What's in this issue...

• Visit our baby of the month
• Avoiding food poisoning
• Preparing bell peppers for your baby
• New and updated pages
• Getting the most from your vegetables - peapod soup recipe
• Baby care "tip of the month" - Boosting the nutritional value of your baby's meals
• Safety recalls
• Our featured product review - Baby Safety products at One Step Ahead
• Visit our "website of the month"
• This month's subscribers-only recipe - Carrot and Ginger Cream

Some readers of our last newsletter may have noticed a problem with certain links, which kept returning you to the same page instead of to our articles.

We are very sorry about this problem, which was caused by changes we made to our blog. The problem has been rectified now and everything is working as it should! If you would like to view last month's newsletter, or any of our previous issues, please visit our back-issues index.

When YOUR baby started solids

We would love to see more of your pictures and to hear about how your babies are doing. It's also nice for our visitors to read about other parents' experiences! If you would like to submit YOUR little one's photograph, please visit the Baby of The Month page, scroll to the bottom of the page and complete the simple form. We will then send you instructions on how to submit your photographs (we would like to publish the e-mail address here, but are prevented from doing so by spammers!)

We're very much looking forward to seeing your photographs and reading your stories.

Avoiding food poisoning

This month's blog entry about baby food safety lists the rules you need to follow and helps you prepare your baby's food with confidence.

Preparing Bell Peppers For Your Baby

New and updated pages

Visit our Valentine's Day Baby Food Recipes page for some tasty treats for that special little someone in YOUR life!

We have also added page to our site this month about giving your baby sesame seeds, which looks at the rising worldwide problem of sesame allergy and recommendations about giving foods containing sesame (such as hummus and halva) to your baby.

Getting the most from your vegetables - peapod soup recipe

Take a look at this peapod soup recipe from this month's blog and discover a unique way of saving your pods from the compost heap!

Baby care tip of the month - How to boost the nutritional value of your baby's meals.

Safety recalls

Marks and Spencer Light Up Rattles are recalled in the UK because they may present a choking hazard.

Bright Starts Star Teether Beads are recalled in Australia and the US because they pose a potential choking hazard.

More Children's Butterfly Necklaces are recalled in the US due to a risk of lead poisoning.

Target Baby Rattles and Ornaments are recalled in the US because they present a choking hazard.

Graco Contempo Highchairs are recalled in the US and Australia because there is a risk that the highchairs can collapse.

Magneblock Toys are recalled in the US because there is a danger of the magnets coming loose, which poses severe risks for young children.

TJ Hughes Children's Teddy Bear Snowsuits and Jackets are recalled in the UK due to a problem with their fasteners.

Storage trunks are recalled in the US, because there is a risk that a child may climb inside and be unable to get out.

Sippy Cups are recalled in the US because they pose a laceration hazard to children.

Our featured product review - Baby Safety Products at One Step Ahead (US)

During his first year, your little one changes from a "babe in arms" into a crawling, climbing little bundle of fun, determined to get into everything! So it's important to take a good look around your home and assess just how safe your baby will be in his environment.

Whilst nothing replaces strict supervision, there are a range of products on the market designed to protect your little one from harm. And One Step Ahead have made life a lot easier by putting together an excellent guide entitled How to Childproof Your Home, which helps you identify any hazards that exist - including some that you may not have previously considered.

Once you have read the guide and highlighted any potential problem areas, the next step is to visit the relevant category within One Step Ahead's product pages. Each category provides more sound advice and tips, along with a range of appropriate products for each area of your home that requires childproofing. Categories include

• Crib Safety and Security
• Bedroom & Bathroom Safety
• Living Room Safety
• Electronic and Appliance Safety
• Safety Gates
• Corner and Edge Cushions

Website Of The Month - BabiesTravelLite.com

BabiesTravelLite.com, which was founded in 2003, makes traveling with infant a whole lot easier by delivering essential baby supplies to your travel destination. This enables you to travel WITHOUT the enormous amount of items your baby will need for your vacation - including diapers/nappies, baby wipes, formula, wipes and bathing supplies.

In fact, BabiesTravelLite.com offers hundreds of well known baby products at very reasonable prices for delivery all over the US and worldwide, plus they are happy to consider special requests.

We think this is a superb service and the glowing testimonials on the BabiesTravelLite website demonstrate just how many parents have appreciated its convenience.

So, if you're planning on traveling with your baby this year, then why not pay BabiesTravelLite.com a visit?

This month's subscribers-only recipe - Carrot and Ginger Cream

Ginger adds a delightful flavour to your baby's food and is well known for its ability to soothe an unsettled tummy - you will find it listed as an ingredient in some brands of gripe water and other preparations designed to ease tummy discomforts in children.

This recipe is ideal for babies who have already been introduced to all the ingredients separately and is perfectly smooth, which will please all those little ones who object to lumps in their food!

You will need

8oz carrots, peeled and diced
2oz potato, peeled and diced
pinch freshly ground black pepper
1oz water or homemade chicken stock
1oz cream (optional)
1/8 tsp fresh ginger, grated just before use

Boil the carrots and potatoes until tender, then drain. If you are not using chicken stock in this recipe, then reserve some of the water the vegetables were cooked in.
Place the potatoes and carrots in a food processor along with all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Increase or reduce the amount of stock/water that you use, to create the ideal texture for YOUR little one.
And that's it - a very quick and easy meal for your younger baby, or a great accompaniment to a meal for a more accomplished diner!