Baby Eats: Green Eggs

Levi loves anything with cheese, so in an attempt to let him have his cheese (chuzz) but also round out his diet I end up making green eggs a lot!

It is basically frozen spinach, cheddar cheese and an egg slow cooked into an almost omelet form. This makes it easier for newbie eaters to pick up with their tiny forks.

Coming up next is my favorite way to eat eggs.

Green Eggs
(for one small appetite)
1 handful frozen spinach or 2 handfuls of fresh, chopped spinach
2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated or chopped small
1 egg, beaten

1. In a small frying pan, over medium heat defrost or cook spinach. Add cheese and cook until it begins to melt.
2. Add beaten eggs and slowly swirl ingredients together. Turn down heat and let cook 2 minutes, then flip over and cook another 2 minutes or until egg is completely set.
3. Cool before giving to a small person. Practice saying "HOT!" and blowing on it together.

Got (Fish) Milk?

I bought some whole milk to see if Levi would be interested. I figured as long as I was getting organic milk everything would be okay. Levi had NO interest in the milk. He spit it out multiple times. I hated the idea of milk going to waste so one morning I added it to my coffee.

I spit it out! It was vile!

Then I read the label:

I am all for anchovies and sardines, but I won't touch tilapia with a 10 foot pole in or out of my carton of milk.
Please, no fish in my milk. Ever!
How vile is that?!
So yet another moral to the story, always read your labels!

The Baby Eats and Lemon, Mint, Vanilla Soda Syrup

Zucchini pancakes are yummy!

 Don't worry, I won't go all baby food blog here. There are a million great baby food resource blogs out there. (If you want some of them, just email me.) My little dude has started eating real food and it is a hoot! I knew I was going to love cooking up food for my son, but I had no idea just how fun it would be to watch him eat it!

Me eating blueberry muffins? No, why do you ask?

Just the other day he was enjoying zucchini feta pancakes and an apricot. Other self feeding favorites have been roasted sweet potatoes dusted with cinnamon, whole wheat bread with hummus, and corn meal blue berry muffins. He recently discovered ice cream when I was enjoying a cone of vanilla. You can't eat in front of him without sharing, so he figured out how to lick the cone pretty fast. :)

Eating lamb in front of the lambs. So wrong, but so funny.

 The best though, was when we took him to Sundan Farms for their open farm day. They were grilling up all sorts of delicious lamb. Justin and I were enjoying the lamb chops when we hear a small but demanding voice asking for a taste. Next thing we know we have a baby squealing with joy as he tastes his first meat. He is his father's son. He spent the rest of the visit sucking on the bones. 

One of the best things about being home for the summer is all the family time we are getting. We are trying to all get out for a long walk each day. The other day, while wandering through the ally behind our house I came across a HUGE patch of lemon balm. Lemon balm is basically a mint like weed around here, popping up through our fence, giving us an almost daily chore of ripping it out. But, on this day I decided to take an arm full of fragrant stems home with me. I stopped at my neighbor's garden for a large handful of mint. Once home I simmered them in just enough water to cover the leaves, with some sugar until a dark sweet tea was made.

After tasting it I added a tiny drip of vanilla to round the lemon, mint flavor. Now we have a great syrup to make lemon mint soda with our handy Soda Steam. I also really like it mixed with my strawberry drinking vinegar.

Funny thing, the next day I was reading the Oregonian FoodDay and found a recipe for Lemon Verbena Soda. Great Minds!  :) 

Lemon, Mint, Vanilla Soda Syrup
2 large handfuls of lemon verbena, washed and stems broken into smaller pieces
1 large handful of mint, washed and stems broken into smaller pieces
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
3 drips of vanilla

1. In a large sauce pan add verbena, mint, water and sugar. Simmer 10 minutes or until the water takes on a dark tea like appearance.
2. Strain leaves from tea. Add vanilla.

3. Pour into a pretty bottle. Add a tablespoon or more to a large glass of bubbly water for a refreshing soda.

PS. I want to welcome all my new visitors! I hope you like my little blog and come back again. Please become a follower. :)

Ultimate Granola

I was lucky enough to have a friend bring some homemade granola (and some awesome chili!) over after Levi was born. I don't think I have ever had homemade granola before, or if I had, it was forgettable. That is why I was completely blown away after one handful of my friend's recipe. Crunchy, not too sweet, complex flavors...I ate the whole bag in a few days, opting for yogurt and granola over anything else at meal time.

I asked her for her recipe, which she happily shared.

I have since 3 different batches. I have modified the recipe slightly, I lowered the fat content to make it a little healthier and have experimented with different seeds, nuts and fruits. So far my favorite combo has been pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, apricots, cranberries and raisins. All together. In one happy mix.

Buy the oats in the bulk section to save some money. You can use left overs for oatmeal cookies or oatmeal.

Ultimate Granola
 1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (less if using table salt)
1/2 cup brown sugar OR 1/4 brown sugar and 1/4 cup honey
4 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups of seeds or nuts
1 cup dried fruit
1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat over to 275 degrees
1. In a medium sauce pan combine butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and sugars. Heat until sugar is melted.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, nuts and seeds. Pour the melted butter and sugar mix over the top and stir until the oats are covered.

3. Spread oat/nut/seed mix out over a cookie sheet. Bake 1 hour, stirring once during cooking time. 

4. Meanwhile. Pour juice over dried fruit. Let rest about an hour. 

5. After an hour add juice and fruit mix to granola. Return to oven for another 20 minutes. 

This is a great recipe to double, just use two cookie sheets.

PS. Know any Portland kids looking for a fun summer activity? Check out my kids cooking camp. I have a few spots still open. 

Roasted Carrots

Three words about roasting carrots:
JUST DO EEET!

Even though I am obsessed with roasting all manner of vegetables I have never roasted carrots. All that changed Monday night. I had a bunch of sweet, new carrots.

I sliced them lengthwise (so pretty), laid them on a baking pan cut side down, with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Roasted at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (or as long as it takes to give a baby a bath in the kitchen sink) until they were slightly browned on the cut side.

Then I sprinkled the carrots with lemon juice, salt and a little parsley.

Delicious, cheap and fast. And tasted great hot or cold.

Wheatberry Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

 Photo by Amy Wing

I have been trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our weekly food plan. It is difficult to find meals that satisfy Justin's need for hardy meals (aka: MEAT) while keeping us on budget and healthy. Happily, a friend introduced me to wheatberries. These are a cheap, chewy and delicious grain that mixes well with other ingredients.

This recipe is a ripped off from my dear friend. She made it for dinner and I grilled her on the ingredients. She is the type of cook that can just toss this and that into a bowl and end up with something delicious! I have tried to break it down into measurements, but feel free to play fast and loose.

 

  Photo by Amy Wing

A little about wheatberries: Wheatberries are the entire wheat, including the bran, endosperm and germ. They are also very high in fiber and protein.

To Cook Wheatberries
You do not need to soak the kernels overnight. Just add a cup or two to a large sauce pan. Cover with water, cover pot, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer for about one hour. I suggest making twice as much as you need and freezing half. That way you can whip up the salad at a moments notice.

These photos were taken by my friend Amy Wing. Aren't they lovely?
Have you been incorporating interesting grains into your diet? What do you think? Found any great ones? I have some spelt to try as well. Any recipe suggestions?

  Photo by Amy Wing

Wheatberry Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries
2 cups cooked wheatberries
2 cups cubed and cooked butternut squash
1/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/2 cup light vinaigrette (I would suggest my jam dressing to bring out the sweetness in the squash and cranberries. I used a pear ginger jam.)

1. Toss all ingredients together. Add dressing. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

This salad improves with a little rest. It would be an excellent New Mama food!

Photo by Amy Wing

Roasted Cauliflower with a Parsley Vinaigrette

I am a die hard fan of roasted cauliflower. It is in regular rotation in the kitchen, but I had to admit I was getting a little bored with the same flavor combination. Luckily, inspiration came when being treated to dinner by a family member at Ken's Artistian Pizza. We had roasted cauliflower tossed with a parsley vinaigrette. I started trying to duplicate it immediately - the sweet cauliflower, with the bite of vinegar and garlic and the smooth parsley made a perfect taste sensation.

This is really easy to make and is equally delicious hot, cold, or room temperature. To make it even easier the cauliflower can be hot or cold when tossed with the dressing. So add it to the list of great salads to make during the afternoon nap!

Roasted Cauliflower with Parsley Vinaigrette
1 or 2 heads of cauliflower, sliced into bite sized chunks
3 Tablespoons, olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
1 clove of garlic, smooshed
1 large handful of parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oven to 350 degrees
1. To roast cauliflower, spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a baking sheet. Toss cut up cauliflower on to sheet to coat lightly with oil. Roast in oven for 20 - 30 minutes until lightly browned.
2. While cauliflower is roasting, in a small bowl whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Toss roasted cauliflower with vinaigrette.

Feeding a New Mama (and her family)

 (I find this image from the internet really amusing)

I have been researching freezer foods and ideas to help out a new mom and her family survive the first little while. I began the research not for me, but to begin planning to help out my pregnant friends. So far no babies have arrived yet, but we are all huge and slow and eagerly awaiting the arrival their arrivals.

I have been SO lucky because even before my baby has arrived my mom and sister-in-law have been taking care of us. My hubby has been home sick for a week and I am about as slow as molasses, but we are surviving because my mom has been bringing food and helping grocery shop and my SIL has been helping us around the house. I am SO thankful!! xoxox

Shortly after I posted my query for ideas Deb at Smitten Kitchen began a Freezer Friendly section. All of the recipes are fabulous for making ahead. Also, if you have a baby already, be sure to check out her baby food section, and the pictures of her utterly adorable son... oh those curls!

Jessika, from Life is Good, suggests stocking the freezer with homemade (or store bought) ravioli. Just make sure you bring some sauce along for the new mom too. She also had a terrific idea of freezing burritos filled with meat, beans, cheese, etc. Then all a new mom needs to do is heat up a ready made meal.

Joseph, from Joseph's Grainery,suggested Lentil & Brown Rice Burritos and a delicious looking Tortilla soup!

I loved Henna73's ideas of bring unbaked pies to a new mom. Nothing makes a house feel homier then the smell of a pie in the oven! She also suggests homemade energy bars, meatballs and sauce, unbaked, but prepared garlic bread and any hardy soup.

The always lovely Jacquelyn suggested stuffed shells, pastas, and pork enchiladas.
Thank you everyone for sharing these ideas!


Additional food suggestions to bring to a family with a new baby :
bagels/ cream cheese/ veggies/lox
ready made sandwiches
roasted veggies that are good hot or cold
hummus and cut up veggies
veggie risotto
healthy soups they can drink from a mug
sweet or savory muffins, scones, bisquits
sliced bagette, meats, sliced nice cheeses, pickles
Ready made salads with a bottle of dressing
Roasted chicken and potatoes
milk, oj and a few rolls of toilet paper

A lot of blogs I have read say that it is best to either just drop stuff off, or come in but don't really demand chatting.
Other ideas
Fix a plate of food for the mom and then clean up the kitchen.
Empty all the garbage bins on the house
Do a load of laundry (keeping in mind baby stuff has to be on hot with the special baby soap)
Sweep
Take out recycling
Clean the bathroom

I know this seems weird coming from a preggo lady and I hope know I am lucky enough to have family around to help me out, but I hope readers keep some of these ideas in mind for friends living far from family.

Any other advise or ideas?