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 Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 4:18 pm
I just tried the mesh feeders with ome cheries..he throughly enjoyed them and i also tried some vienna sausages cut longways into quarters thanks for teh suggestions they worked well
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:04 pm
I've...um...never paid any attention to the whole choking-baby thing. The whole point of a child learning to eat is learning how to chew and swallow, and to develop the choking reflex. I've seen a lot of babies gag and cough stuff back up, which can be scary but is actually (at least *I* think so) a valuable learning experience for the baby. I mean, it's important to safeguard against choking if you're dealing with a brain-damaged child, because sometimes their reflexes won't work properly, and some kids are just incorrigible about trying to swallow everything whole, but... I guess I'm just suggesting giving your child the benefit of the doubt, and watching closely to make sure they do okay while they're learning what chewing is for.
Anyway, great first foods generally are supposed to be on the squishy side - overdone veggies are lovely, my son really liked green beans because they were easy for him to grab, and he liked the texture of the nubs on broccoli. His first food was homemade guacamole, so avocado slices have been a perennial favorite right from the start. Bananas are lovely, although too many bananas will cause constipation (remember this when your baby has diarrhea!). If your baby is already on cheerios, as long as the hot dog is in those lovely fingers (I may try that with the next baby, thanks!) or in small pieces (slices quartered is more than small enough, I always stopped at just slices), that should be fine. I find babies at that age are also often fond of grabbable pasta - shapes like ziti or rotini.
As for the green beans issue...well, my son loves them, but I understand my oldest sister refused to eat any vegetable matter unless it was made into french fries. You could always try battering and deep-frying the suckers. A good bribe there would be a side of ketchup, or some other happy dipping sauce, preferably something you'd want to snitch from. Kids pick up on their parents' food preferences.
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:38 pm
My happy tip of the day for family-friendly foods: RICE FLOUR!
Yep. Flour made from rice - I use brown rice flour because it's supposed to have more fiber. Use this in place of your usual breadcrumbs for pan-frying. It fries up nice and crisp and crunchy, better than anything else I've used for fried chicken, and definitely better-tasting than any panko I've found - those are better saved for deep-frying. Also a great carrier for any spices you might add.
Chicken Nuggets:
-Thaw enough chicken to feed your family, plus a bit more (everybody tends to eat more than usual when I make these).
-Shake a fair amount of brown rice flour into a plastic bag, and season to taste (I like to use McCormick Poultry Seasoning, or else sage).
-Cut the chicken up into bite-size pieces. I usually enlist help from Daddy for this, but an older child could do this too.
-Pour a fair amount of olive oil into a large skillet and turn on to Medium High (you want it at least a little warmed by the time you add the chicken).
-Dump the chicken pieces into the bag and shake to coat.
-Arrange the nuggets in the pan, and fry until the bottom is browned, then flip the nuggets. If the skillet begins to run dry, add more olive oil.
-Remove finished nuggets to a large bowl lined with paper towels, and season with salt.
Since my son and I have allergies, the only store bought nuggets we can eat are more like hush puppies than chicken nuggets. These are great, and win raves from everybody. I use olive oil because it supplies plenty of good cholesterol and adds a richness to the taste of the nuggets, but you can use whichever oil you prefer. When I can, I also add a small dab of bacon grease, which gives everything a more buttery taste. This recipe as listed contains none of the seven common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, or tree nuts. If someone in your family has a severe problem with antibiotics, you probably don't need to be warned to use organic chicken.
Variation: Fried Artichoke Hearts:
-Open a can of artichoke hearts (I prefer to buy them pre-quartered), drain and quarter the hearts. Note that I said a can, not a jar. The marinade in jars of artichoke hearts is richer and more likely to burn and stick to the pan.
-Shake a fair amount of brown rice flour into a bag, and season to taste (I recommend thyme, but Italian seasoning is a good alternative).
-Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a pan, and turn on Medium High (it is very important that the pan be pre-heated, or else everything will stick).
-Add the quartered artichoke hearts to the bag of seasoned rice flour, and shake to coat.
-Place the coated artichoke hearts in the skillet, and fry, turning occasionally, until evenly browned.
-Remove finished artichoke hearts to a bowl lined with paper towels, and season with salt.
It's kind of creepy how good these are. The best part is that they get nice and crunchy, which is usually a winner with kids, and the frying process generates plenty of "crunchies" (single leaves or chunks of rice flour that get fried until they're a crunchy greasy brown bit), which my son and I battle over. My nieces and nephews, who generally avoid vegetables, have been known to actually eat these without being forced. This recipe is *definitely* free of: wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. I'm not sure about the gluten content of marinated artichoke hearts.
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