a pause or gap in sequence, series or process
Since my last post in *gasp* 2014, hiatus seems like the appropriate term. I experienced a period of shifted priorities from the moment I discovered I was pregnant through the first year of being a new mom. What an amazing adventure it has been albeit a bit tiring. [Did I mention it was TIRING?!] Tiring yet miraculous and wonderful. Rather than writing my blog I wrote a journal to my daughter, Zoe. I look forward to giving that to her one day, the story of my experiences during pregnancy. But now that she's eating REAL food and not just a diet of breast milk and/or formula, it's time to bring my focus back to food. There's no better legacy than cultivating a love of wholesome food that's been made with love from fresh ingredients. And right now that is my mission.
Even though time is a commodity I never seem to have enough of, I make all of Zoe's food. Thanks to the amazing Vitamix I can grind whole grains and make fresh cereals like barley, millet and brown rice. In the beginning the cereals were very simple, just grains cooked with water and breastmilk added for creaminess. They have since evolved as Zoe's palate has evolved, becoming more of a base for the introduction of new tastes and textures. After the Vitamix, my food mill (a Moulinex crafted of stainless steel) jumped up to second favorite kitchen appliance on my list as it helped me easily transform fresh apples, pears, peaches, mangoes, blueberries, squash of all varieties, sweet potatoes, green beans and even peas into soft foods fit for an infant. At first I took the time to introduce foods individually, giving her time to experience each one and see how her body reacted. To my delight she ate them all! In addition she ate peanut butter, bananas, eggs and creamy avocados without any ill effects. Fast forward to Zoe growing teeth and the real fun with food begins!
As a good breakfast initiates a positive start to a new day, I'll kick off this fresh start with one of Zoe's breakfast staples: quinoa cereal.
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| Mmm...Quinoa |
The basic formula is about 1/4 to 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, 4 ounces of yogurt and 1/2 to 3/4 cup puréed fruit. Some of her favorites include banana with vanilla yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon, strawberry-banana and apple-mango. Each batch makes one fresh serving and also fills an ice cube tray (about 1 1/2 ounces per cube) so you can freeze it.
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| Strawberry-Banana |
Once frozen I store the cubes in a freezer bag so we can pop out a cube for a fast and easy breakfast later in the week.
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| Banana with vanilla yogurt and cinnamon |
I like to keep a few types on hand so there is a bit of variety in her diet. A smoothie cube (I'll save that for another post) and some cow's milk round out the breakfast feast. It's an energizing meal that fuels the start to Zoe's day.
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| Vintage tableware: the Peter Rabbit cup and spoon were actually mine when I was a child. |
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| Fresh strawberries and bananas mashed with cooked quinoa and strawberry-banana yogurt |
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| Bananas and Monkey-Friend are two of Zoe's favorites! |
