• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped (about 400g prepared weight)
• 1tbsp baby rice
• Place the butternut squash into the Philips AVENT Combined Steamer and Blender jug. Pour 150ml cold water into the boiler unit and steam for 15 minutes until tender
• Turn the jug to the blending position and blitz 2-3 times until smooth
• Place the baby rice into a bowl. Add 3tbsp boiling water and stir until smooth. Add 4tbsp butternut squash puree, stir well and allow to cool before serving
Cook’s tip
Refrigerate or freeze your remaining portions of butternut squash puree for later use. These will store in the fridge for the next day or in the freezer for 1 month.
• 1 small sweet potato (about 175g) peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 small potato (about 175g) peeled and roughly chopped
• Place the spring onion, sweet potato, potato and chicken breast into the Philips AVENT Combined Steamer and Blender jug. Pour 150ml water into the boiler unit and steam for 15 minutes
• Add the frozen peas to the jug. Add another 50ml water to the boiler unit and steam for a further 5 minutes
• Turn the jug to the blending position and blend 2-3 times until coarsely pureed
• Transfer to a bowl (add a little unsalted chicken stock to get the correct consistency if necessary) and allow to cool before serving
Cook’s tip
Refrigerate or freeze your remaining portions of chicken mixture for later use. These will store in the fridge for the next day or in the freezer for 1 month. Defrost thoroughly and then reheat well and allow to cool before serving.
• 2 sweet dessert apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1-2 tbsp unsweetened apple juice
• Place both fruits into the Philips AVENT Combined Steamer and Blender jug with ground cinnamon. Pour 50ml water into the boiler unit and steam for 5 minutes until tender
• Turn the jug to the blending position and blitz 1-2 times until smooth
• Transfer to a bowl and stir in the apple juice to loosen the consistency if necessary. Allow to cool before serving
Cook’s tip
Refrigerate or freeze your remaining portions of puree for later use. These will store in the fridge for the next day or in the freezer for 1 month.
See even more healthy baby and toddlers recipes here.
Saturday afternoon. Red sunset which I see from the window of the plane. My little girl has spent 4 weeks abroad, away from me. FOUR weeks! That was the first time she’s been away from me for more than a day. The first few days were just terrible – so quiet at home, so empty. Funny how such a small person fills out such a great space… It’s true!
We flew back to London on a Saturday afternoon. I couldn’t stop giving her cuddles and kissing her happy little face. Wea are back home and now I amd looking at her reaction – there are plenty of new toys waiting for her on the floor. What she gets her attention though is the big box in the lobby. “What’s that, mummy?”, she asked. “This is your new pushchair, sunshine, a very special gift from a lovely lady”. Her eyes are wide open; she gets even more excited! “Let’s open it, mummy!”
The buggy in the box is the new Stokke Xplory in a trendy green colour. It’s easy to assemble, so she jumps into it and we are ready to explore the word. Or at least the nearest park from a very special point of view – that of the trendy Stokke Explory with its reversible seat! What does it mean? She now “face the world”, but having the adjustable seat options means a little baby can face you rather than away from you. This encourages eye contact and feelings of safety, security and unity: it’s the most comfortable position for a baby.
The unique height-adjustability of the Stokke Xplory promotes interactivity and encourages the so important eye contact between mother and child. Even better, the stroller’s seat position can be altered with a few simple clicks – good for her, simple and just great for me!
My little girl looks so excited; she can’t get enough of her new stroller! And she also seems to be very comfortable, which is unusual for her to stay still for a long time! There are a few sitting positions to ease things: 3 positions facing parents: sleep, rest and active, and then 2 facing forward: rest and active. How great is that?! The last buggy she had didn’t allow her to sleep comfy – something she would love on a warm sunny afternoon. So the new Stokke Xplory would be our new friend for long summer walks in the park. Although even getting fresh and cooler now, she still doesn’t want to jump off her new stroller and I can see why: it’s trendy design and at the same time it’s seating shape is like a cuddle from a loving mother to her.
There is another feature which brings extra comfort for my little sunshine: the adjustable seat depth and as well as footrest! This stroller is fitted with a removable seat insert to accommodate the smallest kids. The reduced depth that the insert creates makes for a seating position designed for the shortest of legs, and offers a flatter back position for when your baby is resting or sleeping. My daughter is still quite skinny, so that’s just perfect for her!
Then, as she gains in height and (hopefully) weight, I can remove the insert so that the depth of the seat corresponds to the length of her legs. This way, one size really does fit all, which makes Stokke Xplory a good money-saving choice, too!
I would take it with us next summer when we go abroad (and the pavements are not always sleek). The two-wheel function makes it easy to stroll on rough and uneven surfaces (on the beach, on pebbles etc.) Also the swiveling wheels helps it to manoeuvre in tight spaces.
Personally what I love most is…guess what! That’s right – the shopping bag! It’s got expandable mesh pocket inside plus it brings the weight of my always endless shopping down to ground level which makes the stroller even more stable.
I absolutely love it! My only issue with it is where do I keep the enormous packaging box. My little girl has an idea: why not use it as a “princess house”, start painting and decorating it, so she then plays inside all day? – Love the idea. And afterwards I can recycle it safely – easy to do, good for the Earth!
A toddler’s mealtime is a daily challenge for most parents with over 65 per cent claiming ‘they find it difficult to get their little ones to eat properly’, a recent study has revealed.
Almost 40 per cent of toddlers ‘want to eat whatever is on mummy’s plate rather than theirs’ and another 50 per cent ‘suddenly decide to stop eating something they have previously liked’ leaving their parents completely puzzled. This is probably why eight out of ten mums get creative and slightly fib to their kids to get them to eat the right foods, the study showed.
Almost 83 per cent of mums admitted to telling their youngsters an average of two little fibs a day to encourage them to eat things they aren’t keen on such as fruit and vegetables or to put them off sweets and fizzy drinks. And the most common fib is that eating vegetables will make them grow big and strong like their favourite TV heroes, with 65 per cent admitting to using this line on their child. Another 49 per cent tell their children that carrots will allow them see in the dark and almost a quarter have pretended that crusts from bread will give them curly hair.
Other popular small fibs include ‘Spinach will help you grow strong like Popeye’ and claiming that the ice cream van only plays music when it has run out of lollies. But while four out of ten mums admit they feel guilty for lying to their children, 60 per cent say they sometimes reach a point where they simply don’t know what else to do.
Deneice Harwin from Philips AVENT*, which commissioned the study to mark the launch of its ToddlerFeeding Range, said: ‘’Encouraging toddlers to eat new foods can be a nightmare for parents and make meal times the most stressful part of the day. But it’s important that they get the right nutrients and this means eating fruit and veg, which tend to be the worst foods in children’s eyes. ’So it’s no wonder parents are telling little fibs to their children in an attempt to get them to eat certain things.”
The study of 3,000 mums revealed that almost two thirds of parents struggle to get their toddlers to eat a healthy, balanced diet. And 69 per cent consider their child to be a fussy eater. But 89 per cent worry about whether their children are getting all the right nutrients they need, with 13 per cent so concerned that they have even taken their child to see a doctor or nutritionist.
The study also showed that 80 per cent of people have given in when their child refused to eat something, just to avoid the hassle. Dr. Gillian Harris, Child Psychologist, said: “Parents looking for an easier time at the table should remember that the best way to get a child to enjoy eating is to interact with them and get them interested in food – if a child is interested in what’s going on their plate and what they put in their mouth, parents are less likely to need to battle to get them to eat something. The characters and games on the new Philips AVENT range help make this an easy job for parents by giving them something to talk about at meal times.”
The survey has been commissioned by Philips AVENT to celebrate the launch of the new Toddler Mealtime Range. For further information and tips on weaning and toddler feeding please visit www.mybabytalk.co.uk.
Clingy toddler at home, no sleep, too much to do… if you are a busy mum like me who sometimes is feeling stressed out can get an instant natural pick me up from a new product that fits conveniently into a handbag or pocket.
The MamaBabybliss Bliss Stick Uplifting Oil is simply dabbed onto pressure points whenever a woman needs a lift. The all-natural ingredients include:
Lime Oil: lifts depression and energizes a tired mind, while easing breathing and assisting digestion.
Bergamot: for depression, feeling fed-up, respiratory problems, colds and flu, PMS and SAD.
Geranium: helps relieve stress, mild depression, PMS, anxiety and tension, menopausal problems and for general energizing.
“All mums need a little lift every now and then, whether they’re an exhausted new mum getting by with very little sleep while coming to terms with her new, often overwhelming role as mother, or an experienced mum of three rushing between work and after school activities,” explains Justina Perry, founder of MamaBabyBliss. “We’ve created the Uplifting Bliss Stick to help mums take a short breather, giving her the energy she needs before carrying on with her busy day.”
The Bliss Stick Uplifting Oil is available from www.mamababybliss.com and costs £5. The product is part of the MamaBabyBliss range of natural pampering products for pregnancy, babies and mothers, all of which are made with natural active ingredients that are ethically sourced and are entirely free of chemicals found in similar products.
The company also has new website featuring a range of videos including relaxation techniques, massage and yoga. See them at www.mamababybliss.com
Weaning from the bottle is one of the significant developmental milestones that your baby or toddler will go through. It is important for the child, because it shows the first signs if independence. Imagine his joy that he is now drinking like mommy and daddy, and soon will be able to do many more things for himself.
Generally, a baby will be ready to make the transition from the bottle to cup sometime between the ages of 9 months and 18 months. There are two main things that should happen for your baby or toddler to be weaned from the bottle. The first is that your baby’s sucking needs has to slow down or stop. The second is that he has to be able to control his hands and mouth well enough to drink from the cup.
To help the transition from the bottle to a cup, there are some things that you can do early on. During those first few months of your baby’s life, you should only use the bottle when it is time for your baby to eat. Don’t give your baby a bottle in bed. If you give your baby a bottle in bed, she will begin to associate the bottle with comfort and security, not just with food. This is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to make the process of weaning your toddler from the bottle a successful and easy transition.
What other techniques you’ve tried and they work when it comes to making the transition from bottle to cup? When it’s a good time to start? Please share your tips or personal experience with your kids below for your chance to WIN a lovely Twist N’Pop Straw Cup from BornFree®.
Generally, a baby will be ready to make the transition from the bottle to cup sometime between the ages of 9 months and 18 months. There are two main things that should happen for your baby or toddler to be weaned from the bottle. The first is that your baby’s sucking needs has to slow down or stop. The second is that he has to be able to control his hands and mouth well enough to drink from the cup.
