Sweet Potato & Spinach

Spinach had been on my list of things to incorporate into Peanut's diet.

It's just that there are so many foods to create dishes with that 

I seemed to have been dragging my feet on spinach.

Plus, growing up I had a super aversion to spinach.

I have a story I'll share with you someday about when my mom made me eat canned spinach.

Anyway, I have no idea why I hadn't made this dish before.

It's really yummy.

Spinach is the easiest thing to cook and I paired it with sweet potato, 

which is something Peanut just loves.

Moral of the story?

Just because you didn't like it before, doesn't mean you won't like it now.

So try it again.

And, um, even if you don't like something you should still 

give it to your kids so they can judge for themselves.

And, um, 

better late than never.

And, um,

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

OK, that has nothing with anything but it's the first proverb that popped into my head.

Has anyone seen that Geico commercial? 

I love that commercial.

Sweet Potato & Spinach

1 sweet potato

6 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup water

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Prick your sweet potato with a fork several times, place it on a baking sheet 

and bake for about 45 minutes.

It's done when the skin looks loose and the flesh is soft when squished or poked with a knife.

I usually do several at a time and refrigerate until I need them.

Place your spinach in a skillet over medium heat

 with about 1/2 cup water and cover with a lid.

Allow it to cook/steam for several minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Place the spinach (reserving liquid) in the food processor and pulse until the spinach is cut up a bit.

Add your cooled sweet potato and puree to the desired consistency, adding water as needed.

Alternatively, you can chop the cooked spinach with a knife and 

hand mash the sweet potato for some added texture.  

Just make sure there aren't any long strings of spinach that could cause a choking hazard. 

*Variations

-Add lean cooked meat like chicken, turkey, beef or pork

-Add herbs like parsley or basil

-Sautee spinach with a bit of onion, leek or garlic

-Sprinkle with a little grated cheese

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Benefits

Spinach is packed with goodness for your little.

It has tons calcium.  It also has selenium, magnesium, folic acid, iron and vitamins A C, D 

as well as vitamin K which helps your bones absorb the calcium.

It's kind of a big deal.

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, lots of fiber, antioxidants, potassium and a bit of calcium.

-Spinach is on the dirty dozen list, so buy organic if you can.

~Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE for a chance to win a NurturMe feeding gift pack!~

Cherries with Mango & Pear

The cherries out right now are just so absolutely gorgeous, it seemed wrong not to share them with Peanut.

My mom was telling me that cherries and mango are her favorite fruits and here we are.

No cooking.

The hardest part of this recipe is pitting your cherries.

Unfortunately my cherry pitter went back to Sacramento, her name is Jordyn :)

So I just sliced them in half and took the pit out with my fingers.

I still have purple under my nails.

I added diced pear for some additional texture and we ended up with this tasty treat for your little.

Cherries with Mango & Pear

2 cups pitted cherries

1 mango, peeled and cut into chunks

1 large ripe pear, diced*

Place your cherries and mango in the food processor and blend (or pulse if you want chunks) 

to the consistency right for your little one.

Add your diced pear, stir and serve!

*A word about your pear.  

Make sure it's very ripe and you dice it to a size that your baby can mush in his/her mouth.

~Alternatively you could also just puree all the fruits together

*Variations

-Add minced herbs like mint or basil

-Add spices like cinnamon, ginger or vanilla

-Mix in to yogurt, cottage cheese or oatmeal

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

*Benefits

Cherries are a great source of potassium, have anti-inflammatory properties 

and are packed with antioxidants.

They also contain melatonin which is said to help regulate natural sleep patterns, 

in which case I may only give Peanut cherries to eat from now on.

Mangoes are also a great source of potassium as well as beta-carotene and vitamin A.

Pears are high in fiber, vitamins B2, C and E.

Check back on Monday for an awesome new product and a giveaway!

Big & Little: Minted Melon

I suspect that some of you have been baking in the summer heat these days.

A few days ago I had veggies to roast but I could not bring myself to turn on the oven.

Peanut was lying on the floor in nothing but his diaper and looking slightly wilted.

Well, as wilted as a moose can look.

So I decided to make us both something refreshing.

What could be more refreshing then sweet summer melon and the cool touch of mint?

I've broken these down into 2 very, very simple recipes.

I did them each twice using both cantaloupe and honeydew

but you could just pick your favorite and stick with it.

Each recipe uses half of a melon (both about 4 lbs) but could easily be adjusted to use the whole melon

or more for one recipe and less for the other.

Make sure your melon is ripe!

Ripe melon = yummy sweetness

"I cantaloupe, I cantaloupe"  "Please honeydew, please honeydew"

Get it?  Can't-elope? Honey-do?

Anyone else say that or was it just my mom?

I say that in my head whenever I see either one of those...every.time.

When B and I lived in LA above Grand Central Market we would head downstairs 

to this amazing booth that sold tons and tons of different kinds of agua fresca.

It's basically a drink made from fresh fruit and very little else.

The possibilities really are endless.

Minted Melon Agua Fresca

-adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Half of a 4 lb cantelope or honeydew (or 1 small 2 lb melon), 

seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes, roughly 4 cups

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup of mint leaves

1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice

pinch of salt

2 cups club soda

extra mint for steeping or garnishing

Add melon, water and mint leaves to your blender and puree.

Place a colander lined with cheesecloth, a kitchen towel 

OR a muslin swaddler for your baby drawer :)

over a deep bowl, add the puree and let it drain for about an hour.

Gather the towel/swaddler and gently squeeze any excess juice.  

Throw away the solids, stir in remaining ingredients and taste.

If you want more mint flavor add in a few sprigs of mint before chilling

Chill for at least an hour, it should be ice cold when served.

Pour into 4 glasses and top with 1/2 cup of club soda each.

Enjoy!

*Agua Fresca Variations

-hold the club soda and serve this to your little

-Add vodka but don't mix it up with the ones you set aside for your kids

-Try this with watermelon although you may want to cut back on the water a bit

-Omit the water and soda and freeze these as popsicles

Now on to the baby food.

This puree is refreshing and Peanut really enjoyed eating it straight from the fridge.

I'm sure it was cooling for a hot day and 

probably a relief from the 4 teeth that popped up in the last 10 days.

This recipe could easily be cut in half.

Also note that the puree in the pictures had less mint and I ended up adding more later.

I added apples for texture more then anything as the real star here is the melon.

Minted Melon Puree

Half of a 4 lb cantelope or honeydew (or 1 small 2 lb melon), 

seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes, roughly 4 cups

2 apples, peeled, seeded, cored and cut into chunks

1 1/2 teaspoons of minced mint

Steam your apple chunks or simmer in 1 tablespoon of water, 

until the apples are fork tender.

Allow the apples to cool.

Puree the apples, melon and mint.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Leave out the mint (or add more if you like)

-Try this with watermelon

-Mix with peach or blueberries

-Instead of mint substitute a small amount of grated ginger.

I would start with 1/4 teaspoon and taste, adding more if needed

-For older kids serve this semi-frozen, like a healthy slushy or granita

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits

Cantaloupe is packed with potassium, beta-carotene, fiber and vitamin A.

Honeydew also has loads of fiber and potassium as well as calcium, magnesium and vitamin C.

Gingered Carrot

I love the combination of ginger with carrots.  

The sweetness of the carrots is the perfect vessel for the ginger which,

 in a larger amount can be a tad spicy.

Here we're adding just a small amount to brighten up a dish your baby is probably already used to.

Gingered Carrot
5 or 6 medium carrots (or the equivalent of 1 lb), peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

I slice my carrots into 1/2 inch rounds (with the thin tips cut longer)
 because they steam faster in smaller pieces.
Steam in basket over 1 inch of water for about 15-20 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
Cook the minimum amount of time possible to retain the most nutrients for your babe.

Add your carrots and the freshly grated ginger and puree.
Use the water from the steamer to get your puree to the desired consistency.

*Variations
-Add 1/2 cup cooked, pureed chicken
-Add a small dollop of plain, whole yogurt
-Mix with pureed apple
-Add a pinch of mild curry
-Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced cilantro

*Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits
Carrots have loads of different kinds of carotenoids which work as anitoxidants,
convert to Vitamin A, boost the immune system
as well as protect and enhance your eyes.
Ginger has a soothing quality that calms the stomach and rids you of nausea.
It has also been known to increase circulation and immunity in addition to anti-inflammatory properties.
All wonderful things of for your little peanut.

This recipe is classified as 8-10 months because of the use of spices.
You may introduce spices earlier or later than this.

Blueberry & Apple with cinnamon

I promise this is the last blueberry post for a while!
It's just that I had all these blueberries and Peanut loves them, so I couldn't help myself.

I had this craving for pie the other day and ended up eating this mashed up and still warm with nilla wafers and graham crackers and topped with whipped cream.

Not that it's a replacement for pie. 

It was late and I wasn't about to whip up a pie.

Yes, I did give some to Peanut.

Only without the extra fixins.

Blueberry & Apple with cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks (about 3 cups)

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon water

Place the ingredients into a pot or saucepan with a lid.  

Simmer for about 4 minutes or until fork tender, stirring occasionally.

Blend to the desired consistency.

Taste test!  I suggest starting with the 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and tasting to see if you would like to add more.  I ended up adding another generous pinch but I'm a big fan of cinnamon.

*Variation

-Switch things up a bit and try using 1/2 teaspoon of minced mint instead.

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits

Apples are a great source of fiber and contain nutrient that help regulate blood sugar.

Blueberries are full of antioxidants and vitamin C.  

Truly brain food, they help your little one maintain brain power.

Cinnamon has been said to lower blood sugar, improve blood flow, fight bacteria, relieve gas 

and reduce inflammation.

Banana & Blueberry

This recipe is super simple and completely delicious.  This is one of those, throw together at the last minute purees and your baby will love it.

Banana & Blueberry

1 medium banana

1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Place in food processor and puree.  

If using frozen blueberries just allow them to defrost a bit.  

Mine were still slightly frozen which worked out just fine.

*Variations

-Add a dollop of yogurt.  I usually do this when I've used a really ripe and sweet banana

-For some extra protein, add 1/4 cup of silken tofu.  It blends right in and the flavor hardly changes.
-Mash this with a fork for some texture
-Mix with prepared oatmeal

*Storage

This looks prettiest when eaten fresh as the banana will turn brown.

However, brown banana does not mean bad banana 

(unless of course we are talking about starting off with a rotten banana).

You can refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

I suggest placing cling wrap directly on the surface of the mixture to reduce browning if it bothers you.

You can also freeze this for up to 3 months (and I have frozen it) but it will brown as you thaw.

*Benefit

Blueberries are full of antioxidants and they help maintain memory. 

I'd say that's a huge perk considering the amount that your baby is learning on a daily basis.

Bananas are a great source of fiber and potassium.

They are also very good for the digestive system and have been known to remedy diarrhea(tmi?).

Minted Summer Peach

Stone fruit is in season and we've been getting the most amazing, gigantic, juicy and flavorful peaches from our CSA.  It always surprises me how much flavor farm fresh food can have.  

I mean the peaches taste like peach-scented products.  Does that make any sense?

It's just that occasionally you get food from the supermarket that looks like food 

but doesn't taste like much.

These have been so packed with flavor.

This recipe actually includes apples which I thought was great for the texture.  I'll have to admit that apples weren't in the original plan but we ate more peaches than I thought... 

so Peanut wasn't left with much.

That's what happens when you are lowest on the totem pole.

I wanted to start introducing Peanut to herbs and spices 

and mint sounded so refreshing for this time of year.

Minted Summer Peaches

1 large or 2 small peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 large or 2 small apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

3/4 teaspoon minced mint leaves

1tablespoon water

Place your peaches and apples in a saucepan or pot with the 1 tablespoon of water.  Put a lid on (or piece of foil) and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the fruit is fork tender.

Take your fruit off the heat, removing lid and allow the mixture to cool.   Meanwhile, chop your mint.  When the fruit has cooled, blend or mash to desired consistency.  Add in your mint.  I like to add the mint to cooled fruit as hot fruit will turn it all brown.

Enjoy!

*Variation

-Feel free to use frozen peaches
-This would be fantastic done with all peaches, all apples or even nectarines.

-You can eliminate the mint and serve this as a first fruit.

-Add a little plain, whole milk yogurt 

--Serve this semi-frozen with some berries as a treat for you--

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

*Benefits

Peaches are a great source of vitamins C & K as well as calcium and potassium.
They are also high in fiber.
Apples have lots of antioxidants as well as loads of fiber.
Mint (just fyi even though there is such a teensy amount) containes Vitamins A, C and B12, calcium, potassium and folic acid.  I think it's a great way to introduce herbs and it just screams summer.

This recipe is marked as 8-10 months because of the mint.  Many people (like me) may introduce herbs and spices younger than 8 months.

I'm looking for pictures of your baby eating some Dandy Baby food for my blog!  
If you have one to share please email it to me at dandy7321@yahoo.com

Blueberry Pear Oatmeal

This recipe came after a lot of experimenting with blueberries and pears.  

It all started with a great sale on organic blueberries.

I did some reading on the internet and found that almost all the recipes were nothing more then blending the 2 ingredients together. I did and it tasted great. It had a nice pear flavor with bits of blueberry in it. Although the skins look alarming, they are so soft I wouldn't worry about them in the puree.

My complaint was that once pureed it was almost completely liquid. My pears were extremely ripe and juicy.  Oh and pears brown almost immediately, so expect your puree to take on a tan tinge.

Some say that for babies younger than 8 months, or when you are trying a new fruit on a baby, that it's better to cook the fruit first.  Cooking the fruit should aid in digestion.  Although blueberries are recommended for 8 months and older anyway.

My next step was trying to cook the fruit first.  As you can see, the puree differs dramatically in appearance.

I decided to address the consistency by turning it into an oatmeal.

On the left is the final recipe, on the right was my attempt to add cooked oatmeal to my fresh puree.

Although the fresh blend was tasty I loved the cooked blend.  The blueberries take on this deep flavor that I couldn't get enough of.   Just the smell of the cooking fruit was enough to make me crave more.

I'd love the puree served warm over pancakes.  Yum.

The result of all this shenanigans is one simple recipe.

Blueberry Pear Oatmeal

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, chopped into chunks (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup oatmeal

Add blueberries and pears to a medium pot or saucepan and place over medium to high heat.  No additional liquid is needed.   Bring to a simmer and continue simmering 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The fruit should be soft and the blueberries will be breaking down and letting out that gorgeous purple juice.  Take your pan off the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, grind your oatmeal.  This step allows you to control the amount of texture your baby gets in the finished product.  You can grind to a fine powder or not grind at all.  Transfer your oatmeal to a small bowl or cup.

Carefully place the fruit in the food processor and puree.  Transfer the pureed fruit back to the original pan and bring mixture up to a simmer.

Once the fruit is at a simmer, whisk in the ground oats.  Let the oats cook in the mixture, stirring occasionally.  I used quick cook oats and ground them down so it only took about 2 minutes to cook.  There are different types of oats so cook accordingly.

Let it cool and enjoy!

If the finished product is too thick for your little then go ahead and thin down with water.

Peanut approves!

*Variation

If you'd like to use the the oats as a thickener instead of as a main ingredient, simply cut down to 1/4 cup  of finely ground oats.

*Storage

Realistically I'm not sure I'll ever whip this up for breakfast.  I'm not a morning person, I don't get much done first thing in the morning.  Put this into an airtight container and you can keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Warm it and then check the consistency.
You may need to thin it out with water, formula or breast milk

Freeze for up to 3 months.  Once thawed it's slightly rubbery.  Simply warm it and add water, formula or breast milk until it is a good consistency for your little.

*Benefits

Blueberries are a super fruit when it comes to nutritional value. 

They are pure brain food, packed with antioxidants and vitamin C.

The list of health benefits go on and on, regardless of whether they are fresh or frozen.

Oats are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. 
They are also a good source of manganese, vitamin E, zinc, and protein.
They are also a great way to introduce your little to different textures.

As compared to the commercial version.

Isn't ours pretty?