Blueberry Bonanza, Baby/Toddler chicken, My Fat Butt

Blueberry Bonanza!

My aunt recently posted on face book that she was looking for some fresh blueberry recipes. Here are the ones I sent her, along with the ideas I gave her, in addition to a tart recipe (which I made last night!). Anyone who wants a recipe for something not listed on here, just leave a comment and I will put it in a future post!

Sweet ideas!
-Put some whipped cream on them (or even better blueberry shortcake!)
-Blueberry crumble
-Blueberry pudding
-PIE (you can even use store bought crust and make it super easy)... Read More
-Blueberry French toast
-Fruit Salad
-Make your own blueberry yogurt

Savory Ideas
-Put them on a salad
-Blueberry soup
-Make some sauce for chicken, fish or steak
-Blueberry salsa

Drinks-
-Blueberry cocktail (gin, sour mix, blueberry puree)
-Blueberry lemonade
-Smoothie (yogurt, milk, tofu)

Recipes:

Blueberry soup-

• 1lb of blue berries
• ½ c water
• 1/4c dry red wine
• 1/4c sugar
• 3/4c low fat plain yogurt
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1t cinnamon
• pinch of cardamom
• pinch of allspice
• 1/3 c sour cream

1. In a small pot boil sugar, lemon, and spices with water and blueberries
2. Boil for 5 min stirring constantly
3. remove and put in blender to puree
4. Cool in refrigerator
5. Stir in wine and yogurt garnish with small spoonful of sour cream (or more yogurt)

French toast
I would actually make blueberry syrup by combining blueberries, sugar to taste, squeeze of lemon, and small amount of vanilla in a sauce pan. Cook and reduce. You can also add this to cream cheese for an awesome bagel spread.

Salsa
Combine

• 2 c whole blueberries
• 1 1/2 c chopped blueberries
• Jalapeno pepper, minced!
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1 small red onion diced
• cilantro to taste (I hate cilantro so I leave it out)
• salt to taste
• 1 large lemon, juiced (you could also use 1 lime instead)

Fish Sauce

1. Combine in a pot

• 1/3 c chicken stalk
• ¼ cup OJ
• ¼ c balsamic vinegar

2. Bring to a boil

3.Add rue (1T cornstarch in water) cook until thicker
4. Stir in 1c fresh blueberries
5. Pour on fish or chicken

Lemonade (yum, yum)
2 variations
1) puree in blender-3 c blueberries, 2/3c sugar, 2c fresh lemon juice. Stir into 3c cold water and ice!
2) This one is the kind the kids I watch LOVE- mix together 3c water, 3/4c lemon juice, 2T cream of coconut, 1c frozen blueberries, 1 sliced star fruit, 1/3 c sugar (or more to taste), ice!

Vinaigrette
Puree 1/2c blueberries, 1 clove garlic, 1/4c red onion, 2T champaign vinegar (you can use white or white balsamic but make sure it is high quality), 1/2t sugar, and olive oil until you get the consistency you like!
I also like to add in parsley, chives, and a dash of cinnamon

Blueberry Tarts

These can be simple or complicated, depending on how much time you want to put into them.

Tart shell

1. Heat oven to 350 (if using store bought cookie dough follow pkg directions)
2. Grease a muffin pan VERY well
3. Cut COLD sugar cookie dough into rounds that are larger than the bottom of the muffin pan
4. Place rounds in pan and push down so the dough has a lip
5. Cook until golden brown
6. Cool
7. Remove from pan

Pudding

1. Make your favorite vanilla pudding (homemade is not that hard to make!)
2. Put in a dash of ginger
3. Cool in fridge

Blue Berries

1. Take berries and mix with a few tablespoons of apricot jam
2. Refrigerate

Putting it all together

1. RIGHT BEFORE SERVING (these will get soggy)
2. Place a spoonful of pudding into tart shell
3. Top with blueberries
4. You can also top with a little candied ginger if you want!

Freezing Cooked Chicken-from baby food to toddler chunks

By far the healthiest way to cook meat is to steam or poach it. I prefer to poach because I don’t have to worry about it drying out or being undercooked (you can leave it in forever). Although some meats are harder to poach, poaching chicken is quick and easy.

To poach chicken cut off any fat on the chicken breast and dump it in a pot of boiling water. Let it cook until no pink remains in the middle of the chicken and you are done! Add your favorite seasonings and you have your firs meal of poached chicken.

Chicken for beginning eaters- you can make baby chicken out of ground chicken that you sauté, but I prefer to poach and then food process the meat. When you put the chicken in the food processor make sure that it is already cut into chunks.

When you prepare chicken this way it does not get a slimy texture. Instead it becomes little granules. You can then take the chicken put it on a cookie sheet and freeze it, making chicken “sand.” I like to prepare it this way because you can then just scoop out as much of this sand as you want, add broth or what ever else you want to, and there you go! You have easy baby food. This way you also don’t have to use a set amount (such as if you froze it in an ice cube tray).

Toddler chunks- Instead of cutting the chicken, poaching it, and then freezing it, I like to poach entire breasts and then shred it. This makes the texture of the chicken more natural and a bit stringy. It is very easy to freeze this way and breaks apart well when you want to thaw.

Ty’s favorite ways to eat quick thawed chicken

When he was a baby Ty liked his chicken

-Mixed with plain whole milk (organic) yogurt

-Mixed in with a little cheddar cheese

-Rolled in with cream cheese

-With a little pepper, paprika, and garlic

Now Ty likes his chicken

-With taco seasoning

-Spicy!

-With stir fry sauce

-Mixed in with squash

My own struggle with weight loss:

If you know me you know I am not a thin woman. Recently Ty and my husband have inspired me to lose weight. I don’t want him to have an out of shape mom who eats a lot of junk food but forces the good stuff into him!

While I was breast feeding I was unable to lose a lot of weight. Each time the pounds started to come off my supply was reduced and Ty would not get enough food. So I kept myself at a constant weight.

Now that I am done breast feeding I plan on becoming a healthy weight with the help of my husband (who has recently become a healthy weight). Each week (on Fridays) I plan to weight myself and see if I dropped weight, met my goal, and evaluate my progress.

You should be happy to know that this week I dropped more weight than my goal! Yeah for me!

Barley, Toast, Tofu, Tex/Mex Chicken Bake

Date: Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
Tyler is: 12months old
Today is: a 1/2 work day

Menu
Breakfast: French toast, tomato, lettuce, raw onion (Ty loves it!), cream cheese, blueberries (Ty totally flipped out when he saw the blueberries in the fridge), organic whole milk

Morning Snack: Grapes, steamed peas, cheddar cheese, ww crackers

Lunch: Barley Casserole (see recipe below), edamame (we had some left over from yesterday), banana, whole milk

Afternoon Snack: Cold marinated tofu (don’t pass on this one yet, see notes below!), fresh broccoli, a very small piece of cheddar cheese left over from lunch.

Dinner: Burger (no bun), tomato, banana (Ty is in need of a little banana today), raw bell pepper, fruit mixed with cottage cheese/baby oatmeal/frozen fruit.

Recipes:

French Toast
This is an easy and quick way to get some whole grains and protein into your child’s diet.
Ingredients:

• 1 piece of bread (we use sprouted grain bread)
• 1 whole egg (we use organic omega 3 enriched eggs)
• A sprinkle of cinnamon

Scramble the egg with the cinnamon in a flat bottom bowl.
Soak the bread in the bowl until all, or most of, the egg is absorbed
Place toast in a pan pre-heated to medium with a light spray of EVOO
Cook toast until the egg is cooked through and it is golden brown.

You do NOT need to add syrup, sugar, or sweets to this toast. If you start off by feeding it plain, kids will not expect it. If you want you can serve with a dollop of plain yogurt and/or some fresh fruit smashed up on top.

For young children you can keep half for a later meal.

Barley or Brown Rice Casserole:
Amounts listed below are estimates, just make this to taste. It depends what you have around the house and how much you can freeze.

• 3-4c cooked pearled barley or brown rice (follow pkg directions)
• 2c raw ground turkey or chicken (can use more!)
• 1/2c shredded cheddar cheese (or other fairly strong cheese of choice)
• 1/2 to 1 c frozen spinach
• 1/2 to 1c of small summer squash and/or zucchini (I use pre cooked and frozen)
• Handful of mushrooms (optional)
• 1/4 to 1/2 of a small onion grated or pureed (again I use my pre cooked and frozen onions)
• 1/2 c tomato sauce (pasta sauce is fine)
• Dash of rosemary, thyme, parsley, black pepper, oregano

Cook meat in a pan sprayed with a little bit of EVOO till done. There should be no more pink color to the meat. Pour out any fat if there is any left in the pan. Chop meat as you cook.
Add all vegetables into pan along with sauce and enough water to make it look soupy.
Let the sauce simmer on med-low until water is evaporated and the vegetables fall apart (you may have to mash them a little bit with the back of a wooden spoon). Add more water if necessary.
Add to barley, stir in cheese.
Eat!

How to make this grown up friendly: Trust me on this one tastes great just the way it is and you are going to want to eat some. To make it a bit more adult friendly, put aside your child’s portion and spice it up with more freshly ground black pepper and some salt. I also like to use Kroger brand Zesty Blend seasoning. It is sodium free and brings a little kick to your food.

How to freeze: Let it cool down to room temp (putting hot things in your freezer is not a great idea) and spread on a cookie pan. Before you place it in the freezer score it with a butter knife to portion it out. When you take the pan out of the freezer you may have to let it sit for a minute to release from the pan. Then take each portion out, put them in a zip bag, and they can be thawed at any time.

(Ty with his afternoon snack!)

Cold Marinated Tofu (extra firm)
Don’t pass on this one because it is tofu. Tofu is very inexpensive (even the organic kind. I think we pay under $2 a pound), tastes like what ever you put on it, and can be cooked just about any way!
Tofu can be eaten raw and is great that way on a hot day. Marinade tofu in your choice of sauce or seasonings for a few hours or over night. Today Ty’s had cinnamon and soy sauce on it. After our bike ride he was very hot and he scarffed it all down within a few min. The dogs did not get a single bite.

Cold tofu is also great plain with grated ginger and soy on it. This kind needs no marinating at all.

Work recipe!
Tex/Mex Chicken Bake
Easy, simple, and Steve is sure to comment about how I did not bring any home!

Ingredients:

• (For 5 people)
• 5 small chicken breasts, thawed, cut into slices
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 pkg of low sodium taco spice
• 1 small jar of mild salsa
• 1 can of black beans, washed
• 1/2 c cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Rice mixture:
Cook brown rice in chicken broth until rice is soft and broth is absorbed. Use pkg directions
Add a little bit of water and pour in spice package and black beans.
Stir over medium heat until sauce is absorbed.

Chicken:
Heat a large pan over medium high heat
Cook chicken strips, using a little bit of EVOO so it does not stick, until they are cooked through (no pink should remain in middle)
Once chicken is completely cooked add 3/4 of your salsa
Stir chicken and salsa until the salsa thickens a little and sticks to the chicken. This should only take a few min.

Putting it together:
Place rice moisture in the bottom of a large glass baking dish.
Top with chicken, the rest of the salsa, and sprinkle on the cheese.
Bake for about 10min until the cheese melts and starts to turn a little brown on top.

Other options:
Make a homemade salsa instead of a canned one
Add in grilled or sautéed peppers and/or onions
Add corn into the rice mixture
Use low fat cheese on top or omit it completely
Top with flax tortilla chips
Feel free to salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Zucchini Salad

• 2 large grilled zucchinis cut into bite sized pieces (can also be steamed or sautéed)
• 1T each of these fresh or dried herbs: Parsley, chives (optional, best if used fresh), oregano (hot and spicy is yummy in this)
• 1/4 c EVOO
• 1/8 c Champagne vinegar (see note on vinegars below)
• Salt and pepper to taste

After zucchini is grilled combine with rest of ingredients. This recipe can be served hot, room temp, or cold (my favorite!). You can also add red pepper flakes and a BUNCH of black pepper for a kick!

This dish can be a little bland. To kick it up top with a little fresh grated parm. or add in a bunch of fresh tomatoes. You can even add olives (kalamata are salty but great), pine nuts, walnuts, or roasted bell peppers.

The dressing can be used on any variety of steamed or cooked vegetables. Just keep the ratio of oil to vinegar the same 2:1.
Other Information:

Vinegar:
Choice of vinegar: Anytime I use a vinegar in a recipe feel free to replace it with your favorite vinegar. I would avoid using white vegetable vinegar in most recopies because of the extremely strong flavor. Apple cider vinegar is very healthy and can be substituted into just about anything!
Champaign vinegar is a fairly mild and can be inexpensive. It often has a slight hint of vanilla in it and is fairly fruity. It is used to make dressings, vinaigrettes, and marinades

What kind of grains to use?
Once you start exploring the world of “non-white” grains you are going to read a lot of stuff. As with most of our choices in feeding our child, we are using what is best for our little one and our family.

We stayed away from wheat for many months, as is suggested by the AAP and just about any parenting book you read. Instead we used whole flax tortillas or wheat-less sprouted grain bread, such as Ezekiel 4:19.

Flax is packed with Omega-3 fatty acids which is essential to the growing brain (among other things) in babies. If you are breastfeeding and taking a DHA and/or an O3 supplement your child benefits from your elevated levels of O3’s.

Sprouted grain is referred to as a “live-food.” It is made from legumes and whole grains that are not highly processed like wheat flower is. Because the grains are allowed to sprout they have a higher vitamin and nutrient content than those that are in their hibernated state when processed.

Just a note: Sprouted grain bread needs to be refrigerated or frozen until use. I always kept it frozen until the night before when I would break off a slice to use the next day.

Tyler did have some brown rice pasta, rice crackers, and later whole grain crackers that contained whole wheat. Now that he is a year we are trying to stick to the whole grain diet but there are exceptions (that will be discussed in a later blog).

Again, the choice needs to be one that fits into your family. Some of these products are expensive, which is why we mostly just fed them to Ty and did not eat them ourselves.


Product of the day:

Book
How to Cook Everything, By Mark Bittman

This book is a great reference for new cooks, those who “can’t” cook, and experienced cooks alike. It has everything from information on how to buy every food imaginable to how to simply prepare new dishes.

Picture from Amazon.com