Peanut Butter & Jelly Flower sandwiches!!

Make your daily meals fun for your little ones again...they'll think it's a new treat but it's really just your good old PB&J!

These cute sandwiches made with peanut butter and jelly (or cream cheese and jelly, or any other fillings) are perfect for parties, lunch boxes, or snacks. RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Bread
Peanut butter or cream cheese
Jelly or jam
Water bottle cap

1. For each sandwich, cut two slices of bread into flower shapes with a cookie cutter.

2. Cut a hole in one of the slices by pressing a water bottle cap into the center.

3. Spread the peanut butter and jelly on the whole piece and place the slice with the hole on top.

Courtesy of FamilyFun magazine

April Fools Day recipe - Mock Sushi

There's definitely something fishy about these Japanese-style rolls. The rice is crispy, the wraps are fruity, and your kids will love them -- no fooling!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups crisped rice cereal
20 to 25 gummy worms
1 to 2 boxes of fruit leather
12- by 17-inch baking sheet
2-quart saucepan
1. Grease a 12- by 17-inch baking pan.

2. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add the marshmallows and stir until smooth.

4. Remove mixture from heat and stir in the rice cereal until it's evenly coated.

5. Turn the baking sheet so that the shorter ends are at the top and bottom. Then press the marshmallow mixture on the sheet, distributing it evenly.

6. Starting at one side and 1 inch up from the lower edge, place gummy worms atop the mixture end to end in a horizontal line.

7. Gently roll the lower edge of the marshmallow mixture over the gummy worms.

8. Then stop and cut the log away from the rest of the mixture. Use the same method for 4 more logs.

9. Slice each log in 1-inch-thick "sushi" rolls and wrap them individually with a strip of fruit leather.

Credit to FamilyFun.com

Apple - age 4 months

Choose a sweet variety of eating apple and peel, halve, core and slice 2. Put them into a saucepan, cover with water and cook on a low heat until they are soft. approx 10 minutes.Then puree. (For a more healthier way steam the apples over the water.)

Cheese Potato

Daddy's signature dish. It has been a hit with Athan and now his sister, Dionne, too.

Ingredients: (for one kid's portion)

One mid-size potato, very thinly sliced
One slice of cheddar cheese (or any other cheese your child likes)

Cooking:
1. Pan-fry the sliced potato.
2. Place fried potato on kitchen towel to remove excess oil.
3. Place fried potato on plate
4. Scatter pieces/shreds of cheese on potato
5. Microwave on High for ONE minute

Options:
Cut the Cheese Potato into bite size for younger kids.
For a more exciting "gourmet" dish, try adding toppings to your cheese potato. The cheese potato will be just like the pizza base, you can have fun with kids' favourite toppings - mushrooms, tuna, chicken, tomatoes, shredded carrot, and more cheese !

Tips for cooking Asian food for baby

Preparing ingredients for baby-food:

RICE: Wash the rice, dry it in sun/low-heat oven, grind it fine, store in container for use. Porridge cooked with ground rice takes a shorter time to cook (great for busy mums). There's no need to blend baby's food before each meal.

IKAN BILIS: Do the same for Ikan Bilis. Wash-Dry-Grind-Store. A small amount is added to baby's food when cooking. Remember, Ikan Bilis has high salt-content. Use in moderation.

NATURAL FLAVOR ENHANCER, without the salt or sugar: SHALLOTS, KEI-CHEE, RED DATES.
Use to add flavor to porridge, naturally. No need for seasonings. Red Dates are also naturally rich in iron, put in 2-3 when cooking porridge to make it healthy, and yummy.

Foods known to cause allergies in babies

This list of baby foods to avoid contains foods known to provoke allergic reactions or digestive problems in babies. This doesn't mean that all these foods will make your child unwell. But if you're worried that your baby is very sensitive - maybe because you have a food allergy yourself - then it is definitely worth avoiding them for the first year, at least.

Baby Foods To Avoid - Foods Likely To Cause An Allergic Reaction Or Digestive Problem
Eggs (especially the whites)
Cow's milk
Peanuts or peanut butter
Shellfish - lobster, prawns, crab and shrimp
Wheat
Chocolate
Soy
Pork
Gluten - contained in wheat, oats and barley
Fish - particularly plaice, tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines
Berries - especially strawberries
Cinnamon
Citrus fruits - orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine
Sesame seeds/sesame oil
Coconut
Corn
Tomatoes
Yeast

Baby Foods To Avoid - Foods That Present A Choking Hazard
Nuts
Large chunks of fruit or vegetables, raw or cooked
Large chunks of meat
Whole grapes or cherry tomatoes - always cut into quarters
Popcorn
Seeds
Raisins - wait until your baby has teeth and is chewing well

Baby Foods To Avoid - Honey
NEVER give honey to a baby under one year of age.

Honey can contain botulism spores. In babies, the spores can grow and produce life-threatening toxins.

Do not use honey to sweeten yogurt, or in any other form, before your baby's first birthday.

Credit: Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Christmas Baby Recipes

Entree: One Pot Christmas Dinner - A simple and quick recipe making use of the Christmas foods. 8 months+

Ingredients Needed:

1 cup of cubed Roast Beef, Mutton (Lamb) or Turkey - uncooked
(using cooked is fine as well)
1/2 cup peeled and cubed winter squash
1/2 cup peeled and cubed white potato
1/2 cup peeled and cubed sweet potato
1/2 cup peas or green beans
1 small handful of fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan
Add 2 cups of water
Bring to a gentle boil and then turn heat to low
Simmer on low for 20 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink and veggies may be easily pierced with a fork.

Transfer cooked One Pot Christmas Dinner to a large mixing bowl and mash or chop as needed. Process in a Blender or Food Processor if needed for babies who do not like lumps and textures.

This will freeze nicely if pureed

On Christmas Day, you may also take a piece of cooked roast beef, mutton or turkey and combine it with the veggies being served to create Baby's Christmas Dinner.

Dessert: Baby's Sweet Potato Apple Pie 6 months+
Mix in some sweet potatoes and applesauce with oatmeal or rice cereal. Mix in yogurt for babies over 8 months.