Google Document of Instructions – TODDLER May 2012 OAMM Menu

Google Document of Instructions – Baby Toddler (9-12 Months) April 2012 OAMM Menu

Meat used:

• Chicken breast – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Chicken & Apricot Curry, Chicken Sweet Potato Mash with Carrots)
• Lean ground beef (90% lean) – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Baby Bolognese)
• Pork tenderloin – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Pork “Chops” & Applesauce)

Thaw (in refrigerator)

• Chicken breast – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Chicken & Apricot Curry, Chicken Sweet Potato Mash with Carrots)
• Lean ground beef (90% lean) – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Baby Bolognese)
• Pork tenderloin – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Pork “Chops” & Applesauce)

Night Before:

• Cook chicken (Chicken Sweet Potato Mash)
• Optional (but HIGHLY recommended) – chop up all vegetables. (See Chopping Amounts sheet on Recipe Cards)
• SEE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Day of:

Google Document of Instructions – Baby Toddler (6-9 Months) March 2012 Menu

Meat used:

• Chicken breast – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Tasty Chicken & Rice)
• Chicken thigh – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes)
• Top sirloin steak – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Beef and Carrot Puree)

Thaw (in refrigerator)

• Chicken breast – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Tasty Chicken & Rice)
• Chicken thigh – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes)
• Top sirloin steak – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Beef and Carrot Puree)

Night Before:

• Optional (but HIGHLY recommended) – chop up all vegetables. (See Chopping Amounts sheet on Recipe Cards)
• SEE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Day of:

Google Document of Instructions – TODDLER FOOD 18+ Month February 2012 OAMM Menu

Instructions

Meat used:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Chicken Pot Pie Bundles, Chicken Stix)
• Canned tuna (St. Patrick’s Day Green Mac-n-Cheese)
• Lean ground beef – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Football Turnovers, Spaghetti with Meatballs)

Thaw (in refrigerator)

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Chicken Pot Pie Bundles, Chicken Stix)
• Lean ground beef – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Football Turnovers, Spaghetti with Meatballs)

Night Before:

• Optional (but HIGHLY recommended) – chop up all vegetables. (See Chopping Amounts sheet on Recipe Cards)
• SEE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Day of:

Google Document of Instructions – TODDLER FOOD 12-18 Month January 2012 OAMM Menu

Instructions

Meat used:

• Cooked chicken – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (White Chicken Chili)
• Cooked ham – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Sweet Potato and Ham Burgers)
• Fresh tilapia fillets (Fish Stix)
• Ground beef – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Pizza Snack Cups)

Thaw (in refrigerator)

• Cooked chicken – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (White Chicken Chili)
• Cooked ham – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Sweet Potato and Ham Burgers)
• Ground beef – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Pizza Snack Cups)

Night Before:

• Optional (but HIGHLY recommended) – chop up all vegetables. (See Chopping Amounts sheet on Recipe Cards)
• SEE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Day of:

Google Document of Instructions – BABY FOOD 9-12 Month FALL 2011 OAMM Menu

Instructions

Meat used:

• Chicken, boneless – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Apples, Chicken and Veggies II).
• Lean Beef – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Beef and Veggies)
• Cubed Ham – precooked (Ham, Pineapple, Peach and Apple Puree)

Thaw (in refrigerator)

• Chicken, boneless – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Apples, Chicken and Veggies II).
• Lean Beef – it can be frozen beforehand if handled properly (Beef and Veggies)

Night Before:

• Optional (but HIGHLY recommended) – chop up all vegetables. (See Chopping Amounts sheet on Recipe Cards)
• SEE STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Day of:

We like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas! Well, my toddler daughter does. For some reason those are the only fruits she will put in her little mouth. A whole apple? Great. Try a blueberry? Not a chance.

These pancakes were a big hit with her. You could sub any puree for the applesauce, too, if you want to experiment with different flavors.

Apple & Banana Pancakes

Author/Source:

Jessie @ Vanderbiltwife.com

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 0.33 cup milk
• 0.5 cups applesauce
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 0.25 teaspoons salt
• 1 ripe banana, diced
• Butter for greasing the skillet

Directions:

Beat egg until a medium bowl until fluffy. Add flour, milk, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir until smooth.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and grease with butter.

Pour small pancakes onto griddle. Sprinkle banana pieces onto the batter. Flip after 3 minutes. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until brown on both sides.

Freezing Directions:

Flash freeze. Freeze in a gallon freezer bag. To serve, place frozen pancakes on a plate and microwave on high 40-50 seconds.

Servings: 10 pancakes

This Post will be linked at:

• Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin’
• Cooking Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

My son has been a lover of all things rice for as far back as I can remember. Well, he is only 2 so I don’t have to remember back too far! At any rate, some of his favorite versions are the ones that you either buy in a pouch or from the freezer section with cheese, rice and broccoli. Did I mention that he is one of those rare children that enjoys broccoli? I grow them weird, he prefers the crusts too.

Kid Tested!

At any rate, I have been looking for ideas to make ahead for quick and easy lunches. This is one of the ideas that seemed doable. I made up this recipe and then froze single serving portion in 8 oz cups. When he is hungry and I am out of ideas or am in a hurry, I simply defrost and warm them in the microwave.

If you are looking for extra protein you can easily add diced cooked chicken to the mix. And if your child isn’t a fan of broccoli? Simply substitute in a vegetable they like or mixed vegetables. Or if they are one of “those” kids that don’t like vegetables (don’t worry you are NOT alone) you could add a puree like squash, pumpkin, or cauliflower to these!

Author/Source:

Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Broccoli florets (2 cups steamed)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Milk
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 cups Rice, cooked (2 cups uncooked)

Directions:

Steam the broccoli in the microwave, steamer or double boiler. Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside broccoli and rice. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, being sure to combine it with the butter very well. Let cook, stirring the mixture constantly, for about 2 minutes. Do not let it darken. Gradually add the milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking or stirring vigorously. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thickened and just starting to boil, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add in cooked broccoli and rice. Serve.

Freezing Directions:

Prepare as above but instead of serving, scoop into 8 oz freezer containers and freeze. To serve: Warm in microwave until heated through, approximately 1-2 minutes.

Servings: 6

This Post will be linked at:

• Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
• No Whine Wednesdays at Food on the Table

This is Back-To-School Giveaway Bonanza week which is a perfect time to talk about foods that are perfect for back-to-school. This is one of those.

We were dining out at a restaurant and ordered something similar to this as an appetizer and for our 2 year old to eat for dinner. Our two year old eats well but doesn’t eat a lot of foods with multiple flavors. I would describe him as a bit of a purist when it comes to his food. But these? These he gobbled down in two seconds. I think he actually at 3 or 4 of them before we left the dinner table. I was shocked.

And it didn’t take me long to figure out how to replicate and freeze them. Now we have several bags full as go-to lunch meals. Try them out on your child this week and see how they fair at your house!

Author/Source:

Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 1 package Pillsbury croissants (8), or equivalent
• 8 ounces Mozzarella Cheese
• .25 cup Pepperoni, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 1 cup pizza sauce

Directions:

Roll out Pillsbury croissant rolls on a flat work surface. Sprinkle 8 ounces of cheese over the 8 triangles, covering liberally. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Add pepperoni pieces on top of cheese. Roll croissants as you would for rolls, from larger side to smaller. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-17 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned. Serve with pizza sauce.

Freezing Directions:

Follow directions above including baking. Allow to cool or flash freeze. Add to gallon freezer bag and freeze. To serve: Warm until heated through 1-2 minutes in the microwave or 5-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Servings: 4

This Post will be linked at:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tuesday Tastes at Crazy Daisy

The topic: Toddler Eating Habits

In my case, our son has always been a pretty good eater. In some ways. At our one year appointment the doctor pointed out that he should be eating what we are eating or at least heading that direction. Not so much. It isn’t that he is not eating well, he loves pretty much all fruits, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, bread and crackers. He just rarely eats meat or the food that we are eating for that matter.

He insists on eating with a fork and spoon. Always. No exceptions. His main problem seems to be that he doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. However, he hasn’t quite mastered the fork and spoon making what we are eating a bit difficult.

Then, this last week, all of a sudden the foods which were our “go to” foods in time of exaserbation became largely unacceptable. And again we began playing the “what does Isaac want for dinner” game? I HATE this game.

I finally decided that we would offer what we were eating or my selected choice for him for the meal and if he didn’t like it or refused to eat it he would just go without until the next meal. (Don’t worry he gets milk and we closely monitor this). Yep, that didn’t really work. He just didn’t eat very much. Hmm?

Then over Thanksgiving I was talking with my cousin who also has a 1 year old and she is struggling with the same thing. I spoke with a friend last evening who said that I would be “happy to know” her kid that will eat ANYTHING decided he doesn’t want meat anymore. Then another friend posted this story.

It is definitely nice to know I am not alone but what in the world is happening here? Are taste buds just now forming? Is it an independent stage? Are they testing us? Is there something in the fall air that is making toddler stomachs around the world go dormant?

I know in several cases with these women they HAVE to worry about their children’s weight because they get harrassed by doctor’s looking at percentiles and questioning feeding habits. So how do you make sure the child gets enough to eat, not over indulge their pickiness and still keep your sanity?

I would love to hear what you all have to think or what you experienced at this stage with your toddler?

French Toast Sticks ready for the oven.

On the August menu I had a recipe for baked French Toast Sticks. I started feeding these to my 1 year old when I was looking for finger foods for him to eat. He LOVES them. I get so many mmmm’s from him when he is eating “toast”.  I started looking at the ingredients and decided to adapt my own recipe and make some nutritional additions using advice from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. Here is the result:

Author/Source:

Tricia Callahan @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 30 slices whole wheat bread
• .25 cups butter, melted
• 8 eggs
• .33 cups sugar
• 1.33 cups milk (I used whole)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• .5 cups butternut squash puree (could also use sweet potato, pumpkin or acorn squash)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bread slices into thirds. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except sliced bread. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Dip bread pieces, one by one, in the batter until coated and then place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes turning over half-way through to ensure even cooking on both sides. When done, remove to cooling rack. Serve or freeze.

Freezing Directions:

Allow to cool on cooling rack completely or place on a cool cookie sheet and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes or until partially frozen (flash freezing). Place in Ziploc freezer bag and place in freezer until ready to use. To serve: microwave 30-45 seconds.

Servings:

90 sticks ~30 “toddler” servings

printable recipe

Another reason why I love giving him these waffles is because they are so much better for him than the store bought ones. I know exactly what’s in them and there are no added fillers or preservatives. So when he asks for “booberry woofles”, my heart skips a beat, that I am able to provide him with a nice, homemade breakfast. It is the little things in life that makes a mom rejoice. One of them, that your kids enjoys eating the food you make him, especially when you sneak in a little bit of healthiness (and love, of course)!

I went to a Pampered Chef party hosted by Tricia on behalf of her sister, Janelle. While I was flipping through the catalog I came across this -

Pampered Chef Cut-n-Seal

I was pretty skeptical, but I went ahead and purchased it!

Let me tell you that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this gadget. Not only does it seal in the peanut butter – no more pulling apart the bread and leaving the mess – but even better I can make him a much healthier option to the popular Smuckers Uncrustables.

I make mine with whole wheat bread and natural peanut butter. I will make 6 to 10 at a time and freeze them in little sandwich baggies. When I know we will be on the go, I take one out of the freezer before we leave and it is thawed when it is lunch time.

Evan loves these sandwiches and I have convinced him that they can’t be pulled apart! So, he can eat these nutritious little sandwiches “on the go” and leave virtually no mess!!

What do I do with the excess bread, you might be asking yourself?  It definitely doesn’t go to waste. I toast the remains and make whole wheat bread crumbs! A couple of whirls in the blender, you have ready to use healthy bread crumbs.  Click here to see another easy snack I make for Evan, using bread crumbs, that can also be frozen and pulled out in individual quantities!

I also am using the breadcrumbs for a meal this week – check out my Menu Plan Monday to see what I am cooking up!

I can’t say enough, how much I LOVE, LOVE this gadget!  To check out this gadget and others – go to Janelle Bluser, Pampered Chef Consultant

Evan enjoying a pb sandwich at the park

1/2 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 c. oatmeal – ground in blender
*or you can use 1 c. of bread crumbs instead of oatmeal
1 egg
1/4 c. water
3 tbsp. of italian seasoning
2 chicken breasts, skinned, fat removed and flattened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut chicken into small nugget sized pieces. Place all pieces in egg and water mixture and toss, making sure chicken is evenly coated with egg. Add seasoning and bread crumbs to gallon sized reclosable baggie. Add chicken. Toss until chicken is completely covered by bread crumbs.

Place chicken nuggets on baking sheet and bake in oven until juices run clear.  Approximately 15 – 30 minutes (I use a meat thermometer to check doneness).

Allow to cool. Place 5 to 6 nuggets each in individual sandwich baggies and put in freezer.