Pasta, Veggie, and Meatball Bowl

This has been a common dinner the last few weeks. I make a big batch of baby sized meatballs (this time it was turkey) and freeze. When it's time to get dinner ready, I pull 2 or 3 meatballs out of the freezer and reheat in the oven. I then cut them in chunks that L can handle. I toss them with veggie flavored pasta (this time it was Barilla Piccolini tomato and carrot mini farfalle or bow tie) and steamed veggies (like broccoli and zucchini) and stir in a few tablespoons of spaghetti sauce. The combinations of protein, starch, veggie, and sauce are endless.

Spoons in a Jar

L was fascinated with dropping measuring spoons and baby spoons in an empty orange juice jar for about 2 months.  It took a lot of practice for him to be able to place the spoon in the small mouth of the jar and when he did, he loved watching it drop to the bottom.  After a few weeks, he got really good at this skill.

Turkey Spinach Pinwheels

Basically anything yummy rolled in a tortilla and then sliced makes a pinwheel, so the possibilities are endless.  I was making pinwheels for myself long before the little guy came along.

Turkey Spinach Pinwheels

1 tortilla

3 tbsp hummus

thin sliced turkey breast

fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

1-2 tbsp shredded cheese or a thin slice of cheese

Spread a thin layer of hummus on a tortilla (about 3 tablespoons). Add a thin layer each of turkey, spinach and cheese.  You don't want it to be too bulky, or else the pinwheels will be too large for baby to eat.  Roll it up, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, if possible - the pinwheels keep their shape better this way.  When ready to serve, unwrap it and slice in sizes that baby can handle.  I usually make 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices.

When I'm feeling super health conscious, I use organic deli meat that doesn't have any preservatives (i.e. nitrates or nitrites).  But sometimes I buy the regular deli meat and I feel that every now and then, that's fine too.

Hummus and Veggie Quesadillas

This was a quick and delicious lunch that L and I could both enjoy together.  I made the hummus the day before, so that made it extra easy to whip up.

Hummus and Veggie Quesadillas

2 tortillas (I used burrito size)
hummus (about 1/3 cup - recipe follows)
baby spinach leaves
grape tomatoes, small dice
paremesan cheese, grated
olive oil

Heat skillet over medium high heat and coat with olive oil.  Place a tortilla on the skillet for a few seconds, then flip.  Remove from heat and spread half the hummus evenly over the tortilla.  Lay spinach leaves over the hummus in one layer.  Sprinkle with tomatoes, then parmesan cheese.  Fold in half and return to the skillet.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the cooked side is golden brown.  Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes.  Repeat procedure with the second tortilla.  Remove from heat and slice a few wedges for mommy (or daddy) and cut the remainder in bite size pieces for baby. 

Hummus

This is a very mild hummus for baby.  I actually prefer my hummus to have red pepper flakes and lots of kick.  But I doubt L's tummy or palette could handle that!  I don't have exact measurements for this recipe because I usually just eyeball it.  Don't worry, you won't mess it up!

1 (15 oz) can chick peas (or garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed, reserving some of the juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp - 1 tbsp lemon juice
olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp)

In a food processor, add beans, garlic, lemon juice.  Process with a few pulses to process the beans.  Add some of the reserved bean juice and olive oil and pulse again.  Continue doing this until you get the consistency you prefer.

You could also add fresh parsley, fresh chopped red bell pepper, shredded carrot, sauted spinach leaves...endless possibilities. 

The Adventures of Self Feeding

There is a new side of his personality revealed in wathing L feed himself.  This picture just says it all.

Spinach, Egg, and Cheese Toasty Bites

My big boy started feeding himself earlier this week!  It was a very exciting event for me, but also very emotional (he doesn't need my help to eat anymore, sniff sniff).  I've started serving him foods that are easy to pick up like this yummy breakfast I made him this morning.









Spinach, Egg, and Cheese Toasty Bites

1 slice whole grain bread, crusts removed, lightly toasted
1 egg scrambled
1/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, stems
removed
3 tbsp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 or preheat the broiler.

Layer scrambled egg, spinach, and cheese on toast.  Place toast on cookie sheet and heat until cheese melts.  Cool slightly, cut into bite size pieces and serve.

Spaghetti Bolognese

L tried this for the first time on New Year's Eve and he loved it.  My husband loved it too!  The recipe came from Annabel Karmel's Top 100 Baby Purees. 












1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil), divided
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
3/4 cup button mushrooms, wiped and sliced
5 oz lean ground beef
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of brown sugar
1 bay leaf
2 ounces spaghetti

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan and saute the garlic and onion for 2 minutes.  Add the grated carrot and saute for 2 minutes more.  Pour in the remaining oil and saute the mushrooms for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the ground beef in a frying pan until browned, then add to the vegetables together with the tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and bay leaf.  Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes; remove bay leaf.  Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions.

Puree the cooked meat using a handheld electric blender for a smoother texture, if necessary.  Chop up the spaghetti in short lengths and stir into the Bolognese sauce.

I doubled this recipe and froze individual portions.  It goes great with steamed broccoli or peas and carrots.

Baby's Chicken Noodle Soup

We were visiting family in Texas for Christmas when L came down with a bad cold...his first cold ever!  I knew his little throat was sore and hurting him, so I whipped up a little homemade chicken soup with what we had on hand.  This picture shows the most basic form of the soup, but I changed it up a little each time I made it during our visit.

I basically started with homemade chicken broth (no salt added) and cooked orzo pasta (tiny pasta stars would work too). Then I added other ingredients to jazz it up:
chopped cooked egg yolk (seen in the picture)
carrot puree
diced cooked chicken
mashed potatoes, thinned
tiny steamed broccoli florets

I have to add that getting him to drink the broth from a spoon was a challenge and pretty messy.  So I just put the leftover warm broth in his sippy cup so he could drink it.  I think this soup really helped him feel better.

Christmas Card Book

I made another book from saved cards recently.  I made my first book from L's baby shower cards and since it turned out so cute, I decided to make another from our 2009 Christmas cards. Like I stated in my other post, I wish I could take credit for this lovely idea, but I saw it on Pinterest.  Since I'm some what of a hoarder when it comes to cards, I decided to make more books.  I now have a book of our wedding cards, Christmas 2010 cards, and miscellaneous cards from 2008, 2009, and 2010...and 2011 is in progress!

Gift Wrap with Stickers

There are a few December birthdays in our family.  When I was getting ready to wrap those presents, I realized all I had on hand was Christmas paper.  So I decided to make my own wrapping using brown craft paper.  I printed out the lettering from Word in cute fonts and then copied by hand in permanent maker.  Then I added stickers from my sticker collection to embellish.  It was easy and fun!

Water Play on Highchair Tray

My little guy is obsessed with our dog's water bowl.  Since he was mobile, I've had to keep the water bowl in the bathroom with the door shut.  Every now and then, he manages to get to the bowl and the first thing he does is grab it, slosh it back and forth and tip it over, spilling water all over the bathroom rug...AGGHH!  So I thought why not give him a chance to splash his heart out somewhere other than the bath tub.  I stripped him down to his diaper, put him in the high chair and poured a little water directly onto the tray and added a few little plastic toys.  He loved it!  I have to add that his diaper did get totally soaked which made him a little cranky and ended all the fun, but I'll definitely try it again.

Butternut Squash and Apples

Apples were the first solid food L tried after rice cereal.  Not long after that I started him on butternut squash.  The two together along with a little cinnamon are delicious and one of his favorite breakfasts! When he first started solids I had to blend everything to a smooth puree, which was a lot of extra work (on top of peeling and dicing a butternut squash and six apples).  Now that he's moved on to chunky textures I just mash the mixture with a fork after steaming.  It's definitely still a chore to peel and dice that squash, but it makes enough to last a few weeks, so I don't have to do it often.  I steam the squash and apples separately since the squash cooks longer than the apple.  Once everything is cooked, I mash it together and then freeze in portions.  I add the cinnamon before serving, but it could probably be added in before freezing.

Oh, and here's a tip when picking out a butternut squash...pick out the least curvy squash you can find.  The curvier it is, the more difficult it will be to peel!

Toys Grouped by Color

L's favorite books are the ones about color.  He especially loves this lift the flap color book.  So I had the idea to arrange the toys in all his toy baskets by color.  I don't know if it will make much difference to him now at 10 1/2 months, but maybe on some level he'll start recognizing the toys as similar by color.  And if not, at least for now it makes for some pretty baskets!

Arugula and Cheddar Egg Yolk Omelette

I recently introduced eggs to L (around 8 months) starting with hard boiled egg yolk, but he wasn't crazy about that.  I decided to try a mini egg yolk omelette and that was a big hit, but only when it's chopped into tiny little pieces.  He's still adjusting to chunkier food.  I always make scrambled eggs for my husband and me in the mornings, so instead of wasting the egg white from L's egg, I just add it to our eggs.

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 egg yolk, beaten

1 tsp grated cheddar cheese

2 small arugula leaves, stems removed and finely chopped

Heat the oil in skillet.  Add egg, cook for about 1/2 minute, then flip.  Sprinkle with cheese and arugula and fold in half.  Chop into pieces and serve.

Indian-Spiced Lentil Stew

This is a favorite recipe from "The Baby & Toddler Cookbook". L loves lentils!

1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 medium red potato, peeled and finely diced
1/4 yellow onion, finely diced
1 small garlic clove, finely diced
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 cups chicken stock or veggie stock

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan and saute the carrot, potato, onion, and garlic about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, and cinnamon and stir to mix well, then add the lentils and stock.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer gently until the vegetables and lentils are very tender, about 20-30 minutes. 

I mash the stew with a fork before serving, but it could be blended to a puree if necessary.  I also doubled this recipe and froze portions to last the next few weeks.  Yummy!

Veggie Risotto

I adapted this delicious recipe from Annabel Karmel's "Top 100 Baby Purees", one of my favorite baby cook books.  It's actually orzo pasta, not arborio rice, which is used in true risotto.  But the creamy texture and orzo pasta make it very risotto-ish.  L loved it and I thought it was delicious as well.  I may make this for grown up dinner soon!

1 cup orzo pasta

2 small carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Add the orzo and carrot and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the zucchini and broccoli and cook another 7 minutes.  Drain.  Melt the butter in the pot and return the orzo and vegetables to the pot.  Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir until melted and creamy. 

Makes about 8 servings.

Mango Strawberry Sorbet

I started making "sorbets" for L at around 7 months.  He loves them!  It's simply blended frozen fruit, sometimes with a little baby yogurt.  In the past I've made sorbet with peaches, blueberries, and strawberries in different combinations.  Today I tried mango and strawberry for the first time...delicious!

I started with fresh peeled and diced mango and a couple of diced strawberries.  Freeze for a few hours until firm and then blend to a smooth consistency. You may have to sprinkle in a little water for smoothness.  Return to the freezer and serve for a delicious sweet treat. I usually pull it out of the freezer just as I'm about to feed him dinner so it has time to soften.  This is an especially good treat to serve while their teeth are coming in!

Pot with water

L is always trying to splash in the dog's water bowl and I'm always trying to prevent this from happening.  So today I thought, why not give him his own container of water.  I used a large stock pot that was large and heavy enough that he couldn't spill or tip it over on his own.  Worked like a charm!  I added a few smaller containers inside the large pot to scoop and pour the water.

Baby Food Jar Cozy

I crocheted this brown cozy around a clean baby food jar.  It's pretty simple if you know how to crochet in the round.  I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with the jar, but finally decided to use it as a gift jar for my uncle who has a birthday coming up and is a big coffee lover.  I added the ribbon for a little flair and thought it turned out really cute!

Muffin Tin Fill and Sort

L loves to fill, empty, and refill containers with objects.  He especially loves doing this with these colorful plastic building shapes and their plastic container.  I thought he might enjoy a new type of container, so I set out the muffin tin.  It was a hit...if only for a few minutes.  This little guy is ready to move on to the next fun activity pretty quickly!