Spinach Macaroni and Cheese (For age 15 months+)

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What you think about this picture? Cute, isn’t it? Yes, it is an adorable hungry little squirrel. I caught this picture while we were on the way to our son’s music class. He is obsessed with squirrels. He is a squirrel chaser; he runs them up the trees and calls them back when they disappeared. I like to see him bounces up and down as he watches the squirrel run across the grass. He calls them “Scuuu”, so cute.

Yesterday I decided to make a different version of Mac and Cheese. I know, mac and cheese is always a kid’s favorite food. What I found is add a bit of veggie to basic mac and cheese will taste even better than the classic mac and cheese. Also it is a great way to hide the veggies for those picky eaters. This spinach added mac and cheese is a great way to get the kids to eat healthy spinach. This Spinach Mac and Cheese is made on the stovetop, not baked in the oven.

Spinach Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients (For 3 servings)

Elbow macaroni- 4 oz

Spinach-2 oz

Big onion- 1 medium size, chopped

Cheese-1/2 cup

Butter- 1 Tbsp

Milk-1/2 cup

All-purpose flour-1 Tbsp

Olive oil- 1 Tsp

Pepper and salt, to taste

Method

Step 1: Heat a large pan over medium heat and sauté spinach by adding chopped big onion and olive oil. See my "Stir Fried Baby Spinach" recipe here.

Stir fried baby spinach Recipe

Step 2: Cook pasta as directed on the packet. My usual method is, boil water and add pasta with salt. Cook for 10 minutes and drain off water.

Step 3: Heat a pot over medium heat and melt butter. To the melted butter, add all-purpose flour and milk. Whisk well until you get a smooth creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Add grated cheese to this creamy sauce and stir until completely melted.

Step 5: Add cooked macaroni and stir well until coated with cheese sauce. To this Mac and Cheese, add sauted spinach and stir.

Spinach Macaroni and Cheese is ready to serve. Serve warm.

Ingredients

Cooked Pasta

Stir fry spinach by adding chopped onion and olive oil

Creamy Sauce

Add grated cheese to creamy sauce

Mix pasta with cheese creamy sauce. Macaroni and Cheese is ready now.

Add stir fried spinach with mac and cheese. Serve warm.

HAPPY COOKING!

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Avocado Apple Puree (For age 5 months+)

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Avocados are wonderful fruit rich with good fat. It is a perfect food for baby’s brain and physical development. You can give avocado either by itself or mix with fruits, especially apple.  Because apple is naturally sweet and easy to mix with a variety of fruits. As an old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, yes, apples are ideal first fruit for solid starters.

It is always a great idea to peel and steam apples to ensure that there are no tummy upsets for babies.

Ingredients (For 1 serving)

Avocado, medium size- ½

Apple, medium size- ½ (Since I chose small snack apple, I took one whole apple)

Process

Step 1: Wash, peel and cut the apple into chunks.

Step 2: Steam apple pieces. I used my "Fresh Starts Baby Food Steamer".
Cook them until they tender. You can use some of the boiled water from the bottom of the steamer to thin out the puree.

Step 3: Cut avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh.

Step 4: Puree avocado and steamed apple in a blender until you get smooth consistency. Add breast milk/ formula/ water from the steamer to make desired consistency.

Avocado Apple Puree is ready to serve. Serve immediately since the puree turns brown very quickly.

Ingredients: Avocado and apple

Cut apple into chunk pieces

Steamed apple 

Avocado Apple Puree

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French Toast Sticks (For age 18 months+)

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Sitting down and eating together at breakfast time is a good way to start the day. Nowadays I really enjoy our breakfast time because our son started to share the breakfast table with us. He is a pretty slow eater, but I think that is OK, kids tend to take longer to eat than adults and as we know, slow eating is good for health too. I am very happy to watch him eating by himself and sharing them with his tiny toys. So sweet! 

I like to make variety of breakfast for my son each day. I've found that offering a variety of foods make him excited when he looks at his breakfast plate. I guess that is a very good way to handle a picky eater.

This time I am sharing one of his favorite breakfasts, French Toast Sticks. I usually make French toast in the same way, but these little french toast "sticks" are the perfect size for the little hands to hold. 

French Toast Sticks

Ingredients (For 2 servings)

Medium thick Bread slices-3

Egg-1

Milk-1/3 cup

Salt, a pinch

Sugar-2 Tbsp

Cinnamon-1/2 Tsp

Butter- 1 Tbsp

Method

Step 1: Cut each slice of bread into 3 pieces.

Step 2: In a bowl, mix together egg, milk and salt.

Step 3: In a plate, combine cinnamon and sugar.

Step 4: Heat a pan over medium heat and spread with butter. Dip each bread stick into the egg mixture and place them in the pan.

Step 5: Cook and flip them until both sides turn brown.

Step 6: Roll the toasts in cinnamon sugar mixture (This step is optional, mostly I do not roll them in sugar, instead I add cinnamon directly into the egg mixture).

French Toast Sticks are ready to serve. Serve them with warm milk.

My son LOVES them. I hope your kids will enjoy this tasty breakfast treat as well.

Ingredients: Bread, milk and egg

Cinnamon sugar mixture and Egg mixture

Butter the pan and cook them on both sides until they turn brown.

Roll them in Cinnamon sugar mixture

French Toast Sticks are ready to serve!

HAPPY COOKING

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