Baby Food: Banana's

Oh the places we go with a Banana!

I, for one, love them. So I usually help myself to a few tastings :)

At 8 months, we have now done a few things with a Banana.

Banana [& Milk] Puree

The most obvious, is a banana puree. I let them get very ripe. Like, black and you think it is trash ripe. If you worry about fruit flies, throw it in the fridge. Once they are ripe enough for my liking, I throw it into the mini food processor and puree away with some milk. Now, here is where I probably have to clarify - I used breast milk (and no, I don't taste test after I add the milk!). If you use formula, then you can add your formula. I would note that this is something I usually reserve to make only when it will be served immediately because pureed banana doesn't look real pretty after a few hours in the fridge...and then, if you add the milk, you have a whole other issue to worry about with storgae!

Sauteed Banana & Butter

Yes, sauteed Banana...in butter. Take a ripe Banana and 1 tbsp of butter and saute it in a pan. Once it's sauteed for about 5 minutes or so, pour into a bowl and mash it up a tad with a fork. Depending on the age of your baby, you may need to fully puree it. At 8 months for my little guy, we can leave it lumpy!

Variation - Mix it with some plain yogurt - sure to be a pleaser -- trust me! I waited until about now, 8 months, to start giving the babe yogurt. I have done some reading, that in smaller amounts, plain yogurt is good for them.

The possibilities of what you can do with a Banana in baby food are endless. Here is another combo I have done:

Banana's & Mango

Some good things to note about the banana:

• It comes in it's own carry case! Duh! So, once your baby is more of a 'toddler', how easy is it to throw a 'naner in the bag and go! No special packing care required!
• Banana's have amylase, which is a wonderful enzyme to help aid digestion - it seems a lot of people think banana's can be binding for a baby, but it is actually just the opposite - in moderation, of course!
• Banana's can actually improve nutrient absorption, according to a study published by Digestive Dieases and Sciences

Chocolate Baked Donuts with Kahula Glaze

Other people are right. These donut pans are addicting!

Donuts are so easy to whip up & bake and the options are endless.

I was having some company over and in my chaotic state to get the house cleaned, baby fed, horses taken care of etc etc...I was able to whip out a few batches of these bad boys!

I used Frieda's recipe for Chocolate Cake Doughnuts, and then added my own spin with a Kahula glaze. It was the only sane thing to do, seeing as a bottle of Kahula was staring me blank in the face.

And always, sprinkles for good measure.


For the Kahlua Glaze, take 1 cup of confectioner's sugar (that's powdered sugar, folks!) and mix in about 3tablespoons of Kahula. You be the judge on the amount of Kahlua you use...it all depends on the consistency you like your glaze to be. 3 tablespoons worked for me. And upon biting into one of these, a friend proclaimed "Oh, they taste like alcohol!" - perfect, right?! :)

The Basket

This is what we do in our [rare] spare time.

It's purely for our own amusement.
... and more fun now that the babe can sit up on his own!

 

You might not be able to tell, but in this picture below, he is giving us the signal to "Loop 'er around again, Dad!"

Cooking a Thanksgiving Dinner

This year I have decided to finally start a tradition, in my own home, to make a Thanksgiving Dinner for my family. When I was younger, my mom always did this for our immediate family, if I remember correctly, the day before Thanksgiving. Since I am not the host of Thanksgiving dinner for either my side of the family, or my husbands, I decided to start my own tradition at my house. I've been itching to cook a Thanksgiving dinner from scratch anyways, so let the tradition begin!

This Sunday I will be whipping up my very first Thanksgiving Day dinner for my hubby and I...and the babe :) I'm excited - I'm planning. Oh the planning! This is what the menu is looking like thus far:

• Turkey & gravy
• Mashed potatos
• Stuffing/dressing -- do I cook it in the bird, or not?
• Cranberry Sauce
• Dinner rolls -- this could be tricky, I never have luck with homemade bread requiring yeast
• Sweet potato casserole
• Corn - I asked hubby if he'd prefer corn or green bean casserole. He made it too easy for me and said corn!
• Pumpkin pie -- fresh from the pie pumpkins sitting on my table!

I will be making everything from scracth - don't scratch your head and look at me like I am crazy! - it will be fun! And I am trying to purchase as many of the ingredients as possible locally. The turkey is my biggest challenge at the moment. As I am learning, farmers take orders for them early! I know an Amish farm a few towns over sold them in the past, but by the time I get over there after work, it would be dark. And I would prefer to pull in the drive when it is light out!

Stay tuned as I will post the outcome! In the mean time, if you have a favorite recipe for one of the above dishes, please feel free to share :) I am taking as many suggestions as possible at the moment!!

Photo Credit: Flock of wild turkeys on Flickr, Creative Commons.

Holisitic Healing Reiki Clinic...for horses!

This past weekend I held a Holistic Healing Arts Reiki Clinic at my place. My friend, Karen, is a certified equine massage therapist and reiki master. She was in town and offered to do the clinic if I would be willing to host. Of course I was game for this! And so was my Gypsy girl, who served as our demo horse for the clinic.

For those of you who are horse people, I follow a lot of Linda Tellington Jone's principles with her TTouch method. Reiki is kinda like that. Some of the exercises Karen used on Gypsy were very similar to things I do with her, which I thought was cool. I should preface by saying that you really don't have to be a horse person to be familiar with LTJ's TTouch method; she has books out on using the method on cats & dogs as well. Maybe even people - I can't remember for sure. But her roots are equine realted, so I know many horse people are familiar.

Watching Karen work with Gypsy was amazing. Truly - you could see the benefits of what she was doing, as she was doing it. I think those that aren't even a firm believe in the holisitic arts may have felt differentlty after watching this.

In this photo below, Karen is working on her 'throath latch' area. For horses that are ridden, and ridden by someone with a heavy hand especially, this can be a very tight area for the horse. Though Gypsy is now retired and only carries the wee ones around from time to time, she was a lesson horse for at leats 5 years that I am aware of. And in that time, she carried all kinds of riders. She is a very forgiving horse, to say the least. Apollo, not so much! But that's another topic, for another time ;)

This picture, below, is my absolute favorite! You can just see the calmness in Gypsy as Karen works with her. I can tell, throughout her whole body, that she is relaxed.

After the clinic was over and Gypsy was back in her stall, those who stuck around were able to witness the lingering effects of a Reiki treatment. Gypsy was very relaxed, calm and literally had her head resting on the stall wall. Something I have never seen her do!

And, the next day, while out in the pasture, this ol' mare was running and bucking!!! This is a sight we rarely see from Ms. Gypsy - but she was clearing feeling good!

Thanks, Karen! We loved the clinic!

The Eco-Friendly Baby Christmas List

I am sure it comes as no surprise that as I add toys to my sons 'collection', when I can, I choose green and eco-friendly products. Because, if for no other reason, then simply, why not?!

The holidays will be here before you know it. If you have a little one to buy for and are looking for an eco-friendly or green gift to give, I thought I could offer a few suggestions. These are toys my sons has that we enjoy. I should note up front, this is not a paid blogging post. None of these companies have offered me anything in exchange for this!! This is just simply my opinion on these toys...for what it is worth!


B. Zany Zoo



I am not going to lie. I found this Zany Zoo for a S.T.E.A.L. for, are you ready, $19.99 at a local discount store. When I got home and looked it up online and saw that it can retail for $89, I fell off my chair!!

Anyways, I love this toy because it is made with non-toxic paints; inks are soy-based and varnishes are water-based. The toys are packaged in recyclable material. One thing I found very cool about this Zany Zoo is that there are no pointed edges - all edges in this are 'shaved' off for a smooth finish. Pretty neat, huh! This block will go a long way too. My son is 8 months now and loves it. And my 2 & 3 year old niece and nephew love it too - so it appeals to a wide age range. My son sits and plays with all parts of it and as of recent, he now uses it as a support to help himself stand! Even if I hadn't found this toy for a steal of a price, it would be well worth retail. I looked online and B. toys has all kinds of cool things. Best of all, you can purchase them locally at Target!

Green Toys Stacking Cups



I purchased these because I thought they'd be fun in the bath tub. My little guy has recently took a huge liking to playing in the water while in the tub and I figured we could use these to make a splash! Little did I know, they are just as much fun for an 8 month old outside the water, too! He loves to sit and play with them, throw them, clank them against each other..the floor...the side of the crib...the dogs.... And what I think is pretty cool, they are made in the USA from recycled milk jugs!


Wooden Teether from Finns & Flowers

I have read a lot about wooden teethers. And to be perfectly honest, I see my son chewing on wooden things more that I see him chewing on the plastic types of teethers. I remember reading about the Etsy shop, Finns & Flowers, and their wooden toys and teethers. They have received plenty of good feedback so I ordered their wooden circle teether. We are still waiting for it to arrive, but I have high hopes. It should be here any day now so once it comes in, I will post an update on how he likes it!
**Verdict is in - HE LOVES IT! And no, Mom, he didn't get splinters from it!

Green to Grow Sippy Trainer Cup




I actually won this Green to Grow Sippy Trainer cup from a contest on another blog. And I am glad I did. The down side, for me, is that I can't find anywhere local to purchase them. So, when I need more, I will order them off Amazon. I like them because, duh, they are 'green', but also because of the handles on them. I have noticed they make it very easy for my son to grasp and 'feed' to himself, or to just hold onto in general. If you are looking for an eco-friendly sippy cup for a little one, I'd recommend checking this one out!



Seeing as my baby is only 8 months, we don't have a plethora of toys on hand. I am sure that will change in due time, but for now, these are a few that we really enjoy. I hope this list has been helpful to those of you in the same boat. And please, if you have an item to add to this list, let us all know in the comments below.

This post was linked up to Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist

Cool things this week!

Big Fat Lies [about fats] from Real Food Freaks

this links to part 2 of the series, so make sure you click through to read part 1 too!

Homemade Vanilla Waffers from Weelicious!

Do It Yourself Herbal Cough & Cold Syrup

Backyard Farming is hosting an Essential Oils Webinar!!

Prepare yourselves! Mother Earth News is hosting National Homesteading Education Month  - coming September 2012!

Have a Wonderful Eleven Eleven Eleven! TGIF