Bark if You Understand

Do you ever find yourself in the middle of an in depth one sided conversation with your toddler when it’s too early to admit defeat in their lack of comprehension, and too late to stop in your tracks and forget about the whole thing?

Toddlers are tricky.  Sometimes they talk like little adults so you think you can carry on a regular conversation with them as if they are your middle aged next door neighbour.  Other times they communicate in the form of a “BARK” which is prefaced by a lap around the kitchen on all fours and a timely leg lift, just as all made-up dogs do.

The other morning I was loading my toddler Carter into the car for daycare drop off.  This day was special…I was dropping him off and Daddy was picking him up.  Normally whomever drops off also picks up, which in turn means whichever toy Carter brings with him for the ride, will be right there waiting for him in the car when he gets picked up.  I lift him into the car and he asks if Buzz Lightyear can come for the ride.  I quickly buckle him in so I can run to get the toy but then stop and think.  If he brings the toy in my car this morning, it won’t be in Daddy’s pick up car later.  O.K. I must explain this to him.  “Maybe you should just leave Buzz at home today because if you bring him in Mommy’s car and he stays in Mommy’s car, he won’t be in Daddy’s car tonight and I know you will want him to be in Daddy’s car tonight because Daddy is picking you up, so if you just leave him at home then he will be waiting for you at home when you get home instead of having to wait for Mommy to bring him home after work.”  I don’t even know what I just said, but I’m certain he is getting it.  He is nodding in agreement as the convoluted story keeps spewing out of me motivating me to carry on.  He’s looking like he has accepted it and is in full agreement of leaving Buzz at home.  Conversation ends with my “O.K.” and his “O.K.”  Then begins again with Carter’s face down and eyes up saying, “so, you gonna go get him?”

You would think after all these exhausting exchanges with the kids I wouldn’t have the time or energy to make homemade baby food.  But lucky for you I do…and you do too.

Today I’m making a corn, carrot and cauliflower puree for the Solid Food Intermediates out there, 8 months +.  It’s best to wait until 8 months for this one as corn is on the list of foods for baby that have a higher potential to cause an allergy or digestive issue.  The older a baby is, the better equipped they are to handle such an incidence.  Corn may not be a powerhouse as far as nutrients go, so it’s best to use them in combination with other veggie stars to add some sweet and creamy flavour to the puree.  For more information on using corn in baby food preparations, see Momtastic’s Wholesome Baby Food website.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Cream of Corn, Carrot and Cauliflower

 

Age – 8 months +

Ingredients

·         1 corn on the cob

·         2 large carrots

·         2 cups chopped cauliflower florets

·         ¼ cup of milk

·         1 tbsp. of butter

Baby Steps

1.      Place corn on the cob in pot of boiling water.  Cover and cook until done, approx. 12 minutes.  Set aside.

2.      Peel and chop carrots and put into steamer pot set over boiling water.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

3.      Add chopped cauliflower to carrots in steamer and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.

4.      While carrots and cauliflower are cooking, slice cooked corn from the cob and add to a large bowl.

5.      Once carrots and cauliflower are done, remove from heat and add them to the corn in the bowl.

6.      Add butter and milk to veggies and transfer to a food processor, blender or leave in bowl to use a hand held blender to puree.

7.      Puree to desired consistency.

8.      Let cool then transfer to freezing trays in the freezer to use within 3 months, and some to a food storage container in the fridge to use within 48 hours.

Makes – 10 Servings (1 serving = 2 tbsps.)

Boys

I’ve always wanted a little girl.  A little mini-me to mould into a strong, smart and caring adult and a confidant to take along on shopping trips who understands the value of a pretty little dress.

I have 2 boys.  2 boys, 10 years apart in age and funnily enough, both who don’t wear pretty little outfits that swing up when they turn around.  Running shoes are more their speed.

We went on a family road trip for my older son Eric’s hockey tournament last weekend and had lots of fun doing boy things.  We arrived at our destination early so we went to the nearest mall to pass some time.  We by passed windows of beautiful colour and style and found ourselves inside a sports store.  We purchased a mini basketball net for inside the hotel room because if there’s down time in between the 53 hockey games scheduled over the next 3 days what would they do if they didn’t have another sport to pass the time?  After we left the sports store I hinted at hitting another girl friendly shop and my son said, “mom, we have all weekend, you should save some shopping excitement for tomorrow.”  So we grabbed a quick lunch instead and the only opportunity I had to go shopping for the rest of the weekend was to grab more Gatorade and fulfill snack requests for items we didn’t seem to already have in the room.

I must admit, the boys do provide lots of entertainment.  At the restaurant Eric was very impressed with the glass his chocolate milk was served in.  It was a glass that was curved like the leaning tower of Pisa but you could barely tell it was chocolate milk as it was just off-white in colour rather than a rich chocolaty hue.  He apprehensively took his first sip through the straw and exclaimed, “100% for presentation, 0% flavour.”

We also had my 2yr. old asking us, “can I have a Jeffrey, can I have a Jeffrey?”  What on earth did he mean?  We came to find out Eric was eating a big chocolate chip muffin and when Carter asked what it was.  He told him, “it’s a Jeffrey”, knowing full well of his current stage of learning the proper names of things.

All in all it was a great weekend.  Carter loved watching his big brother play hockey and was a patient angel in between games.  I think he’s got the hockey bug in him now too.

Of course I love watching the games, hanging out with my boys and playing a game of 21 (mini basketball) or two.  Having grown up with no sisters myself, I know deep down I wouldn’t know what to do with a little girl after our shopping trip was over so I suppose all is as it should be.

O.K. time to make some baby food.

My 2 year old LOVES broccoli and cauliflower.  I think it may have to do with the fact that I made recipes like below for him as a baby all the time.  I didn’t however make Eric’s baby food way back when and now he is revolted by the sight of broccoli.  Hmmm?

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Veggie and Cheese Medley

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

·         2 carrots

·         ¾ cup frozen peas

·         3 cups chopped broccoli

·         3 cups chopped cauliflower

Cheese Sauce

·         1 tbsp. of butter

·         1 tbsp. of flour

·         1 ½ cups of milk

·         ¾ cups medium cheddar shredded

Baby Steps

1.      Peel, clean and chop veggies

2.      Add carrots to a steamer set over boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.

3.      Add broccoli and cauliflower and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

4.      While veggies are steaming you can make the cheese sauce.

5.      Melt butter in medium sized pan and add in the flour.  Stir until it forms a smooth paste.

6.      Add in milk and stir until there are no lumps and the milk starts to thicken.  Approx. 3 minutes.

7.      Add in cheese and stir until melted and sauce is smooth and creamy.

8.      Once the 10 minutes of steaming is up after adding the broccoli and cauliflower, add in the peas and cook for 3 more minutes.

9.      Remove veggies from heat and transfer to a food processor, blender or bowl to use a hand held blender to puree.

10.  Add in cheese sauce and some of the cooking water 1 tbsp. at a time and puree to a smooth consistency.

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

Makes - Approx. 16 Servings (1 serving = 2 tbsps.)

Once you get over the exhaustion, it’s actually nice having 2 boys with a 10 year age difference.  It’s like a live re-enactment of the past.  After witnessing some of my 2 yr. old’s tantrums, it inspired my 12 year old to say, “if I acted like that when I was his age I need to apologize”, and me to say, “if I lost my temper with you like that I need to apologize.”  Live and learn.

Pete the Pepper?

Guess who?

It’s the ever jovial and timeless Mr. Potato Head!

No, that’s not him…let’s try that again…

There he is!

Carter’s new (old) favourite movie is Toy Story. He has become entranced with each character so his discomposure was no shocker as he caught glimpse of the classic Mr. Potato Head toy my husband brought home for him recently.

He LOVES it!  Just as millions of kids before him. So simple…so easy…so brilliant.  Concoct your very own funny face on a plastic potato…genius!  When Mr. Potato Head first came to be, it didn’t include the plastic potato body.  The idea was to have your parents give you a potato, carrot or other big enough root vegetable to stick the plastic body parts into.  Voila…instant veggie person!

Mr. Potato Head was invented and developed by George Lerner in 1949 and then first manufactured and distributed by Hasbro in 1952.  This was the first toy ever advertised on television and the first ad aimed at children directly.  All previous commercials would speak to adults.  I guess this is who we thank now for instigating a regular riot in the grocery store cereal aisle as little Jimmy MUST HAVE those sugar corn something or others that the big coloured box told him he must have this morning.  

Growing up, Lerner would take potatoes from his mother’s garden and add homemade body parts to them to give to his sister to play with…little did he know this was the birth of a gazillion dollar idea.

Over 1 million kits were sold the first year and then a year later the introduction of his beloved side kick Mrs. Potato Head came to be.

By 1964, government regulations made the plastic potato body we know and love today a mandatory addition to the Mr. Potato head kit.  It was kids playing with appendages that had connectors sharp enough to stab through the flesh of a hard vegetable that caused a stir.  Go figure.

Many fruit and veggie characters followed such as Oscar the Orange, Pete the Pepper, Katie Carrot and Cookie Cucumber but none had the staying power of the almighty Potato.

This is inspiring a baby food recipe in me.  But instead of using the plastic potato I’ll use a real one and I’ll replace the swanky moustache and dumbo ears with carrot and rutabaga and the toothy grin and rubbery arms with broccoli and cauliflower.  Then I’ll mash them all together for the ultimate in flavour, texture and nutrients for baby. 

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Monster Mash

Age – 6 months +

 Ingredients

·         2 large carrots

·         2 medium potatoes

·         1 ¼ cups chopped rutabaga

·         1 cup chopped broccoli

·         1 cup chopped cauliflower

·         1 tbsp. butter

·         ½ cup of milk

Baby Steps

1.      Peel and chop carrots, potatoes and rutabaga and place in steamer set over boiling water.  Cover and steam for 12 minutes.

2.      Add chopped broccoli and cauliflower and continue to steam for another 10 minutes.

3.      Remove from heat and transfer to a food processor, blender or bowl to use hand held blender to puree.

4.      If baby is over 8 months you can mash the veggies instead of pureeing them for some added texture.

5.      Whichever method you’re using, add the butter and milk and mash or puree to desired consistency.  You can also add some of the cooking water a tbsp. at a time to further thin out the mixture if you like.

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

Makes – 14 Servings (1 serving = 2 tbsps.)

Just like the invention of Mr. Potato Head, this recipe is so simple…so easy…so brilliant (in nutrients for baby that is).

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. 

One Day at a Time

Let’s think for a moment about the thought of preparing your own baby food from scratch.  What things come to mind?  “I don’t have time”… “it’s way too complicated”… “how do I know if my baby will be getting all the proper nutrients?”  And so on.

Intimidation is the reality of taking the leap into preparing baby’s meals at home, but with a little research and taking a “one day at a time” approach, intimidation will cower to empowerment.

As all new moms and dads know, research is a huge component to the parenting gig.  Parenthood brings with it excessive amounts of the unknown so we try to read up on the subject, take advice from friends and family and analyze each tid bit in hopes of becoming the ultimate care giver. 

The research piece of the evolution from jarred baby food to home prepared almost takes care of itself if you switch your study from which jarred foods are the best, to that of the basics of making baby food at home.

Then if you take a “one day at a time” approach, you can resolve to make a puree or two to see how it goes without immediately committing to a personal title change of “Master Baby Chef” for the next 12 months or so.  If you take this kind of approach, there are no lofty aspirations to fail to achieve.

You may even be more comfortable doing a mix of both home prep and buying jarred foods at the beginning until you start to get into a happy culinary rhythm at home…which before long, I predict will happen.

You’re probably wondering why I would suggest buying jarred food if I’m a homemade food prep advocate.  I don’t want to convey that jarred food is the worst thing you can give to your baby and be a fear monger like those 6 o’clock news clip headlines, “How Christmas Tree Lights Can Turn into Mini Bombs.”  If doing a mix of jarred and homemade food to start with relieves some of the intimidation then at least the first step into a world of home prep has been made rather than avoided altogether.

There are endless amounts of information available on homemade baby food prep and some include painful, intricate steps that would make anyone think 5 times before attempting it themselves. 

As an example, I read an article on how to store frozen food cubes.  Once the cubes were transferred to a freezer bag the detailed instructions told me to insert a straw into the corner of the baggie and suck as much of the air out as possible and then seal it to keep the freshness in and excess air out.  When I translated that into my own routine, I just rolled the cubes over once in the bag to press the air out and then seal.  I’m sure the “suck out the air with a straw” method would allow for the ultimate in freshness, but I also think it would be the demise of many parent’s homemade baby food prep aspirations.

Never fear…here is a good basic veggie puree recipe.  Give it a try and see how it goes.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Broccoli and Cauliflower Meets Carrots

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

·         1 cup chopped carrots

·         2 cups chopped broccoli

·         2 cups chopped cauliflower

·         1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Baby Steps

·         Add carrots to a steamer over boiling water.  Cover and cook for 8 minutes.

·         Add broccoli and cauliflower to carrots, cover and continue to steam for another 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.

·         Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes

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

·         Add 3 tbsps. or more of the liquid used to steam the veggies depending on how thin or thick you want the consistency to be.  Younger babies around 6-7 months old should have a nice thin smooth consistency, whereas older babies can handle a bit more texture.

·         Add the butter and puree until desired consistency is achieved.

·         Let cool and then transfer a few servings to a tightly sealed food storage container in the fridge to be used within 48 hrs. and the rest to freezing trays which will safely last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

As baby gets a bit older, this veggie combo is great to add to left over rice from a family meal for an instant lunch or dinner for baby.

Makes approx. 12 servings.  (1 serving = 2 tbsp.)

$ and cents – 1 head of broccoli + 1 head of cauliflower + 1 bunch of carrots costs about $6.00.  This would translate into more than 24 servings of this recipe.  Literally, pennies a serving and priceless in freshness and nutrients.

So what do you say?  Do you want to join me in my Baby Food Evolution by redirecting some of your parenthood research to the basics of baby food prep, and taking it one day at a time withholding any lofty aspirations?  Let’s do it!