Baby Finger Food with Chef Maki

I am getting close to being at the baby-ready-to-eat-on-his-own stage of life again. So, I thought a little refresher for myself would be in order. I did a little looking around on line and didn't find too much new info, so I guess just sticking to what I have always done is a good plan. :)

When starting baby out on finger food, I like to keep things quite simple and as healthy as possible. They'll get introduced to junk food soon enough, unfortunately.

Some of my rules I have set for myself, or rather for my babies, are these{in random order}...

1. No meat until after 1 year

2. No honey until after 1 year

3. Absolutely no refined/processed/sugary/artificial foods until after 1 year (not that I want them to have these things after they have hit the year mark, but if you want to make me mama bear mad, just feed my baby junk food)

4. Introduce one item at a time when starting them off

5. Don't worry too much about when they begin eating solids. As long as they are growing and happy and healthy, it doesn't matter. They don't have to start eating rice cereal at 4 months old. It is okay if they have a rather unvaried diet at 7 months (the current age of my youngest)

6. Start finger foods when you feel like it. Baby should be able to easily pick up small objects, mastered being spoon fed, and seem to be able to mash their food around in their mouth that you have spoon fed them. Also, they probably should be ready to graduate from eating solid foods just once a day.

7. Start off feeding the baby very runny foods, not too thick.

8. Use a little mini food processor or blender to easily puree cooked carrots, apples, pears, etc for homemade first foods.

9. Mix homemade pureed foods with brown rice cereal and rice milk (check ingredients on label if you buy this)

10. Start with just one meal a day.

11. Mash things like banana, sweet potato, etc. with a fork and add a little water if necessary to make it thinner. No need to cook the banana.

Here is how I like to make finger foods. First, I start with a raw fruit or vegetable like celery. (There are tons of choices available, obviously)

I wash them and cut them into very small pieces. Then I put them in a small pot to boil, like these carrots.

When the fruit or veggie is nice and soft tender, I remove it from the pot and put it in a sealable container and put it in the fridge so that it is ready when baby is. Those are apples in the picture below. To keep things simple, I cooked these items one right after the other. When I was done I had several small meals ready for my little person to eat without a lot of trouble for me to fix when he is ready to eat.

Cooked fruits & veggies are a great starter finger food--healthy, easy to fix and easy for baby to grab.

There are some things that make a decent finger food that do not need to be cooked. Some of these can be used for starter foods, others save for when they are a little older and have the hang of it and can tolerate more than one ingredient at a time. For instance...

• banana
• avocado (I haven't tried this yet. This is one of the few ideas I found online!)
• very ripe peach
• very ripe pear
• very ripe cantaloupe
• watermelon (no seeds)
• whole grain breads cut in small squares (Make sure the bread has no nuts or kernels or honey. )
• finely cut cooked pasta. rice pasta, wheat pasta, etc.
• cereal (Check ingredient labels! You can get cereal from a health food store or farmers market that often has much better ingredients than grocery store brands. The fewer ingredients the better. Toasted oat type cereals are good since they don't have much sweetener and are easily dissolved.)
• Homemade waffles & pancakes made with whole grains

As baby gets older, more variety can be added. Here are a few ideas for even older babies/toddlers.

• chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• kidney, pinto, navy and other beans
• bits of cheese
• cooked oats
• cooked rice globs
• scrambled eggs
• hard boiled eggs cut up
• grated fruit or vegetables

Planning ahead is a key ingredient for healthy baby food. I don't usually use much ready made things for babies. But I do keep a few things on hand just in case my planning ahead has glitches!

Mama Rika's Baby Sings Star Wars

A month or two ago, Chubby became fascinated with listening to the Imperial March with his brother. Now he sings it off and on all day. He also likes to sing along to songs by Journey. Without a doubt, his favorite thing to sing is the Star Wars Imperial March! Enjoy!



Here's my youtube channel in case you are interested in watching more. http://www.youtube.com/user/CompleteLeeVideo

You can always go to www.completelee.com to find links to all these sorts of things. (FYI, we are revamping the website for easier use. Hopefully that will be completed sooner rather than later!)

Mama Rika--Funny Stuff

This is what happens to your face when you try to drink a smoothie that is realllllly thick, without using a straw!
This is what happens when there is a princess in the house...

This is what happens when the princess tries to gain converts.

This is what happens when one of your best buddies has a horse. (And it isn't funny, but it sure is cute.) ;)

Mama Rika: "My Sweet Life"

Mama Rika Tells How to Keep Hats on Babies

My babies always wear hats. People wonder how I get them to keep hats on. Here are a few tips...First, start them early to get them used to it! Always put a hat on whenever they are going outside. Hat, then, becomes synonymous with going out. That is actually the biggest trick. If the baby begins to understand that they can only go outside if they are wearing a hat, they will want to wear a hat. If Chubby (15 months) wants to go outside he will go get his hat and either attempt to put it on himself, or hand it to someone for help.

If baby keeps taking his hat off, there are consequences. Either he is taken inside, or he is held in the shade if going inside is not an option. I don't do this to be mean. Not only are hats cute on babies, but hats also offer protection from sun and wind. My babies have all been fair-haired and fair-skinned and would burn easily. Exposing babies to wind can promote and/or worsen ear problems and who wants that. Babies generally love being outside, so they learn quickly.

Tip 3 is to make hats fun. Dress them up and dance around. Point out others wearing hats, especially family members they know and love.

Offer praise when they try hats on all by themselves.

Have brother take multiple pictures of cute baby in hat and keep sending them to Mom's phone in the middle of a class she is taking.

"Just one more, Mom! He's so cute!"

You may remember this picture from a few posts ago. I thought of the book "Caps for Sale" when I saw him. He loves hats!

All in all, it takes a little doing, but babies truly can be taught to keep hats on!

Don't forget to do some Spring Clean for 5 today!

Sport Maki Says, "What?! No Pinewood Derby?"

I can't believe it! For the first time in I think 10 years, we do not have a boy in Cub Scouts. When I heard the announcement for the upcoming Blue & Gold Banquet on the day it was happening, I wondered why I was only hearing about it on the day it was happening. Kevin reminded me that we wouldn't be attending this year, so why would we need to know about it? How weird!

Next came the Pinwood Derby announcements. While I am glad to miss the last minute frantic designing/cutting/painting of the car that Kevin and whatever boy/boys were doing it that year, I know they had fun together doing it.

Our "claim to fame" for our 4 boys was ever-trying-but-not-succeeding-at-winning-lots-of-races! We actually kind of made a joke out of it rather than get discouraged each year. Our final year (last year) Peanut had the cutest car ever. Here he is. His name is "Tuh".
He is "Mater's" cousin. (Familiar with the movie Cars?)

Tuh looked awesome, Peanut glad.

After a couple of losing rounds, a minor adjustment was made and Tuh started winning and winning. Too bad the first rounds counted, or he probably could have placed. Oh well, such is life.

In 7 years, Kevin & Chubby can have a go at Pinewood Derbying. Perhaps we can break our streak then. :)

Did you do your Fit for 5 yet today?

Sport Maki's Baby's New Fashion

I, Chubby, found a new use for cones:

You put it on your head like this...

The side view is very appealing. Do you like my hat? (Go Dog Go! lovers would recognize that line.)

And, of course, my mother decided it would be a good idea to throw in this cute, yet random, camo boys picture.

Aaaaaw!

Pictures from Mama Rika (Da Baby)

Who could possibly resist giving this little pantry raider everything he wants? I mean, seriously? Look at that grin.

Now, let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time Chubby nodded his head up and down very quickly while tugging on Mama's pantleg.
Neverminding the fact that he was trying to communicate something to her, Mama continued to take pictures as he wandered over to the cupboard.Chubby stayed still for long enough to contemplate his choice of cup.
Thinking the red one would do nicely, he headed back to Mama.

Mama--drink please?

Mama finally gets the point. No more pictures. Baby thirsty.

Want more pics? See (Da Boys) (Da Girls) and (Christmas).

Mama Rika's Ideas on What to Say Other Than no, No, NO!!

Babies like to get into everything, don't they? And it is so easy to find yourself constantly telling them "no". I think they eventually become immune to the word if you don't find alternatives.

Here are some I use:

1. "Shut the door/drawer." Make them little door moniters that are on the lookout for doors left ajar. They are more likely to grasp the concept that it is fun to shut the drawer than to investigate the contents.
2. "Give to Mama, Daddy,whomever". Their attenton is drawn fom whatever off-limits object they are holding to the task of succeeding in bringing the item to the appropriate person. Applause and/or cheers when they do what you asked is a great idea.
3. Say simply their name in a warning tone. This works sometimes.
4. "Put it back."
5. "Get the ball!" Or distract them with some other fun item they can easily see.
6. "Nice, soft." Say this when they are wanting to pull sister's hair or smack her with hard objects. Then, take the little one's hand and demonstrate how nice, soft is to be carried out. They catch on quickly.
7. "Throw it!" If the offending item won't break or hurt something, get the child to toss the object away from themselves.
8. "Let's try this." Send older siblings, or yourself, on a hunt for things that he/she hasn't played with before or often and trade for whatever it is you don't want him/her to have.
9. "Where's _________". Another distraction technique. Fill in the blank with the name of someone or something that they can recognize.
10. "Nej, Gubben!" Use this Swedish phrase when exasperated and you can't think of anything better. (Pronounce "Nay Goo-ben {"oo" as in book})

Got ideas? Please share!

Mama Rika Proudly Presents: Baby Giggles

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/

http://www.5minutesformom.com/

What My Boys Do When They Should Be Doing Math!

Okay, so I couldn't resist filming even though they really were supposed to be doing schoolwork. The video speaks for itself!

Filling Hungry Teenage Boys & Wannabes with Food and Teaching Moments

The never-ending battle is always hard-fought. You struggle down the grocery aisle with carts filled beyond intended capacity. You scrimp, you budget. You cook, you bake. Yet, they still come in at all hours of the day (and into the night) with the same boring question that always begs a new and exciting answer. “I’m hungry…what’s there to eat.” And just who are these people? Yes, they are the bottomless pits with hollow legs—TEENAGE BOYS!!

Even though they can drive you crazy with their continual requests, there is much to be said about opportunities for teaching when it comes to food.

For instance, have you noticed how the very foods that keep you full for the longest periods of time tend to be the same foods that are nutritious? Teach them this concept!

One fun way to teach is through stories.

My mother used to (actually still does) like to tell a story about when she first came to America. {A little background is in order here. Mom has lived here in America for decades, but is originally from Sweden. Swedes eat good hearty breads. They enjoy loaves of rye and solid, dark loaves of round wheat breads. They like the stuff you can really sink your teeth into and savor.} Mother went to the American grocery store looking for a loaf of bread. She looked left and right at dozens of loaves. Finally she picked one up, surprised at the lightness of the package.

She stared at the uniformly sliced, very pale, white slices. Thinking there must be some mistake, she put one hand at the opening of the package of bread and one hand at the other end. Then she squeezed it like an accordian. To her amazement, the entire loaf became one paltry slice. In horror, she recoiled, and as she did, the bread seemed to spring back into shape of its own free will. She couldn’t believe such an object was meant for eating.

This was the beginning of how my Mom taught me to love good whole grains. Mom has a flair for telling wonderful tales that I am sure are only slightly exaggerated. ;)

Now I teach my own kids. Whole grains are best. They stick to your ribs much better than the white stuff.

That just reminded me of another Mom story. I bet you weren’t aware of this, so I’ll let you thank me later. It is a proven fact that doughnuts do not digest well. Mom told us of an article she had read in which scientists were cutting open a human cadaver. Inside the man’s stomach the remains of undigested, seven-year-old doughnuts were found! This gave no doubt to my mind what the man’s cause of death had been. I still don’t eat doughnuts to this day…

There you have it. Whole grains + no doughnuts = healthy life. Of course there’s a whole lot more to it, but goodness, think of all the fun you can have as you teach your children to love healthy eating.

Also with food, you can teach them to use good manners. Use your fork. Say please. Don’t talk with your mouth full. Keep your legs under the table.

Keep your elbows off the table.

What do you feed them to fill them up physically while you try to fill them up mentally? Here’s a couple of favorites:

Bill Jerone Burritos (Named after I mistakenly thought that is what my father-in-law said when he actually said, “Build Your Own”)

Place all or most of these ingredients buffet style on the table or counter.

Very large tortillas (and some small ones for the Wannabes)
Hot Cooked rice (I like brown—it is more filling!)
Hot Beans (kidney, chili, black, whatever) seasoned as you like.
Hot Ground beef, or shredded chicken
Chopped tomatoes
Corn
Onions (chopped)
Olives
Grated cheese
Chopped cilantro
Peppers
Anything else you have in the fridge that looks good
Sour cream or plain homemade yogurt
Salsa (homemade is best, or use store bought with fresh tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice & onions thrown in.)

Each eater grabs a plate and fills their tortilla with desired ingredients.

Feather-light Wholegrain Wheat Waffles

Beat until stiff and set aside:
3 egg whites (save yolks)

Mix together:
1 ½ cups wheat flour (can use ½ wheat, ½ white if you want)
1 Tbs baking powder
½ tsp salt

Mix together and then add to the dry ingredients:
1 ½ cups milk
2 Tbs oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 egg yellows

Fold in the egg whites gently. Pour into waffle maker a scoop at a time. Yum! I usually at least triple the batch and then freeze the leftovers on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. When they are frozen, I put them in a zippy bag in the freezer to use for later breakfasts.

Here’s something I do for tiny Wannabes. First, I start with a raw fruit or vegetable like celery.

I wash them and cut them into small pieces. Then I put them in a small pot to boil, like these carrots.

When the fruit or veggie is nice and soft tender, I remove it from the pot and put it in a sealable container and put it in the fridge so that it is ready when baby is. Those are apples in the picture below. To keep things simple, I cooked these items one right after the other. When I was done I had several small meals ready for my little person to eat without a lot of trouble for me to fix when he is ready to eat.

Hopefully, like my Mom taught me, I am teaching by hungry boys (and girls) good, healthy ways to eat and I am doing it with fun and humor. What are some of your favorite, most filling and simple things to fix? Share, share! Also check out this unprocessed recipe blog for more good recipes.

Just a Few Cute Pics!

It's story time with Daddy...
Sharing birthday cakes. Okay, princess, which one is yours, which one is mine?

You help me, I help you. I like that...

Nuttin better than a cuz for a buddy!

Two cousins are even better. What cute princesses!

I'm sleeping, hold on a minute...

Have an awesome day, all.

How to Entertain Baby While Homeschooling or Doing Chores!

It is always thrilling to come upon a way to occupy curious babies for any decent length of time. So, I thought I had best share this with my fellow busy moms!

This morning, I set Chubby down to play with my plastic containers in the kitchen (see open cupboard door and evidence in the background on the floor). Princess decided Chubby would like a drink of water and so gave him his sippy cup. This would have been fine except for the fact that the cup didn't have its stopper in.

When I turned around, there sat Chubby, as happy as could be, in a small puddle of water. He was busy sprinkling droplets of water while shaking the cup up and down vigorously. Not one to spoil baby's fun, I grabbed a towel and wiped up the mess. I then left the towel by him and he proceeded to shake the cup and then play with the towels himself. This cleaned the floor nicely and occupied Chubby for at least a good 30+ minutes! Woohoo!

Here's a couple other ideas, since we all know that babies never want to play with baby toys! And I won't even insult your intelligence by reminding you that you obviously still need to watch baby carefully even when they are playing these fun things.

1. Allow baby to throw an empty water bottle or ball or even any object that makes a good sound when it hits tile. Baby will throw and chase the object for quite a while.

2. Get a VHS video case and allow baby to open and shut it. The plastic cases that house many Disney movies won't hurt their fingers if they happen to put a finger in while closing it (unlike that kitchen drawer!)

3. Let baby push the umbrella stroller around the house.

4. Pots and pans and lids provide oodles of fun.

5. Large straws (that come with the big drink cups) can be fun with their accompanying lids as baby can push the straw up and down in the hole. Or, they may enjoy using the straw by itself in an accordian style fashion.

6. Stack up blocks, legos, cups (anything stackable) while you read to an older child. The baby will have fun grabbing and knocking down any tower you can build.

7. Put Cheerios at strategic locations around the coffee table. As baby makes his rounds around the table, he can pick up a little snack along the way.

8. Your teenage daughter's collection of lip glosses can provide entertainment for quite some time. Just make sure all the lids are screwed on tight!

9. Obtain a small bucket and fill it with random objects. After baby has pulled all the objects out, refill the bucket with the same items over and over until he tires of game.

10. Okay, that's all I can come up with off the top of my head. And, yes, I have tried all of the above methods with fairly good success.

Now it is your turn...tell me some of your tricks! I wonder if I remembered to thank Princess for coming up with a new way to occupy baby. Hmmm...I'll have to do that!

Strange Baby Habits

My baby has developed a pinching fetish. He enjoys pinching small bits of skin (preferably mine) between his chubby little thumb and pointer finger. He pinches on my arm, my earlobe, my cheek and most especially likes to grab a tiny bit of my lip to pull and scratch. Ouch!

This got me to thinking about if my other babies did strange things like this. Yup, sure did. Princess loved to hold on to people's thumbs. She attached a little song to the ritual. She would hum a little ditty that she made up while rubbing and poking someone's thumb. When she could speak, she would often inquire sweetly of someone, "Fum?" (Thumb)

I had another baby that loved to take the triangular edges of his blanky and put them gently in his nostril as he would fall asleep. Triangle edged blankets were a favorite of another child or two that liked simply to put their fingers in and out of the triangle.

I had one baby that was attached to a binky and then a thumb after that. But that is fairly common, I think.

At least a couple of my babies enjoyed "banging". They would bang their head or chest into something repeatedly just for fun. Why? Mystery to me!

What are some strange baby habits your children have exhibited? Just for fun, comment below and let me know! :)