Another Warm Cereal for Baby’s Tummy – Fruity Quinoa

Dec 30, 2009 Baby Food Recipes Updated, Cereals, grains

Here is another one of our favorite “exotic” grain breakfast cereal recipes.  We love quinoa and have taken to calling it the “martian grain” due to its odd appearance when cooked.

2 cups of water
1 cup quinoa
1 apple – thinly sliced and diced
handful of raisins – pureed or finely diced
cinnamon

How to:

Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add 1 cup quinoa, reduce heat, simmer for about 5 minutes then add the apple, raisins and cinnamon.  Simmer until water is absorbed; about 15 minutes.  Blend in milk, or yogurt and serve warm.

** Some people recommend rinsing and toasting quinoa prior to cooking it to get rid of its bitterness and enable easier digestion.  We have never had an issue with bitterness nor have we ever toasted it.   We don’t know if this will help with digestion as we have never heard of babies having difficulty with digesting quinoa.  We do recommend introducing it at 8 months + **

Visit our Quinoa page to learn about quinoa and find more recipes.  Visit our Blog post to see photos of this super grain.

Using Oatmeal to nourish baby’s body – the inside and outside!

Dec 19, 2009 Cereals, grains

Place 2 cups of Quick or Old Fashioned Oats into one leg of a nylon stocking; close open end by tying a knot.

Place stocking under faucet in the tub; turn water on to full force, using warm water at a comfortable temperature. When finished filling tub, “swirl” stocking back & forth through water 5 or 6 times.

Lift stocking above water and wring to squeeze water and starch out of stocking. Discard stocking — do NOT reuse.

Soak in tub as recommended by physician or for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently pat dry. Use once or twice daily, or as as your skin tells you.

FOR INFANTS: Use 1/3 cup and follow instructions above. Soak infant (in infant bath tub) for 10 minutes or as directed by physician.

An Oatmeal Bath using the Blender/Food Processor Method

Place 1 cup Quick or Old Fashioned Oats into food processor or blender; grind oats into finest powder possible.

Turn water on to full force, using warm water at a comfortable temperature. Slowly sprinkle oat powder under running water.

Stir water thoroughly to avoid clumping or settling. Soak in tub as recommended by physician or for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently pat dry. Use once or twice daily as your skin tells you.

INFANTS: Use 1/3 cup and follow instructions above. Soak infant (in infant bath tub) for 10 minutes or as directed by physician.

Enjoy!

And don’t forget to stop by our Oatmeal for Baby Food page to see a wonderful list of “mix ins” for oatmeal that Quaker Oats developed.  Not all of these ideas may be appropriate for babies but they sure sound de-lish!

Squash for Baby Food – Another Fall Baby Food Favorite

Oct 17, 2009 Baby Food Recipes Updated, Fruits and Veggies, New Baby Food Recipes, grains, vegetables

Favorite varieties of winter squash for baby food are the Acorn and the Butternut. These are the best choices for baby’s first squash experiences. These types of squash are great even if you start solids early at 4 months.

While technically a winter squash, we think of it as a Fall squash as we begin to see these around mid-October. A squash is characterized as a “Winter” squash not only due to the season in which it grows, but also due to the way the squash itself grows.

Did you know that Winter squash actually mature on the vine and do not further mature or ripen once harvested. The rind or shell of a Winter squash is very hard and thick. Peak season for Winter squash is November through December.

Visit our Butternut and Acorn Squash page for more information including how to choose, store and prepare these yummy squashes

This is a favorite from Epicurious.com: Winter Squash and Carrot Stew with Quinoa

You can leave out any spices or ingredients that your little one might not tolerate or has not been introduced to yet. Make just the stew if you want and keep it cubed or puree/mash for baby prior to taking your portion out. Adding the Quinoa (visit our Quinoa page) makes this more hearty and tasty in our opinion. Enjoy!

Stew
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of saffron
1 cup water
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 1 1/2-pound squash)
2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled carrots

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa*
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint, divided
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Preparation

For stew:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 8 ingredients. Add 1 cup water, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Add squash and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

For quinoa:
Rinse quinoa; drain. Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

Tags: butternut squash, quinoa, squash