Love that green!

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

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

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

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

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

Recipe for Cauliflower

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.

Introducing chicken!

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.

Recipe for beetroot puree

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

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

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

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.

Avocado, the ultimate baby fast food

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.

Pears - The Sweetest Thing

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...

...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.

Baby Fast Food - banana

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.

It's All Orange to Me #2

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

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.
-

Disaster #1?

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

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???