Simply the best baby food freezing trays

Breast vs Bottle assertiveness training

2012-02-08T12:12:00.001+13:00

They should really incorporate some assertiveness training into ante-natal classes. For the waitress asking you to leave for breastfeeding, "I will take my business elsewhere AFTER I have finished breastfeeding my baby AND I will advise my 2000 friends on Facebook to do the same, thank you." OR, for the Nana who objects to your bottle feeding at the shopping mall, "Thank you, it's not easy being a new Mum. Whip it out Grandma, he's all yours for the next 20 minutes."

Honestly, where do people ~ or the media ~ get off, telling you day after day, how to raise your children? One day the headline reads, "Bottle Mum Abused". The next day, "Breastfeeding Mum Banned From Cafe." What's a Mum to think???

I've been trying to ignore the on-going and relentless media coverage of the whole breast vs bottle issue that has completely spiraled out of control here in New Zealand. As a Mum who desperately tried to breastfeed both of my babies (and ~~failed miserably according to the breastfeeding brigade~~ simply couldn't produce enough milk), I stand by my decision to bottle feed. I have to.

Without any breastmilk available to buy, or anyone available to breastfeed my babies for me (bring back the wet nurse!), it was the only choice to keep my kids alive...and boy did they thrive. And guess what, they are still thriving and are the healthiest and smartest kids amongst their peers. Guilt Schmilt.

If you are reading this you know the secret that is healthy, homemade baby food and already know this: while breast or bottle is simply a means to survival for the first few months of a baby's life, the food your baby eats will nourish and nurture them for the rest of their lives.

Max and Isobel have been fed healthy, homemade food from starting solids to this present day. Not substandard, vitamin- and nutrient-deficient slop from the baby aisle that has a 2+ year shelf-life. Well, we mostly eat healthy, homemade food :) I'm not going to kid you and say we never have take-out or fast food or pasta sauce from a jar as opposed to my usual 3 hour simmering stove-top masterpiece. Everyone has fast food sometimes. But the fact that some Mums feed their babies fast food 3 times a day (ie: out of a jar or a BPA-lined tin can) should be the real cause for concern.

If you are either breast OR bottle feeding, it is entirely your decision and no one has the right to tell you otherwise or make you feel guilty, EVER. It's hard enough being a new Mum in a supportive and loving environment, let alone having some bitch of a waitress asking you to leave the cafe for breastfeeding or the Nana who simply can't keep her trap shut in the shopping mall telling you not to bottle feed.

So it seems, you're damned if you do AND damned if you don't these days. Hang in there sister, whatever stage our babies are at, we are all in this together. You're doing a great job! Have a good look in the mirror and tell that beautiful woman she's a fabulous Mum... as often as you can.

How to reheat frozen baby food cubes

2011-10-28T21:44:00.000+13:00

Thanks to Michelle for asking this question on our Facebook page:

Hi! I think a lot of other Mums would have the same question. I bought my trays last week. What's the best way to go about reheating frozen cubes of purees? My baby is 4 months old. And how long do they last in the freezer? Thank you!

There are a couple of ways to reheat your frozen homemade baby food cubes and they are really simple:

1. Remove the cubes for the next day's meals, place in a covered container(s) in the fridge and thaw overnight. When your baby is ready to eat, you can either reheat in a pot on the stove or pop into the microwave, depending on your cooking preferences. This obviously is for the more organised Mums amongst us (you know who you are!), but also helps the rest of us to be organised when we do it (win - win!).

As a first-time Mum, I did this every night with Max's food and it brought some kind of peace to the day knowing that I didn't have to think about what he was going to eat. His bowl(s) was ready and waiting in the fridge to be heated.

2. Take the frozen cubes from the freezer, place them into a glass or ceramic bowl and heat in the microwave. When Isobel came along 2 years ago, as good as my intentions were for planning her meals for the next day, this is how all of her meals were heated. My peace of mind came when I opened my freezer to select the frozen cubes for her meal and there were all of my gorgeous homemade baby food cubes organised into zip-lock bags, all lined up in a row. So vibrant and colourful! So healthy! It was like having a whole restaurant of healthy homemade baby food at my fingers, and I made it all myself. And you know by now...it was SOOOOO easy with the mumi&bubi Solids Starter Kit.

Everyone's microwaves are different and the time it takes to reheat depends on how many cubes you are reheating and also if they are still frozen or are thawed. In my experience, a few thawed cubes would reheat in about 20 seconds, but I think my microwave isn't very powerful. You will quickly discover the your heating times for your baby food cubes. Always stir well and test the food on your wrist before serving.

How long do the frozen cubes last in the freezer?

If you leave the cubes right in the mumi&bubi trays: the cubes will be good for about 2 weeks right in the trays with the lids on. 42 cubes or 1.2 litres is also approx a 2 week supply of baby food for a 5 or 6 month old baby starting solids. Coincidence? No, very thoughtful tray design!

For batch cooking: to really get the most out of your mumi&bubi baby food freezing trays, cook a big batch and fill up the whole tray - this will make about a 1 month-supply of that food if your baby has 1 or 2 of those cubes every other day or so as part of a varied diet.

Freeze the food in the tray(s) overnight, the next day remove all of the cubes to a zip-lock bag - the "sandwich size" fits 20 cubes perfectly. The 21st cube can be placed in a container and used that day, or the next day. How perfect is that? Tip: Label and date the bag before putting the cubes in, while the bag is still flat on the bench.

Wouldn't you love to cook pumpkin once and have a 1-month supply of fresh, homemade pumpkin cubes? This will save you so much time and you will experience the joy of having that homemade baby food restaurant in your freezer too. As a Mum who did only homemade food for 2 babies, let me tell you, it's a bit of a buzz opening that freezer door and seeing all of the food that I made myself. It's strangely addicting too, knowing how easy it is I would wake up and think, "....hmmm, what can I make today? Which of my cubes are running low (always banana!) What hasn't she tried yet?"

There is no denying that homemade is best for baby, but it's just so satisfying for Mums too :)

Cheers, to healthy, homemade baby food!
Christina

Aleesha's Solids Starter Kit Testimonial

2011-09-16T11:49:00.001+12:00

"I wish I had known about the Solids Starter Kit 2 children ago! #3baby is nearly 6mths old, and just starting solids, I have pears, apple andpumpkin sitting ready for him in the freezer already, and it was soooo easy.The e-recipe book is a godsend also, as I never really knew how to make thefoods prior to reading it. The Solids Starter Kit is so super easy to use,just fill it with baby food, pop it in the freezer and you are awaylaughing. The frozen cubes come out so easy. No more messing around withfiddly ice cubes trays. Thanks heaps Mumi&Bubi." Aleesha from Mt Roskill, Auckland.

I gave a Solids Starter Kit to a friend who is a fellow daycare Mum for her #3, she can't believe how easy homemade baby food is this time around...even with three kids!Submit your Solids Starter Kit testimonial and enter to win 1 of 4 tickets to the ASG Parent & Child Show here: www.mumiandbubi.co.nzContest closes 8pm Saturday, 17 September. Winners will be emailed immediately after 8pm...good luck!

Jenner's Solids Starter Kit Testimonial

2011-09-16T10:59:00.001+12:00

"Wow, the Solids Starter Kit is such a brilliant little creation - I absolutely love it! I've just started our son Berkeley on solids and this kit has beenabsolutely brilliant for me. I'm able to whip up batches of tasty noms andfreeze them without taking up too much space in our teeny tiny freezer. We are now well stocked on a massive variety of little meals and each night Ijust choose Berkeley's food for the following day and get them out todefrost in the fridge overnight - perfect!The only problem I have now is stopping my husband from sneakily eatingBerkeley's frozen fruit whips!" Jenner from Hillcrest, Auckland.

I have that "problem" too, Jenner! always taking the banana or fruit cubes for my smoothies and the veggie cubes to add to pasta sauces to increase the kiddies' veg intake :)

Megan's Solids Starter Kit testimonial

2011-09-12T11:43:00.003+12:00

"I loved my Solids Starter Kit when my son started solids. It was great to do a big cookup in the weekend for the weeks meals and it takes the thinking out of what he was going to have for his meals. I would highly recommend the Solids Starter Kit, it comes with its own cover and it is certainly less mess, so much cheaper than buying premade baby food and takes up so little room in the freezer."Megan, from Browns Bay, Auckland

PR Tips that Work!

2011-08-25T09:22:00.004+12:00

Are you a Mumpreneur looking for PR tips? I know I can use all the help I can get with public relations and getting the word out about mumi&bubi and just how easy it is to make your own healthy, homemade baby food :)

Thanks to the Entreprenette for compiling this list of PR strategies that get results!

Check out tip #62, by yours truly :) It worked a treat for me to get this article published in the New Zealand Herald. Fabulous national exposure!

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T15:40:00.002+12:00

Wishing all of our Canadian Mums a very Happy Canada Day :)

Sweet Kumara!

2011-03-07T13:55:00.003+13:00

Kumara is packed with Vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, protein, beta carotene…the list goes on! It’s no wonder that they are recommended by nutritionists for good health.

In fact, the CSPI calls the sweet potato (also known as kumara in New Zealand) a nutritional All-Star and has ranked it number one in nutrition of all vegetables!

A traditional autumn harvest vegetable, kumara is available all year long. They are also very easy to digest making them an ideal first food for babies :)

You can find our baby food recipe for kumara in our free Mumi & Bubi recipe guide which is easy to follow and contains 27 baby food recipes to get you started making your own healthy, homemade baby food.

The mumi&bubi YouTube Channel!

2011-03-04T14:21:00.008+13:00

Check it out - our new mumiandbubi Channnel on YouTube is now up and running with the first video in our new series called, "What You Need To Make Baby Food"

more videos coming soon! :)

Profits to be donated to Red Cross

2011-02-24T11:17:00.004+13:00

With hundreds of people possibly still missing in the rubble in Christchurch, life goes on for most of us around New Zealand. It's not easy to go about "business as usual" and I am not alone when I say that it's tough to concentrate on work when we are glued to the news in hope of a miracle. In the meantime, we all can all do our part to help the Earthquake Appeal in the process.

At mumi&bubi, we are donating all profits from our stand at Mary's Market this Saturday to the New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake Appeal.

We are also having a draw to win a mumi&bubi Solids Starter Kit and for every entry that goes in the draw, we will donate a further $1.

If you are in Wellington, come on out and get some great deals on top quality baby gear and help us to help others at the same time.

If you can't make it to the market, $5 from every Solids Starter Kit sold at www.mumiandbubi.co.nz until the end of March will be donated to the New Zealand Red Cross.

Mary's Market is from 9-1 at the Overseas Terminal in Oriental Bay, Wellington this Saturday 26 February. See you there!

Our Favourite Tennis Mum!

2011-01-30T21:19:00.000+13:00

Congratulations to Kim Clijsters, our favourite tennis Mum, on winning the 2011 Australian Open!

I love her winning style AND the fact that she makes all of her own homemade baby food....even when on tour :)

Latest Review by Inhabitots

2011-01-25T21:19:00.001+13:00

At Mumi&Bubi, we believe that there is nothing more eco than making your own healthy, homemade baby food.

As a big fan of modern green design, I like to keep an eye on what’s happening over at Inhabitots, your guide to green parenting, eco baby and green kids.

Check out their fabulous Solids Starter Kit review. Thanks, Beth! We think it’s time to give standard issue ice cube trays the cold shoulder too :)

Solids Starter Kit review

2011-01-10T10:51:00.012+13:00

It is so neat to receive your feedback and hear that the Solids Starter Kit really makes solids easy for starting solids ~ and beyond.

Here is the latest customer review from Vanessa, who purchased her Kit from Breastmates:

"My son started solids a couple of weeks ago and I've found this set to be AWESOME. I love the fact that each cube is 30ml which is quite a bit bigger than your normal ice cube tray and with 42 cubes you can freeze over a litre of pureed food. They stack great in the freezer. I have frozen a selection of individual fruit and veges andput them into zip lock bags and now when its feeding time I just pop a few out and microwave them - cheap and easy and you can mix and match foods easily. When its time to introduce a new food I may just mix in one cube with something they are familiar with and then as they get used to it I put more in. Easy to clean and very durable. I have been recommending this to all the mums I meet!"

Thanks, Vanessa! I hope you find your Solids Starter Kit just as useful as your son progresses into finger food, then for making toddler snacks and saving heaps of $ by freezing your leftovers into handy, easy-to-defrost cubes :)

Another Happy Mum :)

2011-01-07T22:08:00.004+13:00

I just love our mumi&bubi Mums (and Dads)! Even more so, I love that our Solids Starter Kit really makes their lives easier.

This just in from our happy Mum, Nicola:

"As we are at nearly 10 months now, Thomasina is more or less eating what we do. However, yesterday as i steamed another batch of pears for breakfasts, i was sooooooooo thankful i had my mumi&bubi solids starter kit! This really has been one of the best bits of "must-have-baby-kit" i ever received, thank you thank you thank you!!!"

Get organised for solids and beyond with a mumi&bubi Solids Starter Kit today at:
http://www.mumiandbubi.co.nz/solidsstarterkit.htm

Solids Starter Kit on sale at Baby City!

2010-12-19T22:47:00.003+13:00

When out and about shopping this week, pop into Baby City and pick up a Solids Starter Kit ~ now only $29.99!

Join the Bub Club and be the first to hear about sales, new products, exclusive offers and more!

Sale on in store, online and by phone (0800 BUB CLUB) until 24 December 2010 :)

Mango baby puree

2010-12-17T11:42:00.008+13:00

Mangoes are so delicious and refreshing in summer and, as they are grown in so many tropical parts of the world, you can usually find one...if you don't mind the food miles! The Aussie mango pictured here is so tasty and sweet!

I thought to be realistic that I would only use 1 mango for this recipe. They are pretty pricy and definitely a "treat" food in our house as a result.

I was surprised at just how much puree a single mango yielded: 12 and a half 1oz cubes out of this mango :)

Recipe for Mango Baby Puree:
-Wash and halve mango. A large seed will be on one side, like an avocado. Scrape as much of the mango flesh from the inside of the skin and around the seed as possible and into a bowl.
-Puree with a stick blender (or just mash, or slice as a finger food for older babies)and spoon into your mumi&bubi freezing tray.
-Place the lid on, making sure the tabs are on the same side.
-Freeze overnight.

Nutritional Info for Mango:
Mango is packed with Vitamins C & A ~ a single serving will provide 76% of your daily Vitamin C requirements and 25% for Vitamin A. And the orange colour indicates a healthy dose of cancer-fighting carotenoids. What a powerhouse for immunity as well as healthy skin and eyes!

While mango is an ideal food for babies, I would leave it for babies 8m+ as tropical fruit can sometimes produce a reaction in young babies. As always, consult your Plunket nurse or family doctor if unsure of introducing new foods and always introduce new foods exclusively for 3-4 days.

Mango would also be ideal added to banana lollies for older kids :) And for Mum & Dad, pop a couple of these frozen mango cubes into a smoothie to really pack a big Vitamin C punch!

Mango!

2010-12-14T12:45:00.000+13:00

Australian mangoes are coming into season, yum!

In many Asian countries, mangoes are known as the king of all the fruits. And for good reason: they are packed with nutrients, anti-oxidants and, their high water content makes them so refreshing on a hot day in summer.

To get ready for mango season, I am posting new recipes all this week. First up: mango baby puree, of course :)

Winehot

2010-11-17T21:44:00.001+13:00

In case you were wondering about the romantic French bistro??? I have one word for you:

Winehot

Here are some more words: sexy, unpretentious, best food ever, intimate, amazing service & atmosphere ~ think black walls and glittering old-world chandeliers.

How much? How little! we had 3 drinks before dinner (Gav: 2 beers, me a glass of bubbly) and then a gorgeous bottle of wine with:
1 bread & dip plate to share ~ best in town says Gav, I didn't know he kept an eye on the bread & dips around town, but apparently so and this one's a winner :)
2 mains:
Merino lamb for me because I usually only wear it, not eat it and had to have a taste, yum. Gav had the Steak frites and is still talking about it 5 days later. Gavin even raved about the salad dressing - so light! so tasty! - and if you haven't met him before, he's a pretty laid back, non-rave-y type of guy, especially about salad dressing.
1 dessert:
the creme brulee, of course. Nice and crispy on top.

All of this deliciousness for only $140. If we eased up on the sauce, the total would be well under $100, more like $80. What a gem! We'll be back....very soon.

from Gavin since our Winehot experience:
Saturday ~ all tucked up, nearly asleep and he says, "So, how soon can we have another date night and go back to Winehot?"
Sunday ~ "What kind of blue cheese do you think that was on my steak? I can't stop thinking about it." What???
Monday ~ walking back from the produce shop "What kind of oil do you think they use at Winehot to cook those fries?" Me: "Hmmm, must be a good one, and a pretty special variety of potato, too." Gav: "I think I'm going to buy myself a deep-fryer for Christmas."

Winehot
605 New North Road
Kingsland
Auckland
www.winehot.co.nz

Beetroot puree tip

2010-11-16T20:10:00.000+13:00

When cooking beetroot to puree into baby food, steaming is very easy. But if you have the oven on anyway to cook dinner, why not try roasting your beetroot in foil?

Roasting beetroot makes it taste sweeter and brings out a complexity flavours that steaming does not. Wash under running water, shake off the excess water and trim any greens, then wrap in foil. Wrap as many beets as you like in the same foil packet and bake in the oven at 180C.

Check smaller beets after about 25min, larger can take up to an hour. When they are cool enough to handle, you can use a knife to peel but you will find that the skins peel away very easily.

For the baby puree, throw the beets into your blender or use a handheld stick blender for a smooth puree. Hopefully, you will have cooked enough for a big batch of beetroot cubes to freeze in your Solids Starter Kit and some for you to enjoy :)

Intolerance to milk?

2010-11-15T20:37:00.010+13:00

Today's solids tip is from our Plunket nurse, Yvonne. She has helped me overcome dietary intolerances in both of my children and today, her tip is about milk intolerance.

The first time I noticed that something was up with Isobel and milk was when we switched from formula to organic cow's milk when she turned 1. She began to get these inflamed, itchy eczema-like patches on her abdomen and thighs. After a few days, it became pretty clear that it was the milk as it got progressively worse and milk was her only new food during that time.

Even though she was 1 and well past the starting solids stage, this emphasised how important it is to introduce new foods - one at a time, for a few days - and keep track of any changes in behaviour or skin appearance during that time.

The good news is, you've got plenty of options if your baby has a milk intolerance:
-boil the milk: bring to a boil in a saucepan. The act of bringing it to the boil takes care of that harsh protein that causes the intolerance, brilliant! We have been doing this, it is easy and it does work. I boil about 500ml a couple of times a week for Isobel, let it cool and store it in the fridge in a glass bottle.

-go back to formula. I had wanted to eliminate the formula altogether by this stage, but she has it a couple of times a week in her Safe Sippy. I notice now, at 15months of age, that she is starting to wean herself from formula and only has about 100ml anyway.

-drink goat's milk! Although theoretically the same chemical composition as cow's milk, goat's milk does not cause this sort of intolerance and people who suffer from allergies or intolerances to cow's milk swear by it. Our friend, Mel, also recommends it :)

More good news for Isobel: this is not an allergy to milk and she will very likely outgrow this milk intolerance. How do we know that? Well, she is fine with formula which comes from cows, no problems with cheese or yogurt either, thank goodness. We'll try her again with cow's milk when she is 2.

I hope this has been helpful! If you have any tips that you would like to share, please add your comments below.

Plunket Charity Auction

2010-11-12T19:24:00.000+13:00

Have you checked out Plunket's charity auction on TradeMe? Expore NZ and bid on these amazing auctions for:

-Rainbows End
-Skippers Canyon
-Waitomo Caves
-InterIslander Ferry passes
-accommodation

and....exclusive Dora backpacks designed by Salma Hayek and Jessica Alba! And much more.

Check out the auction and bid today at www.trademe.co.nz

Happy Bidding!

we love ecostore :)

2010-11-06T11:58:00.004+13:00

Did you know that you can see & buy the mumi&bubi Solids Starter Kit and The Safe Sippy2 at ecostore? They have a fabulous baby section with all of the good things for your eco-baby.

Our friend, Mel, visited the other day and shared her great ecostore customer service experience with us:

"I've just been into the ecostore to get a few bits and bobs and found a great baby food cookbook, while I was browsing the shop assistant suggested that I might like to get a solid starters kit because they are wonderful. Thought you might like to know. They look great on the shelves as well."

You can find ecostore in Auckland at:
1 Scotland Street
Ponsonby

and online at www.ecostore.co.nz

When you visit, tell them how much you love your mumi&bubi Solids Starter Kit :)

Safe Sippy customer review

2010-11-05T19:57:00.003+13:00

Safe Sippy review from Tara, a happy mumi&bubi Customer..

on The Safe Sippy: "what a fantastic product! I am very impressed...my one year old girl always ends up chocking and spluttering because the sippy cups we have seem to "gush" when she tries to drink and it has actually put her off drinking out of cups so we went back to bottles...The Safe Sippy is FANTASTIC.....Awesome!!!

Click here to buy and find our more about The Safe Sippy and The Safe Sippy2 which is a sippy or a straw cup (only one in the world!). Check them out today and use the following code in the shopping cart to save 10% today:
mumi

Om Om, yummy apple spice loaf review

2010-08-26T22:54:00.003+12:00

Thanks so much to Shanna from Auckland for submitting this review about our Apple Spice Loaf that I posted recently...

P.S. I forgot to say I also tried out the apple spice loaf recipe from your blog the other day and it was a hit! My 5 year old loved it in his lunch box, he said he 'ommed' it up. Om om.

What a fabulous lunchbox idea! Thanks for sharing :)

You can check out our Apple Spice loaf recipe here. It is so easy to mix together and it makes your whole house smell like Christmas any day of the year.

We Want You!

2010-08-23T14:17:00.003+12:00

Well, my baby Isobel is 1 now, and has graduated from her healthy start in life with 100% homemade baby food. She is a bonafide toddler now, toddling around and eating what the rest of us are eating....yay! But it's all gone so quickly and I will miss this stage of her little life. Baby food is so important and the food you serve at this time helps to shape their future health and their eating habits for their whole lifetime.

To continue to show parents just how simple and easy making homemade baby food is using the Solids Starter Kit, we need a couple more babies! We are looking for:
1 Mum with a bub starting solids (or recently started) who is making purees regularly with her SSK, and;
1 Mum with a 9m+ old bub who is still using her SSK to make mealtimes a breeze by freezing meal portions, finger food and adapting family meals, etc.

Ideally, our Mums will submit a recipe along with a photo of their creation in the trays once a week for 2 months showing their passion for healthy, homemade baby food using the Solids Starter Kit. Generally sharing your experience of making baby food so we can follow your baby's progress through the solids stages. Bullet points are fine, you don't have to be a storywriter :)

Is this you or someone you know? We are looking forward to hearing from you! Please introduce yourself at our contact page and we will be in touch.
http://www.mumiandbubi.co.nz/contact.htm

Isobel's new socks!

2010-08-18T22:26:00.007+12:00

I usually don't go all gaga over super-cool baby clothes. I love when things are well made and last a long time, that gets my attention.

But I can't stop talking about these totally adorable, fabulous quality Lamington merino baby knee socks! Isobel loves wearing them as they are super-comfy and toasty warm. Even Gavin thinks they are too cute.

Lamington will also be at Mary's Market this Saturday, along with Made4Baby, Snooky and of course mumi&bubi.

Apple Spice Loaf

2010-08-18T12:59:00.002+12:00

Simple to make, perfect for morning tea or coffee group and your whole house smells like Christmas!

When I saw Pacific Rose apples at the Takapuna Market last Sunday for 80 cents a kilo, I knew I was going to make this Apple Spice Loaf.

This is one that your whole family can enjoy. And, if your baby has started on finger food, this makes a nice treat for them.

Isobel can make a slice of this apple spice loaf disappear in the blink of an eye - and not down the back of her high chair if you know what I mean. It is one of the only things that makes her happy when a molar is coming in! And cuddles, of course :)

Recipe for Apple Spice Loaf:
Whisk together: 1 cup soft brown sugar, 3/4 cup soya or canola oil, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 eggs.
Mix in 2 cups grated apple.
Add: 1and3/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1 tsp salt.
Pour into prepared loaf tin and bake at 180C for 45-55 mins until golden and firm in the middle and the sides are pulling away from the tin. Cool in tin for 15 mins then turn out onto wire rack. Cool before slicing, if you can wait that long :)

Recipe Notes:
*Can also substitute apple for same amount of grated courgettes (2 med) or pureed pumpkin.
*2 cups grated apple is about 2 med-large apples. The more the better I say. I used organic and grated in the food processor with the skins right on - yay, no peeling!
*when baking this recipe with apple, go more for the 45 min rather than 55min to keep it nice and moist.

I have made this 3x in the past 2 weeks: once with courgettes and twice with apple. They are both delish! If making baby food and pureeing pumpkin, make extra and try this with the pumpkin ~ and let me know how it turns out!

Enjoy!

Heidi Klum's homemade baby food

2010-08-16T09:00:00.004+12:00

Supermodel Heidi Klum doesn’t give her four kids a choice about what’s for dinner, she says.

'I don't make special things for them,' she said. 'They eat whatever is cooked and if they don’t like it, the kitchen is closed!'

For the baby, the 37-year-old uses a mini-blender to turn whatever she and her husband Seal are enjoying into a quick puree.

'When the baby has baby food I usually give them exactly what we eat ... I don't make special baby food, so I love that,' the Project Runaway host told UsMagazine.com.

What are some favourite menu items in their household? 'They love spaghetti and meatballs, chicken soup, schnitzel and kale,' the German native said. 'They love everything! They eat healthy.'

from monstersandcritics.com

note from Christina:
I love Heidi, have been a big fan ever since I saw her so long ago in the Victoria's Secret catalog. She is such a positive role-model for all of us Mums and our girls. She has proven that with hard work and sheer determination you can accomplish your goals and be successful. But most importantly, she has proven time and time again that nice girls can finish first.

No more bottled water, please

2010-08-13T21:45:00.004+12:00

Did you know....1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water worldwide, while others who have clean water spend billions of dollars on bottled product that costs up to 2000x the price of tap water!

Check out this neat video and please feel free to leave your comments.

The Story of Stuff ~ Bottled Water

Pumpkin powers up immunity

2010-08-10T21:51:00.001+12:00

Want an instant, proven immunity boost? Want to keep colds and flu at bay in your household this winter? Power up the pumpkin!

The vibrant orange colour of pumpkin is your clue that it is full of beta carotene, an important antioxidant that keep your baby's skin bright and eyesight sharp. Pumpkin is very rich in other carotenoids which are known for keeping the immune system strong.

Click here for pumpkin puree recipe.

Chicken and pumpkin quesadillas make a super-tasty meal out of your leftover chicken roast and are really easy to whip up. You can slice them into finger food for 9-12 month old babies or larger slices for the whole family.

Solids Starter Kit

2010-08-08T21:58:00.008+12:00

Single-serve food & beverage packaging is harming our planet. Go green simply by making your own baby food.

The mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit' makes healthy, homemade baby food easy for your modern family.

Freeze & store up to 42 cubes at once in our unique premium freezing trays which are specially designed to stack compactly in your freezer.

Wholesale inquiries welcome.

Get your Solids Starter Kit today at www.mumiandbubi.co.nz

Frozen Banana Lollies

2010-07-27T21:53:00.009+12:00

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....

2010-07-22T13:51:00.002+12:00

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

2010-07-21T20:40:00.002+12:00

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

2010-07-20T22:19:00.005+12:00

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

2010-07-20T13:59:00.004+12:00

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

2010-07-18T20:04:00.007+12:00

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.
---------------------
thanks, Sharon!

Baby bottle suppliers phase out BPA

2010-07-08T21:41:00.002+12:00

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?

2010-07-05T20:23:00.003+12:00

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!

2010-07-01T21:43:00.008+12:00

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!

If Tori Spelling can do it...

2010-06-30T21:36:00.002+12:00

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

2010-06-29T21:18:00.003+12:00

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!

2010-06-25T13:09:00.002+12:00

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

2010-06-10T20:56:00.002+12:00

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

2010-06-10T14:33:00.005+12:00

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

2010-06-09T21:37:00.007+12:00

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???

2010-06-07T22:53:00.001+12:00

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....

2010-06-01T09:14:00.011+12:00

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!

The Hip Infant SSK Review

2010-05-18T22:12:00.006+12:00

We savvy Mums love our SSK's! And for good reason - here is the latest SSK review from The Hip Infant...

This neat little kit includes a recipe book with 27 recipe ideas (surely even the fussiest of first time eaters will find something in there that they like!!) that are designed not only to tempt your little ones taste buds but also teach the chef (that’s you!) how to cook the optimum way to ensure you retain all the goodness and nutrition of the ingredients you are working with. Did I mention one stop shop? But wait there’s more! The starter kit also includes 2 BPA free, dishwasher safe, portioned freezer trays. That come with a lid to prevent freezer burn and maintain hygiene. Over at Mumi and Bubi I think they’re onto that weaning can be a difficult time so they’ve thought of everything to make it easy for us! SO they’ve rounded the trays on the bottom so you can leverage out however many cubes you need at the time and not have to empty all the other filled cubes.

Not sure on how much to cook to fill them? Leaving no stone unturned the recipe book also includes a shopping list of what to buy to perfectly fill the 2 freezer trays so there is no wastage!

Check out the entire article at The Hip Infant

Mary's Market

2010-05-17T20:37:00.005+12:00

It's Mary's Market this Saturday the 22 of May. mumi&bubi will be there with the ever-popular 'Solids Starter Kit' and Safe Sippy range of stainless steel drink bottles for the whole family.

Check out Mary's website to see all of the stallholders.

This month's market is sponsored by Karitane Nurses and Nannies Bureau. Enter the draw to win a nanny for 5 hours!

Come along, stock up on all the goods and be sure to stop by our mumi&bubi stand and say hello :)

Recipe for Cauliflower

2010-05-13T21:40:00.004+12:00

Here are all of my little cauliflower florets washed, trimmed from the stalk and ready for a light steam.

Isobel is 9 1/2 months old and into her finger food so I will cut the steamed cauliflower into bite-sized pieces for her and freeze handy servings in my mumi&bubi freezing tray.

If your bub is just starting solids, puree the cauliflower to a nice consistency (adding some of the reserved steaming water) and then spoon into your mumi&bubi freezing tray. If bubs is a bit older and into lumpy textures, you can mash to his preferred lumpiness and then freeze.

It's amazing what you learn doing this - I had no idea that cauliflower was sooooo good for you, lifesaving almost!

After checking out this article, you'll definitely want cauliflower on the menu a couple of times a week :) I think I will even keep some extra cubes of cauli puree on hand to sneak into pasta sauces and casseroles this winter.

Eco Family Expo in Tauranga

2010-05-10T10:22:00.001+12:00

Live in the Bay of Plenty, or know someone who does? Come along to the Eco Family Expo on Saturday 15 May at the QE2 Centre in Tauranga.

There will be 50 stalls (including mumi&bubi, lola & ben, pipi child) and exhibits showcasing eco-friendly products and services. The first 300 families through the door will receive a generous goody bag.

See you there!

9 months!

2010-05-06T14:57:00.009+12:00

Happy Birthday Isobel, 9 months old today! She started solids nearly four months ago and I am so happy to say that she has had 100% healthy homemade baby food made by me, and sometimes her Daddy :) It has been so easy with the Solids Starter Kit.

Isobel celebrated this milestone by totally feeding herself her dinner! No one was more shocked than me as Max didn't do this until a little later. Which goes to show that all babies are their own little people and will do things at their own pace.

Moving on from the puree stage, I am going to continue using my 'Solids Starter Kit' for keeping her meals organised and freezing portions of finger food - mushrooms, swede, carrots, etc. so that I have freshly prepared food that Isobel can feed herself on hand in the freezer.

I am also going to be freezing portions of our family meals and I am going to try the Chicken and Kumara Dinner that was submitted by Rebecca one day soon.

It's all about being prepared saving time and not having to cook all the time, but still providing healthy homemade food for your precious little ones.

The Clean 15

2010-05-04T22:02:00.000+12:00

The Clean 15 is the opposite of The Dirty Dozen! These are the top 15 fruits and veggies in the Environmental Working Group's list that are least likely to be contaminated by pesticide residues:

1. onions (even though it is not necessary to buy organic onions due to their pesticide residues, I find they taste much better!)
2. avocado
3. sweet corn
4. pineapples
5. mango
6. sweet peas
7. asparagus
8. kiwi fruit
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. canteloupe (rock melon)
12. watermelon
13. grapefruit
14. sweet potatoes (kumara)
15. honeydew melon

It is interesting to note that nearly all the studies on which this list is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.

You can download your wallet-size guide here

Even though this is a US-based list, it is good food for thought. I will try to find a similar NZ list as I know that there are some pesticides that are still in use in NZ that are banned in the USA. If you have any info on this, please let me know!

The Dirty Dozen 2010

2010-05-03T20:18:00.004+12:00

Every year, the Environmental Working Group, in their Shoppers Guide to Pesticides releases their Dirty Dozen: a comprehensive list of the food most likely to be contaminated by pesticides.

Food for Thought
According to the EWG methodology, "You can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce, according to EWG calculations. When you eat the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you’ll be exposed to an average of 10 pesticides a day. When you choose fresh produce from the 15 least contaminated fruits and vegetables, you’ll consume fewer than 2 pesticides per day."

Best to go organic for these 12 fruits and veggies:

1. celery
2. peaches
3. strawberries (although this is a US list, I know someone who works at a strawberry grower in Kumeu and guess what....they grow their own!)
4. apples
5. blueberries (we are so lucky to have Omaha Organic Blueberries in steady supply at our grocery stores, no reason to not eat organic blueberries in NZ)
6. nectarines
7. sweet bell peppers (capsicum)
8. spinach
9. kale
10. cherries
11. potatoes
12. grapes (non-USA)

It is interesting to note that nearly all the studies on which this guide is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.

Reading stuff like this highlights the importance of being aware of how different life is for our children that it was for us. Small changes really do add up to a better quality of life for our families, you can discover more in A Wake-Up Story that I posted a little while ago.

Come back tomorrow for the good news: the list of those fruits and veggies that are least likely to be contaminated by pesticide residue, The Clean 15.

Win a Solids Starter Kit with Littlies!

2010-05-02T13:54:00.006+12:00

Grab your May edition of littlies magazine to win a mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit'. See the freebies page or enter online here

We have 9 Kits to give away in this competition! Contest closes 28 May 2010.

Congratulations to all of the winners, listed here

Isobel's first finger food

2010-04-27T22:45:00.009+12:00

Isobel is still mostly having purees as she is not the least bit interested in any kind of mashed or lumpy food. Fair enough!

Lately she started making gestures with her little hands as if she was picking up imaginary food and feeding herself. Normal? Who knows :) It was totally cute though and the clearest sign in the world that perhaps it is time to let her indulge in some well-deserved finger food.

Babies are so good at letting you know when they are ready for the next level! They definitely tell you in their own little way.

But what to give, since she is not used to actually chewing and swallowing bits of food??? I started with something soft that she could easily chew or "gum", like courgettes, pictured above.

I cooked the courgettes sliced in rounds, steamed until soft and then placed 5 or 6 into each cube of my mumi&bubi freezing tray and popped into the freezer. These cubes "lever" out just like cubes of pureed food.

**You can see in the pic that I pureed half of the rounds to mix in with other veg and meat. This finger food thing is new so I'll still need to feed her most of her solids for now :)

For serving, I warm the courgette cube of frozen rounds, then cut each round into smaller pieces. I'll give her the whole piece when she is a bit older.

It is so handy to have a supply this easy courgette finger food ready to go in your freezer!

Courgettes are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals important for your baby's health and development. See nutritional info and puree recipe here at our original courgettes puree post.

Thank you!

2010-04-25T21:34:00.003+12:00

Thank you to everyone who came along for making Mary's Market another fun and successful morning!

It was great to see all of our friends who stopped by our stand to say hello and share their homemade baby food experiences and fabulous to meet new ones too.

See you at the next Mary's Market on 22 May! Put in on your calendars as it will be that last one for a couple of months...

Directions and more info on Mary's Market here.

Who's cooking with mumi&bubi?

2010-04-20T22:48:00.008+12:00

Rebecca McLeod, owner of Made4Baby, joins us this week to share a little about her family, business, and how the Solids Starter Kit (SSK) helped her to prepare healthy homemade baby food in no time at all:

Family
I have 2 wonderful little boys, Sammy is almost 4 (and the face of Made4Baby) and Will has just turned 1, a Labrador called Charlie and my wonderful husband Jimmy.

Made4Baby
Made4Baby is a range of natural skincare – our fabulous easy to use range includes a Fragrance Free range for super new and super sensitive skins and we also have an Organic Citrus Fragrance, loved by Mums and kids!

The Made4Baby office is out the back of our home so it makes it easier to look after the boys, manage the business, especially while Will has been a baby.

As a busy working Mum, how has the SSK made it easy for you to make your own healthy homemade baby food?
Great – when Will was a baby I would just choose one meal for the whole family and take the first part off for him and then pop a row in the cubes. Then I could add all the herb, spices and extras. This just mean on nights when I was in a rush or not prepared, I could just pop out a cube (or more as his tummy expanded!), and he had a healthy homemade meal.

What percentage of baby food was homemade by you (or someone in your household), using the SSK?
75% - wish it was more but there were times when it was just all too hard and I succumbed to the readymades (but mostly when out, never really used at home as Will didn’t like them as much)! Also Will moved quite quickly to wanting to finger feed.

Thank you, Rebecca! You can find out more about Made4Baby skincare at www.made4baby.co.nz Max loves his Bubbles!Bubbles!

Chicken & Kumara Dinner

2010-04-20T22:00:00.001+12:00

This super-easy meal for older kids and bubs who have started eating meat was submitted by Rebecca McLeod from Made4Baby:

2 x chicken drumsticks
1 kumura, peeled and cut into cubes
Water to cover in pot

Just bring the chicken to the boil, and then cover and reduce to a simmer for 30 min add the kumura and cook for another 15 min, once all is cooked then take out and puree or mash to the consistency required. Take out what you need for the night and put the rest in the SSK.

Also love putting cheese sauce in there so that if any meal isn’t looking that flash, a bit of cheese sauce can improve it a great deal!

Who's cooking with mumi&bubi?

2010-04-07T23:14:00.005+12:00

This is an exciting new feature of my blog where I will profile a fabulous Mum who is cooking with mumi&bubi.

You may be surprised - I sure am. Because it's not who you think! It's not the leisurely Mum with time on her hands to be puttering around the kitchen all day making baby food.

Mums who use the 'Solids Starter Kit' are a savvy, tuned-in bunch: they are super-busy Mums from around the world - professionals, WAHMs (work at home Mums), Mums working part-time and SAHMs with babies, toddlers and busy households to manage.

And they all use our mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit' because we make it easy for them to save time making their own healthy homemade baby food.

So who's cooking with mumi&bubi? Check back soon to see our first profile...

Two Spoons - the key to a happy meal

2010-04-06T22:11:00.013+12:00

Isobel is 8 months old now and wants to be interactive at mealtimes. It is getting harder to negotiate spoonfuls of homemade baby food goodness into her little mouth without Isobel trying to grab the spoon.

I am not one of these Mums who gives her child a toy to play with during mealtimes because that is simply too messy. It's one thing for her hands, face and clothes to get messy - it's another thing entirely for a puree-covered toy to be hurled across the room and land on my carpet. Or curtains. And, not to mention, questionable manners with all that racket at the dinner table. Best to start them off right from the start as far as manners are concerned. No toys at the table.

Besides, our after-meal cleanup routine is already more than enough and includes:
-clean Isobel (all of the time)
-clean the high chair (most of the time)
-clean the floor (sometimes)
-change our clothes, yes mine too! Things can really get out of hand sometimes (depends on what was for lunch and/or our agenda for the rest of the day: see my Beetroot post)

So what to do??? She needs something more as me making funny noises while feeding her is just not working for her any longer....

So I came up with a simple solution: If she wants to pretend like she is feeding herself, give Isobel her own spoon. It has worked a treat for us, she really thinks she is feeding herself, the little spoon goes back and forth from her imaginary bowl on her tray to her mouth and, in between, I get a spoon full of homemade baby food in there once in a while too.

Everyone is happy...

Organic Brown Rice

2010-04-06T22:11:00.012+12:00

From around 8 months or so, babies can be introduced to brown rice. Most babies are on the move by this time - Isobel is so fast these days crawling from room to room and scrambling to climb up on the coffee table, etc. - that some more carbs & this exciting new texture may be a welcome change.

To save you from the time-consuming task of cooking brown rice on a regular basis just for your baby, the 'Solids Starter Kit' is ideal for freezing "cubes" of rice and having a 1-2 month supply at hand in the freezer.

Leanne Cooper, the Organic Bubs nutritionist and owner of Cadence Health, recommends that brown rice can be introduced around this time. Just make sure that it is cooked thoroughly until soft.

Avoid GM rice, but this can be easily done by choosing organic brown rice like the one we use from Ceres Organics. It is widely available at regular grocery stores, has a wonderful nutty flavour and is great for the whole family.

Wrigglepot 'Solids Starter Kit' review

2010-03-29T11:27:00.005+13:00

The cost of these seem high in comparison to other trays on the market, however, unless you only want to cook up a single carrot you will be forced to buy several of the others which will end up being more expensive. These trays really will save you money and are a joy to work with.

* Super easy to clean because of the unique shape of the individual portion sections and only 2 trays to contend with. The individual pots of other brands means individual cleaning and are a lot more time consuming.
* The unique shape of the portions makes removing the food easier than any other tray I have tried.
* A total of 42 portions means I can cook more food at one time.
* Easy to stack in the freezer.
* They are a great shape and in between babies I fill them with lime and lemon juice and melt them in jugs of soda water, etc and they look great.
* BPA free!!

I used to make up a big batch and then take out all of the portions and store in a zip lock bag in freezer for super easy access.

review from wrigglepot In Australia, buy your Solids Starter Kit from Wrigglepot and get free shipping nationwide!

Tonight's dinner

2010-03-21T19:51:00.008+13:00

Isobel's evening meal is the only one she has before her bottle. This is simply due to the fact that she is hungry long before her bottle is due, so I feed her dinner early most days, anytime between 4:30 and 5:30 depending on how her day is going.

This is also practical as I can feed Isobel her solids and she is happy to entertain herself with a tasty frozen cube of banana or other treat in her teething feeder while Max and I have our dinner together. She also likes sitting up at the table in her chair with us as part of the family meal. (Gavin works afternoons so it's just the kids and I in the evenings) She has her bottle after her bath sometime between 6 and 7pm depending on her naps for that day.

Tonight's dinner consisted of 2 cubes of carrot baby puree and 1 of swede along with 2 cubes of pear puree on the side. She loves drinking from her pink Safe Sippy2 which she can use all by herself.

I still haven't found a good stainless steel baby feeding spoon so - for now - I like this nifty silicone one that I found at Smith & Caughey. Although it wasn't intentional, I love that the vibrant orange colour of the spoon exactly matches the handles on the Safe Sippy :)

No Time? Think BIG!

2010-03-21T19:20:00.010+13:00

These 4 du comice pears are at least twice the size of the pears I normally see in the produce section. One glance and I knew that they would be a huge time-saver. You can see how big they are, just a bit shorter than my mustard bottle!

It takes roughly the same amount of time to peel and quarter a large piece of fruit as it does a small one and the same effort will yield twice - or more! - the number of homemade baby puree cubes.

So, to make twice as much baby food in the same amount of time and with the same effort as using small or medium-sized fruit, GO BIG.

Choose large-sized of produce when taste or flavour isn't compromised by going big. This works well for fruit such as apples and pears and veggies like potato and pumpkin. Just be careful with things like parsnip and swede, the bigger ones tend to be a bit woody in the middle.

Introducing chicken!

2010-03-20T22:46:00.007+13:00

Around 7-8 months is a good time to introduce chicken into your baby's diet. Your baby's digestive system has been getting stronger over the past couple of months, experiencing all sorts of fruits and vegetables and may now be ready for some protein.

It is very important to serve your baby free range chicken that has been exclusively corn fed or, ideally, organic chicken. Any hormones or antibiotics that have been added to the feed of non-organic chickens are not ideal for the optimal development of your baby.

Serve chicken at lunchtime, this will allow the rest of the day to digest. It takes a lot longer to digest protein than the simpler structures of fruit and vegetables.

Recipe for Pureed Chicken:

A chicken breast of approximately 300g made 8 portions. Using 2 portions per week, this works out to nearly a 1 month supply.
-bake or grill the plain breast as you normally would for yourself.
-chop into small pieces and process, using cooled boiled water, until completely smooth.

Chicken is one of those foods that may need extra water added once thawed and warmed for baby's meal. You can also add formula or breastmilk to achieve the desired consistency.

Baby Puree in Action

2010-03-15T21:57:00.005+13:00

Here are the baby purees of beet, broccoli, swede and nashi pear in my super-capacity freezing trays from one cooking session. It was quite an evening as I had 4 pots on the stove at one time - a record for me as I usually make baby puree on a one-off basis a couple of times a week (ie: only cook 1 food but make a whole tray of cubes for a 1-month supply of that one food).

I wanted to have a big baby food cook-up to show that it really is easy to make your own healthy homemade baby food, without cooking very often and without taking up precious time.

I threw this all on the stove at once and from start to finish, it took less than 30 minutes including prep (washing, peeling, chopping, etc).

Of course, it takes 2 to make a baby, so if 2 of you made the baby food together it would take even less time. Good luck with this one!

Recipe for beetroot puree

2010-03-08T22:24:00.006+13:00

Beets are one of my favourite veggies - with that beautiful rich-red colour, they just have to be good for you. They are naturally sweet and they puree into a stunning velvety smooth texture. Isobel's eyes light up when she sees this gorgeous deep red colour on offer.

Of course it gets all over - I will speak for my sleep-deprived self when I say that all common sense goes out the window when Isobel and I are both usually wearing white when eating beetroot! And I had such little common sense to begin with! I am not one to plan our meals around our wardrobes after all...just one to enjoy good food :)

And beets don't disappoint in the nutritional arena: beetroot baby puree is one of those great iron-rich foods that we all look for when our babies start solids. Folic acid keeps baby's cells growing and developing normally and potassium helps to regulate baby's blood pressure. And that rich red colour means that beets contain antioxidants to protect healthy cells all over your baby's little body.

Recipe for Beetroot Baby Puree:
2 medium sized beets made 12 x 2Tbsp (or 1 oz) cubes. Next time I will cook more to fill a whole tray.
-wash and peel beets, chop into cubes
-steam in half a cup of boiled water for minutes
-use some of the reserved cooking water to puree using your hand held (stick) blender to achieve a nice puree consistency. Beets can be mashed for older babies.
-spoon cooled puree into your mumi&bubi freezing trays, put on the lid and freeze.

Recipe for swede baby puree

2010-03-08T22:23:00.009+13:00

With their creamy-purple skin and rounded shape, the swede is very similar to turnip and is also called rutabaga. It is a very versatile veggie as it can be boiled, mashed, roasted, baked, stir fried, etc. When we were little, we used to eat raw swede slices as a snack.

Swede baby puree is a lovely pale yellow/orange colour with a very distinctive taste! If the taste is just a bit too distinctive for your baby, mix it with something they really enjoy ~ Isobel likes her swede mixed in with a cube of carrot.

Swedes are surprisingly filling and are a good source of Vitamin C and fibre, folate and potassium. Choose smaller swedes with smooth skin - the larger ones can tend to be woody.

Recipe for swede baby puree:
2 medium sized swedes, cooked and pureed filled a whole tray plus a few more cubes, about 25 x 1 oz (2Tbsp) portions in total! Very economical.
-Scrub and thickly peel swede and remove any roots
-Chop into cubes and boil or steam until tender, about 15-20 minutes
-Add some reserved cooking water to adjust the consistency for a perfect puree
-spoon portions into your mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit' freezing tray, put on the lid and place in the freezer.

Recipe for nashi pear puree

2010-03-08T22:02:00.006+13:00

Nashi pears taste like a combination of apple and pear: they are naturally crisp, delicately sweet and totally delish.

This is one of my favourite baby purees to make as the colour and consistency of the puree is so pure and pristine, like a fresh blanket of snow in every cube!

And the flavour is so lovely, I add them to Isobel's baby rice cereal and they also help to take the edge off of those slightly offensive veggies (ie: any one she doesn't really like). She will pretty much try anything mixed with a cube of nashi pear.

Recipe for nashi pear
5 large fruit would fill 1 whole tray, or yield 21 cubes. The store only had medium nashi pears when I was there so I only filled half my tray!

Quarter, peel and core nashi pears. Lightly steam until tender. Puree using your hand held or stick blender. The fruit is so tender and naturally juicy that no extra water should be necessary.

Spoon portions into your mumi&bubi premium BPA-free freezing tray and allow to cool before placing in the freezer.

Nutritional Information for Nashi Pear
Nashi Pear is also called the Nashi Apple, Asian Pear, Taiwan Pear, Sand Pear or Korean Pear. So many names for 1 delicious little fruit!

Nashi pears are good sources of the B-complex vitamins and also contain vitamin C.

Recipe for broccoli puree

2010-03-08T21:30:00.006+13:00

Take one head of broccoli, wash well and cut into florets. Lightly steam until tender. Puree using your hand-held or stick blender using some of the reserved steaming water for a nice liquid (but not too runny) consistency.

Spoon portions into your mumi&bubi freezing tray and allow to cool before placing in the freezer.

Broccoli is one of those veggies I find that is less watery after freezing the puree, so if you don't use enough water when making the puree, you may have to add a little more after heating the cubes for mealtime.

Nutritional info for broccoli
Broccoli is one of the most healthy foods you can eat. It is packed with Vitamins A and C, is an immune booster and is full of those all-important antioxidants. Broccoli is a must-have veggie in your growing baby's nutritional plan.

Beets, brocolli, nashi pear and swede - baby puree recipes

2010-03-08T21:06:00.008+13:00

Isobel's taste buds have really been going on an adventure for the past 2 weeks! These new foods are very appealing to her little eye as they are saturated with rich colours and intriguing new aromas.

She has never experienced the sight of the rich red of a beet on her spoon before. Or the delicate whiteness - and delicately sweet flavour - of a nashi pear.

This doesn't go unnoticed either - her little fingers are all over it, and the beets are all over everything. For the first time, she is grabbing the spoon and taking an interest in the proceedings. Previously she was quite content to simply "be fed".

It happens all so quickly! Mealtime is pretty interactive now, in a good way. Needless to say, wearing white is not recommended for baby food feeding of any kind, especially beets :)

All in all,Isobel has really taken to the beets, brocolli she doesn't mind tooo much. The nashi pears are really good mixed in with her cereal - which she still has at dinner, and the swede still needs work. These have a fairly strong scent coupled with a foreign flavour and so far, not a winner.

Mary's Market

2010-02-26T14:31:00.006+13:00

Come along to Mary's Market in Freemans Bay tomorrow. It's easy to be an green parent and save money when you shop at Mary's Market. Top quality eco-gear for the littlies, and some great stuff for Mum & Dad too.

mumi&bubi will have specials on select items to make way for our new Kid Basix shipment of Safe Sippys, Safe Starters and Safe Sporters arriving next week.

See you in the morning!

New tastes for the week

2010-02-22T21:28:00.012+13:00

After having the same old, same old for the past 2 weeks, Isobel's taste buds are about to go on a whole new adventure. Now, I can appreciate just as much as anyone that when you start something new, you jump in with both feet and really get into it.

Before you know it, life gets in the way, and you don't have as much time for it any longer. And then something gives you that little push to get going again.

Making all of Isobel's baby food homemade from scratch, that little push to get going again usually has something to do with a trip to IE Produce and the walk through the far aisle. Checking out all of the in-season organic produce really gets my mind working about all of the recipe ideas and things I can cook not only for Isobel, but for the whole family.

This week, I picked up some beets, brocolli, nashi pears and some swede (similar to turnip). These are going to be Isobel's new tastes for the next little while. Of course she has already had pears (WBC), so I will roster these nashi pears right into her feeding schedule as she shouldn't have any trouble with them.

As I was standing there paying good money for this lovely organic produce, something occured to me: Didn't I grow beets in my garden last year - for free??? What I am doing buying beets when they are so easy to grow?!? In my limited, and very hit & miss garden experiences, beets definitely fall into the "hit" column. I recall planting them, watering and feeding with worm tea only very occasionally and they did really well.

I will add "plant beets in the garden" to my very long list of things to do...and we just might have (almost) free organic beets of our own in a couple of months for our autumn roasts. Isobel will be at the chunky mash and finger food stage by then!

Replenishing My Cubes

2010-02-22T21:10:00.008+13:00

For the past week or so, Isobel has been maintaining her usual solids meals at lunch and dinner. Simply because I have been too busy to even think about it, she hasn't had any new foods introduced in 2 weeks! Not a major deal, I tell myself that she is really getting to know the taste of these foods before we move on. I do have plans to change this next week and move on with her solids into new tastes and textures.

It's been a real treadmill of taking care of everything that a mother does: spending quality time with Isobel, Max and Gavin - and the business needs quality time of its own of course, but its always very rewarding and fulfilling. Well almost always, you know what I mean.

Thank goodness I had all of those lovely homemade baby food cubes stashed away in the freezer! She has been chewing through her carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, pear, apples, bananas, kumara, cauliflower and all the rest. I have replenished most of these in the past 2 weeks and will have a good supply for the coming month especially as her repertoire is about to grow by leaps and bounds.

The little bunny will be ready to have breakfast soon and some semblance of 3 meals a day and - wait for it - protein! Her digestive system has been working hard for the first time, digesting many different types of fruits and veggies and rice cereal, and she is nearly ready to have her first meats in the next couple of weeks. In the world of starting solids, this is very exciting :)

Isobel has been on solids now for over 7 weeks and still not a morsel of store-bought, processed baby food. These mumi&bubi freezing trays really do make it easy to make big batches of healthy homemade baby food without having to cook very often at all.

I am on a business course in the city tomorrow - Budgeting and Cashflow Planning. I hope that it is a lot more fun than it sounds!

Video: A Wake-Up Story

2010-02-18T16:02:00.013+13:00

I try to bring up my children as naturally as possible, every day. The long term, cumulative effects of chemicals in children - and all of us - is very real.

People, especially Mums & Dads with young children, are standing up together and saying ENOUGH. Their voices are being heard.

People are also starting to realize that baby food doesn't have to come in jars, boxes and tins from aisle #17 in the supermarket. Baby food is real food: vibrant, tasty and naturally colorful and flavorsome. It can come from organic farms - not factories - and is the same food that you and I eat, but pureed.

It is for this reason that I make the 'Solids Starter Kit' as I am so passionate about healthy, homemade baby food and using the best quality, non-toxic/non-leaching freezing trays. No BPA, no phthalates, no pvc, no worries.

Starting solids with healthy homemade baby food is one small step that goes a long way in promoting the quality of your baby's long-term growth and development, naturally and sustainably.

It is so simple and easy. You can do it too for your baby.

Moist Coconut Cake with Coconut Ice Frosting

2010-02-17T21:02:00.006+13:00

If you have a baby, chances are you have a coffee group of some sort - or friends coming by once in a while. This moist, coconut cake is quick to make and so delicious everyone will want the recipe. Your home will smell heavenly too!

The ingredients are fairly standard, if you bake even occasionally you should have everything except perhaps the coconut essence. Once you have all of the ingredients at hand, you can get it in the oven in less than 10 minutes with another few for the icing. I love it freshly iced while it's still warm from the oven, and it's even better the next day.

The Coconut Ice Frosting has pink food colouring as an option, if you can believe in this day and age. I have never put artificial colouring in here as I love the pristine whiteness of the original icing, like a blanket of glistening freshly fallen snow after an ice storm (Oh Canada!).

This time around, however, I picked the last 2 strawberries from the garden and mixed them right in. I should have pureed them for a more consistent colour, but the little bits of berry that you can see in the pic have such a nice organic quality and, even using only 2 berries, gives the icing a hint of pink!

Another fabulous thing about this cake is that it is pretty hard to get wrong. I have made it about 12 times now (maybe more!) and it turns out the same every time: moist, light and delicately sweet.

You can find it in the April 2008 AWW or online here Enjoy!

Avocado, the ultimate baby fast food

2010-02-14T22:13:00.011+13:00

With virtually zero prep time and a bowl provided by Mother Nature herself, the avocado is the Ultimate Baby Fast Food. Its smooth, creamy consistency makes it one of the first fresh fruits a baby can enjoy.

Avocados are a surprisingly complete food, with abundant minerals to stimulate growth, including iron and copper for your blood. And, due to their mono and polyunsaturated fat content, they are a great substitution for spreads and food rich in saturated fat. These unsaturated fats are known to be important for normal growth and development of your baby's central nervous system and brain.

One-fifth of a medium avocado has about 50 calories and contains nearly 20 vitamins and minerals making it an excellent nutrient choice. Vitamins in avocado include A, several B-complex, C, and E, as well as phosphorus and magnesium. They’re also a great source of antioxidants like vitamins E and C.

No recipe required: simply halve a ripe avocado and remove the stone. Serving the avocado right in its own skin, use the back of your sterilised spoon to mash the ripe fruit into a soft puree consistency and offer small spoonfuls at a time.

When your baby is older and enjoying finger food, spread ripe avocado on toast fingers alongside fruit slices for a healthy mid-morning or afternoon snack.

Typical menu at 1 month into solids

2010-02-09T12:02:00.005+13:00

Isobel has had solid food now for a whole month. How time flies! Lucky for us, no issues have cropped up so far such as allergies or intolerance to any foods.

At 1 month into eating solid food, she has solids now twice a day - lunch, after her 11am bottle and dinner after her 5:30 or 6pm bottle. Lunch now consists of 3 cubes, 2 veg and 1 fruit. 1 cube is a "new food" which is kept separate for her to learn the taste of this food on its own, and the other 2 cubes are mixed together.

I know I should keep all of the foods separate at this stage but, as she doesn't like some things on their own such as zucchini or cauliflower, I mix these with fruit so she will eat them. I do what I have to do to get it in :) Today's lunch was kumara on its own, and a mix of cauli and pear.

A typical dinner for Isobel is about 1.5T of rice cereal mixed with about 3T of formula left over from her bottle, mixed with 1 cube of fruit and 1 cube of veg. Last night she had cereal mixed with carrot & banana. This combo always go over really well, as does pumpkin & pear or kumara & apple.

All babies are different and will eat varying amounts, and some will drive their parents crazy with fussy feeding. This is just what my baby Isobel has been up to in her solid food journey so far. Your baby will certainly not be shy let you know if they want to have more or less.

Pears - The Sweetest Thing

2010-02-04T13:57:00.013+13:00

If you are ever in doubt about what's in season, head down to your local organic store. Devonport Wholefoods is a little gem that opened in my neighbourhood last year at 63C Lake Rd.

The other day, Lynda brought out a lovely bushel of new season Williams Bon Chretien pears, aka Bartlett Pears. Well, that's easy - this is Isobel's new food to be introduced this week, along with some kumara (the Kiwi equivalent of a sweet potato).

These pears are sweet & crisp when cut for Isobel to munch on (skin peeled) in her teething feeder, and even sweeter after steaming and a quick puree. These lovely frozen cubes are not just for bubs - pop a couple into your smoothie or warm some to dress your oatmeal on a winter's morning. A year-round delight for the whole family.

Recipe for Pureed Pears:
2 small pears to make 7 cubes or fill 1 row of the tray
6 small pears to make 21 cubes or fill 1 whole tray
-wash and peel pear, slice and remove core
-lightly steam or simmer in a saucepan with 2-3T of boiling water with the lid on until tender
-allow to cool then mash with a fork for older babies or puree smoothly for 6-7 month old babies
-spoon portions into your mumi&bubi premium freezing tray, cover with the lid and freeze

You Say Zucchini...

2010-02-01T20:51:00.009+13:00

...Kiwis say courgettes! These little green wonders are another baby fast food as they steam so quickly. From the chopping board to spooning the fresh green puree into your mumi&bubi premium freezing trays takes less than 15 minutes.

If bubs is sleeping and you set the stove burner to low for a light steam, you might just get a shower in. As a work-at-home Mum of a 3 year old and a 6 month old, I have to take these opportunities as they come along :)

That's the great thing about making your own healthy homemade baby food - you do it while you are doing other things, not instead of. With mumi&bubi, making your own baby food is really easy to fit in to your day or evening. Not only is it best for your baby but it doesn't take up a lot of your precious time which is just as important for busy parents these days.

Recipe for Zucchini/Courgettes:
2 medium courgettes to make 7 cubes or fill 1 row;
6 medium courgettes to make 21 cubes or fill 1 whole tray;
-wash, top and tail the ends, then slice evenly
-lightly steam or place in a saucepan with 2-3T boiling water and simmer gently with lid on until tender
-mash with a fork for older babies or puree smoothly if bubs is 6-7 months old
-allow to cool either before or after spooning puree into your mumi&bubi premium freezing trays before freezing

Nutritional Information for Courgettes:
Courgettes are a good source of protein, Vitamins A and C (which are both immune boosters and potent antioxidants) as well as potassium and calcium.

Sunview Organic Raisins

2010-01-31T21:47:00.005+13:00

I have always been partial to organic raisins. Aside from the obvious reasons that they are not contaminated with any harmful agricultural chemicals or post-harvest preservatives, they look fabulous - all clear, shiny goodness - and they taste great.

These Sunview Organic Raisins are the icing on the raisin cake for me. I have never seen - or eaten - such a perfect raisin in all my life. They are so sweet, yet clean tasting and they have a nice firm bite and don't stick to your teeth like some raisins do.

And they are massive! I just had to show you in the pic, as you can see the biggest one is 2cm long.

This is Max's snack of choice and I keep them on a low shelf in the pantry so he can help himself. He can pour a small portion into a ramekin that live on the same shelf which keeps him busy as only a few of these raisins fits into these tiny ramekins at one time. And this might also explain the munted raisin packaging in the photo!

This makes him feel very independent as he doesn't have to ask me to do it for him. As he just turned the big 03, he prefers to do things "all by himself" these days :) Given the size of these raisins, if he spills some, it is easy for him to put them back in the container.

I am going to test these giant raisins in my favourite oatmeal cookie recipe and let you know how it goes. It's too bloody hot to bake this week so I am hoping for a cool evening to try this recipe soon...

Zucchini Success Tip

2010-01-26T21:27:00.003+13:00

Just a quick post tonight. Have had a busy week already and it's only Tuesday! I was on a business course in the city this morning, Max is down with a virus, it is my Mom's second last day of her 6 week visit from Canada and, as a result, Isobel is a couple of days late being introduced a new food, she hasn't noticed thank goodness.

I haven't cooked that kumara yet and I think it is starting to fester in the pantry. It's growing little limbs. And I had such good intentions to cook it straight away when I bought it last week, or was it 2 weeks ago? Okay maybe not fester, but I had better pick up something fresh to cook tomorrow for Isobel. She is really starting to munch into her freshly frozen baby puree cube supply in the freezer.

The solids update is that Isobel now loves zucchini....as long as it is mixed in with some apple or pear. So if at first you don't succeed with a veggie, don't think too much about it. Try again in a few days, sometimes it takes a few tries of the new taste until they become used to it. I persisted with Isobel every 3 days for over a week to no avail, until I mixed in some fruit.

Thank you to Sarah from Wellington for this helpful tip! Your tips and comments are always welcome - you can also comment using the contact page at www.mumiandbubi.co.nz

Baby Fast Food - banana

2010-01-22T13:55:00.010+13:00

Bananas are the ultimate baby puree fast food. This entire process takes less than 5 minutes. You don't even need electricity or any fancy gadgets, just a simple masher. And the more you mash them, the sweeter they seem to get.

Today Isobel was meant to try a new food but I have been very busy the past couple of days and hadn't cooked anything new for her. There is some kumara in the pantry hopefully not getting too old for tomorrow's baby food batch. Luckily, I had 2 ripe bananas so I was all set.

This spur-of-the-moment banana baby puree was enough for a lunch taster for Isobel and also filled 9 cubes in the tray which will be delicious mixed in with her baby organic rice cereal at dinner.

Recipe for Bananas:
I don't think this qualifies as an actual recipe, but you simply put your bananas into a bowl and mash away until you get a somewhat smooth and runny consistency to the puree. 1 large or 2 small bananas should fill 7 cubes or 1 row; 3-4 large bananas to fill the whole freezing tray. The next time I mash bananas I will take a more scientific approach to my quantities and update this recipe.

Nutritional Information for Bananas:
Bananas are a naturally sweet tropical fruit. They are a good source of fibre, Vitamins A, C, B6 and potassium. They are a great energy food for baby's rapidly growing body.

Introducing Isobel

2010-01-18T22:14:00.009+13:00

Here is the little bunny after having her lunch today - it is a humid summer's day in Auckland. This high chair was unceremoniously vacated by her nearly 3 yr old brother only a week before she started solids. "I'm going to sit in a "big" chair now Mummy" and that was it. Thank goodness too as he had refused to budge for such a long time - I had visions (nightmares!) about having 2 high chairs at the table as he wasn't budging for the last 6 months whenever the subject came up.

After a dismal attempt at tastings of both zucchini and cauliflower for the past 4 days, we reverted back to a carrot/apple medley today from my growing cube supply in the freezer. She loves the apple and doesn't mind the carrot too much.

Today was also the first time I combined food tastes, a little early on as she is not even 6 months old yet. I know I really should keep the tastes separate until she gets to know each one on its own a little better but I suppose this is my attempt to make sure she gets some veggies as she seems to be very partial to the sweet fruits from such a young age!

After one teeny tiny taste of zucchini, her lips were shut tight and she gave me a look of shock and horror as if to say, "don't even try that again". She was more receptive to the cauliflower but would only take a few little spoonfuls and then the tight lips again, this time coupled with a shake of the head.

The courgette was really easy to prepare and steam and cooked surprisingly quickly (maybe only 10 minutes?).

It's All Orange to Me #2

2010-01-13T23:53:00.010+13:00

And here are the carrots, you can see how I got it all mixed up with the pumpkin...or can you? The carrot is clearly a darker and deeper colour of orange!

Of course, this mix-up is unlikely to happen again as all of the cubes are neatly stored in their clearly labeled freezer bags for longer-term storage. Removing the cubes and transferring to a zip-lock bag is good for 2 reasons:

1. It frees up the trays so you can use them to cook and freeze something else, and

2. The food stays fresh for longer.

Note: 1 tray of frozen puree cubes - that's 21 cubes - is about 2 month's supply when bubs is having a cube now and then and about 1 month's supply when they are really eating up a storm and having a couple of these same cubes a few times a week.

Recipe for Pureed Carrots:
For 7 cubes or to fill 1 row of the mumi&bubi BPA-free freezing tray, use 250g or 2 medium carrots.
For 21 cubes or to fill the entire tray, use 750g or 6 medium carrots.
-peel and wash carrots, then dice.
-Lightly steam or gently simmer in a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water until tender. Cover and allow to cool. Mash with a fork for older babies or puree using some of the reserved cooking water with a handheld blender or food processor.
-spoon portions into the premium freezing tray, cover with the lid and freeze.

Nutritional Information for Carrots:
Carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A and are good for your baby's eyesight and skin. One cup of raw carrots has only 52 calories and is a good source of insoluble fibre.

It's All Orange to Me

2010-01-13T23:02:00.014+13:00

Okay, so I have to remember to feed Isobel her solids today - twice. This is not something I thought that I would ever have to write down, but it has come to this.

She had pumpkin for the second day in a row at lunch today and had about half a cube by default. By "default" I mean that most of what I put in came right out again and we continued until she had about half a cube. She really delighted in playing this game!

This is one part of parenthood that before I had kids I thought I would find really tedious. But now that I am here, with 2 kids, there is nothing that I would rather be doing than playing this pumpkin game with Isobel as it means that I am not posting invoices or organising shipping from one of my suppliers or stuck in traffic or watching that pile of laundry get even bigger. Right now at this moment in time is just for Isobel and me to enjoy together, it is very precious.

At least I thought it was pumpkin....yesterday I steamed about 750g of organic pumpkin and after I pureed and spooned it into my mumi&bubi BPA-free freezing trays, I thought I might as well steam those organic carrots that were in the fridge while I was at it. Food should be cooked as fresh as possible after all, and not be left to fester for too long in the fridge. So, overnight in my freezer, I had 1 tray of pumpkin and 1 tray of carrots. I wouldn't recommend anyone to freeze to trays of what looks like near-identical food unless you have a really good memory, or keep good notes!

After licking some of this "defaulted pumpkin" off of my arm - I like to think that I am somewhat of a lady, the kind of person who would never lick food off of their own arm, but having babies changes this perception into a whole new reality - I was surprised to find that this pumpkin actually tasted more like mild, sweet carrot!

So, Isobel had pumpkin and carrot on alternating days, and she seems just fine with this. As for me, I will try keep my food colours separate on my baby food cooking days. Tomorrow: Zucchini and Cauliflower...

Recipe for Pumpkin:
Butternut Pumpkin, 250g to make 7 cubes or 750g to fill 21 cubes or 1 whole freezing tray.
Preparation:
-peel pumpkin and cut into cubes or small pieces.
-lightly steam or gently simmer in a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water. Cover and allow to cool. Mash with a fork for older babies or puree using a handheld blender or food processor.
-place portions into your mumi&bubi premium freezing tray, cover with the lid and freeze.

Nutritional Information for Pumpkin:
The orange colour signifies that it is high in beta-carotene and is good for your baby's eyes and skin. It is also good for the immune system and helps to keep you healthy during cold & flu season. 1 cup of pumpkin contains only 30 calories and is a good source of potassium.
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Disaster #1?

2010-01-11T23:03:00.015+13:00

Here are my lovely apple cubes freshly frozen in my mumi&bubi BPA-free freezing tray, with one ready to be introduced at lunchtime. I got some delicious Pacific Rose apples from IE Produce when I was there for my rice cereal mission. 3 large sized apples filled the tray with only a bite to spare.

If you have a baby starting solids soon, or already on solid food, making your own baby food is a lot easier than you might think. For this apple recipe, simply wash, peel and core each apple and cut into similar size pieces. I lightly steamed these apples using my stainless steel steamer inside of a pot with a little bit of water on the bottom, steaming is ideal for retaining all of the nutritional goodness. You could also simmer the apples until tender. Whichever way you choose, be sure to save the water and use that when pureeing for a good liquid-y consistency.

I follow the solids theory that you should start a new food at lunchtime, have the same new food for 2-3 days or so, then move on. With all of the fruits and veg on offer, there is a lot to get through! From now on, she will have her rice cereal at dinnertime mixed with a fruit or veg that she has had previously on its own at lunchtime.

Isobel loved her apple puree after her bottle at lunch, she had nearly a whole cube which is about 2Tbsp. Enter Disaster #1 that evening.

Dinner that night was hectic to say the least: Both "Nana" and "Grammy from Canada" were at dinner, Max was buzzing around as it was his first day back at daycare after the Christmas holiday so he was dual-ly excited about seeing his friends again and having both nanas over at the same time, and I had 2 glasses of wine. Now, I hardly ever drink, let alone on a weekday so I was pretty relaxed and enjoying the moment with my family.

The sun was shining as it was setting, we were out on the deck, it was a lovely summer evening. Isobel was very content as I kissed her goodnight and put her to bed after her bottle....without her solids. Oh my goodness, only 3 days onto this and I forgot to feed my baby girl her dinner solids!

OMG - what kind of mother am I??? This kind of thing never happens with first babies. At this rate, if I have a 3rd baby, it will hardly get fed at all. Not that she missed it, but let me tell you, I'll be missing my sleep when I have to get up at 5am to feed her because she is hungry...

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.

Baby Organic Rice Cereal

2010-01-10T17:17:00.004+13:00

I really should have taken a pic of the box of cereal before I emptied the contents into my stainless steel container! But I do love how I saved the label and instructions with my lime green Happy Tape.

When Max started solids 2.5 years ago, there was only 1 choice for baby rice cereal on the shelves at IE Produce, our local organic store: Earth's Best Organic Wholegrain Baby Rice Cereal. When I popped in there last week to pick up a box for Isobel, I was impressed by the offerings. There had to be at least 6 different brands and many varieties from each company. The selection was a bit overwhelming so I did the boring thing and went with what I knew. I prefer to keep things simple.

A couple of days ago, Isobel started on her first ever solids with baby organic rice cereal. On the first day, she had a taste of the cereal and seemed to really love the new experience. In all, she polished off about 1 tsp of cereal mixed with 3-4 tsp of formula. The second day, she had a whole tablespoon with 3-4 Tbsp of formula. This was all going too well. Could this good eating continue???

Meeting the mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit'

2010-01-07T22:36:00.001+13:00

I did it for my son Max who will be 3 soon and, as a result of experiencing real food right from the start, is not a fussy eater at all.

I was determined to make all of Max's baby food from scratch: first-time Mum, not working, it was only natural to me. But after a couple of weeks of cooking, pureeing and freezing in my little ice cube trays, it became a real chore. The novelty had totally worn off and I asked my friends at coffee group for some tips to keep me going.

My friend Sonya said she had just the thing and produced from her cupboard the most stylish and modern ice cube tray I had ever seen. Of course, it wasn't an ice cube tray at all - it was a premium, BPA-free freezing tray designed specifically for freezing big batches of homemade baby food. Where did this come from??? It was called the mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit' and came with 2 trays with lids and a step-by-step guide. I had to have one. I could now resume my super-mum ways and continue to make all of my son's baby food, it was so easy with these new trays.

I am proud to say that Max had only healthy homemade baby food, made by me - and sometimes his Dad - until he was about 1 and was ready to eat what we were eating all of the time. The mumi&bubi 'Solids Starter Kit' made this process so simple and easy that not only did I become the NZ distributor for this fabulous baby product, I ended up buying the whole company in 2009 when I was pregnant with my second baby!

Isobel was born in August 2009 and she is now ready to start solids. Oh my how times flies, rolling like a tumbleweed and 2 teeth for ages now. She is big for her age, very active (and I thought Max was busy!) and showing all of the classic signs that she is ready so we have been advised to start her now at 5 months.

So here is the challenge: Can a work-at-home-mum with 2 kids, a husband who works shifts and a business that is actually busy all of a sudden really make all of her own healthy homemade baby food??? Let's find out together...