Mama's Shortbread Cookies

A few days ago while peanut was napping I decided to get my bake on. I asked the hubby what Christmas cookies he wanted and he insisted that I make squares. Sorry, that wasn't an option buddy. Maybe later. So I decided on chewy ginger cookies and my Mom's shortbread cookies. My mom makes the best shortbread cookies ever. They are crumbly, buttery and melt in your mouth. So.So.Yummy. They taste better when she makes them but here is the recipe.

Yield: About 48 cookies

Ingredients
1 pound butter (1 block), room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour

Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until very fluffy. Add vanilla. In a bowl mix cornstarch and flour and slowly beat into butter mixture. drop by tablespoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet. The key to this is do not form them into an shapes or press them down. Let them take on the natural 'blob' shape (I'm sure that's a technical cooking term). Bake for about 18 minutes or until edges start to become golden.

Can't Live Without You - 4th Edition

Peanut will be 8 freakin' months in a few short days. Slow down time! It's funny, when we first brought peanut home time moved at a slow motion pace and I didn't think the days would ever end. Now that we are in our groove and Peanut and I know each other pretty darn well, the days are going far too quick. Makes my heart ache a little....

Here is a list of the items that we haven't been able to live without over the last two months.

1. Bumbo Tray - A feeding game changer! We have a beautiful highchair waiting for peanut for when she is more experienced with this whole BLW thing and for when she's a bit bigger (she's still pretty darn small). This tray was $14 and worth ever darn penny. The tray is small enough to fit in the sink to be washed down and we also travel with the bumbo and tray so she can eat meals when we are on the road visiting friends and family.

 2. Fleece Sleep Sack with Arms - The cold winter has arrived and my Mama instinct is to cover peanut up in a million soft, warm blankets...but I can't. So we went to Once Upon a Child and scored two used sleep sacks. They are so cozy and warm!


3. Sophie - I didn't think I would ever promote this glorified dog toy but Peanut really does love it. She can hold it, chew it like crazy and make it squeak. It's our car seat only toy so she's always super-pumped to see it when I'm buckling her in.

4. Family Picture Book - I had a Shutterfly coupon code for a free 8x8 book so I decided to make Peanut a family picture book.  Each family member has their own page with their name and a few different pictures. My side of the family doesn't get to see her often so I wanted to make sure that she got to see them all the time.

5. Fleece Velcro Slippers - Ours were a hand-me-down from a hand-me-down from a hand-me-down (Sparknotes: peanut is the 4th babe to use them). They no longer have a tag on them so I don't know the brand but they are very similar to Polar Feet shown in this picture. The key is they open right up so you can slip them on easily and snuggly.

Items that we still can't live without:
Sound Machine
U pillow
Floor playmat (yup! She still loves it!)
Jump-a-roo

Chicken Taco Soup - Crock Pot Style

Last week I was at a colleagues house for a play date (let's be real, it wasn't for the babies) and she served a yummy, hardy taco soup. Here is my adaption of the recipe she gave me. I am thrilled with how it turned out and will certainly be making this one of my crock pot staples. My daughter LOVES it!

Yield: 1 large crockpot full!
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts (not frozen!)
1 cup corn (frozen or canned)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomato/clamato juice (optional - if you omit this just add 1 additional cup of stock)
1 packet ranch powder (found beside the salad dressings at the store -- took me a while!)
1 packet taco seasoning (I used my homemade taco seasoning that I have on hand)
2 teaspoons dried pepper flakes (optional)

Method
Toss everything in the crockpot (chicken at the bottom) and cook on low for 6-8 hours (depends on your crockpot). Remove chicken breast and shred with two forks and return to crock pot to incorporate with the other ingredients. Serve with sour cream and grated cheese on top. So.so.good.

Turkey Stew & Dumplings

So I've had a food revelation. Gasp!! All my life I thought I just sort of liked stew until now. I realized after making this stew that I don't like potatoes in stew at all. Don't get me wrong, I love the starchy goodness of potatoes but for some reason I'm not a fan of them in the stew. Game changer! I digress....
Do you ever have leftover turkey after the holidays? Try out this easy turkey stew. We made this after Thanksgiving with all the delish leftover turkey my Mama sent home with us. I friggin' love leftovers so much.

Stew Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 carrots, peeled & chopped                          

4 celery ribs, chopped                           

1 small onion, diced

1 cup frozen peas  

3ish cups of leftover turkey, cubed                                                  

6 cups beef broth                                                        

1 teaspoonssalt

1/4 teaspoon pepper                                                        

1/2 teaspoon sage                                                    

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1/4 cup water 

 

Dumpling Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons parsley

3/4 cup milk                            

1 egg

Method

In a large soup pot sauté the carrots, celery and onion in butter for 10 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients (including flour/water mixture), stir, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. While it's simmering make the dumping (mix dry ingredients together, and dry ingredients separately then mix the two together -- or you can use Bisquick!). After 10 minutes of stew simmering drop dumpling dough by heaping tablespoons onto the top of the stew. Cover and continue to simmer for 20 additional minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through. Done. Delish. Enjoy!

 

Baby Led Weaning

Let me apologize for the lack of posts over the last four weeks. I am terrible. I checked out the stats and it looks like there are still many people checking back daily for new reads so here I am promising you guys that I will be starting to post more frequently. I.am.a.jerk.

Now onto the post...

Peanut was ready for solids around Thanksgiving - BOOYA! Talk about good timing - best food ever! She has been loving the process as much as her Dad and I have enjoyed watching her experience new flavours and textures.  After too much research, I decided that Baby Led Weaning (BLW) was the approach I wanted to take with introducing peanut to solids. BLW is basically letting your child take the lead with their feeding by giving them whole, healthy, homemade foods that can be easily held by them. She has done amazing with it! We don't have any food allergies in our family so we haven't been waiting in between foods. She has tried so many things - hardboiled eggs, coconut curry broccoli, chili, turkey stew - she as loved it all! BLW is definitely a messy process but it is a great opportunity to help develop fine motor skills while giving parents a little freedom to eat a meal along with their little one.  Don't get me wrong, we are helping her here and there so we aren't following the BLW rules to a tee. We have really been enjoying the process. BLW definitely isn't for everyone so do your research before you decided you want to go this route. I personally love being able to feed her whatever it is I'm eating - it's especially nice when we are out and about for mealtime and I don't have to plan ahead and pack food for her. YIPPEE! Here are some helpful Pointers and a few pictures of some meals we've had;

Only begin BLW when your baby is showing signs of readiness
Preloading spoons with sticky things like squash, avocado and oatmeal and handing them over
Having two spoons at each meal time
Baking veggies (sweet potato, squash, turnip, asperagus, etc.) into spear shape for easy holding
Ripping meat into little pieces and sticking it to avocado wedges, or spoonful's of squash
Be prepared for gagging!
Naked eating has been easiest for us for now
Bumbo & tray has made it so easy for clean up
Don't be afraid to season food!
Avoid adding lots of extra salt - a little salt is fine
If you have a history of food allergies in the family space out introducing new foods
Give water after each meal to help wash down food
Provide variety! I give at least two items per meal
Don't walk away! They are learning to chew so there is a risk for choking.
Make it fun! Clap and praise when they feed themselves
Talk to them and tell them what they are eating
Have a wash cloth close by!
Let them eat what you are eating
Eat with them. Starting family mealtime early will help establish the routine

Roasted veggies

Potato Soup & Cornbread

Steamed Carrot Sticks (first food!)

Avocado wedges & hardboiled egg

Plain Greek yogurt, clementine, & Cheerios
(this is 6 weeks into BLW)