the Angry Toddler

My son wanted so badly to eat his dinner outside and when told no repeatedly he got so mad that he turned around and licked the window.  Take that mommy.

Baby Food Made Easy and Cheap - Bite Sized Foods

Start really small.  Mine started around 8 months

• Cheese cubes
• Cereal - Multigrain Cheerios, Corn Bran
• Toast cubes
• Cooked apples - Peel and core apple, cut into 1 cm squares. Place in small pot and cover with water. Boil for 5 - 7 minutes till tender. Drain and run under cold water. Dry on paper towel and serve.
• Other fruit - Soft. Barlett pears, banana, blueberries, oranges.
• Graham crakers broken up. Good fibre.
• High fat yogurt around 9months.  I found 5% or higher plain Greek yogurt and added apple sauce or other fruit puree

Baby Food Made Easy and Cheap - Pasta

Equipment
2 cup electric Food Processor ($15 or less)
4 ice cube trays ($2 at dollar store)
Medium - Large pot
Large Ziploc Freezer bags
Pen - I like a black Sharpie

Foods
I will tell you what I did for my kids. After 1 box of every cereal Rice, Oat, Barley but leave Wheat to last for the single grain and then if the baby is fine with those try Mixed Grains. Then I had them try every veggie there was. No fruit till they can hold it themselves due to the sugar content. Then came the pasta. When it comes to pasta it is whole wheat all the way for my family.  

Ingredients

Any Whole Wheat Noodles

Water

Instructions

1. Fill pot with water without salt or any other spices and bring to a boil.
2. Add pasta and boil 5 minutes past the recommended time.
3. Drain and put in processor.
4. Process till in pea-sized pieces.
5. Put in ice cube tray and place in freezer.  Freeze for 12-24hrs. No longer than 48hrs.
6. Remove from trays and put in Ziploc. Write the date on the bag. Use within 3months.
7. Microwave as many cubes as your baby will eat.  Start with one. Stir thoroughly before serving.
8. It sounds grosse but add breast milk, or formula, if you want to add creaminess. Or even mashed sweet potato or yams for taste but only if you have already tried it for 3 days. 

Also see Baby Food Made Easy and Cheap - Vegetables

Baby Food Made Easy and Cheap - Vegetables

I saw this advertisement for the Baby Bullet and it was really expensive.  I thought there has to be a way for those who can't afford or don't want to spend so much money on this product.  So this is what I came up with...

Equipment
2 cup electric Food Processor ($15 or less)
Potato masher ($2 at dollar store)
4 ice cube trays ($2 at dollar store)
Medium - Large pot
Large Ziploc Freezer bags
Pen - I like a black Sharpie

Foods
I will tell you what I did for my kids. After 1 box of every cereal Rice, Oat, Barley but leave Wheat to last for the single grain and then if the baby is fine with those try Mixed Grains. Then I had them try every veggie there was. No fruit till they can hold it themselves due to the sugar content.

Veggies in order: Sweet Potato, Yam, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Peas, Brocoli, Cauliflower, Potato. I avoided Tomato or anything high in acid.

Instructions - Sweet Potato, Yam, Potato, Carrot
1. Peel vegetables and cut into 2-3 inch pieces.
2. Place in pot and cover with water. No salt or spices.
3. Boil for 20 - 40 min or till vegetable is easily pierced with fork.
4. Drain.
5. Put in food processor till smooth.
6. Put in ice cube tray and place in freezer.  Freeze for 12-24hrs. No longer than 48hrs.
7. Remove from trays and put in Ziploc. Write the date on the bag. Use within 3months.
8. Microwave as many cubes as your baby will eat.  Start with one. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Instructions - Broccoli, Cauliflower

1. Cut florets apart.

2. Place in pot, with a steamer and enough water to steam.

3. Steam for 10min or till vegetable is easily pierced with fork.

4. Remove from pot. 

5. Put in food processor till smooth.

6. Put in ice cube tray and place in freezer.  Freeze for 12-24hrs. No longer than 48hrs.

7. Remove from trays and put in Ziploc. Write the date on the bag. Use within 3months.

8. Microwave as many cubes as your baby will eat.  Start with one. Stir thoroughly before serving so you don't get hot spots.

Instructions - Peas
1. Use frozen peas not canned.
2. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil.
3. Drop frozen peas in and boil for 5min
4. Drain and mash with potato masher.

5. Put in ice cube tray and place in freezer.  Freeze for 12-24hrs. No longer than 48hrs.

6. Remove from trays and put in Ziploc. Write the date on the bag. Use within 3months.

7. Microwave as many cubes as your baby will eat.  Start with one. Stir thoroughly before serving so you don't get hot spots.

See Baby Food Made Easy and Cheap - Pasta

Baby Food Made Easy and Cheap - Tips

• Start with single grain baby cereals, Rice, Oat, Barley but leave Wheat to last because of allergies.  Then Mixed grains.
• At about 7 1/2 months, you can put 9-grain Oats in the processor and process to the consistency of cornmeal.  See recipe for homemade baby cereal.
• Serve only 1 single food every 3 days to test for allergies. 
• Start with all vegetables before fruit.
• Start by making it quite thin and work toward thicker and lumpier. This gets the baby ready for real food.
• If it is too thick mix with breast milk, formula, or water but not milk.
• If it is too thin, mix in a little baby cereal.

Homemade Baby Cereal

Ingredients
1 cup 9-grain Oatmeal
1/4 cup Single grain baby cereal
Breast milk, Formula or Water

Instructions

1. In processor add 9-grain Oatmeal till the consistency of cornmeal
2. Add single grain baby cereal.  Pulse 2 more times.
3. Mix 1 part baby cereal and 2 parts breast milk, formula or water. Not milk till 1 year.
4. Microwave in 30sec segments, stirring each time, till getting warm and creamy. If it gets too dry add more liquid.

Mommy Money Saver #1 - Kids Pump Soap

You know that expensive kids soap Kandoo made by Pampers.  Well my kids love it and one time I broke down and bought it but when it ran out I decided to make my own using the Kandoo pump and it worked.  I filled the container with 1/2 water and 1/2 liquid hand soap.  It gives the fun foaming but way cheaper.

Enjoy.

Hamburger holder

Use a coffee filter.  I use a cone shaped coffee filter and cut about an inch and a half off the top and put the hamburger in and it helps my 3 yr old to hold the hamburger without making a big mess.

Good luck.

Teething Help

So I have an 17m old little one the just is biting anything and anyone in his way when he is frustrated and in pain?
It is so sad to watch and not so nice to get bitten either. But I came up with a teether that actually works for him.

I take a baby cloth, put an ice cube in and wrap a hair elastic around it.  Then I smash it with a tenderizer or a hammer if it is too big.  He chews on it and the ruffness of the cloth and the cold of the ice makes him feel better.  The downside to this is you have to wring it out every 10 min or so if he doesn't suck the water off it, especially if you smashed the ice.

Good luck.

Camping with Small Children

Just got back from camping with my family and it was amazing how different camping was with little ones.  My children are 1, 3 and 5.  I went earlier in July with just the 2 older ones and it was easier but not like it was in the days prior to kids.  The things I learned were:

• Bring a stroller or playpen to lock up the baby when cooking or having a fire.
• Don't expect the kids to eat or sleep like they would at home.
• Bring a canopy in case of rain to give you more space for the children to do their activities as well as provide shade during the hottest times of the day.
• A play tent can provide a nice shady spot for the kids to play.
• Warn the children in advance of what the treat limits are.  Such as '2 treats each; marshmallows, candy, etc.' and let them choose what combination they want.
• Serve raw veggies with every meal.  Saves cooking and cleaning dishes.
• Don't expect any time to yourself if you have a baby with you but as they get older your time will increase.
• Camping at these ages is for the kids not you so enjoy your children's fun and book a spa day after you get home.