Strawberry, Pineapple Applesauce

PineAppleBerry?

This came together as a result of leftover fruit from Easter

and because Peanut loves just about any kind of applesauce you can think of.

My mom and I liked this warm and since making it, I've used it for a number of things.

Make sure to taste all your fruit and adjust according to the sweetness.  

My pineapple was super sweet and strawberries a bit tart still.

Strawberry, Pineapple Applesauce

4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 cup strawberries, stems removed, cut into chunks

Place the apples in a medium saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water and let it simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.

Add your pineapple and strawberries, replace cover and heat for another couple minutes.

You just want to make sure everything is nice and tender so it purees smoothly.

If you like you can skip the cooking completely and just puree.

The texture will just be a bit different.

Serve and enjoy!

*Variations

-Add mint or even basil 

-Use less apples and more pineapple

-Substitute other berries like blackberries or blueberries

*Storage

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

*Benefits

Apples have lots of fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium and magnesium.

Strawberries are known for their anti-carcinogenic properties (good for you, bad for cancer) as well as fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin C.

Pineapple aids in digestion because of the enzymes it contains (which is also said to help with inflammation and bruising).  It's packed with manganese (used for healthy skin, bones and cartilage), vitamin C and potassium.

*In the past, strawberries were on the "don't eat until after a year" list because of the possibility of allergy. Since then the American Academy of Pediatrics has revised their suggestion to wait.  

In this article they basically say that there isn't any proof that waiting will lessen your child's chance of allergic reactions. 

Peanut had strawberry in a puree at 7 months but again, that was a completely personal choice as neither B or I have any food allergies.

I stuck this in the toddler food (12 months+) because of the high acidity in pineapple.

Apple & Parsnip with Cinnamon

Up until the last couple of weeks Peanut has always chosen vegetables over fruit.

Really.

He would rather have green beans than bananas or pears.

All of a sudden a few weeks ago he no longer wanted to eat straight veggies.  

Veggies in things is no problem.  Even if its a dish of 99% veggies its fine.

It got me thinking about how every parent seems to go through phases of sneaking veggies into their kids food.  If I think I can get away with it, I add vegetables.

Parsnips look like white carrots, are sweeter in flavor and have a unique spiced flavor.

I always think cinnamon and cardamom when I taste them.

All of this makes them perfect to pair with apples.

Apple & Parsnip with Cinnamon

6 small apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

4 small parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In your steamer place the parsnips on bottom and apples on top and steam until fork tender,

about 8 minutes depending on their size.

Remove from the steamer reserving cooking liquid.

Mash or puree to the desired consistency adding liquid if needed.

Mix in the cinnamon and Enjoy!

*Variations

-Bake the apples and parsnips instead, intensifying their sweetness.  

Be sure to cover the dish to retain moisture.

-Add a bit of orange juice to brighten it up

-Mash with potato

-Mix into oatmeal or other grains

-For adults:  serve as is or leave out the cinnamon and turn this into a soup by adding chicken stock, a few tbs of butter and a dash of cream

*Storage

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

*Benefits

Parsnips are rich in vitamins A, C & E, fiber, folate, manganese, copper, potassium and magnesium.

Apples have lots of fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

Just Bananas "Ice Cream"

I've been seeing this one ingredient ice cream on the internet for years and recently tried it out for my 52 Food Adventures challenge.  We've been making it ever since.

As the only ingredient is frozen bananas, it really couldn't be simpler.

Your baby will get a unique treat when eating, your older children will consider it dessert,

and it would be perfect to help soothe the gums of a teething baby.

Just Bananas "Ice Cream"

Banana (the more ripe the banana is the sweeter it will taste)

Take your banana, peel and slice it and place the pieces on a plate or tray.

Freeze the bananas and then puree in a food processor.

At this point you can definitely serve as is.  The texture will be that of soft serve.

If you like it to be more like traditional ice cream then stick it back in the freezer for another couple hours.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Add peanut butter, cocoa powder or nutella

-Roast your bananas first to intensify the sweetness and add a note of caramel

*Storage

Simply place in an airtight container in the freezer

*Benefits

Bananas are packed with potassium and fiber but they are also good for the digestive system.

They've been known to be binding and I think this would be the perfect that for a sick baby or child with diarrhea.

Have you had the one ingredient ice cream before?

Baby's First Pie- Sweet Potato & Pumpkin

Thanksgiving just wouldn't be complete without pie

and although your little one might not be ready for the pumpkin pie you're eating,

they can definitely have this one.

There is no added sugar as the sweetness comes from the sweet potato and roasted bananas.

The crust itself is made from ground teething cookies.

The filling is a simple puree.

Roasting the banana gives them this fantastic caramel flavor.

Put them all together and you have a fantastic puree that is then smoothed into your shell.

I used mini tart pans for this but I suspect this would also be great in silicone cupcake molds

or any other individual mold like small soufflé dish or large ramekin.

There are a million different teething cookies out there and any of them would work.

I used a combination of several kinds.

Other options for the crust are arrowroot cookies, 

baby graham crackers (or regular grahams)

or basically any biscuit/cookie you can find in the baby section.

This is held together by butter but don't feel guilty about it.

The fat in the butter actually helps your baby's body absorb the 

beta-carotene in the pumpkin and sweet potato.

Baby's First Pie- Sweet Potato & Pumpkin

1 small sweet potato (yam)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree*

2 bananas, peeled and cut lengthwise

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup ground teething cookies

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place your sweet potato on a baking sheet and 

poke a few holes in it with a knife or fork.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the skin just starts to pucker.

Pull out your baking sheet and add the bananas.

Roast for another 15 minutes or so.

The bananas should be bubbly with golden spots

and the sweet potato should have nice soft flesh (check by poking it with your fork or knife).

When they are done pull them out and drop your oven temp to 350°.

Meanwhile, put your cookies or crackers into the food processor and 

grinduntil you have 3/4 of a cup.

How many you use will depend on the type of teething cookies.

Place in a bowl and mix the melted butter in with a fork.

Add a few tablespoons of crust mix into your mini tart pan and 

press up the sides and down the center.

I used a small measuring cup to do this.

Mine yielded 5 tarts.

Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until your crust is a nice golden brown.

Peel the skin off the sweet potato and put the flesh in the food processor.

Add your roasted banana, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.

Puree until smooth, adding water or apple juice if needed.

Add the puree to your crusts, smoothing them very gently.

Allow them to cool to room temperature and serve to baby.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Instead of the crust you could sprinkle crumbled cookies over the top of the puree.

-Try this with different fillings like Baked Apple & Carrot or 

Cranberry, Apple & Pumpkin

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days

*Benefits

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, antioxidants, potassium,

lots of fiber and a bit of calcium.

Bananas have loads of potassium and fiber, are great for the digestive system 

and helps your body absorb calcium.

Pumpkin is packed with potassium (3 times a banana),

beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, phosphorus and calcium.

Turkey with Yams & Cranberries- Stovetop Version

Although I posted a Roasted Turkey with Yams & Cranberries yesterday

I realize that you don't always have turkey breast available

and may not feel like going thru the process of roasting a breast just for baby food.

In this case we are going to do a stovetop version using ground turkey 

that you can find at any supermarket.

I used too much water  so if yours doesn't look soupy on mine 

you are on the right track.

If yours does end up with too much water, don't worry about it much.

When pureeing, only use the amount of liquid that you need for the desired consistency.

Turkey with Yams & Cranberries

1 large yam, peeled and cut into chunks

3/4 cup cranberries

1/2 cup lean ground turkey

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)

Place your yam chunks into a saucepan with just barely enough water to cover.

Add your cranberries and boil until the cranberries have popped and the yams are fork tender.

Add in your ground turkey and continue cooking until the meat is cooked.

Place yams, cranberries and meat into the food processor,

reserving liquid.

Pulse in the food processor for a chunkier consistency or puree to a smooth consistency

using as much liquid as necessary.

*Variations

-Add a clove of garlic to the liquid before cooking

-Substitute chicken 

-Use apple or pear instead of cranberry

-Try adding a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg

*Storage

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

*Benefits

Turkey is a great source of protein as well as niacin, vitamin B6 and tryptothan which is an amino acid.

Yams are high in fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, calcium and beta-carotene.

A little bit of fat helps the body absorb the beta-carotene so that olive oil might come in handy.

Cranberries are packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and manganese.

Roasted Turkey with Yams & Cranberries

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few days away?!

I can't either.

Well don't leave your little one out of the festivities!



Today I'll be showing you a roasted version of this dish,
if you so happen to have a breast (or in my case a 1/2 breast)
but tomorrow I'll show you a stovetop version with ground turkey.

As you can see in the first photo,
this is perfect served sliced, in chunks or as a completely smooth puree.
My only advice is that if you make sure the cranberries are mashed or blended
thoroughly into the sweet potato.

Otherwise they'll knock your little's socks right off.
This is in the 8-10 month old section because of the cranberries,
substitute apples or pears and serve this to your 6-8 month old.


Note:  I got sidetracked and forgot to add the cranberries and apple juice to the turkey which is why my pictures are different- oops!

Roasted Turkey with Yam & Cranberries

1/2 turkey breast, mine was a small 1 1/2 lbs
4 large fresh sage leaves, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp olive oil (optional)
3/4 cup cranberries
1/3 cup apple juice
1 large yam or 2 small yams, about 1 1/2 lbs

Preheat your oven to 325°.

Wash your yam and prick it several times with a fork.

Place it on a cookie sheet and stick it in the oven until it's easily pierced with a fork

or the skin begins to look loose.

If your yam isn't done when your turkey is, just remove the turkey 

and turn your oven up to 425° then continue baking until done.

Place your turkey breast in a small baking dish or pan.
I used a 8 x 8 inch pyrex.
Gently loosen the skin from the meat but do not remove.
Mix the garlic, sage and olive oil and smear it on the breast under the skin.
Place in the oven with a piece of foil sitting on top (but not sealed around the edges).
About 30 minutes into your roasting, add your cranberries and apple juice.
Roast until a thermometer, inserted into the thickest part reads 165°.
The time will differ depending on the size.
I'd do a check at about 1 hour 15 minutes and then keep an eye on it.
If for some reason your cranberries start to look dry then add more apple juice.

When the turkey, cranberries and yams are done let them cool a bit.

Slice your turkey and mash your cranberries and yams together for an older child.
or
Dice your turkey and mix it in with the mashed cran-yam.
or
Puree your turkey and crane and mix with fork-mashed yams.
or
Puree all of them together, adding apple juice if needed to reach the desired consistency.




*Variations
-If you have fresh rosemary and/or thyme, that would be perfect
-Onion powder or minced onion would also be good
-You could also do this with chicken breast
-For a sweeter variation (or for younger kids) use apple or pear instead of cranberry

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

*Benefits
Turkey is a great source of protein as well as niacin, vitamin B6 and tryptothan which is an amino acid.

Yams are high in fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, calcium and beta-carotene.
A little bit of fat helps the body absorb the beta-carotene so that olive oil might come in handy.

Cranberries are packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and manganese.

Fuyu Persimmon

We have persimmons coming out our ears these days and they make the perfect baby food.

Naturally sweet these are unique and yet so easy to try.

Today we're using the Fuyu because they can be eaten when they are still firm, just like an apple.

You can eat the skin but for the little we're going to remove it.

Hachiya can only be eaten when completely ripe, to the point of actually being mushy.

I learned this the hard way.

Mine was just soft with a bit of pressure (like a ripe avocado) when I ate a piece.

And then it felt like all the saliva was sucked out of my mouth, it was so incredibly bitter.

So for now we'll stick with the very friendly and sweet Fuyu.

The result is a puree the texture of applesauce without any tartness.

Fuyu Persimmon

Fuyu Persimmon, peeled and cut into smallish chunks

Steam until fork tender.

I have plans for some persimmon pancakes :)

Puree or mash, add water if needed until you reach the desired consistency.

Alternatively you can add them to a pot with a bit of water (I used 1/2 cup for 9 persimmons),

cover with a lid and simmer until fork tender.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Add cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger

-Puree with a bit of coconut milk

-Mix in some minced mint

-Add to grains like oatmeal or quinoa

-Combine with whole milk yogurt or cottage cheese

-Combine with winter quash

-Add chicken, turkey or pork

*Storage

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

*Benefits

Persimmons are high in fiber, vitamins A & C, as well as potassium, manganese, copper and phosphorus.

Have you ever eaten a persimmon?

Cranberry, Prune & Pear

I've been trying to balance out the tartness of cranberries without using sugar

and prunes immediately came to mind.

Originally this puree was just prunes and cranberry and Peanut really liked it.

I mean, he wanted to eat a lot of it.

I started to think that maybe instead of him eating mass quantities of prunes, 

I should add a bit of pear to the mix.

The result is very tasty and super easy.

Don't rule prunes out, they are naturally sweet and good for baby.

I guarantee they are delicious, just give them a try.

You know, I never realized how much sugar goes into cranberry sauce.

I like mine out of the can.

Specifically the jellied kind that still looks like the can when you put it on the plate.

I could eat a can by myself over the course of the evening.

I love it.  Is that weird?

I wonder if I have any in my cupboard?

Anyway, it wasn't until I tried straight simmered cranberries until I started looking to see how much

sugar gets added when you make cranberry sauce.

Crazy!

Cranberry, Prune & Pear

1 cup, packed prunes

1 cup cranberries

3 pears, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks

Place your prunes in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover.

Add your cranberries and then add your pears.

Cover your pot and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and

simmer until all the cranberries are popped, and the prunes and pears are fork tender.

Allow to cool for a moment and puree.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, allspice or ginger

-Replace the prunes with unsulfured apricots

-Use apples instead of pears

-Add a little rosemary to thyme

*Storage

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

*Benefits

Cranberries have tons of antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and manganese.

They are great for the urinary tract as they prevent bacteria from sticking to the lining.

Pears are full of vitamins like C, E, K and B2 as well as potassium and fiber.

Prunes are high in fiber, vitamins A & C, potassium, iron and tons of antioxidants.


Tell me.... how do you like to eat cranberries?
Relish?  Sauce?  In a tart?

Cranberry, Apple & Pumpkin

As a special request from my friend Adrija, I'm spending some time this week working with cranberries!

I love requests, so if you have them, send them on over!

Cranberries are not in the same family as strawberries and are not common as an allergy.
They are full of healthy goodness and lots of pectin which makes a great puree.

The catch is the tartness, I mean, wowza.

This puree still has a hint of tartness but the apple and pumpkin balance it out.
I felt like the apple alone just wasn't enough.

Besides, doesn't this cran-applekin puree just scream fall?

This recipe is easily halved as I do cook in large batches.

I forgot to take pictures of me baking the pumpkin so you'll have to visualize.

Homemade pumpkin puree:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the stem from your pumpkin and cut it in half.
I recently read something that said you don't need to scrape the seeds before hand,
so I left them in.
Place the pumpkins face down and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
Allow to cool, scrape the seeds and stringy part out with a spoon.
This is so easy once it's cooked.
You can keep your seeds for roasting or toss them out.
Puree the soft flesh.

 

Cranberry, Apple & Pumpkin

2 cup pumpkin puree or about 1 roasted pie pumpkin

6 oz or 1 1/2 cup cranberries

4 sweet apples*, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1/2 cup + 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

*Sweet apples as opposed to tart apples include Red or Golden Delicious,

Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp & Ambrosia

Place your cranberries and 1/2 cup apple juice in a medium saucepan over high heat.

Once it comes to a boil reduce to a simmer.

Continue to cook until all the cranberries burst.

As this happens the mixture will begin to thicken,

make sure to stir occasionally to avoid burning the bottom.

Place your cranberries in the food processor to cool.

Rinse your saucepan and add your apples and the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice.

Simmer with the lid on, stirring occasionally until the apples are fork tender.

Add the apples, pumpkin puree and cinnamon and blend to desired consistency.

If you need to, add apple juice to thin your puree.

If you want a chunkier consistency I suggest blending the cranberries and 

mashing the apple and or pumpkin.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Substitue pears or add them to the puree

-Try this with butternut squash, acorn squash or other winter squash

-Add chicken, pork or turkey

-Use pumpkin pie spice, ginger or curry

-Mince fresh herbs like mint or rosemary

*Storage

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

*Benefits

Cranberries are an incredible source of antioxidants as well as fiber, vitamin C, manganese and are great for the urinary tract as it prevent bacteria from sticking to lining.

Apples have lots of fiber, vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin,

thiamin, potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

Pumpkin is packed with potassium (3 times a banana), beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin,

potassium, phosphorus & calcium.

Apple Quinoa

We've been getting the most incredible apples in our CSA box,

big, gorgeous, crisp and juicy.

I'm going to have to find out what kind they are.

A while back when I posted Zucchini Quinoa, my friend Elizabeth commented that they like theirs sweet.

She prepares quinoa for her family much like lots of people do oatmeal.

That's when I thought about adding it to apples.

This mixture is more applesauce then quinoa but you could certainly change the ratio 

to make it more of a grain-based meal.

If you have a child that just doesn't want to eat grains,

then use a tad less quinoa and call it chunky applesauce.

For added texture reserve some apples for hand-mashing and then mix them back into the sauce.

Apple Quinoa

4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (I use a melon baller to core my apples)

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup + 1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a small saucepan rinse and drain your 1/2 cup quinoa and then add 1 cup water.

Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid.

Let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, place your apples and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat and cover.

I'll be honest and say I tend to use medium-high heat as I'm always in a hurry.

Stir occasionally and cook until all the apples are soft, about 7 minutes.

Allow to cool a minute.

Place apples with their liquid into a food processor or blender and puree.

Add your pumpkin pie spice and pulse until blended.

Return puree to saucepan and mix in the quinoa.

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Instead of pumpkin pie spice use cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla

-Add minced mint or basil or simmer the apples with a sprig of thyme (remove before blending)

*Storage

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

The quinoa may continue to soak up the liquid from the apples. 

If this is the case, you may need to add water or unsweetened apple juice 

to bring to the desired consistency.

*Benefits

Quinoa is not actually a grain but a seed and is packed with protein and essential amino acids.

It's far more nutritious then rice and has more calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, 

copper, manganese, fiber and zinc than many other grains.

Apples are loaded with fiber, vitamins C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium,

phosphorus and calcium. 

Raspberry & Pear

Before this past year I did all my shopping at the grocery store.

As a result I wasn't really aware of the local growing season for a lot of fruits and vegetables.

I always considered raspberries and blackberries a summer fruit but

they are really a fall fruit.

We had these gorgeous raspberries and pears just calling out to be blended together.

The puree is vivid and refreshing.

Raspberries are a bit tart and so is this puree.

I don't see anything wrong with that.  Not all fruit needs to be really sweet.

Also, don't assume your little won't like tart.  Peanut likes plain yogurt and that is pretty darn tart.

However, if you find that your little isn't buying into the tartness 

there are a few options that I've listed in the variations section.

Raspberry & Pear

12 oz (or about 2 cups) raspberries, rinsed

3 small (or 2 large) pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

Throw it all into a food processor and puree!

I did mine in batches because I was too lazy to pull down the big food processor. 

Enjoy!

*Variations

-Mix with minced mint or ginger

-Add a pinch of spice like allspice, nutmeg or cinnamon

-Top oatmeal or other grain

-Add some mango or banana and bland into a smoothie

-This would also make a great popsicle

-Cook some chicken, pork or turkey in this

To make it sweeter:

-Add some apple or mashed banana or roast your banana to make an even sweeter blend

-You can always cook this down a bit over medium heat in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.

This will bring out the natural sweetness but will also make it runnier.

This would be fantastic to cook oatmeal or other grains with as done HERE.

*Storage

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

*Benefits

For such a little fruit raspberries are packed with nutrients.  High in fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin K.

Pears are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, E, K and B2, copper as well as potassium.

Pumpkin, Pear & Apple

Well, the blogging's been slow around here but fall has come and 

is bringing it's bounty.

I adore fall foods and I'm excited to dive into some new dishes for our littles.

I have more posts coming up and some small giveaways as well.

Today I'm showing a puree of some of the best of fall... pumpkins, pears and apples.

Although I know you can get pears and apples year-round in grocery stores...

these are in season now so stop by your local farmer's market and let yourself be

amazed at how flavorful and delicious they are.

This is my first attempt at cooking pumpkin and it was soooo easy.

It makes me wonder if it's worth it making pumpkin pie from scratch.

It wouldn't actually be very hard.

Thoughts?

Oh and if you have canned pumpkin that would be fine...

but only the plain stuff, not the pumpkin pie mix.

Pumpkin, Pear and Apple

1 baking or pie pumpkin, cut in half and gutted :)

2 pears, skinned, cored and cut into chunks

2 apples, skinned, cored and cut into chunks

pat of unsalted butter optional

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

As for the gutting of the pumpkin- just take out all the seeds (bake these for an adult snack)

and all the stringy stuff by scraping it with a spoon.

Place your pumpkin face down on a baking sheet.

Place your apple and pear in a small dish (I used a loaf pan).

Put the pumpkin, pears and apples in the oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes and then cover the apples and pears with a piece of foil.

Make sure you seal it around the top, using a pot holder of course, 

so that we create some steam and get some juices going.

We don't want it to get dry and want to use that liquid for the puree.

Bake for another 10 minutes or so.

At this point your fruit will be ready and you can check your pumpkin.

If the skin is easily pierced with a fork then it's done (as mine was).

If not then leave it in until ready.

Put it all in a food processor and puree, 

thinning with water or unsweetened apple juice until the desired consistency.

Otherwise you could also mash for a chunkier texture.

The fat in butter helps the body absorb the beta-carotene.  

Enjoy!

*Variations

-I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon

-Try adding curry, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom or ginger

-Puree with chicken, turkey or pork

-Add herbs like mint or cilantro

-You could also steam the ingredients instead of roasting

*Storage

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

*Benefits

Pumpkin is packed with potassium (3 times a banana) and is packed with beta-carotene, lutein (for your eyes), fiber, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus.

Pears are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, E, K and B2, copper as well as potassium.

Apples are loaded with fiber, vitamins C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium,

phosphorus and calcium. 

Spiced Sweet Potato

Friday marks the official start of fall and this dish is the perfect way to celebrate.

It's the baby food equivalent of Thanksgiving dessert.

In fact, so much so that we were thinking of putting this in a tart shell, 

with a dollop of fresh whipped cream 

and eating it as our own dessert.

Some of us couldn't wait to dig in.

I must make a mental note to keep both my eyes open when looking thru the viewfinder.

This recipe also has roasted bananas but these are done uncovered and 

roasted until the sugars start to caramelize.

The flavor that ends up coming thru is much more caramel then banana.

After making this I started searching other recipes with banana and sweet potato
in them and was surprised to find added sugar in them.
I honestly don't think you need it, even for adults.

We add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and fall just comes alive.

Is there anything better than the smell of freshly grated nutmeg?

It's like giving your baby his first taste of the holidays.

Can you see it Peanut?  Can you taste the autumn comfort?!

Spiced Sweet Potato

1 large (or 2 small) sweet potatoes (yams)
2 medium bananas, peeled and cut lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmed

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Place your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and
poke a few holes in them with a knife or fork.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the skin just starts to pucker.
Pull out your baking sheet and add the bananas.
Roast for another 15 minutes or so.
The banana should be bubbly with little golden spots and
the potatoes should have skin that is puckered and soft flesh.

You can scoop this all into a food processor and puree or
mash by hand
or do both and mix them together (which is what I did).
Add the cinnamon & nutmeg and mix.

Taste and add more spices if you like.

Enjoy!

~This is really sweet so serve in a small portion as you would dessert

*Variations
-This would be great served as a dip with graham crackers
-Try other spices like cardamom, cloves, ginger or pumpkin pie spice
-Mix this in with oatmeal or other grains
-Add some unsweetened coconut flakes
-If your child is old enough, this would be great with toasted nuts like pecans

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

*Benefits
Bananas are packed with potassium and fiber, are great for the digestive system and helps your body absorb calcium.

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

Cinnamon has been said to lower blood sugar, improve blood flow, fight bacteria,
relieve gas and reduce inflammation.

Nutmeg has strong antibacterial qualities like cloves do, has been said to improve memory, reduce gas, aid in digestion, decrease nausea and help increase in appetite.