In Pursuit of Tastiness: Homemade Roasted Ginger Carrot baby food

I've been making most of Gwennie's baby food for a few months now. I'm not a purist, I do buy baby food every once in awhile. They're very handy when we're on the go, I don't have to worry about refrigeration or thawing... and there are some things I'd rather not bother with (at least right now). Like squash. But mostly, I make it. And I'm not the culinary type but I find that I'm actually having fun thinking of new combos for her to try. Also, watching the food squish out of the sides of the blade guard as it purees makes me happy for reasons I can't explain.

This afternoon I tried something new- roasted carrots with ginger, and am I glad I did! It was yummy, and I helped myself to a few as I got ready to puree. Try it with Pomegranate Vinaigrette- OMG, YUMMMMM!

Gwen doesn't seem to be a fan of carrots in general, and she definitely isn't a fan of them plain. But I didn't want to keep mixing them with other foods all the time, so this seemed like the perfect compromise. They're still carrots, and taste like carrots, but with a little more flavor. Initially, she seemed unsure of the roasted ginger carrots (which I expected- new ginger taste and all) but she ate them with more gusto than she does plain carrots, although certainly lacking the enthusiasm she normally has when I feed her mango carrot puree. But she ate the whole 2 oz. serving, which counts for something.

I followed it up with a 2 oz serving of roasted bananas, which she enjoyed much, much more. But we'll keep working on it.

So, for anyone interested here is the recipe for the roasted ginger carrots. Making this is suuuuper easy regardless of who will be eating them:

****Don't forget the 4 day wait rule when introducing your baby to new foods (to watch for allergic reactions), and talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns****

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees:


*1/2 lb- 1 lb baby carrots
* fresh ginger, sliced (I used about 4 small-ish slices about 1/4" thick)
* water 


     put the carrots in a baking pan and add the ginger, spreading them out in the pan.
     Add the water (enough to barely cover the carrots)


     bake for 30-45 minutes or until tender


     for the baby food, pour the carrots into the blender or a bowl & puree to desired consistency. 
     Discard the ginger.

Now, you could use plain water to help thin the carrot puree, but I had already boiled some ginger with water for my other daughter who was home sick so I used some of that and it all came out quite nicely.

the 1/2 lb. of carrots I baked made about (14) 1 oz. servings.

After preparing them, I pour the puree into ice cube trays, cover and freeze. Once they've frozen after a few hours, I'll move the cubes into a freezer safe container, which frees up my tray to use for another food and makes it easier when it's time to feed Gwen. They keep for about 2-4 weeks in the freezer.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Like Moths to a...

Last summer Sofia saw a moth in the house and totally freaked. She was worried it was going to eat her. Where she got this idea is a mystery, but there it was for me to deal with. Of course, I told her that she wasn't going to get eaten by a moth.

"Moths don't eat people," I explained. "They like natural fibers like wool. They'd rather eat my yarn." Naturally my response was followed with, "why would moths want to eat your yarn?" I gave her an honest and factual answer. "Because," I said, "they just like to eat wool and I have yarn that's made of wool."

I thought the expanded explanation would soothe her fears. I really, really did. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Granted, she's no longer worried the moths will eat her flesh and bones. Instead, she worries they'll eat the clothes off of her body- including her panties- and leave her standing nekkid for all to see. Apparently, this is terrifying to a five year old. Even one who seems to distaste wearing anything besides panties around the house. She doesn't fail to point this out whenever a moth gets into the house.

"Ahh, get it away!" she shouts. "It's going to eat my clothes!"

In hindsight, I probably should have just left it at, "moths don't eat people", never mind the why's.

Whoever said knowledge is power clearly did not have children. Otherwise he/she would know that sometimes knowledge is just another fear waiting to be planted in the mind of a child. No matter how ridiculous it seems to us.

Impulse: a poem by Lynn Werre

The minutes are but 
A drop in the bucket of Times indifference
To my desire for it to speed up, slow down
Or altogether stop.

Time is a compulsion 
That must keep moving forward.
Won't stop, can't stop
Or change its steadfast pace.

Choice is not an option,
Except for mine-
To lay down the impulse
To tell Time
      To go 
                to 
                    hell.

Don't Make Me Eject You!

Allie slid into the passenger seat when I picked her up from school today. She began studying the various buttons on the dash panel ("getting a head start for when she learns to drive").

Allie: Is this the eject button?
I glanced to see what she was pointing to. I noticed it was the hazard button.
Me: No, babe. It's not.
Allie: So, it won't eject me out of the car if I push it?

I tried very hard to swallow my laugh.

Me: No, it won't eject you, or anyone else, from the car.
Allie: Do those things even exist then or is that just in the movies?
Me: No, they exist. But only in planes and helicopters and stuff. Cars don't have eject buttons.

For a tiny moment, I allowed  myself to imagine the usefulness of an automotive eject button...

"Don't make me eject you!"

Something To Write Home About

This afternoon, the girls and I received these beautiful cards from my husband.

One for each of us (Sofia ran off with hers and I was impatient to take photos while I knew where the rest were). Of course, getting a card from a loved one is (usually) a sentimental experience. But when I realized these cards were handmade by volunteers for troops to send to their families, it took on even more meaning.

Being the crafty type myself, I realize how much thought and care goes into each card. The fact that some wonderful paper crafter took the time to make even one card to donate to our Soldiers is incredibly touching in a way I can't fully express.

Operation Write Home is the name of the organization that accepts donations of blank handmade cards to distribute to our deployed troops to send home. Please, please check out their website for guidelines and info on where to send them if you are interested.

And to any and all crafters who contribute their talent to such wonderful endeavors, thank you! A handmade card may seem small, but the impact it made on my day is bigger than you will ever know. I will pay it forward.

Snack Attack

Well, hello there yummy left over California Rolls. Why yes, I do believe I will eat the rest of you. Who is that yelling, me too!? Why, howdy, Chocolate Cupcake. It looks like you've lost you're delicious-looking pink whipped cream frosting top. Don't worry, I'll scoop it back on for you. And yes, of course you may join the party in my tummy (so yummy, so yummy).


What's that, Capri Sun? Yes, you're invited, too. Silly fruit drink. Why wouldn't you be? I need something to chase down all those silly California rolls and cupcakes.

Wait. Everybody, shhhhh! I hear someone coming... Get down. I'll check it out but you're safe, don't worry. Tip toe, tip toe. 

Its the Sugar Monitor! Quick, get in my mouth so he doesn't see you all! Hurry. HURRY! 

/garbled/
WHEW! That was close! 

Bonding with Babysitting Mama

For Allie's birthday, we got her the newest game of the Cooking Mama franchise. Just as I thought she would, she LOVED it. And just as I thought I would, I hated it. But, what can you do, right?

So anyways, she and her sister were playing a mini game where these babies toddle across the screen nekkid, and you have to flick the nun chuck at just the right time to diaper the baby. Watching, I wondered why in the hell  8 babies were running around sans butt-covers? But that soon became irrelevant cuz then an inexplicable urge to try it out came over me. So I did. And afterwards, I challenged Allie and Sofia in a few of the other mini games. What follows is one of our various exchanges regarding a challenge:

On Feed the Baby (where you have to time carefully to put the spoon in and take out of the baby's mouth cuz she's all flailing and stuff):

Allie: mom, you're losing. You have to wait until the baby stops moving her arms to feed her.
Me: I know.
Allie: but you keep trying to feed her when she's moving her arms.
Me: I know.
Allie: you're making her cry!
Me: I know. Isn't it great?
Allie: mom, you're losing! Sofia's already fed her baby 5 times now and you only did 2!
Me (continuing to intentionally mis-time the task): it's okay. I don't think this stupid baby wants to eat, anyways
Allie: she does, she does.
Me: no she doesn't, she keeps knocking the spoon away.
Allie: because you're not being patient. You have to wait until she stops doing that before you feed her
Me: Pffffft. What's the fun in that?
Allie: What?
Me: this dumb baby isn't hungry anyhow. Look at that, she knocks the spoon away. Hungry babies don't do that.
Allie: yes, they do.
Me: Gwennie doesn't. If she's hungry, she opens her mouth. If she's not, she pushes away the spoon or bottle.
Allie: ... it's just a game mom.
Me (smiling): I know!
Allie: But you're losing!
Me: But it's much more fun this way.

I don't think Allie will let me near her future children after this...