I Would Like...

With kids in the house there is no shortage of laughs.  Add in a 10 year age discrepancy and the diversity of humour goes through the roof.  One is funny because of the way they weave their words and thoughts together, and the other is funny because of the way they needle their prey with incessant mockery.  Considering both are boys it’s tough to guess which characterization is the 2 year old and which is the 12 year old.

2 year old Carter is currently on an “I NEED” kick.  Whenever he wants something he says, “I NEED” such and such.  One morning this week he bellowed, “I need a banana!”  My husband responded, “you don’t NEED anything.  If you would like a banana then say, I would like a banana please.”  “Now Carter, what would you like?”  Carter thoughtfully replied, “a yogurt”.  I almost choked on my granola trying to stifle my laugh.

On the other side of the spectrum is 12 year old Eric.  He’s more into the, “hey uncle Ryan I like your sweater…my mom has one just like it.”  And he’s in stitches.  And somehow so are we all.

Never a dull moment with these two…

And just as I started to mourn at the thought of Eric being too old to want to make me a Mother’s Day gift, in swoops the 2 year old with a handmade Mother’s Day card and potted plant courtesy of the daycare craft brigade.

Happy Mother’s Day to me. J  And to you of course!

Let’s see if all those hubbies out there want to whip up a simple Broccoli and Cauliflower puree with a creamy cheese sauce for baby today to give mom a break on her special day!

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Cauli-Broc ‘n Cheese

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

·         4 cups of broccoli chopped

·         4 cups of cauliflower chopped

Cheese Sauce Ingredients

·         1 tbsp. of butter

·         ¾ cup of cheddar cheese

·         1 tbsp. Flour

·         1 ½ cups milk

Baby Steps

1.      Clean and chop broccoli and cauliflower and place in steamer set over boiling water.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

2.      To make the sauce melt butter in a pan over medium heat.

3.      Add flour and stir until it makes a smooth paste.  Approx. 1 minute.

4.      Add milk and stir until lumps are gone and it starts to thicken.

5.      Add cheese and stir until it reaches a smooth consistency.  You can add a bit more milk at the end if you want a less thick sauce.

6.      Transfer steamed broccoli and cauliflower into a blender, food processor or bowl to use hand held blender to puree.  Add a couple of tbsps. of the cooking water to the veggies and puree to a smooth consistency.

7.      Add cheese sauce to veggies and stir until mixed in well.

8.      Let cool and then add to freezing trays to use within 3 months or to a food storage container in the fridge to use within 48 hours.

Makes – 12 servings (1 serving = 2 tbsps.)

Note – For older babies, 8 months +, you can just slightly puree the cooked veggies or even use a knife and fork to cut them into tiny pieces allowing for a chunkier texture.

Lucky for me this hobby/project/destiny of writing a baby food cook book in my spare (ha!) time allows me to reflect on all those little things my boys do to make me smile.  And there’s plenty.