•9:48 AM
Okay, sometimes I get carried away with things. But after my post yesterday about muffins that kids like to eat, I remembered a favourite breakfast of Caiden's. Don't tell anyone, but I'm pretty sure he ate this cereal almost every day from the time he was (about) one-year-old until he was at least 3 1/2 years old. And the only reason he stopped eating it, was because (stupid) Marnie came along and I couldn't feed cereal to two kids at the same time in the morning. That's right, he would let me feed him when he was three years old; he was such a cuddly, easy-going, sweet little guy who was happy to have everything done for him. Perfect for an over-bearing mommy like me.
Now, I know what you're thinking: Theo is sick of having cereal every morning, which is why his mom asked for a muffin recipe. To this I respond that this is a big-boy cereal; it's full of texture and new tastes.
I found this recipe in Annabel Karmel's First Meals (1999). I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for great ideas when making infant purees and first foods. Some of the recipes she includes for toddlers are a little high in sugar for my liking, but otherwise, I loved this book and used it all the time. Annabel Karmel became interested in nutrition after the death of her first baby at thirteen weeks old. Although her daughter's death was not diet-related, it spurred her to think about food in a new way because she wanted to give her second child "the best possible start to life" (pg 6). She likes to make (real) food, instead of buying it in a jar or a package. I like that, too. Karmel has a website with loads of ideas, and she has gone on to publish several cookbooks with children in mind.
Fruity Baby Muesli
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp toasted wheat germ
1 dried apricot, chopped
1 tbsp golden raisins
2/3 cup white grape juice, or apple juice
1/2 red apple, peeled and grated
3 seedless grapes, quartered
Put the oats and wheat germ in a bowl with the dried apricot and raisins. Cover with the juice and let soak for at least two hours ... or overnight is best. (You could also use milk or plain youghurt to soak the oats overnight, if your child tolerates milk products.)
Add the apples and grapes to the soaked cereal and blend/puree. Try using your Magic Bullett.
Makes 2 servings. Recommended for babies 9-12 months.
This is where Karmel's recipe ends .... but for me, it continues on a bit. As Caiden got a little bit bigger, I didn't puree the muesli at all ... but what I always did, was mix this cereal with (prepared) infant baby cereal. The texture gives the baby something to chew on and there are some very yummy new flavours in there; but the familiar is there, as well. Plus, your baby gets the nutritional value of fresh and dried fruit all at the same time.
I also found the ratio of oats to juice resulted in a fairly soupy mixture; so, I added more oats than called for in the recipe. How much, you ask? Ummmm ... that was a long time ago, and I don't recall. Play around with it until you find the right mixture for you. In fact, there is no reason why you cannot eat this cereal too ... a little yoghurt on top, fresh fruit ... yum!
Now, I know what you're thinking: Theo is sick of having cereal every morning, which is why his mom asked for a muffin recipe. To this I respond that this is a big-boy cereal; it's full of texture and new tastes.
I found this recipe in Annabel Karmel's First Meals (1999). I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for great ideas when making infant purees and first foods. Some of the recipes she includes for toddlers are a little high in sugar for my liking, but otherwise, I loved this book and used it all the time. Annabel Karmel became interested in nutrition after the death of her first baby at thirteen weeks old. Although her daughter's death was not diet-related, it spurred her to think about food in a new way because she wanted to give her second child "the best possible start to life" (pg 6). She likes to make (real) food, instead of buying it in a jar or a package. I like that, too. Karmel has a website with loads of ideas, and she has gone on to publish several cookbooks with children in mind.
Fruity Baby Muesli
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp toasted wheat germ
1 dried apricot, chopped
1 tbsp golden raisins
2/3 cup white grape juice, or apple juice
1/2 red apple, peeled and grated
3 seedless grapes, quartered
Put the oats and wheat germ in a bowl with the dried apricot and raisins. Cover with the juice and let soak for at least two hours ... or overnight is best. (You could also use milk or plain youghurt to soak the oats overnight, if your child tolerates milk products.)
Add the apples and grapes to the soaked cereal and blend/puree. Try using your Magic Bullett.
Makes 2 servings. Recommended for babies 9-12 months.
This is where Karmel's recipe ends .... but for me, it continues on a bit. As Caiden got a little bit bigger, I didn't puree the muesli at all ... but what I always did, was mix this cereal with (prepared) infant baby cereal. The texture gives the baby something to chew on and there are some very yummy new flavours in there; but the familiar is there, as well. Plus, your baby gets the nutritional value of fresh and dried fruit all at the same time.
I also found the ratio of oats to juice resulted in a fairly soupy mixture; so, I added more oats than called for in the recipe. How much, you ask? Ummmm ... that was a long time ago, and I don't recall. Play around with it until you find the right mixture for you. In fact, there is no reason why you cannot eat this cereal too ... a little yoghurt on top, fresh fruit ... yum!
1 comments:
Those were "the good ol' days", huh? Wasn't having just one baby to care for a breeze?