Sunday, September 30, 2012

Homemade Finger Food



Now that our little sweet pea insists of feeding herself, we've been experimenting with different combinations of finger foods.  We have done all kinds of whole fruits and vegetables, cheese sticks, and crackers.  Now it's time to transition into more adult foods and flavors.  This recipe is healthy, tasty, and combines lean protein with vegetables.  (Remember to introduce foods individually to your baby to check for any allergies.)

photo.JPGIngredients:
- 2 T olive oil
- 1c shredded carrots
- 1c frozen peas
- 1c lentils (I like the tiny orange lentils)
- Seasonings of your choice (I use 1T McCormick Grill Mates, Monterrey Chicken seasoning mix)
-  2c water
- 1 egg
- 1/4c breadcrumbs + 1/4c whole milk


Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.  Add the carrots and peas, and saute until just starting to soften.
- Add lentils, water, and seasonings, and stir.  Cover and simmer until lentils are just cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, and whisk together.
- When the breadcrumbs have absorbed the milk, whisk in the egg.
- After the lentils are cooked, pulse with an immersion blender, pulse a couple of times to desired smoothness.
- When the lentil mixture has cooled slightly, add the egg mixture.  Stir. to combine.
- Spoon mixture into a mini muffin tin.  Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until set.
- Cool and serve!


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Reading Time

Best books for under-one-year-olds:
- Where's Spot (once babies start figuring out how to look under the flaps, it's great fun)
- Moo, Baa, La La La, Sandra Burton (fun for everyone, and has silly sounds for little ears)
- Goodnight Moon (there's a reason it's a classic!)
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book (it has little holes for tiny fingers)
- Pat the Bunny (our little Bug has completely torn hers apart, but it's only because she loves it!)


My dear friend Elle over at www.elle-mental.blogspot.com made this beautiful quilt for us out of the fabric I picked for the nursery.  A quick pillow cover and a cheap pillow insert from Joanne's completes our reading spot.  It is cozy for us to curl up on the quilt and read a few of our favorite books.