For the last 6-8 weeks or so, Eliana has not been too keen on eating anything I try to feed her off a spoon. She is deeply offended by this concept. Why should she allow me to feed her when she can feed herself? She is a very independent little person. So, a new challenge has been figuring out what to do with all the frozen purees so she will eat them. Occasionally, she will let me feed her. But, it is either a puree she really loves and doesn’t care that I have to put it into her
Read More »Simple Strawberry Purée 6-9 months 9-12 months Ingredients: -2 cups organic strawberries, thawed if using frozen berries Preparation: Purée strawberries and serve. 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 for texture. -Mix with yogurt, cottage cheese or ricotta cheese for protein. Want a purée with a little something extra? Try this Strawberry Mint Purée! Happy Cooking! Related Posts:Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes for ThanksgivingAsparagus Chive
Read More »This recipe was inspired by a recipe I got years ago from my friend Amy’s mom, Debbie. Debbie uses spinach and her version is super yummy. Over the years I’ve played around with it by changing up the vegetables, adding a topping and using egg whites instead of whole eggs. Here it is: Vegetable Casserole Foodies 9-12 months and beyond -2 10-ounce boxes of frozen vegetables ie: spinach, broccoli, lima beans -¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs, plus a small handful more for topping -½ cup chopped yellow onion -3 egg whites- blended with a fork or whisked -3 tablespoons
Read More »Basic Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes Ingredients: -4 large tomatoes, chopped or 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes chopped into halves -1 medium yellow onion, chopped -1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed -Olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste -Chopped fresh herbs such as basil Preparation: Pour olive oil into a large pot on medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add diced yellow onion and a pinch of salt. Stir. Sauté for around 3-4 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and stir through
Read More »Basic Tomato Sauce with Canned San Marzano Tomatoes Ingredients: -Extra virgin olive oil -1 medium yellow onion- chopped -Crushed or chopped garlic to taste -1 28-ounce can of San Marzano crushed or diced tomatoes -1 peeled and chopped carrot, optional -Sugar, salt and pepper to taste -1 Bay leaf, optional Preparation: Pour olive oil into a large pot on medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. After about 20 seconds, add the onions and a dash of salt, mix and let cook down for 4-5 minutes till onion is yellow. Add the carrots and cook
Read More »Oh boy! Here’s what happened when Matt gave Eliana her yogurt with strawberry puree the other day. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! All I can do is practice my calming yoga breaths and be glad we wash behind her ears every night! Strawberry Puree 2 cups organic frozen strawberries, thawed Puree strawberries and serve. Variations: Mix with oatmeal for texture, yogurt for protein or cottage cheese for both. Happy Cooking! Related Posts:Creating my teeny tiny foodieCinnamon Spice and Everything NiceWhole Wheat Coconut Banana BreadBlack Beans & Rice Casserole: {Meatless} Monday MealQuinoa Burrito Bowl: {Meatless} Monday
Read More »No, Silly! It’s just the roasted beet sticks my Mommy pureed and mixed with Greek yogurt for my breakfast. Yummy! Related Posts:Black Beans & Rice Casserole: {Meatless} Monday MealHummusYam & Black Bean Tacos with Quick Pickled Cabbage: {Meatless} Monday MealGrilled Swordfish with Mango Sauce: Monday MealFrench Toast (Baked): Monday MealWarm Farro Salad: Monday Meal
Read More »Since we had been traveling last week, the fridge was pretty empty yesterday. I defrosted some peaches and roasted beets for Eliana to have some fruit and veggies and we shared some oatmeal for breakfast. But, she needed some protein for her lunch. The fridge was so bare we didn’t even have eggs. But, we did have a container of tofu. Hmm. My friend Katy, mom to 11-month-old Joe, gives him tofu right out of the container. I can do that. But, I also saw a recipe Giadia de Laurentiis did recently on the Cooking Channel where she grilled tofu
Read More »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
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