I don’t know what it is about kids and dip. I swear sometimes I should put my daughter’s dinner in the blender when she’s being picky and serve it as a dip and maybe then she would eat it. Here’s a simple, quick and tasty treat for everyone. White bean spinach dip is the perfect healthy, finger food for baby (from 8 to 10 months), school lunch, after school snack, or elegant enough to serve at a party.

White Bean Spinach Dip  makes 1 1/2 cups

• 1 can (16oz) white (great northern) beans
• 1 cup packed baby spinach
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbs rosemary, fresh or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tsp lemon juice*
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Some of you may remember the week long giveaways I did in December. On one of those days we gave away a Beaba Babycook. After that, I was asked to do a review of this one-of-a-kind baby food making appliance. At first I was a little hesitant as I have relied on my oven and food processor to do most of my baby food making and did not see the need for yet another appliance in my kitchen. But the moment I made my first puree with this little green wonder I knew I was wrong.

The Beaba Babycook is an all-in-one appliance that functions as a steamer, defroster, warmer, and blender to prepare healthy baby food purees. As we all know the best way to attain the most nutrients out of food while cooking is to steam but I always used the oven because I found it a hassle to pull out my huge steamer from the pantry. Let’s face it, making your own baby food is rewarding on so many levels but sometimes it can be a bit of a job. That is the main reason I love this product! Simply put, the Beaba Babycook makes feeding your babies fast, functional, easy and incredibly simple to do even on a daily basis.

Here’s how it works: (I’m making a Peach Ginger Chicken puree, suitable for babies 8 to 10 months)

Peach Ginger Chicken Puree 1 serving stage 2 (8 to 10 months)

Add water to the measured and marked blending bowl. You will find how much water to use for certain foods in the enclosed booklet. For this purpose fill to the 3 mark.

Pour water into the steam heating compartment and close the lid.

Place the bowl back onto the Babycook, snapping it into place. Place the chicken in the steamer basket and insert the basket into the blender bowl. Secure the lid on by snapping it into place.

Turn the knob to steam and go prop your feet up or whatever it is you have to do for 15 minutes (time varies for certain foods).

Once finished, remove the chicken from the basket and place in the blender.

Add the peaches and ginger. Since peaches aren’t in season in the winter I used frozen and defrosted them using the Babycook before hand. Place the orange mixing lid and the blender bowl lid onto bowl, locking it it into place.

Turn the knob to the blender setting and puree for 1 minute. Serve.

So simple! Seriously, the next best thing to the invention of the diaper. The pros are it is compact, the blender is powerful and really better than my food processor, it’s an all-in-one steamer and blender, comes with easy instructions and small cookbook with a food guide and it is very easy to clean. The cons are that I did not find it big enough to do large batches of puree to freeze for future use. But keep in mind that I usually spend a day cooking, pureeing and freezing rather than making purees on a daily basis.

I would highly recommend this to anyone that wants to make their own fresh, healthy and nutritious food for their babies! No really, just the invention of this incredible machine is having me consider the possibilities of another child!

Find a retailer at the official Beaba Babycook website http://www.scichild.com/Home/Where-to-Buy or on Amazon

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Scandinavian Child. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

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!

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!

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.

This is one you will want to double up on. If pears are popular in your house as they are in mine it will go fast! For example I thought I made enough yesterday to last a couple of weeks and when I turned around half of it was gone. This is also a great topping for french toast and ice cream. (As I’m writing this I keep hearing my father-in-law saying, “warm that up with a little brandy, pour it on some homemade ice-cream and that’s all you’ll ever need!”–for the adults only of course…I’m just saying)

Roasted Pear and Vanilla Bean Puree {stage 2 for baby 8 months+}

• 3 pears, organic if possible, pears are on the “dirty dozen list” of foods to by organic
• 1 vanilla bean*
• pinch of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°.

Slice pears in half and core.

Lay pears face down in a baking dish. Place in oven and roast 20 minutes or until skin is golden and pears are tender.

While the pears are roasting slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Open the split bean to reveal the seeds. With the edge of a knife scrape the seeds out. Set aside.

After the pears have roasted and cooled, peel and discard skin. Place the roasted pears in a food processor or a blender. Add the vanilla seeds and a pinch of cinnamon to the pears in the food processor. Puree until blended and  smooth. Serve!

The recipes we use are large enough to freeze in ice-cube trays for future use. This recipe will make one ice-cube tray full. To freeze, spoon puree in an  ice-cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer and once frozen store in a freezer bag. Each cube is 1 ounce. Will keep for 3 months in freezer.

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

*Use vanilla bean instead of extract. Since the vanilla is not being cooked you don’t have to worry about the alcohol in vanilla extract.

Your Baby and Spices

One of the greatest sources for nutritional and educational information about making your own baby food is from the website WholesomeBabyFood.com this is an excerpt form an article about spices and herbs in baby food and I couldn’t say it better myself:

When Can I Add Spices to Baby’s Food? A majority of pediatricians will recommend waiting until an infant is 8 months or older to introduce spices and herbs. This recommendation often has more to do with staving off digestive upsets than it does with possible allergic reactions. If your baby is doing well with foods and does not seem to have any digestive upsets, then jump right in with spices! Like any other new food, please follow the “4 day wait rule” when introducing spices and herbs. As always, please discuss the introduction and use of herbs and spices with your baby’s pediatrician. Don’t forget, if you are a breastfeeding Mom, your little one is already tasting herbs and spices. Herb and spice flavors are transferred through breast milk, helping create and develop a taste for non-bland foods.

For those of you following the baby food recipe part of this lovely blog, here is Mia’s favorite puree (besides her apple cherry oatmeal that is). Not only will she down an entire bowl full she doesn’t even know there’s spinach in it. Yea, for the sneaky mama in her sock monkey slippers.

blueberry, apple, spinach puree {for baby stage 2}

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 peeled, cored, and chopped apples* (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach*

In a medium pot, place the blueberries, apples and water. Simmer over medium heat until apples are tender, about 5 to ten minutes.

Turn off heat and add spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted. Just about a minute or so.

With a slotted spoon, remove blueberries, apples and spinach and transfer to a food processor or blender.

Puree adding the reserved cooking liquid as needed to reach desired consistency.

The recipes we use are large enough to freeze in ice-cube trays for future use. This recipe will make one ice-cube tray full depending on how much water you use. To freeze, spoon puree in an ice-cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer and once frozen store in a freezer bag. Each cube is 1 ounce. Will keep for 3 months in freezer.

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

* Apples and Spinach are on the “Dirty Dozen” list for foods to by organic due to their pesticide contamination level. If possible try to by organic.

While I was a cooking fool today this is what Mia was doing. Yes, I have become that mom that shows you countless pictures. sorry

This is a favorite in our house. Chicken, broccoli and cheese puree is simple and delicious and packed with nutrients. A good source of protein, iron, vitamin C, fiber and calcium all in one meal. Mia likes this meal a little on the textured side. That’s the great thing about making your own baby food. You can manipulate food based on the way your  baby likes it.

If you reading this and thinking “Seriously lady, I don’t have time to do all of this.” Then just cook extra chicken, broccoli, and rice the night before and throw it in the food processor the next day. Nothing to it.

chicken, broccoli and cheese {for baby stage 2+}

• 1 cup cold cooked chicken*, preferably chicken thighs
• 1 cup of cooked broccoli, I use frozen and steam in the microwave
• 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked (optional)
• 1/2 cup of grated Monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water, use more for a thinner texture

Place chicken, broccoli, rice and cheese in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth adding the water a little at a time until the desired texture is reached.

To save time we like to make a large enough batch to freeze in ice-cube trays for further use. This recipe will make one ice-cube tray full depending on how much water you use. To freeze, spoon puree in ice-cube tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer. Once frozen, remove cubes and store in a freezer bag. Each cube is 1 ounce and will keep for 3 months in freezer.

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

*Chicken is best pureed cold. I use thighs because they have the most nutrients and fat that babies need. To cook chicken, place chicken in a baking dish and place in a 400° oven for 20 – 25 minutes.

and since it’s bluebonnets season and all….

Here’s a pic of Mia trying her hardest not to pick our state flower on a picnic this past weekend. Because we all know it is possible for us parents to show those baby pictures, if you have a picture of your little ones in the spring flowers head on over to our facebook page and share. We’d love to see it!