The One With Baby Food

So...I'm kind of obsessed with baby food. I love trying to give my babies a wide variety of foods. It is adorable when you see the look on their face when they love the food. It's hilarious seeing the look on their face when they hate the food.

I think the source of my baby food obsession came from working with Emily. For a few months, Emily couldn't eat solid food, even though Charlotte was able.  Emily turned bright red, choked, gasped for air, and threw up every time. Even with just thicker purees and dissolvable puffs there would be a choking fit. Her physical therapist recommended her to see an occupational therapist, to make sure the anatomy of her mouth was correct and functioning properly. The therapist discovered that Emily was barely able to move her tongue, and therefore, she couldn't manipulate the food in her mouth to eat. Long story.
(With continued therapy she gained the strength to move her mouth correctly and she is all better now!)

Anyways, during the months of Emily's choking fiascos I was trying so hard to find food that she could actually eat and not choke and die on. Each time I found a new food, I was thrilled. Hence, the baby food addiction.

I recently have been taking pics of my baby food plates to show some fun ideas for those of you looking to spice up your menu. I'm a visual person, so this helps me remember better than a list. Oh, and yes, I'm obsessed with Skip Hop plates and bowls.

Breakfast Ideas:

                                         

Bananas*, Waffles with jelly, Yo Baby Yogurt

*banana tip my twin mom friend told me: Roll the bananas in Cheerio dust so for a better grip!                         

Egg Muffin (recipe in a previous post), Yogurt, Buttered Toast, Grapes (in mesh teethers)

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (adult), peaches

Lunch/Dinner Ideas:

     

Peas (frozen steam bag), Northern beans (no shell to choke on) Cheese Ravioli, cut up (Annie's Organic) 

Colby Jack cheese, Veggie Burger Pieces (yay protein and secret veggies!), Watermelon, Graham Sticks

Turkey (shaved thin at the deli), cheddar cheese, applesauce

Drained Chicken Noodle Soup (natural, low sodium!, cut up chicken chunks VERY small), Pear Chunks 

Adult Casserole (this had brown rice, cheese, black beans, corn, and zucchini), mandarin oranges, blueberry apple sauce

Chicken (shredded thin at deli), grapes (cut very small, seedless), canned green beans (steamed/fresh are too firm), mashed potatoes 

Those are just some ideas of foods my girls like. If you think those are mega portions, don't judge. Remember, those are for 2 babies. And they are chubby. I'm usually not a fan of canned food, but when looking for canned veggies I always hunt for low sodium. As for fruit, I look for ones canned in 100% juice or water, rather than syrup. I'm so excited, because I haven't bought jarred baby food for the girls in probably about 2 months! Freeeeedom!

If you have other finger food ideas, please leave tips in the comments section! I would love to have an awesome, giant, collaborative list here! :)

The One With Egg Muffins

Sorry I haven't blogged in forever. It's been basically a month.

You know that feeling when you have so much to do, yet you don't know where to start? So rather than being productive, you just sit? The thought of sorting through things and prioritizing is overwhelming?
That's me and my blog.

Logically, I'll post about egg muffins. 

Let me first start off by saying that carbs are my mortal enemy. I literally have no self-control in this department of life. Hmm...bored? I better eat 12 slices of bread for no reason!
Ok, partially kidding, but I'm excited about this recipe because it is super low carb. 

Awesome things about egg muffins:
1. They will last in the fridge for over a week. (I allow them to cool fully, then throw them all in a big, gallon-sized zipper bag). 
2. You can quickly pop 1 or 2 in the microwave for like, 30 seconds, and literally eat them in the car on the run. I throw them at my husband on the way out the door and feel like an awesome wife or something because it's not cereal. 
3. It's a hearty, hot breakfast that isn't super sweet. I love that I don't have to get out my pan daily to eat eggs every day of the week! 
4. My babies LOVE THESE!!!!  (I make theirs without sausage since they can't chew that well.) I am already tricking them into eating vegetables. They each can eat a whole muffin; I just cut it up into finger-food size. 


Now that I have made something like "egg-muffins" sound possibly appealing... 
Here's what I use:
-12 eggs (beaten in a big bowl with a pouring spout)
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup shredded cheese 
-a handful or two of fresh spinach
-1/4 onion, diced
-1 tube (14oz?) of ground sausage (like Jimmy dean or something)
Feel free to vary the cheese/veggies/meat to your liking. 

1. Preheat oven to to 375.
2. Brown sausage in pan, then add the onions. Then throw in some spinach. 
3. Line the muffin tin with muffin cups. USE 2 CUPS per muffin (24 total). Then spray those suckers with Pam.
4. Scoop out your awesome sausage/onion/spinach yum-yums into the bottom of the muffin cups. 
5. Sprinkle some cheese on top.
6. Pour eggs (slowly, they come out fast) into the cups. I filled them up until they were about 80% full I guess. They don't rise a ton. 
7. Salt and pepper the top of your egg muffins to taste. 

Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until the eggs have set and browned slightly. Ta-da! 
I found this recipe on Pinterest, and varied it to my liking. Here's the link if you want to see another version:

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/10/egg-muffins-revisited-again.html

Hope you try them! I make them every week or so for a quick family breakfast! They are super kid friendly, and I totally eat them with ketchup. Don't judge.

The One with Green Chile Smothered Chicken

I wanted to share my favorite "go-to" recipe that I learned when I just got married. My hubby's favorite food is Mexican, and since I was trying so hard to be a good little Garcia, I tried this one! It is adapted from a Cooking Light book, so it's relatively healthy, too! Plus I love green chiles.

I'm a visual person, so here goes...
You need only these 5 ingredients! No chopping, either! 35 min total, 3 minute prep. Mozzarella cheese, lime juice, chicken breasts, WHOLE green chiles, and taco seasoning.

-Preheat oven to 400.
-Sprinkle some taco seasoning on the bottom of your pan (8x8). I don't really measure anymore, maybe a tablespoon or two?
-Arrange your chicken in your pan. (I used 3 chicken breasts, but I'm sure you could use 4, or even thighs or something).
-Squirt lime juice all over the chicken and pan, then sprinkle more taco seasoning on top of the chicken(1tbs ish). The recipe calls for 1 tbs of lime juice, but I probably use like, 3. To me: the more, the better. It makes juicy broth with the seasoning underneath.
-It's chile time!

-Open up your chiles flat (I do it by hand) so that it makes a triangle shape and lay it on the chicken. (FYI, these little cans have 3 chiles in them. If you use more than 3 chicken pieces you'll need another can. Or you can get creative with your chile arrangement. Usually a chile is huge and it can be used for 2 chicken pieces. Don't stress.)
-Cover dish with foil.
-Cook for 30 minutes.
-Take out and sprinkle cheese on top. I'm a fan of melted cheese, so I use about half a bag. (1 cup). You can use more or less if you'd like.

-Put it back in the oven (uncovered).
-Cook again for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
-Ta-da! Done. Make sure you drizzle the yummy broth all over the chicken when serving.
I used the Uncle Ben's Spanish-Style rice (90 seconds) and some black beans for sides.

It's really simple and yummy. My friend Leslie said, "It tastes like a Mexican mama made this!!!" which is an awesome compliment to me. They make the best food.  Hope you guys try it sometime! Let me know how it goes!