Taking Inventory

season — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:26:02 +0000

I’ve been cooking like a mad woman this week. I wanted to try some new things for Claire and it all started with my previously mentioned chicken stock. I love making chicken stock despite the fact that it makes our house smell like a grandma’s house (ok, maybe just my grandma’s house, which used to smell a lot like cooked meats – that, and cigarettes – no matter what time of the day it was) for a little while. But I can get over the smell, which I tend not to notice until I leave the house. At any rate, on Tuesday with chicken stock made, I was ready to really get cooking.

I’ve been doing the food cube method of making food for Claire for some time. Generally, I take a fruit or veg, cook it, then blitz it in the food pro. Into the freezer it goes by way of these really cute ice cube trays that make Claire’s meals into perfect frozen squares. Already in the freezer we had:

sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots
cauliflower
sweet potatoes
broccoli
carrots
apples
pears
peaches

This week I was determined to make meat cubes. On Wednesday night, we had chicken for dinner, so I got down to it.

I started with boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into chunks. I sauteed them in just a bit of butter for about 3-4 minutes. Then, I added: 1 sweet potato (peeled and chopped), 1 carrot (peeled and sliced), about 3/4 cup of leeks (chopped), and about 1 1/4 cup of homemade chicken stock. After bringing it to a boil, I let it simmer for about 30 minutes. I am disappointed I didn’t get pictures (or that the Internet doesn’t have ‘odorama’) because it looked good enough to eat! Into the food pro it went to be converted into delicious frozen chicken cubes.

Last night they had their big debut. Claire was being a bit fussy at each meal for whatever baby reason she had but I was still expecting her to be thrilled about her new tasty dinner. Alas, she was not into eating dinner at all – chicken or not – so it didn’t go quite as planned. She liked it but fussed through half of it, which was all she ate. (Somedays she eats as much as me and then there are days where she barely eats. Thankfully her size doesn’t allow me to worry about her self-regulation.)

Banana Blueberry Bust

season — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Saturday morning I decided would be a good time to try a new food for Claire. Today would be plain yogurt. I had some blueberries and bananas on hand and thought I’d make banana blueberry yogurt – a smoothie of sorts but a little warmer. I put some blueberries on the stove with a little water to break them down. After about two minutes I had a lovely blueberry sauce that made wish I had been making pancakes (another Saturday, I suppose). Instead, I sliced some bananas and turned on my handheld blender to make a puree. This was the first time I used the handheld for Claire and I realized how poorly it works compared to my food pro, which is a beautiful machine but not always practical. I’m whirring and whirring as Claire is whining and crying because now I am really taking a long time for breakfast. The whirring, whirring, whirring continues but there is still pulp. I am cursing this machine in my head trying carefully not to let one slip. I’ve got to strain it. Into the strainer it goes and, finally, I’ve got blueberry banana puree.

Next, I mix everything together with a little plain yogurt. It looks good. If Claire wasn’t still screaming at this point, I would have taken a picture. (I’ll have to try to be more prepared.) But I am satisfied with my new breakfast for Claire. She, on the other hand, is determined after about three very reluctant bites that she would be having no more of this breakfast.

I am not deterred, however. I will have to try again when she’s a bit more settled and not wielding her hunger at me.

feeding claire » new foods

Taking Inventory

Banana Blueberry Bust