He is wearing; singlet by BONDS, denim shirt by Charlie & Me
BRIGHTON BEACH, MELBOURNE
With consecutive 42 degree days in Melbourne this week, I was keen to beat the heat with this super easy chilled soup. I wasn’t sure that Big H would go for the aniseed taste straight away but he did!
Little Big H is wearing pyjamas by BONDS
I give Big H bread occasionally with his breakfast of a morning. I serve it with a soft-boiled egg or spread something on it like Laughing Cow cheese, avocado, Vegemite, Anchovette (which is a fish spread that he now likes) or just a little olive oil.
A refreshing puree of lychee, pineapple & apricot – perfect for a summer’s day
This is my go to super easy lunch/dinner for Little Big H if I haven’t had time to prepare anything. He loves it and its ready in 15 minutes. It’s best served cold, so make it ahead of time if you can. If you don’t have a lots of fresh veggies on hand, it’s just as tasty with a stack of frozen peas and mint!
I often serve these delicious little French cheese pastries as appetisers when we have dinner parties – or as a snack at any time!
This is the simplest of purees but I wanted to add it to the blog to highlight that the organic apple season in Australia is coming to an end. Apples top the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list so it is important to buy organic. Apples are a bit of a staple for adding to other foods therefore I like to cook a big batch so I will have some on hand in the coming months.
Here is a great guide to seasonal fruit & vegetables in Australia.
Little Big H wearing:
T-shirt: Fred Bare, Pants: Cotton on Kids
I had never tried Kohlrabi before making this dish. I spotted it at my local organic store and bought two. A purple one and a green one. I googled it when I got home and realised that it is very similar to cabbage. I am a huge coleslaw fan so I thought I would make a simple slaw for the whole family. I lightly steamed Little Big H’s and then served it to him that evening cold but it is also very nice warm. Kohlrabi is also very high in vitamin C – even more so than oranges!
This is a delicious breakfast, dessert or healthy afternoon snack for Little Big H with no cooking involved. I like to swirl rather than mix it all together, that way Little Big H gets a different taste with every mouthful. He just loves yoghurt. Five:am natural yoghurt with no added sugar is his favourite. I use frozen raspberries mostly because fresh organic are hard to find.
A simple summer puree that is super easy to make. The mint gives it a nice freshness and its a great way to start introducing herbs to your baby
Forget boring and tasteless rice cereal as babies first food. Offer real food instead! Avocado and banana make wonderful first foods. (Try individually to check for any allergies, then mash together for a wonderful tasting puree)
Bananas’ high enzyme content (namely, amylase) means that they can digest themselves and thus, there’s less work for your baby’s digestive system to do. Ripe brown-spotted bananas are best – they taste the sweetest and are easiest to digest. Avocado is a great source of monounsaturated fats and contains the enzyme lipase, which pre-digests the avocado’s fat as it ripens – great for your babies developing digestive system. K Erlich, M.D, K Genzlinger. Super Nutrition for Babies. (Fair Winds Press, 2012), 61.
Little Big H is a blog about all things baby. Baby food. Baby fashion. My baby purchases and things I find useful, important and practical while raising my beautiful baby boy.
My name is Cristie and my son’s name is Harrison (currently 9 months old). My partner, nicknamed Harrison, Big H (a.k.a Little Big H, and just H), from very early on and it has kind of stuck!!!
I have a passion for cooking and since my little boy has come along that passion has turned into cooking nutritious baby food for him – and food that the whole family can enjoy together. I was inspired after reading ‘French Kids eat Everything by Karen Le Billon’ and other french parenting books that my son will grow up to be an adventurous eater who appreciates a wide variety of nutritious food.
Admittedly when I was young I was a terribly eater. My mums idea of cooking was very much meat and three vege. It wasn’t until much later that my tastes and appreciation for good food came about. Regardless of the type of food we were brought up on, there were similarities to the way french children are raised – in regards to food. We were never allowed to snack throughout the day. We ate what the family ate – there were no separate kids meals and fast food/takeaway meals happened very rarely. One major thing that was missing was the development of taste and a love for good food – this is what I hope to instil in Big H.
Hopefully this blog will inspire you, or at the very least, give you some good ideas to raise a family of little foodies.
Please note that I am not a Doctor or Nutritionist so please consult your health professional if you have any concern about introducing certain foods to your little one – particularly if you have a history of allergies in your family.
P.S. I’m also not a chef, writer or photographer and this is my first time blogging! I’m hoping to learn along the way. Feel free to contact us, I’d love to hear your feedback.
Summer Fruit Puree & Stone Fruit Puree with Cinnamon and Star Anise
Scrambled Eggs with Avocado, Bircher Muesli with Berries, Fruit Puree with Yoghurt and Chia Seeds, Porridge with Grilled Banana and Raspberries
BRIGHTON BEACH, MELBOURNE
Big H loves this salad and it is super easy and quick to make. Shelling the broad beans is a little time consuming but you could use frozen shelled broad bean instead
I was searching the web looking for a pair of sun glasses for Little Big H and came across Babiators.com. They have the coolest sunglasses for babies and young children. I thought they wouldn’t stand a chance but they are flexible enough to withstand being bent out of shape and Little Big H seems to love wearing them.
They have 100% UVA and UVB protection from the suns harmful rays – a must for baby. Register within 30 days from purchase and they come with a lost and found guarantee. If lost or broken, they’ll replace them!
Little Big H wearing…
Sunglasses: Babiators, Polo t-shirt: Zara Baby, Pants: Target, Singlet: Bonds Baby
I often make this dessert for Cam and I but with the addition of sugar syrup. The sous vide cooks apricots amazingly well. They have a beautiful texture once cooked. You could also make this dish on the stove top if you don’t have a sous vide. The flavour will be the very similar but you will lose the velvety texture. Little Big H loves the tartness of this dish but it if is too tart for your little one, try adding a banana or some cooked apple.
Baby Bjorn Miracle Carrier
Happiest Baby on the Block (Book, DVD, White Noise CD)
Baby Log iPhone & iPad App
Halo swaddle blanket
Stokke Bath with newborn seat
Colic? Bore your baby to sleep, by Howard Chilton – a must read…
As the early evening approached in our house, Little Big H – as a newborn, would slowly become more and more fussy. In the beginning we were guessing stomach problems, gas, colic, reflux, etc. Sometimes nursing, rocking/patting, breastfeeding, rubbing his tiny tummy, doing bicycle legs would help but often he just couldn’t settle. I stopped drinking and eating all food that I thought could be attributing to it and sometimes I thought it was making a difference but most days not. Then one day, a girl from my mothers group sent an article around call ‘Colic? Bore your baby to sleep’ and it was a bit of a lifesaver. I wish I had of read it in the very beginning, but better late than never – I have sent it to all my expecting friends since, who have found it super helpful.
Big H has never been a great sleeper, so by the time 6 o’clock rolled around he was over stimulated to say the least. Once we identified it as over stimulation, we could all relax a little knowing that he wasn’t in pain. And we could help him in other ways.
Getting him off to sleep in the early evening was the biggest help of all. He wouldn’t sleep in the bassinet so I would walk him around the house with the lights down low until he fell asleep. When I finally bought the Baby Bjorn carrier it made it so much easier. It was my number one best purchase for settling Big H.
Other items I found helpful were the Halo sleep-sack swaddle rather than the using traditional blankets. I was always worried that my swaddling would come loose and the blanket could cover Big H’s face. With the Halo swaddle I didn’t have to be concerned. I read the ‘The Happiest Baby on the Block’ book and Cam and I watched the DVD before Big H was born. It made us both feel a little more prepared. I am still using the white noise CD to this day. My other great purchases were the Stokke Flexi Bath with the newborn seat. Big H has always loved the water so if he was upset, often I would give him a bath and it would calm him down. The Baby Log iPhone and iPad app I used to keep track of sleep, nappy changes and feeds. It made it easy to keep track and work towards establishing a schedule.
What was your best newborn baby purchase – I’d love to hear what helped you in those early days?
I give Big H bread occasionally with his breakfast of a morning. I serve it with a soft-boiled egg or spread something on it like Laughing Cow cheese, avocado, Vegemite, Anchovette (which is a fish spread that he now likes) or just a little olive oil.
Organic Spelt Bread
2014-01-14 12:05:43
500g organic wholemeal spelt flour (or substitute white spelt flour)
Combine the yeast, nectar, and warm water in a bowl and lightly whisk to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes. The mixture will appear frothy.
In a separate bowl add the flour, salt, olive oil, chia seeds and the yeast mixture
If you have a Kitchen aid or other device with a dough hook. Knead for 5 minutes or until smooth.
Otherwise turn out onto a floured bench and knead for approximately 5 minutes. Add a little extra flour if necessary
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with cling film and set aside to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F). Punch down the dough and knead until smooth. Shape the dough and place on a baking tray or in a greased bread tin. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 35 minutes or until the dough has almost doubled in size
Brush loaf with egg white and sprinkle with chia seeds.
Bake for 35 minute or until dark golden. Let cool on a wire rack
Spelt bread can be quite dense so if you like a lighter bread, halve the spelt flour and add half all purpose flour
Little Big H http://littlebigh.com/
My room was very warm so the dough sort of spread out. Place the dough in a bread tin for the second rise if you prefer
