Kannon loved this week's food exploration. He discovered mangoes, his new favorite treat and the wonders of spices. We were able to turn those carrot frowns upside down with the simple addition of a few spices and reward all his chomping with some yummy frozen mango.
Mangoes::
Peel and dice mangoes and gently steam for a few minutes just to soften the fruit. Puree and freeze in ice cube trays.
Kannon LOVED mangoes. He slurps them right down and wiggles his hands and feet with excitement. I can see why--they are sweet, tangy, and have a pudding like texture. I will admit I bought 2 mangoes for Kannon but 1 disappeared into my breakfast :)
We mixed mangoes with everything in site. Carrots, strawberries, sweet potatoes, butternut squash all found themselves companions with mangoes. These combinations must have been tasty, because Kannon fought us tooth and nail when we tried to give him just sweet potatoes or just apples. He is under the mango spell, so I am off to the store first thing to replenish our mango stash.
Spices::
Spices don't appear nearly often enough in baby food. All around the world, babies are being introduced to cinnamon, curry, ginger, cloves, turmeric and more. Yet our baby food stays rather bland. We discovered the world of spices and began adding little bits to highlight already delicious food.
This week Kannon got a taste of::
Carrots with Curry Powder
Carrots with Turmeric
Apples with Cinnamon
Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon
Butternut Squash with Cinnamon
I think the spices caught him by surprise. I gave him a bowl of carrots and he hesitated at first, took a bite, and was excited for the next round. His carrot rejection disappeared! In a few months, baby food will be easier as Kannon grows to eat more like Dale and I do. The opportunities are limitless...garlic, herbs, bring it on!
Finger Foods::
Steamed apple rings--core and slice an apple in rings, steam until soft, and freeze for later use
Rye Bread
Strawberry--cut into very small pieces
Next Week Preview::
Asparagus--already made and ready for eating!!!
Lentils
Parsnip
Every so often I find myself staring at already made baby food in the the store. Sometimes my week is busy, or I want to try something without making a huge batch. Our selection of organic or locally grown produce is scarce and I am tempted to buy the 89 cent jars. Every time, I walk away and reach for fresh or even frozen produce instead. The truth is, making baby food is really easy. We don't eat TV dinners or processed food so why should Kannon eat out of a jar? The food I make for him is already food I am making for us---I just puree it, so why spend the 89 cents?
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