Need an activity for your next mama meetup or an excuse to get some mom friends together? Cook up some fun by preparing new baby food recipes, taste-testing them with your little ones and taking home the leftovers for future meals.
Ask each mom to bring a new recipe (we’ve included three below from The Baby’s Table by Brenda Bradshaw and Lauren Donaldson Bramley, M.D., or search our database for nutritionist Lianne Phillipson-Webb’s delectable dishes), the ingredients, any extra equipment you many need and take-home containers or ice cube trays to divvy up the portions. Don’t forget to rotate childminding and kitchen duties so everyone has a chance to cook, care and kick back.
CALCIUM CRUNCH
1 potato, washed and baked
1/3 bunch broccoli, washed and cut in florets
4 bunches baby bok choy, outer layers removed, trimmed and washed between leaves
• Peel potato and cut in chunks.
• In steamer, cook broccoli over boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove broccoli.
• Place bok choy in steamer; steam until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside leftover cooking water.
• Place vegetables in food processor and purée until smooth. If purée seems too thick, add leftover cooking water as needed, 1 tbsp at a time.
• Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
Yield: 14 to 16 cubes
DOWN UNDER FRUIT SALAD
1/3 banana, skin removed
1 slice of papaya, washed, skin and seeds removed
1/4 kiwi fruit, washed and skin removed
1 tbsp unsweetened apple juice (approx)
• In a bowl, mash banana and papaya with fork. Push kiwi through fine sieve to remove seeds; mix with banana and papaya.
• Mix fruit with apple juice as needed. Serve immediately, before banana turns brown.
Yield: 1 serving
VEGETABLE TRIO
1 potato, washed, peeled and cut in cubes
1 carrot, washed, peeled and sliced
1/4 bunch broccoli, washed and cut in florets
1/4 cup leftover cooking water (optional)
• In saucepan of boiling water, cook potato until tender, about 20 minutes.
• In steamer, steam remaining vegetables until tender, about 15 minutes.
• In blender or food processor, purée vegetables, adding stock (if needed) to achieve desired consistency.
• Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
Yield: 12 to 14 cubes
Recipes excerpted from The Baby's Table by Brenda Bradshaw Dr. Lauren Donaldson Bramley Copyright © 2010 by Brenda Bradshaw Dr. Lauren Donaldson Bramley. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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