Eat and be merry!

With the holidays coming up, I am stressed… I’m also decking the halls, testing the lights to be hung, singing [annoying] songs, wrapping up ornaments for stocking stuffers, ordering gifts that reflect my love for friends and family (I’d love to send you all on a vacation or pay your mortgage, but for what we can afford, I’m pleased with my selections), and, my favorite of all, preparing Addie for all the good eats!

We have been chowing down here at the Martinka house, with an extensive list of foods tried and liked. All of them liked, if not loved. She is, most definitely our baby!

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wanted to prepare her. So, these past few weeks we’ve been enjoying Fall foods in anticipation for the upcoming delicious-ness that is about to take the nation by storm! Turkey. Squash. Sweet potatoes. Pumpkin. Peas. Cranberries. Stuffing… And so… we’ve tested and tried and we LIKE!

I’ve come up with recopies of my own, and hope that they help you introduce your cherubs to some of the sweet holiday treats (minus all the sweet!) I also introduced cranberry via Earth’s Best, as me making cranberries is always a tart and sugar-filled mess. I want Addie to like them as much as I do, and that means leaving it up to some food making (organic) experts:

Turkey, Squash and Pumpkin
Using lean, organic ground turkey, cook 1 cup through in a pan- you do not need salt, pepper or oil. Once cooked, put in blender.
Take out 4 squash ice cubes (I’m sure you have them in your freezer… they probably take up half of your space). If you don’t have frozen cubes, use about 1/4-1/2 cup steamed (cubed or mashed). Put in blender.
Open up a can of organic pumpkin and spoon 1/2 into the blender.
Add 1/3 cup of water.
BLEND! Addie doesn’t like “mush”, so I blend until there are no large chunks. I suggest adding breastmilk or formula when you feed, as the water will be quickly absorbed and the milk helps soften the food for those of us with no teeth 🙂

Beets with Pears (Great recipe for making cubes to freeze)
Using a whole can of organic sliced beets, steam in double boiler until soft. Use the juice from the can, as well as water to steam.
Peel, core and slice 5 whole pears. I used a variety to offer different textures and flavor. Steam until soft with the same water as the beets.
Place both beets and pears in blender with 1/4 cup of water FROM THE STEAMER.
Blend until it reaches desired consistency.

WARNING: Beets juice will stain… a naked baby might be best for your laundry. And, do not be alarmed: beets can turn your baby’s urine a shade of red.
For those of you who don’t eat root veggies, beets smell like dirt. Really. However, they are delicious and wonderful for you. If you don’t like a food, please still offer it to your baby to try. I know it can be kind of gross for you, but I promise trying will be fun!

Chicken with Beets and Peas
Bake one boneless chicken breast in a glass pan (no oil needed) on 400 for 45 minutes. Always check to make sure it’s cooked through.
When it’s done, slice it up and put it through a grinder:

Prepare the beets as I stated above in the steamer and put into the blender with 1/3 cup of the water/juice blend used to steam.
Prepare peas, fresh or frozen (which are frozen at their peak, so they’re perfect for you or baby!), drain, and place in the blender.
Blend peas, beets and chicken in blender until well mixed!

*TIP: purchase organic ground turkey and chicken… it’s a pain in the tail to grind! Use a large portion for taco night and prepare the rest (plain) for baby!

I hope your Thanksgiving is amazing and you enjoy this time with family and friends. I am loving being a mom and preparing nutritious meals for Addie is so rewarding- both now and, I’m sure, in the future. Instilling a healthy present, full of good foods, eating habits and extensive palate I am hoping to give her some of my favorite holiday memories without the holiday (or life) guilt, for her to cherish in the future!

Don’t you wish you looked this cute eating?

HAPPY HOLIDAY FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!