ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MEAL … PASTA WITH COURGETTES

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MEAL ….

PASTA WITH COURGETTES 

Ingredients – 1 courgette

– 50ml of single cream

– 1 small chicken breast (cooked)

– 2 tsp of Parmesan

– 1 tsp of basil (chopped)

– 50g of baby pasta

Cooking method:

Grate you courgette.

Cut you cooked chicken in to a very small cubes (I have just friend the chicken breast in a little bit of olive oil). 

Cook your pasta according to cooking instructions.

Fry courgette in a little bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes (until it softens)  

add cream and basil and cook for around 3 minutes. If needs add a little bit of water to the sauce. Add pasta then Parmesan and it’s ready to eat !  

If your baby is still not eating solids you can blend all of it or blend everything except pasta. Good thing about this recipe is that you can make it in to a grown up version by just adding salt and pepper in to it to season! Hope that you and your baby will enjoy it !

SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR …. SUGAR EVERYWHERE ! Yes even in  BABY food! 

 I love sugar and anything that is sweet … It takes a lot of will power not to eat chocolate all day long every day. 

 I assumed that baby food, especially the one labeled : heathy, organic, no preservatives added  will have no sugar or just minimal amount of it … NEVER assume  anything ! I couldn’t be more wrong ! 

 I was shocked to see baby food from 4 months old having over 20g of sugar per 100g. What was even more shocking is that things which shouldn’t have any sugar had lots of it !  

 Don’t get me wrong I am all for healthy but balanced diet, I give my baby, baby biscuits but I don’t want my baby to be consuming lots of sugar especially not when she is so small ! Also giving then sugar make the weaning and feeding so much more difficult because they refuse to eat things which are not sweet!  

 I started to check labels very carefully and found product which are nice but don’t have lots of sugar which I will share. Oh and just to clarify product is high in sugar when it has 20g or more of sugar per 100g.

CEREALS

 There is a very small selection of cereals that don’t have lots of sugar in it, and only handful of cereals that have little or non sugar. My recommendation will be those 2 :

– Organix Multigrain Porridge (only 2g of sugar per 100g)

– Organic Mutligrain Mini Puffs (only 1g of sugar per 100g). I use the puffs to add to other porridges for the texture. I usually mix it with whatever porridge I make, especially with the flavoured ones. It’s great when you start to introduce texture to your baby’s food. 

  

– Good flavoured porridge is by Ella’s Kitchen (11.7g of sugar per 100g). I usually make it with multigrain mini creel puffs. 

  
– Organix Cereal Bannan & Rospberry (12g of sugar per 100g and believe me this is the smalles amount of sugar that I could find in the stage 3 cereals)

  
Bad boys:

– Cow&Gate Fruity Porridge – 40g of sugar per 100g !!!!!!! This should be illegal!

TREATS FOR BABIES : 

Rice cakes.

 It’s a great snack for babies from quite an early age (I have Chloe her first one at 5,5 months). They not high in sugar but even in this one snac the sugar level waries depending on the flavour (those are the Organix rice cakes) : 
– Apple rice cakes -14g 

– Berry rice cake – 10g

– Banana rice cake – 9,7g

– Strawberry rice cake – 6,7g 

Biscuits:

 Biscuits naturally have much more sugar than any other snack, but again I thought that because they are for babies the sugar level would be reduced …. Not always the case. There are healthier options like:

-Ella’s Kitchen Apple & Ginger biscuits 16,5g

  
-Ella’s Kitchen Milk and Vanilla biscuits 16,1g

-Ella’s Kitchen Hello-Copter Oat and spelt cookies 13,4g 

A bit less healthier but not too bad :

– Heinz Biscotties Banana 22g

– Heinz Biscotties Apple 20g

– Heinz Biscotties Mango 22g

 All of the others I found had 28g of sugar and above which is very very high so should be a treat from time to time only. 

CORN SNACKS

– Organix  Crunchy Sweetcorn Rings 3,5g

–  Ella’s Kitchen Melty Puffs Tomatoes & Leek 0,5g ( the Strawberry and Bannan flavour already has 7,4g which is a lot). 

  
– Ella’s Kitchen Lentil and carrot sticks  0,7g

  
– Ella’s Kitchen Cheese and Lentil Crunchy Wheels 0,2g

– Kiddylicious Blueberry Wafers 9,6g

– Kiddylicious Cheese flying Saucers 0,5g

Bad boys:

– Kiddylicious Passion Fruit and Peach Yoghurt Melts 45g

– most of the frut snacks like Bear Fruit Paws are high in sugar with 40g and more in 100g

– Organix Goodies Fruit Gummies Strawberry has 67g of sugar !!!!!!!!!

 I could probably write a book about contest of sugar in baby food … Don’t want to bore everyone so the only thing I will say is check the back of the package for information ! Don’t be influenced by the colour of the package, marketing etc…. And remember that fruit and vegetables are always best option sometimes just not practical 😀

 What is you experience, opinion? Do you have know of a yummy and healthy snacks/foods? 

OMG IT HAS HAPPENED !!!!!

I AM SO HAPPY, SO PROUD AND SO EMOTIONAL at this same time. My little baby girl at the age of 9 months and 28 days started walking !!!!!   

She did 1 or 2 steps before but today she just started walking !!!! It’s amazing how something just clicks in baby brain and they just start doing things! Chloe for a while now was walking with the walker, while holding to both of my hands and recently only one hand. She was also standing on her own for 3 seconds but as soon as she realised that no one was holding her/she wasn’t holding anything, she would sit down.  And then yesterday she started standing, just like that as if she always did it… Then today she just started walking …. It amazes me how it just happens …. I am such a proud mummy now. 

Thank god for Coffeeshops !! 😊

  
 I have never spend so much time in a coffeeshop as I do while on maternity leave. They bring normality in to my life! On the beginning before I meet my Mums gang I would go to one to be round people and so I cant see all of the stuff which need to be done at home. I would buy lots of magasines have a cake (we all deserve it !!!!!) and my decafe (breastfeeding) coffee (lots of it) while Chloe was sleeping (they do sleep a lot of the beginning) . 

  You know the time when they are still quite small (3 months or so)  and you are trying to establish a routine and they don’t want to sleep … Of we went in the pram for a walk and as soon as she would fall asleep I would head to a coffeeshop, we all know that you can’t go home because as soon as you open the door baby is wide awake !!!  

 Now is all about socialising.Yummy mummies with our perfect prams pushing our perfect baby stroll in to a coffee shop and take it over moving all of the tables and chairs so we can park 8 prams, and fit 8 highchairs on top of all of the space that we mums need – the customers and the owners hate us ! 

LUNCH TIME ! Some great accesories which I love ! 

 Weaning is so much fun and I love going out for lunch with Chloe; I recon Chloe enjoyed it more as she has food, lots of distraction and a lot of attention (the 3 things that she can’t live without). But you need so much stuff : wipes, antibacterial wipes, pot with main meal, pot with a dessert, pot with snacks, bib, water, spoon, lunch bag, some toys etc….. 

  
 I found lots of very good items out there which make the whole proved a bit easier or just a bum more fun. 

1. MAM spoon

  
 What is great about this spoon is that it comes with a cover! It’s such a smal but genius idea! You know that your spoon is clean and ready for your baby to use it, and once your lunch is over you don’t need to worry about cleaning it or the spoon staining your lunch bag. It comes in few different colours. 

2. MAM bowl.

  What is great about this bowl is that it’s separated in two so you can have your dinner and a dessert in one container. The way is seperated is very good as it doesn’t let one food lik in to the other part of the container. Saves a lot of space !  

3. Lunch bag

 There is so many amazing lunch bags out ther, choice is very big. My favourite one will be the one made by SKIP HOP. They do an animal range which is the cuttest ever. We have two now: a zebra one and unicorn one. They are beautiful and so much fun for kids. Chloe loves to play with her bag! 

   There is a very big choice depending on what you like or what animal your baby loves😊  
  
Do you have any great lunch gadgets or items that you cannot live without or just love ? Please share with me and others! 

Work 😫😫😫

 I had to slowly start thinking about work. Needing to organise meeting with work to talk about returning after maternity; organise some keep in touch days so I know what was happening while I was gone (fashion never sleeps as we say where I work-lots to catch up on) and the worst of all needing to start to leave my little precious girl with other people. 

 Unfortunately due to my work I won’t be able to go back part time … This makes it harder, especially that all of the other mums are going back back part time. 

 I started to make small steps by having grandparents over for few hours observing how I do things with Chloe. Then leaving Chloe for an hour, then for 3 hours (it was the longest I could do). 

 First of my keep in touch days Chloe’s grandad was looking after her … With my husband who I made to work from home so he can keep an eye on everything. Not that there is anything to worry about, Grandad is amazing withChloe, and he knows what he is doing but I just can’t bring myself to leave her for more than few hours with anyone other than my husband. I have done 2 keep in touch days so far and because my husband was working from home it wasn’t too bad… I just don’t know how will I be able to go back full time to work???!!!!! Right now I don’t know how I will do it… I will have to somehow… Everyone else is doing it so it can’t be that bad???? My friend just went back to work and she is loving it ???? Just thinking about it is stressing me out !!!!  

ANOTHER DAY,ANOTHER MEAL … CHICKEN WITH GREEN VEGETABLES AND RICE.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MEAL…

CHICKEN WITH GREEN VEGETABLES AND RICE.

Ingredients:

– 1 chicken breast

– 1 onion

– 100g of peas

– 100g of spinach

– 50g baby broad beans

– 50g of cooked rice

– 50ml of chicken stock
Cooking instructions :

Fry onion until golden on a little bit of olive oil, then add chicken and fry until cooked.

Steam peas, beans and courgette for 5 minutes then add spinach and steam for further 2 minutes.


Cook rice according to instructions; prepare chicken stock.

Once vegetables been steamed add chicken and onion and blend all together. Add chicken stock to achieve your perfect consistency and finish off with adding rice for texture. If you baby is on 3 stage of weaning then you can also cut all of the vegetables in to small cubes instead of blending it. If your baby just started weaning you can blend it all together.

DESERT:

Sliced Pear, it’s a great finger food. It’s very soft so you don’t need to pre cook it, just cut it and serve.  

BABY CHANGING BAG … WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR ONE?

Baby changing bag … We have there everything don’t we ? They weight a tone and there is so many things which we apparently need to carry in it and lots of “must have” gadgets without which we shouldn’t leave the house. I will tell you what in my experience you need and which gadgets I found very good!

  
1. Portable changing mat.
I have to admit that I got one as a present on my baby shower. I opened it and started saying how nice it is and pretty etc…. then had to ask … eeehhh and what is it??? I didn’t know that you can get or need a portable changing mat with all of those pockets for nappies and wet wipes. I didn’t even thing about how will I be changing my baby when out and about.
I have to say it was one of the best product ever and I have been using it from day one. I have everything in one place and when Chloe need changing I just take my little bag with me. I recommend very highly to get one of those.
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2. Wipes Case.
If you use wet wipes with a standard re-sealable top what you notice is that after having them in your changing bag the top stops sticking (there is just so much a packet of wipes can withstand :-)). Also trying to look for the packet of wipes 100 times a day in a changing bag which has everything is very challenging and frustrating.
 Wipes case is so good. It takes wipes inside and keeps in a light fresh inside a plastic case. It has sliding top so you can easily get to your wipes and it attaches in to your pram/changing bag etc. I have the Skip Hop Swipes Wipes Case.
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3. Change of clothes.
Always!!! Baby vomit A LOT, explosive poos leak very often ! Make sure you have it at all the time !! I always had a change of clothes on the beginning and then as the time was passing and Chloe was outgrowing her clothes I just stoped putting a spare one in… then while being on a lovely day out in a British Museum with my 8 months old sweetheart her nappy leaked … leaked a lot!

4. Antibacterial wipes.
I go through so many of them ! From the very beginning I was possessed with bacterial and Chloe not getting any of the gems ! So far with my antibacterial wipes and breastfeeding at 9 Months Chloe still hasn’t been sick .

5. Muslin cloth.
Do not leave the house without one. Its handy when it comes to everything and anything.

6. Antibacterial spray. 
The is this baby friendly spray. Its all natural so you can spray toys, dummy or anything with it and it will kill all of the bacteria without any chemical fast to it. Its 100% natural so its safe for babies. I bought all of the different wipes which were leaving chemical aftertaste, dummy steriliser which was so much hassle to use I have used it only once.
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7. Stain Removing Wipes
I discovered those very recently and I must say they are brilliant. Have you got use to being covered in vomit or fingers food stains? or having to throw away brand new cute baby top just because you can’t get this stain off ? With those wipes you can wipe the stain away or make is less offensive.

  
8. Calpol / Teething medications. 
Those are handy to have especially from around 4 months when lots of babies start testing.

9. Toys
Whatever keeps you baby entertained , whatever your baby likes. Something to distract your baby when it gets bored. I always end up with so many toys !!!!

10. Food 
Spare milk if you bottle feed and once your baby starts weaning food is necessary to have. You never know how long you can end up being out, or if your baby for some reason gets hungry though it shouldn’t (it happens quite often :-)).
Girls anything else you have and cannot live without ?? Anything you don’t agree with ?? How big/heavy is your changing bag ?😂

MUSHROOM PASTA

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MEAL…

MUSHROOM PASTA
Ingredients:

– 100g baby pasta

– 1 onion (finely chopped)

– 100g brown mushrooms (finely chopped)

– 150ml chicken stock

– 50g cooked chicken (optional)

– 2tbsp of double cream

– 20g parmesan

– 1 garlic

Cooking instructions:

Cook your pasta according to instruction. Fry onion till soft and golden. Add mushrooms and fry for around 4-5 min then add garlic. Add chicken stock and cooked chicken, then a double cream.


Add pasta in to the mix then parmesan and it’s ready to serve!

NURSING CHAIR good buy or waist of money????

  
When you look at photos of nurseries, or set up rooms in the baby shops they always have nursing chair/ feeding chair.

 This automatically makes you think that you need one … But they aren’t the pretties things and they are very expensive. 

My werdict is that it’s a waste of money. Why? If you fallow the NHS guidance on how to look after your new born it will mean that you will have your baby sleeping next to you in your bedroom. When you get up 10 times in the middle of the night to feed, trust me you don’t pick up your baby then move to sit on the chair, you just do it on your bed (I am breastfeeding so not sure if this same applies to bottle feeding). 

Also at 6 months when you move your baby to its room you don’t feed them that often, and if you are lucky enough your baby will be sleeping through the night all together! 

But when you are a first time mum to be you think that it makes sense so you buy one, so did I. Difference is that I bought a lovely armchair which I will be using for much longer than feeding baby. So my advice is use an armchair/chair which you already have or buy one which you love and can use after in your house! 

What is your experience ? What is your opinion? Please share.