Baby Food Recipes, News and Information

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Juicy, sweet and refreshing, watermelon makes a wonderful treat for your baby - and the good news is that it's very nutritious, too.

The US Department of Agriculture has named the watermelon as the number one source of lycopene and found it to be higher in this important compound than any other vegetable or fruit.

Lycopene, which is responsible for the red colour of watermelon, is a powerful antioxidant. This means that it can reduce the risk of developing diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Watermelon is also an excellent source of beta-carotene, another antioxidant, which your baby's body converts into vitamin A. And if that's not enough, watermelon also provides dietary fiber and protein.

Here are some tips for preparing and serving watermelon to your baby...

• Choose a nice, firm watermelon with no blemishes or bruises. It should be heavy for its size, with a creamy coloured spot on its underside to indicate ripeness. The US Department of Agriculture discovered during tests that the lycopene and beta-carotene levels of watermelons stored, uncut, at room temperature rise considerably. This does not occur if they are refrigerated - so it's a good idea to try keeping your watermelon at room temperature UNTIL you cut it - at which point it should be refrigerated.

• Before you cut your watermelon, be sure to wash the skin thoroughly.

• If available locally, buy seedless watermelon for your baby - otherwise, be very careful to remove all the seeds. Don't let them go to waste, though... dry them out, then roast them for about 10 mins at 350 deg F. Sprinkle them with salt to taste and you have a nutritious snack for the grown-ups!

• For younger babies (6 months+), try mashing watermelon with banana - delicious! Alternatively, mash with a little cottage cheese.

• For older babies ready for finger food, try cutting a ripe watermelon into sticks and serving it with natural yogurt as a healthy dip.

• Freeze chunks of watermelon to soothe sore gums - you can place the chunks in a teething feeder and let your baby gnaw away! Alternatively, puree the melon and freeze it in popsicle/lolly moulds.

• When serving watermelon to your baby, try sprinkling it with a little ginger, which is good for digestion and complements watermelon perfectly.

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June 4, 2007 14:50 - Save 15% At One Step Ahead

Until June 30th. you can save 15% at One Step Ahead or Leaps and Bounds when you spend $100 or more.

Just enter coupon code A15JUNE in the "Promotional code" field when you check out to receive your discount.

One Step Ahead have an excellent range of summer clothing and equipment for baby, so this special offer comes at the perfect time if you're gearing up for warmer weather!

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June 5, 2007 12:55 - Recall of Ground Beef (US)

Ground beef is being recalled by Supervalu Inc. because it is believed to be contaminated with E. coli.

Please see this story which contains full details of the recall and telephone numbers for further information.

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June 5, 2007 12:56 - Don't Like An Ad On Our Website?

Robin from the US contacted us today to let us know that she had a clicked a link on our site and it had taken her to another site containing adult material.

What she had clicked on was actually a "Google ad", which appear throughout our site. We do not control which ads Google place on our pages - however, we are able to block undesirable ads from appearing, which we have done with the site Robin encountered.

If you ever click on an ad from our site which takes you to a website that you find objectionable, then PLEASE DO LET US KNOW. This way, we can prevent these ads appearing on our pages and ensure that you will only be visiting sites that you may find useful.

Our apologies to Robin - thank you so much for contacting us.

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June 6, 2007 12:46 - How To Bake Brown Rice

Brown rice is highly nutritious - much more so than white rice, which is basically just brown rice with most of its goodness removed!

Brown rice takes a little longer than white rice to boil - but another way we like to cook it is by baking it. This seems to give it a fluffier texture than boiled rice - it's also very easy to do!

To bake brown rice for your baby

8oz brown rice (1 cup)
12 fl oz (1 1/2 cups) water
1 stick celery (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F/180 deg C.
Pour the rice into a frying pan/skillet over a medium heat. Stir constantly for a few minutes, until the grains turn a golden colour. This step is optional, but makes the rice extra tasty - try it and see!
Meanwhile, chop the celery and saute until tender. This step is also optional - but including sauted celery in this dish flavours the rice throughout and may make it more tempting for your baby.
Put the rice, water and sauted celery into an oven-proof dish with a lid.
Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 45 mins, or until the rice has absorbed all of the water.
Cool to a safe temperature and serve!

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June 6, 2007 13:11 - Be A Hero For Babies Day (US) - This Thursday

Agents from Farmers Insurance across the US have committed to raising $2 million this Thursday in support of March of Dimes progress and research.

On last year's "Be A Hero for Babies Day", Farmers raised $1.44 million during just one day's fund-raising - and this year they have raised the goal posts a little higher! Farmers will also be matching all donations made on https://www.marchofdimes.com/howtohelp/farmers.asp up to $250,000.

Farmers agents in Washington will be doing various fund-raising activities in support of the March of Dimes, whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, prematurity and infant mortality. It was founded in 1938 and, in addition to funding a variety of programs to save babies, launched a 2003 campaign in response to the rising rate of premature birth.

Elaine Noonan, State Director of the March of Dimes Washington Chapter, says

"I challenge everyone to visit marchofdimes.com/farmers or their local Farmers agent to make a donation to help the March of Dimes end this national prematurity crisis for babies and their families. Someone once said a hero is a man who does what he can. The support from Farmers agents has made each of them heroes for the more than half million babies born too soon and we thank them for their super effort."

You can visit the March of Dimes website at www.marchofdimes.com or their Spanish language website at www.nacersano.org

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June 7, 2007 10:44 - Recall of Simplicity Cribs (US)

Simplicity cribs, which are part of the Nursery-in-a-Box furniture set, are being recalled. This is because the assembly instructions which are supplied with the cribs do not instruct parents how to attach the crib's drop side correctly. If the drop side is not attached correctly, it can disengage from the crib, which poses risks of falling and entrapment for babies. Also, the metal locking pins on the drop side may come off, which presents a choking hazard.

Other furniture in the Nursery-in-a-Box set includes a changing table and clothing organizer. The cribs (pictured below) are either white, cherry or natural in colour. The only cribs included in this recall have model numbers 8910 and 8050 with serial numbers 3005 HY through 0806 HY. You can find these numbers printed on an envelope which is permanently attached to the mattress support. The model numbers, serial numbers and "Simplicity" are also printed on a label which you can find on the bottom rail of the headboard.

These sets were sold at children's stores and department stores from August 2005 through May 2007 for around $200.

If you have one of these cribs, please check it immediately to ensure that the drop side is secure and has been installed correctly. You can contact Simplicity to receive the correct instructions, or download them from Simplicity's website at www.simplicityforchildren.com.

You can also watch a video on their website to see how to correctly install the drop side.

For more information, please contact Simplicity at (800) 784-1982 any time or visit their website.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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June 7, 2007 17:05 - Recall of 1st Birthday Party Hats (US)

First Birthday Party Hats are being recalled by Creative Expressions because the foil fringe at the bottom edge of the hats can come off, posing a choking hazard.

The cone shaped hats, pictured below, are 6.5 inches high and 4.5 inches wide. They are made of blue paper and have "1st" printed on the front, with a blue foil fringe stuck to the bottom.

They were sold at party and discount department stores across the US from February 2005 through May 2007 for around $4.

If you have these hats, you should throw them away and contact Creative Expressions at (800) 428-5017 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday for a full refund. Alternatively, you can visit their website at www.ceg4party.com.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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June 8, 2007 08:46 - Recall of Personalized Long Johns (US)

Personalized Infant Long Johns, pictured below, are being recalled by Personal Creations because they have received 10 reports of the metal snaps on the long johns loosening and detaching. This obviously poses a choking hazard to young children.

The long johns are red and have snap fasteners down the front and along the legs. Personalized embroidery is stitched on the back flap, which buttons up.

These long johns were sold through the Personal Creations catalog and www.personalcreations.com between September 2006 through January 2007 for around $22 in sizes 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.

If your baby has these long johns, please contact Personal Creations to arrange for a replacement or a refund. You can call them at (888) 627-3283 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Saturday and Sunday. Alternatively, you can visit their website.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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June 8, 2007 08:47 - Should I Give My Baby Full-Fat Products?

We all know that should eat low-fat foods and opt for skimmed milk in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle - so it can be confusing to learn that the opposite actually applies to our babies!

Just why is fat so important in a baby's diet - and why are the nutritional needs of an infant so different to those of an adult?

Read more...

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June 9, 2007 08:31 - Ground Beef Recall (US)

Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. are recalling more than 40,000 pounds of ground beef because samples tested at a plant in Texas showed signs of contamination by E-Coli in meat shipped to Wal-Mart stores across 12 states.

According to Tyson Foods Inc., this recall is not connected to the contaminated ground beef which was distributed by the United Food Group LLC, based in California.

Tyson said that the recalled meat was sent to Wal-Mart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

All the ground beef involved in this recall had sell-by dates of June 13th. It was sold in pre-packaged trays. Wal-Mart says it has removed this meat from sale.

Products included in this recall are

2¼-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef
5½-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef
1½-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, 6¼-pound patties
1.33-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, extra thick, 4 1/3-pound patties

Source: http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines

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