Transition to Finger Foods

It figures that right after I whip up a slew of purees for baby girl her doctor tells us to start with finger foods. I probably could've seen it coming but I decided to go ahead and make her purees of peas, carrots, spinach, lentils and pears just three days before her nine month appointment.  I stopped by Target on the way home from the doctor and bought all of the Gerber finger foods they had (fruit and veggie puffs and yogurt melts).  At her next meal I gave her the puffs and after a little while she figured out how to put them in her mouth and that she liked them!  However, she can't eat puffs at every meal so I began searching for good beginner finger foods.

Below is a list I compiled of beginner finger foods.  She still has a hard time getting them from her tray to her mouth and I think half of what I give her ends up on the floor or under her bottom but she is getting better at it every day!  The good news is that she is still eating the purees and I plan to keep giving them to her until they run out or she refuses them, whichever comes first.  Sometimes I add some bigger chunks to the purees so she has a mix of textures and sizes and so she can get more used to larger chunks of food.  Another note about going from purees to finger foods... it used to take us about 5-10 minutes to eat lunch and now it takes three times as long and she only gets about half of what she used to in her belly.  Oh boy!

Beginner Finger Foods

   

Everything that I used to puree, I just give her a "chunky" version of (peas, green beans, carrots, pears, banana, squash, etc.)

   
Chunks of soft-cooked sweet potato

   
Cooked or canned beans

   
Small pieces of cooked turkey or chicken

   
Well-cooked ground beef/chicken/turkey crumbles

   
Grapes sliced in quarters

   
Bite-sized pieces of ripe avocado

   
Cooked rice

   
Puffed rice cereal

   
Squashed blueberries

   
Squashed cooked peas

   
Cheerio-type cereals

   
Cheese cut into pea-sized cubes

   
Cooked pasta in small pieces

   
Pieces of pancake or waffle

   
Crackers broken into small pieces

Best of luck transitioning to full-on finger foods.  I imagine it is so much easier when they just feed themselves! Almost there! :)

Black Beans and Rice

Some days, ok a lot of days, I lay baby girl down for her afternoon nap, workout and get some free time in and then I realize it is 4:00 and Daddio and baby girl are probably going to want to eat dinner tonight.  Who do they think they are?  After I come to that realization I then remember that I am the one responsible for making sure we do actually eat dinner tonight.  Oh boy.  Sometimes I wonder how we survive with me in charge!  By this time I have obviously forgotten to take something out of the freezer so what does one do?  "Drum roll, please. Drum Roll"...Meatless Entree Night...ta da!  I make this delicious black beans and rice meal on those nights!  Black beans and rice together make a complete protein so this meal is incredibly good for you.  Oh yeah, that is how we survive with me in charge!  I usually have all of these ingredients around so I can make this on a moment's notice and it takes less than 30 minutes!  I recommend serving this with a side of something green!

(Excuse the super fancy plates.  These were taken during the World Series and we had to use them for good luck.  They worked!  Go Sox!)

Black Beans and Rice

2 cans of black beans (drain one can but not the other)

1 tomato (diced) or a can of diced tomatoes

1/4 cup of vinegar (regular or apple cider)

1 large onion (diced)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

clove of garlic

salt to taste

1 cup of rice (dry)
2 cups of water (for the rice)

Start by boiling the water (2 cups) for rice.  Meanwhile saute onions in a skillet until translucent.  Once water is boiling, add rice as directed.  Add garlic and other spices to onions.  Add tomatoes, black beans and vinegar and stir all together.  Reduce heat and let black beans simmer and thicken for 10-15 minutes.  

That's it!  You are done! Congratulations, you have made a delicous and healthy meal for your family.  Now sit back with your feet up while your husband does the dishes! (In our dreams, right?)

XOXO Valentines for your Baby Boy XOXO

(1.  Prince Charming Body Double, 2.  My Mom Rocks Tee, 3. Handsome Tee, 4. Fleece Lined Pea Coat, 5. Fleece Lined Jeans)

Next up, options to dress your little prince for Valentines day.  I usually see way more cute outfits for boys when I'm out shopping for my baby girl but this time, girls win.  I guess there is only so much you can do with boy outfits and hearts.  On a side note, I just love the body doubles, they stay tucked in and your baby's belly doesn't show!  

Happy shopping! xoxo

XOXO Valentines for your Baby Girl XOXO

(1. Pleated Heart Dress, 2.  Heart Print Top, 3. Scallop Trim Ponte Dress, 4. Knit Pants, 5.  Cable Knit Poncho, 6. Dot Bow Ponte Dress)

The Holidays are officially over!  What better way to send off the holidays than to get ready for the next one?  The Valentines displays were up in stores around here on December 26...Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, pass the conversation hearts! While I haven't purchased baby girl's Valentines outfit yet, I have found some cute options!  Aren't holidays so much more fun when you have a little one to share it with?

xoxo

Making 2014 Count

I will make 2014 count by giving the year to my daughter.  She turns one this year and is already beginning to learn important things that will shape her life.  I am so blessed to be able to stay home with her and have the opportunity to watch her grow.

This year I want to give her all of my time that she wants.  She is a very independent little girl (I wonder who she got that from) and she likes to do so much on her own. I know she will only rely on me less as she continues to grow so I want to be here for her as much as I can.  She is also the most determined baby I've ever seen.  If she wants to do something she will try her absolute hardest, fall down and get up over and over until she finally does it.  I love the little girl she is becoming.

This year I will take more time to read to her.  I will help her walk until she does it on her own.  I will teach her signs and words and how to swim.  I will practice patience, contentment and serenity, I will dance and sing loud, I will be more like the person I want her to be so she can learn by example.  I will give her my time and all of my heart.

Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie Edition

Isn't winter the perfect time of year for comfort food?  What is better than eating a warm meal in your softest sweats and only having a few dishes to clean afterwards?  This is a quick and easy chicken pot pie recipe that won't ruin your diet and when we are on a more serious diet we usually leave one of the crusts off (either the top or the bottom, your choice!). You can simplify this recipe even more by using pre-made pie crusts.

Ingredients:

One bag of frozen mixed vegetables (between 3 and 4 cups depending on size of pie dish)

One can of Healthy Cream of Chicken Soup

One or two chicken breasts cooked and cubed

Pie crust(s) (Either pre-made or a really great homemade oil pastry)

Recipe:

Mix frozen vegetables, can of soup and cooked chicken.  Pour into pie crust.  Position second pie crust on top and pinch sides of top and bottom crust together.  Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until cooked thoroughly and top is golden brown. 

Seriously, could it be much simpler?

Making Your Own Baby Food: the Basics

Making your baby's food takes a little effort but is totally worth it to know exactly what he or she is eating. All you need is something to purée with (food processor, blender or my favorite, an immersion blender), something to store the food in (freezer tray, small containers, ziplock bags) and food!  Warning: You may become obsessed with puréeing!

Below is a list and quick directions with foods I fed baby girl from 5 and a half months to 8 and a half months.  These are just suggestions, check with your doctor if you have concerns, every baby is different!

Apples - fresh apples, dice, boil then purée

Peas  - frozen sweet peas, steam, then purée

Carrots - organic baby carrots, steam, then purée

Green beans - frozen green beans, steam, then purée

Winter Squash - cut in half, remove innards and roast in the oven (400 degrees in 2 inches of water for 30-45 minutes), scoop out and then purée

Lentils - khaki colored dried lentils, follow directions on bag (Soak overnight, boil for 30 minutes in the morning), drain, then purée

Pears - fresh pears, dice and then purée

Peaches - fresh or canned (in 100% juice and no artificial sweeteners), just purée

Bananas- fresh bananas, just mash them up!

Sweet potatoes - fresh sweet potatoes, bake them whole, scoop out and then purée

Spinach - saute covered in frying pan until wilted (you don't need to add any oil unless you want to), then purée (I don't give her spinach plain, I add it to carrots or peas to give her a little extra nutrients)

If your baby doesn't love your purées like they love the Gerber ones, don't fret!  I found that it was usually a consistency issue (not thin enough or too chunky).  To fix that just add breast milk or formula or keep blending until the consistency seems right.  Sometimes when I would give her a new vegetable she wouldn't eat it but if I mixed it with carrots she would.  I would just gradually add less carrots until she liked the new veggie by itself.  One more tip, one of my mommy friends would add parmesan cheese to green beans or other veggies until baby liked it without parmesan.  Mommy's try just about anything to get baby to eat (and love) greens!

From one mama to another, enjoy and happy puréeing!
xoxo