Improptu delish! "Hippie skillet"

In the park when the boys were brand new.

My husband, Joel, is a pro in the kitchen.  He can go to the farmer's market, pick out a bunch of ingredients, improvise and create an awesome meal.  He is a great cook.  We call his creations "hippie food."  They always include lots of veggies and tofu or ground turkey diced up and stir fried with white rice and spices to delicious perfection.  And it's always different every time.

Tonight we got back from a play date on the late side and I needed to throw something together for the boys' dinner.  I was thinking "baby breakfast for dinner" of eggs and pancakes.  Easy.  As I was scrambling the eggs I thought of throwing in a few Dr. Praeger's Sweet Potato Littles and sprinkle shredded cheese on top and let it melt.  The whole scramble got warm and melty!  Joel enthusiastically named the meal "hippie skillet."  It did remind me of the breakfast skillets we used to order from our favorite breakfast place in San Diego, The Broken Yolk.  My favorite breakfast scrambles always include eggs, potato and cheese.  August and Jude ate it heartily!  I took a taste and, I must say, it was delish!

Hippie Skillet's maiden voyage!

I love the different Dr. Praeger's "littles."  Besides sweet potato, they sell spinach and broccoli littles.  Those were literally the only green veggies Jules would eat.  They are packaged in cute shapes like stars and dinosaurs.  They make great finger foods too.  Dr. Praeger's sells a kids line of foods in the frozen foods section that I've always had good luck with.

Juliet, Daddy's little girl.

The Sandler men!

Broccoli

I waited a while before giving August and Jude broccoli.  Broccoli is a very gassy food.  I have 2 amazing sleepers and I cherish my own sleep.  I don't do anything that may risk a good nights sleep for anyone in my household!  When Juliet was a baby, we had an experience with a gassy food that traumatized me: when she was trying all her 1st foods, I gave her prunes.  She happily gobbled it all up.  She was up SCREAMING most of that night.  Like Jude and August, Juliet was, and still is, an awesome sleeper.  Poor baby girl had a gribbly tummy and was tooting away all night.  The next day I told my Mom about our dreadful night and she gently told me I should not have given the baby the ENTIRE jar of prunes.  Maybe just give her a tiny bit of prunes if she is constipated.  OOPS.  Lesson learned and we stay FAR away from gassy foods!  

For their 1st taste of broccoli, I steamed up one small white potato with a single stalk of broccoli.  That's right- 1 tiny tree!  Broccoli is high in soluble fiber and too much soluble fiber can cause diarrhea.  Gas and the runs?  No thanks.  We took it easy.  I sprinkled some shredded cheddar cheese on top and viola!  Baby broccoli and potatos au gratin!  The boys really enjoyed it.

Fresh broccoli will keep in the fridge up to 4 days.

Broccoli is also high in vitamin C, making it a great addition to your babe's diet.  Steam up some broccoli and carrots for a colorful finger food medley.  Or roast in the oven with some squash.  

Sexy and I know it...

Eggs

Breakfast of champions!  Jude was still chewing...

At our 9 month check up, our pediatrician recommended including finger foods each day so the boys can practice feeding themselves.  Scrambled eggs are a great finger food to offer at breakfast.

Eggs are high in complete protein, "good fats," and vitamins that are all awesome for a developing baby.  Eggs are one of the few foods that contain Vitamin D.  And they taste delicious!  Jude and August went wild the first time they had eggs.  Now when they see scrambled goodness coming towards them, they start screeching with anticipation....August starts banging on his tray!

Egg allergies can be common.  I've heard people say they give just the yolk since it's the egg white that cause the allergic reaction.  Our pediatrician told us that recommendation changed and to give the boys the whole egg, especially since they haven't had any problems with new foods thus far.

Add some veggies for a "baby egg scramble."  Dice up zucchini really small and scramble the pieces with the eggs until they are soft.  The boys just gum it all up together.  Or melt some american cheese in while scrambling your eggs.  Or blend with avocado and spread it on toast.  There are alot of recipes out there for egg bakes too; we're going to try one of those soon.  No matter how you prepare them, make sure they are fully cooked through.  Raw eggs aren't good for anyone!

Jude finds a good piece...

YUM!

August, just eating his eggs

yogurt

Jude's "yogurt beard!"

Last week we FINALLY got to try yogurt.  I wouldn't say August and Jude are getting tired of their purees but I'm sure they wouldn't mind a little variety in their lives.  Or maybe I'm tired of giving them puree after puree.  That's probably it.  Nevertheless, our pediatrician advises staying away from dairy until 9 months.  Some pediatricians will tell you to give yogurt as young as 6 months and that is totally fine.  I like to follow our doctor's advice or I will fall victim to the all mighty Google and spend hours researching things I shouldn't be reading.

I always wondered why a baby could have yogurt before he or she turned one but not milk.  Part of the reason is that doctors don't want us cutting out any formula (or breast milk) that has all the vital nutrition a baby needs until age 1.  Secondly, lactose is broken down with the culturing of yogurt (or cheese).  Milk proteins are removed or limited and, therefore, these foods are much easier to digest.

Yogurt was a big hit with my boys.  I bought plain, whole milk yogurt and mixed with with a pear puree.  They gobbled it up.  Whole milk yogurt is recommended for its nutritious fat babies need for proper development.  Yogurt is also an excellent source of protein.  

We then tried Greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt is strained, removing the liquid whey along with some salts and sugars.  The result is creamier, thicker and higher in protein.  Greek yogurt has double the protein and half the sugar of plain yogurt.  August and Jude tried Greek yogurt mixed with a blueberry/papaya puree and had a field day.  August was grunting for more while I was giving Jude his spoonfuls.

I plan on staying away from the flavored yogurts marketed to kids.  Yes they are easier but they are much more expensive and can have large amounts of added sugar.  I bought a big ole' tub of plain, Greek yogurt and will mix it with my purees.

We are 9 months old!!  Our Mama cannot believe it!