From one chicken: Peach Bean Stirfry

Rotisserie chickens stretch 4 dinners at my house.

After our first rotisserie chicken meal, I made a green bean and peach stir fry from 1/3 of the chicken. Alex doesn't like green beans, but I thought if I paired them with something he really liked (peaches) a winner would emerge.

In a large skillet

Heat skillet to medium heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil

To warmed oil add:

1 pepper cut into baby sized bites
1 peach with some of the skin cut off (if you are eating non-organic peaches I'd advise removing the skin or scrubbing them like they have the plague- because like non-organic grapes and apples these have really high pesticide loads)
1 sweet onion cut finely

While these were simmering I pulled the ugly bits from the ~3 c. green beans and washed the pretty parts.

Add

1/3 rotisserie chicken
3 cups of green beans

3 tablespoons of water

Cover and simmer until beans are the texture you prefer.

Leave a 1/4 of the total mixture in the pan and cook an addition 3-4 minutes until beans are softer than you would like, but easier for your little one. Beans will need to be cut into smaller pieces to serve.


For adult version:

Add soy sauce or ginger and soy sauce to taste

For baby version:

Add butter or additional olive oil. This meal is pretty light, so I added olive oil to give Alex a few more calories. If your baby does not eat little pieces of chicken puree the chicken with a little yogurt or yogurt and fruit.

Serve stirfry on a soft small pasta (or quinoa)- we used a multigrain pasta.

Alex still spit out a few green beans, but I think a few were gone by the time we finished our meal.

Maybe I didn't eat enough green beans while Alex was fetal.

Baby feeding adventures: try this kumquat now or be forever bland

My college boyfriend's roommate only ate things that were shades of yellow or orange. The only vegetable he ate was baby carrots. They didn't have the green tops. He'd eat pizza with no sauce (is it still pizza?) and drink a few too many beers. His skin was pasty and I think maybe he was molting... he is by far the pickiest eater I have ever met. He was a heck of a fun (quirky) time- so I hope he is still around.

Anyway, I don't feel so bad that Alex has yet to ingest a green bean with no companion. He will eat disguised versions as long as I blend them with at least 3/4 of a food he likes better. So, I will keep putting those limp, grinch fingers on his tray until he puts it in his mouth and smiles instead of pelting Loki (our schnauzer).

This strategy has worked for several other foods--- for example, avocado went from baby smash to yum around 8 months.

A new study has just been released that suggests that if you feed an infant variety from the start, they are more likely to eat healthfully when they are older. The research also suggests that infants and toddlers should play a role in determining how much they eat... this helps with their 'stop' function when they are older and as older children and adults they will be less likely to overeat.

Anyway, I need some chocolate now. Too late to completely retrain this Mama. But thankfully I don't like to spend a lot of time cooking- because I don't have any baked goods to gnash on.

Rotisserie Chicken, Squash Medley

Maybe my mind has been infiltrated irreversibly by Michael Pollan ... I can't get over the best food advice I've ever heard, eat real food. Doing this has done as much for our overall health as synthroid has done for my metabolism. I love artificial hormones as much as I love real food.


Anyway, with so many food options, it is easy to go with the convenient ones. I like the idea of spending very little time on cooking. If it were my artform, and I truly enjoyed the time I spent in the kitchen it would be different. For me, it means that I am not playing with my son, hanging out with Trey, writing a research paper, or going on a long run. Whether or not I drop running as a hobby because my music loop is putting me to sleep, I still don't want to spend hours in the kitchen and I don't like feeding Alex out of a jar. It takes no more time to give him some variation of our meal than it does to open a jar. Plus I feel a little guilty if he doesn't finish the jar because even the non-organic stuff is more expensive than feeding him what we are already eating. Yes, I am cheap and becoming cheaper as I stay home more.


Last night dinner approached too fast---our dog put on a freak show and occupied most of the afternoon with an unexpected illness.

In haste, I grabbed a rotisserie chicken and made a side from the farmer's market goodies.

Into a pan of 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat:

I sliced:

1 small white onion
2 medium ears of sweet corn

at the same time I microwaved

5 fingerling potatoes until they were soft to the touch (2-3 minutes)
I like the colorful ones because they typically have more nutrients.

I then cut these even smaller and added them to the sweet corn and diced

1 summer squash

I put a few tablespoons of water into the pan and put the lid on and cooked 3-4 minutes until the squash was done and then added

dill for taste


For Alex, I diced his potatoes even more and also did a quick softening of part of his meal in the blender (just loosening it for a little bit easier chewing). Turns out his 4 teeth are good enough to eat the dish with or without the easy blend. I also gave him really small pieces of the most moist (and fatty) parts of the chicken because they were easier to chew.

I gave myself a slice of ugly tomato (I'm the only one that digs uncooked tomatoes in this house).

Alex devoured this and I only spent 10 minutes making the meal. This is real convenience food.

Summer Quinoa Salad (for parents and babies)

Alex napped blissfully this morning! I had plenty of time to wander through the farmer's market while my husband Trey mowed down our grass forest. I bought as many colors as I could fit into my bags and returned to short grass and a missing spaghetti squash plant.

By the time dinner neared, it was over 90 degrees and I had no desire to cook and definitely didn't want to eat anything warm. With this in mind, I set out to make a simple salad made with fresh produce, black beans, and quinoa (a hearty grain--- you could use couscous, bulgur, or a mixed grains from a grocery chain). Quinoa is a great choice because it has the highest protein concentration of any grain. I also like quinoa because it cooks faster than rice.

Before I could choose from all of my farmer's market goodies, I had some bok choy and lemons that I had to use up before they sat too long. If I were making this strictly from the farmer's market I would substitute another green like chard, kale, or spinach. But the stalk of the bok choy lends a nice crunch. Lemon was a nice summery addition to the meal, but you could use balsamic if you needed another source of tang.

The meal is baby friendly because the vegetables can be diced to a good size. Also, quinoa is a nice grain to serve to babies because it is small and soft. Alex doesn't really care for meat unless I blend it with other things and only sometimes likes beans, so I was happy to serve him Quinoa as another source of protein.

The salad could easily be blended or stirred together with yogurt or applesauce or another food you know your baby already likes. Alex was tired from a busy week and I was overcautious thinking he might be picky because he has never had quinoa before. So I put some of his meal in the blender for a few seconds with 1 part baby yogurt (you can make your own baby yogurt with fruit and whole milk yogurt, or buy a name brand). He ate 1/4 c of the adult version of the salad and about the same amount of the salad-yogurt blend.


For the summer salad:

Prepare 3/4 c. Quinoa (dry) according to package (will make ~ 3 c. cooked)- takes 10-15 minutes

While the Quinoa is cooking-

In 2 tablespoons of olive oil sauté:

1 diced summer squash (medium-sized)
the white part of 1 bunch (4-8) scallions (save the green parts to toss in with the finished salad)
1 clove of finely diced garlic

after the scallions and squash have browned add
1 bunch of bok choy diced (I use the white and green parts)
juice from 2 lemons

Wilt the green parts of the bok choy (the quinoa was done about the time I was done with the bok choy)

Mix quinoa with the cooked vegetable mixture
add 1 can of rinsed black beans
add olive oil to taste (~1/4 c is my preference)

I put the salad in the fridge to cool for a few hours, but you could also eat this warm. Either way, the scallion greens and parsley are a nice addition.(Keep them both out of the infant portion unless you chop them really fine so that they aren't difficult to chew on).

This was an excellent meal! Trey even admitted that it competed with meat, which I'll take as a carnivore's compliment. I'm going to try the leftovers for lunch and have high hopes that it will still taste as delicious!

Why blog?

I'm an environmental geochemist by training, for most of my adult life I've learned about how chemicals enter natural water: the dissolving of rocks, the to and fro of nutrients and toxins from the algae to the mud guppy to the carnivorous cow to our plate, the blowing of fine industrial particulates that eventually flavor the water....and for more than 2 years of this time I was physically glued to glaciers, safely kept warm by appropriate layers of polypro and smartwool sponsorships. I have the ice disease that calls me to live in the white wilds until I am no longer haunted by the need to be free.

Since last August (2009), I've been staying home with my 11 month old, Alex. I'm not sure how long I will stay home, but I felt that one of the reasons I found my true passion is because I was well supported when I was a child, especially by my mother who stayed home until we were in school. I do have fond, fond memories of daycare from 7 on and I do not question the parenting choices of anyone. For that matter you can eat out of boxes and drink gasoline and I will not judge.

We must be true to our happiness. For me, life is long. I suspect that there is time to fulfill every vision and goal possible.

But for now, I will use my environmental geochemistry know-how to advocate for eating organic and letting your kids get a germ or two when they move their hands from floor to mouth (if you don't use toxic cleaners or have carpet).

Drinking blood versus eating bulgur and beets...a.k.a. what was I thinking?

When Alex started solids, he was a good little eater, slurping and gumming up just about everything I could blend together from kale & pear, to fennel & apple. I've taken advantage of this and continued to serve him a variety of foods that I'm eating already in their diced up solid form, or I'll puree with a little yogurt to improve the texture of the gritty more fibrous foods.

Alex does like beets, he liked those that wrapped in foil and drenched in oil and grilled until the were sweet and soft on the inside.

But last night both my husband Trey and baby Alex rejected a meal of bulgur and lentils (1:1 cooked ratio) mixed with pan cooked garlic beats and olive oil. I served the adult portion chilled like a salad and with a little balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, and a little blue cheese. I was in heaven--- I just adore stinkkkkky cheese and the contrast of the sour vinegar with sweet beets... but poor Trey, took a few bites and was left thinking, where is the meat?

I spared baby Alex the vinegar and blue cheese, and put in ample shredded cheddar, but now realize that although Alex adored shredded cheese a month ago, he now thinks it is launch material only. As far as cheese goes, only the solid chunks are edible. The little shreds are wildly whipped into our poor schnauzer's black tangles. Although Alex loved the lentil, potato, carrot stew, unblended, he thought the beans were little ticks and also tried to attach those to Loki's black locks to pay him back for barking during naptime.

Today, I tried to salvage the remaining bulgur and lentil blend today (I saved a beetless portion) and mixed 1/2 a cup with 1/2 lb of ground turkey, 1 egg, and a bit less than 1/4 cup of oatmeal together with a little bit of A-1.... We pan fried these, because they are a little looser than beef patties... Again, I thought they were wonderful (they did need some mustard for zip) but Trey almost passed out from malnutrition. Alex ate his lentils and bulgur in the blended form with a little olive oil, applesauce, and formula.

Unfortunately, a late morning nap kept us from our red meat source at the farmers market and poor Trey is going to have to drink blood this week to regain his composure.

fish night and chard (a rough name for a tame vegetable)

Yesterday was fish burger night. We've been grilling them once a week to have a less expensive, fish meal. They are also a good choice in central Ohio where it is often hard to find good (and economical) fish fillets. As regular fish eaters, we try to vary the type of fish we eat, because some fish are more susceptible to bioaccumulating toxic concentrations of metals.

Also, because fish is lighter than most meats and Alex is a little baby, we make sure that he gets plenty of calories from avocado and olive oil.

To garnish fish burgers (or other burgers):

1 dollop of whole milk yogurt mixed with diced scallions

1/4 of an avocado cut into thin slices

1 slice of garden tomato (we have some from the farmers market)

Serve on a hearty bun that withstands juice-we use very dense multigrain sandwich rounds

For a side dish serve:

1 Bunch of Rainbow Chard (or Kale, or fresh or frozen spinach)

I remove the roughest part of the stalk, but keep most of the stalk--- it is pretty fibrous, so some may prefer to remove more)

Cook covered on medium heat in a little water or olive oil (we use olive oil because Alex is on the little side). They are done when they are well wilted. (They are too bitter for some eaters if you don't cook them long enough). We like a little zip to our chard so I'll dress with some apple vinegar*, or if we want something sweeter instead, I will mix in 1/4 can of coconut milk, a dash of curry, and ginger to taste.

For the baby meal:

Dice 1/8-1/4 of an avocado (if you put this on your child's plate before serving other things, they may eat it... or you can blend with a couple of tablespoons of cooked apples or pears or applesauce)

Blend 2 tablespoons of whole milk yogurt and 2 tablespoons of applesauce to 1/4 c to the prepared chard or alternatively add 1/4 c of coconut milk and a few tablespoons of baby cereal. I do this frequently because Alex is on the smaller side and coconut milk is high in calories and like Mom and Dad, he enjoys the taste. Alex also likes curry and other spices, but I try to use a lighter hand than most Indian food restaurants.

I also serve Alex diced up bun and fish (drenched in olive oil for the little guy). He eats fish with mixed success. I'm not worried about whether or not he eats fish because he gets enough protein in his other meals. But if you have concerns, you could always add another protein source (cheese is the standby for our little guy).

*I don't add the vinegar until after I've taken Alex's portion out.

One reason I avoid pesticides

This is a National Atmospheric Deposition map showing the amount of atmospheric nitrate deposited in rain and snowfall. Nitrate is an ion that occurs in nature, but is now dominated by industrial emissions. Central Ohio has the highest nitrate deposition in the country. Other industrial contaminants are also higher in this state. (We are east of industrial places like Gary, Indiana). It is difficult to determine the point source of environmental cancers, because it is often a combination of bads that stress our bodies. I may not be able to control the rainfall in Columbus, but I can choose what my family eats.

corn bread and corn teething cookies

As promised I will post the recipe for the corn bread and corn teething cookies I made. These taste great with bean dishes including the carrot, potato, lentil soup I just posted.

It is recommended that infants avoid egg whites until they are 1 (although recent studies suggest prolonged delay of exposure to allergens may ). If you make the muffins without honey or egg yolks they are fine for infants under 1. Because they are sweet, I usually don't let Alex have more than a few bites- especially since I mix rice cereal/ or oats with his lentil soup. However, the teething cookies have less sugar, and are nice for the occasional snack. They freeze well.


Corn Muffins & Teething cookies:

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. wheat flour
1/4 c. brown or white sugar (sweeter and moister with brown sugar)
1/4 c. real maple syrup (use honey for adults, or infants over 1 if more convenient)
1/4 c. vegetable oil (olive oil is fine, but more bitter in taste)
1 c. milk (use 2% or whole milk if serving to infants who need more calories)
2 eggs (use 3 yolks if serving to infants under 1)
1 tsp. baking powder

For quick breads, mix dry ingredients and then add wet. I let my batter sit for 5 minutes to set up a bit before baking.

Pour half of the batter into 6 muffin liners (or greased pan) put a little water in any unused muffin spaces.

Bake 400 F for ~10 min.


To the other half of the batter add:

1/2 c. wheat flour
2 tablespoons of formula (or soy powder for added protein)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons of milk


Mixture should be pretty stiff- you can roll this out and make pretty cookies baked at 350 for 10 minutes, or you can press down on cookie sheet and make less pretty cookies.

I always make less pretty cookies. Alex hasn't objected.

Carrot, Potato, Lentil Soup

Thought I 'd post another easy bean(lentil) meal. It has been sweaty hot in Columbus, Ohio. Alex and I have been moving around between libraries and playgroups. We only go out in the cooler mornings, so that our black dog Loki won't die on our walks. Soup is a nice winter meal, but it is especially nice on these really hot days because it doesn't require a lot of tending and stovetop heat is much more forgiving than the oven.

Alex loves carrots and potatoes of every sort.

This meal is easy and can be fed to both adults and infants. It is also inexpensive and serves a family of 3-4 for 2 meals and freezes well.

In large pan:

Saute on medium heat until onions and potatoes have browned (about 10 min):

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion or 6 scallions (I use only the white bottom and save the greens for a soup garnish)
2 medium potatoes* (I used 1 sweet potato and 1 red potato- I don't peel, but I take off anything that looks too gritty or knobby)
3 carrots* (I pop the tops off and scrub, but don't peel)
1 apple or pear* (I take some of the skin off and remove the core and stem)

Add:

4 cup of chicken of vegetable stock (low sodium preferred for infants)
1 cup of uncooked lentils (you can substitute 2 cans of pinto beans)

Cook on low heat 30-45 minutes until lentils have softened.

Allow to cool on stove top for 30 minutes and then run the entire batch through the blender.


For the adult version, I garnish with scallions, dill, and/or chives. You can use other herbs if you have an herb garden, but this is what we had on hand. If you like a little heat add a pinch of red pepper.

For the infant version, I pour 1/4 cup of blended soup into his serving dish and add 1 scoop of formula (or breast milk), ~2 tablespoons of water, and 2 tablespoons of rice cereal. Alex prefers the soup when it is sweetened by the formula. Some babies will eat the soup without these modifications.

*Root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes are especially good to buy organic because they scavenge pesticides from the soil. Apples and pears are also good to buy organic (or wash thoroughly and remove their skin) because they are heavily sprayed by pesticides.

Tomorrow, I will post the recipe for cornbread and cornbread teething cookies that I serve with this tomorrow. You can also serve this on a hearty grain like bulgur or brown rice or with toast/crackers.

Easy Beans & Applesauce

My baby, Alex, does not like meat--- unless it is pureed beyond recognition. We are also on a budget, so meat is not served every meal.

We often have organic refried bean burritoes-

Per 1 whole wheat burrito
-3 tablespoons organic refried beans
-1 generous pinch of sharp cheddar or 'mex' type cheese
-chopped tomatoes (get the tastiest ones possible, or go with organic diced tomatoes)
-crisp lettuce (romaine is our preference, but you can use iceberg or even frozen spinach)
-salsa to taste

corn on the cob side

Alex does not like these even diced very small... he only eats protein in disguise...

so for him, we:

-dice tortillas microwaved with cheese
-mix 1 tablespoon of beans and mix with 1 tablespoon of applesauce
-corn off the cobb side dish (or to play with/eat while parents are eating)
(we gave it this to Alex on the cob when his teeth were ready--he had 4 well sprouted)

If I can't eat it, I don't feed it to my baby

Jarred baby food: Gagggggg!!! I can almost tell what the original food was. Perhaps if I had been there at the start of production, when the sweet potatoes still had their gnarly skin. But I've tasted dabs of this and glops of that. In that mire, whatever happened removed whatever taste was supposed to be there.

Also, I don't have a lot of time. Next month, I return part time to my postdoc as an environmental geochemist. I write and rewrite science articles during my baby's naptimes.

AND NOW this blog: There is a lack of resources for people who want to eat healthy and feed their babies good meals at the same time.

Meals described here will be:

1) core ingredients for baby meals will be based on what the adults are eating

2) organic- no pesticides. Our children cannot afford to be exposed to them, environmental pollutants stick around for a while. Why willingly put them in our bodies;

3) easy/fast to prepare

4) ingredients may be substituted (to improve meal cost/ or work with seasonal ingredients, or help those that live in the boonies far, far, away from city shopping)

My next post will be a recipe.