Finding Nemo Birthday Cake

Making this cake was actually fairly easy. Just a few simple steps:

1. Paint a backdrop on a piece of cardboard, or cover a piece of cardboard with tinfoil and decorate it with aquarium decorations from your local dollar store.
2. Bake your cake in a round cake pan. Let cool.
3. Trim the round cake into a foot ball shape.
4. When icing the cake, use a crumb coating. Any time you cut a cake, it will be harder to frost, so a crumb coating will help to make the crumbs less noticeable. 
5. To make the 3D effect, 'paint' your fins on your backdrop with icing.
6. For the eye, use a marshmellow and a drop of icing.

Get ready to knock the socks off of your little Nemo fan!

When Can I Introduce Eggs To My Baby?

Most literature agrees that egg yolks can be introduced to your baby at around 8 months of age.

Egg whites should not be introduced until after one year of age. Egg whites are a top allergen among infants. If your family has a history of egg allergies, or if you are concerned in any way, wait until after your baby is 12 months old to introduce both egg yolks as well as egg whites, and consult your family doctor.


Eggs are a good source of nutrition and can be prepared in a variety of ways. 


Get crack'in!

Simple Steps To Making Your Own Baby Food

Making your own baby food is an easy and affordable way to control what your baby is eating.

It may seem overwhelming at the start, but with a few simple tips you can get on your way to giving your baby healthy, non processed food, wherein you have completely controlled 100% of the ingredients. The puree stage of baby food is a very short stage, as well, and before you know it you will be off and running with finger foods.

If you are on the fence and still considering buying your baby food, try some store bought baby food yourself. After you wipe the look of disgust off your face, follow these tips and begin making your own!


Materials Needed

• Some type of blender or food processor. Certain foods, such as bananas and avocados, can be pureed by hand, but the majority of foods need to be blended with a machine, to ensure an even consistency.
• Food!

The Method

The concept of making your own baby food is really rather simple. Your baby is learning to eat what the family is eating, which can make it easier for you in the picky eating toddler years. Your babies food is in its purest form, without added sugars or butters. It is OK to add mild spices and seasonings to your babies food, after all, you are developing their palates, and helping them to discover a variety of flavors.

Vegetables

After washing, cook the vegetables before pureeing. Bake, boil or steam your produce until it is soft. If you do boil, add some of the leftover liquid to the puree. Some vegetables don't require any liquid, such as avocado or sweet potato; just mash and serve. Remember to peel and pit the produce and strain out any seeds.

There are so many varieties of vegetables to try with your little one! Most people tend to start with a puree of carrots, as it is a common vegetable and has a natural sweetness that babies usually seem to like. A few other ideas to get the ball rolling:

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli (get ready for a seedy mess and seedy diapers)
• Sweet Potato
• Asparagus
• Peas
• Beans
• Avocado
• Squash
• Tomato
• Mushrooms (can be very watery when pureed, but are a good add in to another vegetable or meat)

Fruits

Some fruits, such as apples and prunes, need to be softened, so you will want to cook them before pureeing them. Others, such as bananas, are as easy as mash and serve. Melons, such as cantaloupe and honeydew, tend to be very watery when pureed. They are not easy to serve on their own, but can be mixed with other fruits to add to the flavor. If you find your pureed fruit to 'dry,' add a little liquid - either from your boiling water or simply add breast milk or formula until you reach a good consistency. As your baby adapts to solid foods, you can add less liquid.

Some ideas to get you started:

• Bananas (be careful of too much, as it may lead to constipation)
• Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries
• Pears
• Apples
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Mangoes

Grains

Grains can be pureed as well. Simply cook them first to package directions.

Meat and Poultry

Remove the skin and fat before cooking. Boiling or steaming is a simple way of cooking your meat without having to add any cooking oils. Puree the cooked meat and add a little of your cooking liquid to reach a desired consistency.


Dairy
Not all baby food requires lengthy preparation. Don't forget about those easy foods such as cottage cheese and yogurt. Look for the high fat variety, as your little one needs the calories at such a young age. When buying cottage cheese, as well, pay attention to the consistency - you will want a creamy cheese, not the overly lumpy or dry brands.

There are guidelines for introducing eggs to your baby, which can be found here.

Combination Foods
Once your baby has tried a variety of foods, and you are confident there are no allergies or irritations, you can begin to combine foods and flavors. Be creative! Mixing chicken with avocado, or tomato with grains can make for a yummy supper! Pureeing a stew can add a variety of nutrients to your babies diet as well. Try out new recipes and see what your little one loves!

Storage
There are many methods on the market for pureeing and storing your own baby food. The easiest and most affordable method, however, is really quite simple: Ice cube trays. Each ice cube compartment will hold approximately 2 tbsp of pureed food. Once frozen, remove from the tray and place in to Ziploc bags in your freezer.  Your frozen food can be stored for up to 3 months. By this time, your baby will be working his way to finger foods, so expiry is really a non issue.

Ensure your ice cube tray is sterile by initially boiling it for 10 minutes, and washing it in warm soapy water between each use.

This is another advantage of of making our own baby food - you can take out what you need from the freezer, and there is less waste. Economically, it makes good sense!

In summary, making your own baby food is easy to do, convenient to use and an economical and healthy choice.  Out of all the things you cannot control in your babies world, let this be one of the few things you can. Your baby will thank you with a nice, healthy mess for you to clean up!

Baby Food Recipes

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Puree

• one small, cooked sweet potato
• 2 tbsp chickpeas (canned)
• 1 tbsp milk

Simply puree ingredients together.
Serve warm or cold. Leftovers will refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to one month.

Chicken and Rice Delight

• 1/2 cup cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/4 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 peach, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp milk

Puree ingredients together.
Makes 3/4 cup.

Bread Crumb Pudding

• 1 cup white bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 cup diced apples
• 1/8 cup diced dried apricots

Blend and serve! Delicious!

Sauteed Broccoli With Parmesan Cheese

• 2 cups of frozen broccoli
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pressed garlic clove
• 2 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• water (for pureeing)

Turn stove top to medium high heat.

Coat bottom of pan with oil, add garlic and saute.

Add broccoli and saute until tender.

Top with cheese.

Transfer to blender. Puree.

Add water gradually until desired consistency is reached.


Halibut With Leeks and Broccoli

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup sliced leeks
• 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
• 1/2 cup sodium reduced chicken broth
• 4 oz halibut fillets, cut into chunks

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.
Cook leeks, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add broccoli and broth, bring to a boil.
Sprinkle with halibut, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until fish flakes easily when tested, about 5 minutes.
Let cool.
Puree.


Vegetable Quinoa
(9 months and up~when introducing texture)

• 1 cup of sodium reduced vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup shredded zucchinis
• 2 tsp canola oil

In a saucepan, bring broth to boil over medium high heat.
Stir in quinoa, carrots, celery. Return to boil.
Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in zucchini.
Cover and let stand 10 minutes.
Drizzle with oil and fluff with a fork.




Minty Peas and Rice
(9 months and up~when introducing texture)

• 1 1/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup instant brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 3/4 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• pepper to taste

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
Add rice, bring to simmer. Cover. Reduce heat and cook 4 minutes.
Stir in peas and return to a simmer.
Cover, reduce heat and cook for about 6 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in scallions, mint and pepper.
Cover and let stand 3-5 minutes.


Hard Boiled Egg Yolks
(8 months or older)
Hard boil an egg, then peel the shell away and cut in half.
Scrape or pop out the yolk.
Mash your yolk and mix in breast milk, formula, yogurt or applesauce.


Vegetable Eggs and Rice
(8 months or older)

• 1 or 2 hard boiled egg yolks
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 pureed vegetables, such as carrots or sweet potatoes

Simply puree all ingredients until you have reached a desired consistency.

Groove Shark

There are good days and bad days with any job, including that of a stay at home mom. And there are methods of making it through.

Coffee. Wine. I won't judge.

But all joking aside, one constant that helps this mom get through the day is music. I listen to my fair share of If you're happy and you know it, and the like, but when it's my time to have the stereo remote, I tune in to Groove Shark. This online radio station lets you search for music and create a play list on your computer, then listen to it live any chance you get. It's convenient and easy, and puts a pep in my step just when I need it.

And who couldn't use a little Rolling in the Deep to help her get through witching hour?

The Spanking Debate

To spank, or not to spank. That is the question.

This issue has been heated for ages, and it isn't going anywhere. People are either for it, or against it, with no middle ground.

But maybe there is a middle ground that should be explored?

On one side of the spectrum lies corporal punishment. Spare the rod, fear thy parents, and the like. If you are a parent that follows these ideals, it is a fine line to walk in this generation. I spank my child is not a favored conversation topic at most mom's groups. Instead, we speak of time outs and behavior management with a sense of social acceptance. And then someones toddler throws a tantrum and we listen repeatedly to his parents giving empty threats (If you do that one more time...) and we all think silently to ourselves, Boy, that kid could really use a swat on the bum. Acceptable? Maybe not.

But it is food for thought.

Could there be Positive Effects of Spanking? Is it possible that spanking is a symbol of the readiness of parents to set rules for their children? That is to say if it is done right: Discipline must be consistent and never done in anger. Those moments of anticipation, once sent to his room, are often worse than the punishment themselves. And it gives mom and dad some much needed time to cool off.

On the other end of the spectrum are those that believe you should never lay a hand on a child. (See 10 Reasons Not To Hit Your Child) There are many arguments supporting this claim. Hitting fosters hitting, little hands are meant to explore and should not be limited, spanking leads to anger, and simply, spanking does not work. On paper, these words make good sense.

And then life happens. And children misbehave.

We grow and change as parents. When we are expecting our first we have ideals and expectations, and we plan on reinventing the wheel overnight. We sit at dinner parties with other parents and silently judge the way they are parenting, and on the way home that night discuss in detail all the things that they did wrong and what we will do differently. Our child will never be that way. Ah, how naive we once were. Now, two kids and many mistakes later, there is one solid truth I know:

Everyone is the perfect parent, until they become one.

I do not know the right answer to the spanking debate. I do not wish to harm my children, in fact, I wish the exact opposite. I want to keep them safe. When my toddler reaches for the hot oven, then, am I wrong to swat his hands away to keep him from getting burned? I do want to scare him. A simple 'no' will not suffice.

One could go back and forth for days on the topic, and spin in circles as a result. To lay in on the line:  I have not spanked my children, yet. I am not opposed to it, though, as a last resort.

To spank, or not to spank; it may seem black and white. But as a mom I have learned one simple truth:

children introduce us to shades of grey.

People For Good

Teaching our children to do good, is best taught by doing good ourselves. 

The idea sounds simple enough; lead by example.  But in our day to day hustle there seem to be more negative, rather than positive examples, for our little ones to see. It is difficult to be watched, studied and imitated 24 hours a day.

But no one said parenting would be easy.

Teaching morals and values to our children is hard. Period. Taking the time to do one good deed a day is not. A smile to a neighbor, holding a door, or letting someone in your lane are very doable tasks, even in our incredibly busy lives. And who knows when those little innocent eyes will be watching, and learning, from our examples? It's worth a try.

For some fantastically simple good deed ideas, take a moment to peruse People For Good. You will be glad you did, and so will every one else around you.

Traveling Without Children

I can, and will, at some point, write about all my tips, tricks, successes and disasters of traveling with children. We have done our fair share. Our oldest son first flew on an airplane at 3 months, and now, at 3 years, has flown more than the average adult. And lets not forget about the hours we have logged as a family in the car.

But, I digress.

This blog is not about traveling with our little ones. Instead, it is a celebration of the very first time I left my children in the capable hands of grandma, and vacationed with my husband.

I am a new woman.

The vacation itself was tropical, exciting, relaxing and romantic. The feeling of refreshment I had on my return is hard to describe. I have more patience, more appreciation and yes, more love (I didn't think that was possible) for my children.

My husband travels often with work and is old hat, so to speak, with leaving the little ones. Me, not so much. It took weeks of preparation in order for me to walk out the front door for a week and not look back.

My biggest concern was my 3 year old. I knew he would be asking grandma hundreds of times a day where mama was, and would most likely be sad. I wanted to give him a visual, some sort of a calendar that he could count down the days. What I ended up doing worked very well. I wrote 8 simple notes in envelopes, one for each 'sleep' we were away. Inside, I reminded him how many more sleeps until we were home, and asked him if he would like to find the Smarties. I gave him a hint, such as - they are hiding where you wash your hair - and had grandma hide a container with 5 Smarties each day. He was very excited, and now that we are home he is still asking for his daily letter.

I also wanted him to be able to hear my voice and see my face, though I would not be able to Skpe or call while we were away. Well, we certainly live in technological times, and I took advantage of that. I made 8 simple videos on our computer, and the boys opened one a day. Silly things, like me doing a somersault, and asking them if they could too. Or asking him his age. It didn't take much to make them happy to see my face.

And the one other gift I left for them was a video of me singing their nightly prayers. I teared up while singing it, but was so glad that I did. I was there with them in some way, as they were in my heart and mind our entire trip.

These little touches served as peace of mind for me, and left a piece of me for my children. A little bit of preparation went along way, as it always does. I am so very pleased that I had some alone time with the love of my life, and will count down the days until we can escape once again.

I do find it comical, though, how you can travel thousands of miles and go out for a romantic dinner with your husband, only to find yourself talking about your kids.