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

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.

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!