Competition corner

The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Competition

Dee Furr from the United States was the winner of November's Homemade Baby Food Recipes Competition with her wonderful recipe for Jack's Turkey Veggie Meatballs - a great finger food for older babies! Congratulations, Dee - thank you very much for sharing your idea with us.

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

• Stew Akni
• Savory French Toast
• Avo 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 November's winner of a $20 voucher from Amazon!


December'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 November on our Baby of the Month page. You'll also find the entry form and details you need to submit YOUR baby's photograph!

Worried about lead levels in baby's toys?

Then make sure you check out healthytoys.org before buying his gifts this year!

This excellent site provides the test results for more than 1,500 toys and children’s products, telling you about the chemicals they contain and where they are made.

It includes lists of the best and worst toys - and you can also make a request for a particular toy to be tested.

With new toy recalls taking place on a regular basis, this site can really help you shop with confidence this year!

Tip of the Month - Making Your Baby's First Christmas Cupcake!

There is a certain indefinable something that lets you know that Christmas is in the air. The season certainly brings a different aura. Among the holly leaves and the poinsettias and the many other factors that contribute to this special atmosphere of Christmas is the aroma of fresh goodies being baked in kitchens in homes everywhere.

Cupcakes, Cupcakes Everywhere

Different homes have their own special recipes for preparing special Christmas cupcakes in different flavors during the Christmas season. Kids of course love to join in the fun by designing their very own cupcakes. This not only encourages them to give reign to their creative skills but also has the added benefit of allowing them to take interest in the process of preparing food.

While everyone is busy decorating their own cupcake, there is another member in the family that may not be able to design his or her own cupcake but is sure to love having their own serving come eating time – your baby.

Decorating Baby’s Christmas Cupcake

We always want the best and the healthiest for our babies and this includes desserts. Because your baby’s digestive system is still delicate, you need to be extra careful with the ingredients of your cupcake and its decorations.

While swirling icing on top of the cupcake is the easiest way to design it, keep in mind that too much sugar can be bad for your baby. Reduce the sugar content of your icing and put in a little color to attract baby’s attention before you swirl it right on top of the cake.

You may also match your cupcake’s flavor with the toppings. It is best to use flavors that are already familiar to the baby to avoid digestion problems. An applesauce and banana cupcake tastes good and is healthy. To make it more interesting, top it with icing first then applesauce or banana slices.

Avoid adding ingredients that baby has not yet tried before. If you have not yet introduced eggs to your baby, leave them out of the frosting mix. You can find egg-free mixes in local health shops.

Your baby’s first Christmas cupcake experience must be as pleasant as possible. Thus, you need to forgo solid sprinkles or candy toppings that may be too difficult to chew or swallow. Also, avoid adding anything that can give a bitter or sour aftertaste.

During the early stages when your baby starts to eat solid foods, you can shape his tastes in a way that he can develop a liking for fresh and healthy foods. While you may need to make the cupcake a bit sweet so baby can appreciate it, make sure that you’re still giving him the best nutrition by adding healthier toppings like fruits and maybe even vegetables.

Baby’s Christmas Cupcakes for All

To celebrate your baby’s first Christmas with you, it would be great to have your Christmas cupcakes designed with your baby in mind. After baking your cupcakes, top them with baby booties or baby-shaped candies. If you already know what your baby’s favorite food is, make that the flavor of the cakes and have everyone grab a bite and share your baby’s delight.

Christmas is truly a wonderful time to be with the family, and there is no better way to celebrate this special family event other than with a tray filled with warm, moist and yummy cupcakes!

Article courtesy of Lisa from www.cupcake-creations.com - home of some of the best cupcake recipes you will find.

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.

Infants’ Mylicon Gas Relief Dye Free Non-Staining Drops (US)

Country Life Spreadable (UK)

Toy Trains (US)

Quaker Oats (UK)

Children's Hooded Jackets (US)

Bead Maze Toys (US)

Green Mountain Vista Window Blinds (US)

IKEA Roman Blinds (Worldwide)

Vegan Cheese (US)

Boots Soother Savers (UK)

Butternut Squash Sides in Prepared Dinners (UK)

Newborn and Infant Pants (US))

Ricotta Cheese (Canada)

Warning over Irish Pork

Recall of Walgreens Teddy Bears (US)

Featured Product - My First Piano

Well, with Christmas almost upon us, we decided it would be appropriate to talk about a toy we came across this month that we found completely adorable and think would make a lovely gift for baby's first Christmas!

The My First Piano 25-key by Schoenhut is a beautiful, scaled down version of a proper piano! It's not easy to tell from the picture, but it's actually quite small (only around 11" x 16" x 9") - although the keys themselves are full size to teach children just how much they'd need to stretch their fingers to play a 'real' piano.

The manufacturer's recommended age for this piano is 6 months to 2 years - personally, we think 6 months may be a little on the young side... but this is certainly a toy that's going to give a long period of service!

We like the fact that it encourages little ones to be musical, by actually PLAYING somehting rather than just be pressing a button and listening to a tune! And this piano really does have a lovely, pleasing sound. The notes sound like chimes - an effect that's achieved by the little hammers inside striking German steel music rods, instead of the taut wires that are used in full size pianos.

The piano comes with a song book (well, baby may be too young for that, but it doesn't stop YOU from having a go!) - and there is also a colour strip that you can put behind the keys to help your child learn to play chords.

The piano is available in either white, pink or Christmassy red!

Remember - Mozart started composing music at only 5 years of age, so who knows what creative genius you may inspire by presenting this gift to your little one on Christmas Day...?

The My First Piano 25-key by Schoenhut is available from Kazoo Toys (US only).

Featured Website - simplychecklists.com

If you're like us, then those days are long gone - and with four children's schedules to attend to and another one on the way, our lives pretty much revolve around 'to-do' lists right now!

So we were delighted to discover www.simplychecklists.com this week - a great site that provides printer friendly PDF checklists for all sorts of things, making domestic organization a little easier!

SimplyChecklists really does have everything covered, with checklists for babysitter information, groceries, first aid kits, green living, storm preparedness... and lots, lots more!

We'll certainly be using some of these handy lists and we hope you'll find them useful too - as SimplyChecklists points out on its site, "... Traveling down the road without a checklist may get you there, but without the things you need..."!

We can vouch for that!

Recipe of the month - Turkey and Vegetable Fritters

This month's recipe is intended to make good use of some of those leftovers from Christmas dinner - although, of course, it's a great recipe for ANY time of year! Suitable for babies enjoying finger foods, these fritters contain whole egg - so you may wish to wait until your baby is at least one year of age before introducing them (read more here about the allergy risk posed by egg whites).

You will need...

2 oz (1/4 cup) cooked brown rice
2 tbsp flour
1 small egg, beaten lightly
1 fl oz (1/8 cup) milk
4 tbsp chopped, cooked turkey
1/2 small carrot, peeled (if not organic) and grated
1/2 small courgette (zucchini), grated
1 spring onion (also known as green onion or scallion), chopped finely
2 tbsp grated Cheddar cheese
olive oil

Whisk the egg and milk together.
Put the flour into a small bowl and add the egg/milk mixture.
Stir until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients (except the olive oil).
Mix thoroughly.
Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan/skillet, then put in the rice mixture and flatten with a spatula.
Cook for around 6-8 minutes, until the mixture begins to set and the edges turn golden.
Put the pan under a grill/broiler and cook for several minutes more, until pale gold all over and completely set in the middle.
Loosen with a spatula and allow to cool for several minutes.
Remove from pan and cut into circles, wedges, fingers... or whatever shape your baby likes best!