Four Generations

Hayden met her Great Grandmother for the first time today.  It was wonderful to see the immediate bond they formed and extra special that we all got to spend the afternoon together.  My grandmother still has the spunk of a teenager....maybe that's her secret.

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Toddler Tues - Surprise!

Royce's 5th birthday is coming up in a few days and we are taking him to Disney as a surprise.  I have a few ideas in mind as to how we should tell him, but would love to hear your ideas. 

Have any of you pulled off a great surprise for your kids?  If so, how did you tell them?  I would love to hear your stories!

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Parmesan Green Beans with Barley, Stage 2 Meals

Parmesan green beans with barley is an unexpected combination that will delight your baby's taste buds!  Not only is this combo delicious, it is full of vitamins A, K and C, fiber, manganese, folate, riboflavin, iron, selenium and niacin.

This recipe is suitable for babies 7-9 months and up, toddlers, big kids and adults.  All you have to do is adjust the texture and portion size!  Always make sure the consistency of your baby's food is one she can handle.

What you'll need:
1/4 cup pearl barley
2 cups frozen green beans
pinch of parmesan cheese

Place barley in a standard blender and pulverize until powdery, about 2 minutes.

Bring 1 cup of purified water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.  Add barley and let boil for 1 minute, stirring frequently with a wire whisk.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring ocassionally, until all the water is absorbed and barley is cooked through.  Add a little purified water, breast milk or formula to thin cereal, if needed.

While the barley is cooking, pour purified water into a pot until it is about 1" deep and bring to a boil over high heat.  Place green beans into the steamer basket and cover with a tight fitting lid.  Steam for about 7 minutes, until green beans are bright green and tender.

Place green beans into a heavy duty glass or stainless steel mixing bowl and puree with immersion blender until desired consistency is achieved.  Mushy mash for 7-9 months and chunk-a-licious for 10-12 months.  Add a little purified water to thin puree, if needed.

Add the cooked barley to the pureed green beans and combine.

Sprinkle with a pinch of parmesan cheese and serve.....

Yum, yum, yum - I love veggies!

Store the rest in Sage Spoonfuls jars for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

This recipe yields 12 ounces of food for only $2.00!

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Fun Fact, Cutting Boards

Did you know that cutting boards are a breeding ground for bacteria?  It's a good idea to have separate cutting boards, one for meat, poultry, and fish and another for fruits and veggies.  While wood cutting boards are okay for produce, I highly recommend using a dishwasher safe board for meat, poultry, and fish preparation, so it can be properly cleaned and disinfected.

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Toddler Tues - In the Audience

Today was Royce's Christmas concert and party at school. As a parent, I find few things more fun than watching my children in school plays, shows, concerts or anything where they get to dress up, sing and just let their personalities shine.  Royce's little face lit up when he saw me in the audience and he waved from the stage.  My heart melted.  It's funny, my mother used to embarass me, because she would get so emotional watching us perform that she would cry at school plays.....and now i'm doing the same to my children.

I'm looking forward to Brendan's Christmas show on Thursday already :)



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Fun Fact - Good Fat vs. Bad Fat

Good Fats

Did you know that good fats are critically important for your growing baby? The good fats are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Saturated fats, while not so great for adults, are necessary, in moderation, for babies. These fats help fuel your baby's reserve energy, help the body use vitamins, and aid in the manufacturing of hormones. Good fats are also essential for brain development, nerves, and myelin (the nerve coating in the brain). Healthy fats are essential to your growing baby and should make up about 40% of her calories. Avoid giving your baby reduced fat or fat free foods until age 2. These good fats can be found in breast milk, formula, avocados, red meat, olive oil, cheese, tofu and salmon.

Bad Fats

While good fat is essential, beware of the bad fats. These are trans-fats, often labeled "hydrogenated." Too much bad fat raises blood cholesterol and can result in inflammatory diseases, such as heart disease and arthritis, as well as asthma and eczema. Trans-fats are found in processed and manufactured foods such as potato chips, frozen pizzas, fast foods, and margarine. Avoid feeding your child any of these processed foods until he is at least 2 years old and even then avoid it as much as possible. These foods are full of empty calories and with childhood obesity on the rise it's best to stay away from them as much as you can.

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Muscle Man Stir-Fry, Family Favorites

Sometimes I like to make up fun names for the meals I cook for my kids.  My boys are 4 and 6 and are really into superheroes at the moment.  It makes them happy to eat something with a fun name and it makes me ecstatic to see them devour a bowl full of veggies and quinoa.  When my daughter gets old enough to have this meal, I will probably call it Princess Power Stir-Fry.

This recipe will serve 2 adults and 2 kids.  It is suitable for babies 10-12 months and up, toddlers, big kids and adults.  Always make sure the consistency is one your baby can handle. 

What you'll need:

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of low sodium vegetable stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon scallion, minced
1 large organic red bell pepper, washed and chopped
2 cups portobello or crimini mushrooms, washed and chopped
2 cups of brocolli florets
1/3 cup purified water
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup hoisin sauce

*Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.  Add the quinoa and let boil for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed.  Add more water or stock if needed.
*Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.
*Add the onion, ginger and scallion, reduce heat to medium, and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  You only want them to sweat, not brown.
*Add the bell pepper, mushrooms and broccoli to the skillet.  Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
*Remove a portion of the veggies that you will serve to your baby and set aside. 
*Add water, soy sauce and hoisin to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes.
*Serve or store.
*Muscle Man Stir Fry can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

This meal is best served warm.  For variation, add different veggies, like snap peas and eggplant.  For babies 10-12 months, puree the veggies without the sauce until chunk-a-licious and mix with the quinoa.  For toddlers, be sure the veggies are bite size before serving.  For adults, serve the stir fry and quinoa in a bowl and garnish with sliced scallion. + Add to my Recipe Box

Applesauce, Stage 1 Meals

Applesauce is a perfect first food for your baby, it tastes great, is easy to digest and is not allergenic.  Most varieties of apple, such as Delicious (Red or Golden), Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Gala, make yummy applesauce.  Avoid tart varieties like granny Smith or Pippin.  Red Delicious and Gala both rank on the UDSA's top 20 list of antioxidant rich foods.  Apple puree can also be helpful if your baby is constipated or has diarrhea.  Semi-frozen applesauce is very soothing on a teething baby's sore gums.  Look for apples that are firm to the touch and are bruise free.  Whole apples can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe is suitable for babies 4-6 months and up, toddlers big kids and adults.  Always make sure the consistency of your baby's food is one she can handle.  Smooth and creamy for 4-6 months, mushy mash for 7-9 months and chunk-a-licious for 10-12 months.  Applesauce with a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg makes a yummy and healthy afterschool snack!

What you'll need:
4 large organic apples - Whenever possible, use organic apples as conventionally grown have some of the highest levels of pesticide residue.

Wash the apples thoroughly under cold running water, peel, core and chop.

Pour purified water into a pot until it is about 1 inch deep and bring to a boil over high heat.  Place the apples into a steamer basket and cover with a tight fitting lid.  Steam for 7-10 minutes, until apples are tender.

Place apples into a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy or...

                                              

.....place apples into a large, heavy duty glass or stainless steel mixing bowl and puree with an immersion blender.  This method is perfect if you wan to make a large quantity of applesauce.  For example, 8-10 apples or so.

Serve or store.

Applesauce will stay fresh in Sage Spoonfuls jars for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer!

Enjoy!



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