Ella's happy food face
As Ella nears her first birthday I realize she eats better than most people 10, 20, even 30 times her age. Tonight for dinner she had potatoes mashed with mache and egg yolk, with chunks of fresh pear on the side. The pear was so ripe and juicy that it didn't need any cooking, even though she has roughly 3 millimeters of tooth to eat it with! I know in a way I'm lucky that she likes food. That she was born with an adventurous palate. But I also feel like it can't all be luck. It must matter that I ate varieties of whole foods while I was pregnant. The fact that I make her food can't hurt either. Seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables taste so much better than jarred mush that she can't help but start her culinary life happy. I've found a few combinations that are staples for her and for us on those days when cooking from scratch sometimes seems impossible:
--The mashed potatoes with egg yolks are great tasting and you can add cheese and/or any pureed vegetable you want. I usually make enough to last for 3 days.
--Baby Christmas Pudding (my baby-friendly take on an Australian speciality) which includes prunes, dried apricots, and raisins stewed with a vanilla bean, then pureed and mixed with cinnamon and cardamon. This is not only delicious, it's packed with nutrients, keeps babies regular, and mixes well with yogurt and fruit purees or can be spread on toast.
--Ground turkey or chicken breast cooked with cumin and turmeric. This not only tastes fantastic (seriously I have to keep it away from Chris), it is full of protein and the naturally healing properties of turmeric.
I could go on for ages, but there's a good start. Don't be afraid to try some of these ideas and to add new twists. They take no time at all and are well worth the effort. The only thing Ella won't eat so far is avocado, and trust me, I'll keep trying! Dig in!
--The mashed potatoes with egg yolks are great tasting and you can add cheese and/or any pureed vegetable you want. I usually make enough to last for 3 days.
--Baby Christmas Pudding (my baby-friendly take on an Australian speciality) which includes prunes, dried apricots, and raisins stewed with a vanilla bean, then pureed and mixed with cinnamon and cardamon. This is not only delicious, it's packed with nutrients, keeps babies regular, and mixes well with yogurt and fruit purees or can be spread on toast.
--Ground turkey or chicken breast cooked with cumin and turmeric. This not only tastes fantastic (seriously I have to keep it away from Chris), it is full of protein and the naturally healing properties of turmeric.
I could go on for ages, but there's a good start. Don't be afraid to try some of these ideas and to add new twists. They take no time at all and are well worth the effort. The only thing Ella won't eat so far is avocado, and trust me, I'll keep trying! Dig in!
Ella's not-so-happy avocado face. hee hee.
1 comment:
I've tried the mashed potatoes and egg yolk--the girls loved it and it was easy to make. I'm off to try the baby Christmas pudding recipe--thanks for the tip!
Love the blog!
Jen
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