Confession from a Foodie to a Future Foodie

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

So today I thought I would write about my love for food.  Scratch that, rewind...my PASSION for food.  Yes, I am a self-proclaimed foodie.  I watch the Food Network like it's a sporting event, I've read foodie books (No Reservations), I've planned trips in different parts of the country and world just to eat, I have enough cooking supplies to fill the shelves of a Sur La Table and yes, when I eat I have been known to hum with joy.  I LOVE food.  I love cooking, I love everything about food...except the weight (someone seriously needs to invent calorieless food---we can put a man on the moon but can't invent that?!).  Being a foodie you can imagine my pure joy I experienced when I decided I wanted to make as much of SG's food as possible.  I had grand visions of gourmet baby meals on pretty lil platters and my sweets cooing at the site of the feast I had prepared.

Well my friends, God answered that prayer...sort of.  As I am sure you can see we have quite the "healthy" kid.  For those of you that don't know, healthy is code for chunky.  Yes, I gave birth to a small dinosaur weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs. 6 oz.  To put that into perspective I am 5'1" and weighed under 110 lbs. before I was pregnant...so that's a BIG kid.  My doctor attributed this to very healthy eating.  I attribute it to all the Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries I ate almost every day!  That and the PB&J sandwiches I could not get enough of.  Anyhow, needless to say our daughter is healthy and boy does she love her some food. 

I started SG on solids earlier than a lot of moms do.  At first it was a dire attempt to help her sleep through the night.  Note: that did not help us.  I also did it because she just seemed hungry and night feedings were just not getting her through the night.  We started basic with some rice cereal.  To our surprise SG took to eating immediately (as a note, a lot of babies have to "practice" eating and it sometimes takes several tries).  We were astonished that she literally just ate like she had been doing so for years.  After about a month I got antsy and wanted to try real food.  I also couldn't wait to whip out my Baby Brezza.  This is hands down one of the best gifts I received (thank you Kylee, Amanda and Sinity).  Now there are a ton of baby food makers, processors, etc. but I loved the BB because it steamed AND blended and could do so automatically on a timer.  Anything that requires less brain cells and saves a mommy time is a PLUS in my book.  Done and done.  So first up were the basics; apples, pears, bananas.  At about 6 months I decided to start mixing foods.  As a precaution it is always recommended to introduce one type of a food at a time in order to make sure your baby doesn't have an allergic reaction.  So by the time SG was 6 months old she was eating lots of mixed purees.  Now at almost 9 months we are on to the really fun stuff.  You see my husband is a picky eater (not as much now since I force him to eat all sorts of exotic, organic, healthy, crazy concoctions--and he doesn't cook so he's at my mercy) and I did not want SG to inherit his pickiness.  I am not picky at all.  I will try just about anything and I truly believe it is because as a child I was exposed to so many different types of foods.  My goal is to do the same for SG.  So I started getting creative and fun and introducing new herbs, spices and flavors.  I am including a list of some of her favorites under my "Baby Noms" tab for those interested.  Please note, I cook from instinct and rarely measure anything (this is why I cook and don't bake---I am terrible at measuring and following recipes).  So you will notice that I don't really have a lot of measurements.  But if you do try any of these just go with your gut and try a tiny amount...remember baby pallets are still developing so they don't need much of any particular spice before they taste something.  Also, please make sure you have your doctor's permission to start your baby on solids and have exposed them to all of these foods individually before you start mixing.  Lastly I am including my recommendations for fab cookware and a few tips.  I like easy, I like fast clean up and I like it delivered in a gourmet tasting package.   And for some giggs I am including two videos which are part of the video series I have dubbed "Confessions of a Future Foodie."  Keep in mind one of these was shot awhile ago but I promise you will get some laughs.

I hope you all enjoy and test out some of these fun recipes.  Bon appetit!



In the beginning...applesauce.  Pink Ladies were SG's fav.

Mixing and tastin'-Fresh Green Snap Peas, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Free Range Chicken & Parsley

My toolkit Baby Brezza Food Storage Cups, Nuk Food Masher, Baby Brezza and BB Travel n Go system

Tasty Tips That Worked for Us:

• Start simple and introduce one food every 3-5 days
• Start with a color or a food group (fruits, veggies, green foods, orange foods, etc.)
• Don't be upset if your lil one makes funky faces or rejects foods at first, it will take time and think about it, we don't always love everything we taste for the first time (SG hated avocados at first---broke my heart, only food she didn't like and one of my favs--who doesn't like guac?!)
• If your lil one turns their head at a food at first, try it again in a few weeks or mix it with something they like (I had to mix avocados with prunes to get SG to eat them---PRUNES, seriously?!)
• Spend a few hours making batches of food and freezing it (I love the lil green XOXO cups above)
• I try to pre-chop or buy already chopped foods if possible--yes they are more expensive but time is money when it comes to our lil ones and I try to free up as much time as possible to spend with her
• Use a dry erase marker to label (stickers eventually start coming off)
• Once they are older start introducing foods you are eating for breakfast or dinner that your pedi approves and mash them up (i.e. bananas, potatoes, etc.)
• I like to cook a meal for SG for dinner or breakfast if I have time so I chop up her fruits and veggies and put them in small freezer safe Ziploc bags---about an hour before dinner I pull one out let it defrost, or use the BB to steam it then blend or mash it---now baby enjoys a fresh hot meal and you didn't have to prep it
• Use as much fresh produce as possible (If budget allows I highly recommend going organic---I will leave my reasoning as to why for another post)---there are so many local stores (HEB, Whole Foods, Sprouts) and delivery services (Greenling) that offer all organic produce now making it much easier than before OR hit up your local Farmer's Market (we have one in our neighborhood we try to visit regularly for SG's produce)
• Don't be scared to experiment (my recipes are proof of that)
• Don't be afraid to try herbs and spices (I started SG on the strongest spice I could think of and am working down to more mild spices, the thought was if she liked the strong spice than the others would likely be easy, so far this has worked for us---I started her with curry, just a dash and she loved it)

For the recipes click on my recipe tab above.

Catching Up & the Ugly Truth

Hello Friends!

Wow, I have obviously been pretty busy because I have not posted in almost two months!  That is insanity and I do apologize.  It seems like summer arrived and we became busier than ever. 

So here's a quick recap.  May was absolutely INSANE.  First, my lil brother graduated from college, UT Austin---Hook 'em so we took a road trip to Austin to support him and SG her future campus (burnt orange is in the blood-daddy's alma mater).  SG also learned to crawl and pull-up in May. Then my first official mother's day was amazing.  I felt lots of love from friends and family who wrote me to wish me happiness on that day.  Husband Daddy and SG surprised me with a day at the spa, brunch on the patio of one of my fav restaurants (SG even picked up the bill) and a day together. It was perfect.  Next up we had our very first annual family vacation.  I'm not talking SG and Husband Daddy either.  I am talking BOTH sets of grandparents and us.  Insane, maybe.  Fun, yes!  It was awesome to watch SG bond with her grandparents.  We decided on Memphis, TN since it was a short flight and a place both Husband and I had been wanting to visit.  We ate BBQ, toured Graceland and enjoyed the beautiful landscape of that part of the country.  Next big event was that our pool was FINALLY finished!  You have no idea how relieved I am for this to have been completed! One thing about SG that is such a huge blessing is her love for the outdoors.  The pool couldn't have come soon enough because with the Texas summer came the heat which means no more walks during the day with her nanny (just too hot for the two of them).  Saying that SG loves the water is a HUGE understatement.  She gets excited as soon as we step outside.  We are so blessed to have a kid who enjoys the outdoors as much as we do.  I can't tell you how awesome it is to come home and take SG for a swim everyday!  Next up, I completed my first official wedding photo shoot.  This was something I have been stressing about for some time now but it went off without a hitch and I had the honor of working with an amazing bride and groom.  And last but not least, Father's day.  SG and I woke up and made daddy breakfast and surprised him with a movie I made of he and SG.  I have only seen my husband cry and handful of times in the four years we have been together and that was one of them.  He literally watched the movie over and over again (it's only 3 min long--I included a link below).  Then we took him to one of his favorite restaurants followed by frozen yogurt at Menchie's (if you haven't tried this yet you are seriously missing out---it's amaze) and family swim.  Oh wait and one more super BIG milestone in SG's life...she got her first lil toof (the cutest thing next to baby toes)!  Here are some photos and the video.

Mother's Day 2013--Nuggy picked up the check.

Baby Brother's Graduation-UT Austin 2013 Hook 'em!



Memphis 2013

Happy 1st Father's Day Daddy!!!



Family Vacation 2013

 



That's My Daughter---Father's Day Video

So ok, phew I am out of breath...that was a lot. 

But I also wanted to write today to tell you all that my heart is very heavy.  As you know I will be going on my first mission trip later this month (I leave in exactly 10 1/2 days).  I would be lying if I told you I was bubbling over with excitement and joy.  In fact it is quite the opposite.  I feel ungodly just saying that but I think it's important I be honest.  I promised that I would document and discuss the entire journey and discussing my true feelings is part of that story.  Last night was a bad night for me.  After Husband Daddy watched the video I made him three times in a row we then proceeded to look at all the photos of her on my phone.  This just made me so sad.  I went upstairs to tuck SG in and pray over her like I do every night and all of a sudden I started to cry....no bawl....big fat elephant size tears.  I began to think about leaving her and how much I would miss her.  As I was praying I told God that I just didn't want to go, that I would miss her too much.  What ifs started flooding my mind.  What if she woke up in the middle of the night and I wasn't there to cuddle her (mind you she sleeps through the night...but....what IF)?  What if she fell and hurt herself and I wasn't there to console her?  What if something happened to me and SG didn't have a mommy anymore?  What if something happened to her?  What if, what if, what if.  I scooped SG up and held her tight in my arms and sat with her for a long time in "our" chair.  The tears would not stop.  I told God I was scared to go.  Then Husband came into the room and found us together.  He prayed over us and let us have our time together.  When I felt I had cried enough (and when my sweets started to wake) I put her back.  DJ looked at me once and the tears started again except this time I was semi-hysterical.  All those times my mom told me I would never realize how much she loved me until I had my own child came back to me.  Loving SG is the  most amazing thing I have ever felt and you truly cannot describe it in words.  Until you are a parent that love doesn't exist and once it does it brings a whole new meaning to love.  I sobbed and cried, you know the ugly cry---boogers, snot, hiccups--and Husband just held me.  Well all that crying must have exhausted me because I fell asleep so hard last night---something I don't usually do. 

So friends, I am sad.  I am anxious.  I am scared.  So many what ifs.  I wish I could tell you I was excited to go.  I wish I could tell you I want to go.  But I can't---that would be a lie.  Instead what I can tell you is that this is one of the biggest tests of my faith.  While texting my mommy group last night (Papar, Lisa, Cassie---God bless you three for helping me through this) they all said the same thing.  Trust God.  You are doing His work and He will provide and protect you.  And they are right.  When has God ever let me down?  I can think of plenty of times others have let me down but never God.  I need to trust in Him and His plan.  I need to remember that I have asked him to use me and he is.  I need to remember that doing the right thing and following Him isn't always the easy thing.  And that's ok, that's what I signed up for.  His sacrifice for us is far greater than any I will ever make.  And so, I will be doing a lot of snuggling with my SG, Husband Daddy and our pup Chloe.  I will spend as much time with my family in the next 10 1/2 days as possible.  Most importantly I will pray, trust and go.