicated Method:

  1. Add peeled, cut up apple to steamer, add cinnamon and steam for about 10 minutes in your Beaba or steamer of your choice!
  2. Mix egg and milk together, add pancake mix and butter
  3. Add your flax seed or oil
  4. Either mix the soft apple cinnamon pieces into the batter or place batter on griddle and add apple cinnamon pieces to one side (I did the latter)
  5. Makes about 5-6 pancakes
  6. Serve with Greek yogurt, maple syrup or cottage cheese (which may seem strange but it makes a nice compliment, kiddos love it and it is good for them!)

_______
Tips to make this recipe even healthier:

  1. Substitute in egg whites for eggs – Obvious reasons
  2. Use Whole Wheat Flour – Whole wheat is a good source of calcium, iron, fiber, and other minerals like selenium.
  3. Add Flax Seed – For Omega-3 fatty acid and fiber
  4. Add Ricotta Cheese – Omega fatty acids, protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins a, b12 and riboflavin as well as minerals zinc, selenium and phosphorus.
  5. Add a powder multi-vitamin – As my 13 month old continues his transition from purees, being completely dependent on his parents and exploring his food, I have been worried about getting him the nutrients he needs in his diet. I see a lot of playing and some very creative art work but how much of the yogurt or the tofu or whatever type of protein I throw down on his tray is actually getting into his system. My pediatrician told me to not worry and to think about his diet on a weekly basis, not daily and certainly not meal by meal. Sigh. Okay, I reluctantly accepted this rational and medically based advice…he noticed my worry did not go away and suggested I find a multi-vitamin to serve in his milk or find some other creative way to get it into his system. So alas I found Nutristart.

_______

Happy Eating!
Marnie

 
No Comments

Posted in 9-12 Months, Breakfast, Finger Food, Recipes

 

Breakfast Quesadillas for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner!

20 Jul

As my kiddo graduates from purees to “real people” food I find myself struggling a bit. Feeding my little guy these days is much harder than the puree days when I could be creative and make sure I include the nutrients my little guy needs in his diet.

One “transition from purees” meal that has work really well for us and is easy for the kiddo to eat as a finger food is the “breakfast” quesadilla. For dinner one evening I decided a cheese quesadilla would be a good option for my little man. As I began to make the dinner, the guilt set in. Cheese and a tortilla didn’t actually scream super healthy.  So I decided to sneak in a few extra goodies – egg, black beans and corn – to boost the nutrition!  You could easily add other ingredients. It all depends on your kiddo. I wanted to add tomatoes but my little guy is a “texture eater” and can’t quick deal with the skin on the tomato. I wasn’t in the mood to skin a tomato so we skipped it. As easy way to add other ingredients is via a salsa. The best part about this meal for my one year old is that it is easily a delicious meal for us adults too.

Servings: 3-4 (one quarter per meal on average)

Time Required: 15 minutes

Gear:

  • Small bowl to beat egg
  • Whisk
  • Sautee pan
  • Microwave, oven or some means to warming the tortilla
  • Spatula
  • Small cutting knife

___

Food:

  • 1 Egg
  • Splash of whole milk
  • Black pepper
  • 1 Tortilla (Wheat would be great if you have it on hand. In this case, I used white, which obviously works well but less nutritious.)
  • A handful of shredded mixed cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
  • A handful of black beans (I used canned black beans but using organic dried beans are a great option if you have the time and resources)
  • A handful of corn (I roasted my corn kernels but this step in not necessary. I just love the sweetness of roasted sweet corn and it is easy to roast the kernels. Yum. If you are going to roast the corn, give yourself an extra 30 minutes to do so. I roast a bunch of kernels and then store them in the fridge for later use. I recommend that approach.)

___

Method:

  1. In your bowl, whisk together the egg and milk, add black pepper
  2. Scramble in sautee pan over over medium heat, use butter if you want to but in this case I did not do so
  3. Warm your pan for the tortilla, spread cheese over the tortilla and allow cheese to melt
  4. Spread the scrambled egg over the tortilla
  5. Add black beans and corn to the tortilla.  I warmed the black beans in a pan first.  As for the corn, there are a variety of approaches you can take – you can either add straight from the can, add from the can but warm the corn first on your stove top, use a corn cob, or roast in the over. If roasting in the oven, preheat over to 400 degrees, cover a baking sheet with foil, spread kernels over the baking sheet and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the kernels are brown. Everyone’s oven is different it seems so keep a watch on those kernels!
  6. Fold over tortilla and press your spatula down on the tortilla to secure it
  7. Cut into quarters, then bite sized pieces for the little one. Be sure to let the quesadilla cool a bit.
  8. Save any remaining tortilla in the fridge for a future meal

___

*Goodness Factor: Protein, Iron, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Phospohorus, Selenium, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Magnesium, Maganese

Happy Eating!
Marnie

* Check out this site for information on vitamins and minerals.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

 
No Comments

Posted in 12 months +, 9-12 Months, Dinner, Finger Food, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

 
« Older Entries