Eating
Why buy jarred baby food when the real stuff is so much healthier, better tasting, and better for your child? We base our little man’s diet off Super Baby Foods, but it doesn’t take a recipe to steam, puree, and freeze veggies. What you do need that Super Baby Foods provides is a very thorough guide to selecting and preparing every imaginable fruit, vegetable, and herb for babies & toddlers (especially if you’re like me and a bit veggie-illiterate). It also includes lots of toddler recipes that are healthy and natural. I still refer to it even though I’ve been reading it for over a year! I even tabbed the prep section for quick reference. We don’t recommend (nor does the APA) starting solids like veggies before 6 months of age. 1) Purchase & prep. Head to the local coop, Farmers’ Market, or natural foods store. Start with a simple digestible veggie like sweet potato or one of the winter squashes. Or a very mild uncooked fruit (though I did a roasted pear once that J loved). Pick a few nice medium-sized sweet potatoes, let’s say, and head for the cashier. Scrub it up well with your clean veggie brush, peel it (I didn’t peel it in the above photo as J is old enough to handle the skin), and chop it into equal sized hunks. You’re going to blend it later so it doesn’t matter how large or small, just ensure they’re equal in size for steaming’s…
Read MoreWhen little SuperBoy hit the big 1 and we knew we’d have an intimate close friend/family BBQ, I began my search for a healthy first birthday cake recipe for him. As he hasn’t had any sugar or white flour to date, why start now? It took a little digging around on the internet, but I found this great site and followed its recipe with some modifications. Wholesome Baby Food Momtastic. 1) Recipe. a. 3 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced or 2 1/2 cups of any size carrot sliced b. 1 + 1/2 cup organic apple juice concentrate — put in a small pot together over the stove and bring to a boil for 15 minutes or until carrots appear to be softened, then puree in Vitamix or with hand blender or in blender of whatever sort. We love our Vitamix! Keep aside. Blend in a medium bowl: c. 1/2 cup veggie oil d. 2 farmer fresh eggs e. 1 teaspoon vanilla (I love vanilla so I always add a little more) f. 3/4 cup applesauce (had to pull this out of the freezer as I made applesauce over the winter) In a separate bowl mix together: g. 2 cups whole wheat flour h. 1/2 cup wheat germ (which I have handy because we add it to James’ food on a regular basis) i. 2 Tablespoons baking powder (not soda, mind you) j. 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon Now add the wet and dry mixes together, and fold in the…
Read MoreWe planted mega basil plants this year, as discussed in my Spring into Gardening article, and wow are we reaping the benefits! I harvested three cups of large delicious basil leaves on Friday, and planned on making pesto sauce for our Pizza Fridays tradition. Of course the day eluded my attempts to make the dough in time so instead we had pasta with pesto sauce. Little Sweet Pea enjoyed the pasta (sans pesto) while AA and I stuffed ourselves with pesto. Here’s a variation on the theme of an Alice Water’s recipe that’s simple, easy, and delish. (If you aren’t familiar with Alice Waters, my cuisine hero!!!!, get familiar here.) 1) Ingredients. Basil leaves, as fresh as possible. We tripled the batch, but you really only need a cupful (pre-cutting or washing). Pine nuts, or brazil nuts, or a nut that’s oily. 1/4 cup of these in their whole form. Parmesan cheese. Save your tastebuds and don’t get the pre-grated as it’s just so much better if you grate it yourself just before use. 1/4 cup grated. Garlic clove. The real deal is best, and not the Spice World pre-diced stuff in a jar, or dried/jarred garlic in any form. 1 clove. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Use the best stuff you can as it really makes a difference on the flavor. About a cup. Salt. A pinch. We use kosher salt or sea salt most often when cooking (flavor!). Just five ingredients and a pinch of salt and you’re all set.…
Read MoreThis is a post by my husband and avid coffee lover, AA. He learned a few years back from a dear friend (and philosophy professor) all about roasting coffee beans and now has his own style to do so. After J was born, my appreciation for coffee took on a new form. Sure, caffeine can be a plus, particularly when you’re taking care of a newborn. But there is a goodness to coffee that is unique. Cradling a warm cup of java in the wee hours of the morning can lead to epiphanies previously unknown. In an attempt to economize, I purchased some cheap coffee. It tasted like sawdust. I wasn’t thrilled with the alternative of opting for (settling for) purchasing coffee beans from one of the mega-chain coffee shops, so I decided to go it my own. Roast my own beans. Why not? There’s something invigorating about slurping your own brew. For those of you who are coffee drinkers and are looking for the perfect cup of coffee, you should try roasting your own beans. Like many things, it can be as complicated as you’d like it to be, but it’s simple if you don’t overthink it. It’s a gritty form of art. 1) Materials. A. Something to roast the beans. Strangely enough, popcorn makers do the trick nicely. What you’re looking for is something that can distribute heat evenly while not overheating. I’ve had great luck with my handy dandy Toastmaster, which you can find almost anywhere for…
Read MoreWe have a family tradition of homemade pizzas on Fridays. The dough is so easy to make in the mid-afternoon and the toppings take no time at all to prep. The recipe we go off is from Farmgirl Fare (Susan runs an AWESOME blog!) with a little variation based on my sister’s significant other’s kitchen genius. Here’s photos from what we made this past week. 1) Dough. 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon yeast 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 1 1/3 cup water, about 90 degrees Blend the flour, salt, and yeast. Then add water. 2) Prepping. Knead the dough for a few minutes and then place it in the a clean bowl, lightly oiled. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it sit for two hours. Anytime between two and three hours is sufficient to let it rise. This recipe yields three medium sized pizzas, two large, and four small. I usually double the recipe if I’m cooking for another family as well. 3) Make your own tomato sauce in the meanwhile. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and then you leave it on the stove for an hour or two. Can add meatballs, but it’s really just amazing on its own. The secret to it? BUTTER! Ingredients: 4 large cans whole peeled tomatoes; about ¼ pound hunk of parmesan or pecorino romano, salt, pepper, olive oil, butter, fresh basil Directions: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a large stock pot on the stove. Prep the…
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