Best Baby Puree Competiton Winners!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered our baby puree competition on facebook.

The following five people have won a beautiful Babymoov Melamine Plate Set or a cute Babymoov Hawaiian Buddy Soft Toy (examples pictured). If your name is listed - just send your address to info@roseandlily.com.au and let us know which prize you would like to receive!

Evelina Dobrowolski - This chicken chowder recipe sounds delicious. What a great idea to add some creamed corn

Shelly Duggan - What a super healthy stew! Packed with goodness! And the addition of gravy must make this a great hit

Hope Copeland - This veggie / chicken risoni sounds delicious and the red capsicum is a great addition for flavor

Kerrie Flett - This recipe was chosen because the idea of introducing swede (which has a very strong flavour) to a baby is a great one. Often babies don't mind strong tastes and it helps them to get used to less common flavours at a very young age

Margie Balzac - What a great idea to add raisins and nutmeg to a sweet potato and carrot puree. Babies must love this tasty veggie treat

Now - because we love all the other recipes (adding bay leaves, using ricotta etc) we would like to give a Babymoov Shirt Bib to all other entrants. Please just send your name and address to info@roseandlily.com.au and let us know if you would like a bib for a boy or girl and we will send it to you.

Thanks again for participating

Jennifer and Michele

What to do if your baby is choking.....

We were at a party on the weekend and my 18 month old son got into the peanut bowl when I wasn't looking - so I thought I better update myself on first aid tips for a choking baby.

Obviously, I know it would have been better if I had not let him near the peanut bowl at all - but I don't have eyes in the back of my head (unfortunately) and he is super fast - which I know is how most accidents happen.

I found some great advice with diagrams on the website http://www.babycenter.co.uk/ that I thought I would share with you.

What to do if your baby is choking

Dislodge the blockage

• Hold your baby so that he is lying face down along your forearm with his head lower than his body and his back and head supported.

• Use the heel of your hand to give up to five back blows.

• Check your baby's mouth and remove any obvious obstructions. Do not use your finger to sweep inside his mouth - this could push the obstruction further into his throat.

• If your baby is still unable to breathe, turn him onto his back and give up to five chest thrusts:

• Use two fingertips to push inwards and upwards (towards his head) against his breastbone, one finger's width below his nipple line.

• Try to dislodge the object with each thrust. Don't automatically do all five.

• Check your baby's mouth after each thrust and remove the obstruction. If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, call an ambulance immediately and continue giving your baby back blows and chest thrusts until help arrives.

If the baby is unresponsive and does not have a pulse (heaven forbid) you would need to start CPR. I wont put all the information about how to do this on this post but the link to the website is below and you can see pictures and clear instructions on this web page. http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/safety/chokingguide/

I sincerely hope that none of us ever need to use this advice, but figure, it is better to be prepared in the case that we do..............

Jennifer x

Top Tips for Introducing Solids to your Baby

I have noticed lots of clicks on the "Introducing Solids" bookmark and in this blog I only referenced Leanne Cooper's article in the My Child Magazine so for those of you who did not see it - I thought I would put some information from her quick reference chart to introducing solids below.

If you would like to know more - please visit her website http://www.cadencehealth.com.au/SneakysShop.htm where you can download her excellent ebook called "What do I feed my baby". You can also buy this book at http://www.roseandlily.com.au/

Quick reference guide to introducing foods

Around 6 months

Suitable Foods

§ Gluten-free iron-fortified cereal i.e. rice
§ Vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, avocado, choko, parsnip, broccoli, peas, potato, zucchini, cauliflower, beans.
§ Avocado
§ Cooked/mashed fruit such as apple, pear, banana, paw paw, rockmelon.
§ Teething rusks
Consistency - Pureed into a smooth paste with breastmilk or formula.
Milk Feeds - Baby still relies primarily on breastmilk or formula.

Around 7 months
Target - Working up to 3 meals a day and adding of texture

Suitable Foods
§ Iron-enriched rice cereal should be used by 6 months.
§ Baby yoghurts or plain natural acidophilus yoghurts which are often more nutritious and have less additives
§ Increasing variety of vegetables first, then fruit (not citrus fruits or tomato), corn, beetroot, peas, capsicum, turnip, parsnip
§ Increasing variety of fruit – strawberries, mango, blueberries, watermelon, plum, star fruit and custard apples
§ Brown and white rice cooked till soft
§ Use of feeding cups over bottles
§ Offer water regularly over the day

Consistency - Mashed into a soft and lumpy consistency, similar to the texture of cottage cheese. Milk Feeds - 4 or more milk feeds per day.

Around 8 months
Target - Babies develop a swallowing reflex for coarser foods.
Suitable Foods

§ Fish
§ A teaspoon of almond, linseed, sunflower or hazelnut meal (powder) added to mashed foods for protein and essential fats.
§ Thoroughly cooked brown and white rice.
§ Vegetarian proteins such as tofu and lentils
§ Cheese (cheddar has low amount of lactose)
§ White meat such as fine pieces of chicken or turkey
§ Lumpy food
Consistency - Introduce lumpy foods.
Milk Feeds - 3-4 milk feeds per day.

Around 9 months
Target - Baby starts chewing and moving food around their mouth
§ Start with gluten-free cereals such as corn, millet, rice, buckwheat, tapioca and quinoa – try buckwheat and rice noodles before pasta
§ Nut spreads (caution with allergies)
§ Expand on cheeses (cottage etc.)
§ Red meat such as lamb mince
§ Finger foods – grated cheese, vegetables fruit
§ Vegetables, thin slices, grated
§ Peeled and seeded fruit
§ Beans
§ Cereals, couscous, semolina, tapioca, pasta, noodles etc.

Consistency - ‘Finger foods’, grated cheese, finely chopped meat.
Milk Feeds - About 3 milk feeds per day.

10 months
§ Eggs (cooked egg yolk first)
§ Well-cooked red meats
§ Small amounts of milk, soy milk, nut milk, oat milk in foods
§ Stews, rissoles, casseroles, sandwiches, etc
Consistency - Scrambled egg yolk, Finely chopped or minced meat.

Milk Feeds - 3 milk feeds per day.

11-12 months
§ Other legumes (kidney beans, butter beans, cooked legumes, soy beans, tofu)
§ Pasteurised milk

12 months+
§ Most foods the family eats including whole eggs, milk etc.
Whole foods except nuts.
Water is best fluid.

Potato Heads

Hi - sorry I didn’t post a blog last week. Life just got on top of me and I didn’t get a chance to sit down with my computer. But I promise to write 2 this week - just to make up for my tardiness :-)

I just started thinking about our good friend the potato - because I heard from someone that many babies go through a stage when they only want to consume things that are white "ish" - e.g. milk, chicken, rice, pasta, cheese, yoghurt, potatoes etc so I thought I would look into whether or not potatoes are actually good for you (Hey - generations were raised on them in Ireland and Europe so must be ok - no??)

Thanks to my favorite website (fresh for kids) I have found out why potatoes are very good to eat. Contrary to popular belief they are not at all fattening. You would have to eat almost 4kg of potatoes in a fairly short period before your body would convert their carbohydrate into fat. It’s only when they are made into chips, fries or crisps, or served with sour cream, butter or margarine that they become potentially fattening. They are an excellent source of vitamin C. They also provide some niacin, potassium and dietary fibre. They are a good source carbohydrate (starch), which gives energy for physical activity, as it’s broken down quickly to glucose.

And great news for mums; they make an excellent first food for babies (as the taste is not strong and they puree very well)

Here is my suggested recipe for a winter veggie puree

1 x potato (peeled and chopped)
1/2 sweet potato or a small piece of pumpkin (peeled and chopped)
1 handful of frozen peas
1 small piece of meat - around 30gms (beef, lamb or chicken-what ever you have available)


Pop them all in the Bébédelice with 300mls of water and cook as per the directions

Transfer into blender with a small knob of butter and puree as per baby's taste

Cool to room temperature and serve

Easy, cheap and yum. Should go down a treat with your little one

Hope you are all keeping warm over winter. Until next time…………

Jennifer xx

Making Baby Purees from Leftovers

We had some lasagna for dinner on the weekend and so I decided to make a puree from it with some of the leftovers. I just warmed it up in the microwave and then pureed it in the blender bowl of the Bébédelice. I wanted it to be a bit chunky because I have been reading about the importance of encouraging babies to eat food that is not "super-pureed" - and so I thought this might be a good way to start.

Lasagna makes a great puree because the creamy sauce blends really well with the meat and pasta. Some other left over meals that you could try are spaghetti bolognaise, casseroles, sausages and mashed potato, omelets or frittata, ravioli, noodles, etc.

I also tried using the steaming section of the Bébédelice to make meatballs on the weekend and that worked really well too. I made them by mixing some chicken mince with fresh breadcrumbs, a tiny bit of onion, some grated zucchini, and a pinch of parsley and thyme. I rolled the mixture into small balls and then steamed them in the Bébédelice. Once they had cooled down I let my son feed them to himself and they went down a treat.

I hope that these tips are helpful. We would love to hear from you if you have any other ideas for using leftovers - or some recipes for the Bébédelice

Have a lovely week

Jennifer x

Is your baby a yoghurt monster?

Both mine are! Even when they don’t want to eat anything else, they will always eat yoghurt.

I love how easy it is but - I can’t believe how expensive packs of children’s yoghurt are.

I mean they are super convenient but when my kids are eating at least one a day - it gets pretty pricey.

And when I look at the sugar content of flavored yoghurt (I have read that some have as much as 50% sugar in them) I decided to try using natural yogurt with some pureed fruit instead.

Believe it or not - it worked!! I just bought a big tub of natural yoghurt and then steamed and pureed some apple in my Bébédélice - let it cool and mixed the two together. It was a big hit and it made me feel like a super mum to be feeding them something so healthy. I kept the left over pureed apple in the fridge for the next day.

Next I am going to try apricots, pears, peaches and berries. I think I will also put some fresh banana in and blend it up with the yoghurt in the blender bowl

Let me know if you have any other ideas. I would love to try them!

Maybe I will spend the money I save on something nice for me next time I am at the supermarket...... but probably not......

Good luck. Hope it works for you too!

Jennifer xx

Supermarket Snacks

We have just received stock of a new product called the On-Tray that is a nifty little food container that snaps onto your shopping trolley at the supermarket. There is a video of a father using it at an American Supermarket that you can see on YouTube if you like (the link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf8ubvkZ_EE) but expect to be completely horrified by the amount of junk food he feeds to his children.

Which got me thinking about some healthier snack ideas for kids that could be good to use with this product.

But don't worry - this is going to be a complete "Carrot Sticks" free blog - because how come whenever we look for ideas on healthy snacks for toddlers - they always say "Carrot Sticks". I mean - yes of course they are healthy, but give me a break - whilst I occasionally might be able to coerce my toddler into eating some carrot - do you honestly think this is going to be the perfect healthy snack when they are surrounded by tasty treats at the supermarket?? I think not.

So let’s look at some healthy "ish" snacks that are definitely better than the junk in the lolly isle, but that you have a slight chance of getting your toddler to eat! I have just put one recipe and lots of little snack ideas this time.

APPLE ZUCCHINI CAKE (Please don't be put off by the ingredients - it is actually really really yummy).

4 lg. eggs 1 c. vegetable oil 2 c. sugar 2 c. peeled and grated zucchini, drained 3 c. unsifted flour 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. vanilla 1 c. chopped nuts* 2 1/2 c. peeled and chopped apples. Grease and flour tube pan. Beat eggs, add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix well. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add to creamed mixture. Add apples and nuts*. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes.

* Note - just be careful about the nuts if your baby is little or if there is a chance of an allergy. They need to be very finely chopped if you do use them

Here are some easy to prepare snack ideas that are good to pack for the supermarket - thanks to the team at http://www.kidspot.com.au/

Rice cakes lightly spread with ricotta or "light" cream cheese and vegemite or fruit spread.
Toasted muffin with a scrape of honey or fruit spread.
Slice of toasted wholegrain bread topped with ricotta cheese and fruit spread.
Microwaved pappadums.
Crispbreads with a low fat topping or plain biscuits.
Homemade muffins or buy a low fat muffin mix (check your supermarket).
Frozen banana (spear peeled banana with icy-pole stick and freeze) or other frozen fruit such as grapes, peeled orange or mandarin segments.
Fruit kebabs (skewer cubes of fruits on to bamboo skewers).
Raisin toast.
Crumpets with a scrape of margarine - try topping with tomato and cheese.
Pikelets with jam or honey.

There are lots of other great snack ideas on the kidspot website. I will add some more later as I am out of space here.......

Jennifer xxx