Frozen Banana Lollies

When Isobel was starting solids, we went through so many banana cubes that I made them every week. They are so delicious we all ate them~ Isobel, Max, Gavin & me!

Max called them his "Banana Lollies" and wanted a bowl of chopped frozen banana cubes every day for dessert, and Gav and I kept popping them into our smoothies. A few of cubes of pureed, frozen bananas instead of a fresh banana makes your smoothie smoother & colder.

Now that Isobel is 11.5 months and has 2 molars coming through, this "grown up" version of our frozen banana lolly is such a treat. Bananas don't freeze solid, like courgettes which, when frozen, resemble green ice cubes. Frozen cubes of pureed bananas can be easily sliced with a knife or chewed. They are perfect for putting into those raw food feeders and for teething, Isobel chews away on the frozen cube to soothe her sore gums.

Recipe for Frozen Banana Lollies:
Mash 2 ripe bananas then mix in a few Tbsp yogurt and a handful of frozen or fresh blueberries. Puree, so there aren't any lumps of blueberry. Spoon into your mumi&bubi freezing tray, pop the lid on and freeze.

To easily distinguish these cubes from plain banana cubes that I have stored in zip-lock bags in the freezer, I put a blueberry at the top of each cube (or is that the bottom???). This was also a helpful tip to prevent Isobel eating these cubes by accident when she was just a wee bub starting solids and hadn't yet been introduced to yogurt or blueberries.

Enjoy!

An apple a day....

Pureeing today: a fresh tray of NZ Pacific Rose apples. I used 3 large Pacific Rose apples and, cooked and pureed, they nearly filled 1 tray. Next time I will do 4 apples and have some left over to eat right away.

AND WHAT IS THAT RED STUFF????? Well, the mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit' is not just for baby food, you can use it for freezing leftovers too. Save heaps of money when you can freeze that pizza sauce for next time.

Traditionally what happens in my kitchen is I make a couple of pizzas using only half the tomato paste in the jar. I put the rest in the fridge in good faith that I WILL use it within the next couple of days, before it goes off.

I NEVER do! It always festers in the fridge until recycling day. The tomato paste goes to the worm farm and the pottle goes to the recycling. Ho Hum. What a waste of time and money....

Now, if I have any sauce left over, I spoon it into my mumi&bubi freezing tray and make a couple of perfect cubes to use for next time. I know that 1 of these cubes is good for a medium sized pizza so we are all set for next time.

Pizza, anyone???

Recipe for pureed apples

A lovely apple puree cube!

Recipe for Pureed Apple:
Apple: 250g or 2 medium apples to fill 7 cubes or 1 row, 750g or 6 medium apples to make 21 cubes and fill 1 whole tray.
-wash, peel and core and quarter apples
-lightly steam or gently simmer with 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water with lid on until tender. Mash for older babies or puree using some of the reserved cooking water using a handheld blender or food processor
-spoon portions into your mumi&bubi premium BPA-free freezing tray, cover with the lid and freeze

Nutritional Information for Apple:
Apples are rich in Vitamin C which is important for your baby's developing teeth and gums. 1 medium apple, without the skin, contains approx 65 calories.

In Season: Apples

Apples are still in season in New Zealand. The Granny Smith's are getting a bit tired, but Pacific Rose is just coming in and they are crispy & sweet.

It's hard to tell what is and what is not in season at the grocery store as they carry most produce year-round and it all looks the same. The prices are a good indication. WHAT??? They want HOW MUCH???

Out-of-season produce is shipped from afar and costs a premium - like those courgettes I bought for a spice loaf the other day for $12.99 a kg!!! It was totally worth it as this courgette spice loaf was divine, I will post this recipe later in the week :)

A great way to check out fresh in-season produce is to have a look at your local organic store. If it is not in season, they simply won't have it. And when it is in season, it is stocked fresh and the prices are usually the same as the grocery store as there is such an abundance.

Isobel is 11 months old now, and although doesn't have puree as her main meals now, we steamed and pureed a tray of New Zealand Pacific Rose apples. 2 cubes warmed and added to her morning cereal makes a nice change from the usual banana. A couple of warm cubes on my morning oatmeal (or evening ice cream!) is pretty nice too...

Mary's Market this Saturday

It's Mary's Market time again! This market is sponsored by Covet, Auckland's newest designer recycle store. They will have a drop off zone in the foyer, so clean out your closet, come along and make some money while you are at it :)

Bring the whole family as Neat Meat are going to have a gourmet sausage sizzle, yum!

Mention this blog post when you visit us at the mumi&bubi stand and get an additional 10% off our already amazing market prices. See you there!

(here are the details and directions)

New Solids Starter Kit review

Posted by Sharon at Wrigglepot on 5th Jun 2010

Awesome!
Bought this set and am so impressed that I have recommended them to everyone I know. So easy to remove individual portions! Lids and trays are very easy to wash. I bought set to use for just ice too. No yukky tasting ice cubes due to the lid plus the shape is funky.
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thanks, Sharon!

Baby bottle suppliers phase out BPA

from the New Zealand Herald...
Suppliers of baby products are voluntarily phasing out the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles due to consumer concern over the safety of the compound.

Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said its members took the step due to consumer demand, and not because it posed a health risk to babies.

BPA is added to many hard, clear bottles and containers, including those for adult drinks, to make them harder.

Australia, Canada, the United States, Denmark and Australia have also taken steps to limit the sale of baby bottles that contain BPA until research demonstrates its safety.

read the whole article here, and please feel free to leave your comments...

Been to the Museum Lately?

Gav & I took the kids for the very first time the the Auckland Museum yesterday - and what a great day! Isobel just loves a good outing and, being Sunday, there were plenty of people for her to check out. And at 3 and a half, Max is the perfect age to discover the Weird and Wonderful area and just old enough to partake in the organised kids' activities that are happening every day from 10-12 during school holidays.

At the end of the Kai to Pie exhibit, there is a fabulous "garden" with more kids' activities and tons of books - all about food! Isobel loved crawling around in the long "grass" and Max had a turn on the cow's udder and discovered where milk comes from.

It is such a gem of a place and FREE to all Aucklanders. Cost for the entire day: $5 ~ we splurged on parking as it was hosing down with rain outside.

I am looking forward to our next outing there and Max can't wait to go back to the "Mooseem" :)

Love that green!

Today, I am pureeing more courgettes. We ran out of our homemade courgette cubes ages ago and I am making a whole tray (21 cubes) for a good months' supply.

I forgot just how vibrant and green courgette puree is, which only means one thing: goodness for your baby! Packed with Vitamins A and C which are immune boosters and potent antioxidants, we all need an immunity boost at this time of year :)

Its mild taste means that your bub is likely to enjoy courgettes and, as it naturally purees to a fairly liquid-y consistency, it is ideal to pop a cube or two into pasta sauce, soup or stew to add nutrients to an older baby or toddler meal.

Here is the recipe for pureed courgettes, so quick and easy!

Courgettes also make an ideal warm finger food which can also be frozen into perfect portions using your mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit' and heated as your baby needs them. Click here for an easy courgette finger food recipe!