This is a perfect meal for babies 6 months and up! Created by Tyler Florence, this recipe is naturally sweetened by roasting the bananas. A technique I would have never thought of until I stumbled upon this. The original recipe is below and on his blog , TylerFlorence.com – Banana Brown Rice. I didn’t want to make a full batch because I wasn’t sure if Mia would like it but, of course, I was wrong and she loved it! Here is Florence’s recipe and my reduced portion version with photos for baby and a toddler version for our older kiddos. Make this naturally sweet treat for your little loved one today!

Banana Brown Rice makes three cups by Tyler Florence

Time: 40 minutes

2 cups cooked brown rice

3 bananas

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*

filtered water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake bananas on a roasting pan in their skins for 30 minutes.  Use a large scoop to remove flesh then puree with brown rice, cinnamon and filtered water until you have a smooth, creamy consistency.

Banana Brown Rice for baby, stage 1 or 2 makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 2 bananas
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon*
• filtered water (or breast milk if preferred)

* Cinnamon is suggested to be given to baby after 8 months old. Some children have a cinnamon sensitivity like Mia. At two years old she still breaks out in a horrible diaper rash. Omit if baby is under 8 months old or has a known sensitivity. Please check with your doctor before introducing new foods.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place bananas on a baking sheet (I cover mine with parchment). Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes until they look like this….

Use a large scoop to remove the banana from the peel. Yes, that kind of looks like a big grub worm but I assure you it taste like honey and bananas.

Place the bananas, rice, and cinnamon* in a food processor or blender for 1 to 2 minutes. Puree until smooth adding water a little at a time until you reach the right consistency for your baby. Use more water and puree for longer for the younger babies as they are still trying to get used to texture. Serve. This will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Banana Brown Rice For toddler

Like I said, Mia devoured this and I wish I would have made this for her when she was a baby. Doesn’t mean we can’t  adjust it for her now!

• Follow the original recipe but add milk instead of water, cinnamon,* 1 tsp of honey optional (if over 1 year old), and a 1/2 Tablespoon of organic raisins. YUM!

Linus van Pelt was right. There really is a great pumpkin. It might not be a in the form of a mysterious character that comes to the pumpkin patch on Halloween as the little guy wishes but pumpkins are certainly great. Loaded with cancer and heart disease preventing Vitamin A and Beta Carotene, pumpkins are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can give your family. A simple pumpkin puree can be used in almost anything from a pasta sauce, risotto, bread, oatmeal, cookies, pancakes, and even your kids favorite Rice Krispie treats (recipe coming soon). Take advantage of this pumpkin season and grab yourself a great pumpkin today!

Simple Pumpkin Puree for baby 6 months+ and everyone else
makes 2 cups

• 1 pumpkin, choose a pie or sugar pumpkin

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°. With a very sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon works great for this.

I love how water seeps from pumpkin and squash after you cut it. It’s purrrdy.

Place both halves face down on a baking sheet. I cover my baking sheets with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the meat of the pumpkin with a spoon and place the “meat” in a food processor or blender.

Puree for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth.

Serve plain or add a dash of cinnamon (spices are recommended for babies 8 months and older). For baby, also try adding a teaspoon of  rosemary or sage to a puree or try adding  3/4 cup of cold chicken while pureeing a whole pumpkin. Apples, peaches, pork, and ginger are also great pairings with pumpkin in a puree. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For easy storage, freeze in an ice-cube tray and once frozen store cubes in freezer bags. Each cube is an ounce and is so easy to grab and throw in a bowl of oatmeal!

Other uses for pumpkin:

Pumpkin Wedges

Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice the pumpkin in wedges and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and brown sugar. Place in a 400° oven for 40 minutes. This is a great treat for the kiddos and if you forget to add the cinnamon and sugar before cooking, like I did pictured above, you can always add it after cooking. Hey, we’re not all perfect.

Ginger Pumpkin Bread, from Everyday Food, published October 2006

This is by far one of our family’s favorite fall recipes. When the whether changes it is the second thing that the husband hints at, the first being Chicken and Hatch Chile Stew. Thankfully, I found the recipe on-line so I don’t have to type it out for you and you can just print it off. Some changes that I’ve made to this over the years is adding fresh pureed pumpkin, which really does make a difference, and 1 tsp of fresh grated nutmeg. It’s seriously the best pumpkin bread recipe that I’ve ever had. Find the recipe here: Ginger Pumpkin Bread.

Fall is here, thank God! If I had to take the sweltering heat one more minute I was going to have to check myself into the mental hospital. There is something about the dog days of a Texas summer that can turn a native into a blubbering idiot. It is this reason I have stayed away from the computer the last couple of weeks. My brain had melted, I could no longer coherently put a sentence together, and I knew if I were to continue posting that I would certainly loose all of you dear readers. Oh how I wish that were actually true. In all honesty I just have had a lot on my plate lately and my family needed me first before my computer did. My husband once said, “I’ve never met a family like yours before, someone stumps their toe and everyone comes running with a band-aid.” Thanks for all of the wonderful e-mails about how you can’t live without this blog and how I need to get back to it (ok, you weren’t that enthusiastic but I did enjoy all of your kind words including that one sarcastic threatening e-mail, thanks Katie). Hopefully we are back to normal now and I will try to get back on schedule with posting.

In all seriousness, fall is upon us and that means truckloads of apples, winter squash, and Charlie Brown specials. My favorite time of year! To celebrate, here is an extremely easy homemade applesauce with a little nutritious vegetable kick for the entire family to enjoy. Make it before work or throwing the kids off to school and have a tasty fresh applesauce just in time for dinner’s desert. Not to mention it makes your house smell amazing! A scoop or two is sinfully good in oatmeal as well. Mia didn’t even know she was eating a full serving of vegetables this morning and that makes me one happy mama. Enjoy and happy Great Pumpkin hunting!

Crock-Pot Butternut Squash Applesauce serves 6 to 8

• 2 pound butternut squash
• 3 pounds organic apples (I’m using Gala but Macintosh will do), apples are on the dirty dozen list of produce to by organic if possible
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon* (optional)
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg* (optional)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar* (optional)
• 1/4 cup of water

* Please note that apples and butternut squash are perfect stage 1 baby foods (6 to 8 months) but spices should to be introduced after baby is 8 months old. And some babies (Mia was one of them) have a temporary sensitivity to cinnamon in their first year. Be cautious if you have never given your baby spices before.

With a very very very sharp knife, cut both ends off the butternut squash. Place up right and slice off the outer skin.

With the squash still standing, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Cut the squash in 1 to 2 inch cubes.

Peel and core the apples.

Slice the apples in quarter inch thick slices.

Place the apples and squash in a large bowl and add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Mix to evenly coat everything with the sugar and spices.

Place the apples and squash mixture in your crock-pot, slow cooker whatever you want to call it, and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 hours. At least once towards the end of cooking mash the squash and apples with a wooden spoon or potato masher. After it has finished cooking and your house smells like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting, mash the squash and apples until you reach your desired texture.

Serve warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For easy storage, freeze in a ice-cube tray and store in a freezer container or freezer bag. There is nothing like homemade applesauce to bring in the fall!

Peas! Probably the fourth word my daughter said. In my opinion it is the super-food of baby’s first food. The nutritional value of one cup of peas is outstanding. Full of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium and heart healthy  folate, peas are a great first vegetable for baby and perfect for children (provided you can get them to eat peas).

If you do have a little one with a pea objection, scroll down and give a pea quesadilla a try. Along with peach & butternut squash muffins, butternut squash oatmeal, walnut & spinach crusted chicken with butternut squash mac n’ cheese and many other sneaky recipes on this site Pea and Cheese Quesadillas are just one more way to deceive your children into eating their veggies!

Pea Puree {for baby stage 1} makes 1 ice cube tray or 2 1/2 cups

• 3 cups peas (I use organic frozen, with the least amount of sodium)
• 2 Tbs of water

Steam frozen peas for 2 minutes. (An easy way is to put peas in a large microwave safe bowl, cover with water, and heat for 2 minutes). If thawed, reduce time to 1 minute. You want peas to be plump and bright green.

Place the peas and 2 Tbs of water in a food processor or blender. Puree for 2 minutes or until the texture is smooth and creamy. if necessary, add more water and continue to puree to reach desired texture. Peas are a little difficult to achieve smoothness for baby due to their skins. If desired strain puree for a silky smooth puree for stage 1 baby food.

Serve immediately or spoon puree in a BPA free ice-cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer and once frozen remove cubes and store in a freezer bag. Each cube is 1 ounce. Will keep for 3 months in a freezer. If using immediately this will store in refrigerator in an air tight container for 3 days. Enjoy!

Now for the sneaky part…

Pea and Cheese Quesadillas for toddler and up, makes 1 quesadilla

• 1/3 cup of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 large Tbs (or 1 defrosted cube) of pea puree
• 2 tortillas, I’m using multi-grain here, use whatever your preference is
• non-stick cooking spray

In a small bowl, combine cheese and puree together.

Spread mixture evenly on 1 tortilla and place the other tortilla on top. Spray a griddle or pan with cooking spray and place the quesadilla on the pan. Cook on medium heat. When the bottom tortilla is golden brown and crisp (about 1 to 2 minutes), flip the quesadilla with a spatula and continue to cook until the other side becomes golden. You can also cook this by placing the quesadilla on a cooking sheet and bake in a 400° oven for 6 to 7 minutes.

Mia approved.

Peaches, peaches, peaches!!! Thanks to this year’s harvest from the ranch and our neighboring friends (thanks LL!) my house is overflowing and exploding with juicy Texas organic peaches! Best time of summer in my opinion. So, before they all get squishy I am using them in everything…and I do mean everything, beware. This is one of our favorite purees that we make all of the time but especially now when they’re in season! Full of Vitamin A, C and calcium, this puree is not only perfect for babies ready for stage 1 foods (providing they have sampled butternut squash and peaches separately to make sure of no allergic reaction) it is perfect for us all!

Butternut Squash and Peach Puree {stage 1+} makes 3 cups

• 1 small butternut squash
• 4 to 5 large peaches (2 cups sliced), peaches are on the dirty dozen list choose organic if possible
• of course you could always make this supper fast & buy winter squash puree & frozen peaches but that takes all the fun out of it.

Preheat oven to 400°.

With a sharp knife, slice the end and top of the squash. Stand it upright and slice the squash in half. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard. Lay both halves face down in a baking dish or pan. I cover mine with foil because I hate cleaning dishes almost as much as laundry but that’s another story for another day. Place in oven for 45-50 minutes until tender. Allow to cool.

While the squash is in the oven, peel and slice peaches.

After the squash has cooled, scoop out the “meat” and discard the skin. Set aside 1 cup of butternut squash. The rest you can eat for dinner or puree and freeze for future use. In a food processor or blender, add 2 cups of sliced peaches and 1 cup of the butternut squash. Puree for 1 to 2 minutes until silky smooth.

Serve or freeze.

To freeze, spoon puree in an ice-cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer. Once frozen, store cubes in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Each cube is 1 ounce.

If using immediately this will store in refrigerator in an air tight container for 3 days.

Like I said earlier, this is a great puree for everyone! Mia thinks she’s a big girl and won’t touch anything that resembles baby food, except applesauce. I still make purees weekly not only for you but for our family. It’s a great and fast way to sneak a little fruit or veggie in almost everything! Try adding a defrosted cube of this into yogurt with a little honey or oatmeal in the morning (Mia’s current favorite). The little ones will never know its squash! *insert evil genius smile here*

left: plain yogurt with buternut squash and peach puree and a little honey

right: oatmeal with butternut squash and peach puree with dried cherries and flax seed

Oh, the days of ocean puddles of drool, a case of the grumpies and chewing on anything that doesn’t move. Yes, we have reached the nasty days of teething. Mia has two molars coming in at once and I am desperate for a big towel to soak up all of this drool and anything that will help her get through this (ahh, so that’s what the ShamWow is for).

Since I can’t rally give her an ice-cube to chew on I made granita for the little bear and it was a success! It’s an easy recipe that can be made with any fruit or vegetable puree, fruit juice, or yogurt! I’m using cantaloupe and mint for this recipe. Just make sure that with whatever fruit, juice or yogurt you use that your baby has had it before and has had no adverse reactions.

Cantaloupe And Mint Granita For A Teething Baby

• 1 ripe cantaloupe (if it smells like a cantaloupe and isn’t rock hard than it’s ready)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

Slice cantaloupe in half. With a spoon, scoop out seeds and discard.

Scoop out the meat with a spoon from both halves and place the “meat” in a food processor or blender. Squeeze any juice remaining in the shell into the food processor.

Coarsely chop mint and place in the food processor with the cantaloupe.

Puree until very smooth.

Pour into an 8″x8″ dish and place flat in the freezer.

Every 30 minutes take the puree out of the freezer and scrape with a fork. Drag the fork in rows in one direction of the entire dish. Return to the freezer. Repeat process until the puree has reached a icy flakey consistency (about 3 or so hours depending on your freezer).

Makes about 3 cups depending on the size of the cantaloupe. Store remaining granita in the freezer in a freezer safe container. The texture will remain but might have to be grated with a fork to break up any clumps that might have formed while in storage.

It seriously works! Any puree that freezes well is perfect. Try honeydew and applesauce, pea puree and mint, blueberry puree and mint, blueberry puree and applesauce, carrot puree and applesauce and any of your child’s favorite juices or yogurt. Just follow the freezing and grating instructions. Hope this works for you as well as it has for us. Enjoy and good luck!

… pour a little white rum and a bit of honey over a bowl of cantaloupe and mint granita and you’ve got a little treat for mom. I’m just saying.

Bananaquac. Sounds completely gross right? I thought so too. Until one day out of frustration while trying to get my daughter to eat avocados I mixed a banana with it. Now six months later she still devours it.

Bananas are great sources for fiber and potassium and avocados contain folate, fiber, iron, Vitamin E, and healthy fats. Mixed together and you have an ideal meal.

Bananaquac makes 4 oz or 1/2 cup { for baby stage 1 +}

1/2 large banana, peeled

1/2 large avocado, peeled and seeded

In a bowl mash banana and avocado with a fork till desired texture is reached and serve. Just that simple. If you desire a smoother texture (which might be ideal for baby’s first food) puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. Can be frozen for storage but will discolour and can alter the texture. It’s so easy I just make it fresh.

For babies 8 months and up, try adding some tofu for added protein.

All the baby food on this blog is fairly self explanatory. Just simple recipes that I have researched, put my spin on or want to rely to anyone who wants to read. It’s nothing new. Especially this next one. The basis of all baby food. The stage one puree. It’s here just incase you need it.

Simple Baby Food Puree

For this example I’m using butternut squash but pretty much any stage one food that needs to be cooked will do. For example: sweet potato, apple, carrot (don’t use any leftover water with carrots because of the nitrate level), peaches, pumpkin, or any winter squash.

you will need:

1 butternut squash

Preheat Oven to 400°

Cut butternut squash in half

Scoop out seeds
Put squash face down in roasting pan. Add about an inch of water.

Bake in a 400° oven for 45 minutes or until the skin puckers and halves feel soft.

Scoop out the “meat” of the squash, discarding skins.

Place in food processor or blender and puree, adding water as necessary to achieve a smooth and thin consistency.

Place in an ice cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze. Once frozen, store cubes (each cube is one ounce) in freezer bags. Can be stored for up to 3 months. Preferably use in 1 month. Defrost to serve.

Use simple purees in various recipes. Try scrambling a cube with an egg yolk or mixing an apple with a squash for example.