Feeding The Good Baby

I was flipping through an issue of Parents magazine a while back - standard reading for all new parents - and I saw an article about feeding your baby. The article included an excerpt to a new book, Feeding Baby Green, by Dr. Greene.

While I haven't bought the book, I did put the article on our fridge. The new suggestion from Dr. Greene is to try and feed your baby from each of the 21 plant groups before their first birthday so you won't have a picky eater.

The Good Husband couldn't support this more since he is so picky and hates it. So we are hoping to expose TGB to all the plant groups.

A commenter pointed out that your baby doesn't need to eat every food listed in the group, just one food from each group. That is an important calcification.

Mushrooms
shitake - 5/2
crimini - 5/2
oyster - 5/2
portabella - 5/2

Bromeliads
pineapple

Woody trees
banana - 12/25

Cruciferous vegetables
broccoli - 1/14
cauliflower - 1/23

Myrtles
guava
clove
allspice

Umbrellifers
carrot -1/5
celery - 6/24
cilantro - 4/6
dill

Heath plants
blueberry - 1/23
cranberry

Legumes
black beans -2/11
peas -1/2
lentils

Gourds
cucumber
pumpkin
squash - 1/28
watermelon - 6/20

Composites
artichoke
lettuces - 5/20
sunflower seeds

Sesame
sesame seeds

Lilies
asparagus - 5/20
chive
garlic - 4/6
onion - 4/11

Rosy plants
apple - 1/10
apricot - 2/3
blackberry -1/17
cherry
peach -1/15
pear - 1/6
plum - 1/1
raspberry - 2/15
strawberry - 3/12

Grapes

Citrus
orange - 5/2
lime
lemon

Nightshades
eggplant
peppers
white potatoes - 3/4

Laurels
avocado - 2/23
cinnamon - 1/31
bay

Amaranths
spinach - 2/1
swiss chard
beet

Loosestrifes
pomegranate

True grasses
barley
oats - 4/11
brown rice - 4/23

Bindwinds
sweet potato - 1/10

Vanilla Cream of Wheat

There is nothing better than a nice warm bowl of cream of wheat on a cold winter morning. It's what us Yankees eat instead of grits. It is delicious and I can also feed it to The Good Baby, making my mornings easier.


Ingredients (for two servings):
2 cups of milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup cream of wheat
1 tablespoon butter
Cinnamon or nutmeg to taste

Directions:
~In a medium saucepan, combine milk, vanilla, salt and sugar. Bring to a low boil and slowly add cream of wheat.

~Reduce heat to simmer and stir until thickened. Add butter and stir to combine. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or nutmeg and serve warm.

Nursery Decor, Part 2

Another cheap and easy way to decorate any room in the house is to make a hand-painted sign. However, if you lack wood or any skill needed to cut, sand, paint and hang a wooden sign, you make the next best thing:



I had originally wanted vinyl wall letters for The Good Baby's room but since we have textured walls that wasn't happening. So I decided on the sign instead.

I bought the frame, matting and a few pieces of card stock. I wanted to print the phrase onto the paper and then paint over it, but the paper was too thick for my printer. Instead I had to trace the words onto the paper in pencil and then paint over it.

The letters are a little shaky in some parts, but that just makes it all the more unique. I tell myself that is a sign of a good, handmade craft.

Nursery Decor

For the first 20 weeks or so of my pregnancy, I swore I was having a boy. And then we had the big ultrasound and there was no mistaking The Good Baby was going to be The Good Daughter.

Now this presented a dilemma for me. Number one - I hate pink. I really don't like pink-ifying babies and little girls. Yes, I am a crazy feminist like that. Number two - this was going to be the first of (hopefully) five children so I wanted something that would be gender neutral enough for any following babies. Number three - my favorite colors are blue and green, so it was a challenge to find something in those colors that wasn't too masculine.

About the 30th week I started to register for baby bedding. I found one I loved that was modern, blue and green polka dots. And then it was discontinued the day after I notified everyone about my registry. So I registered for another bedding, but again that one was discontinued too.

After a tearful phone call to my mom and several stressful hours trying to decide on new bedding, I was finally able to pick one that seemed not too masculine and could be used for later babies.



I like polka dots and I like mint chocolate chip ice cream, which is ironic since ice cream was one of the things I craved during pregnancy. I think my lust for a gallon of the sweet stuff poisoned my brain and in a sugary fog, I picked this bedding as a subliminal nod to my dairy lover.

So, I had to have the entire bedding set. The thing is, is it didn't come with cute wall hangings like other bedding sets did. So I got a little crafty and made these letters.

Now I know they way they are displayed present a safety issue, but rest assured, TGB has never slept in her crib and soon I hope to get some floating shelves to sit the letters on. I would hang them individually with some ribbon, but how would I hang the Y? Besides, since our house is less than a year old, I do not want to put five holes in my virgin walls. Two holes will be my limit.

I was able to paint these letters in one weekend, taking my time to sand them before I painted them. The project cost less than $30 and I was able to give TGB something made with love.

Holiday Gift Basket

Each year I try to make something homemade for family. Last year it was buckeyes, noodles and pasta sauce and Italian bread.

This year I decided to do a soup mix, a bread mix, two seasonings and candy.

The basket featured:

Spiral Soup Mix

Beer Bread Mix

The Good Wife Italian Dressing

The Good Wife Chilli Seasoning

Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Bark

Besides the buckeyes I made last year, this is only the second time I have made candy. It was so super easy that I might play around with the combination and make several different kinds.

I used button mints from the bulk candy aisle at the grocery store. I wasn't able to smash all of them into nice small pieces, so I might buy a pack of candy canes for the next time. I also stirred the powdered mints into the white chocolate before I sprinkled the larger pieces on top, hoping for a red studded white chocolate. I think it turned out well.

I would recommend letting the bark come to room temperature before breaking, so you don't end up with jagged edges like I got.

Ingredients:
1 pound chocolate (I used semisweet but I think I will use a combo of SS and dark next time)
1 pound white chocolate
30-40 button mints or 1 package of candy canes, crushed

Directions:
~Melt the chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Pour in an even layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet, using a spatula to smooth out the chocolate. Place in fridge to harden, approximately 2 hours. You can also place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

~Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Add some of the crushed mints to the white chocolate and stir to combine. Spread on top of the chocolate layer. Working quickly before the white chocolate sets, sprinkle the crushed mints on top and gently press into the chocolate. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

~Allow the bark to come to room temperature and break into pieces.

recipe by: The Good Wife

The Good Wife Chilli Seasoning Mix

This is my basic chilli seasoning mix recipe. It is rather mild with a strong garlic flavor. You can always add crushed red pepper flakes it to or cayenne pepper if you like more heat.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3 teaspoons chili powder

The Good Wife Italian Dressing Mix

I use this recipe in place of packet Italian dressing mix you can buy at the store. This is the equivalent to one packet. You can use it to make Italian Beef or use it as a dressing.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried celery flakes

Sprial Soup Mix

Ingredients:
2 TB dried basil
1 tsp celery flakes
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup dried onions
4 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
1 box tri-color spirals

Directions:
~Sort the pasta by color. Layer the ingredients in the jar, starting with the spices.

To make the soup:
1 jar soup mix
2 cups crushed or diced tomatoes
8 cups of water

~Bring water and tomatoes to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the soup mix and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.