Week 4:

Tuesday.

More new food stuff??  Just when I thought I’d tried almost everything. I’ve eaten a lot of different fruits and vegetables, which Mummy has cooked for me over the last few weeks.  This new stuff is really yellow and quite small like those tiny pea things Mummy likes to put in everything!

Mummy calls the yellow peas “sweetcorn”.  She mixes it with some sweet potato.   “AAAGGHHH..MAAAA…GURGLE, GURGLE”. Mmm, this isn’t bad at all. 

Thursday.

Mummy had just put away all that green stuff she had out a few weeks ago and now there are lots of coloured eggs and funny little things Mummy calls bunnies everywhere. My big brother seems very excited about it and apparently a special visitor called the Easter Bunny is coming in a few days.

Uh-oh, what’s that Mummy has in my bowl?  It looks very orange like that carrot stuff I don’t like.  It tastes a bit different, but there is definitely carrot in there.  I decide to persevere but hopefully I don’t have to eat too much of it…….

I’m sitting in my chair with that bib thing on. It’s supper time…yay! Mummy comes over with a bowl, I lurch forward so I can get my hands on the food. I open my mouth wide as Mummy lifts up a spoon and I gobble down the food. I open my mouth again for the next spoonful.  Mummy says it is vegetables with sweet potato. It’s all gone in a few minutes.  I wonder what’s for dessert???

Week 5: 

Everything seems to be back to normal this week after all that Easter bunny stuff.  It was very strange.  My big brother went into the garden and came back with eggs that the Easter bunny had apparently hidden there!

It’s lunchtime and Mummy is excited.  She says I’m having something totally new today.  It’s from the poultry family and called “chicken”! Although I don’t really know what this chicken this is, Mummy seems happy so I swing my little legs in excitement!  It tastes very different to anything else I’ve eaten so far.  It sticks on my tongue a little.  Mummy add a little of my milk – that’s better.  I quite like it.  There are tiny little balls things in it too.  Mummy says they are couscous.  “Couuu couuu”?  That’s a tricky word.  I’ll have to practice it.

Mummy’s edit 

Following a carrot-free week, I decided to give it a go again….

I mixed it some onion and then served it with a little pot of sweet potato too.  Coco ate it a little tentatively at first, but then actually hoovered it down…as she tends to do with all her food these days.  I think she eats about three times as much as her little brother did at the same age.  We seriously don’t know where she puts it all?!

As for keeping up with her –  I seem to spend all my nights cooking!  She now has her own shelf in the freezer, but every time I open it expecting to find it full of little pots of goodness for it, it’s practically empty again!

I should be delighted Coco has such a healthy appetite and long may it last, but this is hard work!!  I’m looking forward to the day she has a few teeth and can start to eat the same as her little brother.  Although he better be quick or she’ll probably eat all his food too 🙂

On the plus side, Coco is sleeping better now and only waking up for one feed at about 4.45am / 5am, which really isn’t too bad and a big improvement.

She really liked the chicken couscous, but it can become a little dry when blended to a fine purée, so you may like to add a little of your baby’s milk to soften it up.

What mummy made:

Sweetcorn and sweet potato purée – makes 4 portions

200g frozen sweetcorn; 300g sweet potato, peeled and chopped.

Cook the sweet potato in a microwaveable steamer for about 8 minutes, until soft.  Alternatively steam over a saucepan for about 15 minutes.  Add the sweetcorn to boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.  Reserve some of the cooking water to puree to the desired consistency.  Mix the sweet corn and sweet potato together and puree using a hand-held blender, adding some of the reserved cooking water.

Carrot and onion purée – makes 3 portions

1/2 onion, finely sliced and 3 carrots, peeled and chopped.

Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft, but not browning. Steam the carrots in a microwaveable steamer for about 6 minutes or until soft.  Add the onion to the carrots and blend to the desired consistency using a hand-held blender.  Add some of your baby’s normal milk to make a really smooth purée.

Veggie sweet potato purée – makes 5 portions

1 large sweet potato (ca.450g), peeled and chopped; 1 small onion (ca. 60g), finely sliced; 1/2tbsp olive oil; 100g leek, finely sliced; 250ml chicken stock; 150ml water; 1 courgette (ca.170g).

Sauté the onion in the olive oil in a large saucepan for 2-3 minutes until soft.  Add all the other ingredients, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon remove the veggies and place in a suitable bowl to blend.  Reserve the cooking liquid and add as needed to achieve the perfect little purée.

Chicken couscous purée – makes 6 portions

The what:

350g chicken fillet

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

200ml chicken or vegetable stock

100g couscous

1/2 tbps olive oil

The how:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the carrots, celery and onion and cook for 5 minutes.  Then add the stock and chicken and poach the chicken for 10 minutes, ensuring it is cooked through.

Meanwhile add water to a separate saucepan, bring to the boil and cook the couscous for 3 minutes.  Drain the couscous, reserving the cooking water.  Once the chicken is cooked, add the couscous to the chicken and blend using a hand-held blender.  Add some of reserved water or your baby’s normal milk to achieve the desired consistency.

Happy weaning!!