Chadya's Kitchen Dramas: toddler food

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

healthy things my 2 year old will eat.

This is an important catagory. i would like to add "that i can make in minutes" because healthy and easy dont always match, and this is what leads us to do things like...hand baby a frozen waffle and call it good. breakfast is the easiest meal to please with, because breads are always a hit. i think bread has a bad rap, and the RIGHT bread is super nutritious. as an American, i never feel right if i havent had some bread each day.

Breakfast:

French Toast with honey and whole grain bread
Peanut Butter Toast with apples or banana's (this works for lunch too)
Oatmeal with fresh or dried fruit and milk, sweetened with honey or cider.
Whole Grain Waffles with peanut butter
Quick breads such as zucchini, banana, or pumpkin bread HOME MADE in advance
Breakfast cookies (recipe below)

Lunch:

English muffin or french bread pizza, made by you
mashed potato and carrots with boiled egg yolk (sounds boring but kader LOVES it)
PB&J
bean burrito with cheese and tomatoes
homemade lentil soup, (make a big batch and freeze in small containers)
cheese toast with tomato slices
cottage cheese with fruit
beans and rice
meatballs or meatloaf (make ahead and freeze, take out one or two, reheat, and voila)

Dinner he eats whatever we are eating, although sometimes adapted to be toddler friendly, such as squished together so he can spoon it up.

Hope that helps, PLEASE, feel free to post your own tips, if you wish.

About This Blog

I am here because my Facebook account is overwhelmingly dominated by food and recipe postings. Being that I love to share new ideas, and I love to invent new recipes, I am here. typing little letters on a page. little letters that add up to my version of art, when my life is too chaotic and busy to paint a painting, or anythings else. I am a mom and I work full time. I find that, in order to get my creativity fix, I must combine my household duties with my artwork. Thus my kitchen dramas.

I appreciate the critique of my Toddler, who loves his food. A design is nothing if not given his seal of approval, big wide eyes and an MMMMMMM. (this is emphasized especially in the case of COOKIE DOUGH!)

I also would like to point out that some ingredients used, while they can be expensive, can be found more reasonably priced if you are careful. i will include shopping tips when these cases arise. I often need the services of my local asian, mexican, and arabian markets for ingredients. Know where yours is.

With the shift in emphasis on organic and more healthful ingredients, remember that substitutions can be made for white sugar, white flour, butter, and so on. The best thing about cooking is that a recipe can be simply a template, and like this blog can be customized. Most of my recipes are my interpretations on a classic, or a general formula. like a quick bread or a cookie can be made from anything, if you know the ratios.

And so, without further ado, I will introduce my blog, where pungent and spicy ingredients like vinegar, capers, smoked fish, anchovies, bleu cheese, curry, and peppers take center stage. Where a great cookie can be inspired by a great cocktail, or a simple peppercorn. where bread is never ever made in a food processor, and rarely is a box used, as getting your hands dirty is almost a requirement.