Winter Baby Food - Warming Up Recipes

Winter is here, and it's just about time for these comforting recipes that will warm your baby up.



Baked Winter Squash - from everything.com

While most finger foods for baby are steamed rather than baked, winter squash is an exception. These hard-shelled members of the gourd family can be steamed or baked. Since winter squash are usually large, consider what to do with leftovers.

Many older children will prefer baked squash (which can be topped with sugar and cinnamon) to the steamed variety, which will be milder in flavor.

2 Servings
1/4 medium winter squash
2 cups water

1. Wash the squash thoroughly. Cut it open and scoop out the seeds.
2. Place face-down in a shallow pan of water. Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until squash is tender, but still slightly firm.
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
4. Cut small cubes of squash from the shell, and serve to baby as finger food.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup - from wholesomebabyfood.com

Here is a yummy cauliflower soup recipe suitable for the whole family.

2 tbs butter
1 large onion
2 large potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups natural chicken broth
1 head cauliflower – chopped
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Melt the butter in a large pot. Stir in the onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Stir in the potatoes and carrots and cook for 10 minutes.

Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil then stir in cauliflower. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Puree in batches in a blender or food processor, or in the pot using an immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat through. Serve garnished with parsley.

Baby Christmas Dinner - from New Mummy's Tips

150g minced turkey
½ tsp olive oil
¼ onion – diced
1 small carrot – diced
1 small potato – peeled & diced
½ stick celery – thinly sliced
¼ small swede – peeled & diced
1 tbsp frozen peas
250ml stock made from Boots Baby Organic Chicken Stock Cubes (£1.49 for a six pack)

Brown the turkey. Drain off any liquid and put to one side
Sauté onion in oil
Add carrot, potato, celery and swede, sweat for about 10 minutes
Add stock and peas
Simmer until vegetables are tender
Blend to desired texture

Makes approximately two – three servings.

Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Fertnig

Super Yummy Smoothies for Your Baby

Burst of Vitamins - Our Favorite Smoothie

1 banana
1 apple
1 orange (it's usually recommended to start with citrus fruit after the 1st year)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
dash of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in blender, mix until smooth and serve.



Autumn Smoothie - from wholesomebabyfood.com

1/2 cup plain, vanilla or banana yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of ginger
1 frozen banana

Combine all ingredients together in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Serves one grown-up and one baby.

Winter Smoothie - from wholesomebabyfood.com

1/2 cup plain, vanilla or banana yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
dash of cinnamon
1 frozen banana

Combine everything in a blender.
Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves one grown-up and one baby.

Baby's First Birthday Healthy Cake Ideas

Pumpkin's birthday is approaching but the Big Birthday Cake Question is still open. I did some research and want to share with you a few "more healthy than others" baby cakes recipes that I liked.

Which one do you prefer?

Pumpkin Apple Harvest Cake - from Green Parenting
By Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen: Magical Cooking for All Seasons

Ingredients

1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare an 8-inch round cake pan by greasing and flouring it.
2. Combine pumpkin, eggs, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, and salt, stirring to combine. Add apples and nuts, stirring again. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Cool the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove pan, and cool cake completely.
5. When ready to serve, turn cake on to a pretty plate and top with whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar, if desired, or serve plain.

ps. If you make the cake, smooth it out when you put it in the pan as pumkin makes it bake in whatever shape it goes in there with.

Banana Cake - from Green Parenting

Ingredients

2/3 c. banana, mashed
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 lg. eggs
3/4 c. water
2 c. unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
Optional: 1 c. chopped walnuts OR 1/2 c. chopped walnuts & 1/2 c. raisins

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. Beat together mashed banana and soft butter until creamy. Beat in water. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until very foamy. Beat into mixture. Blend in flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until smooth. Stir in walnuts or walnuts and raisins, if desired. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool. Serves 8-10.

Applesauce Spice Cake - from Handprints on the Wall

Ingredients

3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 cups ground almonds (optional)
2 Macintosh apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 inch square baking pan.

Beat the eggs until they drop like ribbons from the beaters. Continue beating and add the oil in a thin stream. Beat in the 1 cup applesauce and the 1 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate then mix in the flour gradually until well blended. Add the baking soda, ground ginger, ground almonds and apples. Fold together until well mixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F about 40 minutes or until the cake tests clean with a knife or toothpick. Cool completely before frosting.

Carrot Cake - from Wholesomebabyfood.com
(Makes 1 double-layer 9-inch square cake; adapted from What to Expect)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate (you may use slightly less)
1 1/2 cups raisins
Vegetable Spray/Shortening
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 Tbsp low sodium baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 9 inch square cake pans with waxed paper and spray the paper with vegetable spray/shortening.

1. Combine the carrots with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the juice concentrate in a medium size saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 mins. Puree in a blender of food processor until smooth.
3. Add the raisins and process until finely chopped. Let mixture cool.
4. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups juice concentrate, the oil, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat just until well mixed. Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 mins. Cool briefly in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting below or sprinkle a wee bit of powdered sugar if desired.

Pear and Apple Puree (Great For Beginners)

Ingredients:

1 ripe pear
1 apple
1 cinnamon stick (introduce your baby to pear WITHOUT cinnamon before including it in this recipe)

Step 1: Peel and core the apple and pear, then cut them into chunks.
Step 2: Place into a saucepan, just cover with water and add the cinnamon stick (if using).
Step 3: Simmer gently until tender, then remove the stick and mash/puree as desired.

Note: You may need to remove the pear before the apple as - depending on its ripeness - it may soften more quickly.

Recipe from: Homemade Baby Food Recipes