Baby food...doesn't have to be PUREE

When you think of baby food, a few words come to mind, bland, dull colored, puree, mush, all around YUCK! As my 6 month daughter is venturing into the world of food I have realized how many options there are. First, let me start by saying that I had already decided that I would be making my own baby food. For a few reasons, first and foremost because I want to be able to expose my daughter to a variety of different flavors, textures, colors, fruits and vegetables. If I was to buy her food at the store I would be limited in what I could expose her to, if I make it myself the sky is the limit, well actually the produce section at the grocery store but you get the idea.

I want to be able to control what goes into her food, if I make it myself I know EXACTLY what went into her food and I could add things like leeks, basil, vanilla bean, nutmeg...of course not yet she has to get introduced slowly but the options are limitless. I can make kale for her, how many times have you seen kale on the baby food aisle at the grocery store? The future for her and her palate are as big as my imagination.

I think the biggest revelation I have had is that baby food doesn't have to be PUREE. Of course I'm not saying that I can just cut up and apple and gave it to my daughter. What I'm saying is that we start our babies off on food that is a consistency that unless you're eating pudding everyday for the rest of your life isn't a natural consistency. Not that pudding everyday would be a bad thing, but I think one of the greatest things about food (other than the taste) is the different textures everything has in your mouth. How a pear feels when you bite into it compared to an apple, of course you can tell an apple from a pear by the taste of it, but if they both had the exact same flavor you would still be able to distinguish the two by texture.

Anella's first food was avocado, I was really excited to start with avocado because when I feed it to her it will be the exact same texture as when I eat it myself. After avocado, we moved onto peas, now we had a rainy weekend and I decided to puree some peas and freeze them for her. So we heated up the puree fed it to her and she enjoyed it. At dinner that night my husband and I had peas as well, and I realized that if I just pop them out of their little shell she would be able to eat the small pieces that were left. And so it goes, pea after pea. I placed them very carefully on her highchair table and she would slowly pick it up, look at it and stick it in her mouth. Once she got it in her mouth she would make a "chewing" motion and it would be gone. And so it goes, pea after pea. Every once in a while I'd take a peek into her toothless mouth to make sure she wasn't storing them all for later, but after much searching I found that her mouth was empty and she was just enjoying her new ability to feed herself. So this got me to thinking. baby food doesn't have to be puree, and why should it be!

Pumpkin Soup with Sausage

My kids loved Green Mama Amanda's Pumpkin Pancakes so much that I thought I'd try adding pumpkin into another meal: dinner!

I was totally skeptical at first. I don't know why. I guess I've just never had pumpkin in a savory dish before. But the end result was not only a good for you soup - with all the nutritional ingredients that help you stay healthy and strong as Mother Earth puts on the chill - it was also very delicious!

And the kids loved it! Very important ;)

As always with my recipes, this is cooking...NOT baking. Therefore both the ingredients and the amounts can vary. That's why I love cooking...it's all about plus-n-minus ;)

What you need...in the order you need them

• olive oil - enough to cover the bottom of your soup pot, and then some
• 2 Tbsp butter
  
• 1 onion chopped (your choice - yellow, white, red)
• pinch of salt
• 3 carrots chopped
  
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• 5 garlic cloves (more if you like, less if you want)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  
• 6 cups water (or chicken stock if you have it)
  
• 10 baby red potatoes quartered (I bet sweet potato would be good too!)
• 4 sweet Italian sausage links sliced or crumbled
  
• black pepper to taste
  
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste
  
• 2 tsp cumin
  
• 1 tsp thyme
  
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp black strap molasses (very good for you, adds depth of color and flavor)
  
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (high in iron & calcium, my super most secret ingredient ever!)
  
• pinch of salt to taste
  
• yes, it's a lot...it's soup!!
  

What to do...

1. Saute onion, carrots, celery in olive oil and butter for 5 minutes
   
2. add pumpkin puree and allow to mix-n-mingle for 5 minutes
   
3. add water, potatoes, sausage...and everything else into the pot
4. bring to a high boil for 20 minutes
5. lower to a low boil for 30 minutes
6. serve with Parmesan cheese, buttered bread, anything you like ;)

As always, have the kids help out in the kitchen and out back dumping the kitchen scraps into the compost.

Hope you have some chilly weather your way to try out this wonderful fall soup...enjoy!

:)

Cooking with Kids...

Kids are interested in so many things. One of which is cooking! The preparation of the food. The chopping. The stirring. Adding spices. With all that goes on in the kitchen, what's not to get excited about!

My husband and I love involving our little sous chefs in the kitchen, whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack...you name it, they want to be in the mix ;)

My mother used have each of us kids be the cook one night a week, where we got to choose what was for dinner and be the main chef in the kitchen. I have yet to institute this tradition in my own family, as my children are 3 and 5. But very soon I think I'll have them start picking what's for dinner once in a while by flipping through cook books, picking out items at the farmer's market, and helping me in the kitchen that night. The foodies they are, I know they will think it a great treat.

And even if your children are young and you know they will loose interest quick, you can still involve them in measuring, pouring, and helping set the table. And why not make all these ordinary daily tasks special and fun, right? :)

When we cook with our children we are helping them see where their meals come from - whole healthy ingredients, made at home. So many kids think that the only place food comes from is a box, bag, or some other packaging with a multitude of unhealthy, unnatural additives. What a great lesson to teach our children that the best tasting food is made with our own two hands at home, with our families.

Yummy Drumsticks...Perfect for Summer Supers ;)

recipe provided by guest mama blogger Cara Bergman, licensed Acupuncturist specializing in fertility...

My daughter Lily turned 5 this weekend and this is the chicken she wanted for her party. It was surprisingly delicious!

• 7 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 Tbsp. local honey
• 4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 Tbsp. wheat-free naturally fermented soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp. organic lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of a mixture of equal proportions of coconut oil, sesame oil, and olive oil
• 4 tsp. Celtic sea salt
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 30-40 local free-range chicken drumsticks
  

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Place chicken in one or more gallon sized Zip-lock bags. Pour mixture over chicken and let it marinate for 1 - 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in several 9X13 glass pans. Bake 40 - 45 minutes until chicken is cooked.

Enjoy!

Quick Summer Favorites: Quinoa Salad

Quinoa, gold of the Incas, is a wonderfully light tasty grain that again is increasing in popularity among those of us who want to eat a whole healthy diet.

High in protein - complete protein, meaning it has all 9 essential amino acids, including amino acid lysine - quinoa is a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.

A wonderful addition to every cook's pantry, there are endless uses for quinoa. Cooked warm with sauteed veggies, tossed cool with beans in summer salad, and even ground into quinoa flour.

Quinoa Salad
recipe from NDNcookingandhomemaking yahoo group

What you need...

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, minced
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 3 tablespoons red onion, minced
  

How to make it...

1. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil and add corn. Reduce heat and let corn simmer until tender. Drain corn, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
3. Bring cooking liquid to a boil and add quinoa and cumin. Cover, reducing heat, and let simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes).
4. Remove pan from heat and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes.
5. Fluff quinoa with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
6. In a bowl, combine cooled quinoa, corn, black beans, tomato and onion.
7. Pour dressing over and toss gently to mix.
8. Refrigerate salad until ready to serve.
   

Makes 4 servings.