The Pumpkin Challenge!

    This blog typically focuses on parenting or Q-ball, but one of the principles of Attachment Parenting is "strive for balance", so I thought I'd talk about one way that I meet some of my own needs for this post. To help celebrate this season and honor my husband's love of pumpkin, I decided to embark on a "pumpkin challenge" for the months of October and November. Each week I am making at least one new recipe that includes pumpkin. I love trying new recipes and exploring food blogs, so I've had a blast!
  A few real-life friends and even a blogging friend have asked me to share what I have made so far. It should be noted that while I love to cook, I cannot claim to have created many stellar recipes on my own, so these are pretty much all links to some of my favorite food blogs. But, in our household we typically avoid dairy, gluten, and sugar. And, I don't eat meat.  So, some alterations are necessary, and I've added my notes to the side. But, we also have a sweet tooth that we satisfy about twice as week...Enjoy!

• Pumpkin Chai Latte- Forget Starbucks! Make this easy treat at home- it's even better if you make fresh whipped cream for topping!
• Baked Pumpkin Penne- Here, I used quinoa pasta for a less-gluten and higher protein version. I used almond milk, reduced the amount of cheese, and doubled the leeks.  It honestly wasn't my favorite, but Daddy and Q-ball loved it.
• Butternut Squash Pizza with Pumpkin Crust- I loved the creativity of this recipe! We just ate gluten this night.  I halved the amount of cheese and doubled the amount of brussel sprouts.  But, I love saucy pizza, and I think this needed more sauce. Next time I'd use a whole butternut squash- it was delicious with the sage!
• Veggie Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce- I loved this recipe!
• Pumpkin Cream Pie Oat Bran - I actually found this recipe in the cookbook Peas and Thank You and super loved it.  I didn't write it down before returning the book to the library, but this blog does the best job of explaining it.  The secret step she mentions it putting everything in the blender to make it really creamy.  Because of this step, I just used rolled oats instead of oat bran.  But, this blogger is right, you should check out this cookbook!
• Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal - I used almond milk. 
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread- just a standard recipe for one of my cookbooks
• Pumpkin oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies- A recipe I made for a bake sale and saved from a previous cookie swap
• Pumpkin Muffins- Our favorite version of this classic.  I use whole wheat flour and reduce the amount of sugar and oil.
• Boston "Scream" Pie- I've made this recipe for four Halloweens now.  It's delicious and pretty!  Wonderful for a party.  But, not at all healthy...

Q-ball painted her pumpkin while Daddy did the carving.

Who are you looking at???

Here's what's coming up:

• Peanut Butter Pumpkin Granola- I can't imagine this could go wrong.
• White Bean Pumpkin Dip- I love dips! (I've actually been working on a post about dips and toddler nutrition for about two months now...)
• Some sort of pumpkin soup. Maybe this one?

What are your favorite pumpkin recipes?  I'd really love to hear!!

Baby Approved Recipe!

I enjoyed sharing one of my most successful baby-led solids recipes last week, so I thought I would share one more that would be perfect for a holiday (or any other) party- a baby-led solids version of spinach and artichoke dip. I made it for a recent (and disappointing) football party.  I served it to Q-ball with whole wheat pita, and she loved it! 

Here's what made this meal good for BLS:

1) Spinach is full of vitamin A, a nutrient that is deficient in breast-milk fed babies after 6 months.

2) White beans and artichokes are full of fiber, which many babies need to help with the constipation that is normally associated with introducing solids. 

3) White beans are also a pretty good source of iron, which is very important for babies as breast milk provides very little iron and most babies have exhausted the iron reserves with which they are born after 6 months.

From the WHO Guide to Complementary Feeding

Some notes specific to cooking for babies:

• I try to use organic ingredients (whether fresh, canned, or frozen) whenever possible for BLS recipes.
• We do not have any history of allergies. Of these ingredients, Q-ball had previously eaten cheese and whole wheat pita.

Enjoy!

1/2 cup fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup yoghurt

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper

15 oz. white beans (canned, rinsed and drained or prepared dried)

6-8 cooked artichoke hearts, quartered (or 14 oz can)

9 oz. chopped frozen spinach (thawed, drained, and squeezed dry)

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Place all ingredients expect mozzarella, artichoke and spinach in food processor and process until smooth.  Spoon into bowl and add artichokes and spinach.  Place in 1-quart cooking dish, sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes or until browned.

Sources:

Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, World Health Organization. (2000). Complementary Feeding: Family 

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2626/2

http://www.caloriegallery.com/foods/calories-in-cooked-white-beans.htm

http://www.artichokes.org/health.html

Baby Approved Recipe!

   Before starting baby-led solids, I spent quite a bit of time looking for information as I did not know anyone else who was choosing to go down this path or anyone else who had done it. For an explanation of why I chose BLS, see this previous post I especially liked reading about other recipes or foods that families were using as I found this was the best way for me to visualize and later employ BLS in my own house.  So, I am sharing last night's dinner recipe- Mediterranean-Inspired Butternut Squash with a side of hummus- as it was our most successful so far.

Here's what made this a good meal for BLS:

1) Every member of the family loved it (even meat-eating Daddy), especially Q-ball.  I've rarely seen her so excited to eat. 

2) The main ingredient- butternut squash- has super high levels of Vitamin A- which is one of the nutrient gaps in babies as breast milk no longer supplies adequate amounts as in babies beyond 6 months.

3) Hummus (I made a basic homemade hummus)- provides both a low fat (chickpea) and high fat (tahini) source of protein

4) Easy to serve with couscous or whole wheat pita to provide additional energy for baby.

5) Lots of exciting new flavors for baby.

Enjoy! 

Some notes specific to cooking for babies:

• I try to use organic ingredients (whether fresh, canned, or frozen) whenever possible for BLS recipes. But, I, admittedly, do not use organic onions or butternut squash as they have been identified as "clean"er by the EWG. It saves a few dollars on groceries.
• We do not have any history of allergies. I did introduce tahini to Q-ball on its own a few times as nuts are high on the potential allergy list. Whole wheat was also introduced on its own several times before serving with other foods.

1 butternut squash (2 lbs)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cayenne ( I was a little more heavy handed than this, and I think Q-ball needed the hummus to cool off at times...)

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh)

1/3 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups water or reduced sodium veggie broth (I used the later)

Peel squash and remove seeds. Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until golden.  Add garlic, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cumin.  Cook for one minute.  Add squash, tomatoes, raisins, and water/broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Uncover and simmer until squash is as tender as desired.  

Adapted from a recipe from Real Simple magazine.

Sources:

Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, World Health Organization. (2000). Complementary Feeding: Family foods for breastfed children. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2000/WHO_NHD_00.1.pdf

Nutrition facts and analysis for squash. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2648/2