If Tori Spelling can do it...

From people.com ...

When son Liam Aaron, 2, was first introduced to solids, Spelling fed him only jarred organic baby food. She charted a similar course with Stella before turning to the food processor, and says that the difference was immediately apparent.

"She's an eater. Like, she loves her bottle. She would take the [jarred] food and she was fine with it," Spelling explains. "But once I made my own baby food ... I literally gave it to her that first day, it was a spoonful, and her face lit up. She had this huge smile."

Stella's reaction was so positive, in fact, it left Spelling longing for the camera crew that normally follows her family for Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh. This is an infomercial of why you should make your own baby food,'" she recalls. "It's happening right here in my backyard and no one is here to see it."

Noting that jarred food contains preservatives and is often bland, Spelling says that Stella is now hooked on her fresh fruits and veggies, and there will be no going back – for mother or daughter.

"It was so amazing. Ever since then, I'm like, I'm telling you: Make your own baby food. Because it's such a huge difference for them."

BPA linked to asthma

From the Natural News...

The controversial chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), already linked to a wide array of health problems, may also increase the risk of asthma in children, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

BPA is an industrial chemical widely used in the manufacture of hard, clear plastics like those used in water and baby bottles, as well as in resins used to line cans of food, beverages and infant formula. Exposure has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, birth defects, and hormonal and reproductive problems. Its use in products for young children has been banned in a number of countries and in three U.S. states.

Read the whole article here.

Mary's Market tomorrow!

It's raining, it's pouring, and there's a new river outside my house!

Looking for a rainy Saturday morning activity in Auckland? Mary's Market is back at the Freemans Bay Community Centre from 9am - 1pm. It is toasty and warm inside and mumi&bubi will have all of our range on offer.

Go to www.marysmarket.co.nz for directions and to see who else will be there. Please stop by our stand and say hello :)

Tasty smoked fish pie with kumara/potato mash

When preparing meals for your family, one way to get preschoolers excited about dinner is to serve in personal portions. This smoked fish pie is delicious and gets extra points from our 3 yr old son, Max, in his own special serving.

This easy family meal is also ideal for pureeing up a tray or 2 of homemade baby food cubes at the same time in your mumi&bubi Solids Starter Kit without any extra time or effort.

Ingredients:
500g smoked fish
1 leek, 1 onion
1 cup milk + extra for mashing, 1 Tbsp flour
3 potatoes, 1 kumara
+750g kumara if also making kumara baby puree
parmesan or other cheese, grated

Directions:
-Boil potato & kumara in large pot, remove your portion for baby puree into another pot or bowl and cover. Mash the portion for the pie with milk and a knob of butter.
-saute onion until soft then add sliced leek for a further 4min
-add the flaked fish
-mix flour + milk, stir into the onion/leek/fish mixture

Assembly:
Layer individual 10cm baking ramekins with a thin layer of potato/kumara mash on the bottom, follow by a thicker layer of the fish mixture, topping with another potato/kumara layer. Sprinkle top with grated parmesan or other cheese.

Cooking:
If cooking to eat right away, grill in the oven until cheese is melted and top is golden and crispy. As this is an ideal dish to make ahead, cover and then pop into the fridge until you need it that evening or the next day. Bake covered in 180C oven for about 45min, then uncover for the last 15 to colour up the top.

For babies 9-12 months+, you can also puree portions of this yummy pie for either serving right away or freezing in your mumi&bubi Solids Starter Kit.

Enjoy! If you have any questions, please ask in the comments section below :)

Fish pie baby puree

Although Isobel is really into her finger food and feeding herself, she still appreciates a good puree and being spoon fed on a regular basis. At 10 months old, this isn't surprising, and it is also a good way to ensure that she is getting all of her vital nutrients.

Although I didn't puree any of this fish pie for freezing in my mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit', I did puree a small bowl for her on the day - and she loved it. Will definitely put this on the monthly meal roster and make extra next time for freezing a couple of meals for her.

Hmmm, doesn't photograph very well but tastes exactly the same as the yummy smoked fish pie, unpureed :)

Recipe for Kumara baby puree

Healthy, homemade baby food is so easy to make and kumara baby puree is no exception. You simply wash, peel and then cube the kumara into large chunks and cook.

Kumara is very versatile to work with and can be steamed, boiled or roasted to suit whatever else you are doing in the kitchen. As we were cooking up our tasty smoked fish pie with kumara and potato mash, we boiled 2 extra medium-sized kumara in the same pot as the potatoes to puree for Isobel. We separated out the potatoes before pureeing as she doesn't do well with starchiness potatoes at the moment but if your bub is okay with both kumara and potatoes by all means puree them together for a lovely kumara potato blend.

It is such a time-saver when you can simply throw in a bit extra of this or that and make your homemade baby food when you make your family meal: No extra time or effort required!

How to remove the cubes: kumara is one of those veggies that seems really "stuck" in the trays after freezing. Simply run warm water over the back of the cubes that you wish to remove, press on one end of the cube and, as the bottom of the cube is rounded, it will "lever out". Please do not twist the trays!

Not into meat - what about the iron???

Isobel is totally not into meat. She will tolerate chicken, barely, and it must be paired with something favourable, like pumpkin or zucchini. But lamb and beef, no way. Not just yet, anyway.

So what about the iron, she really needs a consistent supply of iron at her age. And then I just happened to run into Ellie, our fabulous Devonport Plunket solids advisor at Devonport Wholefoods - it really is the local hang-out! - for some well-timed and very practical advice:

Freeze a portion of your choice of uncooked red meat and simply grate a teaspoon or so into her lunchtime vegetables. The little gratings are so small that they will cook from the heat of the veggies. Easy-peasy.

Of course I already had my cubes of prime beef mince and organic lamb tucked neatly amongst all of the ziplock bags of veggies and fruit in my freezer, but no worries - frozen cubes of pureed meat are ideal for grating and already perfectly portioned.

I use the tiny parmesan-sized grater disc for light and fluffy gratings, I figure the smaller the grating the better to hide in her veggies. She is a smart little Bunny and can detect - and then refuse - just about anything I am trying to slyly get past her! Which kind of makes me proud as I wouldn't want her to be a pushover even at her young age :)

And the winners are....

Thank you to everyone who entered the Littlies May competition for a fabulous mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit'. The winners are:

Vanessa Wills, Blenheim; Tanja Klumpers, Havelock North; Sarah Hayward, Hobsonville; Rebecca Warwick, Christchurch; Melissa Warrington, Christchurch; Toni Mitchell, Glendowie; A Chard, New Plymouth; Claire Butler, North Canterbury; Allison McPherson, Wellington.

All winners were randomly chosen by Littlies. I will be ringing the winners to confirm address details and your new 'Solids Starter Kits' will be couriered to you in a few days.

Congratulations!