November 2013 – Little Big H

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.