LilSugar

20 Things to Do With All Those Leftover Glass Baby Food Jars

Rebecca M Gruber — Sun, 20 May 2012 05:47:01 PDT

Recycling's great, but upcycling is both fun and productive! Baby food pouches may be slowly overtaking traditional glass jars when it comes to lil ones' pureed food, but that doesn't mean the ubiquitous jars aren't taking up precious space on mama's countertop. Before dumping them in the recycle bin, check out some interesting ways the jars can live a second life - your counter and the environment will thank you!

OnSugar Blog: Chicken & Carrot Porridge Baby Recipe Plus Storage Solutions!

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:17:07 PST

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and CherylDee is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts to her Lipsticks to Baby Bottles blog.
This is probably one of Kiara's favourite dishes, and I believe many Asian kids, too! It's easy peasy to make and tastes delish!

What you'll need:

Minced chicken
Diced carrots
Rice (brown rice if you want a healthier choice)
Bovril (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Chicken stock (optional)

For all the items that I stated as optional, it's really up to you which you would prefer. Some would rather skip Bovril and garlic and just use chicken stock, whereas some would do the opposite. So that part is really up to you and depends on how you would like your baby's food to be. I personally have used all three methods, and Kiara likes them all the same.

Step one: Add rice and carrots to a pot of boiling water (or boiling chicken stock). You can add finely chopped garlic if you would prefer to add more flavor to the dish.

Step two: I let this simmer in for about 15 to 20 minutes until the carrots are softer. Plus the rice takes a while to cook, too! Once done, add your minced chicken, which cooks quite fast since it's itty-bitty pieces.

Keep reading to see the rest of the recipe.

Baby Gourmet: Guess Which Meal Is Real!

LilSugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:02:37 PST

We couldn't help but notice . . . the hottest trend in baby food these days is undoubtedly the introduction of unexpected flavor combinations. Designed to stimulate tiny taste buds, some of the combos sound good enough for mom and dad to eat, while others are just plain outrageous. Test your baby culinary knowledge by guessing which of the following flavors are real, and which are made up!

Take the Quiz

NurturMe's Caroline Freedman: An Easy Way to Get Lil Ones to Eat Their Fruits and Veggies!

Kate Stahl — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:02:14 PST

As a soon-to-be first-time mom, a pregnant Caroline Freedman was obsessed with all things baby (sound familiar?), including what she would eventually feed her new lil one once she advanced past breast milk and bottles. "I was shocked at how little innovation there had been since I was a baby. It was still Gerber jarred foods," says Austin, TX-based Freedman, now mom to a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old. "Considering how parents are eating a lot differently now, it seemed so out of sync."

Freedman, along with her business partner Lauren McCullough (a former culinary arts teacher) decided to do something about the discrepancy. The result: NurturMe, the first certified organic, all-natural, gluten-free baby food made from quick-dried fruits and veggies. If a dehydrated baby food isn't inventive enough - each pouch is light as a feather and makes about 2.5 ounces of baby food when mixed with water, breast milk, or formula - NurturMe has yet another selling point: it's also an easy way to sneak fruits and veggies into older tots' meals. Keep reading for more from our interview with Freedman.

Simple Way to Make Your Thanksgiving Tot-Friendly!

LilSugar — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:08:06 PST

If you're cooking the holiday dinner and plan on hosting a few lil ones, it's a good idea to set up a baby buffet of sorts. Many of the standard side dishes on the Thanksgiving menu are soft, kid-friendly foods - soup, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, creamed vegetables, and doughy rolls or biscuits, so the gesture will only add minutes to your prep time.

Set aside a bit of each basic dish before adding the ingredients that young children don't care for or can't have -nuts, marshmallows, herbs, shellfish, etc. While your adult guests will enjoy your complex culinary creations, the younger ones will also appreciate the simple offerings you've made for them. And, not having to bring a bag of snacks and alternatives, will make parents most thankful.

OnSugar Blog: A Baby Recipe - Potato, Sweet Potato & Tuna Pasta

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:16:59 PST

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and CherylDee is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts to her Lipsticks to Baby Bottles blog.

A few days ago I decided to try out a recipe I found online. It sounded delicious, well in a baby delicious sorta way! So let's jump right into it. Here's a list or more like pictures of the items you will need to create this dish for your bubs.

I know I did not state any carrots in the title, but I did add in some, purely just for color. Well and K loves carrots, but I added just a tiny bit. So there you have:

Heinz Baby Pasta Stars (You can get this from any leading supermarkets)
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots (if you want)
Tuna in water or flakes if it's easier

So just chop up the items and pop them into a pot of boiling water. Chopping them up to smaller pieces makes it easier to mash up later when they're fully boiled. While your vegetables are boiling you can start doing your pastas in a separate pot. For one serving you can just use 1 tablespoon worth of pastas. Up to you if you prefer the stars version or the spaghetti.

Keep reading to see the rest of the recipe.

Turkey For Tots: Thanksgiving-Themed Purees For Babies

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:03:17 PST

Baby's first Thanksgiving may entail a special bib, a personalized place mat, and plenty of attention from fawning relatives, but it probably doesn't include a plate of turkey, sweet potatoes, and stuffing. Just because your lil one is too small for the buffet line, doesn't mean she has to miss out on the holidays delicious flavors. Turkey day favorites lend themselves to baby purees neutral flavors and smooth textures. I've rounded up Thanksgiving puree options for solid food-eating tots - both homemade recipes and store-bought versions, so no child goes without a bite of turkey on this festive day!

Baby Food Processors: Simple or Swank

Nicole Abbott — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:32:01 PDT

Let's feed the baby! For the first six months of baby's life, all he consumes is breast milk or formula - and when the time comes to introduce him to real foods, mama wants only the best. For this reason, lots of new moms decide to make their baby food at home, using organic fruits and veggies, and a baby food processor makes the endeavor oh-so-much easier!

Simple: The Magic Baby Bullet ($80), from the makers of the Magic Bullet, allows mama to prepare homemade baby food in seconds and comes with everything you need to store up to five days worth of food for baby! It's BPA free and comes with a helpful little cookbook.
Swank: The Beaba Babycook ($150) does it all! This unique appliance isn't just a food processor, it functions as a steamer, blender, warmer, and defroster to prepare fresh, healthy meals for baby.

Which do you prefer?

NurturMe Dehydrated Baby Food: Ga Ga or Gag?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:45:58 PDT

Between the baby wipes, toys, change of clothes, and actual diapers in mama's diaper bag, it's a wonder the tote can even be lifted off the ground. Once lil ones are ready for solid food, add some jars or homemade purees to the bag and start treating it as an exercise tool.

NuturMe ($9 for a pack of eight) is designed to lighten mom's load while still providing tots with organic, gluten-free baby food. The company's pouches of dehydrated baby food are designed to be mixed with water, breast milk, or formula to create tasty purees for lil tykes. Weighing little more than a feather, the recyclable packs can be stashed away in diaper bags, airline carry-on bags, or even left in the car for emergencies. What do you think? Would you try dried baby food?

10 Tips For Introducing Finger Foods

LilSugar — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:00:00 PDT

Finger foods are the gateway to self-feeding and the first step toward independence at the dinner table. Annabel Karmel has explained the importance of finger foods and how parents can ease the transition for their children. She's also provided us with tips and tricks for introducing these foods to hungry (and grabby) tots.