Winner, winner, powdered dinner!

The winner of the NurturMe giveaway is Stephanie!

So excited for you!  Email me your address and I'll have it sent to you :)

Carrot & Broccoli Orzo

This dish actually includes chicken so it's a complete meal for your baby.

A little salt and I'm happy eating this myself.

Now don't rule out this dish just because the texture looks really chunky. 

First off, all of those chunks are really soft, allowing your little to mash it in their mouth.

Also remember that you can always puree your dishes to a consistency that works for your baby.

Left to right in the picture you see:

The original recipe,

After it's been pulsed a few times in a food processor

and blended to a smooth puree.

You can always make these recipes work for your little.

My apologies for the lack of preparation photos... I got caught up and didn't take them.

Oops!

Carrot & Broccoli Orzo (with chicken)

1/2 cup orzo

1 lb carrots, about 5 medium, peeled and sliced into rounds

2 cups broccoli florets

4 oz chicken breast, or 1/2 cup cooked diced chicken

Place your broccoli in the steamer with about an inch of water in the bottom of the pot.

Steam the broccoli until the stems are fork tender, this took me about 15 minutes.

They should be tender enough to mash with your fingers.

Remove the steamer basket but keep the water.

Run the hot broccoli under cold water (or submerge in ice bath) to stop the cooking.

Cut the broccoli to remove the florets like this, keeping the stems.  

Place the florets in a medium bowl and the stems in the food processor.

Place your carrots in the steamer, 

using the same water you used to steam the broccoli, adding more water if needed.

Steam until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on the size.

Meanwhile, boil 1/2 cup of orzo until it's soft.

Remember that you don't want al dente for your baby, you want it mouth-mashable.

I cooked mine for about 15 minutes.

Drain when done and set aside.

When the carrots are done and cooled slightly

 you can add them to the broccoli stems in the food processor, 

keeping the water to cook your chicken in.

Add your chicken to the boiling water.

When the chicken is cooked all the way thru, add it to the food processor and puree.

You'll need to add some of the cooking liquid as you want the puree to be thinner than usual.

This is going to make your "sauce".

Pour the cooled puree into the medium bowl with your florets and stir in your orzo.

Enjoy!

Peanut eating "little trees" as a snack

*Variations

-Try this with a number of different veggies like cauliflower, asparagus, squash, or green beans

-Leave the chicken out or use another meat like turkey, beef or pork

-Substitute the orzo with another pasta, Mediterranean couscous or a grain

-Add fresh herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro or even dill

*Storage

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

When reheating make sure to heat all the way thru and allow to cool for your little.

*Benefits

Carrots have loads of different kinds of carotenoids which work as antioxidants, convert to vitamin A,

boost the immune system and protect and enhance your eyes.

Broccoli is known as having cancer fighting properties, lots and lots of cancer fighting properties
as well as protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamins C & A, folate,
magnesium, phosphorus and beta-carotene.
So good for you.

Chicken is a great source of lean protein.
It also provides potassium, phosphorus, niacin, calcium, iron, selenium and zinc.

Orzo may not be a nutrient powerhouse but it does provide your baby with some needed carbs, fiber, protein and iron.  There is nutrient-enriched orzo as well.

Last day to enter the giveaway HERE.

Simple Summer Squash

Our CSA has been packed full of summer squash in all shapes and sizes.

Although you can definitely steam them, 

I prefer to roast them.

Even in the summer heat, I can't get enough roasted summer veggies.

I find that steamed squash becomes a very liquidy puree 

which can be really great if that's what you need in a recipe.

However, roasting the squash eliminates all that extra liquid.

It also brings out the sweetness and preserves the most nutrients.

The summer squash we are using are pattypan, yellow crookneck, zucchini.

You can use any kind you like.

Summer squash have the thin skins versus the thick hard shells of winter squash.

If you are looking for Simple Winter Squash recipe you can find it here.

Simple Summer Squash

Any amount of your favorite summer squash

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Gently wash your squash and slice both the tops and the tips of the bottoms off.

Slice into 1 inch rounds and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with extra virgin olive oil
OR you can lightly coat the veggies with extra virgin olive oil.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the squash is golden and fork tender.

Place in a food processor and puree to desired consistency, adding water as needed.

~Although you can see the skins, I find that it breaks down completely in the food processor.
The skin is packed with nutrients and anti-oxidants.

~Truth be told, we usually cut them into spears or long strips because that's the way that B & I eat them.
We just season half for us and eat them straight off the pan.
I always burn my tongue.

*Variations
-Combine with pear, apple, carrots or sweet potato
-Add onion to the pan when you roast it
-Use herbs like basil, oregano, cilantro, chives, parsley or thyme
-Puree with cooked turkey or chicken

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

*Benefits
Summer squash is high in potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, lutein and manganese.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win  NurturMe Feeding Gift Pack!

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!~

NurturMe baby food & a giveaway!

When I was first contacted about this product I immediately got on NurturMe's website 

and read all about them.

I watched the video, looked at the blog and searched the internet.

I was really, really excited.

I just crossed my fingers and hoped that it didn't taste like chalk.... or some of the other store bought foods.

When I pulled the package out of the mailbox I briefly wondered if they were sending the food separately.

These things are light as air.

Roughly the same size as a package of hot cocoa they weigh about 1/2 ounce each.

What is it?

It's dry baby food.

"The first and only certified-organic, all-natural, gluten-free baby food 

made from nutrient-rich, quick-dried fruits and vegetables."

Phew, that's-a-lot-of-hyphens.

I know that at first dry baby food sounds odd but really it shouldn't surprise us.
One of the most common first foods given to babies is rice cereal.

This is the same concept.

You simply mix these packets with breast milk, formula, water or whole milk and
voila, you have your food!

It's a traveller's dream because you don't have to lug around jars of baby food
or worry about refrigeration and other things.

Easy Peasy.

And get this... it tastes good!
B and I tried them all dry and mixed and Peanut gives them a thumbs up as well.

I have to say, and you're probably going to think I'm really weird,
 that I was really excited that all the powdered food were different textures.

Why?
Because when I buy baby food from the store I always marvel at the fact that
 it all comes out the consistency of pudding.
How is this possible?
How can cooked peas and chicken and banana and sweet potato and green beans and
beef with macaroni and vegetable risotto and mango turkey with brown rice
all be the consistency of pudding?  How?!

They are different foods, they should have different textures!

The apple.  Oh boy, have you ever had apple chips?
That's what these taste like.
I wanted to roll a dessert in them and eat it myself.
B tried to convince me to pour it on his ice cream.

Also, the packaging is recyclable and the carton is made using wind energy.
Yay for green packaging!

And cute.  The packaging is sooo cute.

Well, it is.

I'm just sayin'.

My first thought was to use it as a thickener for some of my purees.
Often times when I puree really ripe fruit (that's super juicy),
the puree turns out really thin.
Tasty but thin.

So I added the apple to my cherry peach sauce and it was perfect.
Look how thick and yummy that looks.

Oh and while we are still talking about apple, which is #1 on the dirty dozen list,
I should mention that all the fruits and veggies used, are from certified-organic U.S. farms.
All natural with nothing added.

Pure and simple.

NuturMe comes in 4 different flavors:
Plump Peas, Crisp Apples, Scrumptious Squash & Hearty Sweet Potatoes

You can mix and match them.
I gave Peanut the squash and sweet potatoes and he loved it.

I mean, how much easier can it get?
It's one of those things I'll keep in my diaper bag, earthquake kit and car... just in case.

Besides, these aren't just for your infant.
On the website I saw them mix the squash into mac and cheese for a toddler.
You can't see it at all and the flavor would work perfectly.
Parent's just love sneaking extra nutrients into their kids food.

My favorite, from a recipe standpoint, has to be the peas.

It took us a while before I felt comfortable giving Peanut peas with the skins blended in.
He tends to choke and gag and things a lot.

The result was that I didn't make a lot of things with peas.
This is the answer to that problem.

You could substitute a package of the plump peas in this recipe, add a bit of water and call it a day.

These peas taste like peas.  Not like store bought grayish baby food peas.  Like real, fresh peas.

Other suggestions from NuturMe included Apple Pudding, Sweet Potato Pancakes and Froggy Pasta.

Most importantly
(you know, besides the flavor, the fact that it's environmentally friendly
it's light weight, perfect to store and has super cute packaging)

is that it's sooo good for your little.

The fruit and vegetables are drum-dried and freeze-dried
which means that they retain more nutrients and phytochemicals than their cooked counterparts.
Especially the over-cooked veggies and fruits you buy at the grocery store.

The only draw-back is that their aren't more flavors!
I have a feeling that will be changing as they gain more momentum.
I hear banana has just come out.

You can find them on websites like
Amazon, Babies R Us, Target, Diapers.com, NurturMe.com and in some Whole Foods stores.
And actually starting today they will be available in Babies R Us stores nationwide.

So because you are awesome and this product is awesome...

and I feel you should be united in your awesome-ness...

and because every parent needs to have an easy, healthy product like this at their disposal...

I'm giving away one New Feeding Gift Pack which includes 2 of each flavor and the NurturMe spoon.

To enter this giveaway just leave a comment.

Giveaway closes Sunday 8/14 at midnight and the winner will be randomly chosen 

and announced next Monday.

For additional entries you can: 

1. Facebook, tweet or blog this giveaway and leave me a link

2. Like them on Facebook and leave me a comment (and get a coupon on their page)

3. Follow them on Twitter and leave me a comment

Good Luck!

~NurturMe did provide me with the product for this post but the opinions and photographs (with the exception of the last) are mine.  I would not post about a product I do not support.

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!

Oops, Missing Pictures

This picture is totally how I feel right now.

I'm sorry about the posts with missing pictures.

I'm new to apple and just realized that deleting pictures in 

iPhoto also deletes pictures in flickr as the two are synchronized.

My previous work flow involved deleting pictures off my computer that were already in flickr and were specifically for blogging.

As I repeat previous recipes I will be filling those pictures back in.

I'll have some new recipes up shortly... as I've apparently just erased all the pictures I just took.

Oh well, live and learn. 

:)