baby + kid

muffin mondays: zucchini muffins {for the whole family}

i love me some zucchini muffins, so i have tried numerous recipes over the years.  for a while my favorite recipe was a gluten free zucchini bread from an allergen-free dessert cookbook i picked up but it called for an entire cup of oil and quite a bit of refined sugar.  after realizing that M loves muffins and that they are pretty much the perfect baby breakfast finger food, i began my search to find a version that was a tad healthier.  through trial and error it has been decided (by me) that this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie is the zucchini muffin recipe to end all zucchini muffin recipes.  although, i did adapt mine just a smidge...

i like to make these or some other version of a healthy muffin on monday mornings (or sunday evenings) so that i have them on hand for a quick baby breakfast for the rest of the week, or at least the next few days.  of course, these zucchini muffins are so unbelievably good that they rarely make it to tuesday.

oh, and did i mention that these are completely vegan, wheat free and refined-sugar free?  but believe you me, nobody will know.     

   

zucchini muffins

(recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie)

 

ingredients

1  1/2 cups spelt flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp coconut sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)

2 tbsp whole fat coconut milk

1 tsp coconut or apple cider vinegar

1  1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup grated zucchini

 

method

1.  Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2.  Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  In a separate large mixing bowl, combine all liquid ingredients (including zucchini and sugar). 

3.  Mix wet into dry, and immediately portion into the baking cups and place in the oven (the batter will be quite thick but that is normal). Bake 19 minutes, then allow the zucchini muffins to cool before removing from the tray.

voila!  perfect breakfast food for baby (and the rest of the family).

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5: highchair essentials

trust me.  these are five (okay, six) essentials that will make baby led weaning, or any type of weaning, a little easier:

1. splat mats:  your baby WILL drop food.  he will throw food.  he will somehow get it on the wall across the kitchen and make you wonder if you need to sign him up for little league STAT.  these will at least save your floors.  

2.  baby wipes:  possibly the most multi-tasking baby product i own, i use these for everything from diaper changes to wiping down restaurant tables before M tries to eat them.  they are especially handy for post-meal baby clean-up, and they don't irritate baby skin like paper towels or dish cloths can.  i have tried several brands but The Honest Company makes the best wipes, hands down.   

3.  silicone spoons: not only are these spoons BPA pthalate and PVC free, they are soft and gentle on sensitive gums.  and eyeballs.

4. barrier balm:  sometimes M gets a rash from certain foods like citrus so i like to slather this around her mouth/neck and on her forearms, anywhere where the food is most likely to touch.  i use the same barrier balm i use for diaper cream because it works perfectly for this - it's basically a more natural version of aquaphor.  and speaking of, you could also use baby aquaphor if you're not avoiding petrolatum, mineral oil or lanolin.

5. silicone placemats: ideal for babies, kids and messy eaters of any age - the silicone surface easily wipes clean making this perfect for the dinner table (unless you have a baby houdini who likes to pull the "tablecloth" out from under their food).  also great for restaurant dining when table cleanliness is suspect.  the circular cut out on the corner allows the placemats to be hung for convenient drying and storage.  oh yeah, and these OYOY mats are pretty easy on the eyes, too.    

6. bibs: i have found bibs to be quite necessary, even when M is eating in a state of undress.  my top pick is a silicone bucket bib, for ease of care and for the fact that at least some of the food ends up in the bucket.  these bibs are also great for leaving in the diaper bag and using at restaurants since you can wash them off in the bathroom before heading home. the make my day bib works best with our highchair at home while the Modern Twist bib works better with restaurant highchairs, so it's just something you will have to experiment with.  

the Wee Drool bib is pricey but is completely worth the cost.  sometimes i get lazy and don't feel like removing M's outfit.  because it is long, goes on like a t-shirt and has a waterproof layer, this bamboo and organic cotton bib actually does a pretty good job of saving her clothes as long as i'm not serving red beet dip or chocolate avocado pudding.  

the Aden and Anais burpy bib is another great option for restaurant dining.  it is a burp cloth that circles the shoulders and snaps behind the neck so it covers a pretty good amount of baby (and since it's a burp cloth you can just keep a couple of these in the diaper bag for all your burp cloth-ing needs).  seeing that you're probably not going to undress your baby at the local steakhouse, you don't have to worry too much about her outfit.  

                      

 

1. kamani designs and modern june splat mats // 2. honest company wipes // 3. beaba silicone spoons // 4. ogbaby barrier balm // 5. OYOY silicone placemats // 6. bibs: make my day, wee drool, modern twist & aden and anais

{hand}made in brooklyn

           

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if you're planning a trip to new york in the indefinite future you really should check out all brooklyn has to offer, especially if you're into things like eating.  if you're also into babies there are about a million baby stores to visit, but what really floats my boat are all of the brooklyn based labels that are actually handmade in the borough.  handmade products are created with love and care that we don't typically see in mass-produced clothes and toys.  these labels create baby and home items with such creativity and uniqueness that, let's be honest, they are little works of art.  

atelier atsuyo et akiko just might make the coolest baby tees and decorative pillows i've seen.  the label offers hand silkscreened children and women's clothing, home decor and bags as well as whimsical, colorful accessories and jewelry.  collaborations with the likes of jess brown, coral & tusk and the walt disney company have produced some true works of art, and their beautiful, clean designs have even made it acceptable to have disney decor on display in the living room. 

 

the woodland world of hazel village is full of adorable (and delicious, or so i hear) animals that are hand made from organic cotton and outfitted in floral dresses, snazzy tops and ballet outfits that the animals like to share and trade.  the animals' features are hand stitched so they are soft and safe for babies, and the endless wardrobe choices ensure that they will still be fun into toddlerhood and beyond.  and if you weren't already sold, the fact that you can also have your animals personalized - initials hand stitched on the animal's heart, inside a heart - should do the trick.  

winter water factory specializes in screen printed textiles with bold graphics and classic designs.  every item is crafted from soft 100% certified organic cotton and made in the USA - from the fabric to the final stitch. 

the world of Snuggly Ugly is comprised of the original snuggly ugly monsters, mostritos, and munchkins, all handmade from quality up-cycled cashmere sweaters.  each one unique and the perfect soft and cozy companion for your baby to snuggle up with.  the limited edition rag dolls are beautifully handmade with up-cycled cashmere and wool sweaters, hand stitched faces and one-of-a-kind dresses.  the rag dolls are recommended for ages 3 and up, or whenever your baby stops eating inedible items.       

odette williams offers fun and classic baby and toddler designs that are perfect for play.  the tees and bodysuits are hand silk screened onto 100% organic cotton and are manufactured in the USA. 

coral & tusk is not your grandmother's embroidery (though, i'm sure it is quite lovely).  everything from pillows and dolls to artwork and stationery have been beautifully embroidered with cheeky scenes and endearing characters straight out of a wes anderson film: very moonrise kingdom meets the fantastic mr. fox.  these magical, playful designs would be perfect decor for a nursery, though i have a feeling they could make themselves at home in any room of the house.      

Maptote is a line of baby onesies, toddler tees, bags and paper goods decorated with maps of domestic and exotic locales. even better: the onesies and tees are made with US cotton that is 100% organic.  and if you don't see your map of paris, texas or warrenton, missouri, don't worry, they do custom work.  as long as you don't mind ordering in bulk. 

recipe: sweet potato pancakes

sweet potatoes are a big staple here in our house, used in everything from soups and pasta to bread pudding and souffles.  the kitchen was recently overflowing with sweet potatoes from a Farmhouse Delivery bushel, and, totally unrelated, i was having a serious craving for pancakes.  i figured pancakes would be a pretty great finger food for M, would satisfy my craving, and would be somewhat healthy because of the sweet potatoes... right??  hey, veggies + whole grains - refined sugar = healthy in my book.  after an extensive google search i settled on this recipe from Weelicious and yes, they were dee-licious.     

sweet potato pancakes  (makes about 16 silver dollar pancakes)

(recipe adapted from Weelicious)
  • prep time: 5 - 35 mins, depending on your child
  • cook time: 15 mins

ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups milk (i used whole milk but anything should work)
  • 1 tablespoon maple sugar (or brown sugar or coconut sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup sweet potato puree (from roasted sweet potatoes is best but canned works also. i won't tell anyone.)

method

1. in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

2. in a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

3. gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

4. heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly coat with coconut oil (i used Kelapo coconut oil cooking spray), butter or canola oil. 

5. pour 1-2 tablespoons of the pancake mixture onto the griddle, making as many pancakes as will fit and cook for 2 minutes.

6. flip the pancakes and cook for one minute longer.

enjoy!*

*if you really want to indulge, spread yours with Vermont Creamery cultured maple butter.  don't worry, baby won't know what she's missing because she will be stuffing her own face with un-buttered pancakes...

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baby led weaning: clothing optional

i first stumbled upon Baby Led Weaning in an issue of Parents magazine that started appearing in my mailbox each month and that i’m almost positive i did not pay for.  after speaking about the philosophy with various doulas and attending an informational class held by Cheer Up Buttercups i knew this was the weaning method for us, foodies that we are.   i could not imagine why M should be made to eat pureed chicken and vegetables when she could just eat the real thing.  immediately i downloaded the book and drove to the store to return our unused baby food maker.  having the book is definitely helpful but you can gather quite a bit of information and tips from the website, for free.  

if you’re not familiar with BLW, here is a little excerpt straight from the website:

“Baby Led Weaning, quite simply, means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of weaning.  The distinct advantage of weaning at around six months is that by then, our children are developmentally capable of feeding themselves proper food, in other words – no more mush!

You just hand them the food in a suitably-sized piece and if they like it they eat it and if they don’t they won’t.

That’s the essence of Baby Led Weaning. No purees, no ice cube trays, no food processor, no potato masher, no baby rice, no weird fruit and veg combos… just you and your child, eating food that you enjoy with you and your family.

The key difference between BLW and traditional weaning, when you think about it, is in the order that children learn to eat. With a puree, they learn to swallow first and then chew, which works fine until they meet a lump. With BLW, the babies learn to chew first and swallowing might come some time later.

It’s ‘baby-led’ in the sense that you let them do what they need to do while they’re learning, and as the parent you resist the urge to get wound up in knots about how much they’re eating, whether they like the food you thought they’d like and whether it’s smushed into the nearest curtain.”

Baby Led Weaning has been an incredible and incredibly rewarding experience for us.  we are amazed every day at how well our 9 month old can feed herself with a spoon, chew, and eat almost the same exact things we eat.  it is messy - messy in a way that some days i just look at my filthy daughter and her high chair and wonder where and how to start cleaning up - but it’s worth the mess in order to see the joy and pride on her face.  this blog post is not meant to be educational or to provide tips on BLW -  i would prefer to let the experts handle that here and in the book.  my intention is simply to introduce you to something amazing that you may not have known about and to provide an explanation for the baby food recipes i post.  there will be many BLW recipes and easy, healthy meal suggestions to come. 

i suppose i could give you one tip though:  eat naked.*

 

*sans clothing.  diapers are still a requirement.