Baby Snacks That Aren't Full of Junk

At almost seven months old, Goose is knocking the whole Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) thing out of the ballpark, eagerly tasting everything we put in front of her, and even more eagerly smashing it anywhere she can reach.  Getting messy is part of the fun of BLW.  I'm all for messy fun.  Most of the time.

HOWEVER, there are times and places in life when getting messy isn't cool.  Like in church.  Or at a restaurant with cloth linens.  Or when she's wearing that white dress from Nordstrom's.  For such times and places, we really need to have an arsenal of "clean" snacks that aren't full of junky ingredients or fillers.

I went on the hunt this weekend and struck gold with these snacks:

Green Teething: Keep it Simple

Last month we noticed Goose started to chew on her hands more aggressively than usual.  I suspected teeth may be on the way, but since she was a preemie we thought five months (her adjusted three months) was kind of early for her to actually be teething.  But, lo and behold, at her six-month well baby appointment a few weeks ago, her nurse said the two bottom teeth had actually popped through.  They were hard to spot at first, but she now has two little pearlies sprouting out of her bottom gums.  What is with this kid - in such a hurry to grow up!

Since I wasn't ready to be in teething mode when the first two popped through, I didn't have all the teething gadgets I had planned to buy.  I hoped to have all sorts of gel coolies and mesh fruit teethers to help her get through the pain pleasantly.  But instead, all I had were these:

How Safe Is...Freezing in Baggies?

ANSWER: It is actually safe to freeze foods in plastic baggies.  But is it green?  No, not really.  Read on...

Korma Chameleon: Cashews and Peas over Black Rice

I concocted this dish the other night and it's a delicious hot mess.  The sauce is Indian but then I added coconut milk which makes it more Burmese.  But then I threw the whole mess over black rice which makes it more Thai.  It's fusion for sure, and I think it turned out really tasty. Plus it's easy for a baby to eat if you scoop out her portion before you add the cashews.  Serves 6.

How Safe Is... Cling Wrap?

As I was wrapping a wedge of avocado in Glad Press n' Seal (which I have hailed for the past decade as the greatest cling wrap on earth), I suddenly realized I had no idea what cling wrap really was.  Is it safe to be putting in DIRECT contact with my foods, and worse - my baby's avocado?  

QUESTION: How safe is plastic cling wrap?

ANSWER: Some brands sold for home use are okay, but the stuff used commercially can be pretty terrible for you.  And here's why:

I'd Laksa More, Thank You! (Yummy Curry Soup)

Laksa is a wonderful coconut milk based noodle soup that hails from Malaysia. These days you can get commercial laksa or other Thai curry pastes that take all the hard work out of it. 

This is a really easy coconut curry dish we threw together the other night.  It's one of those meals that tastes awesome even with the labels of "gluten free" and "vegan."  We adapted the recipe originally posted by Zen Family Habits to make it gluten free, tame the heat and feed six people:

gDiapers, How Do I Love Thee?...

...Let me count the ways:

Toys: 3-6 months

Most green baby toys for 3-6 month olds come in three materials: cloth, wood and rubber.  They're simple, cute and all natural, which makes me feel warm and squishy knowing that Goose can chew on them and not ingest toxic chemicals.  I also envision woodland elves in their workshops making these toys while whistling.  

My favorite brands making natural toys are:

Baby-Led Weaning: Day 1

I have a six month old baby girl, which we shall call Goose from here on out, who is starting to eat solids.  I am game for making her food and for the first three weeks made a bunch of purees from veggies I picked up from Whole Foods.  I like cooking so this activity is kind of fun.  

BUT, what I wasn't really digging was how her experience with food centered on my shoving spoonfuls of puree into her mouth.  I though she deserved a little more input on the matter.   So, my pediatrician recommended I check out the book, Baby-led Weaning (BLW) by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett.  Here is the premise of the book: