Mish+Mash Homemade

Where have we been?

2011-05-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Nicole and I realize the blog has been "on hold", and we're sorry if you've checked and wondered why we're MIA. A new baby for my family, along with a house move for Nicole while she still teaches our classes and is a busy mommy, have kind of slowed things down in the blogging department.

If you do follow our blog, and find it useful, please let us know what you'd like to see, and give us feedback so that we can decide what we add to it in our little bits of free time.

In the meantime, please check www.stirtolearn.com for Mish Mash classes while we regather our rhythm. There are plenty of great summer options to choose from!

The Up & Coming

2011-03-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

We have some great classes coming up at Stir over the next two months. We have switched up our menus to focus more on food the whole family and your little ones can all enjoy. We'd love to see the end of mom as short order cook making separate meals for everyone and instead finding recipes that perhaps will please everyone. No guarantees but at least we can try right?

March 15th - Finger Foodies (12 months and beyond) "Cooking for Kids Made Easy" From ways to keep your kids occupied and involved while you cook to finding meals that are quick to prepare and super yummy!

April 5th - Finger Foodies (12 months and beyond) "A little Italy" classic and creative family friendly Italian dishes!

April 19th - Chunky Monkeys (9 to 14 months) "Comfort Foods for Little Foodies" we'll put a spin on everyday comfort foods that the rest of the family can enjoy as well.

May 3rd - The Art of the Party (all ages) - Gourmet Sliders, Fries, and Whoopie Pies as well as adult and kid friendly cocktails will be prepared and mixed! Great way to get some inspiration for those summer backyard get togethers!

You can register for all our classes on www.stirtolearn.com!

Meet N Mingle!

2011-03-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

We are co-hosting a great event on March 22nd with Real Baby Denver - Meet n Mingle Happy Hour at Stir Cooking School! It's a way for local kid & family focused businesses, leaders of mom's groups, and fellow family bloggers to get together and share ideas, thoughts, marketing strategies etc.. If you or someone you know owns a business, runs a mom's group, or is a blogger/writer/media person and would like to come shoot me an email at nicole@mishmashhomemade.com and I will forward you the Evite!

Art of the Kid-Friendly Party

2011-02-15T11:52:00.001-08:00

Saturday will mark a new class topic for us, and we're so excited about it. This is a mom's night out or parents of kids of all ages. The menu will be focused around easy, fun, delicious food to serve at parties so that both the kids and adults will be wowed!

On the menu are 3 different gourmet sliders with accompanying dips, oven-roasted french fries of different types, and whoopie pies. Plus, we'll have an adult and kiddie version of a cocktail for you to sip on. Come on! You know you want to join us!

Sign up today here!

Snow Days

2011-02-08T13:58:00.001-08:00

This last week has had us staying inside, and we're feeling a bit housebound. We even had to cancel our Finger Foodies class for tonight because of the subzero temps predicted tonight along with the 6 inches of snow we got overnight. The good news though: We have rescheduled for the 15th of March, so if you were disappointed to miss this one, you have a second chance to enroll now!

I think we all get antsy when the weather gets like this. I thought I'd share a few ideas to keep you sane (or get you thinking of ways to stay sane) with your little one during the snow.

1. Make a kid-friendly recipe with your little tyke, like this fabulous new favorite for Cherry Granola Bars. These really work; no falling apart, I promise. They're fairly low in sugar, and you can play with ingredients to toss in some of those hidden yummies your toddler may not usually get. If you're feeling crafty or want to send them to school as a snack for your kiddo's preschool or whatever, wrap them in wax paper for a nice touch. Pics of wrapping below are from a recent bday party. They're nut-free, so no worries about allergies. Yum!

My favorite part of this recipe is that a toddler can stir the dry ingredients and help press the bars into the pan.

2. Make Valentines, and give your child a major part of the project. Gluing or coloring hearts are simple jobs that a toddler can get pretty caught up in. We just used some buttons, old scrapping paper, and glue and scissors. Hey, it's not necessarily "Mish+Mashy", but I figured I'd share! Anything to get a toddler occupied without being outside. ;)

Our Next Class!

2011-02-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

Our next class is going to be a really fun one for those of you with kids 12 months & up. It's called "Cooking for Kids Made Easy" and we will be giving you lots of great tips on how to involve your child in meal prep as well as great ways to keep them entertained while you are trying to get dinner made. I believe anyone with a toddler can relate to that one! Like all our class menus it is extremely family friendly so it's not just for your toddler to enjoy.

Finger Foodies: "Cooking for Kids Made Easy" February 8th @ 6:30pm

- Apple Amaranth Pancakes

- Wild Rice & Citrus Salad

- Homemade Granola Bars

- Lemony Chicken Fajitas w/ Roasted Veggies & Avocado Relish

You can register via http://www.stirtolearn.com/ OR http://www.mishmashhomemade.com/

Snow Day Craft Ideas!

2011-02-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how quickly you can run out of things to do with kids when its just too cold to go outside. I thought I had a well laid plan of painting, baking cookies, and building a fort that would eat up the majority of the morning before it was time for a nap - but at 9:30am I realized I had crossed most of the activities off our list and still had 3 1/2 hrs left! So I got on one of my favorite craft sites The Crafty Crow to find some inspiration. I decided the next time I have a free day to shop without a toddler I am going to Michaels and creating a couple of craft boxes that I can pull out in a pinch that way I won't be scrambling for ideas at the last minute. One of the projects I can't wait to try is the rainbow house village from Frugal Family Fun - the best part is once the project is complete they can spend a whole afternoon playing with it. And it is just so cute and adorable I won't even wait to the next snow day to try it out! How do you entertain your kids when your stuck inside all day?

Super Steal of a Mish+Mash Deal!

2011-02-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to be a featured deal on Daily Deals for Denver Moms today! All Mish+Mash classes at Stir Cooking School are $30! To take advantage simply click the link above - we will contact you once the deal has ended to get your registered for an upcoming class. The deal is good for 6 months so you have plenty of time to choose! Tell your friends - great idea for a baby shower gift!!

Yummy Birthday Bruschetta

2011-02-01T06:24:00.000-08:00

A's birthday was this weekend, and like Nicole, I had a lot of fun planning out some of the snacks we would serve at the party. I wanted to share one recipe that is a favorite over here, and I love it because it's filled with all sorts of nutritious goodies plus some yummy goat cheese- a perfect comforting appetizer on these cold winter days. Being 29 weeks pregnant, and hungry every few hours, yesterday I noshed on the leftovers of this recipe and still felt good about the fiber, veggies, and yes, the fabulous cheese and bread. We just threw the cheese in with the bruschetta, but you can spread it separately. Yum! Hopefully your toddler gives it a shot, too!

Bruschetta with White Beans and Tomatoes

I'll also share more of our birthday party successes with you as the days go on- these recipes can be used not only for parties but every day.

Teething Soothers

2011-01-31T21:42:00.001-08:00

Mom's are alway looking for creative ways to soothe the teething pain and calm a fussy baby or toddler. One thing I always give Sofia is homemade popsicles. She can hold them on the tooth or gum herself and they taste good. Here is a simple recipe:

Frozen Yogurt and Fruit Popsicle

1 cup organic plain whole milk yogurt
1 organic banana
1 organic peach (fresh or frozen depending on time of year)

Puree fruits together in Cuisinart, add yogurt and blend together well.
Pour mixture into popsicle containers and freeze. If you don't have popsicle molds you can simply use small paper dixie cups or ice cube trays and popsicle sticks.

Some other great ideas:

1. Frozen Dried Apricots (depending on child's age) are great for them to suck on

2. Frozen Fruit like bananas or peach slices - again depending on a child's age

3. If your child uses a pacifier stick it in the freezer for a little while - not long enough to freeze completely.

4. Super soft frozen washcloth

5. Frozen Raspberries - this is one of Sofia's favorites.

How to Make a Kids Day!

2011-01-31T21:33:00.000-08:00

I was doing some food blog research over the weekend - I am a self confessed blog addict especially food & design blogs - when I came across an adorable site & blog called Funky Lunch out of the UK. They are all about the most adorable sandwiches you have ever seen. They go into schools and get kids to create these little pieces of sandwich art while teaching them the importance of eating healthy. Sofia would have no problem devouring this Hello Kitty sandwich. I love the inspiration and the idea of getting kids involved in their food choices!

Time to Build a Little Independence

2011-01-25T13:01:00.001-08:00

Its hard to believe that time can really move as quickly as it does when you have a child. They go from newborn to toddler in what seems like a blink of an eye. One minute you are breastfeeding at 3 am and the next minute your 9 month old begins to grab for the spoon and will no longer let you feed her. Some kids learn how to use utensils and feed themselves without much help at all while others are reluctant to try at all. As parents we want them to learn to become independent yet don't always know how or when. From 9 months to 12 months babies grow into toddlers emotionally, physically, and developmentally they are all over the place and its difficult to sometimes keep up and amazing to see how quickly they seem to change overnight. It's the time when you are transitioning them from baby food to toddler food and allowing them a little freedom when it comes to trying to feed themselves. Our next Chunky Monkey class is all about helping your kiddo find their own feeding time freedom by helping you create recipes that are just perfect for amateur utensil users as well as little fingers to grasp on to. You will leave with lots of information and tips as well as a supply of samples to take home to your own Chunky Monkey! Simply go to Stir Cooking School to sign up!

Eating Well on an Itty Bitty Budget

2011-01-21T06:48:00.001-08:00

Did you see? Our own Nicole Dominic was featured in this month's Northwest Daily Tribune. She wrote about feeding your family well on a limited budget.

Check out her article here! Way to go, Nicole.

Eating Meat, Part II

2011-01-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

Nicole is so right in her post about getting your little ones to eat meat; soup is a fabulous way to get it in. Another technique I've used lately, especially with the cold weather: Whenever I make chicken or fish, I make a point to make a yummy sauce along with it, and a side that the meat can easily be mixed into so that A. can either dip or stir the whole plate together. It works like a charm, and the grownup meal still tastes gourmet and yummy (and looks pretty too). You could easily cut the chicken very small and mix it in with the sauce for younger babies, too.

An old favorite I'd like to share is this Wolfgang Puck recipe for Paprika Chicken. Sound difficult? It isn't. Just chop the veggies ahead of time, use jarred roasted red peppers instead of roasting them yourself, and premeasure everything ahead of cooking. If you don't want to make dumplings, just make mashed potatoes or rice as a side, and you've got a meal worthy of your toddler and your single professional friend who comes over for a visit (just like mine did Saturday night!). Enjoy!

Whats Cooking at Stir!

2011-01-19T21:02:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to partake in a wonderful cooking class at Stir Cooking School on Saturday morning called Crepes and Souffles! It was honestly the best class I've every taken, incredibly well organized, super fun, and very educational! I was so inspired I made my family Crepes for dinner the next night. This made me realize while we are always talking up our classes at Stir we have never mentioned what makes this beautiful little piece of culinary heaven so very special besides the owner who is really the heart and soul of the whole operation. Unlike other recreational cooking schools in Denver, Stir really has a class for EVERYONE and I mean everyone. From their Sticky Fingers classes for kids and teens, to their Friday night date night classes, fabulous mixology classes, family friendly cooking classes, and their beginning cooking series just to mention a few - there is honestly something that can inspire any cook of any age and any skill level. I am already looking forward to my next one and the only issue I have is trying to decide between them all!! Oh and the bar, did I mention the bar - you can relax with a glass of wine and watch the cooking classes going on behind the glass partitions. Yeah its really the coolest new spot in town!

Getting Kids to Eat Meat

2011-01-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

One question I get over and over again is how do you get kids to eat meat? First, this was a challenge I have faced with my own daughter. She has never ever eaten red meat - it's totally gross according to her refined 2 year old palate and honestly I am totally okay with that. She does eat turkey and chicken on occasion as well as Salmon. When it comes to protein and iron I really on things like veggies, grains, legumes, beans, etc.. Again, I'm totally okay with that. There was a time she wouldn't eat chicken or turkey either until I found out how to prepare it the way she likes it. Chicken Scallopine with salt and pepper, turkey sandwiches on thin whole grain bread with cheese and a little mayo, and salmon with honey and mustard. Basically the way I would eat it with seasoning and not dry and overcooked. Her new thing is soup she loves soup and I found this recipe the other day that I tried this week and she loved it. I bought a roasted chicken from Costco and shredded it so the pieces where easy for her to get onto her spoon. We all loved this recipe! So if you are having trouble getting your kiddo to eat meat, first step is to let it go and give them plenty of iron and protein rich foods from other sources, second change up how you give it to them one bite at a time with lots of flavor and moist never dry, and if nothing works don't worry simply fill their bellies full of a healthy vegetarian based diet. Just keep presenting it to them allowing them to try new foods from your plate and keep it light and fun. Praise them for tasting even if they spit it out - getting them to try it is just as big of a win as them actually scarfing it down!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cups water
14 ounce can chicken broth (or 1 1/2 c water and two bouillon cubes)
29 ounce can crushed tomatoes
11 ounce can enchilada sauce
4 ounce can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (can use more if you like)
2 cups frozen corn (or 2 cans corn, drained)
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 six inch corn tortillas
Toppings: cheese, sour cream, etc for toppings

Dump everything except toppings and corn tortillas in a large pot. Place over medium to medium high heat and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer thirty minutes.
Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut each tortilla into thin strips. Place in soup and cook ten minutes more before serving.

Serve soup with desired toppings such as plain Greek Yogurt, and cheese.

recipe courtesy of www.fullbellies.blogspot.com.

Pureed Goodness at Stir!

2011-01-17T17:44:00.001-08:00

It's that time again: We're offering the ever-popular Pureed Goodness class, except this time it will take place at Stir Cooking School this Saturday from 4-5:30. This class is intended for folks who are beginning to make their own solid baby food for their little ones. Not only will participants leave with samples of purees for their little ones to try, they'll more importantly have the know-how to keep making homemade baby food, and it's faster and easier than most people think! We'll give you tips to make it efficient, inexpensive, and fun.

We would love to be able to fill this class up, so please sign up soon or contact us at info@mishmashhomemade.com to receive a special discount code if you sign up by this Thursday! Also included in the class is a super-fun Mish Mash bib, either with our logo or a "Super Tryer" logo. We promise you'll leave inspired to make your own baby food from now on.

Teach Kids to Play with Their Food

2011-01-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

I just discovered a fantastic new company through my favorite blog Ohdeedoh today. It's called Food Fun and they have developed super cute games to help teach your kids the importance of eating healthy. By learning where their food comes from, what foods are good for them and why you can put your kids on the path to a healthy lifestyle right from the start. This is a great way to engage a picky eater into getting to know those icky green veggies by having fun with their fruits and vegetables. The company was started by moms who are interested in spreading the word on the importance of introducing wholesome food to your child right from the get go. If you'd like to be involved in their mission you can join their Mom Squad and help to get the word out in your community.

Let Them Eat Cake - Party Recap!

2011-01-11T21:27:00.001-08:00

The birthday was a success. She was super happy to see all her friends in one place and didn't stop singing happy birthday to herself for two days afterwards. The singing was most definitely her favorite part ...... oh yeah and the big bouquet of balloons she was left with when the party was over.

I love putting together all the details. I put a lot of thought into how I could make it special for her and how to have it really represent her awesome little personality. So I picked things she loves like polka dots,buttons, and her favorite colors pinks and blues. The goody bags included little dinosaurs for the boys, fun little rings for the girls, stickers, organic sugar-free lollipops (best lollipop ever), and super fun sunglasses. All things Sofia would have picked out herself. I also am a sentimental fool and like the idea of something I can incorporate every year which is where the birthday wish jar idea came from - I asked everyone to write down a wish for her. I think this will be a really sweet momento she will always have to remember her birthday every year. And who couldn't use a jar full of wishes!

I made lemon cupcakes and covered them with a lemon curd glaze a dollop of pink vanilla icing and sprinkled with unsweetened coconut which looked like snow.

I need to make it very clear that I am not a baker in fact making the cake was a very big risk and then to decide to make multiple layers was just insanity. It definitely wasn't perfect, but it was really yummy and my daughter who never EVER eats sweets ate an entire piece and that's in fact all that matters. It was a lemon cake with lemon curd and raspberry filling and vanilla icing with coconut. Basically I took all of Sofia's favorite flavors and put them into one cake.

This Week in Mish+Mash News!

2011-01-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Snowy Monday Morning!! - at least that's what we woke up to in Denver this morning. We have lots of great things happening in the Mish+Mash offices this week.

First up, our next class at Stir Cooking School is tomorrow night at 6:30 and we still have a couple spots left. The class is Chunky Monkeys (9 - 14 months of age) - SUPERFOODS FOR SUPER KIDS. We will be making recipes that include essential superfoods- nutrition to optimize your childs growth and development First 2 people to email us at info@mishmashhomemade.com will receive 15% off if you sign up today!

Our next Finger Foodies (12 months and up) class will be next Tuesday at 6:30pm and we'll be making over Kid Menu Fav's like mac & cheese, and chicken nuggets! Want to give kids food you know they like but pump up the volume on taste, flavor, and nutrition? This is a great way to get out of the rut we all can so easily find us in when dealing with a toddlers picky palate. Best part about our Finger Foodies classes is that these are recipes the whole family can enjoy

We were recently featured in the North Denver Tribune and also had our first article published all about feeding your family on a budget. Here's the link to our feature you can find our article by clicking on the link on the main page. http://www.northdenvertribune.com/2011/01/mishmash-makes-cooking-for-kids-easy-and-fun/
We will have an article pertaining to food including recipes, tips, and techniques every issue.

We love to hear any ideas for classes you'd like to see us teach! Any particular food challenge you are currently facing you would like help with? Please comment either on our blog or on our Facebook page!

And finally, I will wrap up the details of my daughters birtday tomorrow including pictures and the cake & cupcake recipes! Everyone had a blast especially the birthday girl herself who told us that night that her 2nd birthday party was "the best party ever".

Party Food Part 3

2011-01-05T22:43:00.000-08:00

Wild Rice Salad

(adapted from Barefoot Contessa how easy is that?)

1 cup long-grain wild rice

kosher salt

2 navel oranges

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

1/2 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half

1/2 cup Chia seeds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place the wild rice in a medium pot with 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes until the rice is very tender. Drain well and place the rice back in the pot. Cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes

While the rice is still warm, place it in a mixing bowl. Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut between the membranes and add the orange sections to the bowl with the rice. Add the olive oil, orange juice, raspberry vinegar, grapes,cranberries, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature.

Greek Panzanella (Bread Salad)

(adapted from Barefoot Contessa how easy is that?)

1/4 cup good olive oil, divided

6 cups (1 inch) diced rustic bread

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 red bell pepper, seeded, and diced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, and diced

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 pound good feta cheese, 3/4 inch diced

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted

2 teaspoons roasted garlic

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large saute pan until hot. Add the bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Set aside.

Place the cucumber, bell peppers, and tomatoes in a large bowl and toss together.

For the vinaigrette, place the vinegar, roasted garlic, oregano, mustard, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a small bowl and whisk together. Whisking constantly, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil to make an emulsion. (Or use an emulsion hand blender)

Add the feta, olives, and bread to the vegetables in the bowl, add the vinaigrette and toss lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to develop. Season to taste and serve at room temperature.

Party Countdown Part 2

2011-01-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

When I was putting together the menu I had to consider budget, the number of people I needed to feed, food that is appealing to both kids and adults, and food that is easy to eat buffet style. Turkey Meatballs seemed to be a good choice in covering all the bases. I needed to find a recipe that would make them moist and yummy enough to be able to be eaten at room temperature and without any messy marinara sauce. This is a recipe I originally found in a cookbook called Time for Dinner which I blogged about previously. The recipe calls for Veal but I simply substituted it for Ground Turkey. I made some super cute little polka dot flags atop of rounded toothpicks to put into each one. (I will post pics of all the little crafty decor projects I did because I like to consider myself the Indie Martha Stewart - we all have our fantasies right?)

Mini Turkey Meatballs

(adapted from Time for Dinner )

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 large egg, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste (turkey needs lots of help in the seasoning department keep that in mind)

1 1/2 pound ground turkey thigh

1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup ricotta

1/4 cup freshly grate parmesan

Combine the bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Saute pan over medium . Stir the crumb mixture with a wooden spoon until well combined. Gently work the turkey into the mixture. Shape the meat into small balls, packing them loosely. Add them to the pan and reduce heat to medium/low - simmer them for about 10 - 15 minutes per side depending on the size of the meatball.

Tomorrow we are talking salads without the lettuce!

Kids Party Menu Part 1

2011-01-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

I am the midst of party prep mania for my daughters 2nd birthday party this weekend. I am making all the food myself as well as the decorations etc.. I love planning a party! I especially love spending time on all the little details to make it super special for the birthday girl and her guests. I thought it would be fun to share all the yummy recipes with you throughout the week. I wanted a really fantastic party but we also needed to keep it on budget. I also feel there is a bit of pressure to make the food a little extra yummy and healthy considering the business I am in but I also wanted to make sure it was kid friendly AND adult friendly as well. We are also doing the party off site instead of in our home due to the fact that 12 toddlers in our 1000 sq ft bungalow makes for complete chaos. So all the recipes had to be able to be served at room temperature and easily transported. Instead of ordering pizza I decided to make Tomato & Mozzarella Tarts - easy, inexpensive, and super duper tasty!

Tomato & Mozzarella Tarts:

recipe makes one tart adjust for number of people you need to feed

Crust:
1 package of ready made frozen puff pastry

fresh mozzarella sliced thin

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts* see Cook's Note below (optional)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 to 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt
For the crust:
Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out the puff pastry dough and brush with olive oil.
For the pesto:

In a blender or food processor, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture forms a smooth and thick consistency. Add the Parmesan and pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a spatula, spread the pesto over the cooled crust. Arrange the tomato slices and mozzarella on top of the pesto and garnish with the sliced basil . Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown.
*Cook's Note: To toast pine nuts, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly browned.

Tomorrow we will talk turkey meatballs!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-03T11:58:00.001-08:00

Baby Sol enjoying purees from a Pureed Goodness class his mama, Fairlight, took a few months ago.

We hope your holiday season was wonderful, and that you had some rest mixed in there too. I love this time of year; something about it feels like a reset button to my mind- I tend to clean out the cobwebs, look for what can be simplified, and try to improve my habits. When I taught elementary school, I loved coming back from break and seeing all the well-rested kids. I was always amazed at how much they grew in two short weeks away from our classroom.

Receiving this recent picture (above) of one of our participants' kiddos reminded me that our parents' babies, too, are growing quickly. This little guy is enjoying the fruits of our labor from a Pureed Goodness workshop, and we're so glad. Thanks to Fairlight for the pic.

Your kids are probably growing quickly too! You may be wondering, "How do we get out of this food rut?" or "How do we move on from basic purees?" Mish Mash to the rescue!

Check out our January schedule: There's a Pureed Goodness class on a Saturday, a Chunky Monkeys class for babies moving to finger foods, a Lunchbox Heroes class that includes one of these Skip Hop lunchbox backpacks for your little foodie, and a "Menu Makeovers" class to get your toddler eating healthier versions of those usual go-to's. Check out Stir's site for dates and times.

All of these are make and take style workshops, so you'll leave not only with inspiration but also samples to try with your child. This is a great deal when you consider the grocery shopping you'd have to do on your own for these recipes.

We hope to see you and inspire you to nourish your little one this year with healthy, yummy recipes.

****Oh, and one extra perk: Mention you signed up after reading our blog and you'll receive a glass of wine at our workshop. Need we entice you more?

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

As you probably have noticed from our lack of posts, we are taking a bit of a "holiday" from Mish+Mash to enjoy some quality time with our families. I hope you all have the opportunity to do the same. We think its important to enjoy all these moments that seem to fly by so quickly and just slow down for as long as you can to just take them in. We wish you all a fabulous Holiday Season and all the best for the coming New Year! We'll be back on Monday with new posts, including some birthday party planning tips, and lots of new exciting info on our upcoming classes at Stir. Thank you for all your support and for making our first year such a great one. We've truly enjoyed getting to meet some of you in person and can't wait to share lots of yummy recipes in 2011! xo

Christmas Morning Breakfast!

2010-12-21T06:18:00.001-08:00

I am particularly excited for Christmas morning this year now that Sofia is two years old and will be able to fully appreciate the surprise of seeing wrapped gifts appear under the tree. We are also starting our own family holiday traditions this year. One Italian tradition that I can't wait to share with my family is Panettone, an Italian sweet bread that is served during Christmas and New Year. You can make it from scratch or buy it at specialty markets like Whole Foods, Tonys Market, and Sunflower. My favorite comes from Williams-Sonoma. You can eat it simply toasted with a little butter but I love making it to French toast. This is a recipe I found many years ago and after the first bite I never had to try another!

Panettone French Toast w/ Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

1/2 vanilla bean

2/3 cup coconut milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

4 tablespoons butter

8 slices Panettone

Directions:

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Put the coconut milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla seeds, and cardamom in a bowl and beat well. Pour the mixture in a shallow dish.

Heat half the butter in a large skillet. Dip 2 slices of Panettone into the egg mixture and saute until golden on both sides. Repeat with the remaining slices and serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

To Serve:

confectioners' sugar for dusting

blueberries

yogurt

The Reinvention of Leftovers

2010-12-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for creative ways to reinvent leftovers - this a big part of how I keep to a strict weekly grocery budget of $100-$150 a week. I make sure to use my leftovers instead of cooking every night and watching them just go to waste. It totally kills me when I throw away all my culinary creations on Monday morning to take out to the trash. It's a big money waster as well. So instead I plan all my meals a week at a time with leftovers included. It saves me a lot of time as well.

Here is a recipe I found Family Friendly Food that I can't wait to try. I often will buy an already roasted Chicken from Costco - they are really good and already cooked and give me a lot of options that don't take any time whatsoever.

Creamy Orecchiette with Roasted Vegetables, Chicken, and Leafy Greens

Leftovers:
1/2 onion, small chopped
1/3 roasted whole chicken, pulled/cut to large bite-size pieces
3 breakfast sausages, diced
3-4 cups roasted vegetables (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, rutabagas), diced if not already
Blanched kale and chard, chopped
½ cup crème fraiche (substitute with heavy cream.)
1/3 cup grated cheese (mozzarella, monterrey jack, or parmesean)

Pantry items:
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ box of orecchiette or any kind of short pasta

Bring water and salt to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
Meanwhile, in a big big skillet sauté onion in olive oil until it softens. Add the garlic clove. Move to the side of the skillet and add the leftovers. Warm it all up good.
When pasta is ready, drain and add to the leftovers, add salt, ground black pepper, and crème fraiche. Mix and toss it all together. Serve with grated cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Scrumptious Flourless Cookies

2010-12-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for cookies. I really am. The season brings out the worst in me, tempting me to make batch upon batch, with very few people around to eat them. When I found this recipe, I got pretty excited- these treats are amazing to the taste buds and much more nutritious than sugar, butter, and flour loaded cookies we are used to.

Scrumptious Flourless Cookies

3 large, ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut oil, barely warm (or, alternatively olive oil or 1/2 c coconut oil and 1/2 cup grapeseed)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded and unsweetened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
6-7 oz semi sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in top third.

In large bowl combine bananas, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and grapeseed oil if using. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together all dry ingredients except chocolate. Add dry to wet and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks/ chips. The dough is looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about this. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 tsp in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 min. Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

Tis the Season ...

2010-12-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

As a mom, the thing I notice most about the winter months is the frequency in which kids get sick and how hard we try our best to stop it from happening repeatedly. I am a firm believer that you can feed your kids foods full of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, Zinc, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamin E to help boost your kids immune system. I also believe it is okay for kids to get sick because it is also a way to build their immune system, however ask any mom of a kid who seemingly catches everything and appears to spend the entire winter with one long cold and she would probably beg to differ. Children also tend to get sick back to back due to their immune system being weak after being sick and the tendency to not eat well when they don't feel well. So this is the time to bump up their nutrition and make certain you are doing your best to help them get healthy quickly. I am a big fan of using smoothies to add nutrition and make certain my daughter is getting plenty of vitamins and minerals. Since kids appetites are so erratic I like to use healthy homemade smoothies as a way of making sure she is getting everything she needs especially when she is getting over an illness. Here's one from Dr. Sears that is full of ingredients to make sure your little one has what they need to stay healthy this winter. You can substitute ingredients as needed according to your kids age.

IMMUNE BOOSTING SMOOTHIE

*Drink this smoothie daily upon school entry in September, upon beginning daycare, upon exposure to a contagious illness, or when you or your child feels a cold coming on.

2 cups milk or soy or rice beverage
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 serving of a multinutrient supplement (go to www.askdrsears.com for info)
one frozen banana, cut up
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen (e.g., organic strawberries, papaya, mango)
1 tbsp. flax oil or 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal (Because fiber steadies the absorption of carbohydrates and therefore contributes to a steadier blood sugar we suggest using rich sources of fiber, such as flaxseed meal (i.e., ground flax seeds, containing both the oil and fiber), although flax oil has a more palatable consistency than flaxseed meal. For additional fiber, if you don't mind an even grainier texture, add 1 tbsp. or more of oat bran.)
3 ounces tofu
10 mg. zinc
100 mcg. selenium
50-100 IU vitamin E
1 serving soy isolate powder (optional)
2 tbsp. peanut butter (optional)

Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve immediately after blending while the mixture still has a bubbly milkshake-like consistency.

First Stir Class

2010-12-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

Our Finger Foodies, Ready-Made Meals in a Snap class went really well last night. We loved working out of Stir's brand new kitchen (the space! the appliances and new cookware! the open bar! need I go on?) but even more than that we enjoyed a great group of ladies who were enthusiastic about stockpiling some yummy nutritious food for their toddlers. Thanks for your support, Melissa, Lacy, Katie, and Kelly! We'll update our blog soon with January classes that will soon be open for registration.

Stir Opening Party

2010-12-06T17:34:00.001-08:00

u
The Stir Cooking School opening party was this weekend, and boy, are we blown away by the new space Katy Hume has recently opened. It is beyond belief- retro modern, state of the art kitchen with individual islands for more hands on, and just plain fun! I can envision this place getting busy, and getting busy quickly. We had a great time serving dessert upstairs and seeing our families and friends there- we are so happy for Katy and are excited to start teaching out of this venue tomorrow night!

Homemade Ornaments

2010-12-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

We're looking for simple ways to celebrate the holiday season this year, and I think these homemade ornaments may be just the ticket. Check out the rest of the winter edition of Rythym of the Home for some homey, back-to-basics ideas for creating traditions with your little one.

New Cookbook on its Way!

2010-12-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

I don't often write about a cookbook sight unseen, but the mere anticipation of this ones arrival on my doorstep has me too excited not to share. It's all about family meals and how to make them fun and easy and healthy and yummy and....well all those things that Mish+Mash stands for. It's really the core of why we do what we do, so yeah I'm pretty excited to read a cookbook that shares our mission. Plus its by the creators of Cookie Magazine - which I am still mourning the loss of along with Domino - two magazines I have yet to find proper replacements for. But now at least I can savor a whole cookbook by these fabulous women and cook up all sorts of fabulous creations for my family. I will, of course, share every tasty detail with you all!!

Turkey Leftovers?

2010-11-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

Potato Turkey Balls (Makes 18 Balls)

2 1/2 Cups Mashed Potatoes
2 Large Eggs, whisked in seperate bowls
1 Cup Roast Turkey Meat, chopped
1 Cup Cheese (Monterrey Jack, Mozzarella, or Cheddar), grated
1 Cup Breadcrumbs (white or wholewheat)
Gravy for dipping

1. Stir the mashed potatoes and 1 whisked egg in a bowl until combined and set aside.
2. In a seperate bowl, combine the chopped turkey meat and grated cheese stirring to combine.
3. Take 2 tsps of the turkey cheese mixture and form into 1 inch balls (you want to roll them tight so the turkey and cheese bind together).
4. Take 2 tbsp of the potato egg mixture and form a patty in the palm of your hand, place a turkey cheese ball in the center and fold the potato mixture around the turkey cheese ball to make a larger ball.
5. Place the second whisked egg in a bowl and the breadcrumbs in a seperate bowl.
6. Roll each potato ball gently into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs covering the balls completely.
7. Fry the potato balls for 60 seconds until the outside is crispy or bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
8. Serve with gravy.

courtesy of www.weelicious.com

Turkey and Pancetta Pot Pies

Ingredients
Filling:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces finely diced pancetta
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups (about 14 ounces) roasted turkey breast meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
Crust:
3/4 cup flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup buttermilk, plus extra, as needed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Special equipment: 6 (10-ounce) ramekins, each 2 1/2 inches tall and 3 1/2 inches in diameter. A 3-inch round cookie cutter
Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For the filling: In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Pour the pancetta and any cooking juices onto a paper towel-lined pate. Add the butter, shallots, carrots and thyme to the saucepan. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the carrots are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high. Add the chicken broth and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked pancetta, heavy cream, turkey, peas, corn, and the remaining salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes until heated through. Using a ladle, fill the ramekins with the mixture.

For the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and cheese and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add 1/3 cup buttermilk and the oil. Process until the mixture begins to form a ball, adding extra buttermilk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 10-inch diameter circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 6 circles and place on top of the filling.

Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

courtesy of Giada at Home via Food TV

I am always looking for some inspiration of what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers after the novelty has worn off. These are a couple I tried this year that I put in the freezer to pull out when I am in need of quick and easy meals. The potato balls I actually substituted the turkey with broccoli which will be great for a snack or lunch for Sofia. What do you all do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? We'd love to hear - simply share on our Facebook wall.

Keep it Local for the Holidays!

2010-11-30T06:50:00.001-08:00

If you've never checked out all the wonderful homemade local gift fairs that Denver has to offer around the holidays you are in luck - this weekend two of my favorites are taking place. I love finding unique and special gifts for friends and family that do not require a trip to the mall. Plus you get the warm fuzzy feeling from supporting local artisans and supporting the talent that exists right in your community. Every city has them and I encourage you to seek out your own handmade markets in your town. Fancy Tiger is Denver's hub for all things cool and crafty with fantastic classes, events, and supplies. We heart them A LOT!

Fancy Tiger's Holiday Handmade
Craft Fair
.............................................
Holiday Handmade is back for the third year and better than ever! Fancy Tiger's Holiday Handmade is Denver's alternative craft fair featuring the work of 75 local emerging and established crafters. Holiday Handmade features knitting, crochet, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, body care products, handspun yarn, quilting, sewing, felting, bookbinding, candles, soap and more!

When: Friday, December 3rd, 5 - 9pm and
Saturday, December 4th, 10am - 4pm
Where: Sherman Events Center, 1770 Sherman st.
What: Holiday craft fair featuring 65 of Colorado's most amazing handcrafters!

Valdez Elementary
on
December 4, 2010 – 10am-3pm

29th Ave between Zuni and Speer Blvd
2525 W 29th Ave
Denver , CO 80211

Details: The Winter Market & Holiday Fair is an arts, crafts, and gifts extravaganza for the holidays

*The Valdez Elementary Annual Pre-owned toy and book sale
*Kids’ Zone where kids of all ages can craft cool stuff
*Free activities including carnival games and interactive music
*Santa visit sponsored by Maribeth Dirksen-Turse Realtor
*Santa photos by Alison Rose Photography
*candid kids’ photos by Spree Photography
*drop-in infant care
*stroller check
*gift wrapping
*10% of food and drink proceeds benefit Valdez Elementary PTO

For more details, visit www.winter-market.com.

Blueberry Muffins

2010-11-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

Why not try some healthier blueberry muffins this week as an alternative to the usual breakfast? Use a mini muffin tin for little hands and decrease baking time. I'm off to make some myself!

15% Off!

2010-11-22T11:13:00.001-08:00

We're so excited to start teaching out of Stir Cooking School, and we're sure you'll love the venue and a fun night out if you participate in any of our workshops! One of the huge benefits of coming to a Mish Mash cooking class is the fact that you get family friendly, healthy food to take with you for your little one. Plus, you get to hang out with other parents!

For the months of December and January, any followers of our blog will receive 15% off of one Mish Mash class at Stir. (The same is true of our Facebook followers and members of Highlands Mommies). To receive the promo code, please email katy@stirtolearn.com before signing up on Stir's site. Just mention that you are a follower of our blog and want to sign up for a class!

Coming up in just a few weeks on December 7th: Ready Made Toddler Meals in a Snap. Just in time for the holidays, make yummy and healthy food for your toddler than can easily be grabbed on busy days or during holiday plans. (This is a make and take class). Plus, you'll get important information about keeping your busy and sometimes picky toddler well-fed all year long. Sign up today!

Also, an exciting announcement is that we are moving our puree classes to Stir. If you're interested in these popular workshops, keep an eye out for our first one January 22nd.

Parent Earth

2010-11-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

Check out this cool web site, Parent Earth- a video site devoted to raising families around healthy food. I got totally sucked into it this afternoon. Videos range in topics from raising a healthy vegetarian baby, to dealing with picky eaters, to nutrition in pregnancy. Very, very, cool.

I especially thought the video on cooking together with kids for Thanksgiving was timely: In it, regular adult holiday foods are easily made into baby food for the little one. We talk about this so much in our workshops. Enjoy!

Our First Stir Class... Coming Soon!

2010-11-15T11:44:00.000-08:00

Announcing.... drum roll.... our first scheduled class at Stir Cooking School on December 7th! We'd love to get a few friendly faces in the door- watch for promotions we'll be offering on Facebook, our blog, and in our newsletter (if you haven't signed up, go to our web site to do so!). You will love this new cooking school. Sign up today! This isn't our only class, so you can also check out the whole schedule through January.

Class description:
The holidays are a busy time of the year, so take some of the stress out of the equation with ready to go wholesome and tasty meals and snacks for your little one. Mish+Mash homemade will help you prepare one breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack option that can be frozen and reheated on the fly. This workshop is appropriate for parents of kid’s ages 14 months to 4 years of age.

Menu: Breakfast : Oatmeal Apricot Breakfast Bites Lunch : Souper Duper Minestrone Dinner : Yum – O Chicken Nuggets with Butternutty Squash Cakes Snack : Peanut Butter & Jelly Time Mini Muffins For More Information visit: www.mishmashhomemade.com

Price: $55.00/person

Shepherd's Pie

2010-11-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

It's a comfort food, for sure, but it's one that can feed your family for a few nights that also has a nice mix of veggies and protein for the upcoming chilly weekend. Plus, it's cheap and relatively healthy, especially because the beef is replaced with turkey. It's easy to mash this up for younger babies.

1 1/2 pounds potatoes
2 Tablespoons butter
splash of milk

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
1/2 cup chopped celery hearts (I like to throw in some chopped celery leaves)
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 cup vegetable stock
1 10oz. bag of frozen peas and carrots (organic)
1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 small cube of veggie bouillion
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Dice and boil the potatoes until tender (10 or 15 minutes). Mash with a fork, mixing in milk, butter, salt, and pepper. I keep on the skins (it’s better for you and looks better, I think) but you don’t have to.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook until the onions are translucent (5 minutes or so). Add the turkey and cook through, stirring regularly and breaking up the meat (another 10 minutes or so). Add peas and carrots, vegetable stock and sprinkle with flour (this thickens everything up) and cook stir for a few more minutes. Add spices and let simmer and thicken for about five minutes.

Transfer to a medium-sized casserole or baking dish. Cover with the potatoes, making irregular peaks with a fork. Dab with a little of butter and garnish with chives or fresh parsley. Bake for about 30 minutes, uncovered.

8 Kid Foods to Double Check

2010-11-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article on common kid foods that differ a lot depending upon the ingredients- they may seem healthy on the outside but it's definitely worth reading the labels on all of them, or for that matter, make your own (especially in the case of prepackaged lunches- come attend our Bento Box class at Stir to learn more!).

Tuscan Bean Salad

2010-11-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

After a year of age, fish is a great thing to offer our toddlers, and two of the most inexpensive and safest bets are Pacific salmon (not farmed) or canned white tuna (not albacore). Tuna may not be a part of your repertoire, but is worth a shot for protein and the health benefits of fish in your child's diet.

You could make a traditional tuna salad, and some kids really like that, but why not try a different twist that the adults can have over mixed greens? For younger kids, I'd probably dice this up a little in the food processor to mix the ingredients. You could even try putting this in a panini or melt for your toddler. This is healthier than the mayo version for adults who need a light option, and if your toddler doesn't feel like tuna today, it makes a great lunch for you!

Tuscan Bean Salad

1 pouch white tuna (3 oz)
1 can cannelini/ white beans, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T red onion, diced small
2 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano

Mix all of the above and serve over lettuce or inside a sandwich. Pairs well with warm rolls on the side.

Busy Moms Need Easy, Healthy Recipes

2010-11-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks recently, and unfortunately one of the first things to give when the going gets tough is our blog. Thanks for sticking with us! Amidst our busy lives, I can't help but notice that everyone is looking for really simple, cheap recipes, so....

This week, our focus will be recipes that can be made quickly and inexpensively that also match the rapidly cooling temperatures (we'll also keep them as healthy as possible).

Yesterday, it was one of those Sundays- the hubs was raking leaves and doing yardwork, the air was chilly, and I needed an easy something to make since I'm erring on the easy side of things lately (I'm 17 weeks pregnant). I found this recipe that I used to make in college, and thought it was worth trying again- hearty, healthy, and of course cheesy- what more could we ask for? Here you go! Hope you like it as much as the three of us did! This would be a great soup, blended a tiny bit, for 9-12 month olds also. Use organic frozen veggies- they're much better tasting and free of pesticides.

Vegetable Cheese Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 9-10 oz russet potato peeled, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 T all purpose flour
4 cups veggie broth
1 15 ounce can creamed corn (if you don't like the sugar content leave it out)
1 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
1 10 oz package frozen mixed veggies (you can really use any veggies here- green beans, broccoli, we used corn, peas, and carrots)
2 cups packed grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium high heat. Add potato, celery, onion, and thyme. Saute 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over; stir 1 minute. Gradually mix in veggie broth. Add all vegetables and creamed corn and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, add grated cheese and stir until smooth. Mix in hot pepper sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

To Sneak or Not to Sneak?

2010-11-03T08:22:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting interview with Katherine McCord of Weelicious on why she tends not to sneak healthy foods into her kids' diets. While I mostly agree with her, I also know that kids go through phases where it's nice to be able to sneak in a few things if they are on "strike"- What do you think?

Upcoming Pureed Goodness Class

2010-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Are you or someone you know starting on the adventure of feeding solids to your little one? If so, our Pureed Goodness workshop at Spiral on November 6th from 1:30- 3:00 is the perfect solution! We've got a few slots left, and we'd love to have more participants. Parents will leave with 4 purees to freeze and try with baby (about 2 weeks worth of food for a baby just starting out) along with the knowledge and confidence to make their own baby food. This will probably be our last puree class at Spiral before the holidays.

If you know someone who might be interested, please forward this along. Signups can be at the workshop or online at Spiral Yoga and Wellness (be sure to click on workshops/events).

Nobody's Perfect

2010-10-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

When people know about our business, I have to chuckle a little when lunchtime comes, or it's time for Ava to eat, and they ask, "Do you allow her to eat ________?" Usually they're referring to a treat, or comfort food, or whatever the possible off-limits food is to the onlooker. I understand that they might infer that because we make healthy homemade food in our workshops, I may be a little controlling about what Ava eats.

While I appreciate their respectful questions, I laugh and explain that we have traditional snacks in our pantry sometimes too. Ava and I really love eating a good cookie (or more) and believe me, Nicole and I don't serve up something gourmet for every meal. But the honest truth is, I control what I can, and understand that a treat or super comfort food (fish and chips, anyone?) once in awhile is a necessary part of her diet- if I deprive her at all times, she'll just desire the "forbidden fruit" more. :)

My kid gets messy too, she throws healthy foods off the table too, and there are days she has food fixations. Yes, I have a plethora of recipes to try out on her, and she's a good eater, but we run low on ideas sometimes too. And then it's back to the drawing board to test out a recipe for the week (and usually it is just one recipe a week). As moms and dads, that's all we can do- keep trying to bring healthy foods to the dinner table, and over time, we will see that we have influenced our kids to appreciate eating well.

I think that's the beauty of Mish Mash- we try to equip parents to try out new healthy recipes so that they know that at the very least, they were able to influence the foods their kids eat every day. Even if it did get smooshed in their hair.

Do you have any pictures of your little one eating (er... semi-eating?) any Mish Mash recipes? Please do send them in for our site. We love seeing the fruits of our labor!

Off the Beaten Path

2010-10-27T12:49:00.001-07:00

When thinking of a kid friendly place to eat out it's easy to get stuck in the rut of the old standbys. But I encourage you to take a look at those restaurants you may have thought were too cool for kids. Vesta Dipping Grill is just such a place. The atmosphere is hip and lively which is just perfect for keeping kids entertained long enough to enjoy a meal without having to pre-order the check. And their kids menu is fantastic with 3 courses for $8. The starter includes items such as veggies and dip, and for their entree you don't have to simply stick to chicken nuggets instead how about a beef skewer - food on a stick is a pretty exciting thing for a kid. We love Vesta and Sofia is very adventurous when there are different dips involved - maybe your kiddo will be, too.

Allergy Free Recipe!

2010-10-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I are both very fortunate that neither of our girls have shown signs of having any food allergies. In our workshops and through our blog and Facebook page we have come across lots of parents with kiddos with all different types of food allergies and we feel your pain in trying to keep their food interesting, tasty, and healthy while keeping within those restrictions. We recently posted a pumpkin muffin recipe that lots of you tried and loved, so I wanted to find one for those with kids who couldn't partake in the ingredients and find a recipe that would work for you and is just as tasty. So here you all go. This one is dairy, gluten, egg, and nut free. So it should be safe for everyone. Once a week I will find other allergy friendly recipes to post. If there is something in particular you are challenged with let me know.

Pumpkin Muffins w/ Pumpkin Seed Streusel Topping

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 Tbsp sweet rice flour (optional)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp brown rice flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp margarine

Instructions
To make Streusel topping:

Chop pumpkin seeds in a food processor or blender until very small pieces. Most will be very fine grain, and will stick together, though some slightly larger pieces may remain. Combine chopped seeds, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in margarine until crumbly. Set aside.

Combine sugar, oil, applesauce, vanilla, canned pumpkin, and orange juice in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine, then add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir until completely combined, but do not overmix.

Fill muffin tins 1/2 to 2/3 full, then top with 1 heaping tablespoon of streusel topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean, or the streusel is golden brown and the muffin springs back when touched.

Easy Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner!

2010-10-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

CRUSTLESS QUICHE

This is a great "throw together" recipe when you are looking for something easy and yummy for any meal. You can make it with any veggie you have in your fridge. Love recipes that incorporate what I already have in my pantry and fridge and take no time at all. This is a favorite with everyone in the family.

Ingredients:

sautéed veggies
1 cup of milk
½ to ¾ lb. of grated cheese (a mixture of gruyere and white cheddar is my favorite!)
4 to 5 eggs, beaten
salt, pepper, dried or fresh herbs
two garlic cloves pressed or chopped

Directions:
I use a combination of finely chopped tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, herbs and garlic sautéed in olive oil. But any combination of veggies will work. Use your favorite.

Arrange the veggies in the bottom of a quiche pan. There should be enough to cover the entire bottom.

Mix other ingredients together and pour over the veggies, spreading the mix evenly with a fork.

Place on a cookie sheet because it makes it easier to handle.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the center is firm and the top is golden brown.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

2010-10-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Around here, we don't think of muffins as only breakfast- they are an easy snack or dessert also. When you put healthy yummy ingredients in them, you can rest assured they aren't chock full of sugar and fat- the following recipe is a great example. Pumpkin makes everything taste and smell more special this time of year, so give this awesome recipe a shot! Your house will smell wonderful.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins (12 Muffins or 24 Mini Muffins)

1 1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Pumpkin Spice
3 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Agave OR Honey
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Medium Apple, peeled and grated (Gala, Pink Lady, Fuji or Golden Delicious are good choices)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Grease muffin tins or line them with muffin cups and fill each cup 3/4 full with the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Serve.

Kids with Food Allergies

2010-10-20T13:03:00.001-07:00

There are many different theories regarding the rise in food allergies and the relationship between allergens and toxins. Whatever theory you subscribe to having a kiddo with food allergies no matter how minor or extreme can be a challenge. A great online resource is www.allergykids.com. This is a great site for moms who want to gain more knowledge on how to deal with raising a child with a food allergy in a world full of forbidden foods. We would love to hear other moms reach out and let us know how they have dealt with raising a child who experiences sever or minor reactions to certain foods. I'm sure it will help other moms out there who are just starting to navigate this same journey to hear what you have to say. So post your story on our Facebook wall and for those of you with questions do the same, sometimes a little support can go a very long way. Here's a great recipe for those with and without allergies to enjoy!

Millet Salmon Cakes with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Millet is known as a "super grain" because it is highly nutritious and easy to digest. People who have a tough time digesting wheat find millet a welcome alternative. It can be found in all health food stores and even some regular grocery stores. It's also delicious in the morning with cinnamon, berries, honey and almond milk.

Salmon Cake Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 medium red onion, diced (approx 1/2 cup)
1/4 bulb of fennel, diced (appox 1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, diced (approx 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 lb salmon, skinned and steamed *
2 cups millet, cooked **
1/4 cup ground flax ***
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 eggs

Salmon Cake Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add onions, fennel and celery to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are beginning to soften. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and cool for 5 minutes. Flake salmon into a large bowl, being careful to remove any bones. In a separate small bowl, toss cooked millet with ground flax until millet is coated. Add millet/flax mixture and walnuts to salmon, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together sea salt, pepper, lemon zest, dijon mustard and eggs. Add cooled sauteed vegetables to the salmon bowl and pour egg mixture over the salmon. Gently toss all ingredients together with a fork. Using approx 1/3 cup of the salmon mixture per patty, measure out and form 12 salmon patties.

Melt remaining 1 Tbsp of butter in the same large non-stick pan (no need to clean it) over medium heat. Add six salmon patties to the pan and saute for 10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Using a spatula, gently flip cakes over onto a large non-stick sheet pan. There should still be enough oil in the pan, if not, add an additional 1 Tbsp of butter. Saute the second batch of salmon cakes, and add those to the sheet pan as well. Bake cakes for 8 minutes. While cakes are baking, mix together the yogurt dipping sauce.

Yogurt Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
1 7 oz container greek yogurt
2 scallions, thinly sliced using both white and green parts
1/4 tsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon (approx 1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper

Yogurt Dipping Sauce Instructions:
While salmon is baking, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Chill until service. Makes 1 cup of sauce.

To Serve:
As an entree, serve 3 salmon cakes per person with 1/4 cup of yogurt dipping sauce on the side, drizzled over the cakes or under the cakes on the plate. As an appetizer, serve 1 salmon cake per person with a heaping Tbsp of sauce.

Enjoy! I think you will love these...

* I ask my fish monger at Whole Foods to steam the fish for me. It makes these cakes a simple weeknight meal. Or use a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water until fish is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Or poach the fish in salted water for approximately 20 minutes until cooked through.

** How to cook millet: Rinse 1 cup of millet. Combine millet, 1 1/2 cups water and a pinch of sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Take off lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and proceed with recipe!

*** Ground flax can be bought at most health food stores or Whole Foods. But, you can also buy whole flax seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder at home. This step retains more nutritional value of the flax. Flax seeds contain omega oils, which spoil quickly when they are subjected to air. Storing the seeds whole until you need them prevents spoilage.

ORGANIC SPARK
http://organicspark.blogspot.com/

Apple Fritters!

2010-10-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so usually we put some super healthy yet still super yummy recipe on here to share. But today with this amazing fall weather we are experiencing here in Colorado - a very rare non-frost, no random snow flakes kind of fall the likes of which we rarely ever see - I felt compelled to bake something sweet and sugary to enjoy outside in the grass with a couple of glasses of cider. Because sometimes a beautiful day calls for a decadent treat and these apple fritters definitely are just that!

Ingredients

(adapted from Southern Plate Cookbook)
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice (substituted for cinnamon)
1 cup milk
3 TBS butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced (substituted for 2 cups apples)
powdered sugar, optional

Before preparing the batter, I pulled out my trusty cast iron skillet and filled it about 1/2 inch deep with pure vegetable oil (add more for larger fritters like I made to avoid scorching the bottom of the fritters) and placed it over a medium heat (4 on an electric stove).

While the oil is heating, combine the flour, brown sugar and apple pie spice in a large mixing bowl. I used a fork (as suggested in the cookbook) to mix the ingredients and break up any clumps, which could probably be avoided by sifting the dry ingredients beforehand.

While the fritters would be incredible with just about any baking apple, I chose my all time favorite, the Granny Smith. It gave the fritters that extra little kick of sour to balance all of the sweetness of the batter.

Add the milk, butter and eggs to the dry ingredients and stir well. Add diced apples and stir.

With the batter and oil now ready, I used an ice cream scoop to add about 4 to 5 dollops of batter to the hot oil. My first batch turned out some rather large fritters, so for the additional ones, I only filled the scoop about half way.

At this point I wish I had used a timer so I could say exactly how long each side spent frying but I would guess it wasn’t anymore than 2 minutes per side, probably even less. I just used a metal straining spoon to lift the edge and see how brown it was getting every 30 seconds or so. Once brown, just carefully flip each fritter over to cook on the other side.

*recipe courtesy of Oh My Sugar High.

Even Mish+Mash homemade has a sweet tooth! Yum!!!!

Join the School Food Revolution!

2010-10-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of it yet, Two Angry Moms, is new movie and a movement by two moms who decided to take the choices their kids had in the cafeteria and try to make a change.

Amy Kalafa was stewing for years, packing her kids lunches from home and trying to get her community to pay attention to what kids are eating in school. When news of a national child health crisis began making headlines, Amy, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, decided to take the fight to film. Two Angry Moms is Amy's quest to learn what she and other parents need to know and do to get better food in their kids' schools.

Whole Foods is sponsoring free screenings of this film all over the country and tomorrow night you can catch it at the Mayan.

Wednesday, October 20th
FREE MOVIE NIGHT at the Mayan Theatre Featuring "Two Angry Moms" A film about changing the way we do school Lunches!

7:00-9:00pm Free!

Join us for a special event hosted by Whole Foods Market! “Two Angry Moms” is the story of two moms and their quest to improve school lunches. Learn more about the School Lunch Revolution and the movie at www.angrymoms.org

Enjoy this Free Movie and then a panel discussion afterward to discuss ways to improve school wellness in your community!

If you are interested in bring this movie to your neighborhood or would like to be a part of this grassroots movement log onto www.angrymoms.org for all the details!

Vegetable Cards

2010-10-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

We have a demo scheduled tonight, and we're excited about it; the topic is "How to Get Your Child to Eat Almost Anything"- specifically focused on veggies. We're not huge proponents of hiding vegetables, though we know there's a place for it and do have recipes that include veggies, either pureed or chopped fine. In fact, I've been playing with many such recipes recently and have discovered that one can even hide spinach and carrots in brownies! Yes, brownies!

This all has led me to ask- what are we at Mish Mash really about? We fall somewhere in the middle between raw veggies and hiding: We would rather kids learn from the start that veggies are a natural, tasty part of meal time to be enjoyed- and usually if they start by eating homemade veggie purees, there's more success with this. So our job is to give parents strategies to get there.

Still, there are always kids who really avoid veggies at certain stages, and it's important to give them ownership of meals and to help them to understand what they're eating, and get them talking about the vegetables, naming them, and helping you prepare them by washing or tossing them into salads or soups. That way they'll know the name at the dinner table, and it won't be quite so "foreign."

A montessori catalogue I once read included vocabulary cards with vegetables- these would be a great way for kids to "own" the names of veggies at a young age and be able to recognize and sort them.

Park Meadows Demo

2010-10-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

We will be demonstrating puree making with the Beaba Babycook at the Park Meadows Williams-Sonoma this Saturday from 12-2. If you're out shopping, swing by and say hello! Especially if you're in puree mode, this is a great chance to decide if the Beaba is for you. We use food processors in our classes, but based on Nicole's experience the Beaba is a great tool. By demoing it we hope to also share our business with other parents south of Denver.

Pasta E Fagioli

2010-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

I've had one of those tough mommy weeks. You know, the ones where you just got over some type of bug and your house needs serious attention, your toddler discovered the glory of public screeching when she used to just say, "OK", and you can't leave the house as much because the weather is wet and chilly. Sorry for the complaining, but this is reality, right? Today I needed to plan a dinner that would be comforting and nutritious all at once, and provide leftovers in case I have a few more of "these" days in the next week. Oh, and it had to be an easier recipe for me to take on, so I made a few modifications.

I made this last year, and my stepmom gave me the following ways to make this easier: I cheated on one ingredient, to save time: I used canned cannellini instead of soaking dried beans overnight and therefore cutting simmering time down by at least a half hour. But I followed the recipe's extra little step for giving the soup more body, ladling a few spoonfuls of beans and vegetables into the blender and returning them, puréed, to the pot. I also cooked the pasta separately. This would be an awesome meal for a younger baby, pureed, an older baby with a few teeth, if you strained out bits and pieces, and a perfect meal for all ages. Enjoy! I know we're going to, and tomorrow is a new day, right?

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Serves 10 as a first course or 6 as a main course

3 tablespoons pure olive oil
3 to 4 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (about 14 ounces) dried cranberry, borlotti, cannellini, or other small white beans, soaked overnight in water to cover, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups diced canned plum tomatoes, with juices
8 cups water or chicken broth, or as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound small shells, ditalini, or other small pasta shape
Extra virgin olive oil for finishing
Grated Parmesan for finishing

1. In a large soup kettle, warm the pure olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it renders its fat and is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the soaked beans, the tomatoes and their juices, the 8 cups water, and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.

2. To give the soup more body, remove 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of beans and vegetables, place in a food processor or blender, and purée until smooth. Return the purée to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

3. Although you can cook the pasta directly in the soup, there is a danger of the soup scorching if the beans have been puréed. To avoid this, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, stir well, and cook until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, add to the soup, and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

4. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, and top each serving with a generous swirl of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and a liberal dusting of black pepper. Serve at once.

2 Yummy Purees By Request

2010-10-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't friended us on Facebook, you can ask questions and make comments on our wall and we will answer right away, especially since Nicole is a social media junkie and probably should seek some sort of therapy for it. Anyways, one of our "students" who recently took a puree class requested some more puree recipes on our blog so .... you ask and you shall receive. Here your go!! See; if there is anything you are wondering or if there's a class you'd like to see us add to our upcoming roster let us know on our Facebook page and we'll address it. For now enjoy a couple super yummy puree recipes that are a perfect fit for a beautiful autumn day.

Butternut Squash & Apple Stew

Ingredients:

½ small, peeled, and diced butternut squash

1 medium apple, peeled, and diced

1½ cups low sodium chicken stock or water

Grape Seed or Olive Oil

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, and apples and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Apples will begin to turn golden. Add stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, 30 to 35 minutes.

Place in a food processor, or food mill and puree to the consistency appropriate for your baby.

Nutrition:

Butternut Squash is high in vitamin C, beta- carotene, potassium, and folate. Apples are high in fiber and antioxidants.

Red Lentils & Rice Super Soup

Ingredients-

2 ¾ cups low sodium vegetable broth

⅓ cup brown rice

½ cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed

Directions-

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the rice and lentils. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until the rice is tender, the lentils are very soft and mash easily with a spoon, and most of the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. (The mixture will continue to absorb liquid as it cools.) Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process to a smooth puree. Add the necessary broth or water to reach the desired consistency for your baby.

Nutrition-

Lentils and brown rice are a nutritious, protein-packed pairing, and lentils have the added benefit of being high in folate. (Folate: Folate helps produce and maintain new cells [2]. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer [3]. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia [4]. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.)

Saturday Market

2010-10-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that Nicole from Mish Mash and Katy from Stir Cooking School will be at the Highlands Farmers' Market tomorrow from 8 to 1- come by to score a deal on a class by signing up at the booth! My awesome partner Nicole will be sharing info about our biz and upcoming Mish Mash classes while I am recovering from a flu bug- wish I could be there, but Nicole will absolutely be the best possible resource. Happy Weekend!

Chili Season

2010-10-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

It's fall, and that means breaking out big batches of chili or soup around our place. Chili is wonderful because it's chock full of healthy veggies, legumes, and protein rich turkey (or beef) and can be topped with avocado, sour cream or yogurt, cheese, and cilantro. Ava loves to eat this recipe, but here's what's important to remember so kids aren't reeling from the heat of this recipe:

Whenever you make a super spicy recipe for the whole family, but want to take it down a notch for the little ones, either take out the spicy ingredients (red pepper flakes, serrano chili, etc.) or portion out a little for your little ones to a separate to another pan. Then you can add the adult ingredients and all can enjoy the same meal together- a sure fire way to increase success with any meal. Also, you may want to try spreading the leftovers over baked potatoes for a different meal.

Here's my recent favorite from allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

Millet, Tomato, & Avocado Salad - For EVERYONE!

2010-10-06T20:02:00.001-07:00

A friend turned me on to this fantastic food blog, Whole Family Fare, a while ago and I have loved all the recipes I have made thus far. This one I made in order to have a quick lunch to pull out of the fridge and serve to both Sofia and I thoughout the week. What I really love is the recipes are truly for the whole family from baby to adult. She simply adds tips on how to alter them slightly to meet the needs of each family member - no matter how many teeth they may or may not have! Enjoy!!

2 cups cooked millet
5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1 avocado
lemon juice
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Toss everything together. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil, a tablespoon or so of lemon juice and a large pinch of sea salt. Refrigerate for a couple of hours (or you can serve immediately).

babies 6 months + : puree a small amount of millet with avocado and water/breastmilk, until smooth.
9 months + : serve a little cooked millet with diced avocado.
12 months + : serve as is.

Come By to Say Hi!

2010-10-05T21:38:00.001-07:00

Mish+Mash Homemade and Stir to Learn Cooking School - our new cooking venue - will be at the Highlands Farmers Market on Saturday from 9 to 1 pm. If you've never been to the Highlands Farmers Market it's located on Boulder St in front of Lola's. It's a small market with lots of good food to eat and fresh produce to purchase. Come have breakfast and see all the new classes coming up at Stir!

Butternut Squash Risotto

2010-09-30T07:28:00.001-07:00

I just made this last night for our family, and everyone ate it up! Little Ava asked for a second serving. Winter squash adds a creamy, sweet texture to foods, plus it's packed with good-for-you vitamins. This recipe is less maintenance than traditional risotto because the harder grains need to cook a bit longer and don't require as much checking, and it has more bite than traditional arborio would. Enjoy!

Oh, and you could use this for your smaller babies- for the beginners, just set aside some squash and steam or roast, then puree. For 9 months +, you could simply mash this up to a palatable consistency. For toddlers, hand them the spoon and let them go to town along with the older kids and adults.

Mixed Grain Risotto with Butternut Squash and Herbs

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cups butternut squash, cubed (frozen or fresh, see directions)
1/2 cup each brown rice, pearl barley, and wild rice
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional- for adults)
6 cups low sodium chicken or veggie broth
1/2 cup grated parmesan and more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oil in medium pot over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 of squash if frozen, all of squash if fresh, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add brown rice, barley, and wild rice; toast, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add wine (if using) and cook one minute more. Add broth, bring to boil. Partially cover pot, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice and barley are tender and risotto is thick and slightly soupy, about 45 minutes.

2. Stir in rest of squash if you used frozen and cook, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, herbs, and any other seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with parmesan upon serving.

A Couple Events Not to be Missed!

2010-09-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of super awesome events happening this weekend that you will not want to miss!

First, the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market featuring local crafters, designers, and antique dealers runs Saturday October, 2nd from 8 am to 3 pm at 46th and Tennyson in Northwest Denver. A great place to stock up on some unique holiday gifts!!! Support local businesses and come check it out.

Second, the third Justice League of Street Food party is Friday October 1st from 5pm to 9pm in a vacant lot at 29th and Huron behind Coors Field. If you haven't made it to the first two don't miss out again! This one has an 80's theme so come decked out and you could win some fab prizes. Or come as you are and simply enjoy the wonderful food truck delicacies that Denver has to offer.

What are you up to this weekend that we should know about?

Apple Pie Fries

2010-09-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

I think I found a way to use all of my extra apples around the house- and what a fun way to jazz them up a little! This would be a great dessert or snack. I'll be trying this recipe this afternoon. Let me know if you enjoy it!

Apple Pie Fries

Ingredients

1 medium-sized sweet red apple (Fuji apples cook really well!)
1/2 +1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice
2 teaspoons of raw sugar
1 pinch of sea salt
Canola oil spray (to lightly coat pan)
Peanut butter (optional - for dipping the hot apple pie fries)
Honey (optional - for dipping the hot apple pie fries)

Preparation

1. Lightly coat a pan with canola oil spray, and raise to medium-high heat on the stovetop.

2. Slice the apple into steak-fry-shaped wedges, and place the wedges into a large mixing bowl.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice, and the raw sugar and sea salt.

4. Pour the spice mixture formed in Step 3 over the apple wedges in the large mixing bowl, and toss the wedges to completely coat them in the mixture and to ensure that the flavorings are evenly distributed.

5. Place the flavored apple slices into the preheated pan, and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes, turning the apples approximately halfway through the cooking process. (KewlTip: Be careful not to overcook the hot apple pie fries, so as to preserve the natural flavor, sweetness, and crispy crunch inherent in the raw apples!)

6. While the apple wedges are cooking, place the peanut butter and honey in small separate bowls for dipping the hot apple pie fries into, if using.

7. When the hot apple pie fries have completed cooking, remove from the pan and serve. Dip them into the peanut butter and honey.

Serving Size

Makes approximately 5-6 servings

What's Cookin...

2010-09-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already heard, a new cooking school will be opening in the Highlands in November, as long as all is timed well. Stir, owned by chef Katy Hume, will be a hip cooking school where there's something to learn for everyone, from novice to professional. We can't wait to see the top of the line setup, along with family style seating for everyone to enjoy their gourmet cooking after classes. A full bar will also be a part of the school- what more could this neighborhood ask for? I have a feeling it's going to be an immediate hit!

We would already be excited about this, but we're doubly excited because we've been offered the opportunity to teach some of our classes out of Stir's kitchen. Nicole and I have started playing with classes, and there are going to be some awesome offerings for parents to get a night away and learn recipes (with take home samples), all in the context of a cooking school.

In the meantime, we're going to keep our puree class at Spiral Wellness and Yoga, and all other classes will also be offered in home.

Restaurant Friday

2010-09-25T07:26:00.001-07:00

There aren't any real guidelines to choosing restaurant's to feature in our kid friendly choices, however I try to find ones that think past the typical kids menu fare. We love to go out for sushi and when it comes to cool food presentation it really is such a visual food experience. Kids are extremely visual so small rolls of food that can be easily picked up and eaten should be a kids meal dream. But most sushi restaurants don't have separate menus for kids (which also means lower prices). Most likely, they consider sushi to be adult food, except for Hapa Sushi in Cherry Creek. They have a great choice of sushi and non sushi options just for our little gourmets. Sofia loves vegetable sushi and I make sushi rice for her all the time. It clumps together and makes it easy to pick up with a fork or even with her fingers. Here's a sample of what Hapa's menu offers:

Teriyaki beef & rice
Peanut Butter & Jelly rolled in bread
Half orders of sushi rolls
Noodles & Vegetables in a light Japanese sauce

I encourage you to take your kids to all different types of restaurants instead of just sticking to the kid friendly generic ones. It's a great way to teach them about different cultures. My one bit of advice is to keep in mind that while all restaurants welcome kids some have different expectations. While some are open to kids running free others aren't and it's up to us as parents to know our kids limits and to respect the type of restaurant we are taking them to.

Massive Infant Formula Recall

2010-09-23T06:35:00.001-07:00

Abbott recalls infant formula on bug contamination

By MATTHEW PERRONE, AP Health Writer – Wed Sep 22, 8:47 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Drugmaker Abbott Laboratories said Wednesday it is recalling millions of containers of its best-selling Similac infant formula that may be contaminated with insect parts.

The voluntary action affects up to 5 million Similac-brand powder formulas sold in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and some Caribbean countries. The company said the products may contain a small beetle or larvae, which could cause stomach ache and digestion problems.

The recall does not affect any liquid formulas or other Abbott-brand products.

A company spokeswoman said Abbott uncovered the insects last week in one section of a manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

"We immediately shut down that one area and began an investigation," said Abbott's Melissa Brotz. "We're in the process of resolving it now." Abbott manufactures Similac at several U.S. sites.

Brotz said the company has been consulting with the Food and Drug Administration, which determined there was no "immediate health risk" from the contamination.

Consumers can enter the lot number on their containers online to determine if they are subject to the recall. The products should be returned to Abbott for a full refund.

"Delivering anything less than the highest quality infant formula is unacceptable to us," said Brotz. "We will do whatever is necessary to maintain the trust of parents in the coming weeks."

The affected products were sold in plastic containers and various can sizes, including 8-ounce (227-gram), 12.4-ounce (352-gram) and 12.9-ounce (366-gram).

Similac is the best-selling infant formula in the U.S. Abbott's nutritional products — which include adult brands like Ensure — had sales of $5.3 billion last year.

Abbott expects to lose $100 million in connection with the recall. However, the North Chicago, Illinois, company confirmed its third-quarter earnings guidance between $1.03 and $1.05 per share.

Shares of Abbott Laboratories fell 16 cents to $51.99.

Pumpkin Pancake Revision and Book Rec

2010-09-22T01:37:00.001-07:00

Last night at an in-home workshop, I was speaking with a mom who uses our blog recipes (yay!) and we were commiserating about my pumpkin pancake post. I posted that recipe based on another time I had tried it and it worked, but people, I have to revise. Sorry. The old one just doesn't cook as well as I remembered- it's too wet and the middle always remains, well, wet. My little one still gobbled them (what a nice taste tester!) but my honest taste testers called for a revision. Thanks, Meg, for bringing it up, and thanks for following! I guess cooking, just like anything, calls for adaptations and adjustments now and then.

So I'm going to delete the old one and share this one from Allrecipes.com- a great resource with ratings from folks who have tried the recipes. Notice that it uses white flour which would soak up the moisture better, but uses a whole lot less butter. It claims to be fluffy- I'm going to test it out soon.

Another book rec I'd like to share from a mommy point of view is Happiest Toddler on the Block, by Harvey Karp, MD. Yes, the guy who we all know wrote Happiest Baby on the Block also wrote a toddler book, and I was surprised at how helpful this one was. He has a refreshing view of toddlerhood and its developmental stages, along with ways to be proactively reinforcing about positive behaviors and nip "yellow" and "red" light behaviors in the bud. Every strategy I've tried has worked from this book. He also goes over the few things we really can't control about toddlers: what they eat and when they go potty, and uses the strategies he teaches to help you along on those journeys.

Happy reading, and let me know about those pancakes!

Super Foods

2010-09-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Getting your kids to eat healthy from the start can be a challenge. Below is a list of just a few of the many Super Foods out there that you can't go wrong with from BabyCenter. Try adding new fruits, veggies, grains, and beans to food they already like such as pasta,mashed potatoes, and quesadillas.

1. Avocado

Avocados are the only fruit laced with monounsaturated "good" fats that may lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, which can harm the heart. The avocado is also a super source of soluble fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar. And it's full of vitamin E, which protects your cells from free radicals.

Try mashing avocado with a little lime or lemon juice and yogurt and using it on quesadillas or tacos — or as a dip for raw vegetables. (Jessica Seinfeld)

2. Blueberries

Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants — substances that slow the body's release of chemicals that can damage cells — blueberries can help lower cholesterol, sharpen memory, and fight certain cancers. These little fruits offer big health benefits, whether fresh or frozen.

"I make a purple puree filled with blueberries and spinach that I add to tacos, burgers, pancakes, cookies, and brownies," says Missy Chase Lapine. "Wild, organic, frozen blueberries are one of the most versatile nutrient-rich foods you can disguise in dishes."

3. Oats

These mild-tasting, versatile whole grains help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes, will keep your child feeling full, and aid in escorting bad cholesterol out of the body.

"Serve oatmeal for breakfast," says Chase Lapine. "The old-fashioned rolled oats, not the quick-cooking kind — they offer more fiber and longer-lasting energy. Cook them in milk, rather than water, and top with blueberries for a well-balanced start to the day."

4. Salmon

This cold-water fish contains healthful fats known as omega-3s that can lower the risk of heart disease. These nutrients may also help improve mood and prevent memory loss.

"Make your own fish fingers," recommends Jennifer Iserloh. "Choose wild salmon to reduce your child's exposure to toxic substances such as PCBs and mercury. Adults enjoy these lightly crumbed strips too."

5. Spinach

An excellent source of iron, calcium, and folic acid, along with vitamins A and C, spinach is great for growing bones and brains.

"This versatile vegetable has a mild flavor and cooks in a flash," notes Iserloh. "Stir it into hot soups, toss it into your tomato sauce, and tuck it into quesadillas."

6. Sweet Potatoes

Packed with vitamins B, C, and E, plus calcium, potassium, and iron, sweet potatoes are also rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, which keeps digestion moving along properly.

"Sweet potatoes are good at preventing a sugar crash, thanks to those complex carbs," says Chase Lapine. "They also add a subtle sweetness to sneaky recipes and work hard to cut the acidity of tomato that some kids dislike in pasta sauces."

7. Yogurt

Rich in calcium and a good source of protein, yogurt helps build strong bones and teeth. It also aids in digestion and fights bad bacteria in the gut.

"Buy plain low-fat yogurt and add your own fresh or frozen fruit to it," recommends Iserloh. "That way, you'll avoid the sugar that's in flavored yogurts. It's so creamy and comforting that most kids go for it."

Orzo SUPER Salad

2010-09-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

With being a SAHM who works part time and has her own business I know the trials and tribulations of trying to make healthy meals in a limited amount of time. So every Sunday I take a little time after Sofia goes to bed to make something that can feed her throughout the week whether for lunch, snack, or as a dinner side dish. Sometimes I make different variations of pasta salad, or chicken salad. One of our favorites is this Orzo Super Salad recipe. Why is it super? Well besides it being obviously SUPER yummy it's also full of SUPER ingredients.

Orzo SUPER Salad w/ Cherries, Feta, Spinach, Tomatoes, & Chia Seeds

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta

1 cup grape tomatoes,

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ tablespoon Chia Seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

The SUPER secret ingredient:

Why we all know Spinach is a super food because of its high nutrient content there is another one on the ingredient list that most of us may not be so familiar with ...... CHIA SEEDS!

Chia Seeds- contain about 20% protein, a higher percentage than found in many other grains such as wheat and rice. Chia seeds contain strontium which helps to assimilate protein and produce high energy. Chia seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants containing even more antioxidants than fresh blueberries. The high amounts of antioxidants in Chia seeds also keeps the oils from going rancid - contributing to a long shelf life. Chia seeds also provide fiber, iron, calcium, niacin, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus.EFAs are known to make cell membranes more flexible and efficient making nutrients more readily available and nerve transmission more efficient. This helps to improve brain function (including memory and concentration).

You can find them at most health food stores including Whole Foods. Simply add them to smoothies, salads, soups, and cereals for a little additional nutrition boost for the whole family.

What's Happening?

2010-09-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

I thought we'd share some fun kid friendly events happening around the Metro Denver area. I love this time of year and feel extra motivated to spend as much time outside before the weather turns cold and the snow begins to fall. Although, winter has a whole set of fun activities that I thoroughly enjoy just as well. The picture above is of Lakeside Amusement Park in Northwest Denver circa 1908. Now that must have been a wonderful place to spend a day.

National Curiosity Day with Curious George!
Start: 3:00 pm Saturday, September 25th at the Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch
Curious George, everyone’s favorite monkey, is turning 70 this year, and we’re joining bookstores and libraries around the country to celebrate. Our young guests are invited to meet Curious George himself, and parents are encouraged to bring cameras so kids can get their pictures taken with him. We’ll have games and stories, and lots of curious fun!

Downtown Boulder Fall Festival

Pearl Street Mall Saturday & Sunday

Fine art, fun art, and much more are featured at the three-day Boulder Fall Festival, Boulder's version of Oktoberfest. Kids can head to the Tillamook Children's Carnival, the older crowd can sample local micro-brews, and everyone can share fabulous food and enjoy live music.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings (11am), families can take in an acrobatic, fabulously costumed contemporary circus show - a 35 minute story of a picnic, imaginations, dreaming, and a group of very hungry dream travelers.

Ruby Hill Park
South Platte River Drive and West Florida Avenue
Saturday 2:45pm

Justin Roberts & the Not Ready For Naptime Players rock a family jamboree at Ruby Hill Park, featuring songs from Justin's latest CD, Jungle Gym, and more.Seating is first come, first served. http://www.justinrobertsmusic.com

Sunflower Farm Kid's Farm Fest
11150 Prospect Road Longmont, CO
303.661.0954 http://www.sunflowerfarminfo.com

Saturday 10 am - 3 pm kids 3 & up

At the Kids' Farmfest, little ones can experience true rural lifestyle with baby animals, shade trees with tire swings, and giant tree houses. Cool off in the water feature, collect eggs, enjoy sidewalk chalk and crafts, ride toy tractors, and even play in the giant sandbox.

Anderson Farms
6728 WCR 3-1/4 Erie, CO
303.828.5210 http://www.andersonfarms.com

09/25/10 - 10/31/10 hours vary visit website for info.

Families can take a wagon ride to pick a pumpkin (or a nighttime, non-scary hay wagon ride), visit the animal farm, enjoy barrel train rides, visit with farm animals, and attempt to navigate the 30-acre corn maze during the annual Anderson Farms Fall Festival.

The Kiddie Korral Playground is open on the weekends and includes pony rides, a rock climbing wall, and lots of inflatables. Advance ticketing is available, including No Waiting passes allowing purchasers to enter via a special gate.

For the brave at heart, you can't go wrong with the after-dark Terror in the Corn.

D Note
7519 Grandview Avenue
Arvada, CO

Every Sunday 2pm to 6pm ages 1 - 12

Baby Boogie features adult-friendly dance music programmed just for little ones. Kids can head up on stage and rock out with air guitars, drums, and anything else they can dream up. Grown-ups can enjoy pizza, a beverage (adult or otherwise), and watch the kids wear themselves out from across the room.

*looking for more ideas go to GoCityKids for more fun happenings!

A Restaurant for the Whole Family!

2010-09-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

We love eating out, but we don't always love the choices for our toddler. Most of the time we simply share whatever we are eating with her since kids menus seem to recycle the same old menu - chicken nuggets, pasta with butter, mac & cheese, and grilled cheese-all of which seem an after thought. But there are a few restaurant's in Colorado that actually put thought into their kids menu and I for one truly appreciate it.

Steubens on 17th Avenue in Denver has made eating with your kids super fun and healthy to boot. Kids meals come on vintage little lunch trays and while the options appear the same nuggets, grilled cheese etc.. the ingredients are obviously better and the tray is also full of yummy and nutritious choices such as edamame, berries, carrot sticks, cucumbers, and homemade ranch for dipping. The presentation makes it really fun for kids who are often left out of the whole enjoyment of going out to eat. Bravo Steubens for thinking of your pint-sized customers!

5 Ingredient Breakfasts

2010-09-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

I was inspired this week by an undiscovered (by me) magazine, "Everyday with Rachael Ray". I usually don't pick it up, but the recipes inside beckoned to me from the grocery line, and I wasn't disappointed. There's a booklet included that actually lays out a grocery list under 100 dollars, along with 7 days of really nice recipes. What a handy resource for busy parents who still want to eat well!

Another feature I enjoyed was the 5 ingredient recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I actually have made variations of both of these breakfasts before, and have never thought to share them, so here they are! I wrote them up in paragraph form with ingredients bolded.

Potato Pancakes With Avocado Mash and Eggs

Place 1 1/4 pounds shredded baking potatoes in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove moisture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1 grated onion, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In large non stick skillet, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Divide the mixture into 4 mounds and pat into 4 inch pancakes. Cover with foil and cook, turning once and adding 1 more T olive oil until browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to platter.

In same skillet, cook 4 eggs sunny side up or to desired point with 1 T olive oil for about 1 minute. Mash the flesh from 2 avocados and season with salt. Top each pancake with avocado, an egg and chipotle flavored hot sauce or fresh salsa.

Peaches and Cream Barley

In medium saucepan, bring 1 cup pearled barley and 3 1/4 cups water to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until al dente, about 30 min., drain and return to pot. Add skinned sliced peaches (about 1 1/2 cups), thinly sliced, 1/4 cup half and half, 2 T brown sugar, 1 T butter and couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Ladle into bowls and drizzle each portion with about 1/2 T more half and half.

Photo Shoot Is Up

2010-09-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, we had a few ladies over to do "mock socials" while David from 211 Photography captured photos for us. We hope to incorporate these into our site soon. Several turned out really cute! Thanks, David.

To view, click on 211, then Mish Mash. Enjoy!

http://211photography.photobiz.com/viewing

Herbs & Spices - Adding More than Flavor

2010-09-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of adding herbs and spices to baby food early on (you can begin adding cinnamon, and mint as early as 7 months). There are so many great flavors they can add to simple ingredients - for instance a little freshly ground cinnamon to butternut squash is super tasty. But did you know there is more to herbs and spices than simply flavor? Here are a few of the other reasons to add them to your families food. If you would like to learn more check out David Grotto's book "101 Foods That Could Save Your Life".

16 of the 101 foods Dave lists in his book are herbs and spices.

Basil – has strong antioxidant properties and volatile oils that have antibacterial properties, and it may decrease the immune response to allergens.

Cardamom – contains essential oils that have high antioxidant properties and could help alleviate ulcers and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Celery – the leaves can substitute for parsley. Contains polyacetylenes, substances that are highly toxic against fungi and bacteria. Essential oils in celery seeds has been shown to have anticancer properties.

Cilantro/Coriander – could help with diabetes, digestive health, heart health and contains dodecenal which in laboratory studies is effective at killing salmonella.

Cinnamon – could reduce blood pressure and contribute to heart health.

Cloves – contain eugenol, a substance that could be helpful for relieving pain, killing bacteria and reducing inflammation.

Cumin – is rich in essential oils that have been associated with blood glucose-lowering effects. It is found to be highly effective at killing the H. pylori bacteria associated with stomach ulcers.

Garlic – contains allicin, a bacteria killer, and saponin, a cholesterol soaker-upper. A study out of London found that garlic may help decrease preeclampsia complications at birth.

Ginger – is rich in antioxidants and could protect against cancer. It’s also been shown to help with motion and morning sickness.

Horseradish/Wasabi – contains glucosinolates, which are known cancer and bacteria fighters. Wasabi is known to prevent tooth decay

Mint – contains phenolic compounds that have strong antioxidant activity and may prevent E. coli bacteria from forming.

Oregano – a study showed that oregano oil caused damage to E. coli bacteria within one minute, and another study showed it to cause damage to a parasite that causes diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Parsley – contains many volatile oils with cancer protective properties, and can lower blood sugar.

Peppers – contain capsaicinoids which are inflammation reducing phytochemicals.

Rosemary – contains polyphenolic compounds that could inhibit oxidation and bacterial growth of E. coli.
Turmeric – contains curcumin which could be a cancer-fighter and have anti-inflammatory properties.

FarmFest 2010!

2010-09-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do this weekend with the kids? Come check out FarmFest 2010 at the Urban Farm in Stapleton. Lots of fun to be had for the whole family including live music, pony rides, and great food all while supporting a fantastic organization. Mish+Mash loves supporting local agriculture and programs and we hope to see as many of you as possible come out to support a very worthy cause!

Jarred Baby Food Reviews

2010-09-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have been a slacker mom this week on posting- we've both been on vacation, and I got back from Portland a few days back. It's always interesting how laundry, grocery shopping, and cleaning take so much more effort after a great trip away. Never fear, faithful readers: we'll be back!

For our Friday review, I want to share this resource from Labelo.us, a partnership we've formed. Soon, once I figure out a better and more visual way to post, I will be reviewing commonly purchased baby food products and either giving an alternative recipe or product (if I decide there are better alternatives out there). For now, you can scroll over products and get an idea of how they link up to recipes on our blog. This is a resource you can use any time, and can also download on your iPhone if you have one.

Purees on Today

2010-09-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

This segment on the Today Show really illustrates how purees can be quick, easy, and simple to store- plus the recipe looks yummy! I'm so glad to see this type of segment on national TV. Cinnamon apple oatmeal raisin puree- doesn't that sound better than the usual jarred stuff?

Enjoy!

Kiddie Cocktails!

2010-09-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Besides homemade smoothies (see recipe for Super Smoothie a couple of posts below) I only give Sofia milk and water. Lots of water with ice which is the only way she will drink it. We had a little end of the summer party on a day that it was going to be a hot 94 degrees in our backyard so I wanted to make something light and refreshing for the little ones as well as some of my pregnant and non drinking friends. It was a big hit with everyone and I was asked if I would post the recipe. Here you go! You can substitute different fruits depending on whats in season, or use frozen.

Strawberry Agua Fresca with Oranges

Ingredients

1 sliced and peeled oranges cut in small pieces
4 cups water
1 tablespoon of Agave
6 cups hulled strawberries
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
Preparation

Place strawberries in a blender, and process until smooth. Combine the agave, oranges, water, lime juice and strawberry puree; stir well.

Big Shout Outs!!

2010-09-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

We felt it was a really great time to thank a few people who we have been fortunate enough to partner with over the course of the last few months. One of the best parts about this whole journey has been the support and encouragement from other business owners in the community. We are so grateful to you all and we hope some of our Mish+Mash fans will find their services as invaluable as we have. If you have any questions about any of the people we have chosen to partner with please send us an email. We look forward to building more relationships with other local and small business owners in the future. There is definitely strength in numbers!

1. David at Brows on Upper 15th in Lohi was kind enough to perform some makeup magic on us prior to our 9 News on air segment. He is amazing. If you are ever looking for some tips or makeup for a special occasion we highly recommend him!! And if your ever looking for someone to do your brows - Michelle is incredible and uses a technique called threading which is so much better than tweezing.

2. David at 211 Photography is the man behind the camera for all the fantastic photos you see on our site. He also recently launched a super cost effective company called Bloom Portraits. If you are ever looking for some pictures of your kids between the big family photo sessions its a great alternative. He is really fun to work with and a great talent. He is located in the Highlands.

3. Hilary at Real Baby has been a big support of Mish+Mash from the start in fact all the ladies that operate the store at 32nd and Lowell have been fantastic. This is such a wonderful little gem of a store in our neighborhood and we are so lucky to have it.

4. Melissa at Lola Bird Communications is the pr guru who is responsible for getting us on 9 News. She is a super bright, beautiful, and funny pr/marketing professional who we are so fortunate to have helping us on our little journey. If you are looking for someone to help take your business to the next step contact her you will not regret it!

5. Scott Pelletier (Nicole's husband) is the man behind our web and logo design and implementation. He is available on a freelance basis, so if you are looking for someone to give your business a fresh look contact him directly at scott_pelletier@yahoo.com.

We are grateful to everyone who has helped us through our first summer of operation including all our friends and family who have been our biggest supporters. We couldn't do it without you!! xoxo Nicole & Sarah

9 News!

2010-09-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well, if you haven't already seen it, here's the official segment from 9 News. Nicole and I had a great time prepping for this yesterday, as we both got to be toddler-free for an afternoon. Tomorrow we'll blog about the pre-TV makeup we had done at Brows on 15th... they are amazing!

We were all nerves, but luckily Kim Christiansen turned out to be a truly kind person who kept us at ease. In the end, we were amazed by how quickly it went, and I think we both felt proud of our accomplishment. I don't think either of us ever thought we'd be taking our little idea from the ground up, and eventually chatting on TV about it.

We hope a few of our Mish+Mash followers got to see it- thanks for all of your support!

Quinoa Banana Mash-up

2010-09-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Once you move beyond vegetables and fruit purees and into chunkier textures, your baby will show great curiosity in what you serve up. Try this recipe as an alternative to regular banana puree.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) isn't commonly thought of as a "baby food", but it's a fabulous one. Quinoa has the most protein of any grain and has a soft, nutty texture and flavor. Most babies love bananas already, so this is a no brainer. This also keeps well in the refrigerator.

Quinoa Banana Mash

Ingredients:

1/2 Banana
Pinch Cinnamon
3 Tbsp Cooked Quinoa
1 Tbsp Whole Milk Yogurt (for 9 months +)

Directions:

1. Place all the banana in a bowl and mash with a fork.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Picky Eaters or Kiddos with Discerning Palates?

2010-09-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

We both know that dealing with a "picky" baby, toddler, or child can definitely be frustrating at times, however if you take the time to follow some easy steps you might find that your little one isn't a picky eater after all but simply a child with a very discerning palate.

1.HIDE & SEEK: add veggies & proteins to the foods your kiddo already enjoys such as pasta sauce, macaroni & cheese, quesadillas, or scrambled eggs. Make sure to finely chop any veggie or protein so it isn't easily spotted. By adding new tastes to things that are already familiar your child will not be overwhelmed by the "newness" of the taste and/or texture.

2. PRESTO CHANGE-O: try different cooking and preparation methods to alter the tastes and textures. Instead of steaming try roasting, sauteeing, baking, or grilling. Add seasonings like sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh squeezed lemon juice, or chopped fresh herbs to add more flavor to veggies and proteins. Also try to introduce new foods in dips and snacks instead of only at mealtimes.

3. KEEP IT SIMPLE: do your best to make mealtime fun for the both of you by not turning into a short order cook by remaking meals over and over again until you find something they will eat. Always serve one familiar and well liked option alongside something new. Serve them a version of what the rest of family is eating so you aren't always making separate meals. Don't overwhelm them with too many choices. Sometimes serving them one thing at a time works better than a whole plate full of 3 or 4 different foods. Some kids will choose to eat nothing rather than deal with making a choice between various options. Keep in mind that it can take up to 18 tries of a new food for kids to take to it so it is important that you don't give up you just let it go and try again later.

4. TOGETHER: involve your child in the whole process by showing them what you are making and even letting them help. While there are things they obviously are too young to do in the kitchen there a lot of little jobs they can do. Let them put the lettuce into the salad bowl, or help set the table, or even teach them to stir ingredients. All of these little tasks give them a chance to see the whole process from beginning to end. They may not eat everything that is served but it might just make them curious enough to try a bite at dinner. And getting them to taste is sometimes half the battle and really a victory in itself. Make a list of all the things they do eat and post it on the fridge every time they try something new - add it to the list and show how proud you are that they are becoming such adventurous little eaters.

5. LEAD BY EXAMPLE: kids love to eat what you are eating, so chances are if you eat healthy so will they. Make mealtime a fun family event instead of just another thing to cross off your "to do list". Taking the time to sit together and enjoy a meal and share the events of the day will show your child that meals aren't meant to be stressful but rather an enjoyable part of their day where they get to spend time with mom and dad.

*Here's some great recipes to get your kids to eat healthy ingredients in fun and tasty new ways.

Super Smoothie:

1 tablespooon of loosely chopped fresh spinach or kale

OR 1 cube of frozen spinach or kale

1/4 cup of chopped fresh or frozen Strawberries

14 cup of chopped banana

1 teaspoon of flax meal

2 tablespoons of plain Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup of unsweetened Almond Milk, or Soy Milk

Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Play around with the consistency as well as the ingredients depending on your child's age and allergies. This is also a great energy boost for mom & dad!!

Yum-O Apple Spinach Chicken Nuggets ( For kids 9 months and beyond)

Ingredients:
3/4 lb organic ground chicken
1 medium onion, peeled and diced (I love the food processor for this part)
1 small apple, peeled and grated (just switch to the grater attachment on your processor)
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled well
1/4 or more cups of frozen spinach, crumbled
1 cup dry bread crumbs
canola oil or olive oil for frying (canola oil can take higher heats)

Directions:
1. Combine first five ingredients in bowl. Mix together with your hands or spoon. Shape into small patties.
2. Put bread crumbs in a shallow dish and press the pieces into the coating.
3. Heat enough oil for shallow frying in large frying pan. Add nuggets and cook about 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until light golden and cooked through.
4. Suitable for freezing- they will be mushy if you microwave them so consider letting them defrost in fridge and then heating them up stove top. Or, you could throw a few in the oven or toaster oven at 375 until crispy again.

Make a mini-meal by serving either of the below dips with steamed or fresh veggies. These dips entice kids to enjoy their veggies, plus they have healthy ingredients!

This recipe is suitable for babies happily feeding themselves, as it makes an ideal dip for soft vegetables or pita bread, or drier hummus can be balled up for younger babies. Chickpeas (or Garbanzo beans) are legumes, and a great source of protein. The olive oil provides important healthy fats, and roasted red pepper provides vitamins C and A.

Happy Hummus Dip

Ingredients:
1 roasted red bell pepper- optional- (we use jarred, but you can roast your own)
1 can cooked low sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup tahini OR plain whole-milk yogurt
1 small clove garlic
2 T olive oil, or more if needed
1/2 t cumin
lemon juice, to taste

Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, the roasted pepper, yogurt/tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin.
2. Process until smooth. Add olive oil as desired for smoother consistency.

Creamy Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts
2 green onions, finely chopped
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 T chopped fresh flat-;leaf parsley
2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. Rinse and drain artichoke hearts.
2. In food processor or blender, combine the artichokes, green onions, cream cheese, parsley, and 2 tsp. lemon juice. Process to smooth puree. Season with lemon juice to taste.
3. Serve with veggies or sliced bread for dipping. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Have any of your own pick eater tricks? Or any other questions we can answer for you? Simple go to our website www.mishmashhomemade.com and click on the discussion board to post ideas and questions!

Baked Veggies: YUM!

2010-08-31T08:59:00.001-07:00

We're prepping for our 9 news segment tomorrow, and part of our tips on picky eaters will focus on different ways to prep vegetables, other than the traditional steaming. I needed some inspiration, so I turned to my favorite resource, Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink, and be Merry, by Lisa Barnes. The following two recipes from this cookbook are perfect examples of how to turn otherwise commonplace veggies into delightful dippers!

Baked Zuke Sticks

Good snack food, side dish, or party food with a side of marinara for dipping.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup organic milk
3 medium zucchini, cut into 3 x 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Place flour on plate and pour milk into shallow bowl.

Dip each stick into flour until coated, then in milk. Finally, roll in bread crumb mixture until covered pressing so mixture adheres to zucchini.

Transfer zuke sticks to prepared pan and bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until zucchini is tender and coating is crisp and brown.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Great dipped in artichoke dip, yogurt, or salsa.

Ingredients:
1 large organic sweet potato, thinly sliced
2 T extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, black pepper or other dried herbs such as rosemary and oregano or cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Line baking sheet with foil and grease foil.

Thinly slice potato using a mandolin or steady, sharp knife. Put potato slices in resealable plastic bag. Drizzle with oil and coat on all sides. (this step is great for kids to help with)

Place slices in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper or herbs, if desired (another good kid step). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. To move them to "crunchy" status turn down heat to 325 and cook and additional 5 to 10 min until crisp. Remove slices and cool.

What's New with Mish+Mash

2010-08-29T21:33:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of exciting things happening here at Mish+Mash this week. First, we officially launched our new improved website. Our web guru (aka Nicole's husband) has been hard at work fine tuning and redesigning the whole site inside and out & top to bottom. I hope everyone finds it easy to navigate and full of helpful resources. We would love to hear what you think and if you have any suggestions of things you'd like to see etc.. we encourage you to email us at info@mishmashhomemade.com or post directly to our Facebook page.

Second, tune into the 4 o'clock telecast of 9 news on Wednesday, September 1st to see our t.v. debut. We will be speaking on the subject of "picky eaters" who we like to refer to as "kids with discerning palates". If you can't catch it don't worry we will be blogging about our whole experience. We will also post the recipes and more information from our on air discussion on Wednesday. We are excited, terrified, and hoping we don't pull a Cindy Brady. (The episode where she became transfixed by the light on the camera and stared dumbfounded without uttering a word.)

Being the last week of August I suggest taking the time to get to visit your local farmers market while you can. Here is a list of fruits & veggies currently in season:

Vegetables
cucumbers
corn
eggplant
tomatoes
summer squash
green beans
lettuce

Fruits
watermelon
strawberries
cantaloupe
blueberries
peaches
apricots
kiwi
raspberries
plums

Wondering where the markets are located near you http://www.localharvest.org/.

HAPPY MONDAY!!

Food for Thought Friday

2010-08-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Usually on Fridays, we'll post one of the following:

Alternatives to usual storebought brand name baby, toddler, or kid food including recipes (also to be posted on labelo.us)
Restaurant reviews on family friendliness
Food for thought (links to related topics that we've found over the week).

This week, I found an article that puts into perspective why we're doing the work we do at Mish+Mash. You may have heard of The School Lunch Project, about Mrs. Q, a teacher who ate school lunch every day and lived to blog about it. A guest blogger shared a thought provoking post about how young poor eating can start, and how inequities in schools tend to feed this spiraling problem.

Also amusing was the following post from Yummy Mummy, a woman who took it upon herself to teach preschoolers to cook beyond the usual cheese and crackers. Nicole and I hope to teach lunchbox classes to kiddos as our business progresses, so I found this both interesting and humorous as we look ahead to the future and I look back on my teaching days. It's pretty inspirational for our own cooking with kids in our own kitchens, I've gotta say.

Happy Friday (belated)! We look forward to sharing more with you next week. Remember to watch out for us Wednesday on 9 News at 4 PM!

Homemade Tomato Soup

2010-08-26T13:51:00.001-07:00

What might one do with those ripe, summer-sweetened tomatoes? There's always the traditional salsa or canning, but have you ever thought about making homemade tomato soup? Put this up against your usual storebought brand and you'll be amazed at the difference. This recipe is pure and simple cream of tomato soup- no frills so that the taste of summer's harvest is unadulterated.

Pick up or scour your garden for some large, juicy varieties such as beefsteak. You want them at the peak of their ripeness, and even overripe will do. This is a recipe that my 19 month old enjoyed spooning up (though messy, what toddler isn't?) with crackers to dip. A side salad or grilled cheese sandwich would accompany this beautifully.

Cream of Tomato Soup

6 large peeled, cored, and seeded tomatoes (the sweetest you can find)
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Start by coring tomatoes with knife or corer. Then begin blanching your tomatoes. In simmering water, place tomatoes for 2 minutes or until skin lifts away. (you can use this pot next for tomatoes, just discard old water).
Next, drop tomatoes into cool water bath in sink. One by one, pull skin off, pull apart meat of tomato, and remove as many seeds as you can (I'm not a stickler about this). Put tomatoes back into pan. Cook over medium heat, simmering, and reduce heat and cook until completely cooked down.
Now you're ready to make your cream base. In another small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until it's smooth and bubbly. Slowly whisk in milk, not allowing to boil but allowing to just thicken.

Now it's time for the magic! Add the cream base to the tomatoes (as long as tomatoes are cooked down) and add salt and pepper to taste. At this point you can either put the soup in a sturdy blender for more liquid consistency, or leave it chunky as I do. Until you taste it, you won't know why I'm such a fanatic about it.... it's truly summer in a bowl.

Tip of the Week: Using Leftover Puree Cubes

2010-08-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

You may have pureed your heart out when your baby was little, and now you have some cubes left in your freezer. Perhaps you have a toddler who is on a veggie boycott. We have a solution!

There are actually companies out there that market frozen puree cubes as nutritional supplements for your everyday foods, so why not use your baby food knowledge and make these yourself? Genius.

Use those leftover purees to add to plain yogurt, cereal, smoothies, or even muffin recipes. Apple or pear puree makes a great addition to zucchini bread recipes, for example. You could even try popping sweet potato puree into mac & cheese.

Right now, I'm trying to incorporate spinach puree cubes into our 19 month old's diet. I plan to pop the spinach into marinara sauce, pizza sauce, and even smoothies, as spinach is a superfood that is rarely enjoyed by our little foodie on its own. Yes, this is technically "hiding", and yes, I want her to eat sauteed spinach on its own someday. But for now, I just want to get it in her diet for the fabulous vitamins it provides.

Turning One Meal into Three

2010-08-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing I've gotten really good at since adding a toddler into the mix is how to make a meal go as far as possible. I love to cook, but just like everyone I don't always have the time to make 3 meals a day 7 days a week all from scratch and just like everyone I need to stick to a food budget and cooking all those meals would be quite expensive. So it is imperative that when I think up dinner ideas I also consider how they can transform into lunch, dinner, and even breakfast over the next couple of days. Here is an example of how different recipes start with dinner and go from there.

DINNER: Lemon-Mint Chicken with Couscous & Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

Lemon-Mint Chicken

ingredients:

olive oil

fresh lemon juice

fresh mint - 1 tsp minced

salt & pepper

skinless boneless chicken breast enough to feed the family and have leftovers (make sure to buy good quality chicken breast, organic, free range. If you have had trouble getting your kiddos to eat meat it could be that it is too dry or overcooked. Shredding it also helps with texture.)

directions:

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Set an oiled rack (optional) in an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. You may also bake directly on baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.

Put Chicken on prepared rack and drizzle with oil and lemon mixture. Bake, turning one, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the enter, 12 - 15 minutes per side.

Couscous

ingredients:

golden raisins - 1/2 cup

unsalted butter - 1 tbsp

salt - 1/2 tsp to taste

ground cinnamon and cumin - 1/4 tsp each

Israeli couscous - 1 1/2 cups or enough to feed your family w/ leftovers

directions:

In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine 1 1/2 cups water, raisins, butter, salt, cinnamon, and cumin and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Give a final stir and serve.

Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes ( or any small potatoes)

ingredients:

olive oil - 1 tablespoon

potatoes - enough to feed your family and for leftovers

fresh rosemary - 2 sprigs minced

salt & pepper

directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes into small cubes and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, rosemary, and salt & pepper and toss. Place potatoes onto an oiled baking sheet and bake until tender 25 to 30 minutes.

Recommendation: Cook potatoes first, then allow the oven to cool down to temperature and bake the chicken. Leave potatoes on the stove top, covered, to keep warm.

Breakfast or Lunch: Egg, potato, & spinach scramble

Egg, Potato, & Spinach Scramble

ingredients:

leftover potatoes

eggs - enough to feed your family approximately 1 - 2 eggs per person. Beaten.

1/4 cup of fresh spinach finely chopped.

butter - 1 tablespoon

salt & pepper

cream cheese - 1 tablespoon

directions:

Heat butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add spinach, salt & pepper, and saute until tender. Meanwhile in a bowl place the leftover potatoes and mash up with a fork to a fine consistency. Add eggs, potatoes, and cream cheese to the spinach and cook thoroughly until the eggs are no longer runny.

This can also be a great lunch idea and can also be turned into a burrito with some fresh salsa added.

Lunch or Dinner: Chicken, Mango, & Avocado Quesadillas

Chicken, Mango, & Avocado Quesadillas

ingredients:

whole wheat tortillas

vegetable oil

cheese (any kind you wish) 1 1/2 cups grated

shredded leftover chicken

ripened mango - 1 peeled, pitted, and sliced

ripened avocado - 1 peeled, pitted, and sliced

fresh cilantro - 1/4 cup chopped

mild fresh salsa or plain yogurt for serving (optional)

direction:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tortillas with oil. Place tortillas, oil side down on a baking sheet, two at a time. Sprinkle each with one-quarter of the cheese, half the chicken, half the mango, half the avocado, half the cilantro, and another one-quarter of the cheese. Top each with 1 tortilla, pressing to adhere, brush top with oil.

Bake quesadillas until filling is heated through and edges begin to crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, carefully turn each over and bake until bottom is crisp, about 5 minutes.

Transfer quesadillas to plates. Cut into wedges. Allow to cool before serving. (Wrap leftover quesadillas in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to two weeks)

Snack: Leftover couscous can be served cold with whole wheat pita bread for a great healthy snack.

Age Appropriate:

For those in various stages of eating you can simply puree, chop, and blend to make all these ingredients work your own little one. 9 to 12 months - simply put the chicken into a food processor and grind into the appropriate consistency add the mango for a different flavor, the potatoes can be mashed as well. Babies (6 to 9 months) may be too young for chicken, but pureed mango, and avocado are always a hit.

I hope these ideas will make you think differently about taking the time to prepare a homemade meal for you family. If one meal can easily be transformed into numerous meals you will save time, money, and frustration.

Bon Appetit!!

What's Cookin'...

2010-08-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

+image courtesy of labelo.us

Now that you know a little bit about Mish+Mash, we're going to work to make our blog more predictable. One of us will try our darndest to write daily, and you'll see the following (as long as one of our toddlers isn't having one of "those" days):

Monday: "What's Cookin'..."A list of upcoming workshops, events, and things to do around town
Tuesday: Nicole's Recipe
Wednesday: FAQ's or Book Recommendation (Send those questions our way!)
Thursday: Sarah's Recipe
Friday: Restaurant Review or Labelo.us Review (more on that later) or TBD

And here's what's cookin':

There's a lot happening in our world. We've booked 3 home socials for September. This Saturday marks our final summer date for a Pureed Goodness course at Spiral. We'd love to get folks to come to this- summer is a tough time to fill workshops, and we know you Mish+Mash mamas are out there! If you want to take this workshop, but haven't been able to make dates, shoot us an email and we'll do our best to get a date that works for you.

We're excited to announce that we'll have our very own Mish Mash channel on the newly released Labelo.us. It's a very cool app. for iPhones that scans products and pulls up numerous reviews, or channels, for you to read up on the products. Very helpful for the conscious shopper. We'll start with basic baby foods and give alternative recipes, and work from there. If you have a specific product you'd like us to review, let us know! Oh, and the app is free, and has just been launched, so give it a shot! Our goal is for this to become a way for parents to find homemade alternatives to storebought, that they can feel confident about.

And, the grand finale: drum roll! We are scheduled to have a short snippet on 9 News at 4:00 on September 1st. Our lovely PR guru, Melissa of Lola Bird Communications, has worked her magic for us, and ready or not, here we go! The topic will be picky eaters. Our reactions are a mix of excitement, nervousness, and worry about how it will all go- but we know it'll be fun, and so great for Mish+Mash.

Other than that, some things around town to think about trying this week:

Brittney Coffey of Boom Fitness has a fabulous stroller bootcamp every Friday at 8, along with various other classes. It's at Berkeley Park.
Head on down to the Highland Farmer's Market this Saturday; you won't be disappointed!
Nicole highly recommends Zoppe'- a small Italian circus. I'm so excited to try it out!

Book Review: Simplicity Parenting

2010-08-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

Have you ever, as a parent, read a book and breathed a sigh of relief? A book in which the author seemed to know exactly the pressures you face as a parent, and offered commonsense approaches to alleviate those pressures? I just finished one, and I highly recommend it. Simplicity Parenting, by Kim John Payne, M.Ed., inspires parents to remember that less is more, that simplicity trumps complication, and that rhythm and routine are key to reclaiming childhood.

The general idea is that today's kids are losing their childhoods, their time to just "be" because they are inundated with information, toys, busy schedules, and helicopter parenting. The author recommends finding ways to simplify all of these areas of our life in order to allow our children to develop in their own ways. This may sound like a philosophy that might work for "some parents" but over and over I've seen how this is true for students in the classroom; kids who are allowed space and time along with family rituals and simplicity at home tend to be happier at school.

So why, you ask yourself, is Sarah posting this on Mish+Mash? Ah hem. Family dinners and the importance of simplifying foods are discussed in detail. The joy of family dinners is not so much in making a grand homemade meal every night, but in the ritual of it; children helping set the table, wash vegetables, and prepare dinner are more apt to eat dinner. The author also recommends simplifying foods much the same way we would toys: take out anything that is marketing to your child or that takes away the simple pleasures in eating real food. He suggests limiting choices and complexity:

"Is this food intended to nourish, or entertain? To stimulate? More simply, was it designed, or was it grown?.... The first step, then, is to wean your child off those foods that have little or no nutritional value.... The grumbling will be short term, the benefits will last."

I wanted to share more, because this was such a great read, but you'll just have to check it out or purchase it yourself. Please, shoot me a line and let me know what you think of it!

Just Peachy!

2010-08-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

It is a little known fact that I have a serious addiction to Palisade Peaches. As soon as the snow melts and the grass shines green I wait with bated breath for that wonderful nectar to come in to season. I buy them in bulk and eat them with every meal in order to not waste a single one. Thankfully, Sofia seems to have acquired this odd addiction to freshly ripened fruit. So in honor of the harvest and all the yummy peaches the farmers market has to offer here's a fabulous recipe I found for you try on your little one. And of course feel free to get a bowl for yourself as well. Thanks to One Hungry Mama for another fabulous recipe!

Roasted Cherry (or Grape) Tomatoes and Peach
(can be served to kids 10+ mos)*

2 pints organic cherry tomatoes
2 large or 3 small peaches, peeled and roughly chopped into 1 1/2″ pieces
4 tbsp organic olive oil
OR
1/3 cup organic olive oil, if you plan on using the oil in your final dish
salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the meantime, clean and dry tomatoes. Place in an oven safe dish with peaches, oil and salt (just a little if serving to beginner eaters, a healthy amount for extra flavor if serving to older kids and adults).

2. Roast for 45 minutes. Serve or store in fridge in a covered container with the cooking oil for up to 5 days.

Note: If you are taking a more more liberal approach to introducing solids, you can feel free to feed this to babies as young as 6 months. Just be sure to pick out tomato skins and mash thoroughly.

Mish+Mash Socials!

2010-08-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Looking for a night out with friends? Need ideas on nutritious & easy meals for your kiddos? Well we figured out a way for you to do both. Invite us into your kitchen for a miSh+mAsh homemade workshop specifically designed for you and your friends. What are you waiting for? Let’s get social!

- We assist you in preparing recipes that will offer a variety of food groups & meal choices.

- We provide you with the information you need to create healthy and tasty food for your child that is nutritious and age appropriate (please try to keep all the kids ages within close proximity). You will also leave with recipes for your whole family to enjoy.

- Tips and tricks on how to save time and money while making cooking for your child simple, fun, and stress free.

- Yummy food for you and your friends will also be provided as well as refreshments such as wine or mimosas.

- We will send you different menu options to choose from. We will accommodate any food allergy, needs, or concerns.

- We welcome groups from 3 to 6. We have designed these workshops to be for moms & dads – because cooking and chasing toddlers is never easy we ask that these be kid free events. For those of you with babies in the first stage of feeding (in other words immobile) we encourage you to bring them. If you have a larger party in mind please email us to arrange it.

Chunky Monkeys /Finger Foodies/Snack Attack/Lunch Box Heroes Workshop Pricing:

Happy Hour

Soiree

Shindig

*3 recipes

*4 recipes

*5 recipes

Cost: $30/person

2 hours

Cost: $35/person

2 1/2 hours

Cost: $40/person

3 hours

*Pureed Goodness workshops (6 to 9 months) are $30/person for 2 weeks worth of food.

*Food storage can be provided for an additional cost. You are welcome to bring your own. We will email you a list of options prior to the class.

*Private one on one workshops are available. Email us for details.

*We require two weeks notice to set up a workshop and ask for at least 48 hrs should you need to reschedule.

*We accept cash and check only at this time.

*You can add additional recipes onto any of our workshops for $5/person.

*Socials can be booked in the evening or for Saturday Brunch. We will do our best to accommodate.

*Email us at info@mishmashhomemade.com to plan your miSh+mAsh homemade Social!

*Class descriptions can be found on our website.

Fresh off The Presses!

2010-08-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce yet another way to get all the latest news, updates, recipes, and information from Mish+Mash. If you just can't get enough of Mish+Mash sign up to receive our monthly newsletter - simply submit your info on our website. Stay tuned for more exciting updates including a whole new fabulous website!

Mom's "Soon To Be" Totally Famous Zucchini Bread

2010-08-10T20:14:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of wonderful food memories from my childhood thanks to my mom. She is an amazing cook. I am currently putting together all her recipes as well as those from both of my grandmothers' into a family cookbook so all these wonderful memories don't ever get lost. One of these wonderful recipes is her zucchini bread which also happens to be a favorite of Sofia's as well. I can't wait to pass this book down to her and to keep adding to it with our own recipes along the way. Enjoy!

My Mom’s Famous Zucchini Bread

(Makes two loaves – you can never have just one!)

Ingredients:

3 large brown eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups grated zucchini

2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Butter two loaf pans. Beat together eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add in flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in zucchini, and nuts. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Roasted Pear Puree

2010-08-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

Because so many of my friends' babes are starting solids, and a few of them live in the Pacific Northwest, pears are a great place to start. They are a pleasing first food to baby and quite accessible. If you have an older toddler, why not puree a batch of pears and pour them into popsicle molds for a frozen treat? The puree can also be used as a yogurt mix-in for plain whole milk yogurt.

Roasted Pear Puree

5 medium organic pears
dash of cinnamon
a bit of olive oil, if desired

Peel, quarter, and core pears. Place on cookie sheet drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a fork. Set pears and liquid aside to cool.

In food processor, puree pears. Feed to baby or eat yourself within 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months in ice cube trays or baby food storage containers. Upon serving, add water, breast milk, a little cereal, or formula to desired consistency if baby is just starting solids.

Canning

2010-08-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I got the great opportunity to pick, prepare, and can apricots with our friend Holly. It made me remember that so many of the methods past generations used for cooking and preserving are still so relevant today; without some time spent canning those preserves, a giant tree of apricots would never be able to be enjoyed year 'round. It's pretty awesome to be able to taste real, homemade preserves in the middle of winter, remembering summer's harvest.

There's something so fulfilling about picking fresh fruit at 8 AM (hence the shots of Holly on the roof), standing over the stove and watching your fellow canner disco dance, and following canning procedures found here. If you've never canned, and are looking for a way to preserve the fresh fruits and veggies you love, it's worth a shot. You may be surprised at how rewarding it is.

When the hubs and little A. tried them, they agreed that it was absolutely worth the time. Mmmmm.

If you do can, what do you like to preserve? I'm thinking about a round of peaches, strawberry jam, and possibly tomatoes. Thanks, Holly, for reminding me of what a great process this is!

Book Review #1

2010-07-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Because I'm a teacher at heart, and because there are tons of fabulous cookbooks and children's books out there on the topic of food, we'll feature a book review now and then. Think Reading Rainbow reviews of yesteryear with a Mish Mash Mama spin.

The first book I've chosen is Little Pea, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, because it's on our bookshelf and it spurred this whole idea in the first place. Little Pea is the story of a family of peas (Papa Pea, Mama Pea, Little Pea, you get the drill) who have one common problem: Little Pea won't eat his.... candy. All his parents make him eat is candy, candy, candy. "Yuck, blech, eck!" are Pea's revolted reactions. All Little Pea wants is spinach. It's reverse psychology at its best, and will elicit a chuckle from parents of toddlers, and a hearty laugh from more mature kids who get the humor. And, in the happy ending, Little Pea finally gets to gobble up his... spinach. But only after he eats all of his candy.

I'm not going to say this will get your kid to eat their spinach. Parents' attitudes certainly play a bigger role than any book will. Still, the book rings true for all of us, and I'm loving the whole series by this author. Happy reading...

Homemade Play-Doh

2010-07-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

What mama doesn't love the Hallmark moment of her little one helping in the kitchen? I can't wait to have A. help me peel, grate, cut dough, mix, and learn that cooking is a totally rewarding and special process. The only problem is that she's 1 and 1/2, and before all of you Montessori friends remind me that she CAN help in the kitchen (and I know she can do a handful of kitchen chores) there are times when I just want to make my chicken picatta or oatmeal cookies without interruption or a request for a "yik" from the bowl.

A possible solution- for at least five minutes- is homemade play-doh. I love that my baker-in-training can roll this, use plastic cookie cutters, and throw around balls of it. She even sticks to it for a good five minutes, which for me is golden opportunity to test out new Mish Mash recipes. It couldn't hurt her if she ate a little, and it only takes one "yik" for her to decide it isn't too tasty. I hope you enjoy this for your little baker-in-training, too!
(courtesy of cooks.com)

PLAYDOH
1 c. flour 1 c. boiling water 2 tbsp. cream of tartar 1/2 c. salt 1 tbsp. oil Food coloring Mix and knead together. This playdoh is not sticky and does not dry out. Higher altitudes may require adding a bit more flour.

A Little Veggie Inspiration

2010-07-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

I am such a sucker for anything shrunk down from its normal size to a cute little mini version of its original. Veggies are no exception. I just love how cute they look on a plate. Here's an awesome recipe from a great food site called Dash and Bella - this inspired blog comes from a mom who not only makes fantastic yummy creations for her kids, she also involves them in the whole process then documents it on her blog. I am a foodie blog junkie and Dash and Bella is definitely in my top 5.

BABY ZUCCHINI, ASPARAGUS, AND PESTO GRATIN
No amounts necessary for this recipe. Just cook what you have.

- baby zucchini or small summer squash, ends trimmed and sliced in half

- salt

- pepper

- pesto (store bought or homemade)

- asparagus tips

- bread crumbs

- grated parmesan or pecorino

- pine nuts

Grease a baking dish with butter or olive oil. Place sliced zucchini cut-side up. Spread pesto on each half. Distribute asparagus tips evenly on top. Generously season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and grated cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are just tender and the top is crispy and brown. Serve immediately-

*You can easily puree, leave out ingredients, or add some different flavors like roasted red bell peppers. This recipe is a prime example of how you can make a dish for the entire family all at once.