Baby Food Recipes, News and Information

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There has always been a lot of controversy in the UK about the use of certain food additives - particularly artificial colourings - and their negative effects on children.

We wrote last week about how new studies are being carried out to establish whether or not additives contribute to behavioural problems in children - and that early indications are confirming that parents should definitely avoid giving food containing these additives to their children.

So it comes as good news today to find that Asda - following Sainsbury's initiative to ban certain additives from their own-brand soft drinks - have announced that they will remove all artifical flavourings and colourings from all their own-label drink and food products by the end of this year.

Of course, making all your food and drinks from whole and healthy ingredients is still the best way to keep your kids' diets free from additives. But at least some of the leading supermarkets are beginning to take responsibility by making their own "convenience" options a little healthier!

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May 15, 2007 21:43 - Recall Of Children's Jewelry (US)

Children’s metal necklaces, bracelets and rings are being recalled because they contain too much lead, posing a serious hazard to babies who may put these objects in their mouths.

The jewelry involved in the recall, which is pictured below, includes silver coloured rings and variously shaped pendants that hang from bracelet and necklace chains.

These items were sold at vending machines nationwide from February 2007 through March 2007 for 25 cents.

If any of your older children have these items at home, please throw them away. If you need more information, please call Spandrel Sales and Marketing toll-free at (877) 213-0500 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or visit their website.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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May 15, 2007 22:00 - Children's Rings Recalled Due to Lead Hazard (US)

Another recall today because of toxic lead levels - this time concerning around 300,000 children’s turquoise rings.

The rings (pictured below) feature a round, turquoise coloured stone surrounded by a band of small silver coloured balls. They were sold in vending machines throughout Baltimore, Maryland from August 2002 through April 2007 for 25 cents.

If any of your children have these rings, please take them away and dispose of them. If you have any questions, please contact Cardinal Distributing at (800) 368-2062 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit their website.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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May 15, 2007 22:29 - Free Lullaby CD From Robeez (US/Canada)

From May 15th to 31st, our sponsors - Robeez - have a great special offer - If you buy 2 or more pairs of their footwear, they will give you a free lullaby CD, worth $12.95!

Robeez high quality soft leather shoes are a big hit with parents as they not only look good and feel comfortable for your baby - they're also designed to stay securely on his feet!

The free CD currently on offer, which plays for over 40 minutes, contains 17 popular melodies - the perfect way to help relax your little one at the end of an active day!

To claim your CD, just enter the Robeez coupon code "FreeCD" on your shopping basket page.

Please note that this offer only applies to orders made in the contiguous US and Canada.

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May 16, 2007 13:10 - No Additives For Marks and Spencer Food (UK)

Marks and Spencer has joined the growing list of retailers planning to remove additives from the food in its stores. M&S is the third leading retailer to take this initiative, which comes as new research reinforces public concern about the negative effects that food additives have on health - particularly the health of children.

M&S plans to remove artifical colourings and flavourings from 99% of the food in its stores by the end of this year. By the end of June, all foods will be free from the sweetener Aspartame - and steps have already been taken to reduce the amount of hydrogenated fats contained in M&S foods.

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May 16, 2007 13:29 - Free Shipping Within Europe From Robeez

From now until May 31st, Robeez are offering FREE SHIPPING to European customers.

No minimum order size is required - all you need to do is enter the special promotion code Robeez123 on the shopping basket page!

Robeez soft leather shoes are exceptionally comfortable and are softly elasticated to stay on baby's feet. Their textured suede soles also provide extra grip and help prevent your baby from slipping.

There are lots of beautiful designs to choose from - and the spring range has some gorgeous new surprises!

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May 16, 2007 13:41 - Vegetarian Pasta Sauce for Baby

This delicious, herby sauce pairs up wonderfully with pasta for a really tasty meal for your baby. You can puree the sauce with a little cooked pasta for younger babies (at least 6 months of age, who have previously been introduced to all these ingredients - you may wish to wait longer if onions don't agree with your baby!) - or you can serve the sauce over cooked pasta for older babies to eat with a spoon - or even their fingers!

What you will need

1 medium red bell pepper
a little vegetable oil or olive oil
1tsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4oz chopped onion
3oz carrots, peeled and diced finely
8oz mushrooms, chopped
1oz fresh herbs, minced (thyme and oregano go well together)
2 fl oz homemade chicken stock
1oz fresh parsley, chopped

How to make this vegetarian pasta sauce for baby

Roast the red pepper by placing it under a grill/broiler for about 10 mins, turning often, until blackened all over.
Place the pepper in a sandwich bag for 10 mins, then remove the skin, which should slip off easily.
Remove the stem and seeds, then chop well.
Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan/skillet and saute the garlic, onions and carrots for several minutes until tender.
Add the red pepper, mushrooms, herbs and chicken stock.
Simmer gently, stirring often, until the sauce has reduced by almost half, then stir in the parsley.
Pour over pasta and serve!

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May 17, 2007 15:08 - Quick Avocado Baby Food Ideas

We received an e mail today asking for some ways to prepare avocado for babies - so we thought we'd add our reply here, to provide you with some simple ideas to help your baby enjoy this very nutritious food!

The best thing about avocado, of course, is that it doesn't need cooking! Lots of babies enjoy it in its natural state - either mashed and served with a spoon, or cut into cubes and served as a finger food. Avocado can be quite slippery, though, so we recommend rolling the cubes in wheat germ, or "cereal dust" from the bottom of a packet of cereal - this gives your baby a better grip!

A tasty alternative is to mash avocado with banana - perfect for babies who prefer a sweeter flavour!

Other tasty combinations include avocado mashed with apple sauce, sweet potato or butternut squash. These tasty mixtures can be prepared very quickly and are packed with nutrients.

Avocado can also be used to make a delicious tropical fruit salad - and you can find the recipe for this healthy treat here.

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May 18, 2007 13:32 - Baby Escapes Through Cat Flap!

If you have a pet flap in one of your doors, I'll bet that you've never imagined your little one escaping through it! Yet that's exactly what 15 month old Morgan Place from Lancashire in the UK did!

Morgan managed to get 300 yards from his home on a busy road before (fortunately) he was spotted by a taxi driver. The driver called the police because he couldn't see who the little boy belonged to - but little Morgan was quickly reunited with his Dad who ran out to find him.

The family hadn't been in their home for long and weren't used to having a cat flap - they have now changed their security arrangements to make sure Morgan doesn't escape again.

Thankfully, Morgan wasn't hurt - but this story highlights a potential household hazard that many of us may not have considered!

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

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May 18, 2007 13:44 - Website For Madeleine McCann

We, along with millions of people across the world, are hoping and praying for the safe return of Madeleine McCann, the four year old from the UK who has been missing in Portugal since May 3rd. We cannot imagine the anguish that her parents are experiencing and wish with all our hearts that their nightmare would end.

We read today about a website that has been established to help find Madeleine - and for people to offer message of support or to make donations to the search fund. The site, www.findmadeleine.com also provides news on the investigation and a downloadable poster of Madeleine to distribute in your area. So far, the site has received 20,000 messages of support and over £70,000 in donations.

Details of how to donate, including overseas donations, are given on the site.

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May 18, 2007 14:49 - Potentially Toxic Chemical In Kids' Car Seats

New research has suggested that car seats may contain toxic chemicals that can have adverse health effects if ingested or inhaled.

The study was carried out by the Michigan-based environmental group Ecology Center. It analyzed 60 different models of car seats for chemicals including chlorine, lead and bromide. According to Jeff Gearhart, lead author of the report, these chemicals can be associated with allergic type diseases, developmental disorders, liver disease, cancer and learning impairment.

The study showed that child car seats are made using the same toxic chemicals that are used to make interior car components.

Graco's TurboBooster Emily and TurboBooster SafeSeats were both named as containing high concentrations of chemicals and Britax's Marathon Platinum seat was discovered to have the highest levels of chemicals in the convertible seat category.

Some experts have said that the presence of these chemicals doesn't necessarily pose a risk to health - but the report's author recommends keeping the car window ajar if you are using a seat named in the report as potentially dangerous. He also advises keeping the seat oput of direct sunlight and ONLY using the seat within the car.

After the recent controversy over the use of lead in baby's bibs, this new study really makes us wonder what on earth we are subjecting our children to when we use the products that are actually designed for them! If you would like to see the list of seats tested, you can visit the website here - we had to try this site several times before we could view it... undoubtedly it has received a huge number of visitors as news of this report has been distributed.

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May 18, 2007 15:17 - Free Shipping From Robeez (US and Canada)

Robeez are now offering FREE SHIPPING on orders of their gorgeous baby shoes when you spend $75 or more. This offer applies within the contiguous USA and Canada.

Robeez have some adorable new styles in stock at the moment, so why not take a look...

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May 19, 2007 14:06 - Labeling Your Baby's Food

Accurately labeling your baby's food as you store it is a very important part of homemade baby food preparation.

There are two pieces of information that you need to make a note of - the date and the contents of the container.

The date, of course, is essential to ensure that the food you are giving your baby is safe for him to eat. It enables you to rotate the foods you have, so that you use up older supplies before starting new ones - this is particularly important when you have cooked in bulk and frozen the food.

Labeling your containers with their contents is also vital. For one thing, pureed foods tend to look pretty much alike, so it's nice to be able to tell them apart... but it can also be important for identifying particular foods if you discover that your baby has an allergic reaction or experiences a digestive problem. If you find, for example, that sweet potatoes don't agree with your baby, you will be able to check your labels for any meals you have prepared with sweet potato as an ingredient. If your baby's meals are unlabeled, then you will be forced to throw away the entire batch!

www.freshnesscounts.com is a site stocking simple labels that are ideal for labeling your baby's food - they're also perfect for labeling leftovers from family meals and take the "guesswork" out of eating previously prepared foods.

As well as labels, www.freshnesscounts.com supplies a handy little dispenser with a magnetic base that you can easily attach to your refrigerator. The dispenser comes with a built-in pen, making it a very simple yet efficient labeling system.

Items can be shipped to United States and Canadian addresses, but international shipping is also available based on certain conditions.

The site includes some great links to food safety resources and a free, downloadable chart of cold food storage times.

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May 19, 2007 16:19 - Recalls By Bookspan (US)

Discovery Bunny Books and Clip-on Baby Books are being recalled by Bookspan because they present a choking hazard to babies.

The seam on the bunny from the Discovery Bunny Books can open on the hind leg, which exposes a plastic squeaker inside a cloth bag. A 4 month old baby began to choke on one of these squeakers, but his parents spotted the problem and cleared his airway.

The metal clip from the clip on books has been found to be breakable, which also poses a choking hazard. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported in connection with this item.

Product descriptions

The Discovery Bunny books are made of yellow cloth. The middle of the bunny opens up and there is a 6 page cloth book inside. The bunny is yellow and white, with black and white checkered ears and feet. A tag sewn into the bunny features the "SoftPlay" logo.

These books were sold through www.bookspan.com and Bookspan mail order catalogues to book club members for between $8 and $16 from February 2006 through March 2007.

The Baby Buddy clip-on clothes/stroller books are 4 inch round books entitled "Baby Faces". Eight babies faces are displayed which match the emotions listed on the page. There is a wooden bead strap with bead and wooden circles attached to the book. Baby Buddy is one book of a six book set.

These books were sold through www.bookspan.com and Bookspan mail order catalogues to book club members for between $17 and $27 from September 2006 through March 2007.

If you have any of these books, please take them away from your child and throw them away, or return them to Bookspan. You will receive full credit on your book club account. Bookspan have already notified customers who have bought this product by mail.

If you have any questions, please call Bookspan at (800) 509-2997 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit their website.

Media enquiries should be made to Paula Batson, at (212) 930-4531 or paula.batson@bmgch.com

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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May 20, 2007 14:20 - Recommended Foods If Your Baby Has Diarrhea

Did you know that certain foods can help firm your baby's stools when he has diarrhea - and do you know which foods you should avoid altogether?

Learn more about feeding a baby with diarrhea - and discover why applesauce can be helpful, but apple juice could make the problem even worse...

Read more...

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