2 Yummy Purees By Request

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.)

Butternut Squash Risotto

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.

Purees on Today

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!

Quinoa Banana Mash-up

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.

Tip of the Week: Using Leftover Puree Cubes

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.

Roasted Pear Puree

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.

Get Social!

While we are awaiting the big unveil of our newly revamped website - a work still in progress - I thought we'd let you all in on one of the new workshops Mish+Mash homemade is now offering. We can't wait to add more Mish+Mashers to our community!

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? Lets get social!

v We will assist you in preparing recipes that will offer a variety of food groups & different mealtimes.

v We will 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 that your whole family can enjoy.

v We will give you tips and tricks on how to save time and money while making cooking for your child simple, fun, and stress free.

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

v We will send you menu options to choose from prior to your workshop. We will be more then happy to accommodate any food allergy, needs, or concerns

v 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 will be happy to accommodate them. If you have a larger party in mind please email us to arrange it.

Chunky Monkeys /Finger Foodies/Snack Attack 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 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 list of options prior to the class.

*Private one on one workshops are available simply 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!

A Different Take on Puree

When we think about making our own baby food we often think of steaming fruits & veggies and then simply pureeing them to the desired consistency. But did you ever consider how different an apple can taste when it is baked instead of steamed? Or how about baking your babies sweet potato instead? All these various cooking methods will bring out different tastes and textures. Bananas were always tricky for me - Sofia only would eat them if they were at just the right level of ripeness. What she really loved is when I baked them which created a yummy caramelized sweetness. Simply put the banana into a 400 degree oven in the peel for about 8 minutes. Once it cools peel and mash with a fork - add a little cinnamon or nutmeg for added flavor. This is a great one to add to their morning cereal as well. This is one of the many "tricks" we teach in our workshops. Our classes are not just merely steam & puree we show you all different ways to cook your kids food. If you have a little one who doesn't seem to care for a certain fruits or veggies changing up your preparation might just change the way your kiddo reacts to it. We hope to see you in a workshop soon!!

Saving Money, Starting Solids.

I'll be honest from the get-go. When Ava started eating solids, yes, I knew homemade was better for her. Yes, I knew that when grocery shopping, I should try to stay at the outer edges of the grocery store near the produce, meat, and dairy while avoiding the sugar and snack aisles. But what really, really drove me to make homemade baby food was that it's so much cheaper!
Plus, when I tasted both jarred and homemade, it was obvious which would be more enticing to my little one.

And so, fellow penny pinchers, we will be looking for ways to save you money as you feed your litle foodies. I'll start with a simple puree comparison.

I'll even break it down using our local In Season market's price, which sells produce only from local farms (usually folks claim that it's too expensive to buy local, organic, which is not always true as long as you do your research).
Acorn squash: price per pound- $1.00, one squash= $2.50
Earth's Best first squash baby food jar at Sunflower= 89 cents per serving. (2.5 ounces a serving).
Amount of food you could make from one squash= at least 12 ice cube sized- portions (6 servings for a hungry baby, more for a baby just starting out.) Amount it would cost for 6 jars of baby food= $5.34. Your savings= $2.84!

That may not seem like much, but if you add that up over time, for the hundreds of jars of baby food your baby would otherwise be consuming, it's a huge savings of up to thousands of dollars.

If you are just starting solids for your little one, or have started in the last few months and hope to learn how to start incorporating homemade, we'd love to show you how to save money too! Plus, your baby will thank you (with a gurgle and smile) when he or she will get to try new textures and fresh tastes.