Mashed Vegetables Art

May 11, 2011 by

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No, those are not made of clay nor playdough.  We actually had those for dinner. Those are the mashed potatoes and carrots we had with our barbequed chicken.  I know that I have much to improve on when it comes to food decorating but my children are still toddlers who are still so very easily pleased.  (Good for me!)

This is one of the best ways we’re able to make our toddlers eat their food on their own and finish it up to the last bite.  It really makes mealtime fun for them and they look forward to what they’d be eating next.  The shapes don’t even have to be so complicated. My little daughter is easily delighted by a heart-shaped serving of rice.

We also do this with pancakes and sandwiches.  Pancakes don’t necessarily have to be round, we make them in all shapes and sizes. We even have fun figuring out or giving names to pancakes I messed up shaping.

Toddlers can be quite difficult to feed. At their age, all they want to do it seems is to run around and play.  Do try to create funny shapes with their food to make mealtimes enjoyable.  Pretty soon, they might even actually start eating by themselves.

Filed Under: Eat-Outs, Kids At Work Tagged With: , , ,

Good Living from Nestle Club

April 29, 2011 by

I received a copy of Good Living this morning and was pleasantly suprised to see that there was a voucher for a free pack of Bear Brand Probiotic Drink.

Good Living is a magazine exclusively for Nestle Club Members which I have been one of since I got married and realized that I had to feed my toddlers nutritious food unlike the preservatives-laden diet I was accustomed to.

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This issue is particularly special as it celebrates 100 years of Nestle in the Philippines.  In my 30 plus years of life, Nestle has been a constant brand in our pantry.

My sisters and I grew up drinking Milo and Bear Brand (my Dad and I would drink it straight from the can to my Mom’s consternation).  Nescafe was the only coffee that graced our childhood dining table.  And who hasn’t had his share of Maggi in our generation?

My Mom gave us Cerelac to enrich our diet. I did the very same for my toddlers who also happen to be Nestle Nido Jr. drinkers.  Aside from those, Fruit Selection Yogurts, Chuckie, Nesvita, and Fitnesse (for the hubby who needs to watch his weight) are among those that can be found in our pantry nowadays.

Nestle truly has become part of our home. Naturally, I’m delighted to be a Nestle Club Member!  As for this copy of Good Living, I can’t wait to try out the new recipes. My toddlers love sinigang so I’m hoping they’d also love the Sinigang na Sinangag.  The Fish Fillet with Creamy Pesto Sauce looks like something my honey would enjoy eating.

Filed Under: Mom's Corner, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

Cheesy Vegetable Surprise

April 27, 2011 by
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Tonight’s Dinner: Grilled Sirloin Steak, Hearty Mashed Potatoes and Cheesy Veggie Surprise (pardon the overcooked steak!)

I finally got to try the recipe I found while browsing the FullTime Moms Facebook Page.  The recipe created by Chef Ed Quimson was a perfect way to get my toddlers to finish their vegetables without much whining.  Although the tots do love to eat vegetables, they sometimes get tired of the usual menu in our house.  This cheesy vegetable surprise is something I haven’t tried before but I was confident they would eat their meal with gusto because of the cheese.

BROCCOLI, CARROTS and QUICKMELT CHEESE

CARROT SAUCE

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter
200 grams white onions, chopped
dash salt
1 piece laurel leaf
1 kilo carrots, shredded
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk

PROCEDURE

In a sauce pan, heat olive oil and butter.
Sauté onions until translucent then add laurel.
Put in the chicken broth and milk.  Stir over low heat until smooth and bubbly.
Add the carrots, simmer while stirring constantly until cooked.
Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth.
Heat until thickened or reduced.

PROCEDURE:

Blanch broccoli and cauliflower in boiling water.
In a mold, layer broccoli and cauliflower.
Pour in carrot sauce.
Top with quickmelt cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350F.
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broccoli and cauliflower – the nutritious surprise

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carrot sauce seems to be lacking in carrots

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yummy quickmelt cheese!!!

I’m sure Chef Ed’s finished product was utterly delicious ’cause mine didn’t turn out that bad. Considering that I’m a novice in the kitchen, my version of it still turned out quite edible – yummy even, for my 4-year-old niece.  Mine ended up watery, so I guess I should have drained the vegetables well after blanching.  Or maybe this could be because I baked it in an oven toaster as I had no conventional oven.

My toddlers finished their meal so I surmise that it tastes good enough for them, too.  My husband found it too rich and said that it was a meal for kids.  I found the carrot sauce really delicious.  It could even be eaten all on its own – like soup.  This recipe is something I would be working on hoping that I could cook it perfectly someday.  I think that squash could even be substituted for the carrots and other vegetables added too.  But experimenting on the recipe would have to wait until I’m able to make that perfect Broccoli, Carrots and Quickmelt.

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Filed Under: Health, Kids At Work Tagged With: , , ,

Pancake Surprise with Maya ThinkHeart

April 10, 2011 by

My toddlers are moody eaters.  Sometimes, they can devour everything on the table it makes me wonder how all that food can fit in their tiny stomachs.  Other times, they can be so very picky or would barely touch the food I prepared.  As moms like me know,  preparing nutritious food for toddlers needs creativity and a little cunning.

This is not an easy feat especially for me whose only skill in the kitchen prior to getting married and havings kids is frying breakfast fare.   Good thing there are now a lot of products in the market that simplify cooking making it easy for even the most ignorant homemaker to prepare a decent meal for the family.  One of the ready-mix products I patronize are pancake mixes.  I can whip up a batch of pancakes in just minutes with their easy to follow instructions.  If I were to make pancakes from scratch, I would probably spend hours in the kitchen trying to perfect the ratio among  flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and whatever else.

We’ve been using Maya ThinkHeart Whole Wheat Pancake since my husband was diagnosed with fatty liver.  It is made with whole wheat, is rich in fiber, has zero transfat, and is made with muscovado sugar.  Its texture is different from regular pancake mixes but the toddlers love it still.

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To make our pancakes more filling and nutritious, I add fruits, dairy, or vegetables to the mix.  Those that work well with the ThinkHeart mix and that the toddlers love are:

  • grated or cubed cheese (who doesn’t love cheese?!?)
  • grated carrots
  • mashed bananas with cinnamon
  • minced apples with cinnamon
  • strawberry jam

 

When the toddlers are a bit older, I may try to add some nuts or chocolates.  One thing I haven’t tried though is adding pumpkin.  I’ve read that it tastes great but have yet to meet one who has actually made and eaten a pumpkin pancake.  If, by any chance, you have actually tried making pumpkin pancakes, do let me know and give me some tips. 🙂

Filed Under: for DAD & MOM, for the KIDS, Health, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

Quick Lunch at Brothers Burger

March 19, 2011 by

Brothers Burger has been a favorite burger joint of mine from the time it first opened here in the Manila.  I used to try the different burger add-ons until I found an absolute favorite in cilantro.  Until now, my order remains one Brothers Burger with cilantro, onion rings, and milk shake.

Today, I was able to eat my favorite burger with cilantro again after quite a few months.  The toddlers had appointments for their vaccines this afternoon and my husband decided to treat all of us out for lunch before going to the doctor’s clinic.  It was a weekend, so the branch that we visited was not crowded.  There were only 5 other diners when we came and halfway through our meal, we were the only diners left.  So I was able to take a picture of the toddlers sans the crowd.

ate jade, being the “big” sister that she is, protectively holds jakei’s hand

 

Though we prefer eating at this Brothers Burgers branch particularly because there usually isn’t much of a crowd,  we seldom chose to eat here because they only have one high chair available.  When the toddlers were younger, we would have a hard time dining out without high chairs for both of them.  But now that Jade is a bit more independent and can stay seated in a regular chair, this isn’t a problem anymore.  Alas, we were faced with another dilemma.  The table was much too high for Jade to eat properly by herself.  Good thing, Papa was able to find a solution.

 

chair too low or table too high?

ate jade eating by herself;                                            thanks to Papa’s makeshift high chair

 

With the seating problem addressed, on we went to feed our famished tummies.  Hubby had grilled chicken sandwich and garden salad. I, of course, had my Brothers burger with cilantro and onion rings (I’ve gained a few pounds too many so I shunned the milkshake). Ate Lanie had breaded chicken with rice and the toddlers shared fish fingers with rice.  The rice meals came with half a brownie and iced tea so it was already a complete meal.

 

jakei drinking water after a filling lunch of fish fingers and rice

 Are we going back there?  Definitely yes!

 What did we love most about the place?  the BURGERS, of course

 Our Toddler-friendliness Rating:  9

Filed Under: Kids At Work Tagged With: , ,
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