Iron Rich Baby Pancakes

Well, we're back on the iron train here.  I honestly have no idea how he could have scored in the low range for iron since we basically eat everything that's high in iron, but he did.  Anyways, since I need some easier batch meals for when I head back to work in the fall, I am adding these to my repertoire now.  I probably wouldn't eat them myself since they have wheat in them, but they are tasty!

This makes A LOT.  About 15 pancakes the size of my hand, which means if you opt to make them smaller, since your child does not eat like a truck driver you will get a sizable quantity.  Bug ate 6 in one sitting though so all my prep made roughly 3 meals... what can I say?  He likes his food!  I plan to use these 2-3 times a week to help boost the iron he's already getting from the other meals he eats.

Please note: these recipes are supplemental, since he also gets what we make for ourselves every day.  I am not in my kitchen all day making him gourmet baby only meals :)

Anyways, here they are...

Iron Baby Pancakes

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill organic whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup baby barley (or rice) cereal, uncooked (I used nurtureme cereal)
• 1/2 cup baby oatmeal cereal, uncooked (I used Earth's Best)
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (optional, makes cakes very moist)
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash of chinese 5 spice powder (optional)
• 1 cup water or apple juice (or milk, but minimizes iron absorption)

Combine all ingredients, making sure there are now lumps.  Cook using butter or nonstick spray, using the flip-squish technique (flip once ready, squish it down).  I use 1/4 cup to make larger cakes.  If you want small ones, just use a tablespoon or only fill the 1/4 scoop halfway.  Also, if you added the pumpkin, you have to cook these pretty well done, like in my picture, since they will be very moist.  Didn't slow the eater down though.  Toppings are also an option, but none were needed in our house.

Enjoy!

**modified from wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com

Get Your Fish! Tuna Melt Patties

It's been a productive month!  Whenever spring finally hits I get a wonderful burst of energy that translates to reorganizing the entire house (sorry Eric), and cooking new meals.  Here's the latest.

In an effort to get some fish protein into the ever growing (and all consuming) little bug, I modified this recipe.  I'll be honest, I had very low expectations for the recipe, but it far surpassed them.  It's primal, and delicious!  Very much like a tuna melt, minus the bread.  And leftovers are delicious too.

Tuna Melt Patties

• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 piece toasted and crumbled bread (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cans tuna (5 oz each), drained
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, add both cans of tuna and use a fork to break it up.  Add remaining ingredients mix well.  Heat pan with olive oil in it.  The more oil the more "fried" they will be.  I just use a drizzle.  While pan is heating, make patties from the tuna mixture to the size of your liking.  Fry in pan carefully (hot oil is hot and hurts)  until golden brown, then flip, flatten, and let cook on other side.

Serve with a side of avocado, a salad, or just eat on the go.

Enjoy!

It's a Hit! Quick Banana Pancakes

Not much to say today, it's been a long rainy week and honestly I'm just glad we made it to Friday.  To lift everyone's spirits this morning I decided to make some pancakes.  Healthy pancakes.  In ten minutes.  For all three of us.

Enter this recipe, full of fruit, good fats, and protein.  They were definitely well liked by all members of the household.  Let's just say that someone devoured 4 whole pancakes while his parents got the leftovers (3 each).  How's that for love?!

Without further ado...

Quick (and healthy) Banana Pancakes

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together.  Portion into greased skillet (I used a 1/4 cup scoop).  Cook until dark brown, then flip, squish down, and wait until browned on that side as well.

Repeat.  Serve naked (not you, the pancakes), or my favorite is with almond butter and some honey or maple syrup on top.



















Oh, and enjoy (if there's any left for you)!

Iron Rich Finger Foods: Baby Cakes

A baby post was bound to happen eventually, right?  Sorry, it comes with the territory these days, but I'll try to make it quick.  It's been a long (yet incredibly quick) journey from the screaming little nugget we brought home to this crazy, independent, opinionated, thoughtful, and cuddly little boy we see emerging.  While it seemed as if it would never happen, he finally is really into the solids, which is fun but also disgustingly messy.

Since he loves to eat now, I have started to try to increase his iron levels.  Why, you ask?  Well, at the risk of boring any non-parent, and because I am pressed for time, the short version is this: babies are born with enough iron stores to support their growth until 6 months.  After that they need supplementation to get the amount they need.  This can be through a vitamin, or through solids.  See?  That wasn't too painful was it?

Anyways.  He's still not really into meat yet, and since we are doing finger foods and not purees it means I have to get a bit more creative with his iron sources.  There's only so much peanut butter one kid can eat... or is there.  So, after much messing around, and lots of goopy, messy mealtimes, I finally came up with recipes that  fulfilled my desired criteria.  1) give a substantial amount of iron, 2) have a variety of food sources and vitamins, and 3) (hopefully) won't make him constipated.  My life is pretty awesome right now, can you tell?

The final goal was that these finger foods taste good, because let's be honest, if I am cooking I better be able to reap the rewards too.  The result?  The two recipes below.  Remember, you can eat these too.  I am more partial to the egg muffins but I imagine the bean cakes would taste delicious with eggs over them.  Of course, another baby friendly finger food is the muffin recipe from my previous post.  Bug really devours those.

Well, that's it for the baby talk today... here they are, enjoy!

Sweet Bean Cakes

• 15 oz can of black beans (no salt added)
• 1 cup shredded sweet potato raw
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 3 oz prune puree
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Drain and rinse the beans. In a bowl, mash the banana and beans and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix until combined but leave some texture.  Form the mixture into little cakes and place on greased baking sheet.  If the mixture seems too soft add a little flour or almond meal.  Cook for 15 minutes at 350, flatten with a spatula, and cook for another 10, until only slightly squishy.  Remove and let cool.

No, they are not attractive, but they taste delicious!  This also makes a ton so you can freeze excess cakes for future use.

Egg and Spinach Muffins

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup steamed and diced spinach (I buy frozen then thaw and drain the liquid)
• 1/3 cup shredded sweet potato (raw)
• garlic powder, onion powder, pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Pour into greased muffin tins filling 2/3 full, since they rise. If desired, sprinkle some cheese on top.  Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly brown and set.  Makes 6-8 cakes.

Freezer Meals Part Two: Pre-cooked Originals

It's me again! Last time I shared some new easy to prep meals that I was then freezing in preparation for the arrival of our first child. Well, that was just part one. Today it's all about recipes I have already shared, but that I put a little twist on to make freezer-friendly. This time, they are pre-cooked, cooled, and then frozen in serving trays (see below) for easy re-heating. Not many pictures this time, but you can see the original blogs posts for the visuals...

Freezer Beef Chili - similar to this, minus the beer

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 1 can Trader Joe's fire roasted green chiles
• 1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1/2 can tomato sauce
• ½ lb of frozen corn
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper to taste

Heat pan on medium with a little olive oil, add pepper and onion, cook for a few minutes.  Add the meat, cooking for about 5 minutes until light pink.  Drain the fat, place back on stove, add all remaining ingredients.  Cook until slight pink remains.  Allow to cool.  If watery, drain a little liquid before portioning into ziploc bags or re-heatable container.

When ready to cook, place in crock pot on low for 3-4 hours.

Spaghetti Squash Bake - similar to this

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 cups when shredded)
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• veggies of choice, chopped (mushrooms, zucchini, pepper, etc.)
• 1 can tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzerella

Cut spaghetti squash in half and cook in oven at 350 until fork goes in easily... like in this blog post about shrimp scampi!  Set aside and let cool, then shred with a fork.

While squash is cooking, combine beef and onions in pan and cook until meat is light pink.  Drain grease and remaining ingredients EXCEPT cheese, stirring for about 5 minutes.  You don’t want the meat or veggies completely cooked.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Once cool, mix in cheddar and parmesan cheese.  Portion into re-heatable containers (glass or aluminum) and add mozzarella to the top of each.

When ready to cook, bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until bubbling.

Non-freezing option:

Follow above directions.  Instead of portioning into freezer containers, put in casserole dish and top with mozzarella.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbling.



The last item on the menu is my travel-able protein cookies that we love to take hiking. This one was not modified, just allow to fully cool and place in a ziploc bag and freeze!

Here's the meals (not scones or cookies) in the freezer ready to be eaten. Oh, and as always... enjoy :)

Freezer Meals Part One: Minimally Modified and Ready to Bake

Yes. It's been a few months. But I have been busy battling blizzards, eating constantly, and growing a baby, so I figure it's okay Anyways, 'm going to get right to the point... being only weeks from a potential baby arrival is a little intimidating. There's so much to wonder about, worry over, and prepare. And, since you all know how much I love food (and how scary I get when i don't have it), I decided the safest thing for everyone was to prep some meals beforehand for easy cooking once this kid decides to make an appearance.

So, I went to my parents in WMass over April vacation and my mom helped me make four meals (8 lbs of meat total). Below are the groceries for those meals, which are split between this post and the next. It was surprisingly easy, took maybe 90 minutes total with my mom and I working together. The idea is that everything can either get reheated, or thrown in a crock pot or oven to cook while I worry about other things.

I also plan on making the rest of the more "snack like" or easy to prep items this weekend, since they will not keep as long as the main meals. Anyways, you get the idea. This first post is all recipes I pretty much pulled right from Pinterest, and therefore are minimally modified, but delicious (yes, I tested them all before I made them for the main event). So, here they are. Make them now, or prep them for later... it's like a choose your own adventure!

#1 - Blueberry Lemon Protein Scones

• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup protein powder (I use unflavored Sunwarrior)
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tbsp honey (2 if like really sweet)
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (melted coconut oil or butter will work too)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ cup blueberries OR raspberries OR chocolate chips
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional sprinkle on top)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix until a loose dough forms. Gently fold in raspberries and lemon zest.  Using hands, get some dough and press it down with your hands to form scone (size to your preference).  Place on lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough.  OR you can put this mixture into muffin tins. less sticky mess, but also don't look like scones. Either way, Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow them to cool down slightly prior to eating.

For freezing, based on original recipe:
Double this recipe and freeze unbaked and shaped scones on a parchment lined sheet. Once frozen, I transfer them to a zip bag and freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove from freezer while oven preheats and add 2-3 minutes to baking time.

That's the "snack" that needs to be baked. Below are the "raw meals" that I prepped and stored in ziploc bags to throw in crock pot or oven. The first two are from this site.

#2 - Chicken Fajitas

• 2 lbs chicken breast
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 can green chili peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in the freezer bag, and squeeze out all air before sealing. Lay flat in the freezer and once frozen you will have an easy shape to stuff anywhere. Remember, write directions on bag, or if you are eating now, just follow below:

1. When it’s time to cook it, dump it all in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours. **equally delicious when baked in the oven for 35-40 minutes
2. When it’s cooked, remove and shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.

#3 - Salsa Chicken

• 2lbs chicken breast
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pound bag frozen corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 packet of taco seasoning

Mix all ingredients in the freezer bag, and squeeze out all air before sealing. Lay flat in the freezer and once frozen you will have an easy shape to stuff anywhere. Remember, write directions on bag, or if you are eating now, just follow below:

1. When it’s time to cook it, thaw and cook on low 8 hours. **equally delicious when baked in the oven for 35-40 minutes
2. When it’s cooked, remove and shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on rice with your favorite toppings.

Lastly, I will also be marinating 2 lbs of meat in our favorite marinade and storing this as well for easy defrosting and grilling. Kind of self-explanatory, but I wanted you to know it's another easy option for a prepped meal that is ready to go and doesn't involve many brain cells.

Whew! That's the first installment. Part two will follow shortly... enjoy!