scratch that

Lastest fails from the Scratch Kitchen:

• Canned peas. I neurotically canned ahead peas (and pearsauce and sweet potato) for our trip to Ohio last week (because apparently the Earth's Best peas just wouldn't do!) only to have the peas ferment, push off the sealed lids, and ooze all into a box of food stuffs I had packed in preparation for the trip. The hubby actually ended up dealing with the fall out on this one as I was enjoying a day off to take a wine class. Whooops!!!
  
• Flaxseeds. After day one of trying flaxseeds this week I noticed G had a slight rash on his chest. Did it occur to me that it could be a food allergy? Nope. I proceeded to give him the flaxseeds two more times. The purpley-red, nasty bumps all over his chest last night finally clued me in. We'll be holding off on them for a few weeks.
  
• Tahini. Photographic evidence below. G hated the taste (Q actually enjoyed it), but loved it as a styling product/facial mask. So I guess that one wasn't a complete fail?

Bon appetite, babies!

new foods: zucchini and chia seeds

We're following the recommended four-day wait between trying new foods, which only gives us the opportunity to experiment with two new foods per week. Sometimes I find this frustrating (when I'm particularly excited about what's coming up next), but other times it's nice because it gives my poor mommy-brain a rest from hatching plans of how to introduce a new ingredient in the most favorable way possible. This week we're trying zucchini and chia seeds. (Incidentally, there is no rhyme or reason as to how I choose the foods each week. I just look at the suggested foods for the month we're in and try to pick something that's in season and/or that I know I can easily find organic.)

G and Q had zucchini for the first time for lunch today. I diced about 1/3 of a small zucchini, leaving the skin on to keep the fiber content high and because I'm trying to incrementally introduce the boys to new textures and slightly chunkier food. After steaming the zucchini, I lightly mashed it with a fork, then mixed it with pea puree, sheep's milk yogurt, and nutritional yeast. The sweetness of the zucchini mixed wonderfully with the peas and yogurt! I'm not sure how we'll try it next; perhaps just some steamed zucchini and tofu cubes stirred into dinner porridge (a mix of brown rice, lentils and quinoa--more on that in a later post) with a little tahini for flavor.

I'm particularly excited about adding chia seeds to our repertoire. Have you tried them yet? On the surface, they look very similar to poppy seeds and have a similarly mild flavor profile and crunch, but wow do they pack way more of a punch in the nutrient department! Incredibly high in fiber and Omega-3s, chia seeds are an ancient super food ...and yes, they are the same seeds used in the ubiquitous Chia Pets. The hubby likes to add them to a glass of water, where they take on an almost tapioca-like texture (which is too much like bubble tea for my liking). I prefer them sprinkled on a bowl of fruit or baked into a sweet bread. I'll give them to the boys as a topper to their morning porridge or lunch-time yogurt.

Bon appetite, babies!

Nutritional Facts

To learn more of about the health benefits of zucchini, click here.

To learn more about chia seeds, click here.

(Nutritional facts images via Fruits & Veggies More Matters and Rethink Health Solutions)

rhubarb applesauce

I adore rhubarb. I love its tartness, it’s slightly stringy texture. I love it’s Lilly Pultizer-esque pink-and-green color scheme. And I love that it's coming into season just as my boys turn nine months (and that it's coincidentally on the list of foods for 9-month-olds to try. Serendipity!).

When my in-laws brought us some rhubarb a week ago, I started thinking, “Hmmmmmmmm…what can I make the boys with this?” My first thought was rhubarb custard, but not wanting to use any sweetener, I figured that dish wouldn’t serve to give them a favorable introduction to something that sits so firmly on the sour/bitter side of the flavor spectrum (even though they, like me, seem to like sour).

Then earlier this week, while cooking them up a batch of pearsauce, it hit me: RHUBARB APPLESAUCE!!! Perfect!

Rhurbarb Applesauce

1 bag organic Fuji apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 or 5 medium/large stalks of rhubarb, peeled and diced
1/3 cup of water

1. Bring apples, rhubarb and water to a slow simmer in a medium-sized saucepan.
   
2. Continue simmering for approximately 35 minutes or until apples begin to fall apart when tested with a fork.
   
3. Mash warm sauce with a potato masher for a slightly chunky sauce or cool and run through a food mill or food processor for a smoother texture.
   
4. Can or freeze immediately to preserve color and nutrients.
   

Helpful hints:

• You can really use whatever apples you like best. We had never had Fuji apples before, but they were the only organic apples the hubby could find. We ended up really enjoying their sweet, slightly floral flavor paired with the rhubarb (and, on further research, they are known for being great applesauce apples, so go figure...).
• If you want to make a smaller or larger batch, basically try to keep your ratio at 2/3 apples to 1/3 rhubarb. I ended up with nine 4 oz. jelly jars using the above quantity of apples and rhubarb.
• Peeling the outer layer of the rhubarb with a vegetable peeler or paring knife gets rid of the stringiness that is usually associated with rhubarb. Unfortunately it also means your final product won't have that lovely pink hue that comes from cooking rhubarb, but for babies, I figured it was best to go ahead a peel it.
• Applesauce will very easily boil over, so use a saucepan slightly larger than you think is necessary and keep the heat as low as possible to maintain a nice, easy simmer.
  

So far, I've served the rhubarb applesacue to G & Q twice, and it was a big hit both times. They actually seem to enjoy it more than their plain applesauce (which I made with organic Red Delicious apples, so who can blame them? Blech.) or pearsauce. And the hubby went nuts for it! So I'm planning to make another, bigger batch soon to freeze up for us.

Bon appetite, babies!