Great Veggies - For 10 months And Over
3 medium potatoes
8 ounces spinach
2 large cloves garlic
Peel and cube potatoes. Crush and peel garlic. Cook potatoes, spinach, and garlic with about 1/2 cup water for about 15 minutes over high heat, or until potatoes are soft.
Process all in a blender or food processor until very mushy. Freeze in ice cube trays overnight, then pop out cubes and store in another container in the freezer.
Yields 20 servings.
Chicken and Rice Dinner - 10 Months And Over
1/4 lb. ground chicken (you can use boneless breast cut in cubes if you are going to puree it)
1/2 cup peeled and chopped zucchini
1/2 cup sweet potato or yam, peeled and chopped
1/4 frozen, fresh, or canned corn
1/2 tsp. parsley
1 cup long grain, enriched rice
3 cups water Instructions:
Boil chicken in water for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Mash or puree
Chicken Stew - For 10 Months And Older
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1 cup of Water
¼ lb. ground chicken (you can use boneless breast cut in cubes if you are going to puree it)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
½ cup yellow squash or summer squash peeled and chopped
¼ cup prepared barley (see instructions on the package for preparation) Instructions:
Bring chicken and water to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add vegetables. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add prepared barley. Mash or puree, depending on desired consistency.
Tomato Pasta - For 10 Months Or Older
1 tbs margarine
1/4 cup cheddar or mild cheese, finely grated
1 large tomato, skinned, seeded & chopped
1 teaspoon baby rice
1 tablespoon cottage cheese
1/2 cup Small Pasta Shapes
Cook the pasta according to directions on package.
Melt the margarine in a saucepan, add tomato and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat,
Add the cheeses and allow to melt into a sauce. Finally stir in the baby rice.
Pour the sauce over cooked pasta and serve.
Spinach Pasta For 10 Months And Over
1/2 cup spinach, trimmed
1/4 cup mild cheese (Cheddar, Jack, Gouda), grated
1/4 cup uncooked small-shaped pasta
2 tablespoons milk/formula
Boil the spinach in a little water for about 5 minutes until tender, at the same time, cook the pasta according to direction on the package.
Once the spinach is cooked press out all the excess water.
Combine with cheese, pasta and milk and blend to make into a puree or chop for older babies.
Oatmeal Cookies - 11 Months Or Older
1 cup enriched all-purpose flour (you can use unbleached or cracked wheat flour for more nutrition)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon* (you should leave this out until your baby is 12 months old)
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar (optional, you can substitute ½ cup juice and add an extra ½ cup of oatmeal)
1 large egg
2 or 3 bananas, mashed and very ripe (we recommend pureeing them to get ALL the lumps out)
2 ¼ cups infant oatmeal cereal (you can use regular rolled oats but you won't get the extra vitamins. When using rolled oats, use 1 ¾ cups oats and 1 ½ cups flour)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar (or juice with the oatmeal).
Beat in the gg and bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 1 ½ inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on rack.
Peach Cobbler - 6 Months Or Older
3 canned peaches (6 halves) OR 3 ripe peaches
1 egg yolk (for babies 6 months to 10 months, omit egg yolk and thicken with infant cereal)
1 tsp sugar
1. Peel and dice the peaches into small pieces.
2. Mash or puree to desired consistency.
3. Beat in the egg yolk and sugar until smooth. For babies age 6 months-10 months, omit egg and add infant cereal by 1 tablespoon, until you get the desired thickness.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min or until set. Cool before serving.
TOFU FINGER CUBES
Slice tofu into small cubes
Toss tofu in a Ziploc bag with crushed Cheerios, crushed graham crackers or crushed granola
Close bag and toss to thoroughly coat tofu cubes - You can serve this as finger food or a protein boost during meals
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Tips for Homemade Baby Food
Making your own baby food will ensure that what your child is eating is fresh, nutritious and free of additives. By making your own baby foods, you'll be saving money, up to 50%. And to top it off, it's easy; making baby food at home is probably a lot less time-consuming than you may have thought.
In order to make your own baby foods, you'll need something to cook in. A steamer basket is cheap and by cooking fruits and vegetables in it, you'll be sure of keeping the nutrients in the food, instead of in the cooking water.
To puree your foods, you can use a fork, a food mill or blender. A blender quickly purees almost anything into the finest consistency. When your baby first starts on solids, you'll be pureeing things to a very fine consistency and, as baby gets a little older, you will make foods a little coarser.
You may wish to buy a food mill which comes in large and small sizes. It is very handy and inexpensive. The food mill strains most cooked foods to a very smooth consistency, although meats can be a problem as they will have a coarser texture.
As babies are susceptible to digestive upsets, you'll want to take note of the following tips concerning the handling of foods:
- always work with clean hands.
- always use clean utensils.
- prepare foods immediately upon removing them from the refrigerator.
- freeze immediately after cooking any foods you want to store.
You can prepare large amounts of foods at once and freeze them. Take your prepared foods and plop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Freeze the plops right away and then take them off the sheet when they are frozen and put them into plastic bags. Label and date. You can also freeze the food in plastic "pop out" ice cube trays. Small tupperware jars with lids serve the same purpose and stack easily. Frozen baby foods can be stored for up to two months.
When you take frozen foods out for baby, warm the food in a cup placed in a saucepan of boiling water with a lid on.
Cereals are typically the first foods given to a baby because they contain lots of iron. You can buy the commercial baby cereals, or prepare your own, by running oatmeal through your blender, for instance.
Fruits are generally given next. Except for raw, mashed banana, you will need to cook all other fruits till they are soft. Try making your own applesauce and pearsauce; don't add any sugar, as these fruits are sweet enough on their own. You can also peel peaches, plums and apricots and boil or steam them.
Use fresh vegetables whenever possible in order to provide the best nutrition and flavor for your baby. Frozen vegetables are better to use than canned. Steaming vegetables is the best method of preparation. Carrots and sweet potato are two popular choices to begin with.
Yogurt, mashed cottage cheese, mashed pumpkin, baked potato, avocado and tofu (oriental soy bean curd) are all popular with babies. One good idea is to blend together cottage cheese, banana and fresh orange juice - delicious!
Meats should be added slowly. They can be boiled or broiled, then put in the blender with a little milk and perhaps banana or cream of rice to get the right consistency. Chicken is generally the first meat baby is introduced to and usually goes down fairly well.
There is no rush to start your baby on solid foods. Milk is his most important food. Your doctor's recommendations and your own intuition will help you to know when to begin introducing solods to your baby's diet. Always remember to be patient with your baby and allow at least a few days between newly added foods to make sure baby doesn't suffer any reactions.
In order to make your own baby foods, you'll need something to cook in. A steamer basket is cheap and by cooking fruits and vegetables in it, you'll be sure of keeping the nutrients in the food, instead of in the cooking water.
To puree your foods, you can use a fork, a food mill or blender. A blender quickly purees almost anything into the finest consistency. When your baby first starts on solids, you'll be pureeing things to a very fine consistency and, as baby gets a little older, you will make foods a little coarser.
You may wish to buy a food mill which comes in large and small sizes. It is very handy and inexpensive. The food mill strains most cooked foods to a very smooth consistency, although meats can be a problem as they will have a coarser texture.
As babies are susceptible to digestive upsets, you'll want to take note of the following tips concerning the handling of foods:
- always work with clean hands.
- always use clean utensils.
- prepare foods immediately upon removing them from the refrigerator.
- freeze immediately after cooking any foods you want to store.
You can prepare large amounts of foods at once and freeze them. Take your prepared foods and plop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Freeze the plops right away and then take them off the sheet when they are frozen and put them into plastic bags. Label and date. You can also freeze the food in plastic "pop out" ice cube trays. Small tupperware jars with lids serve the same purpose and stack easily. Frozen baby foods can be stored for up to two months.
When you take frozen foods out for baby, warm the food in a cup placed in a saucepan of boiling water with a lid on.
Cereals are typically the first foods given to a baby because they contain lots of iron. You can buy the commercial baby cereals, or prepare your own, by running oatmeal through your blender, for instance.
Fruits are generally given next. Except for raw, mashed banana, you will need to cook all other fruits till they are soft. Try making your own applesauce and pearsauce; don't add any sugar, as these fruits are sweet enough on their own. You can also peel peaches, plums and apricots and boil or steam them.
Use fresh vegetables whenever possible in order to provide the best nutrition and flavor for your baby. Frozen vegetables are better to use than canned. Steaming vegetables is the best method of preparation. Carrots and sweet potato are two popular choices to begin with.
Yogurt, mashed cottage cheese, mashed pumpkin, baked potato, avocado and tofu (oriental soy bean curd) are all popular with babies. One good idea is to blend together cottage cheese, banana and fresh orange juice - delicious!
Meats should be added slowly. They can be boiled or broiled, then put in the blender with a little milk and perhaps banana or cream of rice to get the right consistency. Chicken is generally the first meat baby is introduced to and usually goes down fairly well.
There is no rush to start your baby on solid foods. Milk is his most important food. Your doctor's recommendations and your own intuition will help you to know when to begin introducing solods to your baby's diet. Always remember to be patient with your baby and allow at least a few days between newly added foods to make sure baby doesn't suffer any reactions.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Bath Seats
A bath seat gives your child added support while in the bathtub and can help prevent a soapy baby from slipping out of your hands and hitting her head on the tub. Keep in mind, however, that you should NEVER leave your child unattended in the tub!
When purchasing a bath seat, look for the following:
• Never use a bath seat on textured or non-skid surfaces unless the manufacturer’s instructions specifically state the seat is intended for such surfaces;
• Look for the JPMA Certification Seal.
Always remember, no matter what safety product you are buying, to look at the features to be sure they meet your specific requirements. Also check to be sure that the product you are considering has not recently been recalled. The safety of your child is of utmost importance - don’t leave it to chance!
When purchasing a bath seat, look for the following:
• Never use a bath seat on textured or non-skid surfaces unless the manufacturer’s instructions specifically state the seat is intended for such surfaces;
• Look for the JPMA Certification Seal.
Always remember, no matter what safety product you are buying, to look at the features to be sure they meet your specific requirements. Also check to be sure that the product you are considering has not recently been recalled. The safety of your child is of utmost importance - don’t leave it to chance!
Baby Monitors
The idea behind a baby monitor is that you can have the ability to move around the house or your yard and still be able to keep tabs on your baby by listening or now viewing your baby. This can help alert you to a crying baby, a baby who needs your help or just help you watch baby while he or she sleeps.
The baby/nursery monitor that you buy will have different levels of mobility. The base usually plugs into the wall, usually the nursery or wherever your baby is sleeping. The receiver can plug in or be mobile. If you intend to use the monitor as you move from room to room, you will want to invest in the mobile kind, versus the stationary variety.
When purchasing a baby monitor, look for the following:
• There should be at least two channels to choose from;
• Be sure that you have a low battery indicator light. Without this you might be listening to the receiver, thinking all is quiet in the baby's room, when in fact all you've got is a dead battery;
• Has a power-on light so that you can know the unit is on without disturbing the baby;
• Has a volume control to put you in charge of how loudly you wish to hear your baby;
• Are you planning to carry around your end of the monitoring system? Then you might want a belt clip!
The baby/nursery monitor that you buy will have different levels of mobility. The base usually plugs into the wall, usually the nursery or wherever your baby is sleeping. The receiver can plug in or be mobile. If you intend to use the monitor as you move from room to room, you will want to invest in the mobile kind, versus the stationary variety.
When purchasing a baby monitor, look for the following:
• There should be at least two channels to choose from;
• Be sure that you have a low battery indicator light. Without this you might be listening to the receiver, thinking all is quiet in the baby's room, when in fact all you've got is a dead battery;
• Has a power-on light so that you can know the unit is on without disturbing the baby;
• Has a volume control to put you in charge of how loudly you wish to hear your baby;
• Are you planning to carry around your end of the monitoring system? Then you might want a belt clip!
Playpens
These high-sided, enclosed play areas are popular because they allow parents to put their baby down with the knowledge that he can't wander off. It is great when you have to answer the phone, do a bit of ironing, or just catch a quick breath!
When purchasing a playpen, look for the following:
• Holes in the mesh should be no larger than 1/4 inch to keep small fingers from getting caught;
• The sides should be at least 20 inches high, measured from the floor of the playpen;
• Look for padding on the tops of the rails to protect your baby from bumps.
• The locks that allow you to lower a side should be out of your baby's reach.
When purchasing a playpen, look for the following:
• Holes in the mesh should be no larger than 1/4 inch to keep small fingers from getting caught;
• The sides should be at least 20 inches high, measured from the floor of the playpen;
• Look for padding on the tops of the rails to protect your baby from bumps.
• The locks that allow you to lower a side should be out of your baby's reach.
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