Change

Never will your presence, or lack there of, be as noticed as when you are the parent of a baby or toddler.  There’s no flying under the radar here.  Gone are the days when you can be so inconsiderate as to not announce your departure to the washroom, or to throw a load of laundry in.  No…luxurious pleasures such as those are gone.  If you or your spouse, or significant other or mother who is over to help you with the baby, aren’t privy to the caregiving hiatus the teeny departure will initiate…all hell will break loose.

This is just one of the many things that change rapidly after becoming a parent.  Some people think things change when you get married, but I disagree, not much is different.  Maybe just instead of watching your favourite shows alone, you still watch them alone but hear the gentle hum of your spouse’s favourite shows from another room.  But once the pair of you becomes responsible for another little human being who counts on you day and night and won’t work their cries around your favourite TV shows, that’s when things start to change.

Luckily, some of their cries are because they are hungry.  That’s easy enough to fix. 

Today I’m going to get back to basics with a Pear puree for those Solid Food Apprentices out there.  6 month old babies are eager to try new tastes and lucky for us at this stage it’s all about the simple 1 ingredient purees to test their toleration of each food before moving on to another.  This natural progression for baby to start with simple, 1 ingredient purees, and then move on to other more diverse dishes, allows for the natural progression of baby food making skills in the kitchen too.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Nothing But Pears

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

·         5 ripe Pears

·         Yes, that’s it

Baby Steps

1.      Peel and core pears and slice into thin pieces.

2.      Place pears into saucepan along with 2 tbsps. of water.  Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for approx. 12 minutes until pears are tender and juicy.

3.      Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes to cool.

4.      Transfer to a food processor, blender, or bowl to use hand held blender to puree.

5.      Puree to a smooth consistency.

6.      Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to freezing trays in the freezer to use within 3 months, or to a food storage container in the fridge to use within 48 hours.

Makes – Approx. 10 servings (1 serving = 2 tbsps.)

I’m pleased to report that even through all the change a baby brings, it’s not so bad.  There is HD PVR afterall…and of course the giggles of the little mini me making everyone in the house and beyond just as happy as they are in that moment.