I haven't made blogs for the past three or so months and it's nice to be back in a bigger page where I can write my thoughts again. This is going to be a great week!
So how did this start along.
Tess (my friend and batchmate in Australia) and I have been exchanging emails the past days sharing stories and catching up. But she specifically is asking me about feeding Jakob. I'm no expert. I just have all the time in the world to experiment (that I guess, is one big advantage of a stay-home mom). On her recent email, she's asking me what am I preparing for Jakob today. And actually, as of this minute, I haven't really thought of something.
It's a really serious business for moms to feed their children well. For moms who have their parents around or experienced nannies, lucky you because they exactly know what to give them. But for moms like us, we always have to figure out by ourselves. For some, feeding time is a struggle. I went through that. I also went through a stage that I can't sleep at night thinking what else should I do to make Jakob eat what he has to and enjoy it at the same time. So before I give today's recipe, here are some of my realizations about feeding my little one.
Every stage has different stories. Mine is 21 months and there's a variety of food he can eat now than before. But there are also type of food that I don't give him yet like shrimp, mussels and the like because of mercury content. It pays to read books or online help about feeding babies and toddlers. That way, you get to know a variety of vegetables, protein and carbohydrates that I can mix and match to make it something new everyday.
Every baby or toddler is different. Some are easy to be fed and some are such a pain. There might be times that he no longer eats the veggie he used to eat. You were so proud that your little one has eaten broccolli a few months back, and now he's not even touching it. You know what? Losen up. That's the next best realization I had. Sleep it over. Get over it.
For some whose little one is as old as mine or like Tess' who's just a little over 12 months, they're very much aware of what's going on around them. So I would always suggest a routine. And there's an article I read that we, mommies, shouldn't be expecting our babies/toddlers to sit on their chair as long as we do :-) It's such an achievement for them to last five or ten minutes there! And congratulate them, commend them. A "good job" or a high five will make that habit last longer in the next coming months. Also, I was so afraid before to let Jakob eat on his own, or mess around with his food because I hate the cleaning part. But I realized how it helped him and me later. He's eating on his own with fork most of the time and it also gives me time to eat my food. It's like having a date with my son every meal :-)
So now, we come closer to the food itself. I noticed that toddlers are adventurous on the texture of food. That's why, it was difficult for me then if I give Jakob pasta or rice everyday. There should be a variety. Maybe not on the carbs, but on the protein. We were surprised one time that Jakob ate about 3 average sized spring rolls that my sister-in-law, Ate Cynthia made. It has veggies inside and it gave me an idea that he likes the texture because spring rolls are crunchy! And if your little one has complete set of teeth, maybe you can try this. But for now, I'm gonna skip the crunchy part. I'm trying this simple pasta recipe with peas and chicken that I saw on tv last weekend. I'm just giving it a tweak. I'm adding chicken for the protein.
Ingredients:
-pasta (for Tehya, use elbow macaroni or small ones. I use penne or spaghetti for Jakob).
-frozen peas
-chicken breast (sliced, cubed)
-heavy cream or milk that Tehya is drinking
-salt
-pepper
-jack cheese or regualr cheese (grated)
Steps:
1. Cook past according to direction. When the past is almost done, dump the frozen peas too. Then drain together when cooked. Set aside.
2. In a pan, put a bit of oil/olive oil then cook chicken about 1-2 minutes each side. Chicken breast is easier to cook. When cooked set aside.
3. In the same pan (just clean the oil), put the heavy cream or milk, a bit of salt (as you'll have cheese later) and pepper to taste. Then put the pasta and peas. Mix them well. Then add grated cheese. Mix well.
Good luck!
Disclaimer: As I said, I'm not an expert. I do not hold a degree of some sorts and I'm just writing my personal experience (you know, blog hehe). If and when you cross this blog and tried what's in it, it's basically your choice. May or may not work for you. But it would be such a delight if you read my blog, try what's in it and be happy with the results.
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