A Tray Full of Spoons

He loves beans but only mashed. He would eat nothing but hummus but doesn't have the hang of dipping yet. He loves vegetables but only wants them pureed or mashed. And all of this while refusing to be fed - Mr. Independent! So what does a mommy do? Cover his tray with spoons!

Lunches lately have been a medley of spoons on my 11 month old's highchair tray - and it works!

I simply take a handful of teaspoons and fill them up. An entire well-balanced meal, completely served on a spoon (or two)! Try:

• hummus
• bean dip
• guacamole or mashed avocado
• mashed vegetables
• thick stews
• yummy spreads (check these ones out)
• re-energized dried fruits (cook in water until they make a thick puree)
• nut and seed butters
• mashed egg yolk
• mashed tofu
• basically anything that is thick enough to stick to a spoon!

Breads and Spreads

My littlest is about to be one. Unbelievable. From the minute he was born, this one has had a VERY healthy appetite. He nursed A LOT for the first 6-7 months and once we started him on solids he continued to nurse 6 or 7 times a day. Now that we're entering the Wonderful Ones, he has worked his way up to 3 meals a day plus 2 snacks and still nurses 5 times a day (and the more than occasional once in the night).

Although my two boys are different in many many ways, in the ways of food they are the same - they love it. I think they get that from me. The only way they differ with their food consumption is that I couldn't get my first to eat finger foods for the life of me, he was happy with purees until well after his first birthday, while this guy has been feeding himself since close to eight months old. The biggest challenge I'm having with him, though, is getting him to eat vegetables. He'll eat them if I puree them or if they're in stews etc..., but chunks of veggies he just will not have. He'll look at his tray of colourful bits and wail. I've tried carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, you name it. Then it came to me...this kid can't get enough of hummus and bean dip and guacamole. So enter the breads and spreads.

We've recently started him on non-gluten grains and have found a fantastic vegan quinoa bread at our local health food store. Spread the bread (or rice cake, cracker etc...) with any concoction (or toss with gluten-free pasta) and you've got yourself a happy veggie-eating baby!

Yummy Root Veggie Spreads

1 cup cubed veggies (carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, turnip, beets etc...)

2 tbsp sunflower seed butter or tahini (once these have been safely introduced)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh parsley

Steam the vegetables until soft. (Steam extra and set some aside as finger foods at this stage if your child is happy to take them.) Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Serve on bread, crackers, rice cakes etc... The spread can also be tossed with pasta if thinned out a bit with water, breastmilk, rice milk etc... The spread will last about 3 days in the fridge or make a big batch and freeze in ice cube trays as you would a homemade puree.

Other variations:

• Add chickpeas or other beans to make a vegetable hummus or bean dip
• Change up the fresh herb to change the flavour - try basil, mint, cilantro...
• Add other veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale etc...
• Change up the nut/seed butter and use pumpkin seed butter, almond butter etc....

Kale Pesto with Sunflower Seeds

3 tightly packed cups fresh kale, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup olive oil or flaxseed oil

1/2 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Place all ingredients, except oil, in food processor. Mix roughly - add a little water if it is not mixing well. You will have to periodically push the mixture down to get it to mix. Keep running processor on slow speed and slowly add the oil. Blend well. Again, this will only last a few days in the fridge so freeze unused portions in ice cube trays.

Banana Oatmeal (Muffin) Cookies

This recipe was so good I couldn't help but share it! I tweaked it a bit to lower the sugar content and health-ify them a bit. My son and I took these for snack at his preschool and they were a hit with all the kids - which is a rarity I'm told! I call them (muffin) cookies because they turned out more like a muffin in cookie's clothing - soft and cakey like a muffin, but round and flat like a cookie. They are also the perfect treat for a little one to help make, my 3 year old measured all the ingredients, put them all in the bowl, mixed them all and plopped them on the cookie sheet - pretty foolproof (not that he's a fool!).

Banana Oatmeal (Muffin) Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

3/4 cup large flake oatmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Put all the ingredients in a bowl in the order listed. Combine well and plop onto an ungreased cookie sheet. We used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to plop our cookies and they were pretty huge. They will also be pretty wet but don't fear, they didn't spread much while baking. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Don't overbake!

Ten Things To Do on a Rainy Day with a Preschooler

It's been raining and raining and raining in these parts. And you know what it means when it rains? It's time to get creative! I have a very active 3 year old who loves to be outdoors but does not like to be wet - so after a few puddle jumps (they're worth getting wet!) it's time to come inside and that's when I become the afternoon social convener. I've quickly realized with my boy that the more organized I am with an activity for us, the better off we'll both be! So while his little brother naps, the big boy and I get going. Here are our ten favourite things to do on a rainy day (in no particular order)....

1) Cornstarch Goop - I can't get enough of this stuff. It's possible that I think it's cooler than the boy does. Click on the title for directions.

2) Have a car wash! (Or doll wash, or animal wash...)

Break out the baby bathtub, a large bowl,thekitchen sink, whatever you have and get washing! We throw in washcloths, cups for pouring, ladles, measuring cups, funnels, whatever we can find!

3) Salt play

Fill a high-sided baking pan or cookie sheet with a layer of salt and let them have at it! We use little spoons as shovels (the salt reminds the boy of snow),cars for making tracks, chopsticks for writing letters etc... Side note: Keep a broom handy!

4) Crafts

Lately our crafts have been very fall/Halloween themed, check out my board on Pinterest for lots of ideas. I get very excited when I find crafts that use up random things cluttering my house - like these toilet paper roll lanterns!

5) Bake!

We're big on muffins in our house, but any kind of cooking or baking is a great way to spend time with your child, teach them about measurements, pouring, sifting etc... and help to foster their love of food. I always find the boy eats best when it's something that he has "cooked" himself.

6) Science experiments

Anything that bubbles over and makes a mess is a seller in our house. Try these discovery bottles!

7) Colouring

Sometimes I just need to empty the dishwasher - that's when the colouring ridiculousness occurs. Paper of all colours, colouring books, printed colouring pages, markers, crayons, even the odd glue and pompom get strewn across the dining room table and the boy goes to town.

8) Masking Tape Magic

It's a wonder what a roll of masking tape (or painter's tape) can do! We use masking tape on the carpet to make different games and patterns. The boy is a little spider obsessed (eek) so today we made a huge spider web with masking tape on the carpet, got out all of the spiders we could find (the fake kind, don't worry) and went to it. We've also made indoor hopscotch, obstacle courses of sorts, and practiced our letters. Endless fun!

9) Playdough

Classic. Here is a good recipe for a no-cook playdough that your kids can help make. Use playdough the traditional way, get out cookie cutters, or celebrate the season by using playdough to make removable faces on pumpkins.

10) Activity Tables

Pick a table in your house (we use the dining table), choose a theme (alphabet, animals, puzzles etc...) and set up an activity along that theme at each chair at the table. Let your child make their way around the table at their own pace. Our favourite is the alphabet table: Scrabble at one station (the boy likes to put letters on the squares on the board); letter writing worksheets at another station; alphabet toys; a letter craft (glue pompoms on a giant letter B etc...); letter magnet board; chalkboard and chalk for letter writing etc...

Warning: Reading this may cause Pinterest addiction

I kept reading and hearing about Pinterest but only recently found the time to sit down, join and explore. I am now addicted. All of my many lists of favourites I had saved in my computer have now become virtual pinboards - one of which is all of my favourite vegetarian baby recipes. Check it out if you don't mind risking addiction!

On The Table: Chickpea Burgers

Success! A veggie burger that is easy to make, takes no time at all, doesn't fall apart when cooking AND tastes delicious. Sold!

Chickpea Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, coarsely mashed

1 cup cooked rice

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup grated carrot

1/3 cup grated zucchini

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp tahini or peanut butter

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dry mustard

Mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Form into six equal sized patties and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes per side. Serve on whole wheat burger buns or pita bread with your favourite condiments. We tried the usuals (ketchup, mustard, relish) as well as the souped-up version with brie cheese and mango chutney.

This one's a keeper!

Essential Fatty Acids: What's the deal?

What are Essential fatty acids?

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are lipids that our bodies cannot synthesize and therefore need to be obtained through food and supplements. They are crucial to the regulation of emotions and mood, brain function, and nerve impulses.

EFAs are commonly lacking in our North American diet mostly because of the widespread fad to eliminate ALL fats from our diet (and that of our children). We need some form of fat in our diets, if only to ensure that we get an adequate intake of EFAs. Fat also is necessary to act as a carrier for fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E, and K - which are never included in multi-vitamins due to manufacturing limitations.

Benefits of EFAs

EFAs speed up metabolism and are required for proper functioning of the immune system. They are effective against inflammatory conditions such as eczema and arthritis. They protect against various heart and vascular diseases and they regulate the action of insulin.

Signs of an EFA deficiency

• Dry, rough, scaly skin
• Eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis
• diaper rash
• dry, brittle hair
• dry eyes
• brittle, cracked nails
• inflammatory conditions
• hyperactivity in children

Vegetarian sources of EFAs

One of the major forms of EFAs in our diet is fish and shellfish. For those of us who abstain from eating fish, a supplement would do wonders as well as the following: flax seed oil, olive oil, avocado oil, eggs, fresh raw nuts and seeds.

In our house where fish and poultry are not options as a source of EFAs we have started to take fish oil supplements. This may be a controversial topic for some, but it is a decision that we made for our family. Flax seed oil and ground flax seeds are also a great way to incorporate EFAs into your and your child's diet.

Back to School Sickness

For many of us the past few weeks have seen our children head back to school, start daycare, or have an older sibling who has done so. It is very common at this time of year that our kids (and ourselves!) start to come down with some sort of sickness. So how can we help to counteract the germs or at least keep our colds from turning into ear, chest or throat infections? Food! (And maybe some supplements here and there). Arming our children with the best germ fighters will help them to win the battle.

Zinc and Iron: Both are needed for a healthy immune system and to boost red blood cell production. As vegetarians we do have to think a bit more clearly about our children's sources of these nutrients because they are found so readily in animal products. Good vegetarian sources include: beans, seeds (sunflower and pumpkin), whole grains, lentils, dried fruit, green leafy vegetables, and bananas. In terms of supplementation, iron should not be supplemented unless prescribed by your child's physician (after testing has been done) but zinc supplementation can easily correct a deficiency (characterized by white spots on their fingernails).

Vitamins A and C: Get your kids eating a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables - think red, orange and yellow. These germ fighters have antioxidants that fight disease, help heal wounds and boost the immune system. Toddlers should be getting about 200 to 400 mg of Vitamin C per day in divided doses (in addition to what's in the diet).

Probiotics: Over 80% of our immune system is found in our digestive system - taking probiotics to ensure a healthy amount of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract will help to boost the immune system. Probiotics should be supplemented daily but if antibiotics are taken for an illness, take three times the amount when the antibiotics are done.

Protein: Whole grains, quinoa, legumes, tempeh, nuts and seeds. The fighting army of the vegetarian baby.

Keep in mind that your kids are going to get sick at this time of year - it's almost inevitable. What we can do is help our kids to boost their immune systems so when that cold comes along they are able to fight it off in no time and keep it from turning into something worse. These nutrition tips go for you as well - the other inevitability is that we get the cold too!

Food introduction: Round 2

Just when you think you have it all figured out...child number two comes along! My second son is now about seven and a half months and we started introducing solid foods about a month ago. I got out my food mill and my ice cube trays and whipped up huge batches of sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, spinach, apricots, bananas and apples - all of boy #1's favourites. What I failed to remember (again) is that no two boys are made the same! So where my first son would (and still will) devour everything in front of him, this kid just wasn't having it. The only thing he'll eat is a mix of sweet potatoes and apricots, and the occasional banana, and he'll only eat at 5pm. So we're going with it.

Keeping in mind that food introduction at this point is more for practice than for nutrition (as long as they are still getting an adequate supply of breastmilk or formula). The dried apricot puree provides an iron boost that infants at this age require and the small amounts of puree that he is having help him practice pushing the food to the back of his mouth and swallowing.

Check out Food Introduction: 6-9 months for more info and recipes!

A Year of Going Green - Update

So back in January I posted a year's worth of green initiatives that I was going to take on. How is it all going you may ask? Well, it's both going and ongoing. Here's my update:

January - Cloth diapering - Check! My baby wasn't born until February 3rd, but who's counting.

February - Oh geez, the paper towels. I am currently hanging my head in shame. Paper towels are still rampant in my house and have actually become the bane of my existence. My husband has recently gotten very interested in watercolour painting which, as many watercolour painters may know, requires a ridiculous amount of paper towel. I now find paper towel on my floor, on my couch, on my bathroom counter (?), on the kitchen counter, in the compost, etc... It's like the little nasty environmental disasters are breeding. I will say, though, that I hardly use them at all anymore. So there you go, it's his fault.

March - All natural, homemade cleaning products. We are all natural and 95% homemade. We do use a eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner because I can't seem to make anything at home that doesn't leave a sticky residue. Work in progress....

April - Ditching the plastic produce bags. Check! I found reusable produce bags at a local kitchen store (and have since seen them at the dollar store) that I scooped up and bought for everyone in my family (oh no, here she comes again). I find, though, that I don't use them that often - only for loose produce that I buy in large quantities (apples, pears, lemons etc...).

May - Walking to school. The weather laughed in my face this spring and with a newborn I found it difficult to walk in the torrential downpour every day - although I did some days. Now that the rain has mostly stopped (she says as the drops fall on her skylight), we're walking every day.

June - Green laundry detergent. Not so much. Haven't even tried. Oh wait, June's not over yet. Phew.

OK - so looking back, not so bad. Maybe a little too easy. Makes you go hmmmm doesn't it?

(Thank you Natalie at Go Green Baby for inspiring me to do this quick check up from the neck up!)

A Slew of Summer Salads

I love eating a dinner of multiple salads in the summer. They're cool and refreshing and a great way to avoid turning on your oven on a hot summer day. We celebrated Father's Day last night with this kind of dinner and everyone was able to find something that they liked - even my not-so-picky preschooler who suddenly is becoming very picky. Argh.

On last night's menu: Apple, Fennel and Walnut Salad; Dilled Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette; and Marinated Roasted Peppers with Mozzarella (along with some crusty bread and sparkling water - yum!)

Apple, Fennel and Walnut Salad

The rule in our house is "You don't have to like it, but you have to try it." Hence, last night's fennel battle.

2 red delicious apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup sliced fennel

1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

1 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup plain balkan style yoghurt

2 tbsp liquid honey (I actually left this out after finding out I had none and it was fine without it!)

4 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

In a large bowl, mix together the yoghurt, honey, lemon juice, mustard and poppy seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fennel, celery, grapes and apple and toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with walnuts.

Dilled Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Many years ago I "made" my husband move away from the city where we met and leave behind the Frog and Peach Cafe. This salad does not measure up to Stan's but it's a close replacement!

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, boiled

1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup celery, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp coarse-grain dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper. Toss potatoes, onion, celery and dill with the dressing.

Marinated Roasted Peppers with Mozzarella

Sooooooooooooooooo good. You know when you taste something and your entire mouth starts to water?

4 to 6 sweet peppers (a variety of red, yellow and orange looks nice)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound ball of mozzarella, sliced

Fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Roast the peppers on a foil lined baking sheet in a 400 degree oven. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, turning a 1/4 turn every 15 minutes. Once roasted, remove the peppers from the oven, cover with foil and allow to cool. Once cool, remove the skins, stems and seeds and slice into 1/2 wide lengths. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and oil. Toss peppers in the marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight. Serve the peppers on a plate surrounded by the sliced mozzarella. Garnish with fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley.

Don't forget about mama!

This post is more of a kick in the butt for me than anything else! As some of you may know, we've welcomed a new beautiful baby boy into our family who is now the ripe old age of four months. He's is a wonder to behold in all of his 17 pounds of glory! Isn't it amazing that this little being can grow so much and so heartily just from breastmilk? Amazing. But I digress. The real tale here is about keeping myself healthy for the sake of my baby (and myself, I suppose!). It's so easy these days to grab a piece of fruit for breakfast on the way out the door to take my older son to school, or only eat his leftovers for lunch. It's even easier to leave half my dinner on the plate because the baby's crying or my eldest needs yet another glass of water (I guess I can't complain, but this kid drinks water like it's going out of style!). What is really important these days is that I "Don't forget about mama!". It's just as important that I get a full meal as it is for my 3 year old. It's also just as important that I eat a balanced diet, that I drink plenty of water, and that I get as much rest as I can (yeah right). So, as much as this post is informative and important for any new mom, it's equally a reminder for myself to get my act together.

So what do we need to remember?

- WATER - at least 2 litres of filtered water a day, but a good rule of thumb is to take your weight, divide it in half and drink that many ounces of water per day (this rule is for everyone - it's a good one to use with your kids as well).

- Eat 3 meals a day plus 2 or 3 snacks - basically try and eat every 3 hours or so.

- Make sure to include protein with every snack and meal (check out my examples below).

- Fruits and veggies out the ying yang - 5 servings per day

- Cut down on wheat and dairy and substitute other grains and milk alternatives whenever possible.

Breakfast ideas: smoothie with protein powder; oatmeal with ground nuts and seeds; low sugar granola; cold cereal with a handful of nuts or an egg; eggs on whole grain toast; french toast; toast with nut butter

Lunch ideas: salad with nuts, seeds, eggs, cheese, tofu etc...; sandwich or wrap with nut butter, hummus, egg or cheese; mixed bean salad; bean quesadilla; hummus, whole grain pita and veggie sticks

Dinner ideas: same as above; egg and vegetable quiche or frittata; falafel; bean chili; vegetarian nut loaves; tofu stir fries; quinoa and bean stuffed veggies

Snacks: fruit with a handful of nuts; whole grain crackers and hummus or nut butter; veggie sticks with hummus, bean dip, nut butter; rice cakes with dip; corn chips and hummus; smoothie with protein powder; fruit with nut butter

Keep it easy, convenient and nutritionally powerful. Make extra dinner to have for lunch the following day. Keep a large stock of healthy snacks on hand - even if this is all you eat all day. Stock up on easy to freeze meals for manic days.

Sigh. Time to get cooking!

On the Table: This Week's Dinners

Monday: Baked teriyaki tofu, brown rice and sauteed zucchini and carrots

Tuesday: Chickpea ratatouille and salad

Wednesday: Vegetable pita pizzas with veggie sticks

Thursday: Roasted vegetable lasagna with caesar salad

Friday: Vegan Mexican Casserole and veggie sticks

Better get cooking!

On the Menu: Fruit and Yoghurt Trifle

A yummy weekend breakfast treat:

Fruit and Yoghurt Trifle

This is a fantastic weekend morning treat for the whole family. Keep in mind that you may want to keep some fruit aside for the smallest members of your family if they are still not eating honey or dairy. Enjoy!

4 cups fruit (grapes, strawberries, orange segments, banana, blueberries etc...)

3 cups yoghurt (plain sweetened with 2 tsp sugar or vanilla-flavoured)

3 cups granola - recipe below

To make granola:

1/4 cup apple cider

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup liquid honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups large-flake rolled oats

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup dried blueberries or cranberries

In saucepan, heat together first six ingredients over medium heat until almond butter is almost melted; remove from heat. Stir in oats and almonds. Spread on rimmed baking sheet; bake in centre of 350F oven, stirring often, until light golden, 15 minutes. Stir in blueberries; bake until fragrant and golden, about 12 minutes.

To make trifle:

Layer components in a clear glass dish for best presentation. Scoop 1/3 of the yoghurt into the bowl, cover with 1/2 the granola, 1/3 yoghurt, 1/2 granola, 1/3 yoghurt and finally cover the top with the fruit.

Yum!