LilSugar

Delilicious: Homemade Baby Food Is Back in Vogue

LilSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:23 -0700

While past generations of parents had no alternative but to make their own baby foods, the introduction of jarred food changed the way American mamas fed their children. Pre-made food gave parents the flexibility to grab and go, and boasted certain health benefits that made moms and dads feel safe, so it makes sense that it became the mainstream method for feeding tots. But the organic movement and concern over the foods we give our children are changing the pureed food trend.

The Washington Post recently interviewed Nina Planck, whose book, Real Food for Mother and Baby outlines the benefits of introducing babies to table food as soon as they start solid eating. According to Planck:

"What we're seeing now is a well-informed group of people who seek out whole foods for their children. They're not yuppies from red states and blue states. There are lots of working mothers who choose to do this because it's healthful and because it's economical."

The trend is even bringing parents who do not even cook for themselves into the kitchen. Chefs from around the country are offering baby food tutorials, demonstrating the basic process for preparing first purees and chunkier mixtures, as well as providing recipes that don't look like anything found on store shelves. The executive chef of one DC restaurant held a seminar that resulted in recipes for green beans with mint, curry chicken and Mexican beans and rice, while another restaurant chef is preparing to release a book of gourmet baby purees including poached halibut with peas. Not exactly what Gerber serves up.

Would you prefer to introduce your tots to decadent food purees or the simple ones found in basic books?

Source

Delilicious: Tasty Baby

babysugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:00:52 -0700

Baby food sometimes gives me the heebie jeebies. Not one to venture out and test the foods myself, I was convinced by Tastybaby's packaging and website that the infant food would be desirable for adults, too. The company prides itself on blast–freezing their organic recipes at peak flavor - giving the fare farm freshness and nutritional value.

Giving it my best shot, I did a lil taste test of Life's a Peach (peach purée). After a quick zap in the microwave, I was shocked by the delicious flavors inside my mouth. Convinced I must have tried the cream of the crop, I also gave Sweetie Pie (organic sweet potato and apple purée with cinnamon) and Bangos (organic banana and mango purée with vanilla) a go.

To see what I thought of the iced entrées, read more.
After giving all the flavors a thumbs up from yours truly, I decided to let the real judge have a say. Though she's finished with "baby food," my daughter gobbled up the Sweetie Pie in one sitting. I was delighted to see recipes included on how to utilize them for adult pleasure. Toss a cup of Bangos in a blender with some apple juice, vanilla yogurt, ice, and banana and you've got yourself one mean Bango Smoothie.

Moms can choose from nine frozen organic treats for their wee ones. When the youngster licks the last one clean, the containers can be recycled in a blue bin or right in your own kitchen as a keeper of other items. An eco–friendly company started by two moms, Tastybaby is sold in recyclable and biodegradable wrapping and available on–line with free shipping. Order a six pack of flavors (each including three packs) for $40 with free shipping!

Ecotot: Homemade Baby Food

LilSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:00:18 -0800

Having grown up in California, I've been spoiled by fresh food. So, when it came time to feed my babies soft solids, I opted for the most appealing and pure, glass-bottled brands I could find like Earth's Best and Healthy Times. Though my husband was the official taste tester in our family, I had a hard time feeding my kids jarred food. And, pureeing the baby food myself was too time consuming.

Luckily, I discovered Homemade Baby, a line of freshly prepared, kosher, and organic baby food that comes in refrigerated recyclable grab-and-go containers and were convenient for our on-the-go lifestyle.

Offering three stages - So Smooth for babies 6–8 months old, Good Mushy for babies 9–12 months old, and Kinda Chunky for children over a year, the selections - Just Peas, Piwi (pears and kiwi), and Yummy Yammies (a combination of yams, lentils and other veggies), cost just a bit more than the shelf-stored organic brands and taste great.

Homemade Baby Food Straight From the Grocery Store

LilSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:00:04 -0700

While homemade baby food may be back en vogue, mamas know how much time and effort it takes to steam and puree baby's first solid foods. Baby cookbook authors claim that the purees take just a little more forethought than their store-bought counterparts, but factor in the prep and cleanup time and it's easy to see why many busy parents and caretakers turn to jarred goods.

For parents with limited time and cooking skills who still wish to give their lil one's the freshest and most healthy first foods, we've rounded up some of the best mass market chilled and frozen baby food available.

Homemade Baby offers a line of freshly prepared, kosher, and organic baby food that comes in refrigerated recyclable grab-and-go containers and are convenient for an on-the-go lifestyle. Available in three stages depending on a tot's chewing readiness, the line is available at Whole Foods and other national grocery stores.
Tasty Baby blast–freezes their 10 organic recipes at peak flavor - giving the fare farm freshness and nutritional value. Sold in recyclable and biodegradable wrapping and available online with free shipping, our testers loved the taste and convenience of these single-serve containers.
Pomme Bebe flash-freezes its small batch organic meals to lock in freshness and nutrients. The company rotates its menu according to seasons, to ensure the optimal taste of each single-serving and only recommends storing them for three months.
Hip Hip Puree may be limited to vegetables, but their purees can be used as both first foods and mix-ins for stage two and toddler meals. The four currently available flavors are great introductions to solid foods.
Happy Baby produces fresh-frozen organic meals in 15 varieties. With meats, veggies, grains and fruits, the line – which is endorsed by Dr. Sears – is made without nuts, soy, dairy, sugar and wheat in BPA-free trays.

Source

Moms' Night Out: Flashback to Pre-Baby Days

LilSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Kiss the hubby and kids goodbye and head out the door for a few hours of freedom! Everybody needs a break, but lots of mothers don't take the time to indulge themselves so we're giving hardworking women some inspiration to get the girls together for a Moms' Night Out! If want to revisit your past, organize a Flashback to Pre-Baby Days soiree complete with adult food, games and conversation.

View Slideshow ›

Do You Buy Into Pregnancy Products?

LilSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Being with babe means forgoing caffeine, unpasteurized cheese and raw fish for many moms-to-be, but do they take the lotions and potions they lather their bodies with (the skin is an organ) as seriously as they do the foods they digest? Lots of the popular beauty lines women use on a regular basis include phthalates, sulfates and other chemicals to help preserve the rest of the products' ingredients and increase their cleansing power. Some doctors warn that these chemicals can be absorbed into the bloodstream and impact an unborn baby's hormones.

New pregnancy oriented hair products, like Nine Naturals' Oh Baby! and Beaute de Maman, are all natural, vegan and chemical-free and offer expectant women peace of mind when they pretty themselves up each day. The brands are said to work just as well as mainstream ones. Do you purchase goods made especially for pregnant women? If so, which ones?

Happy Puffs Keep Munchkins Eco Munching

LilSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:00:22 -0700

Baby puffs are a staple in many mama's snack arsenal. However, until now, the only options were from the major baby food manufacturers, neither of which made organic versions of the treats.

Happy Baby, the Brooklyn-based fresh-frozen organic food company, has introduced the first organic puffs, Happy Baby Puffs ($4). The 100 percent natural goodies have half the sugar of existing brands and are made from whole grains, real fruits and real vegetables fortified with calcium and vitamins B and D. The quick-to-dissolve munchies come in three flavors – Apple, Banana and Greens – that will have tots and their parents reaching for the eco-friendly containers. These containers are made from redundant materials from lilsugar favorite Method created from BPA-free, 25 percent post-consumer recycled materials. And for those who want their food purchases to do even more, each Happy Baby purchase is linked to a donation to Project Peanut Butter to feed malnourished children.

Interview With Michelle Duggar: Mother of 18 (Part IV)

LilSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:00:00 -0800

In their spacious abode for their big brood, the Duggars have two kitchens - one for looks, a "pretty" place to make smaller meals and another for the more industrial cooking required when you have so many mouths to feed. Jim Bob and Michelle's book, The Duggars: 20 and Counting! ($11) is filled with recipes for their clan's favorite meals and thirst quenchers - from tater tot casserole to poor man's pizza and snow ice cream to lemonappleade.

There are even some thrifty ones for how to make household products like laundry detergent and inventive baby wipes from paper towels and an old ice cream bin. While chatting with the mama of 18, Michelle told us her thoughts on eating organic, how she stays trim between babies and even let us in on her very basic beauty regimen.

lilsugar: There's a big movement in parts of the United States to eat local and organic, but many of your recipes include canned or processed ingredients - do you not believe in that type of diet or is it an economical decision?

Michelle Duggar: We probably don't eat as healthy as we should. If we were trying to feed our large family, it would be a lot more expensive to do so. Our health and our children's health have been very good. We don't eat organic, but we do make wise choices with our food, we do eat candy and cookies occasionally, but it's not day in and day out. I will admit, I like ice cream so I consider a freezer without it not properly stocked. Overall, we eat a lot of vegetables and fruits and our meals have a lot of whole grains, we use brown rice and make our own bread after grinding our wheat. We have salad just about every meal and on any given occasion, we're going and buying five more bags of apples, but they're not organic (laughs). We also cook with ground turkey and season it so it tastes really rich. But, we also love dill pickles and pretzels as snacks.

To see Michele's way for losing her postpartum pounds and what surprised her most about motherhood, read more.

lilsugar: I read that you stay trim between babies by being a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. Despite the stress that comes with having 18 children, you look incredibly youthful. What's your secret?

Michelle Duggar: I guess that the children keep you young running and keeping up with them. Losing 40 pounds years ago made me so much more energetic and eating high fiber and low fat. I still have a sweet tooth, but I satisfy it with Fiber1 and fudge bars.

lilsugar: Do you have any favorite products? I know you make your own detergent, do you make your own soap or beauty products as well?

Michelle Duggar: We don't make our own soap, but I've used Ivory soap forever. And then Lubriderm lotion. I have dry skin and I've used it from way back when the dermatologist said to use the one without scent. So every night, I put another coat on my face whether I get a shower or not! (laughs) And, I'm really bad, I don't take my makeup off every day. I put the lotion right on top and go on!

lilsugar: You know you're a mother when ______?

Michelle Duggar: You can't go to the bathroom without somebody knocking on the door saying, "Are you in there?"

lilsugar: Why didn't anybody tell me _______ about motherhood?

Michelle Duggar: How little sleep you learn to live on. Actually, the baby slept until six in the morning last night. I put her down at 11 o'clock and I woke up at 4:30 thinking why did she not wake up.

lilsugar: How much sleep do you get?

Michelle Duggar: I'm getting about three hour stretches or four. But sometimes she'll go six hours and I'm amazed, especially with breastfeeding.

lilsugar: What's the best trick your mama taught you?

Michelle Duggar: To be organized. My mom was such an organizer and I'm not. Things are never where they are supposed to be around here. We have a place for them, but everybody is always using them and they don't get back to where they belong.

lilsugar: Helicopter mom or free-range kids?

Michelle Duggar: I feel like I train them and I want them to be responsible and stand on their own, but it takes some time before you can cut them loose!

To read our full interview with Michelle, check out these posts. The Duggars: 17 Kids and Counting airs on Tuesday nights on TLC. For more information on the Duggars, check out their website.

Courtesy of TLC

A Few of Lil's Favorite Things: April

LilSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:12:45 -0700

April brings Earth Day, so let's celebrate by getting our tots to go green with these fun finds that will keep them ecologically conscious! This month's mindful must haves cover everything from a baby carrier to booties for your lil bare feet.

Weebit Booties. These easygoing hemp Simple Infant Weebit Booties are a paragon present for an earth mama's infant. They're leather-free and topped off with a felt pig.
Wishbone Bike. Made from sustainably managed woods, the bike's wheels are manufactured from 60 percent post-consumer recycled plastic so your wee one can learn to balance and roll on this green ride!

To see the rest of the details on these goodies, read more.

Magic Nuudles. Encourage your kiddo's building obsession with this bag of biodegradable Styrofoam-looking pieces that can be stuck together to build towers or create art projects. Made from cornstarch, the pieces simply need to be wet with a damp washcloth and then pressed together.
Peekaru. Eighty-five percent of the Peekaru vest is made from recycled high-quality Polartec fleece and is Oeko-tex Standard 100, making it eco-friendly for mama and baby. Available in five practical hues, the cozy vest zips up over most baby carriers, has pockets for stowing small accessories, and has a peep hole for the wee one's noggin.
Bambu Baby Utencils. A safe alternative to plastics, bamboo is a natural, strong resource that will leave you feeling like you did your part to ensure that your lil one has all of the best products at his fingertips. Bambu Kids baby utensils are made from solid pieces of certified organically grown bamboo, finished with a food-safe oil, and come in a variety of forms, including a two-piece set that fits naturally in your tot's chubby hands.

Sibling Shower: Food and Beverage

LilSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:00:00 -0700

It's time to eat at our sibling shower (small soiree that gets the future big sis or bro used to the idea of having another wee one in the family)! Set out a spread fit for the family's queen bee or lil king. Tempt tots' appetites by playing to a few of the sibling-to-be's favorite foods with a twist. Our menu is made up of swaddled babies also known as babes in blankets, classic macaroni and cheese bowls, and baby carrots with ranch dip. Let lil ones wash it down with some fresh squeezed lemonade and indulge in a pint-size party treat - cookie ice cream sandwiches! Adults will likely nosh and get nostalgic about these childhood staples.

View 5 Photos ›

For the recipes, read more.

Babes in blankets: Buy your favorite brand of cocktail weenies and roll them in a store-bought pastry dough cut into triangles Place them on a cooking sheet and pop them in the oven to bake. Allow the concoctions to cool and then create wee faces with an edible ink pen. Condiments like ketchup, mustard and relish can be used to decorate the blankets with pinstripes, floral patterns, and polkadots. Pair it with your child's choice of mac and cheese and baby carrots with ranch dip.

Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches: Purchase a pack of Immaculate Baking Company's Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies or another flavor of your choosing. After baking the cookies and allowing them to cool, scoop a ball of ice cream (I used Alden's Organic Mint Chocolate Chip) in the center of one cookie, top with another, and then press the two together until it forms a sandwich. Pour sprinkles or colored sugar on a plate and roll the edges of the sandwich around to collect the decoration. Place the finished goodies back in the freezer to firm up and then serve.

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids!