As you all know, I try to give Eliana as much organic produce as possible. But, my mom was telling me that some types of produce are grown with less pesticides than others. So, not all produce I give her needs to be organic. I decided to look into it. I found the website of the Environmental Working Group. Yearly, they publish a list of the “dirtiest produce” (most pesticide-laden) and the “cleanest produce” (grown with least amount of pesticides.) They call this list The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15. I was a little surprised by some of what
Read More »Apple-Spinach Purée 6-9 months -1 apple, peeled and chopped (You want a sweet apple so don’t use a Granny Smith) -1 cup of spinach leaves, rinsed and patted dry -½-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into half Steam apple, ginger and spinach together. Remove pieces of ginger. Purée. Let cool slightly before serving to baby. Yields 3 ounces Variations: -Add a few sprinkles of cinnamon -Add ½ tablespoon of lemon juice Interested in using these same ingredients for Foodies ages 12 months to 12 decades? Try these
Read More »Apples are one of Eliana’s favorite foods. They have been since she first tasted them at 4 months old. Because of that, I tend to use applesauce as a base from which to play around with different combinations and flavors. I end up with things like Sweet and Spicy Apple-Carrot Puree or Apple-Spinach Puree or even my “mistake” Applesauce with Kale-Potato Puree. (Here’s the recipe for the Kale-Potato Puree.) These creations are fun to make but, as you know from reading my posts recently, Eliana is much more excited to feed herself than to be fed. She is very independent. Also,
Read More »Sweet and Smokey Apple Carrot Purée 6-9 months 9-12 months Ingredients: -2 organic apples, peeled and chopped -2-3 small carrots, peeled and chopped -Cinnamon and chili powder to taste Preparation: Steam apples and carrots reserving some of the liquid. Purée and add liquid as needed. Add cinnamon and chili powder to taste. Let cool slightly before serving to baby. Variations for Foodies 6+ months: Mix with oatmeal, couscous or quinoa for texture. Mix with yogurt or ricotta cheese for protein. Variations for Foodies 9+ months: Mix with brown rice, orzo pasta, farro or Israeli couscous
Read More »Garlic Bread -1 whole wheat baguette, fresh or day-old -1 small handful of parsley, chopped -Around 3 tablespoons of butter-like spread or softened unsalted butter (I like Brummel & Brown yogurt spread) -Shredded Parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste Heat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix the butter garlic powder, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Mix in the parsley and ⅓ of the Parmesan. Slice open the baguette lengthwise. Spread the butter mixture over both sides of the bread. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the bread. Lay the bread, face up,
Read More »Originally, I made this soup for Eliana when she was around 7 months old and froze some of it for later. Now at 10 months old, Eliana prefers to feed herself rather than allow me to spoon-feed her. And you know I’ve barely let her hold the spoon to practice using one! (I’m absolutely getting better at reforming my crazy Helicopter Mommy tendencies. But, there is only so much progress I can make at this point.) So, since she prefers finger foods, I’ve been working on ways to make soups and purees into something she can handle. Today I was
Read More »Here are some current recipes: White Bean Hummus with Spinach -1 can white beans, drained and rinsed -1 handful organic baby spinach -Chopped garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper to taste -Juice of one lemon Put beans, spinach, garlic, olive oil and half of lemon juice in blender and blend until smooth. If needed, add more olive oil or lemon juice to make it creamier. Add salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne. Blend again. Adjust seasonings and olive oil/ lemon juice as needed. Serve alone or on wheat toast. I tried dipping a
Read More »teeny tiny foodie’s Top Ten Favorites (so far) Now that Eliana has been tasting and eating a variety of solids for a little while now, a few favorites have emerged. Her “favorite” is hard to determine because she will taste something and then do her “Happy Flappy” move of arms flapping, heavy panting and butt-bouncing for a bunch of foods. Sometimes a food warrants that reaction one day, and not another. But, here is the list of foods that she has definitely been excited to eat. In no particular order, here are teeny tiny foodie’s Top Ten Favorites: Guacamole Holy
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