Milk Man

The other day, Jack and I decided to take the jogging stroller up to starbucks for a java break. 
Once there, we decided to relax in one of the big cozy chairs and enjoy our drinks.
Me? Soy decaf latte.
Jack? Vanilla organic milk.
By the way mamas, those milks have tons of sugar in them! No wonder Jack sucked it right down.
Be careful...this is going to be a rare treat for my little dude from now on.

Road Trip with Baby & More Food

Jack and I are hitting the road today for St. Louis.  Daddy is staying home to do the taxes and work on the bathroom the weekend.  I expect to see some progress when we get home on Sunday, ha!  Wishful thinking?  No way, my hubs is pretty good about getting stuff done while we are gone.

I think I have our trip planned pretty well--sippy cups, snacks, toys, binkys, extra clothes.  The tough part is going to be the snack on the road.  Jack can't eat it in the car, so we will have to stop on the road somewhere, which I hate.  I hate fast food places, and don't want to just feed him in the backseat.  There are a couple of McDonald's on the way that are good places to stop.  Too bad their food is poison.

My game plan is to try and keep driving the whole time unless the hunger cries begin.  Maybe today he will eat a big lunch at daycare before I pick him up?  Hope so.

If we do have to stop I bought some trusty Earth's Best Organic Cereal Bars.  They get kind of messy, but they are a pretty tasty snack.  They mush up pretty nicely too.  Hopefully McDonald's won't mind.

 

Have you noticed that I've been talking about food a lot lately for Jack?  It is something that is always on the top of my mind.  I wish there was some kind of baby food resource out there for when babes start wanting to eat real food.  It's stressful.  I feel like a short order cook sometimes!

Anyone else feel my pain?

Oh well, it's Friday so who care, right?  Can't wait for our roadtrip and to see all the family and friends.

Happy Friday!

Little Chocolate Donuts

If you are a SNL fan like me, you may remember this classic John Belushi skit...little chocolate donuts.

I better be careful, because I'm getting a kick out of feeding my baby dessert from time to time, including little chocolate donuts....

He really likes them. A little too much. Time to cut back before he starts to look like the new little chocolate donuts spokesman.

The Cheesy Egg Solution

Why is it so hard to figure out what to feed baby?  Oh yes, because he can choke on anything that is larger than a pea, and on top of that, he doesn't like everything we eat.  Lovely.

Introducing the "Cheesy Egg."  When Jack rejects his food, or is having a hard time with some food that I thought he would easily devour (like my homemade chicken noodle soup today), the cheesy egg meal is my back up plan.  I buy organic Eggsland Best eggs as I feel like are likely to be pretty good for him.  At least that is what the label says! Protein and vitamins, sounds good to me. 

 

Add in a little organic shredded cheese, and you have yourself a great little meal.  It's easy to serve too.  He can take a pretty big piece of cheesy egg and mash it up with his two little teeth--I don't constantly worry about him choking. 

There you have it...cheesy egg.  Who says eggs are only for breakfast?  In my house, try breakfast, lunch, and once in a while dinner!

Another Use for Pizza Cutters

Tonight I was feeling lazy and didn't want to make dinner.  I have yet another sore throat and just feel achy.  Ahh, the joys of being a working mom to a 10-month old.  I've never been so sick in my life.  I seem to catch everything that travels around his daycare.

Anyway, I took little Jack up to the grocery store after work/school and we picked up some bean and cheese burritos for dinner (a guilty pleasure).  When we got home I heated his up in the microwave, but I wasn't sure how to cut it up.  A knife would be so messy, so...I figured out a new use for the pizza cutter. 

It worked great!  It cut right through the warm tortilla without a mess.  Next time I make anytime of mexican with tortillas, I plan on using these suckers for Jack's food.

Speaking of Jack and food, he is gobbling everything up in sight.  At first I was sad to stop the baby food, but now it's a complete joy.  Every time he eats something new, it's so exciting.

Happy slicing!

I Heart Whole Foods

So on Saturday, Jack and I hit Whole Foods for a little grocery shopping.  Since we were sick last weekend, we couldn't wait to stock our pantry back up.

I just love walking into Whole Foods.  All of the produce is so fresh and beautiful.  There are many organic choices to choose from--it's hard to decide.  It's great you can buy just one organic carrot if you so please--this is what I get Jack every time I shop there since they are so easy to cut up for a quick meal.

This shopping trip was particularly funny.  We were in the middle of our gathering and Jack got hungry.  Luckily they had crackers sitting out so I gave him one.  He gobbled it up.  Then I gave him another one.  He gobbled that up.  Another, and another, gobble, gobble.  While eating his fifth cracker I look down and it was such a sad sight.  Cracker was everywhere on his sweatshirt and he was passed out.  It was so funny, and apparently everyone else in the store thought so too.

I have a new favorite brand that I buy up at Whole Foods these days.  Annie's...everything.  Jackson likes the cheesy crackers, chocolate bunnies, and the mac and cheese.  So do I.  Organic junky food.  Love it!

Jackson had the mac n cheese for lunch on Saturday when we got home from the store along with some organic carrots.  Good times.

Baby Food for 10 Month Old

Okay, I must be a lazy mom.  I really got used to feeding my baby jar food.  It's simple.  You open it up, spoon it out, baby is full.  Well now that Jackson is 10 months old (today in fact!), he doesn't want puree baby food any longer.  Totally understandable.  I wouldn't either.

The problem is, there are not many chunky baby food options out there.  I guess I'm supposed to make dinner every night, cut it up into tiny pieces, and feed him it.  Gosh.  That just isn't going to happen given our work schedules.  I do my best, but I just can't do it every night with all the other things we have going on.

Well luckily at Target last weekend I was able to find a couple of options.  Earth's Best not only makes organic food, but they had a few varieties of chunky baby food.  Chicken with stars, pasta, and chunky fruit. 

 

Checking out Amazon, they also have a variety of baby's first soups.  I may have to invest in this package...Jackson loves soup.  Last night he ate up a bunch of potato soup we picked up from the market.

 

I may also just prepare some of my own chunky baby food at home during the weekends for the upcoming week.  I'm thinking organic pasta and sauce.  Whole Foods here I come...

Easy Cut Up Carrots

One of my co-workers and I chat from time to time about feeding our little ones.  They are the same age (born 3 days apart), and it helps to know if they are on the same page (in terms of food).

A good idea came out of one of our discussions the other day.  I was telling my friend about feeding carrots to Jack.  He likes them enough, but cooking them up, and cutting them up, can be take a ton of time.  So my friends said that she cut up her carrots with a cheese grader and just feeds them to her little one raw.  What a great idea!


Any kind of cheese grader will do, but the ones that cut the carrots very small are the best.

For a few nights now, Jack has now eaten raw organic carrots.  It's a super easy way to get his veg-on.

Baby's Big Dinner

Last night we had an amazing dinner.  We ate organic salmon with this yummy Cajun seasoning from Williams Sonoma.  We also had twice backed potatoes with cheese, and organic vegetables.  And yes, so did Jackson.  All of it.

It was the first time he ate a meal that was not pureed in some way, shape, or form.  Well, maybe the potatoes were a little puree-like, but not the veggies and salmon.  He tore it up!

I'm really trying to get him off of purees because he doesn't seem to like them anymore and it's becoming a waste of money.  The pedi told us to start giving him what we eat, but I'm scared of him choking.  I'll tell you though, he had no problems with this dinner, in fact, he loved it.  Chunks and all.

It's really fun sitting down and having dinner with the baby every night, especially now I don't have to prepare a special baby meal.  I love it.

An Apology to Gerber

Ahh Gerber, you win.

I thought I could make all of Jackson's baby food, but this week I sort-of started slacking off.  Oh I have every excuse in the book.  It got too hard to strain all those pea shells.  I'm too tired when I get home from work.  I don't feel like finding a microwave safe bowl for that frozen baby food cube.

You come packaged so well.  I pop you open and fill up his bowl.  Add a little cereal and milk.  Stick the remaining food in the fridge and I'm done.
 

 

Your texture is so creamy and smooth, and my baby loves you for it.  How can I deny him this great pleasure?

You have given me the ability to put that steam basket away for a few nights, and simply enjoy my little man.  For this I must thank you.

I know I talked a lot of smack about you Gerber, but you are not all that bad.  In fact, I find you edible.  And so does Jackson.  Especially your green beans and peas.

Give Thanks for Different Baby Food Flavors!

It's Thanksgiving Eve!  More food, more fun.

I'm really pushing the baby food on Jackson.  He isn't a huge foodie just yet, so I've been trying different flavors (and yes, I've been waiting 3-4 days between foods per the rules).  I'm thankful for all the different kinds he can try at this age

So what have I tried?  More like what have I not tried.

I bought this new steamer basket at Target and I'm going to town with it.  It was pretty affordable, like $8.  I can't believe how incredibly easy to steam veggies for baby food.

Recently I made some steamed carrots for the little man.

I just opened a bag of those pre-peeled baby carrots, washed them, and tossed in the steamer basket.  Yes, you really should wash them even though they say they are already clean.  Sorry lazy people.

Then I tossed them in the food processor.  Spin it up.

And finally into the ice cube tray (each 1oz).  Hey, they look like sweet potatoes!  Better mark the freezer bag they are going in. 

It made 12oz (I used one cube for that night's dinner). Mix with some breast milk and some barley or oatmeal and you have yourself a complete baby feast.  You can't beat the cost too. 12 meals for $2. Yea for the super saving mamas.

Another food I love is banana.  I am hopeful (wishful thinking?) that Jackson will eventually feel the same way after he gets over hating food.

The other morning, Jackson and I had breakfast together. I smashed up a fresh banana for both of us. He had rice apple cereal and banana and I had yogurt and banana. Oh yumo baby. He actually kind of liked this combo too.  I think he ate like 5 bites.  Now that's a lot for my little guy.

I made some banana cubes the other day after breakfast. I used the food processor again and it got the banana all creamy.  This could even make a good smoothie if I was so determined.

Into the cube tray again. They are kind of brown when you defrost them, but mix them with cereal and breast milk and it's all good.

One large banana made about 10 oz (again, I used 1oz for a meal that same day). I think a large banana is like $0.69. Double yea for those super saving mamas. Seriously, yea, yea, yea.

Now, if I can only get Jackson to eat more than 3 bites of food at each meal. Maybe Thanksgiving will help him get his foodie on.  I would be extra thankful if that happened!

Buy This, Not That: Breast Milk Bags

As some of you may know, I was an exclusive pumper for almost 6 months. At 8 weeks postpartum, I hit my peak. I was making 55 oz/day when my little one was only drinking 30 oz/day! Talk about a sweet surplus.

I was a pumping maniac. I was driving myself (and probably everyone around me) crazy. That's what happens when you life revolves around breast milk day in and day out. Yes, day out. I sure don't miss those 2am and 5am pumping sessions by the way.

I learned so much during those mama milk machine days. Now that I'm burning through all of my frozen milk supply that I built up last summer, I have a new learning I felt compelled to share.

Buy This: Lansinoh Breast Milk Bags

They are more affordable than some other leading brands and they have a big label to write your little one's name on it for daycare. Also, no holes were discovered when defrosted, and most importantly, measurement was right on.

Freeze them flat and they are so easily to defrost for a yummy milk treat (per Jackson).

Do Not Buy That: Nuk Seal N Go Breast Milk Bags

I thought I would try these bags because they were cheaper. I wish I would have gone with the Lansinoh bags for all my frozen treasures.

When reheating, I've discovered holes in my bags and have lost several bags of milk. Let me tell you, it is devastating to pour that milk down the drain, especially when your little guy is screaming to eat.

The measurement is off or was hard to figure out when pouring milk in the bag. I froze over 250 bags of milk and about 70% of my Nuk bags had 5.5 oz in them when I thought I was saving 6 oz. Very frustrating. Thank goodness I froze 1 oz milk cubes just in case.

Now Nuk makes some other outstanding products, like their binkies are great. I just would think twice about buying their bags. They have some more work to do on improving them.

Lansinoh image via Target
Nuk image via Bed Bath & Beyond

Good Deal: High Chairs are Out

So let me just start out by saying that I wanted to do something special today given it's my birthday. I was thinking of hosting my very first giveaway. Well, unfortunately I caught some kind of nasty virus. I woke up at 3am with a 103 fever! Lesson learned. Never continue working when you are sick because you will just get sicker.

Luckily I survived and am able to post once again.

So let's do a good deal and then we will do a giveaway next week!

So my little guy is now able to sit in a highchair. I know, he is pretty impressive. Not only did I not want to invest in a highchair, but I don't want to clean up the sticky messes that go along with them. Can you blame me?

After talking to many other ideal mamas, I came across two solutions that would be a better solution.

First is the Phil and Ted's attachable seat. It attaches right to your table top. It has this fabric that is super easy to clean and the price is 50-70% less than an average high chair.

There are other brands that sell this style, but this one is the most portal and light weight.

Problem is with this chair, if your table has leaves, it won't work. This happens to be why I had to return mine. I found out it works best on kitchen islands (oh how I wish I had one of those).

The chair I ended up getting is the Safety First Booster Chair. Let me tell you, I love it and so does my little man. It fits easily to a chair and he can eat right with us at the table. This is one of our new favorite activities.

The chair is super easy to clean and actually has a removable tray that can run through the dishwater. That's what I'm talking about.

The colors are great too. Very neutral and works with almost any decor.

Oh wait, did I mention the price? $40 at Babies R Us. You just can't beat that good deal.

So there you have it. Another (birth) day, another deal.

Avocado Goo Goo

It's Tuesday, so let's talk baby food...Holy Guacamole!

Making baby food is one of my new favorite hobbies. After last week's tragic sweet potato event though, I decided to go a totally new route. Food processor.

I read up on Wholesome Baby Food that avocado is some kick-ass first baby food. It helps your little one develop some serious brain power. I'm all for getting my kid to the head of the class.

The best thing about making avocado is you don't have to cook it. Just cut in half, take out the seed, and scoop out the goo inside.

Toss it in a food processor and puree for 5 minutes.

Out comes a creamy concoction. Love it. Perfect recipe for a busy mama.

I made a couple of meals for the day and then froze the rest in 1 oz cubes. You can use them for up to a month.

I was able to make 12 oz (12 meals for my little guy) for $3. That's $0.25/meal.

Wholesome, natural, and cheap. You can't buy that anywhere else.

Oh yes, and baby liked to eat it too...pics to come.

Sweetie Potato

My baby is now old enough to eat veggies! I want to try to make all of his food because I don't really trust what is in jar baby food and I don't want to buy other all-natural baby food because it is severely over priced. Should be easy enough to make baby food at home, right?

So last weekend Jack and I walked up to the market to buy two beautiful sweet potatoes.

Last night I whipped out my trusty laptop and looked up a sweet recipe on Wholesome Baby Foods. By the way, this is an awesome site. Please read it before paying for that overpriced, over-processed baby food at the store.

I got the potatoes out, washed them, wrapped them in foil and placed them in a 400 degree oven. Almost 1.5 hours later, I had hot potatoes. I let them cool for a while while I worked on my blog.

When I went to scoop out the potato yummy-ness, I found that these yammers were not fully baked still.

Yep, I tried to salvage what I could but most of it went into the trash...



All that work for 6 little baby food cubes!



Pretty though.

Don't worry people, I'm giving up. I'm going to have to invest in some sort of a steamer or better system if I'm going to do this all myself. Any product giveaways out there?

I will for sure keep you all posted on the tools and tips I pick up along the way.

Bon Appétit baby!