very berry apple drink

Since I was a small girl I remember my mom making some easy, quick and tasty drinks out of berries and fruit. Summer season is full of this vitamin goodness but even in winter it is possible to get some frozen berries and fresh fruit like apples to make some yummy and light drinks. My baby enjoys having some of it to quench her thirst.
Here is one of the recipes.
You'll need:

peels and core from one thoroughly washed apple (make sure it is not waxed - no shine when you buy it)
5-6 strawberries
a handful of blueberries (or organic berry mix)
4 rose hips (optional but very healthy and good for you)
2 prunes (especially good if a baby has some constipation)

Preparation:

Fill a deep pot with about 1 liter of water, put all the berries and fruit inside. Bring to boil and simmer on low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, let it cool. Strain in a clean bottle and keep in the fridge.
So now the drink is very slightly sweet and I love drinking it like this, however, if you are on a sweet side or for my baby I would add some sugar or honey. (* Remember honey is recommended for babies older than 1 year.)
Hope you will enjoy this refreshing and simple drink.
That's all for now...
take care there.

zucchini carrot meat mash

Here is another dish which fast to make. I served it over some cooked buckwheat porridge or it can as well be mashed potatoes or some rice.
(9 moths - onward)

This dish was created for a quick dinner as I didn't have a lot of time and my baby was getting hungrier and hungrier. Nevertheless she ate it all.

I took:
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 baby zucchinis, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 baby meatball
salt and pepper to taste (omit this if your baby is younger than a year)
about 2 tbsp creme

Preparation:
Put carrot, zucchini and a meatball in a small pot cover with water and bring to boil. Season and cook until all the ingredients are soft and can be easily mashed. Add water during cooking if necessary. Add creme right in the end, stir, bring to boil and let it thicken a bit.
Take off the heat, let it cool and blend to desired consistency. (I recommend to break the meatball to smaller piece before using a blender.)
It yielded 2 baby portions. I froze one for later.

As I already mentioned before you can serve it with some grains or potatoes.

VARIATIONS:
If you don't want any beef in the dish or feel your baby is too young for beef, you can use chicken meatballs or about a quarter of a chicken breast cut into cubes.
You can add some herbs like thyme or rosemary (for chicken). Just make sure you don't putt to much. A pinch is more than enough.  

Have a lovely meal.
For now...
take care there.

which dish for which age???

It just occurred to me that I never mention the age my dishes are appropriate for well actually all the dishes can be given to babies from 6-9 months. It simply depends on the consistency. The older the baby the coarser the consistency I make. Sometimes I mention certain ingredients that can be given to baby at certain age only in that case I do explain it. I usually use full creme milk in my dishes, I started using it when my baby was about 9 months old. Before if I cooked any porridge I would use my baby's usual formula milk.
Anyway from now on I will try to mention the age this or that food can be given from.
:)

simple semolina porridge for babies

Hi there,
it's been a few days I haven't posted anything was busy taking my baby out and meeting with my friends. What a great day we had in the zoo. My daughter literally wanted to climb over all these animals and was so excited to see various birds and even trying to feed camels. (She actually was trying to give some long grass to them when they were not around, once they come closer she would become so possessive over the grass that would try to hide it away. It was funny.)
Anyway here is the way I cook simple semolina porridge for my baby. she loves it and it is rich in vitamin E and B, it is highly nutritious and is a good source of energy as it contains high level of carbohydrates at the same time it is quite low-fat and low in cholesterol as well as well as fairly high in fiber.
I read once that because it is high in gluten it is not recommended for children below 3 years old but after some research I didn't find any other information supporting this idea. Besides it is very popular as a baby dish in Eastern Europe and Russia. So I believe as long as your baby is not gluten or wheat intolerant it is absolutely fine and good to give them this nutritious and yummy food.
So here is my way of cooking semolina breakfast for my baby.
You'll need:

1 tsp butter
3-4 leveled tsp semolina
about 1/2 cup full-creme milk
2 cardamom pods (optional)
a good squeeze of maple syrup or honey (honey is only recommended for babies who are 1 year or older)

Preparation:

Melt butter on low heat, add semolina and stir until it absorbs all the butter. Leave to cook for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally. I prefer doing it over low heat as this way it will not burn. When semolina begins slightly browning, take it off the heat and add the milk, whisking semolina to make sure there are no lumps. Return to the stove on high heat and stirring bring to boil. After a couple of minutes it will thicken and is ready. Take it off the heat and let it cool. Add maple syrup or honey and serve. I used to add sugar but I noticed that my daughter started eating it even better with maple syrup instead of sugar.

TIP:
If you'd like to add something extra to your porridge I'd recommend some fresh juicy fruit like mango, peach, pear or apple as the texture of the dish itself is quite smooth and silky. I feel something like banana will make it a bit to sticky. Cherries or strawberries will be good too.

Enjoy the meal.
That's all for now...
take care there. 

tastebook

YAAAY!!! I finally could access my tastebook account. Don'tr know what happened but for quite a long time   the site couldn't be opened. It was a bit frustrating as I have really nice and tested recipes also , besides they were the ones that I really liked.
Anyway come and check my book out... you can find it right here.
Hope you'll enjoy it.

apple oaties (baby breakfast)

Here I am again, hi there. Today still under yesterday's cooking mood I decided to cook something new for my baby for breakfast. Once I bought her some brekkie with oats and apples and she liked it, so I thought why not making it at home. I have everything I need for this right in my fridge.
So my experiment was quite successful, she ate it all even those extra spoons that I always put. I got 2 generous portions of this porridge, one is already gone and I think I will try to freeze the second one for later.

So here my recipe:

1/2 apple (60 g), skinned and chopped into 1/2cm pieces
4tbsp apple juice (I take with no sugar added, but you can take special baby mild apple juice)
10 raisins (golden or black) - I put them whole this time but I guess I cut them into quarters next time
a pinch of cinnamon
6 generous tbsp (45 g) wholemeal rolled oats
1tsp (about 4 g) quinoa
3/4 cup water

Put first four ingredients into a small pot bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer until apples are mushy and raisin are soft.
In the meantime in another medium size pot, combine oats and quinoa, add 1/2 cup of water and simmer till the water is absorbed, I then added the rest of the water (1/4 cup) and left it on very low heat to cook through stirring occasionally. Keep in mind that even on very low heat it is best to watch your oats as they can burn and stick.
When the porridge is ready, transfer it into a bowl. If you want a smooth consistency combine oats and apple mixtures and blend until smooth. I wanted some pieces so I just mashed apples with a fork and mixed it with oats.
There is no need to add sugar as apples, raisins and apple juice make it quite sweet.
Now let it cool and watch your little one enjoy his or her meal (well hopefully :) )
Let me know if your baby liked it.
that's all for now,
take care there

tomato and other veggies sauce

So here is the sauce that can be served in different ways to make it taste like new dish every day. You can add some boiled chicken or baby yummy meatballs, pour it over tiny pasta or orzo, or maybe some buckwheat.
I actually added potato as I already peeled it but it still tastes very good.

So here are the ingredients:

1 potato, cubed
1 small carrot, cut into small cubes
1/4 butternut squash, cut into cubes
1 medium tomato, skin and seeds removed, cut into cubes
1 garlic clove (I cut it into 8 pieces)
small onion, thinly sliced
a pinch of salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Preparation:
Put potato, carrot and squash in a pot, add garlic and onion, salt and pepper (if used), add water, bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the veggies are half cooked. Add tomato and cook till potatoes and squash are soft.
Let it cool. Now it is all up to you what to do with it. Get rid of big pieces with a blender, or leave it and freeze it.
I equally distributed the sauce between four 4oz containers and froze it so later whenever I prepare meal for my baby I easily take only one portion out, thaw it and use it.
Try it and let me know what you think.
That's all for now...
take care there. ;)

Simple potato-carrot mash with turkey

Here I am again, hi there.
Today was my cooking day for my baby and my family (check out my blog for big for some more family recipes).
Well since I am writing about little ones here then I will start with baby food.
I was actually making tomato and other veggies sauce today but in the end decided that I wanna give something different to my daughter today.
So I took:
a little potato, chopped it quite finely
added about 4 cm finely chopped carrot
a small garlic clove, chopped
1/4 medium onion, chopped or finely sliced
I put everything in a small pot and covered with whole milk (full cream milk). Since my baby is 14 months now I added a pinch of salt and a crack of pepper, however, if your baby is younger than 1 year, it is up to you whether to add salt or not. I brought the mixture to boil, lowered the heat and simmered till potatoes and carrots are fully cooked and can be mashed easily.
I had some boiled turkey breast (can be easily substituted for chicken breast). I cut in into bite size tiny cubes, slightly mashed potatoes and mixed all together. I wanted to leave some lumps for my daughter to chew. (You know how lazy they can be sometimes). If your baby is small, it is better to use blender for smoother texture and easier bites.
My daughter loved it and ate it all (well except the very last bite - I guess I cooked a bit too much).
She had some fresh fruit bits and pieces for dessert.
Try it out and let me know your thoughts.
That's it for now,
take care there.

baby yummy veggie meat ball lunch

Here is one recipe that I often make for my baby that she loves.
I can actually add different combinations of vegetables but the process is more or less the same.

For this version I took:
2 small parsnips
1 medium to small potato
a small onion
1 garlic clove
one baby special meatball (I made them myself beforehand and I'll try to post the recipe but you can easily substitute it with half a small or 1/4 big chicken breast).
a pinch of salt (for babies older than 1 year)
a cup or so full fat milk

Preparation:
Peel all the veggies and chop quite finely.
Put all vegetables in a small pot, cover with milk, add salt (if used) and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are half cooked.
Add chicken breast cut to cubes and simmer about 15 minutes more till everything is soft. The longest things to cook is parsnip. You can put it to cook a bit earlier than all other ingredients, I didn't bother just kept it on simmer while being busy with my baby's games. Well of course coming and stirring once in a while.
When you see it is ready, take off and let it cool for a few minutes. Use a blender to achieve the desired consistency, as my baby is already 13 months I try to make it quite chunky but make sure that meat pieces are still not too big for her to choke.
I get 3 average portions for my baby, one of which I use right away and the other two go to the freezer.
I will try to post some variations a bit later.
Hope you and your baby will enjoy this yummy lunch or dinner.

mango-banana delicious muffins

Ok, well this post wasn't really inspired by my daughter. Though the mangoes I used were actually bought for her.
Anyway... I was wondering since mangoes were a bit too overripe for my daughter to eat what Would I do with them and those two bananas I also had in my fridge. Of course I could just eat them but I wanted everyone to try something nice and actually I was craving for some muffins.
So I was looking for the recipe in the internet but all of them were calling for something I either didn't have or didn't wanna add.

So I looked through some recipes and made my own.
You will need:
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar (normal brown sugar will do just fine)
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
1 generous cup of mango-banana mash
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
last I added 1/4 teaspoon mixed spice (optional but it tasted sooo good)
Some of those who is reading this recipe might ask where do I get mango-banana mash. Well actually I had about 2 medium bananas and 2 medium mangoes, I peeled them. cut into bite size pieces and mashed them with a potato masher. I got 2 cups of the mixture one was which is in my freezer right now waiting for another batch of  muffins to be made.
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C (if your oven is fan-forced decrease the temperature by 20 degrees ). Grease muffin pan. (I just lined mine with paper cases without greasing. I had 6 muffin and 14 cupcake cases which a bit smaller but also do their job.)
2. Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Stir in mango-banana mash, then eggs, milk and oil. Mix well and lastly add mixed spice if you use it.
3. Divide the mixture among prepared holes (I put about 2 generous tablespoons in muffin cups and a bit more than a spoon and a half in cupcake cases)
4. Bake your delicious muffins for about 20-23 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. If it takes too long I suggest to lower the heat a bit so the bottoms of your muffins won't burn.
5. Take out and stand your muffins in cases for a few minutes before taking them out and enjoying with a cup of freshly brewed tea.

Breakfast for baby

Every morning before my baby gets awake I have the same thought...
What should I make for breakfast for my little cutie????
She is not a real picky eater but I guess your food choice often depends on your mood.
So apart from various grains and porridge, here is one dish she always welcomes.
The original recipe belongs to Annabel Karmel. I bought her book on recipes for babies and it is really good, apart from many different recipes for your baby and you (some out there know how difficult it is to cook a healthy nourishing meal for yourself after you just got this tiny bundle of joy), it also has meal planners that can be quite handy.
If you don't want to spend any money just visit the site you will still find a lot of great information there.
Anyway here is my version of the recipe.
Morning scrambles eggs with tomato:
Take half a small tomato, skin and seeds removed, dice it really finely.
In a small pot or frying pan add a small nob of butter about 1/3 teaspoon, add tomatoes and cook over medium to low heat for a couple of minutes until tomatoes start giving juice. Make sure not to burn it, you don't want your baby eat something bitter (and neither do they ;)).
Meanwhile in a bowl mix an egg with a tablespoon of full fat milk and a pinch of salt (omit salt if your baby is younger than 1 year).
Once you see the tomato is soft and juicy pour the egg mixture in. I usually put the heat on high at this stage and start constantly stirring the mixture so that it gets scrambled with tiny pieces. It only take a few minuted more your baby breakfast is ready.
Make sure that it is the right temperature when you give it to your baby not too hot. You don't want any burns or half-an-hour cry.
I sometimes add a tiny sprinkle of rosemary just for a change.
Would love to post a picture but she ate it all. Maybe next time. :)
Hope you and your baby will enjoy the recipe.
See ya!

hairclips

Since my daughter was born and even before she was born I started crocheting different little and not so little things for her.

As her hair grew longer we needed something to keep them away from our pretty eyes.

So I crocheted some hairclips. So far there are only 5 but the number is growing as new outfits appear or I make one when I have time and some new idea or occasion.

here are some of them.

I posted some more pictures on my ravelry profile.

Me on ravelry

I did post some projects of mine on Ravelry. Hopefully will add some more soonish. :)
You are welcome to come and check them out.

Crochet case project

So, as I wrote in my introductory post I love crocheting and I am now working on creating a crochet case that can fit all my numerous hooks and maybe something extra but at the same time will look pretty.

So far I'm about 20% done. So let's crochet and see what's gonna come out of this.

Hello to everyone

Hello here and there, small and big, young and old, whoever is reading this.
It's actually my first ever blog. Don't know how long and how often I am gonna write. Let's see.
The reason I wanna start this blog is to kinda organize my thoughts especially my ideas regarding crocheting, maybe some cooking and other stuff that comes along the way.
My name is Yuliya and I'm a loving wife and a proud mother. My daughter was the reason why I started crocheting which is now getting from a small time-spending activity to a passion.
I've recently started creating my own design to suit my needs.
soooo...
see ya later.