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!

Hello Mr. Beet meet ChickPea. If you have a little one that loves hummus this is a great way to sneak a little veggie in! Beets are a wonderful source for calcium, potassium, and vitamin A. All essential for brain and growth development. Chickpeas are also full of protein and fiber. Try this great as a dip for veggies, crackers, fingers or alone with a spoon. And if you have a liking towards the awesomeness of hummus, then make sure to make extra because I guarantee it will go fast! By the way this is an ideal way to reduce the fat in hummus because the beets add the moisture that the 1/2 cup of olive oil usually brings to traditional hummus!

* To make this a stage 2 (8 to 10 months) recipe you must omit the tahini and lemon juice! Lemon juice (citrus) is typically introduced after 12 months. Tahini is considered to be in the nut allergy category and should be introduced between 12 and 36 months depending on if you have a nut allergy history in your family.  Please consult your pediatrician on when the right time is to introduce nuts to your baby. This excludes your Uncle George who is just a little off his rocker. Then that is up to you.

Beet Hummus {stage 2* and 3+}

• 1 small beet, washed
• 1 can (16 oz) chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 tsp tahini* (sesame paste), optional
• 2 tsp lemon juice*, optional
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°. Wrap the beet in foil and place on a baking sheet to catch any juices. Place in oven and roast for 50 minutes or until you can pierce beet with a fork. Remove and allow to cool.

With your hands, I wear gloves to avoid stained red hands, gently rub away the peel of the beet. With a knife,  cut both ends off of the beet and discard. Chop the beet into quarters and set aside.

Place the chickpeas and garlic clove in a food processor or blender and give it a couple of pulses to get it started.

Next add the beets, tahini*, lemon juice*, and olive oil.

Puree until smooth. If needed, add extra olive oil to reach your desired consistency. Add salt to taste if you are making this for yourself or older children.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy those little red fingers!

Have you tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wha) yet? I hadn’t until recently. I kept seeing it presented as the “healthiest grain” in my husband’s running magazines and did a little digging. I found that this is a perfect grain for children as it provides fiber, calcium, iron, folate, amino acids, protein and best of all it’s easily digestible!

Quinoa can be introduced to baby as early as 8 months. It is usually found in the bulk “health food” sections of many grocery stores. Cooking quinoa is similar to cooking rice. Add 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water. Cover and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.

I will be doing a little more research and creating more recipes so check back for some more quinoa creations!

although this recipe is stated to be for the baby/toddler it certainly does not count you out. A similar taste to rice pudding (and a lot healthier) double this recipe for the entire family!

Berries and Quinoa Cereal {stage 3 +} makes 1 to 2 servings

• 1/3 cup of milk (breast milk can be substituted)
• 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup of fresh ripe berries (organic if possible, berries are on the “dirty dozen” list of foods to buy organic)
• 1 tsp of brown sugar or sweetener of your choice
• 1/4 cinnamon
• 1/4 vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients  in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes until mixture is warmed through and all ingredients are combined.

Serve warm. Refrigerate any remaining for up to 3 days.

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.

As the name suggests, this is a quick and healthy breakfast for baby. Mia of course loves it and devours it every time. Why else would I make it so much? This recipe is one for the older baby who is ready for more texture and finger food. For a smoother veggie and egg breakfast for the younger baby check out “Butternut Squash and Egg Breakfast.” Hopefully, you can use this as a starting point for your own egg recipes. Add different veggies, cheeses and whatever you can come up with that your baby can handle! Enjoy!

Eggs are an excellent source of protein,  vitamin A, D, E, B12, choline, and folic acid!

Please note that it is suggested that babies should be given only egg yolks starting at the age of 8 months, if not allergic, and the entire egg, including the whites, at 12 months. As always make sure that baby has been previously introduced to all ingredients in this recipe to rule out any allergies.

Quick Veggie and Egg Scramble {for baby stage 3+}

• 1 whole egg (baby age: 12 months) or egg yolk (baby age: 8 months)
• 1 Tbs whole milk, or formula / breast milk if baby is not ready for milk
• 1/2 Tbs butter or 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 Tbs diced onion
• 1 Tbs diced or shredded zucchini
• 1 Tbs shredded carrot
• 1 Tbs diced tomato
• 2 Tbs marina or tomato sauce, low sodium if possible

Crack egg or egg yolk in a bowl. Discard shell. Add milk and beat with a fork until scrambled. Set aside.

Over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onion, zucchini, and carrot. Saute until soft. About 5 minutes. Add tomato and sauté one minute more.

Next, add egg and saute until soft and cooked. Turn heat off and add tomato sauce.

Allow to cool before serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Yummmmmmm!

If Popeye and Olive Oyl ever made a meal together for Swee’Pea this is what it would be. Spinach, mango and pear purée. It’s slightly sweet flavor makes it easily enjoyable for babies, Mia in particular.

Why wait till baby is 10 months to serve spinach? Spinach is high in nitrates and by giving baby spinach at that age would ensure that the body is ready to handle nitrates. For more information on nitrates read the Nitrate Article by Wholesome Baby Food.com

Spinach, Mango, and Pear Puree

You will need:

• 2 medium mangos
• 1 pear, pears are on the “dirty dozen list” of foods to by organic if possible
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, but not Olive Oyl, that would be strange
• 10 oz. fresh baby spinach washed and picked through, organic if possible
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water or baby pear juice

Peel, core, and dice the mango and pear in medium chunks.

Heat oil on medium heat.

Add the spinach and cook until wilted.

Place spinach in food processor or blender with mango and pear. Do not use any remaining cooking liquid from the spinach. Add 1/4 cup of water or pear juice. Puree until desired consistency is reached adding the remaining water or juice if needed (I used 1/2 cup).

Transfer to an ice-cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Each cube is 1 ounce. Place in freezer until frozen and store in a freezer bag. Use within 3 months. Makes enough for 1 ice-cube tray plus extra for serving right away. Can be stored in refrigerator for up tho 3 days. As with any new food check with your physician to see if your baby is ready.

Sorry Mia, no bananas in this one.

It’s been a long day for the little girl so I whipped up this for her dinner. She ate every last bite and wanted more. She seemed to like it so much that I made some for myself when she went to bed. A simple spaghetti dish that you can sneak veggies in. What more could you ask for?

spaghetti with spinach, mushrooms, and marinara {stage 3 and up}

• 3/4 cup fresh, organic if possible, baby spinach
• 1 cremini mushroom
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup cooked spaghetti (or any other pasta you have on hand) chopped into bite size pieces
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce
• 2 Tbs ricotta cheese

To start, keep the ever so curious baby entertained. Seriously don’t know what I would do with out this “Fridge Farm” by Leap Frog.

Dice the mushroom and spinach into small pieces.

Over medium heat, heat the extra virgin olive oil.

Add the spinach and mushroom and saute until the spinach is wilted.

Next, add the spaghetti, marinara sauce, and ricotta cheese. Stir.

Cook until heated through. Cool to serve. Makes two servings.

This is a great and simple puree to have on hand to serve plain or added to oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies. It’s so good in fact I made extra and made myself a smoothie. Why should the babies have all the fun, right? It’s recommended that babies should not have strawberries until the age of twelve months due to the possibility of an allergic reaction.

Strawberry, Mango, and Banana Puree {12 months +}

1 1/2 cup strawberries (around 12 strawberries) · strawberries are on the “dirty dozen” list, buy organic if possible

1 cup mango (1 large mango)

1 banana

Peel mango and banana. Dice fruit.

Place fruit in food processor or blender and puree until desired consistency is reached. You can also skip the puree all together and mash everything with a fork for a chunkier texture.

Spoon puree into an ice cube tray. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, place cubes in freezer bag. Store in freezer for up to three months. Each cube is 1 ounce. Defrost in microwave for 15 seconds to serve. Makes one ice cube tray plus a little more to serve immediately.

For a smoothie: Defrost 3 cubes and add to 2 ounces of milk and 1 ounce of plain or vanilla yogurt. Stir. Oh it’s sooooo good.

I see a very loud day ahead of me.

To save myself some time in the morning from cooking everyone’s breakfast I spent about thirty minutes and cooked up a batch of theses, spinach and sweet potato quiche. Mia has mixed emotions about these. You have to catch her in the right mood for her to really enjoy these. She would rather have scrambled eggs but I think it’s a texture thing. This is more of a toddler food and she’s at that in-between stage. So I needed a second opinion and who did I go to? The neighbors baby and she liked them so it’s a go.

Spinach and Sweet Potato Quiche · stage 3 +

2 Tbs butter

1 medium peeled and grated sweet potato

10 oz of shredded organic fresh baby spinach or frozen organic spinach (if you use frozen make sure to drain the spinach well)

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a medium skillet, melt butter.

Add grated sweet potato and saute over medium heat until done. About seven minutes. Next, add the spinach and saute an additional 3 minutes. If you ’re using frozen do not add the spinach just yet.

Transfer sweet potato and spinach to a medium bowl and allow to cool a bit. Next, add the eggs, ricotta, parmesan cheese and if you are using frozen spinach add it at this time. Mix well.

Fill a greased mini muffin sheet with mixture and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Makes 26 and freezes well. Can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Yummmmmm.

Holy crap these are good! With a inspiring suggestion from Momadom, I made these sweet potato pancakes this past weekend and everyone loves them. Pancakes are nothing new of course, but this recipe is a good twist on the everyday American pancake. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to add vegetables to everyday food for your baby, toddler, teenager, husband and so forth. Of course, now my husband wants me to make them every weekend. Good thing I made extra and froze the rest but honey, when you run out here’s the recipe. You know your way around the kitchen.

By the way, I made small “silver dollar” size pancakes for Mia and she loves them. I guess they turned out a lot better than the banana bread fiasco.

Sweet Tater Cakes

• 1 1/2 cups flour (I mix half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose)
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt (optional, I leave the salt out when giving it to my baby)
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup of cooked and peeled sweet potatoes, about 2 (I roast mine the night before with dinner)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
• 1/4 cup of butter, melted

In large bowl stir together all dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl add wet ingredients and stir.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just moistened.

Drop 1/2 tablespoons, for “silver dollar”size, and large tablespoons, for regular size, of batter onto a hot greased griddle or skillet.

Flip when bubbles form on the outer edges of pancake. Cook until done.

Serve with peaches in syrup and toasted pecans.

Peaches with Syrup:

• 3 cups of frozen peaches
• 3/4 cup of water
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• Place everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until water has reduced into a syrup, about 5 or 10 minutes.

Eat all you can until you are stuffed and then if you are my husband go run 26.2 miles. Isn’t that lovely.

For Miss Mia

Freeze remaining, if any, in a freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To serve, pop in toaster oven or microwave. Mia likes hers toasted.