Tidbit Tuesday: Baby Food Recipes

B was two months old when he breastfed for the last time. I will tell you that I quit because my supply couldn't meet his demand or that anything I ate seemed to upset his stomach. But the truth is, I didn't like breastfeeding. This was tough for me to admit because I thought I would breastfeed until he was at least a year old. Realizing that not everything works the way you want it to is frustrating, especially when it comes to your baby. 

What Dad and I realized was that we were all happier with formula. It smells terrible, is a pain to mix, but it makes B's stomach happy, lets Dad connect with B during feedings and gives mom a break. We consider this a win/win/win. 

So I told myself after switching to formula, that when it came to baby food, it would only be the good stuff. So far so good! He has had some minimally processed foods, only the occasional food from a pouch and no french fries. Of course as he gets older and experiences new foods he will inevitably come across preservatives and highly processed snacks. But for now, I am going to keep him healthy with some of the following concoctions: 

• Sweet potatoes - steamed with cinnamon and ginger, or roasted with savory spices
• Peas - steamed and blended with olive oil, or served whole as finger food (which B hasn't quite mastered)
• Corn - sauteed with cumin and/or garlic powder, blended with olive oil
• Brussels Sprouts - steamed and blended with olive oil
• Zucchini - steamed and blended with olive oil and garlic powder
• Yellow Squash - steamed and blended with infused olive oil
• Green beans - steamed and blended with olive oil and garlic powder
• Lima beans - steamed and blended with olive oil
• Spinach - steamed and blended with infused olive oil
• Asparagus - roasted in the oven and mashed
• Apples and Blueberries - 3 small green apples (peeled) with one cup frozen blueberries, steamed and blended
• Peaches - fresh or frozen, blended and served with oats
• Bananas - blended or mashed with cinnamon and/or ginger
• Strawberries - chopped and blended, served with oats
• Cantaloupe - cut and blended, served with oats
• Mango - cut and mashed
• Barley - cooked according to package directions and served with veggies
• Bulgur wheat - cooked according to package directions and served with veggies or fruit
• Steel cut oats - cooked according to package directions (plus about a tablespoon of coconut oil when making 4 servings) and add to fruit 
• Chicken - grilled or baked with a variety of spices (Asian, Italian and Mexican, to name a few)
• B first ate chicken at about 8 months old. I can't bring myself to blend meat, so he gets small bites. 
• Chia Seeds - I started adding these to thicken some of the fruit. Great nutrients and they absorb liquid to help with digestion. I add these to my own greek yogurt and oatmeal. 

I use a Cuisinart food processor to blend and ice cube trays to freeze the food. I like to make baby food on a weekly basis, but usually only get to it every other week. Each night I get together his breakfast and lunch for the day to go to school. At first I blended the food so it was very smooth. Now, as he is exploring new textures, I like to leave it a little chunkier. He typically gets fruit and oats for breakfast and veggies for lunch and dinner. Sometimes he gets more fruit as dessert.

Ready to freeze - Blueberry/Apple, Banana and Spinach

So far he has been incredibly receptive to all types of food and spices! He definitely has weeks when he prefers fruits to veggies, but we try to mix it up so he doesn't get bored. And he has an extremely fickle appetite. I also like to be sure we eat meals together so at night we sit at the dinner table, turn off the TV and enjoy our dinner as a family.

B enjoying his first taste of rice cereal at 4.5 months.

Enjoying some sweet potatoes on the go! 

Justice for the Sweet Potato

Since when do people not like sweet potatoes? As a Thanksgiving side, sweet potatoes are boiled to mush, drowned in butter and sugar, then topped with cinnamon and marshmallows. While this sounds like a perfectly lovely dessert, the sweet potato gets no justice here! 

I say...JUSTICE FOR THE SWEET POTATO. They are good and nutritious and easy and cheap. We have sweet potatoes at least once a week. Here is a vague overview of how I cook them. Let's call it an "unrecipe."

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes
• Olive oil
• Spice (s) of choice - Herbs de Provence; DAKs Original Red; salt, pepper and garlic; BBQ type seasoning; balsamic vinegar and honey; etc. etc.
• More spices! Don't be shy, spices are good!

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Or 450 if you have something else to do at the that temp.
2. Wash and pat dry. Cube sweet potatoes leaving the skins intact. However large or small you prefer, it is best to get them close to the same size. This is not my forte.
3. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, pour some olive oil on it, throw the potatoes on top, sprinkle on the spice of your choice. Toss the potatoes with the oil and spices. *Be sure the potatoes have adequate space or they won't cook well.
4. Put the potatoes in the oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes and temp of your oven. And also how you like your potatoes. 

Cubing sweet potatoes.

Sweets tossed in oil and spices.

As you can see, there is no real science to this process. Dad's favorite spice is the Herbs de Provence purchased from TJ Maxx, of all places. Then there is DAKs, a local company that produces a line of salt free spices. The original red is great for anything, but goes really well with the sweet potatoes for a spicy, smoky kick. 

Here are some tips: 

• Sweet potatoes go GREAT with BBQ and spicy foods. The day Jim 'N Nicks starts offering sweet potatoes bakers, I may never cook again. 
• They look beautiful on a plate with their rich orange coloring. 
• I like adding leftover sweet potatoes to my salads; they add texture and so much flavor. 
• If you have a fussy newborn and are trying to cook dinner, get a K'tan baby wrap. Just be careful around hot surfaces (duh).

B at 5 weeks with zombie Mom.

Mmmmm...soup

Remember that "Friends" episode when Joey has the audition for a soup commercial? Every time I think of soup, that scene plays in my head. 

And something about rainy weather makes me want soup. Yes, it's April and, yes, it may be 75 degrees. But rain makes me want to curl up on the couch in my Auburn sweatshirt with a warm bowl of soup. 

Let's be honest, I won't be doing that. Between the threat of severe weather and entertaining the swift-crawling baby, we will be in our "place of safety" and/or closely watching Mr. B. 

If I get the chance to make soup tonight, it will be this one - 25 minute broccoli cheddar soup. It's simple and yummy, and relatively healthy, as long as you watch your portion. Have it with a heaping pile of mixed greens topped with tomatoes and maybe some carrots or cucumber. Go light on the dressing or skip it all together and use a squeeze of lemon. Don't top your soup or salad with croutons, they are a calorie suck, have too much sodium, and are highly processed. 

From: http://parade.condenast.com/170098/broccoli-cheese-chicken-soup-parade/

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika (I used regular)
• 6 cup chicken broth (reduced sodium)
• 1 cup jasmine rice (I used brown rice) 
• 1 (14-oz) bag broccoli florets, frozen or fresh (I added this close to last so it didn't get too mushy) 
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 8-oz shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat an 8 quart pot over medium high heat. Dice chicken into bite size pieces.
2. Add olive oil and chicken to pot. Sprinkle pepper and paprika on chicken. Stir. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and cover. Bring to a boil.
3. Add rice and broccoli. Replace cover. Cook until rice is almost tender (al dente), about 8-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine butter and flour in a small bowl. Mash with fork until completely combined. Add flour mixture to soup. Stir to combine. Add cheese. Stir and reduce to simmer. Let soup warm while you set the table, about 5 minutes. Soup will thicken while it sits.

**to reduce some calories use half the butter, flour and cheese to see how you like the taste and consistency. Add more if necessary!