Tag Archives: homemade baby food

banana split cupcakes

Posted on by
Reply

My parents own an ice cream shop in north central Pennsylvania, so I’ve spent many a sweaty summer afternoon scooping and topping (and eating) my fair share of ice cream. You might say I’ve become somewhat of an ice cream snob over the years. I also have uncommonly large forearm muscles.

Thanks Mom & Dad.

Now I’m all grown up and don’t ever have to “scoop” ice cream again. I just eat it straight out of the container with a mouth sized spoon. Much easier on the ol’ forearms.

But, every now and then I get a hankering for the familiar flavor combination of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana and peanuts that IS the banana split. And when mommy gets a hankering, y’all better watch out.

Thankfully, Chonker’s favorite foods right now include strawberries and bananas so we always have plenty laying around. And since he’s a good baby who loves to cater to my random food whims, he was cool with me using some of them to make this:

Which I then used to make these:

Oh yeah, and THESE:

Continue reading →

summer spinach apple lasagna

Posted on by
Reply

He’s strong to the finich, ’cause he eats his spinach…

(and anything else that falls in his path.) He’s Charley the Chonker Baby.

This kid loves to eat. So it didn’t surprise me when he gladly accepted spoonfuls of spinach, roasted apple and parmesan pureé. And since I tend to lick my fingers (and occasionally the spoon) while feeding him, it also didn’t surprise me when the idea for using it as a sauce for a summertime lasagna was born.

Continue reading →

butternut squash pancetta risotto cakes

Posted on by
Reply

I never get to watch TV anymore. There always seems to be something, or someone, that needs tending to. Long gone are the days of sitting around on the couch in sweatpants, watching Food Network all morning. So, I relish the moments when Chonker and Picky Eater both happen to be asleep at the same time (which is pretty much never) and I get to indulge in a few hours of “food porn.”

The idea for this week’s two-fer is the brainchild of one such indulgent occasion. I was watching an episode of Kelsey’s Essentials on the Cooking Channel and she happened to be making fried “cakes” with a lemon garlic risotto. I was mesmerized. The wheels automatically started turning and I completely forgot about the six loads of laundry I was trying to fold before afternoon chaos ensued. (I paid for that later when the six loads somehow became eight. Funny how that happens.)

Anyhow, I digress… Wheels were turning and this is what happened next:

Butternut Squash, Sage & Thyme Pureé AND Butternut Squash & Pancetta Risotto Cakes.

Continue reading →

spiced apple plum bbq chicken

Posted on by
Reply

Well, look at that. It’s Thursday again. Time for a read-one-get-one recipe extravaganza.

I actually came up with this combination last week in preparation for a Sunday Foodie Friend Feeding Frenzy. Foodies run in packs. Scientific fact.

And this Spiced Apple Plum BBQ Chicken did not disappoint. Another fact.

Now that I’ve piqued your interest… let’s get down to business.

Continue reading →

breakfast ‘pudding’

Posted on by
Reply

I’m slowly mastering the art of tricking my 3 year old (picky eater) into eating things that are good for him with a little game I have dubbed “Tom Foodery.” The kid would seriously live on snacks if his title was The Boss. Unfortunately for him, it’s not.

Every single morning, without fail, he stumbles out of his room with crazy-ass bedhead, rubbing his eyes, rambling incoherently about snacks and dreams he had about popsicles and rainbows.

Let the Tom Foodery begin, my friends.

This recipe is one I stole from Tyler Florence, only slightly adapted, and renamed “breakfast pudding.” The kids think it’s pudding. Dad thinks it’s a smoothie. The leftovers become popsicles. Win. Win. Win.

Breakfast Pudding

makes 4 – 6 servings
1 avocado
2 cups fresh pineapple
2 bananas
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree to pudding consistency.

This needs to be eaten immediately. Thanks to the avocado it will not save unless you freeze it. Which I do. In popsicle molds.

Excellent for teething babies or preschoolers who expect a daily dose of frozen treats with their afternoon swim. Quadruple Win.


 OMFG. SO GOOD.

roasted blueberry banana cupcakes

Posted on by
6

… with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting. (Phew, that took a lot out of me.)

Welcome to the first of hopefully many weekly posts that I’m dubbing “Thursday Two-Fers.” It’s like a recipe buy-one-get one. Who wouldn’t love that? A crazy person, that’s who.

These gems are actually targeting my mom friends a tiny bit more than the common foodie as they all incorporate some form of fruit and/or vegetable puree into the end recipe.

In case you didn’t already know, I’m the proud mother of a 3 1/2 year old (picky eater) and a 10 month old (chonker who will eat anything, even dog food. But that’s only when he sneaks into the laundry room undetected.) I digress. Continue reading →