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The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Competition

Namrata Telugu from the United States was the winner of September's Homemade Baby Food Recipes Competition with her warming recipe for Hearty Potato Soup - just what our little ones need as the warm summer days fade away! Congratulations, Namrata - thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

Namrata's recipe - plus the runner-up recipes for ...

• Tilapia and Spinach Rice
• Toddler's Eggy Thyme and Olive Oil Treat
• Island Tuna Delight

Do you have an original baby food recipe you'd like to share with other Mums?

Then send it in using this simple form - you could be October's winner of a $20 voucher from Amazon!


October's Baby of the Month

Thank you SO much for all the wonderful entries last month for our Baby of the Month competition.

You can visit this month's winner and see more of our favourite entries received throughout September on our Baby of the Month page. You'll also find the entry form and details you need to submit YOUR baby's photograph!

Special offer for our subscribers...

Visit www.Breyla.com

Offering innovative and original Mom Designs products for babies, children and families.

Including soft flannel side snap bibs, receiving blankets, burp cloths, children's art smocks and much more.

Homemade Baby Food Recipes subscribers receive a 50% off total order coupon.

Coupon Code: BABYFOOD123

We ship to local and international locations. All currencies accepted!

Enjoy Shopping!

www.Breyla.com

Tip of the Month - The Easy Way to Delicious Carrots!

Carrots that have been baked have a unique and delightful sweetness which - we find - is hard to achieve by steaming or boiling them. The added bonus is that cooking them in foil means there's one less cooking vessel to wash up afterwards!

If your baby is happy feeding himself, then try either cutting scrubbed organic carrots into 'sticks' (like fries), coarsely grating them or cutting them into little cubes. Then drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap them in foil and bake them at 375 deg F for around half an hour, until tender (the grated carrots will be ready more quickly, in around 15 minutes). They will taste delicious just as they are (with nothing added) - our little ones would eat carrot sticks by the handful and they made a great, non-messy snack when we were out and about!

It's preferable to use organic, regular sized carrots - not baby carrots. In some countries, the UK in particular, baby carrots are just that - miniature carrots, which are sweet and delicious. But in the US, most 'baby carrots' are not baby carrots at all - they are, in fact, pieces cut from larger carrots. These carrots are specially bred to ripen more quickly and are less nutritious than regular carrots.

For younger babies, baked carrots can be pureed (adding a little stock if required, to achieve the right consistency) and served from the spoon - or even as a dip to accompany other foods.

For the more adventurous tot, try spicing up his carrots with ginger (which is good for digestion), or with our babies' personal favourite... nutmeg!

Alternatively, toss them with olive oil, chopped fresh herbs and garlic before wrapping them - or add some lemon juice a delicious twist of flavour (you may wish to wait until after baby's first birthday before using lemon juice as it may trigger a reaction in some children).

Safety Recalls

Here we have this month's round up of recalls and warnings posted to our blog. If you (or someone you know) has any of the items listed below, then please click on the link to visit our blog for more information.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter on to anyone else who you believe may be affected by these recalls.

Cheese products (Canada)

Baby Safety Month - advice from the CPSC

Graco and Winnie the Pooh cribs in Simplicity recall (US)

Western Family Variety Pack Instant Oatmeal (US)

Children's water bottles (US)

Orowheat 100% Whole Wheat Bread (US)

Simplicity Drop-Side Cribs (US)

Warning over yogurt drinks and desserts (Canada)

Wood Abacus recall (US)

smartchoices Breast Soother (Australia)

Pumpkin and Sweet Red Pepper Soup (UK)

Toy Boats (US)

Koala Biscuits (UK)

Bean Burgers (UK)

Apricot Jam (UK)

Sparkle and Shimmer Christmas Trees (UK)

Aldi's whole chickens (UK)

Featured Product - The Strollometer

We all know that devoting time to losing that 'baby weight' is very difficult, to say the least.

But there's one form of exercise you are taking almost EVERY day - and that's strolling with your little bundle of joy!

Now it's easy to turn strolling into your daily workout... with the award winning Strollometer !

Just strap this nifty little gadget on to baby's stroller and you'll be able to see...

• how fast you are walking (in either miles or kilometers per hour)
• your average speed
• your maximum speed
• how far you have travelled
• how long you have been walking
• the distance you travel per day
• the time
  and
  
• the temperature

Unlike some gadgets, which are fiddly to use and hard to understand, the Strollometer is brilliantly simple and very well constructed. You strap the console on to the stroller handle (it fits both horizontal and vertical handlebars) and a magnetic sensor on the rear wheel wirelessly send the console the relevant information... which happens to be VERY accurate!

We think this is a superb idea and certainly adds an element of excitement to your walk each day as you strive to beat your 'Personal Best'!

The Strollometer is available from Baby Earth in the US.

Featured Website - mommyauctions.com

• Do you live in the US or Canada?

• Do you have unwanted baby or child-related items you'd like to sell?

• Would you like to advertise your items WITHOUT having to pay a listing fee?

Unlike many auctions sites, mommyauctions.com does not charge a listing fee for standard ads (although you can opt to pay a little extra to enhance your ad and make it stand out).

What's more, then 'End of Auction' fee is just 5% - irrespective of how much your item sold for!

Mommyauctions.co. was established in May 2007 by Samantha Stack. She decided to set up an auction site just for moms when she noticed how 'cluttered' other auction sites are with irrelevant items. Mommyauctions.com is designed to make it easy to buy and sell maternity, baby and child-related items - and it also has a lively forum where you can ask questions, sell non child-related items... or just have a chat!

We think this site is a great alternative to you-know-who when you're either looking for a bargain or clearing out the loft!

You can visit mommyauctions.com here!

Recipe of the month - Barley and Apple Breakfast

Barley is highly underrated as a food for babies, yet it's a very nutritious grain, high in fibre, selenium, manganese, vitamin B and other nutrients known to protect the body against cancer. What's more, it has a wonderful, nutty taste and can be incorporated into recipes both savoury and sweet.

This month's recipe uses barley to create a delicious and healthy breakfast. The cooking time is fairly long, so it's a good idea to make a larger batch then reheat portions as you need them each morning!

You will need...

8 fl oz (1 cup) apple juice
4 oz (1/2 cup) pearl barley
4 fl oz (1/2 cup) water
2 oz (1/4 cup) dried apricots (chopped)
pinch nutmeg

The first step is entirely optional - but we like to do this because it gives the barley an extra rich flavour... simply tip the barley grains into a frying pan and toast them over a medium heat for a few minutes until golden.
Next, pour the water, apple juice, chopped apricots and nutmeg into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add the barley, stir and cover.
Lower the heat and simmer until the barley is tender (around one hour). Check the mixture from time to time and add a little more apple juice if necessary to prevent the mixture from drying out too early.
When the barley is ready, it should have absorbed the liquid. The final result will be quite textured and chewy - ideal for older babies who are chewing well. For younger babies, add some breastmilk/formula then mash together to create a 'runnier' texture... and for very young babies (6 months+) puree the entire mixture in a blender.

Don't forget... take a photograph of the prepared dish and send it in!

We'll send you a FREE copy of our e-book and you could win this month's prize of a luxurious baby blanket!