Zucchini Fritters

Since we're on the subject of finger food - here's another one that went down a treat here.
You can just use all zucchini (courgette) or you can sub out one zucchini for a carrot like I did as I only had one zucchini left.

Super quick and easy to make. Nice to eat for yourself too as a snack. When I wrote the method earlier, I forgot to point out that I steamed the grated vegetables beforehand for about 2 minutes. It's totally optional, you'd be fine not to, but it just softened the carrot up nicely.

Pop the leftover fritters in the fridge or freeze them in little snack bags in the freezer. They are great hot or cold. I served them with mashed potato the other night for dinner. We spoon fed him the potato... I don't know about you, but I don't eat mashed potato with my hands... and don't want to encourage my child to do so either.

Enjoy!

Finger Food Options

Arthur loves food. It's not really a battle to get something in his mouth. (Long may that last!)
The battle though is for me to come up with new ideas to keep him interested in food and flavour. It's not that he becomes 'disinterested' in food... but I just like be introducing new textures and flavours on a regular basis to offer some diversity. He also likes the independence of feeding himself, so I try to incorporate a lot of finger food options into his diet.

I've read a little bit about baby led weaning. However, I'm not a devotee to any particular trend or theory in baby feeding and weaning, but I like to read a few different theories and ideas and then blend a few to find something that fits in with us.

I've found finger food to be great because the more he can feed himself, the more amused he is in that highchair while I prepare the main course. I've also found that spoon feeding him his main meal ensures that he has a nice full belly which results in a nice 11-12 hour night time sleep... and I'm not sure any 'theory' could persuade me to risk loosing that beautiful full night's sleep.

From what I've read on baby led weaning (limited reading) I've read that it helps a baby to determine when they are full. Makes sense. So I feed him his dinner with a spoon... then leave him with finger food to finish. Some nights he eats the whole lot, other times he will eat a few pieces, and then smash the rest or throw it on the floor, and I know he is full.
If I need time to prepare his main meal, I will start him with finger food, and then spoon feed him until he shuts his mouth and turns his head away from me. I won't keep pushing the spoon into his mouth at this point. I will leave a few pieces of food on the high chair table to pick at, just to make sure he is finished.

It is in my humble, first time mother opinion, that a blend of theories and concepts is a pretty safe option. Tailor your methods of parenting to suit the individual child you've created. Don't rely on a book, or what worked for someone else, to determine the path you go down. Try things and let your child let you know whether it's working or not (within reason).

This kid likes a combo of spoon feeding and finger food, so that is what we do. I have a feeling he likes the attention I give him when I feed each spoonful to him, and to be honest, that's ok with me.

So whilst on the subject of finger food, here is what I made the other day and it went down a treat. I struggle to find diversity in finger food options, so maybe this will help others?

Pumpkin CousCous Balls.

Dice pumpkin ( approx 1 cup).
Steam pumpkin
Cook 1/4 cup of couscous
Add steamed Pumpkin to cooked couscous
Mash pumpkin into couscous with fork
Sprinkle in grated parmesan cheese
Add cracked pepper to taste
Roll mixture into small balls.
Place extra balls in a container in the fridge as a handy snack.

NINE months

I don't know how it happened, but I have a 9 month old (actually closer to a 10 month old). Let me tell you, this is a FUN age. It's sometimes exhausting, as you can't take your eyes off him for one moment, but it is very very enjoyable and rewarding. Also, with two naps a day, you still get time to re-energize (a.k.a cleaning the house, doing the washing, tidying up the toys and doing the dishes)... long live the naps!

I've liked all of his ages and stages, but so far this one is the best. I'm starting to think this is why there are so many families I know who have children 18-20 months apart... because at 9 months, a Mother goes, YES! Let's have another one! Babies are awesome!

No. Settle down. I'm not having another one just yet. 

This one is enough for me for now.

We had the first tooth emerge from the gums finally this week. A little one all by itself down the bottom. He can't stop flicking it with his tongue which makes for some funny facial expressions. With the tooth came a lowered immune system, which made way for his first ear infection and a little dose of coxsackie virus (commonly known as hand,foot,mouth... but he didn't quite get to that point of mouth blisters thankfully). By the way... who named the coxsackie virus?? Apologies for my immaturity. But seriously.

It was his first time being sick, and he coped rather well... there were some tears and lots of cuddles (can't complain about those!), a trip to the doctor and his sleep was out a wee bit, with some difficulty settling and some early wake ups, but he kicked the ear infection within a day or so and the rash began clearing soon after. I had a MUCH happier baby by the weekend. It was so nice to have his giggles return....

It's so hard as a first time mum to know when your child is really sick, or when they're just teething or under the weather... Fortunately we live in a country where children have free medical care, and so I take full advantage of that. When the rash spread to his whole body and a little blister appeared between his fingers I knew it was time to get him checked... Never fear that you're being an overacting neurotic mother EVER. Giving birth does not automatically give you the power to diagnose and cure childhood illness... it does however give you mother's instinct... which you should always trust.

I did actually feel like a real dick one time when I'd convinced myself he was sick (about 4 months old). I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctors and he was giggling and blabbering away, laughing at everyone and smiling... I felt like a total fraud. I totally second guessed myself and knew we shouldn't be there.... that his tears that morning were. just. tears. not a cry for medical assistance. My sister was with me, and was feeling very awkward about the fact that we were sitting in a medical waiting room with a very healthy baby and possibly EXPOSING him to sickness... The GP was really nice about it and was very supportive in my decision to bring him in, even if the result was that he was very very healthy and she gave me a gold star for my mother chart.

I'm really writing like lightning speed tonight, forgive me for the verbal diarrhea.

Seriously though, it's hard to see little babies feeling so miserable. I'm glad you're feeling better now little Bear.

He actually now has a full on snotty nose which is pretty gross, and he has a MASSIVE aversion to nose wiping (instant tears), but tears and tantrums it is, because I will not let that slimy nose stuff make it's way from the nostril to the upper lip. That's just gross.

I wish I looked this adorable when I'm full of a cold.

I should really split this into a separate post, but given my slackness with the updates, I should probably continue while I have the time.

This is what I love about 9 month olds. Play time. Tonight we seemed to have so much time together before bed. We got home at about 5.00, had dinner at 5.30, and played until 7pm. It was so much fun. He was being hilarious and I took several videos to capture it all. Like I said in my previous post - I'm taking time to smell those flowers.

Enough for one post I think. I'm sure you get the idea. I'm obsessed with this little person. He brings so much love and joy into my life, it's overwhelming.

Arthur had a little lamb...

Tonight we tried Lamb.
It was a HIT.

From memory.... here is what I did to make this meal (in about 15 minutes).

INGREDIENTS
1 courgette (zucchini)
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 shallot
1 small lamb strip
Unsalted butter
1 teaspoon of paprika
1/4 cup couscous
1 teaspoon sour cream

Steamed a diced courgette and some chopped up fresh spinach. (steam courgette first, then add spinach)
Sauteed some diced shallot in unsalted butter. Added in a small about of finely diced lamb (I got some lamb back strap which was nice and lean). Once the lamb was cooked I added the steamed vegetables to the pan with a 1/4 cup of water and a teaspoon of paprika. I simmered the whole dish for a few minutes until tender.
Add 1/4 cup of couscous to just over a 1/4 cup of boiling water. Cover and let sit for 4-5 minutes until fluffy.

I mixed the lamb and vegetables into the couscous and stirred through 1 teaspoon of sour cream.

It was delicious. He cried when it ran out. It actually made two meals but I didn't tell him that. I gave him some fruit to finish up and saved the second meal for lunch tomorrow. I know... I'm mean.

This was fresh, quick, tasty and easy.

On a side note; tonight I was doing the sign for 'more' and every time I did it he cracked up laughing... hmmm... not sure if this baby signing stuff will catch on.

Take time to smell those flowers.

Forgive me... I haven't posted anything of substance for a while. As I've said before. Life is busy. Finding time to write a blog is a bit of a luxury at the moment, but I'm glad I've found the energy to spend 5 minutes of writing.

I often feel pulled in so many directions, desperate to excel in all areas and achieve everything to my ridiculously high standards. It wears me down. It leads to feelings of anxiety and guilt. It leads to lowered esteem and that feeling of failure begins to creep in. It's not healthy.

Fortunately I've started to relax and set about changing my way of thinking. Partly because I was feeling so exhausted so had no choice but to let go of a lot of my expectations and standards, but also because I knew it wasn't a positive place to be long term.

To help me in adjusting my mindset, I've started to actively focus on the good stuff. It seems so easy, but in reality it's actually a full conscious effort to appreciate and remember those good parts of each day. I've found, once you start to do this, you release a lot of stress and tension, and I begin letting go of my fear of imperfection. Some days I have to try harder than others.

Today, my wedding song came on the radio as I parked up at the Supermarket. Instead of turning the car off and rushing inside, I took that moment for myself. I sat there, eyes closed like a total weirdo, and remembered my wedding day. I remembered my happiness as I walked down the aisle listening to that song. It sounds stupid, and it kind of is a bit stupid really now that I write it down. But it was a nice place to be in my mind. I'm glad I did it, even if others walked by and thought me very strange.

I don't want to get too deep and philosophical , or start churning out the cliches, but if there was one piece of advice I would have given to myself as a new mother.. it would be this.

Remember the good moments, be present in them, grab them, enjoy them, and soak up the memories. They will help you through challenges and harder days. They'll remind you of why you do what you do and make it all worth it. Go easy on yourself. (I don't know if I would have listened to myself....) 

So, if you're still reading,  let's get back to focusing on the good stuff.

Art's bedtime hug. The beautiful, heart swelling, feel like I'm going to burst with love hugs he has started giving me at the end of the day before I lay him down to sleep are magic. I can't even find words. When he puts his head down softly on my shoulder and just 'rests' there on me for a minute... I'm in heaven. I forget the challenges of my day. I forget everything, and I just melt. I feel loved. I feel complete. It's overwhelming, cheesy, and a wonderful way to end our day together. At this exact moment, at approximately 7.30pm every day, if you were to ask me "So what's life like with a baby?" I'd beg you to go and get pregnant straight away so you can start experiencing this love.

Ask me at 2.30am or 3.30pm, or 9.30am, or 6.00 am and I might say otherwise...

Other moments I quite like to savour include Friday mornings when I get him to fall asleep in my bed and sneak in an early nap, so he has maximum charge before we head off to playgroup.

His little mind in overdrive, watching his reflection, fascinated by the rain pelting the windows. The world is an amazing place when you're this small.

The delight on his face when Daddy comes home. Followed by deep belly giggles that only his Daddy can get out of him. This has now progressed to him only saying Dadda Dadda Dadda and offering an abundance of slobbery open mouthed kisses to his Dadda. What? Me jealous? noooooo. 

I enjoy his little smile that slowly spreads across his face in the car when I play the 'tap your sticks song'. It's quite an annoying song, but I'll push through to see that smile.

He has to SCHMOOOOOOOZE anything soft with a full face smash and snuggle. He love love loves schmoozing. It's bizarre and adorable all at once. This kid is all about texture.

I love his determination to turn the pages in his books himself and feel the little details on the pages with his little fingers so carefully.

I love how he is becoming a little boy.

Hope all you mumma's had a lovely mother's day. Although I worked most of the day, Arthur  My husband gifted me a beautiful ceramic swan which will remain very special for years to come. Despite choosing to wake at 6am instead of 7am, I was lucky to have a sleep in until 8 (yes that's a sleep in) while my husband entertained Art upstairs and cooked me a delicious breakfast. I like mother's day!

I've spent some time wondering whether I should post this. Wondering if I've said too much, thinking I sound like a weirdo... revealing too much of my inner workings.

But there you go. I posted it. I want to go to bed, so a decision had to be made.

Playing around with Risotto

I didn't take a photo of the first risotto I made the bear, so you'll just have to trust me that it was good.
Risotto is very versatile and a very handy ingredient to have on hand when you're whipping up culinary delights for your little humans in a hurry.

This dish probably takes around 20 minutes start to finish. It's a little more labour intensive, but there will be enough left over for lunch the next day or for another dinner (maybe even more if your baby eats small meals). I always make more than I need - so keep that in mind when you find yourself thinking " HER KID EATS THIS MUCH?... In ONE sitting?"

I also wing it when I cook these dishes. I don't really take note on measurements and sometimes I forget what I put in there - so please use my measurements as a guide - and adjust as you're cooking. If you think it's looking a little bit dry, add more milk or water... if you think it needs more substance add more peas or vegetables... if it needs more punch, squeeze in some more lemon. Taste and judge for yourself as you go.

I literally am looking at the picture and trying to remember what's in there...so if you think you see something else in there that's not on the list - it's probably in there. It's likely there could have been some chicken, garlic and basil thrown in. I'm not too good at this recipe writing business am I?

I think I have included everything. You'll see that I use shallots in his cooking as opposed to regular onion. I like that they are small, and often the two halves are in their own 'outer skin' so the unused half can go back in the cupboard ready for another meal (does that make sense?). Also, they are easier to finely dice, and they punch a nice flavour into his dishes.

Arthur started eating risotto at about 8 months old. He is good with his textures, only gagging a few times here and there as he learns the ins and outs of chewing (without teeth). All babies are different, so play around with the texture. If you find they prefer less lumps then just blend it for a second prior to serving.

I serve this dish with a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower as he likes a 'finger food' component with every meal. Mum holds the spoon, but Art can feed himself the vegetables. It seems to work well at the moment.

By the way - Have you SEEN a baby eat peas!?!? It's right up there with eating raisins and blueberries. Pretty much the cutest thing on the planet (right up there with cute cat videos on you tube...maybe even cuter)...

Time to do the bedtime routine.