Subscribe To This Blog Get e-mail notification when new posts are made!
Baby Food Recipes, News and Information
For all the latest baby food news, updates to nutrition guidelines, product recalls, great new baby food recipes, hints, tips and more!
ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: BlinkDel.icio.usDigg FurlGoogleSimpySpurlTechnoratiY! MyWeb
February 19, 2007 07:34 - List of Recalled Items (Australia)
Four products were recalled in Australia today because they fail to meet safety standards and pose a danger to young children.
The items involved in the recall are The "Lovely Tortoise", the "Lovely Dragonfly", the "Wooden Train Alphabet" and the "Bobojoy Infant Gift Set". All these items were sold at several Sydney markets from middle of 2006 to November 2006. If you have any of these products, please return them to the store you purchased them from for credit. For more information, please contact LuckyTree on 02 9748 8128.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 19, 2007 07:43 - How To Thicken Your Baby's Food
Sometimes, you may wish to thicken foods that you have prepared for your baby. This might be necessary if a puree has turned out to be exceptionally runny - or perhaps you would just like to introduce a little more texture to your baby's food.
It's also a good idea to thicken some foods, such as soups, when your baby is learning to feed himself with a spoon. This way, the food will cling to the spoon more easily and save your baby the frustration of managing to bring the spoon to his mouth... only to find it empty when it gets there!
Here are a few ways in which you can not only thicken your baby's food, but also add a little nutritional boost at the same time (remember that your baby should have been introduced separately to these foods beforehand). Try stirring in
To thicken soups or stews, you can also try stirring in a little grated raw potato about 10-15 mins before the end of the cooking time.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 20, 2007 07:56 - Baby Cheesecake Treats
Many of the ingredients in regular cheesecake are unsuitable for babies - so here's a simple recipe for a delicious alternative that your little one can enjoy. This recipe makes a perfect finger food for your baby and has a lovely "mooshy" texture!
To make your baby cheesecake treats, you will need
First, soak the apricots in water until softened. Place the apricots in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the vanilla and cream cheese to the processor and blend until nice and smooth. Place the wheat germ into a small bowl and drop the cream cheese mixture on to it, a teaspoon at a time. Roll the cream cheese in the wheat germ, forming it into little balls. Your cheesecake treats are ready to serve - they will have some texture to them (the apriots will not puree completely), so they are ideal for babies who have been introduced to all the ingredients separately beforehand and who are comfortable with textured foods.
Looking for some more ideas for homemade finger foods for your baby?
Read more...
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 20, 2007 22:33 - Fisher Price Bunny Now Recalled In UK
Following recalls in the US and Australia, the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Learning Bunny is now being recalled in the UK.
The bunny, which poses a choking hazard to young children because the pink pompom nose can detach, has a model number of K2961.
For more information about this recall, please contact Mattel on 01628 500303. You can also e-mail them at HelplineUK@Mattel.com or write to them at Mattel UK Ltd., Vanwall Business Park, Maidenhead, SL6 4UB.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 20, 2007 22:40 - Ideal Gadget For Rinsing Baby's Hair (US)
When your baby is old enough to be sitting upright in the bath, rinsing the shampoo out of his hair can be a real struggle! But BabyCenter Stores have come up with an excellent solution - the
S.C. Products Shampoo Rinse Cup.
A soft, flexible edge along the front of this simple cup forms a watertight bond against your baby's forehead and this helps to keep the shampoo and the water out of his eyes!
Helping you stop the tears at bath time, this handy little accessory is priced at $7.95.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 21, 2007 07:37 - Brown Rice Is Better For Baby
In fact, brown rice is better for the whole family and is packed with valuable nutrients. But what exactly is the difference between brown rice and white?
A grain of rice is made up of several layers. To produce brown rice, only the hull (the outside layer) is removed. Very little goodness is lost from the grain in this procedure. But to produce white rice, each grain is milled to remove more layers - the bran and virtually all of the germ. This removes most of the nutrients from the grain. Finally, the grains are polished and this process removes another layer called aleurone - a source of essential fats.
The final result, white rice, is a refined starch with very little nutritive value for your baby.
Manganese (a powerful antioxidant that provides energy, reduces the severity of asthma and is essential for healthy bones)
Selenium
Phosphorus
Fibre
Essential Fatty Acids
Brown rice also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and lowers cholesterol levels.
A huge percentage of the above nutrients are removed in the production of white rice. In some countries, white rice is required by law to be "enriched" - this means that certain nutritive elements must be added back in. But these nutrients are not in their original form, making them less beneficial, and even enriched white rice is missing 11 important nutrients that are never replaced. (Source: http://www.whfoods.com)
Brown rice tastes good!
It actually has a distinctive, nutty flavour - quite different from white rice, which (unsurprisingly) has little flavour at all. It's best to give your baby brown rice from the start - he'll become so accustomed to the flavour that he'll probably refuse bland and starchy white rice altogether!
When you buy brown rice for your baby, be sure to check the "use by" date on the packaging. Because it still has its oily germ, it can potentially turn rancid, so it's best to store it in the refrigerator.
Brown rice is not commonly found to cause allergic reactions, but research has shown that non-organic rice can contain traces of arsenic. These traces are not enough to cause serious illness in the short term, but can have negative long term affects on the body. It is recommended that you only give your baby organically grown brown rice.
Preparation
For young babies, the best way to serve brown rice is to rinse it then grind it in an appropriate food processor - try our simple baby cereal recipe. For older babies, you may prefer to use short grain brown rice as it tends to be fairly soft and "clumps" together. This makes it ideal for dishes with a creamier texture, like rice pudding.
Remember that brown rice takes at least twice as long as white rice to cook - but you can pre-measure the amount of water you need and soak it overnight before you cook it, which speeds things up considerably! Remember to cook it in the water it was soaked in - this preserves valuable nutrients.
Storing cooked brown rice
Bacteria can quickly multiply in cooked rice. Although many organizations recommend storing it for a maximum of 4 days in the refrigerator, we believe that you should only cook rice for your baby to eat THAT DAY and discard any leftovers.
Brown rice dishes for baby
You can, of course, use brown rice in any dish where you would normally have used white rice for your baby. Here are a few other ideas...
Combine cooked rice (whether ground or not) with natural yogurt and your baby's favourite fruit puree.
Mix cooked rice with warm milk (you can use breast milk or formula if you prefer), then sprinkle with nutmeg.
Mix cooked rice with steamed, pureed veggies (either pureed or chopped, depending on your baby's stage of development).
Serve "clumpy" brown rice as a nutritious finger food.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 21, 2007 21:15 - The Best Toy of the Year
The Toy Industry Association has just announced the winners of its Toy of the Year awards for 2007... and this year's over-all winner is the "T.M.X." Elmo from Fisher-Price.
Congratulations to Elmo, who actually topped two categories - "The best toy of the year" and "The best toy developed for infant and/or preschool children". The T.M.X Elmo has three different tickle spots, which send him into peals of infectious laughter and movement - he slaps his belly, then falls forward, stands back up, falls backwards and kicks his legs up over his tummy!
TMX Elmo is also available from Mothercare in the UK (just click the link to visit).
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 22, 2007 07:37 - Most Premature Baby Has Gone Home
Here's a story to brighten your day - the world's most premature baby, Amillia Taylor, has left hospital 4 months after being born in the US.
Amillia was born weighing just 280 grams (10 ounces), after spending less than 22 weeks in the womb. She measured just 9.5in (241mm). But following her amazing fight for survival, Amillia now weighs four pounds (1.8kg) and is said by the hospital to be "healthy and thriving".
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 23, 2007 08:25 - Sweet Couscous Treat
Here's a recipe for a sweet couscous treat for your baby that would make a perfect breakfast or a substantial dessert!
Couscous is made from wheat semolina - the individual "grains" are kept separate by a coating of flour. Although it is often treated as a grain, it is actually a kind of pasta. Because the individual pieces are so tiny, couscous cooks incredibly quickly - which means it's ideal if you need to put together a quick meal for your little one.
Couscous is usually used in savoury dishes - but it works really well in sweet dishes, too! This recipe is appropriate for babies of at least 7 months of age who are happily enjoying more textured foods. Couscous is NOT suitable for babies on a wheat-free diet. And one more thing before we get to the recipe... although many babies enjoy couscous, it can be VERY MESSY for the novice diner! So make sure you've got the floor around baby's highchair well covered!
For this sweet couscous treat you will need
6oz quick cooking couscous 4fl oz apple juice 1fl oz water 1 fresh peach, peeled and well chopped around 8oz white seeless grapes, peeled and well chopped 4tbsp thick, natural yogurt a little maple syrup cinnamon
Place the apple juice and water into a pot and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, place the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Once the juice and water mixture has come to a boil, pour it over the couscous and cover. Set aside for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and use a fork to separate the couscous grains. Stir in the chopped fruit - as soon as the mixture has cooled sufficiently, place it in the refrigerator. Combine the yogurt with the maple syrup and cinnamon and stir well. Once the couscous mixture is nice and chilled, serve it to your baby topped with a spoonful of the yogurt!
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 23, 2007 22:15 - Twins Sale Coupons At Baby Age (US)
Caring for twins can be costly - so, on Monday February 26th , Baby Age is holding a huge, one day only "Twins Sale"!
Remember - this is a one day sale... so don't delay!
Please note that the brands exluded from this offer are Britax, Bugaboo, Inglesina, Glenna Jean and Stokke.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 24, 2007 08:17 - Why Your Baby Needs To Go Outside - Even If It's Cold
When temperatures fall, it's instinctive to protect your baby from the cold by keeping him indoors - warm and cosy at home. But did you know that this can have a negative effect on his health?
Vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to rickets, is a real problem among infants in some parts of the world. The best source of vitamin D for your baby is not from food - it's from the sun. But recent research has shown that many infants AND their mothers in America (particularly to Northeast) face severe deficiencies of vitamin D.
So just how much sunlight does your baby's body need in order to produce enough vitamin D for his needs? Read more...
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 24, 2007 11:33 - Dangerous Lead Levels In Kids' Jewelry
Children's jewelry products are being recalled because they contain too much lead - if you have older children who may have this jewelry, it could present a serious hazard to a crawling baby.
The first recall involves "Claudia Jublot" Children’s Rings, which were sold at Big Lots! Stores nationwide from October 2004 through January 2006 for about $3. The rings (pictured below) are silver colored with red paint and a simulated diamond cluster. The packaging is a yellow card with "Claudia Jublot" printed on the front and a and UPC # of 1524100121266045 on the back.
Please return this jewelry to the store you bought it from for a full refund. For more information, please contact Lari Jewelry Co. toll-free at (866) 524-0024 anytime or visit the Big Lots! Web site.
The second recall concerns Children’s "Kidsite" Necklace and Earring Sets, which were sold exclusively at Kmart stores nationwide from October 2001 through December 2006 for about $5.
The sets (pictured below) have variously colored birthstones made of plastic gemstones. The pendants are shaped like flowers on a silver colored chain and the earrings have round birthstones. "Kidsite" and the month of the birthstone are printed on the front of the packaging, and Kmart is printed on the back.
Please return this jewelry to any Kmart store, where you will receive one of three free children’s jewelry sets. If you have any questions, please contact Kmart at (800) 659-7026 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday, or visit Kmart’s Web site.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 25, 2007 09:52 - Recall of Cantaloupe Melons (Western US)
Cantaloupe melons are being recalled in California because of Salmonella contamination.
Tests have shown that some cantaloupes, delivered on or after 16th Feb 2007 are contaminated with Salmonella, although no illnesses have yet been reported. Around 2,560 cartons of cantaloupes were delivered to wholesalers in Los Angeles and San Francisco, to be distributed in the Western United States. The cantaloupes have pale green skin and orange flesh and were distributed for sale in cardboard cartons containing 9, 12 or 15 cantaloupes. The cartons involved in the recall are natural brown cardboard, with "Tropifresh de Costa Rica" printed in orange and green lettering. A thirteen digit number is printed on a white tag pasted to the carton and the tenth digit is either a 2 or a 3.
If you have a cantaloupe purchased in the Western United States, on or after February 16, 2007, please contact your retail store to see if the product is the recalled brand.
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
February 25, 2007 21:49 - Accessories For Making Your Own Baby Food
More and more parents are realizing the benefits of making their own food for their babies - and there are now many useful accessories available to help you both create dishes for your tiny diner and safely store them afterwards.
Our new Homemade Baby Food Accessories page contains a selection of our favourite storage solutions and other useful items available on the market today... Read more...
To reference this entry please copy the url in this link:
(Permalink)
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Technorati
Y! MyWeb
