Spinach Soup

At first bite, our son acted like it was poison. But then when we weren't looking, he grabbed my big soup spoon and was spooning it in like it was delicious. And it was.

This is modified from a Vegetarian Times recipe.

Spinach Soup with Paneer

2 T butter, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 T thinly sliced ginger
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 t curry powder
4 c vegetable broth
1 pound spinach
4 oz paneer cheese, cubed

1. Heat 1 T butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for three minutes.
2. Stir in ginger, garlic, and curry. Cook for one minute.
3. Stir in spinach. Cook for a few minutes more, until wilted and bright.
4. Purée until smooth.
5. Heat remaining 1 T butter in skillet over medium heat. Add paneer cubes and cook five to seven minutes, until golden brown, turning occasionally. Add to soup bowls at the table.

Why So Few Recipes?

I love to cook, and I was very excited when our son started eating solids so we could share our food with him. I had initially planned to post a recipe a week that I found to be particularly successful. Why only two so far? It turns out we have a picky eater.

my lunch box might as well be empty

I have so long avoided using the word "picky," instead using thesaurus companions such as "selective" and "choosy" and even "discerning." But let's not kid ourselves.

It isn't that he won't try new foods or that he won't eat more than a couple types of foods. He has eaten and enjoyed spicy Indian food and rommegrot, a Norwegian sour cream pudding. He's chowed down on beets and lentils, spinach and persimmons. However, many meals for him are a teensy bite of each thing, even when we offer him a variety that includes his favorite foods or things he ate with gusto just the day before.

When he was sick this past week, he mostly refused to eat. It was starting to get distressing. But tonight when I was putting away the groceries, he saw the hummus, and he started smacking his lips. Feeling hopeful, I scooped some into a bowl and took out crackers. He was double-dipping like George Costanza at a buffet. I even gave him seconds.

There are different types of eaters, and there are even different types of picky eaters. Those kids who only eat pasta and Cheerios? At least they are eating. Our little guy is unpredictable, and every meal I hope hope hope that more will end up in his belly than on the floor.

Best of 2012

Here are some fond memories as a parent in 2012:

• Our first wine tasting post-baby in Monterey, with our son in the front pack
• Weekend family naps
• Visiting the Orangerie at night, with Debussy playing in the background. We three walked back to the Metro with the Eiffel Tower framed by orange and purple clouds in the setting sun.
• Lying in bed in Paris with our little guy snoozing in between us, windows open and listening to a warm rain on the streets
• Visiting the Menagerie zoo and then finishing up our illegal picnic on the grass moments before the police came to shoo us away
• Traintown in Sonoma, where we blew bubbles, rode on a merry-go-round, and our little guy's foot got licked by a goat
• Family gatherings throughout the year
• Walking back from an evening “bring your baby to the movies” event, and seeing the fog rolling through the hills
• Butterflies and baby ostriches at the Academy of Sciences
• Seeing our usually light-eating son chowing down on his birthday cake
• Drinking champagne and eating ice cream cake to celebrate one year of being parents

 2012 was the year that our son went from being a little baby who couldn’t roll over or sit up to being a toddler who chats, gives kisses, plays peekaboo, walks, hugs, eats and brings us toys. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. Fingers crossed that “sleeping through the night” will be on the list.

Christmas Grinch

A very tired little guy, opening gifts

Now that Christmas has come and gone, our son's room is strewn with toys that don't fit in the toy box. Time for the Christmas Grinch to steal toys!

I've been going through the house, bagging things for a Goodwill drop off, and his room was not spared. I aimed to take out as many things as he received. Some things that are leaving include a helicopter that alternated between playing the noises of chopping propellers and tinny music, some baby rattles, and a toy that was supposed to encourage tummy time but that really only got a month of use because it frustrated him when it rolled away and he couldn't crawl after it.

Keeping the house free of clutter and keeping the floor safe for a toddler is a never ending chore. Frequent trips to the Goodwill combined with an organized system of storage makes things easier to control. I wonder how long the Christmas Grinch can get away with "stealing" unneeded toys, and whether our son will eventually be able to pare down his collection on his own without too much fuss.

Christmas Gifts

Last year we didn't get any gifts for our then 2-month-old. He received plenty from grandparents, aunts, and uncles. And really, at that age, the gifts were for us. Who appreciates first Christmas ornaments and cute pajamas more than the parents?

This year, we've got a toddler, and even though he still doesn't know what Christmas is, we are thinking about building traditions that will last a lifetime. I would like Christmas gifts to be thoughtful and useful rather than stuff stuff stuff. I would like Christmas to be about joy, anticipation, and appreciation. I would like Christmas to ride the wave of gratitude that we get on Thanksgiving.

For fostering anticipation and appreciation, go to this post at the Frugal Girl blog. She suggests something she calls "strategic deprivation." Basically, meet the child's needs, but don't give them extras year round and then expect them to appreciate what they get for Christmas. Because being a good model is the best way to teach children positive behavior, I have also been practicing this for myself. About a month ago I ran out of the perfume I wear every day; instead of buying some for myself right away, I've done without and asked my husband for it for Christmas. This grants more meaning to something that is, after all, an extra. So, between our October birthdays and Christmas, no new extras unless they go under the tree!

We gave the topic some thought, and we've come up with this Christmas list for our little one: one very special pop-up book, a pair of pajamas, a warm hooded sweater, and dump truck that I know he will love. We'll see if we can maintain these categories for years to come: a special book, pajamas, something of good quality to wear, and a toy that he really really wants.

Holiday Decorations

We put up a tree and other holiday decorations this past Sunday, and I finally composted the mini pumpkin and gourd that he had been rolling around. Fall is over and the winter holiday season has officially started.

Every morning I take my little guy into the dining room to check out the tree. He brushes a few bulbs with his fingertips, he sticks his finger in the toothy mouth of the furry German nutcracker, and he pushes back and forth a toy car that his great-grand papi played with 80 years ago in France.

In the evenings, we turn on the lights (wrapped in the upper branches of the tree, out of his reach), and he lets out a little gasp and once again lightly caresses a few ornaments with his fingertips. We check the mail, open the cards and feel the glitter or embossing, and put them up on the mantel.

It will be so fun when our son can help make cards and cookies and is singing songs and talking about Santa. He won't even remember the little memories that we are making now. But I certainly cherish them.

Last Day in Infant Room

During the past couple of weeks, my little guy has been transitioning from his infant classroom to the toddler room. Tomorrow he will officially spend the entire day with the toddlers.

Transitioning isn't just for the tots--I have some transitioning to do as well. Because the routine is set, I will need to drop him off by 9 so he can participate in the snack time. In the infant room, we showed up any time between 9 and 9:30, but I always played a bit and then left at around 9:30. I don't think I will be hanging out in the toddler classroom as much. I am a little sad about that since I really enjoyed getting to know all of the little characters in the infant room. Will I even get to know the toddlers in this room?

There are also different expectations about the food. Before, I packed a mix of finger foods and foods to be spoonfed. Now, finger foods are preferred. Before, he had a little spot in the class refrigerator for his food. Now, I will need to provide a lunch box. Before, all his milk was in two bottles. Now, he will come to school with only one bottle, and the rest will be poured from his thermos.

So far the transition for our son has been going great! He's been sleeping and eating more, and the stories that he "tells" during dinner seem pretty entertaining. Now let's see how I will do with the transition.

Favorite Toys at One Year

Lately we've been going a park that has a sandbox. I always pack a plastic ice cream pint container filled with an empty chevre cheese tub and a few metal lids, and my little guy has a blast digging and scratching the surface with those. Until another kids comes along with a dump truck. Luckily Christmas is coming up!

We have DIY'd toys with success--tissue wrapping paper, plastic food containers, mini pumpkins, an empty tissue box with a toy hidden inside. We get most of our manufactured toys secondhand. Here are some that he likes at one year:

• Stacking boxes
• Farm animal puzzles--particularly one that makes sounds
• Wooden blocks--my mom found over a hundred of them used
• A little yellow Hot Wheel
• Wooden truck (anything with wheels, really)
• A sit and ride toy 
• Anything that can be a drum, including a drum
• Tambourine
• Balls

Hiking, or More Accurately, Ambling

Today we went on a hike with friends and their dog. Since my son has been walking, he prefers to hold my finger and walk rather than being held. With his little legs toddling along, it was more of an amble than a hike.

We are only a half hour drive from a redwood forest that is full of sights, sounds, smells, and things for a toddler to touch. For much of the hike, he waved around a huge, perfectly shaped yellow leaf, fanning his face with it. He woofed and pointed at every dog that passed by. He stuck his finger in mud. Then he stuck both hands in mud. He dabbled in a little puddle that had formed in the hollow of a fallen tree. The smell of moss and redwood and moist earth were a change from our regular environment, as was the lack of train and car sounds.

The hike with the little guy was free and required no extra "things," which for me is a better way to spend the afternoon on the Friday after Thanksgiving than shopping with throngs of deal-seekers. Let's leave Christmas shopping to another day and enjoy our dwindling days of sunshine.

First Birthday

It has already been over a month since our son's birthday! First birthdays are a big deal for parents; it marks one year of being parents and it is a year of transformation for all. Because of this, it is easy to go overboard on a party that the baby certainly won't remember.

We had a couple of mini-parties. At his school, I brought a "baby cake" with no sugar, eggs or dairy and covered it with puffs. Each child got a bib and then dug in. Another mom had done this a couple of weeks prior, and I thought it was such a great idea that I copied it. Why improve on something sweet and simple that already worked? Plus, the teachers said that my son had gone cookie-monster crazy over the other kid's cake. Second time around, and it was again a success!

The next day we had a close friends and family party with a decorate-your-own-muffin table. We had three types of muffins (vegan chocolate, blueberry, and zucchini banana), two frostings, and three toppings (mini chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, and puffs). People could decorate and eat their muffins whenever without having to wait for the birthday boy to blow out the candle and eat his. Because the guests--which included about 6 children under 5--didn't have to wait to eat the muffins, no one got impatient. It was a lovely day surrounded by people we love and our son was thrilled with it all.

Here is the recipe for the healthy first birthday cake, adapted from Homemade Baby Food Recipes. Note, this cake is not super tasty for adults except for when it's fresh out of the oven.

Applesauce Banana Cake, serves more than enough hungry babies

2 cups flour (wheat or all-purpose)
1 T wheat germ
1+ t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 c applesauce
1/4-1/2 c soy milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Combine flour, wheat germ, baking soda and cinnamon in one bowl.
3. Combine bananas, applesauce, and 1/4 cup of soy milk in another bowl.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. If it is still dryish after mixing, add more soy milk. Batter will be very thick.
5. Pour batter into a 9x9 square or 9 inch round oiled pan and bake for 60-90 minutes. It will be finished when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

8 oz (2 cups) whole wheat flour
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 heaped tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
6 medium, ripe bananas - mashed
8 fl oz (1 cup) sugar-free applesauce
2-4 fl oz (1/4 to 1/2 cup) soy milk


Preheat the oven to 325 deg F (160 deg C).
In a bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking soda and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce with the mashed bananas and 1/4 cup milk.
Pour the applesauce mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. If the mixture seems dry, you can add up to another 1/4 cup milk.
Pour into a greased 9" x 9" square or 9" round pan and bake for around 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The cake is ready when a sharp knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Read more: http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/healthy-first-birthday-cake-recipes.html#ixzz2CXzD8PsU

Read more: http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/healthy-first-birthday-cake-recipes.html#ixzz2CXzD8PsU

Interactive Books

Books that pop up, have flaps, or other fun things to touch are a good way to make reading time more interactive. They can also help teach concepts like "gentle" while developing object permanence and fine motor skills. Babies love them, parents love them!

Here are some interactive books that we have liked so far:

3-9 months

• My Little Sweetheart by Sara Gillingham
• Anything by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich--they have about a dozen books with built-in felt finger puppets
• Anything by DK Baby Touch and Feel--they have chunky books on every topic, from bunnies to tractors

6-12 months

• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell--different flaps reveal various inappropriate pet options
• Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt--this book is a classic for a reason!
• Little Black Book by Renee Khatami--lots to touch with velvet, scratch and sniff, whiskers

 9-12 + months

• Heads by Mathew Van Fleet--a very sturdy book with lovely pictures and fun pull-tabs
• Alphabugs or any book by David A. Carter--26 interactive pages!
• Gossip or any book by Jan Pienkowski--these pop-up books are super 3D

Easy Meals

I love to cook, but sometimes I don't have the energy or time or two hands to chop, saute, and assemble. Now that our 1-year-old is eating what we eat, I also have to make sure that it is manageable for him to self-feed as finger food and that there are enough fat and nutrients. Here are some easy meals that we all like:

• Ready made tamales from the fresh food section
• Tubetti pasta, Brussels sprouts, and ground hazelnuts
• Boxed butternut squash soup with cheesy toast
• French fingerling potatoes with raclette cheese or with tapenade (blended olives, olive oil and garlic)
• Angel hair pasta, frozen peas, and crumbled hard boiled eggs
• Black rice, tofu, and Thai peanut sauce

Basics to have on hand: variety of pasta shapes, boxed soups, hazelnuts, olive oil, cans of olives, variety of interesting cheeses, frozen peas and Brussels sprouts, eggs, tamales, dried black beans, black rice, tofu

Transitions

Our infant is now a toddler.

Just today I received a note at his school letting me know that there is a space in the toddler class and that he would be transitioning over the last two weeks of November and officially starting in December. Aw, I thought, I love his teachers. And besides, he's not walking quite yet.

Well, tonight I noticed that he was standing in one spot, very steadily for a long time. So long that I had time to hand my husband his phone to capture the moment. Soon the moment became an event; the photo became a video. Our baby walked several steps toward my husband.

It is funny that even when transitions are expected, they can still catch you by surprise. On Monday this week, I dropped my son off at school and realized that I never got around to nursing him that morning, and he never "asked." A few weeks ago he had a toothless smile, and now there are four white teeth in there. I don't even remember when the fourth one appeared. His shoes that we got six weeks ago already need to be replaced this weekend. And everything will be different again in a month from now when I look back.

An object in motion stays in motion. The same goes for children, constantly in transit, growing and developing and moving from one stage to the next, passing milestones in a blur. This life of transition is an exciting ride, but not one that is easy to capture on camera.

Favorite Books at One Year

At almost 3 months we started reading with him.

My son loves books and reading time is filled with pointing, chatting, and cuddling. To keep our shelves pared down and to keep things fresh, we have an active collection of books and an on-hold collection. Once a week I introduce four books from the on-hold collection and he chooses one to add to the active collection. It's fun to see his tastes change. Sometimes he has absolutely no interest in a book, and then it becomes his favorite two months later. Other books he loves week after week, month after month.

At one year, board books still are best for him to be able to turn the pages. The art work and any interactivity are more important than wordiness.

These are my son's current favorite books in English:
1. Heads, by Matthew Van Fleet
2. You and Me, Baby, by Lynn Reiser & Penny Gentieu
3. Animal Orchestra, by Ilo Orleans & Tibor Gergely
4. Let's Play, by Gyo Fujikawa
5. Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, by Al Perkins & Eric Gurney
6. I Am a Bunny, by Richard Scarry
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
8. Busy Barnyard, by John Schindel
9. Mog and Me, by Judith Kerr
10. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, by Eileen Christelow