Cooking for Babies

Winter Baby Food - Warming Up Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:45:00 +0000

Winter is here, and it's just about time for these comforting recipes that will warm your baby up.

Baked Winter Squash - from everything.com

While most finger foods for baby are steamed rather than baked, winter squash is an exception. These hard-shelled members of the gourd family can be steamed or baked. Since winter squash are usually large, consider what to do with leftovers.

Many older children will prefer baked squash (which can be topped with sugar and cinnamon) to the steamed variety, which will be milder in flavor.

2 Servings
1/4 medium winter squash
2 cups water

1. Wash the squash thoroughly. Cut it open and scoop out the seeds.
2. Place face-down in a shallow pan of water. Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until squash is tender, but still slightly firm.
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
4. Cut small cubes of squash from the shell, and serve to baby as finger food.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup - from wholesomebabyfood.com

Here is a yummy cauliflower soup recipe suitable for the whole family.

2 tbs butter
1 large onion
2 large potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups natural chicken broth
1 head cauliflower – chopped
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Melt the butter in a large pot. Stir in the onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Stir in the potatoes and carrots and cook for 10 minutes.

Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil then stir in cauliflower. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Puree in batches in a blender or food processor, or in the pot using an immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat through. Serve garnished with parsley.

Baby Christmas Dinner - from New Mummy's Tips

150g minced turkey
½ tsp olive oil
¼ onion – diced
1 small carrot – diced
1 small potato – peeled & diced
½ stick celery – thinly sliced
¼ small swede – peeled & diced
1 tbsp frozen peas
250ml stock made from Boots Baby Organic Chicken Stock Cubes (£1.49 for a six pack)

Brown the turkey. Drain off any liquid and put to one side
Sauté onion in oil
Add carrot, potato, celery and swede, sweat for about 10 minutes
Add stock and peas
Simmer until vegetables are tender
Blend to desired texture

Makes approximately two – three servings.

Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Fertnig

Super Yummy Smoothies for Your Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:56:00 +0000

Burst of Vitamins - Our Favorite Smoothie

1 banana
1 apple
1 orange (it's usually recommended to start with citrus fruit after the 1st year)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
dash of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in blender, mix until smooth and serve.

Autumn Smoothie - from wholesomebabyfood.com

1/2 cup plain, vanilla or banana yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of ginger
1 frozen banana

Combine all ingredients together in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Serves one grown-up and one baby.

Winter Smoothie - from wholesomebabyfood.com

1/2 cup plain, vanilla or banana yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
dash of cinnamon
1 frozen banana

Combine everything in a blender.
Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves one grown-up and one baby.

Funny Food Songs for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:10:00 +0000

Recently I came across some cute food songs you can sing with your kids. Here are the songs I like the best:

The Vegetable Song

Sung to: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

Carrots, Peas, and Broccoli,
Vegetables are good for me.
For my snack and in my lunch,
Veggie sticks are great to munch.
Carrots, Peas, and Broccoli,
Vegetables are good for me.

Vegetables

Sung to: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

We are pumpkins, big and round
Big and round, big and round
We are pumpkins, big and round
Seated on the ground.

We are string beans, green and fine.....
Growing on a vine.
We are onions, round and white....
We make soup taste right.
We are carrots, orange and long...
Help us sing our song.
We are cabbage, green or red....
See our funny head.
We are corn stalks, tall and straight....
Don't we just taste great.

I Like Veggies

Sung to: "Are You Sleeping?"

I like veggies, I like veggies.
Do you too? Do you too?
I like corn and carrots, I like corn and carrots.
And peas too! And peas too!

For more songs go to www.preschooleducation.com

Baby Food Allergies - 10 Important Questions to Ask, 5 Resourсes to Get Good Answers

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Food allergies is a very important issue when you're just about to start introducing solid foods to your baby. As a parent you should know what questions to ask and get good answers in time.

Food Allergies Questions Checklist:

1. What are food allergies?
2. What are the signs and the symptoms of food allergies?
3. What products are considered the most and the least allergenic?
4. How much time does it take for a food to cause a reaction?
5. Are food allergies dose related?
6. How to identify food that could be bothering your baby?
7. How to prevent food allergies in babies?
8. What about the treatment?
9. Are there any medical tests for food allergies?
10. Is that true that children can overgrow their allergies?

When looking for answers take into consideration the differences in approaches to food allergies in breast- and bottle-fed babies.

And here's the list of online resources where you can find answers to all the questions related to food allergies.

1. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)

Tons of useful information on allergy. You may want to start with FAQ if you don't have any specific issue.

2. AskDrSears.com is an excellent site every parent should bookmark (though I usually use the book which also answers many of my "baby questions").

3. Homemade Baby Food Recipes

A great source of first food recipes and interesting articles.

4. Parenting a Child with a Food Allergy

The web log dedicated to parents with children who have food allergies.

5. DrGreene

I was not familiar to this site before but found this article very helpful and well organized when was looking for information about dealing with food allergies.

My Baby's First Birthday Apple Cake - Mission Complete

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Choosing the right cake for my son's First Birthday was a tricky task. I usually feed my baby with a healthy food. He loves fruits and veggies (lucky me!) and the sweetest thing he tasted so far was a biscuit.

So, I didn't want to overdose with sugar on the one side, but on the other - I did wanted my baby to have a Real Cake.

Looking for the best birthday cake recipe ended up with this light and truly delicious Apple Cake which my son loved. It was sweet but not too much sugar. Apples + Cream = Yummy!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (add more if necessary)
1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup sugar
150 g butter, melted
1 tsp baking powder

Filling:

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
4 large apples (slightly sour), peeled and cut into thin slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Sift flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl, add sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter. Stir until the mixture is soft and homogeneous, then set the bowl in a refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Make the filling. Beat an egg with sugar, cream and flour, mix well until smooth.

4. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and spread it evenly in a greased baking pan.

5. Put the apple slices on the dough, then pour the filling mixture.

6. Bake for 50 minutes.

Can be served warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Baby's First Birthday Healthy Cake Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:57:00 +0000

Pumpkin's birthday is approaching but the Big Birthday Cake Question is still open. I did some research and want to share with you a few "more healthy than others" baby cakes recipes that I liked.

Which one do you prefer?

Pumpkin Apple Harvest Cake - from Green Parenting
By Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen: Magical Cooking for All Seasons

Ingredients

1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare an 8-inch round cake pan by greasing and flouring it.
2. Combine pumpkin, eggs, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, and salt, stirring to combine. Add apples and nuts, stirring again. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Cool the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove pan, and cool cake completely.
5. When ready to serve, turn cake on to a pretty plate and top with whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar, if desired, or serve plain.

ps. If you make the cake, smooth it out when you put it in the pan as pumkin makes it bake in whatever shape it goes in there with.

Banana Cake - from Green Parenting

Ingredients

2/3 c. banana, mashed
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 lg. eggs
3/4 c. water
2 c. unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
Optional: 1 c. chopped walnuts OR 1/2 c. chopped walnuts & 1/2 c. raisins

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. Beat together mashed banana and soft butter until creamy. Beat in water. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until very foamy. Beat into mixture. Blend in flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until smooth. Stir in walnuts or walnuts and raisins, if desired. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool. Serves 8-10.

Applesauce Spice Cake - from Handprints on the Wall

Ingredients

3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 cups ground almonds (optional)
2 Macintosh apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 inch square baking pan.

Beat the eggs until they drop like ribbons from the beaters. Continue beating and add the oil in a thin stream. Beat in the 1 cup applesauce and the 1 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate then mix in the flour gradually until well blended. Add the baking soda, ground ginger, ground almonds and apples. Fold together until well mixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F about 40 minutes or until the cake tests clean with a knife or toothpick. Cool completely before frosting.

Carrot Cake - from Wholesomebabyfood.com
(Makes 1 double-layer 9-inch square cake; adapted from What to Expect)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate (you may use slightly less)
1 1/2 cups raisins
Vegetable Spray/Shortening
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 Tbsp low sodium baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 9 inch square cake pans with waxed paper and spray the paper with vegetable spray/shortening.

1. Combine the carrots with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the juice concentrate in a medium size saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 mins. Puree in a blender of food processor until smooth.
3. Add the raisins and process until finely chopped. Let mixture cool.
4. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups juice concentrate, the oil, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat just until well mixed. Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 mins. Cool briefly in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting below or sprinkle a wee bit of powdered sugar if desired.

Apple and Carrot Salad (Natural Multivitamin for Babies and Kids)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Today I needed to make a quick fruit snack and decided to go for something a bit more challenging than just an apple puree. Here's a simple recipe that will provide your baby with vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.

Ingredients

1 apple (peeled and grated)
1 carrot (peeled and grated)
1/4 cup raisins (for advanced baby eaters)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (from goat or sheep's milk as I don't feed my baby cow's milk yet).

Step 1: Soak raisins in hot water for about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Drain and chill.
Step 3: Mix an apple and a carrot with raisins and yogurt.

Bon appetite!

Mashed Potatoes (Super Easy!)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Boil, steam or bake potatoes until tender.
Mash adding water or milk and stir.
I usually also add a little bit of butter.
Add salt and pepper if you like.

Beef Casserole (Iron Rich Food For Your Baby)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:07:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion (approx 60g)
1 clove garlic, crushed
Quarter tsp fresh thyme leaves or a pinch of dried thyme
125g lean stewing steak cut into chunks
2 tsp tomato puree
I large sweet potato, approx 225g, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes approx 275g, peeled and chopped
250 ml chicken stock

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole and sauté the red onion for about 5 minutes over a low heat until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for one minute.
Add the stewing steak and sauté for a few minutes until sealed. Add the tomato puree and sauté for one minute, stirring. Add the sweet potato and potato and pour over the chicken stock.
Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for about 50 minutes until the meat is tender. You may need to add a little extra stock. Leave to cool slightly, and then blend to a puree.

Source: Annabel Karmel

Baby's First Guacamole (Easy Avocado Recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Take 1 ripe avocado, peel and pit, then mash it with a fork.
Add a little lemon juice and a salt.
If your baby is already familiar with an egg yolk, you may want to add it to the avocado mash and make your baby's meal more nutritious.

See Also:
How to get your children to eat more veggies!
Best Green Vegetables for Your Family

Pear and Apple Puree (Great For Beginners)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:31:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1 ripe pear
1 apple
1 cinnamon stick (introduce your baby to pear WITHOUT cinnamon before including it in this recipe)

Step 1: Peel and core the apple and pear, then cut them into chunks.
Step 2: Place into a saucepan, just cover with water and add the cinnamon stick (if using).
Step 3: Simmer gently until tender, then remove the stick and mash/puree as desired.

Note: You may need to remove the pear before the apple as - depending on its ripeness - it may soften more quickly.

Recipe from: Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Broccoli Gratin (Good for All the Family)

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Ingredients:

750 g broccoli (cut in florets)
500 g soft white cheese/sour cream
2 onions (thinly sliced)
3 eggs
3 tbs flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
3 tbs butter
salt
pepper

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180-200°C (350-400°F).
Step 2: Cook the broccoli in salted water. You can use these tips on cooking broccoli. Then drain well and arrange in a lightly buttered baking pan.
Step 3: In a small frying pan, saute the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter until fragrant.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, combine the white cheese/sour cream, the eggs, the flour and stir until smooth.
Step 5: Pour the cheese sauce into the baking pan (over the broccoli) and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is golden.

Recipe from: Fun Healthy Diet

About This Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Hi, my name is Emma. I'm a wife and a mom to the wonderful baby boy.

Healthy eating is really important for me and my family. We also love to make fun together, so our food is also a fun issue. I'm writing about it in my Fun Healthy Diet blog

When my son turned 6 months, we started exploring solid foods. I used the web, books and other moms as a resources for successful recipes since I wanted to feed my baby with only natural, homemade and tasty meals. And I'm continuing my study now.

So here's my collection of yummy healthy recipes for babies - everything verified by me and my little pumpkin :) Enjoy!