Easy dinners

Easy dinners are a life saver. I find that if I can whip something up in record time that's also nutritious, I'm winning.

The child is fed, I suffer no "I just fed my child crap" guilt, and there are minimal dishes to clean up.
Win win win.

Art eats this often. He doesn't complain (enjoying that while it lasts!), so I keep feeding it to him.
It may come in handy one night when you've got no time to lovingly bake a pumpkin in the oven for thirty minutes, or stir a risotto for twenty or create a stupidly fancy masterpiece that your child will thrown on the ground anyway.

Here it is. Nothing magic or amazing but totally edible.

Here's what's involved. 

Fill a pot with water and get it on the boil. 

Place your steamer on top and get the steam going. 

Add pasta to the boiling water in the pot. I mix rice and vegetable organic pasta spirals with regular wheat pasta 'springs'. Both easy finger food pastas. 

After about 5 minutes. Throw some broccoli, sliced courgette and frozen peas into your steamer. 

After 3-5 minutes (depends how crunchy your child likes it), take everything off the stove, throw it into a bowl and let it cool a bit. 

Add some cracked fresh pepper, a tiny bit of salt (not really needed) and grate some parmesan cheese over the top. If I have a lemon handy I'll squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the dish too. 

That's it. 

Take the rest and put it in their lunch box for the next day, it's still yummy cold. The steamer is honestly your best friend. The juice from the vegetables as they steam falls down into the cooking pasta, so maybe in some roundabout way, the lost nutrients are found again? Or maybe not... but anyway, dinner will be done in about 10 minutes. 

Lunch time

I've been a little bit quiet around here... trying to find life balance, and blogging time is limited. I have a lot of photos to share, lunches, dinners, life, thoughts and ideas... but just lack the time! I need to duplicate myself somehow.

Here's a little lunch post, and I'll post something more meaningful tomorrow night... maybe.

This lunch was a little lighter than others. He might have been a bit hungry this day.. sorry Art!

1. Yoghurt Suckies for the afternoon.
2. Marmite and cheese sammies (cut with a tupperware 'fish' sammy cutter).
3. Craisins
4. Rice wheels and cheese
5. Vegetable & Rice pasta swirls with parmesan cheese and lemon juice.

I find even on our days at home, I follow this same segmented smorgasbord style lunch. He seems to like choosing what to eat first, and most of all, loves feeding himself.

Happy lunchboxing!

Lunch #2

I have a few of these stored up, but forget to share them due to daily life getting in the way...

Mr D has been overseas in Tahiti (LUCKY!!!!) , and I've been a solo working mother this week. It's been an adjustment! I have a new found respect for solo mothers around the globe. 

Despite whether one or two parents are here, this child needs to eat. So I made his lunch tonight while his Nana popped in to bathe him and put him to bed for me. 

The photos of these lunches are never going to be a masterpiece. They are taken in bulb light at about 8.30pm and with an iPhone... so let's not focus on the photo quality. Here's a breakdown with a few more ideas for other lunch box makers out there. 

Pasta: A mix of Vege/Rice Pasta and some wheat pasta spirals. Shredded roast chicken (from my dinner left overs) and steamed broccoli. I grate fresh parmesan over the top and add a squeeze of lemon juice and cracked pepper. He eats this cold. 

Muffin: I bought some Healtheries Bran Flakes and followed the recipe on the back for muffins. It actually worked and I didn't stuff them up! made enough for myself and Art to snack on for the week. 

They've got a bit of goodness in them to counteract the badness, so quite a good recipe. 

Sushi: I got a rice roll maker from the Japanese Home Store for about $3.00. It makes perfect rice rolls for mini sushi bites, so it's so easy to make! Rice in the rice cooker, filling in the rice roller, roll in seaweed, refrigerate, slice... voila! sushi for a little person. Here we have some plain cucumber, and some cream cheese and pineapple. 

Snack Cups:These silicone muffin cases are perfect for lunch boxes! In one I have some cubes of Havarti cheese, some cherry tomato and cucumber. In the other is sliced mango.

Vegetables: Steamed courgette and carrot sticks (left over from dinner). 

Please note: I'm no supermum. This isn't some Martha Stewart sugar coated b**!&$, I only share these lunch boxes because I find myself struggling for inspiration and need quick easy ideas after working all day. When I get a combo that is quick and easy, I share. Come hell or high water, this kid needs a lunch in his bag the next day. Sometimes it's just a marmite sandwich and fruit... and he loves it all the same, but I hope this helps to inspire others who are trying to cram as much variety into their kids as

possible too. 

I find that if you prepare the lunch during dinner prep it is much faster. The steamer is often on, throw in some veges, throw some pasta in the boiling water, get some rice in the rice cooker, chop up some veges and fruit.. before you know it you have a smorgasbord ready for your kid. One less thing to do in the morning. 

Goodnight. 

Flippin' fantastic frittatas

These litttle frits are an excellent addition to the lunchbox. I store them in the fridge, or freezer (and pull them out the day before). They are great for dinner too... anytime really. Also not too bad to snack on yourself as you're racing around trying to clean a kitchen, feed a kid, hang out washing... that sort of thing.

There's nothing revolutionary about the recipe or a frittata and most of you probably already know how to make these. Given my level of cooking ability, I've found this an excellent addition to my finger food repertoire. Throw in any vegetables you have on hand. I always steam them first to soften them. If we're having a casserole, there's nothing stopping you from taking a little bit of that and throwing it in too.. anything goes. Apart from fruit. That might not work.

Art's Lunch

I'm new to this whole lunch box thing, and I know some of my friends are too, so why not share some lunch combinations with each other?
I'm limited to finger food and food he can manage with his gums and very few teeth. I also try to give him a wide variety of food, flavour and texture as his palette develops. I'll share a few of his lunch boxes along the way in the hope it may inspire other tired mums who need to get a lunch packed before they can retire for the evening.

I do find it easier to prepare his lunch the night before. It gives me time to cook up things and clear up the dishes if there are any. I also try to incorporate left overs from his dinner into lunch the next day so we don't waste too much food.

So here's one from the other day:

In case you can't see too clearly: 

Peanut butter & Jam sammy sushi. I got a good tutorial here

Egg Frittata: These take only 10 mins to make and I'll share the recipe on another post. 

Pasta: From his dinner that night. 

CousCous balls - from dinner also.

Yoghurt as an after lunch treat later in the day. 

Kiwifruit - I just peel and slice into wedges for him. 

He loves all of the options and always empties his lunch box. Some on the floor, but most in his belly... 

I WANT TO FEED MYSELF!!!!!

I have a nearly one year old (birthday next week!!! I'm in denial!). Having a nearly one year old means that you need to work on a few new skills.

1. To be able to change a nappy whilst a child is standing, dancing or rolling.
2. You need to be able to do up 30 million domes on a onesie whilst a child is either standing, rolling or crawling.
3. You need to convince your child that throwing food is not acceptable. Good luck. We're working on signing 'finished' as an alternative form of communicating "I'm full!"
4. You need to come up with as many finger food options as possible because after a lot of mess and frustration I've come to learn that the child does NOT want ME to feed him. Hold a spoon anywhere near him and he will flick it faster than you can retract.

So unless you want porridge, mince and couscous on every surface in your home (including yourself) you need to  get creative with the finger food. The options provided need to be suitable for young gums and very few widdle teef!

So here we go... I've got a few to share, but I'll spread them over some posts so I feel like I'm posting regular updates and on top of things... despite not being on top of things AT ALL!

Let's start with Vege Bites.

So all I did here was grab any vegetables I could find in the fridge and simmer them on the stove until they resembled a vegetable casserole. I added some left over pinto beans I had frozen in the freezer and added left over roasties from the fridge and fresh tomatoes to make a tomato based sauce. I sprinkled in some oregano, salt reduced vegetable stock, a teaspoon of tomato paste and some cracked pepper.

I then took about three tablespoons of the vege mix and put it into a bowl with a generous sprinkle of rice flour (you can use normal flour too) . Once I had a nice tacky mixture I made tablespoon sized balls of mixture and cooked them in a pan until golden. They held together well, but if you're having difficulty you could add an egg to bind the mixture.

I have about 3-4 tablespoon lots frozen in containers in the freezer labeled as 'vege bite mix'. Place it in the fridge the night before, and it will be ready for cooking for dinner the next night.

You can cook up a few more and pop them in a lunchbox cold for the next day too. I have another use for this mix too which I'll introduce in future posts.

Dinner Destruction

This is a combination of what I find on the floor, in his bib catcher and in the highchair, post the dinner feeding frenzy. Hence why I offer slightly bigger proportions. I'd say 70% in the mouth, 30% in the bin? Notice there's minimal falafel fritter or brocolii in the regurgitation... I take notes on this sort of thing. Sad but true.

Foolproof Babyoli

This was a bit of an experiment.... and was successful, so I've decided to give it Art's (and my own) seal of approval. I only share recipes that I believe anyone of my friends could make for their own children. The meals I share are based on speed, nutrition, variety and ease.

I'm going to give credit to the website which inspired this creation. This website has GREAT baby food ideas and is my go to.  Here's the link... but don't go away just yet. Here's how the above was created...

Take 1/2 cup of regular flour and 1/2 cup of semolina (available in all NZ supermarkets I'm sure and costs around $2-3 a bag). Throw those in a food processor (or a bowl if you want to do it by hand). Drizzle in 1/3 cup of very warm water and 1 Tbsp of oil slowly to the mixture until you have a nice dough.
Turn dough onto a lightly flour dusted board. Knead for a few minutes... not too long... I don't know the science behind pasta making... but found 2-5 mins of kneading worked.
Break dough into halves and roll one half out very thinly with a rolling pin.

You can use anything as filling which is why I think this meal is brilliant. 

I steamed some butternut and spinach and mashed this with a pinch of paprika and cracked pepper.
Place teaspoon amounts of filling onto one half of your rolled dough. My dough wasn't a perfect shape, so I just spaced the filling leaving enough room for edging as opposed to a nice grid.
Fold the other half of your dough over the top and press around each shape.
Take a knife and cut our your individual ravioli pieces. I trimmed them up and pressed the edges with a fork to ensure the edges were all sealed properly.

Place the finished pieces into boiling water until they rise - 2 minutes maximum I'd say.
Remove carefully and drain. I grated some parmesan cheese over the cooked pasta - optional.
Let them cool slightly and serve. I steamed some broccoli and green beans as a side dish.

Even though this explanation looks long and involved it really is simple. I'm the most challenged person when it comes to cooking and I actually didn't stuff it up! My husband was surprised... as was I.
I glad wrapped the other part of my dough and put it in the fridge. I should have made more but the kitchen was chaos with some pies on the go and our own dinner cooking.

I served about 5 pieces to Art and put 5 or 6 more in the fridge for tomorrow night.

I am by no means a specialist in nutrition for children, and so I do share this on the basis that it worked in our house, for my child... and may not be suitable for all. He is 11 months old, but I think he could have eaten this from a much earlier stage.

CousCous - so good I made it twice.

It feels like it's been a while since I posted an Art approved dinner recipe.
Possibly for a few reasons...

1. He has been sick
2. A sick baby is a fussy eater
3. I wasn't sure if he rejected meals because of sickness or taste
4. Was throwing food a phase? or a reaction to a foul dinner?
5. I've been too busy to be creative
6. Sometimes a jar of food is considered a treat O.K?
7. We repeat a lot of meals... because they're YUM!

So now that I've justified that, let me share this one. Not ground breakingly innovative...but easy and delish, so that's enough reason to share right? I don't know why I didn't make more of this and have it for our own dinner? Next time...

The method for this one is pretty straight forward..
.

How to recreate this one... 

Add 1/4 cup boiling water (or boiling salt reduced vege/chicken stock) to 1/4 cup couscous, cover and let sit. Easy.
Steam cubes of pumpkin, courgette and spinnach. I like to add them in that order to avoid over steaming, you really want to just wilt the spinnach, not cook the crap out of it.
I had some roast beef in the fridge left over from the night before. I finely diced it and heated it in a saucepan, then threw that in too.
I then fluffed the couscous, turned it into a larger bowl, added in the vegetables, the meat and combined. I slighlty mash the pumpkin as I'm mixing. Once combined, I drizzled in some coconut milk until the mixture became more combined.
The meat is totally optional. I think any meat would work with this dish - bacon, lamb, chicken.... just not pork probably because pork is yuck.

The idea with making it all more combined is that you can squish it into balls and let the kid feed themselves. Really fluffy couscous doesn't work too well as a finger food... or a spoon food sometimes as it just ends up everywhere! If you find it a bit too fluffy, just add in some more coconut milk. I spoon feed the first bit of the meal, then leave little piles of the mixture on the table for Art to feed himself with (or throw on the floor).

And there you have it - nothing revolutionary, but quick and tasty.

Coconut CousCous

There's a trend with my baby food recipes... FAST! I'm not one of those mums who has time to oven bake stuff for a few hours, or stand over a stove for a long period of time. My attempts at bite sized muffins have so far failed... and a risotto is about as time hungry as my dinners get. This is why I love couscous. So versatile and fast.

So without further ado I present coconut couscous. So yummy that you'll hope your kid doesn't finish it so you can. As always this recipe will probably make more than one meal. It is great cold too... but I would save the leftovers before adding the coconut milk and water. I'd add in the coconut milk later when you're reheating it - otherwise serve it sans coconut.

I'll let you in on a little secret. This dinner started as left overs. I made the couscous the day before for Art's dinner when we were away using whatever was in the fridge and pantry and served it as a side dish with his lamb cutlets. To make the meal above, I added in the spinach and coconut milk, heated it through and voila! a new meal!

Art is just at that point of eating what we eat now, but as we eat in peace at 7.30pm with a civilised glass of wine in hand, and he eats at 5.30pm ... He doesn't tend to 'eat what we eat' at dinner time. Bearing this in mind, I do like to mix it up for him, sometimes serving simple meals and flavours, and other times more sophisticated flavour. This way, if our eating times ever coincided (like at a restaurant, or weekend dinner), I feel positive that he will eat whatever we are eating. Does that make sense?

Keen to hear from anyone who uses the recipes. Do your kids like them? Loathe them?

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.

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.

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.

Morning delights

Another recipe for those rushed early mornings....
This one takes about ten minutes I'd say. Steaming a pear takes about 5 minutes, so not too much longer than opening a can of fruit. In saying that - there are mornings where those tins or jars of fruit puree come in VERY handy.

As I post this, I've just recovered from a full body coverage in projectile baby vomit. My poor little baby did his first proper spew tonight as I was giving him his last bottle. Awful.

I hope to make this for him in the morning as it's very gentle on the digestive system, and delicious... I hope he has his appetite back.

I give this one the HIGH QUALITY stamp as it's so good,  This one is fail safe. He demolishes bowls of this stuff!

Buckin' good.

Here's a Sunday treat for the bear. Buckwheat Pancakes.

Made nice and easy by using a premix made by Orgran.

The instructions on the back are based on using the entire premix in one go... I'd be impressed if Art could demolish that much pancake in one sitting! So I did some maths and converted it into a smaller amount. It still makes a little too much mixture for one meal (but I don't know how to break my egg into quarters...), but you can put them in the fridge and then just lightly heat them and convert into another meal option later. 

From memory I use; 

1/2 cup mix

40ml water

15ml milk (formula)

1/2 egg 

1/2 tsp of brown sugar (if you think it needs it)

I made four small pancakes (about a tablespoon of mix each). 

Throw on some warm plum and pear puree and let it soak through the fluffy pancakes. I chopped up the pancakes so Art could dip them in the puree. Yummy Yummy!

You win some you lose some...

I thought it only fair I share the fails as well as our successes, just to keep this all real.
We have our first official FAIL in the kitchen. I had limited supplies and time, but thought I'd still make the effort to give him something homemade to eat as opposed to dipping into the pre-made stash of jarred food in the pantry.

This looks healthy and tasty! ( I thought) I do try his meals before feeding them to him. 

I heard Manu's voice in my head. "and vere es zee sauce?" (any MKR fans reading?).

I knew it was a bit dry and crumbly compared to his usual meal offerings, but his repetitive banging on the table was getting to me, and he had run out of mum-mum crackers to suck on.

Ok Arthur Bear, open wide... this is yummmmmyyyyyyy...

The look I got while he processed that first mouthful was priceless. It began with an eager open mouth as he received the first spoonful...and as he chewed, we had eye twitching, a slight gag, a look of "what the HELL is THIS??!!!!!" and then the spitting began... followed by tightly pursed lips.

I tried. But it was a 10/10 fail. Sometimes I can convince him to at least try half of what I've offered... and sometimes he learns to enjoy it. This however, was just a big fat fail and a lovely mess to clean off the floor.

I gave up and ripped open a can of Watties mushy mush and he demolished the whole thing.

So here we go. What NOT to make your 8 month old for lunch.

The Main Course

This one goes down a treat despite what it lacks in visual appeal. Quick and easy if you pre steam, mash and freeze on less busy days. This guy is getting into his finger food now 

which is pretty cute stuff! 

Roasting cauliflower makes the whole flavour richer and more appealing to the taste buds. I always taste his meals before serving to make sure it is actually quite delicious - and this one passes both mine and Arthur's taste test. Ceres Organics do pre-cooked Adzuki Beans in a can which speed things up. 

Adzuki Beans (also known as Aduki or Azuki beans), are a great source of nutrition for babies (and adults). They tend to be quite gentle on the digestive system and aren't as likely to cause gas. It's a great source of protein and high in iron, potassium, and thiamine (a member of the B vitamin family). They also provide a bit of fibre and calcium too which is always welcome. 

So all around I'd say it's a pretty good bean. 

Plum & Pear Cereal

Here's a current favourite in our house. Our friend gave us a large crate of delicious plums, which I steamed, pureed and froze into cubes. They are going down a real treat over here! If you don't have frozen fruit you can easily substitute for another puree or fruit. The plum and pear to be a great combination, and the vanilla takes it to a whole new deliciousness level - I find myself 'sampling' this dish quite frequently before serving...

"Mummy will just check it's not too hot Arthur"
yum.
"Mummy will just check that it's not too tart Arthur"
yum.
"Mummy is just checking that the rice is cooked Arthur"
yum.

We use formula milk to make ours - but you can use breast milk or cows milk depending on your own baby's diet and age. With breast milk you probably will need to add some extra rice flakes to thicken.
It's a great texture for when they start playing around with the lumpy stuff. If they aren't quite ready for texture foods then the baby ground rice cereal will work just as well. I use the REAL FOODS natural brown rice flakes.

I'm not a chef,  just a mum... so this is by no means revolutionary. Just sharing for those of you struggling to think of something to make for your screaming hungry child at 7.30am.

Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.

Making Meals

We introduced Arthur recently to the world of solid food. It's a whole new world to me too - feeding a baby... so I'm pretty much winging it here. 

I've had a bit of a look around the world wide web for inspiration and tips for how to go about this, and had some great advice from friends as well. I'm looking forward to creating some more adventurous combinations and flavours for this little guy, but we have started off very basic. 

I've gone for pear, kumara and butternut squash at this stage. He has had avocado mixed with his milk too which he loves, I just need a better mashing technique for getting the lumps and stringy bits out! 

For convenience, we have offered a few of the ready made meals in jars and pouches - pear & mango, apple and sweet potato and a few others that are applicable to his age group.  It's been a great way to introduce him to a few different flavours while I got myself organised. With moving house and sunny weather, I've spent very little time in the kitchen. 

Yesterday, being a nice lazy Sunday, I decided to make up a whole lot of food and freeze it. I decided to steam his food to retain as many nutrients as possible, and I used the water in the pot below to add to the puree to get the right consistency. Once I got going I decided it was easier to do a whole lot at once. I kept topping up the water in the pot - so by the time I was making the final kumara puree there were pear and butternut flavours in the water as well, which may just add a little extra taste to the final brew. 

I then poured the mixture into ice trays, covered them in glad wrap and froze them overnight. I mixed sometimes 2, sometimes 3 of the ingredients together. I had a smaller ice tray as well which I used to make some mini cubes to fit in his little muslin bags for him to suck on when it's a super hot day. I also made some larger portions in freezer storage pots to cater for when his appetite grows.

All of this - an entire drawer in the freezer filled, using one butternut squash, one large kumara and 4 pears... not bad at all and inexpensive. It's great for times when I can't freshly prepare his dinners. I'm in the market for a smaller blender tool for preparing smaller portions, as the big blender was a bit much and the 'magic bullet' attachment kept leaking. I'm open to any suggestions here on what other's have used. I want to avoid purchasing a new blending machine or appliance if possible, so I'm thinking the manual tolls may be the way to go so I can control the textures as he gets older. 

It's nothing revolutionary and no culinary brilliance here, but just thought I'd share the process anyway for others looking to start in the world of solids. 

Please please please share your recipes with me!