How to make baby cereals

This little guy here, well. He eats a lot.

again, if you ever get tired of baby pictures, you just tell me...

He's been on 2h feeds since birth, with very little break for mommy at night.
And he's been watching our cutlery with interests at mealtime, ever more since those 2 little white things got out... So, we've started giving him solids. Avocado, apple, carrots... He loves it. He's very thrilled!

tonight's batch. grand-pa carrots! not organic, but surely locally grown and at least we know what gets on those...

Pediatricians tell us we need to start with rice cereals... I'll refer you to this article, which reflects my point of view.

Rice cereal has traditionally been the first complementary food given to American infants, but “Complementary foods introduced to infants should be based on their nutrient requirements and the nutrient density of foods, not on traditional practices that have no scientific basis,” Dr. Greer said in an interview.

"Rice cereal is a less than perfect choice for the first complementary food given to infants. Rice cereal is low in protein and high in carbohydrates. It is often mixed with varying amounts of breast milk or formula. Although most brands of formula now have added iron, zinc, and vitamins, iron is poorly absorbed—only about 7.8% of intake is incorporated into red blood cells."

This article about babyled weaning is great too, if you can read French.

That's why I went for avocado first, a good source of natural iron (amongst other good stuff) that will actually end up being absorbed.

But cereal is still good stuff, when not chemically processed.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. rice powder (brown rice ground in blender or food processor)
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Bring liquid to boil in saucepan. Add the rice powder while stirring constantly.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking constantly, mix in formula or breast milk and fruits if desired
3. Serve warm.

Sadly, I didn't even know that there was an alternative to the (quite expensive for our budget) boxed cereal instant powder when it came the time to feed solid to Mariann.

I won't give fast food as a first food to my baby this time.

yum!

And I finally got around finding time making SouleMama's granola recipe.
It is really good for us. We're the kinds that have many little in-between snacks. (And it's cheaper!)

Hope every one had a great weekend. It's been an indoor weekend here. Really really freezing! -32°C with the winds. For US folks, it means -26F. They forecast -34F for tonight. So we've been in our pyj (woollen socks for the olders), eating hot stuff and drinking tea! It's great to stay home a little, but now I'm kind of itchy to get outdoor... But not tomorrow apparently, since it's still going to be really cold.

Monday: Magical Treats!

(DH earing made by Abeeroad!)

So, for all those who wondered what was behind those Marshmallows (below) there's a hint in the picture above!

Pumpkin Juice!
very yummy indeed!

What you need to do the dry mix:

• 1/2 cup regular iced tea mix powder
• 1 cup orange breakfast drink mix, like Tang
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar.
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin spice (1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground ginger + 1/8 tsp ground allspice + 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg = 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice)

1. Measure all ingredients into a clean dry jar.
2. Stir or shake well.
3. To serve: 2-3 heaping tsp with 1 mug hot water.
4. Serve hot or chilled.

(from food.com)

*Personal Note: When drinking hot, add marshmallows, let them melt a little and eat with a spoon. Totally delicious, just like Molly does it!

It is very cool once cooled as well. I imagine it very well serve in pitcher with some ice cubes on a hot July evening.


You might want to take a look at how to make these as well:

Waffle Wands

Coming today: Chocolate frogs and Pumpkin pasties!


Wants to share a perfect yummy recipe, comment with your link! :D

Simple Ostara dinner

----> That's what we ate tonight. My favorite milkshake recipe which is:
a block of mango flavored toffu,
strawberries, banana, yahourt, and other stuff on hand.

also...
We did rainbow cupcakes!

Yummie!

Cooking

Dinner
Couscous

Lunch
Veg cream+ Bows
Turbot Fish

Dessert
Sugar Rolls
Gummies (or Finger Jell-O)
Caramel!
Waffle Wands

Day ?: Pâté chinois

First, there's nothing chinese about this recipe, and it's not even a pâté.

Then why is it called Pâté chinois?
When they built the CN track they engaged lots of asian, and their regular lunch meal was the recipe I'm about to show you.
It's easy, cheaps, and really good.

Ingrédients:
2L of steak
1 can of cream corn
1 can of nibblets
4-5 good size potatoes
half an onion

What to do:
Peel and cut your potatoes, boil them, smash them, reserve.
Cook your steak with your chopped onion. Take a pyrex and put your meat.

Open your cans and put them on the meat.

Put your smashed potatoes on that

Put in oven at 350F for 15 min or so

Enjoy!

Day 8: Pantry Essentials

Here's what I always keep on hand:

-Italians herb mix, which I throw mostly everywhere.
(basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, persil) And some various other herbs

-1 or 2 can of Eaglebrand (or a cheapest brand if not in special)

-A can of mixed bean, I use to throw them in couscous

-Cans of vedgie cream, add pasta and you got a potable lunch

-Pasta of all kind

- 2% Milk (we drink it too much!)

-Butter

-Couscous

-Vedgies

-Fruits


-Mapple Syrup

-Olive oil

-Cake mix, for whenever I feel like eating cake!

-Flour, brown sugar, white sugar... All those basic

-Corn Stach

-Chicken and Beef broth

-Natural Peanut Butter, because the BF can't start a day without it.. Can you beleive he eats 2 jars a week??

My Caramel recipe

Caramel!

This is a total hit every time I make some (c.i. : the BF can eat a jar for himself with a spoon in 3 days or so... ). And it's really, really easy.

Ingrédients
1/4 cup of butter.
It state unsalted but mine was and it tastes really good so...
1 1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of milk
3/4 cup of corn syrop
1 can of Eagle bran

What to do with all that

1. In a bain-marie, melt the butter.
   
   
2. Add everything else. Mix.
   
   
3. Cook on low, uncovered, for 20 minutes and then cover for 40 minutes de plus. NEVER STIR.
   
   
4. Take out of the fire and let rest for 5 minutes.
   
   
5. With a wooden spoon, stir for 1 or 2 minutes, or until you get the consistence you want.
   
   
6. Pur in mason jar (or any jar...) and put in the fridge for 2h.

It was delicious after 2h hours and even better the next morning on my toasts!
But the recipe only gave me a Mason jar and a 2/3.

Do you make your caramel?
Do you have your own recipe?

If not, try this and
Enjoy!

Holiday Craftings (part 2)

I'm sorry I'm such a terrible blogger. I've been away for days and I'm still really dizzy!
I'm sending you my best wishes for the new year anyway :D


Here's the second part of the craft I did for my relatives:
First, a second poppet, this one for my younger SIL. She's called Liah and she's a Vampire, rah!

Painted Make-up, synthetic hair (made by me)


Jewelry


Some blood, just in case...

The dress is made out of a top I had that I wore A LOT and doesn't fit anymore. The body is white felt and she's filled with dead teddies. Her legs, arm and finger are articulated with pire cleaner.

Next I painted on wine glasses with vitrea 160. This product is great. You paint, wait 24h and then cook them in your own stove at 300 F. I went for classical Ivy leaves as it was a surprise, not requested present (that I knew my in-laws would love). They say they'll get 4 other glasses so they can have a larger set.

Oven mittens, apron and hand towels

For my daughter of course! She put the mitten right away after unwrapping her music box.. which picture should got next... uh! forgot to take a picture of it. Will got next I guess...


What the best part of the Holidays? Having every meal with Papa!

must read: Papa cooked so Maman got a break! :D

recipe:
Frozen strawberries
Frozen blueberries
1 or 2 banana(s)
An apple
Apple Juice (the real one that is brown)
+ any fruits you see fit.

Top crêpes (or pancakes) or even waffles with that and you get a baby full of nutriments all over her body (but most ended up in her belly)

Don't forget to take out the cloths, it's highly stainable.

oh, and it's Monday:


I must add this too:

Because it's back! Yay!

Waffles Wands!

I took the idea from here. But I've added my own twist:

Ingrédients:
- Waffles Sticks (mine had a vanilla center, hum!)

- Baker Chocolate (I used the mild one)
- Butternut chips (like the Hersey's Chipits)

*facultative:
-Nuts, chocolate sparkles, rainbow sparkles, etc...

Tools:
A glass, or a mug.
Aluminum or parchment paper

What you need to do:

-Break your chocolate scare into a glass or a mug (I only needed one for 17 sticks)
-Add the chips, around the same amount then the chocolate.
-Put in the microwave for 1 min at medium. Stir, repeated if needed, until melt.
Now the fun part- Dip the stick so that 1/3 is covered, place on paper.
* Sparkles with what comes to your mind :)

as you can see, not all the 17 I made survived to be in the picture....

coming; some project for my daughter's room. (another) witch suit for her, and some Halloween props =D
If you were asking if I did any of the stuff I put on the to-do list; I didn't!
oh no wait- I actually did number 6!

Try those Waffles Wands, they are delicious!!!!