Yummy, Nummy Mac & Cheese!

Ok, so I'm not that gifted in the area of cooking, BUT... thanks to this delicious recipe in COOKING FOR BABY by Lisa Barnes I can make a mean mac and cheese! It takes about 30 minutes to make and you can freeze it or you can pop in the fridge for up to 3 days. I altered the recipe a little bit and used vegetable wheat pasta plus I added a bunch of broccoli. I also didn't add any salt or pepper. In my opinion, it really doesn't need it. Oh, and the added bonus... My kiddo loooooooves it!

Bon appetit!

P90X... It's not just for adults!

Who says that P90X is only for grown-ups? Betty Jane is obviously proving them wrong. Introducing... B(aby)90X!!!!

A few of my favorite (baby) things...

... In the kitchen!

I've recently been asked by a few new moms to give them recommendations on what they REALLY need when their little one arrives. So I've decided to take it room by room starting with the kitchen. To be honest, you don't need a whole lot, but these are a few key items that I could not have lived without while Betty Jane grew from a newborn baby to a toddler.

The Evenflo glass bottle with silicone sleeve (8 ounce and 4 ounce). I know it's a personal choice, but I love glass bottles. To me, they always seemed "cleaner" after 100 washings than BPA-free plastic bottles. I'm sure most bottles are fine, but like I said, it's a personal choice. One of the reasons I love these bottles is that the silicone sleeves are REALLY easy to remove and clean!

Now, if you're planning on making your own baby food, I highly recommend COOKING FOR BABY by Lisa Barnes. Yummy, nummy recipes!!!!

Next up we have the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker. It's not a necessity, but it will make your life a whole lot easier.

I chose the Munchkin Fresh Food Freezer Cups to store all my baby food in. I like it because they are individual silicone cups so I can just defrost as much as I need. They also make great "on-the-go" snack containers for your little one's toddler years.

I chose to serve Betty Jane's baby food in these multi-colored ceramic souffle dishes. They are just the right size and, again, no plastic BPA mumbo-jumbo to worry about.

It seems that moms are always looking for the ultimate sippy cup. You know... One that doesn't leak, has a soft spout and, most importantly, one that your little one will drink out of! For me, I have found that the Nuby No Spill Sipper works the best. Believe me, I've tried a lot and I have a huge sippy cup graveyard.

Now we get to self-feeding which is always a very messy process. I love the Boon Catch Bowl. It's got a suction at the bottom to your sweet little peanut can't toss it overboard.

Those are my recs! Happy feasting!!!!

"Let Me Entertain You..."

"Let me make you smile!"... Betty Jane certainly put some truth into that song. At least for me she did. I predict she's either going to be a pianist, a private detective or just an all around cute kiddo. I'll take any or all of the above.

Enjoy!
xxoo

Glass Marble Magnets

I’ve had a lot of compliments and requests in regards to the glass marble magnets that I made as party favors for Betty Jane’s 1st Birthday party. Soooooo... Here’s the skinny on how to create your own magnets. They are super-duper easy and, seriously, who doesn’t love cute refrigerator magnets?

There are a lot of DIY websites out there that have step-by-step instructions. This is the one I used:
http://www.diylife.com/2007/09/13/making-magnets-from-flat-glass-marbles/ 
If you don’t like this site all you have to do is Google “How to make Glass Marble Magnets” and you’ll find TONS of DIY blogs and websites to choose from.

As for getting my supplies, I ordered everything from Wholesalers USA. I had a hard time finding the flat glass marble size that I wanted and this site had a great selection. Plus, the price is right! From what I’ve heard, you can sometimes find the magnets at the $1 Store. I’ve checked 3 in my area and haven’t had any luck. Boo...

Here’s what I ordered:

Glass Gems
http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/large-glass-gems-clear-noniridized-3840mm-p-365.html

Magnets
http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/ceramic-magnets-pieces-20mm-p-2222.html

Glue (I used Diamond Glaze, but the E6000 is great too.)
http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/adhesives-c-71.html

I designed all the graphics I used on my computer and printed them on white cardstock. I would suggest using a heavier paper as opposed to thin scrapbook paper. You’ll find it works with the adhesive better.

Happy Magnet Making! Let me know if you have any questions!

The Marimekko Shop!

Ever since my mom designed my little sister's room using Marimekko fabric and wall designs, I have been a huge fan. So, since they opened a Marimekko Shop at my local Crate & Barrel (2 blocks from my house which is VERY dangerous!) I just had to give a visit. They have lots of eye pleasing products from goodies for the little one to kitchen gear to bedding. And yes, they do sell fabric by the yard if you want to make your own Marimekko creations!


Of course, my favorite was their bedding collection. Fun designs with bold colors!

Marimekko Suudelma Bed Linens

Or, for a more natural look...

Marimekko Madison Taupe Bed Linens

 

 

 

Now, the item I was least impressed with were the handbags. If I'm going to spend $85 on a bag I want it to be sturdy and well-made. As cute as they are, when I checked out these bags I found them to be flimsy.

Great fabric design, but it wasn't even lined! NOT worth $85 in my opinion. Seriously, you could buy the fabric and make a great bag for well under 85 bucks.

So, if you're going to check out the shop, or the website, I would go directly to the kitchen and bath wares, the bedding (obviously) and the kid's items. Really cute stuff!!!

Good Eats For Baby!

So, I was one of those women who said (when I was pregnant) that I wasn't going to make my own baby food. It seemed like a huge time commitment and the organic jar food was just fine. Well, I am also one of those moms who has to eat her words. I've found a great pleasure in making Betty Jane's baby (now toddler) food and surprisingly it really doesn't take a whole lot of time. I just needed 3-4 baby-free hours in the afternoon and I could whip up enough baby food to last me at least 6 weeks. I know this isn't for every mom or dad out there, but for me it was really doable and I felt better about what Betty Jane was eating.

I use 2 resources for recipes and nutritional information. One is a website called Wholesome Baby Food. This is a quick and easy website to use for information on recipes, what foods can make your baby a bit gassy, nutrition info, how to store your baby food, allergy information plus a great timeline about what foods your baby can eat at a particular age. Definitely worth a gander!

The other resource I use is a book called Cooking For Baby by Lisa Barnes. This is a really wonderful book to get you started on your purees and then branch off into more exotic dishes to introduce to your baby's palette. This truly is a terrific cook book!

"Cooking for Baby" by Lisa Barnes

Some of my favorite dishes are the Baby Guacamole, Green Beans with Mint and the Aromatic Couscous.

À votre santé!