Friday 30 December 2011

The Middle

So here we are somewhere between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  It doesn’t seem like an appropriate time to embark on a new project, handle a nagging task, or make a life changing decision.  Feats such as that are best left to the New Year which gives me time to procrastinate here for now.

I’m not even quite sure what day of the week it is and it’s rather exciting not having to know until January 2, which is back to work day.

It’s a great time of year to relax, reminisce about the past year and play with, wear, or read any Christmas gifts we were fortunate enough to receive.  Let’s try that new lip balm that was stuffed with care into our Christmas stocking, and wrap up in that life changing super absorbent hair towel a loved one surprised us with…o.k. maybe that one was just me.


It’s also a great time of year to live vicariously through our kids.  Watching them play with their coveted new toys is pretty entertaining.  My son has watched a new Elmo video several times now, but he still yells, “oh no, mommy!” when Telly is skateboarding out of control.  It’s as if he has no idea what the outcome will be.  He’s not convinced that the same chain of events that played out the other 9 times he watched it will repeat.

Wouldn’t it be great if we were so innocent and un-jaded that we could look at a situation we’ve seen play out several times before with an unbiased initial view?  Toddler misses his nap…I’ve seen this one played out before…brace yourself for a horrible afternoon.  If we were more like our toddlers we could be blissfully unaware of the monster that may or may not appear courtesy of a missed nap.
O.K. back on track…I received a new vegetable peeler in my stocking this year that you kind of wear like a ring?!?  I like rings, so I’m going on a peeling rampage!  I don’t want to just peel one kind of veggie…I want to see how this thing works on all kinds of specimens.  What can I make that requires the peeling variety that I seek?  Only a chicken stew with a diverse cross section of veggies will cure this peeling fever!  


Ready…Set…Evolve…

A Multitude of Veggies Chicken Stew

Age – 6 + months – However, be sure baby has tried each veggie used in this recipe during the solid food introductions period leaving about 3 days in between each to monitor for any allergic reactions.

Ingredients

·         1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast

·         1 tsp. butter

·         1 parsnip

·         1 cup chopped carrots

·         1 cup chopped celery

·         ½ cup chopped onions

·         1 small sweet potato

·         1 small white potato

·         1 cup chopped rutabaga

·         2 cups of chicken broth (homemade or low sodium store bought)

·         ½ tsp. ground thyme spice (if baby is over 8 months)

Baby Steps

·         Peel and chop all veggies and set aside.  I like to do all my peeling and chopping of the veggies before chopping the meat and starting to cook.  It serves two purposes…you’re less stressed and rushed over getting your peeling and chopping done before something over-cooks on the stove, and by chopping the veggies first you avoid any cross-contamination from the knife and cutting board courtesy of the raw meat transferring to the veggies.

·         Chop chicken into small chunks.

·         Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add chicken.

·         Cook until chicken is slightly brown on the outside and no longer pink on the inside…approx. 8 minutes.

·         Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

·         Add onions to pan and cook for 3 minutes.

·         Add the rest of the chopped veggies, the cooked chicken, chicken broth and ½ cup of water to the pan.

·         Increase heat and bring to a boil.

·         If baby is over 8 months, feel free to add the thyme for a new flavour dimension.  If not, leave it out.

·         Cover pan and reduce heat to medium/low and cook for approx. 45 minutes stirring occasionally.  Use this non-labour intensive cooking time to play with baby or fold some laundry…you know…all of those fun nagging parenthood tasks.

·         Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

·         Transfer to a food processor, blender, or vessel to use a hand blender and puree to desired consistency.

Makes approx. 24 servings (2 tbsp. = 1 serving)

Tip – This recipe is also great for toddlers and adults for that matter.  You can add some salt and pepper to an adult’s portion, and just make sure the chunks of chicken and veggies are small enough for a toddler to handle without pureeing them.

So until New Year’s Eve when that clock strikes midnight signifying a shot gun start into a shiny new year, I’ll be marinating here in the middle for a while.

Thursday 22 December 2011

Big Bird's No Turkey

I love Christmas for many reasons but mostly because the world almost stands still for a day or two.  We’re forced to break from our intense 9-5 existence and move friends and family up to #1 on our priority list, which is where they ultimately should be, but sometimes is an impossibility in our harried world.

It’s really the only time in the year where we can truly put our work hat away in an inconvenient, out of reach storage bin for a few days.  Sure we get mini vacations here and there throughout the year, but co-workers are still toiling away while you’re gone instigating that incessant, nagging feeling that you may have forgotten to do something… you must check your e-mail and stay connected somehow or the company will fold.  But not this time of year…nope…at this time of year the majority of us put away our spreadsheets, sales plans and strategies for a brief moment in time to allow for a guilt free, unwavering focus on our other life.

Of course we can’t forget about all the comfort food that goes hand and hand with our holiday celebrations…like the almighty turkey!

Let’s Talk Turkey...

·         Charles Dickens’, “A Christmas Carol” is credited for making turkey the popular fare for Christmas Dinner.

·         Big Bird, of Sesame Street fame, has 4000 white turkey feathers, dyed yellow, adorning his bird body even though he’s not a turkey…he’s just a very large bird.

·         The first turkeys were imported into England in 1526 from the USA (although some sources say Spain) by trader William Strickland.

·         Because of the bird’s size, unique taste, succulent flavour and decorative value as a centerpiece on the festive table, it soon became the food of choice to serve for the holidays.

·         The adult male turkey is the one who makes that exasperating “gobble, gobble” sound whereas the female makes a gentle clucking or clicking sound…makes sense.

·         The English tradition of serving turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, roast or mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, brussel sprouts, peas, and parsnips for Christmas dinner, in variation, still holds true in many households today.

Had to throw this one in on Candy Canes…

During the 17th. century craftsmen created white sticks of candy in the shape of shepherd’s crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.  They were given to children to keep them quiet during the ceremonies at the living crèche or nativity scene…hmmm…giving kids things to keep them quiet…another thing that holds true over the centuries.

To read up on some more turkey tid-bits and holiday trivia, check out uttertrivia.com and urbanext.illinois.edu and allthingschristmas.com.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

So today in the spirit of the holidays and the fact that at this time of year you probably don’t feel like setting up your production line of ingredients and freezing trays in the kitchen, I’m going to show you how you can make baby’s Christmas dinner without any extra cooking over and above that of which is required for the traditional family feast.

For those Solid Food Apprentices out there of 6 + months of age, you can focus on using the potatoes and veggies. 

Baby Steps

·         As long as you were diligent with introducing baby to their first foods one at a time so you know they aren’t allergic to any you’re serving here you’re all set.   

·         Cook the potatoes and veggies as you would…but steaming the veggies rather than boiling them retains more of their vitamins.  Just make sure to season the family’s food after you set aside baby’s portion.  For the portion sizes, take about ¼ cup of the veggies and ¼ cup of the potatoes. 

·         Place the portion of veggies and potatoes (white, or even better, sweet potatoes) into a blender, food processor or vessel to use a hand blender, and add a tsp. of butter and a few tbsps. of the water you used to steam the veggies.  Puree together to a smooth consistency.  Add more water as required.

·         Take about 2 tbsps. (1 serving) of the final puree to feed to baby and then put the rest in the fridge for the next day.

For the Solid Food Intermediates, 7-8 months +, you can add some turkey into the above mixture.  Just take a slice of the cooked turkey meat and put in a blender or food processor and pulse until crumbled.  Add the turkey to the veggies, potatoes, butter and water and puree to the desired consistency.

Voila…Christmas Feast for Baby.

So let’s all use this mandatory (for the most part) holiday to steal some time, free of other preoccupations, to have fun with and cherish all those big ones and little ones in our lives we are so fortunate to call our family and friends.

Happy Holidays!

Friday 16 December 2011

Bring On The Happy!

It’s not an old wives tale that happiness is contagious.  Studies have shown that laughter can lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, reduce stress hormones and trigger the release of endorphins which are the body’s natural pain killers.  Every mom and dad should take a huge dose of laughter daily to get them through the daily grind that is raising a child.

If only it were as easy for us in our state of extreme exhaustion to laugh as much as our pre-schooler better halves who do approximately 400 times a day, compared to our measly 17.
Lucky for us laughter is contagious, so the next time you see your little one whaling away in fits of giggles at something you think couldn’t possibly be funny, join in!  Even forced laughter can turn into real laughter and before you know it those endorphins are doing their job and you don’t feel quite as tired, stressed or frustrated as you did a few minutes ago.


When we get my little guy Carter up in the morning and rush to get him dressed and out the door to daycare he is less than impressed that he can’t have 10 minutes to linger and play with Ernie or watch one of his favourite videos.  To get him a bit more enthused my husband jovially chants, “come on Carter, let’s get your shoes and coat on to go to school…HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!!”  Just hearing the word “happy” immediately changes his mood (most days) and he forgets about his buddy Ernie and the video.

With kids in the house there is no shortage of hysterics to tap into…we just have to take a light hearted approach to our day and succumb to the nonsensical dramatics our kids provide for us to LAUGH.
I think the funniest food you can feed to your baby is pureed peas.  I’m not sure why…it just seems to make me laugh to see that inexplicable, brilliant green mess all over a baby’s face.  To think of someone ingesting something that colour is funny if you ask me. 


Good thing along with enhancing your mood, peas also provide baby with vitamin C, zinc, vitamin B6, niacin, iron, potassium, folic acid and thiamine…so if you have about 5 minutes to spare you can bring on the pea puree and bring on the funny!

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Do You Have 5 Minutes Pea Puree

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

-          2 cups (or 856 if you’re Rain Man) frozen or fresh Peas

-          Yes, that’s it

Baby Steps

-          Put peas in a steamer over boiling water and steam for 5 minutes.

-          Remove from heat and transfer to a blender, food processor or bowl if using a hand blender, and add 3-5 tbsp. or more of the cooking water to the peas depending on the consistency you desire.

-          Puree to a smooth texture.

-          Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to freezing trays, or a container to store in the fridge.

-          Frozen cubes should be used within 3 months and the refrigerated puree within 48 hrs.

Makes – Approx. 6 servings and a hysterical green coloured mess on your baby’s face.

Sunday 11 December 2011

Do as I Do

No matter how diligent you are at providing baby with healthy food options, if you and the rest of your family sit down to junk food 6 days a week out of 7, chances are, all of your perfect, nutritionally sound intentions for baby will be in vain.

Children look to their parents and older siblings in order to emulate their values, attitudes, character and beliefs, so it’s not surprising that eating habits are also a big part of this.
Making the choice to feed your baby healthy, homemade food shouldn’t just be a choice you’re making for your baby, it’s also a choice you should make for yourself and the rest of your family.

Here’s a link to a great article on the subject at Kids Fitness Central website.  
A good way to look at it is if the tables were turned and your baby son or daughter had to take care of you, they would most likely want to ensure you were nutritionally equipped to live a long, happy and healthy life.  So by taking care of yourself, you are in effect honouring baby’s wishes had the choice been theirs to make.

I would never deny that I’ve been known to enjoy a bowl of potato chips here and there…salt & vinegar please…but for the most part I go for healthy choices, as do the rest of my family, so that’s what we want to instil in our youngest son as well.  I don’t want to deny them the distinct pleasure of a sweet or nutritionally desolate snack or two every now and then, but I try to keep them few and far between.  The idea is to create a world where if they’re craving something sweet, they impulsively go for Mother Nature’s candy like grapes or peaches rather than something reminiscent of “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.”  
Here’s a great Butternut Squash Soup recipe that babies will love, and with the addition of some spices, adults enjoy as well.  It’s a great “go to” soup recipe to keep on hand that will help you stay true to your total family wellness plan.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Family Style Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Age – 8 months + (due to the addition of spices, but if you leave out the spices, 6 months +)

Ingredients

·         1 Butternut Squash

·         1 cup of chopped onions

·         1 garlic clove minced

·         1 ½ cups of homemade or low sodium chicken broth

·         ¼ cup of 10% (half and half) cream

·         1 tbsp. butter

·         1 tsp. coriander

·         1 tsp. cumin

·         ¼ tsp. black pepper

Baby Steps

·         Peel, seed and chop squash into approx. 1” cubes.

·         Place squash in steamer over boiling water and cook for approx. 15 minutes until tender.  Set aside.

·         Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic.

·         Add butter to a large soup pot and melt over medium heat.

·         Add onions and garlic to butter and cook until translucent, approx. 3 – 4 minutes.

·         Add steamed squash to soup pot along with chicken broth and ½ cup of the water used to steam the squash.

·         Add in coriander, cumin and black pepper and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.

·         Remove from heat and puree with a hand held blender until you achieve a smooth, soupy consistency.

·         Place pot back over medium heat and stir in the cream.  Cook for 2 more minutes.

·         Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes.

·         Ladle out for a family meal and freeze the rest in freezing trays for baby to be used within 3 months.
      Makes A lot! – Approx. 36 baby servings (2 tbsp. each) so it’s best to make for baby and the family to enjoy together.  It would be too much to freeze and use up within 3 months unless you have at least 4 hungry babies in the house at all times. J

Tip – Adults can add a few drops of hot sauce to their individual bowls to give it an added kick!

Take care of yourself as well as you take care of your baby and family, and you will all reap the benefits of an invigorating, happy and healthy life together.

Saturday 3 December 2011

Vintage Baby

Does anyone remember playing with one of these back in the day…


Carter received this Fisher Price Music Box Record Player for his birthday last weekend and I believe the last time I saw one I was somewhere between the ages of negative 1 yr. – 11 yrs.  Chapters/Indigo recently brought in a selection of these reminiscent, classic Fisher Price toys!

This got me to thinking…what kind of baby food related products were in the market back in the day, and how did moms and dads feed their little ones back then?  When something gets me to thinking, it usually gets me to finding an answer.  I do however like to allow myself some time to ponder and wonder about it for a while, but my husband tends to deliver me the answer within 2.3 seconds of hearing the question in this wonder stifling, technologically driven “i” world we now live in.
I imagined that homemade baby food was the only option back then, but I was surprised to see there were lots of commercially prepared foods available.

I came across an interesting article at answers.com from the “Gale Encyclopedia of Food and Culture” that featured a vast history of infant feeding methods.
Pre-Industrial First Foods – “Historically, semisolid mixtures of grains and water, animal milk, or broth, were the first semisolid food an infant received.  In many cultures mothers would chew food, making it similar in consistency to gruel, then feed it to their infants.  This was introduced to infants as a supplement to breast milk and then became an increasingly prominent part of an infant’s diet until they were completely weaned, which varied from several months old to three to four years of age.”

“The earliest known infant feeding devices date back to the second or third centuries, though few specifics regarding their use is understood.”
1920’s – 1950’s -  “From the late 1920’s to the postwar baby boom of the 1950’s, mass-produced solid infant food, especially fruits and vegetables, shifted items of rarity into a rite of passage, a normal, naturalized part of an infant’s diet in the United States.  In the early twenty-first century commercially produced infant food not only remained a mainstay of an infant’s diet in the United States but manufacturers also sought new markets, including developing countries.”

"While mass-produced baby food increased infants' year-round consumption of fruits and vegetables and provided a welcome efficiency in preparation, it also had its deficiencies.  Throughout most of the twentieth century commercially canned baby food was overcooked and contained added salt, sugar, starches, fillers, artificial preservatives, and even, though infrequently, dangerous contaminants, such as lead, glass shards, or pesticides.  Moreover unitl the 1990s baby food manufacturers did not have to list the precise percentage of each ingredient on the label."

1970's - 1990's - "During the 1970s the return to breast-feeding and the renewed popularity of homemade baby foods were products of the public's more sceptical attitude toward corporate capitalism and institutions in general.  In the 1980s and 1990s, mostly in response to consumer demand, baby food manufacturers eliminated sugar, salt, and modified starch from most products, introduced organic lines, and eschewed the use of any foods containing genetically modified organisms."

Here is a Bird's Eye Frozen Instant Baby Food commercial from the 1960's.  Boy have we come a long way!


Here are some other interesting, antiquated baby food related items...












Now here is a quick little Blueberry Pear recipe that requires no pre-chewing by you before serving to baby like they did back in the pre-industrial times. J

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Quite the Blueberry Pear Pair

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

·         1 ¼ cups of blueberries

·         5 medium sized ripe Pears

Baby Steps

·         Rinse blueberries and set aside.

·         Peel, core and slice pears and place in a saucepan with 1 tbsp. of water.

·         Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.

·         Add blueberries to pears and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

·         Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

·         Transfer to a blender, food processor or bowl if using a hand blender to puree.

·         Puree until smooth and transfer to freezing trays to last up to 3 months in the freezer and leave an appropriate amount in the fridge keeping in mind it will need to be used within 3 days.
Makes 13 servings…translated into dollars that’s about $0.33 per serving.  You can use the $ saved to get a babysitter for a couple of hours so you and your spouse, or even just you, can go catch a movie or better yet…sleep!  I remember those sleep deprived days of early parenthood very well!

I wonder if vintage parents were sleep deprived?  I think that may be the one common denominator of the parental experience across all decades.  Lucky us.

Saturday 26 November 2011

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Well, it’s my baby’s 2nd birthday on Monday.   Not quite sure if I can still call him my “baby”.  At what point does the reference change from “baby” to “son, or child or kid”?  If it’s when they turn 2 I don’t think I’m ready. L

Here we all are a mere 12 months ago at Carter’s 1st. birthday party.  Oh how excited we were to think he had reached that magical age where we could put away the formula and bring on the cow’s milk!

It seems like just yesterday he was starting on solids and I was researching everything that he should and shouldn’t be eating at each point in time of his precious little existence.  As the baby vs. kid clock has been ticking over the past few months there have been very few baby food rules left to govern his menu.  There is one last criterion that I’m holding onto for dear life…full fat whole milk.  Once Monday arrives, my mission is complete…I’ve reached the summit of the baby food commandments.  He won’t even need to drink full fat whole milk anymore…say it ain’t so!
I suppose I’ll have to rely on all you fellow parents out there with wee ones just starting on your journeys to share stories, concerns and questions with me so I can live vicariously through all of you and hopefully help out some in the process.
All this reminiscing is triggering a walk down “the stages of solid food introduction” memory lane…
Baby, are you ready?
Baby’s 4 month mark is usually the time when they are ready to take on solids beginning with iron fortified rice baby cereal.  The Hospital for Sick Children’s book, “Better Baby Food”, written by Daina Kalnins, RD CNSD and Joanne Saab, RD suggests that baby’s digestive tract is mature enough to digest complex proteins, fats and carbs by 4 months.  This is the age when the majority of babies can sit if supported, and are physically able to swallow non-liquid foods.  Younger babies have an extrusion reflex so they aren’t able to swallow solids.
6 months + - Solid Food Apprentice
The 6 month mark is very exciting.  Baby is now ready for some new tastes and textures beyond baby cereal and is developing the ability to chew.  This is the time to introduce fruits, veggies and even some proteins as long as the consistency of the meals are a thin, smooth and liquidy puree.
Make sure to try one new food at a time and leave approx. 3 days in between the introduction of the next to watch out for any allergic reactions.

Some great first foods for your Solid Food Apprentice are, bananas, apples, pears, papayas, mangos, peaches, plums and blueberries.  As far as veggies go, begin with all root veggies including carrots, sweet potato, parsnips, rutabaga then go for butternut squash, zucchini, pumpkin, avocado, peas, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower.  Once your apprentice is accomplished with fruits and veggies you can begin adding a protein like chicken or beef to some veggie purees as long as they are minced very tiny and the puree you add them to is still very smooth and liquid.
Foods to avoid at this age include strawberries, raspberries, cow’s milk, egg whites, wheat, citrus, shell fish, pork and nuts due to potential allergic reactions.  It’s best to leave most of the introductions of these foods until 12 + months of age, except for strawberries and wheat which should be fine to try at 8 months, especially if there are no family history of allergic reactions to these foods.

8 Months + - Solid Food Intermediate
At 8 months baby is ready for a bit more texture in their food.  You can allow more of a thick cream consistency as they become more and more efficient at going through the chewing motions.

You can even add some herbs and spices to get baby used to some of the family favourites so that down the road when they truly join in and share in family meals they enjoy them just as much as you do.
Still stay away from salt…there is no need to add sodium to boost flavour when you can add spices such as cinnamon, cumin or coriander, or herbs like thyme, basil or oregano.

They are also able to experiment with picking up food with their fingers like small pieces of toast, crackers, dry cereal snacks (o’s) and teething biscuits.
Cheese and yogurt are great options for this stage.  Scrambled egg yolks and cheese were my son’s favourite, and still is although he can have the whole egg including the white now.

 12 Months + - Solid Food Professional
The 12 month mark is that magical age when there’s not much that baby can’t eat.  They can now have full fat cow’s milk in place of formula or breast milk.  I can still remember the cheerful celebration my husband and I had at the $ savings of switching from formula to cow’s milk! 

The earlier avoided foods can now be introduced such as egg white along with the yolk, and peanut butter on bread or crackers…but I would suggest adding a bit of jam with it so it’s not so sticky and dry making it tough for them to swallow.  If there are nut allergies in the family however, it is recommended to hold off longer.  In this case, you should check with your paediatrician just to be safe.
Baby is getting more and more dextrous and deft at using a spoon and picking up finger food at this stage making meal time a lot more messy for mom and dad, but a heck of a lot more fun for the little one.

At 12 months, baby is well on his/her way to becoming a participating member of the family at the dinner table.

My son got through all these stages with flying colours and now at 2 yrs. would rather have fruits and veggies over some of the more popular toddler fare.  It’s not uncommon to hear “eat some of your pizza and then you can have more carrots” at our dinner table.
Although I’ll miss all the food stages and milestones I suppose we still have many others to look forward to like school Christmas concerts, the first year he believes in Santa and the Easter Bunny,  lots of self-induced hugs and I love you’s and if he’s anything like his big brother Eric, highlight reel glove saves during the big game.  O.K. I feel a bit better now.

Happy Birthday Baby…Son…Child…Kid…Carter!

Friday 18 November 2011

I Care, I Cook

I tend to stock my car with 2 weeks worth of cd’s for my drives home from work.  I’m still drawn to cd’s rather than ipod’s, but to be honest, my Toyota Echo doesn’t have a plug in for an ipod…or power windows for that matter.  Anyway, tonight on my way home I was listening to Matthew Barber and got lost in some lyrics.  “If you want to know what love really means, it’s when the one you’re with goes and sews a patch in your jeans.”  “All the hugs and kisses in the world can’t compete when the one you’re with goes and sews a patch in your jeans.”

Doesn’t that just ooze warm feelings of being cared for??  If I ever sewed a patch on my husband’s or kid’s jeans they would wonder what happened to their wife and mother because I don’t sew.  So instead I cook.
There’s something warm-hearted about lingering in the kitchen preparing my family’s favourite meals to sit and share with them upon culmination.  Even throwing together something simple and easy is joy inducing because I know they will still appreciate it and ultimately feel cared for.  Maybe it’s just me, but I get immense happiness out of it.



Let’s get back on track to baby food specifics.  It’s always great to have some staple items in your pantry so you can make a quick meal for baby without having to run to the market.  Below is a list of some must haves to make your life and that little one you care for’s life a little easier.

·         Cow’s Milk – For babies 7 months + you can use cow’s milk to add to recipes to thin them out, or to make a nice versatile cheese sauce to add to veggie and pasta purees.

·         Yogurt – Great to have on hand for 7 months +.

·         Eggs – Cooked and scrambled egg yolk can be given to infants 7 months + but avoid the egg white until 12 months + due to potential allergic reactions.

·         Cheddar Cheese – Cheese is a great protein to add to the 7 months + veggie purees and scrambled egg yolks.

·         Mini Pasta – Mini pasta such as the tiny ABC’s or Orzo is a great staple grain to have on hand for baby.  You can cook the pasta following the package directions but don’t add salt to the water, then add the cooked pasta to various veggie purees with an easy tomato cheese sauce.  Stay tuned for detailed sauce recipes.

·         Rice – Just as pasta, rice is a fantastic grain to have on hand and can be used in a similar fashion.

·         Frozen Veggies – Frozen veggies such as peas, beans, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots are great to have on hand in a pinch to create cooked veggie purees or stews.  Most store bought frozen veggies are flash frozen at their peak of freshness which retains most of their nutrients.  Since they are originally frozen in their raw state, it is fine to take them out of the freezer, steam or cook them, puree them and re-freeze your batch of puree.  If they were cooked before freezing originally, which is rarely the case with store bought frozen vegetables, you cannot re-cook and then re-freeze them.

·         Frozen Berries – Blueberries for 6 months + and Strawberries for 8 months +.  Berries are perfect to cook over medium low heat in a sauce pan for about 10 minutes or until they are nice and juicy.  You can then let them cool and mash them and add to baby cereal or to some fresh mashed banana.  For 6 month old babies you may want to press the cooked, mashed blueberries through a strainer just to get rid of the tough skins.

·         Potatoes – Always great to have on hand for stews or cooked and pureed adding in some fresh spinach.

·         Canned Tuna in Oil – Cans of tuna are perfect to have on hand to mix with some tiny pasta and cheese sauce.  Tuna packed in oil is better for baby as it retains a lot of the healthy fats babies need for brain development.

·         Frozen Chicken – Cooked and crumbled chicken added into stews and veggie purees adds a protein punch that all babies require.

·         Veggie Broth – Homemade is great, but a store bought organic, low sodium variety works too.  Always good to have on hand for soups and stews.

·         Chicken Broth – Again homemade is great, but a store bought organic, low sodium variety is also o.k.

·         Iron Fortified Baby Cereals – Starting with rice cereal at 4 months + and then introducing barley, wheat and mixed baby cereal as baby grows is an essential part of baby’s feeding routine.

·         Flour – Always good to have on hand to thicken a nice cheese sauce or stew.

·         Unsalted Butter – Butter is a staple fat used to sauté chicken, add to sauces, to cook scrambled eggs, to add to veggie purees, etc. etc. etc.

With these basics on hand and a little imagination you can whip up some great meals for baby in no time.

Let’s all keep propagating those warm feelings of being cared for by sewing a patch on a loved one’s jeans, or for the darning impaired…cooking!