Archive for December, 2009

making baby’s food

Author: Sophia

Dec 16

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So Eli is officially 6 months and starting on solids.  Last week he was on rice cereal and oatmeal, and today we just upgraded to more home cooked foods. Yes, he has been wanting  a taste of what we eat for a while now.

What is it about first borns and foods? Most parents in my circle that have more than one child, for some reason the first child turns out to be picky compared to the rest.  I wonder whether it has something to do with moms and dads being nervous on what to feed them when starting out, or just parents going too much by the book  and not exposing them to more foods from the get go.

So whatever the case… I am on  a mission to feed Eli all the veggies and fruits that we eat daily and more :)

Today i made him potato vegetable soup.  I made enough for all 4 of us, well 3 minus picky Julian.

Ingredients
5 medium size potatoes peeled and cubed
1 whole carrot – diced
1/4  sliced Yellow bell pepper
1/4 sliced Red pepper
1/2 cup  sweet peas
2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 sliced cucumber
Salt to taste – i used season all salt.
Water – enough to come same level with the mixture ( I normally use chicken broth)

I did not use any onions or tomatoes in the recipe as this was his first combination veggies, and i also left out the chicken broth as meat is probably going to be next week.

So i pretty much  washed and mixed all the ingredients above and put them on a medium size pot and bought to a boil on medium high. When the potatoes are  coooked  ( they  will soften enough to break with a spoon). I let stand for a good 15 min then i pureed in my blender.

Well, Eli loved it! He cleaned up his little bowl. He had that for lunch and dinner.  I plan on making my own baby food as much as i can. Of course, if you are on the go or busy you may have to buy the commercial jar foods, but if you can make the baby food yourself, i mean it is the best way to go. You can mix as many vegetables, fruits or meats as much as you would like, plus you control what goes in.

If you are confused on what to make for the baby,  see what the family is already eating now and start by makiing one ingredient at a time or do what i did,  and mix it all up.

Have fun!

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Julian’s Day out in the snow

Author: Sophia

Dec 16

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 Julian- too coldJulian- I can touch it

   All  he wanted was  to build a snowman. He even brought his carrot for the nose, but it was too cold to build the snowman.  It is like 16 degrees outside right now. The snow is currently gone, but there will be plenty more snow days to come.

I am tired and i am ready for bed. 

Goodnight and good morning to y’all.

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Eli and the Flu Shots

Author: Sophia

Dec 16

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Eli @ 6 months after his immunizationsEli @ 6 months after his immunizations

Eli is now 6  months and so could now get the  H1N1 and Flu shots. We did that yesterday on his 6 months well baby Checkup.  He has been running a mild fever ever since, very fussy, can’t sleep and plain irritable.  Those wonderful immunizations! So we went to the Dr’s office well, we came out not so well , at least for the next couple of days. I guess it is all  worth it, given the type of diseases we are trying to prevent… Just mommy, guilty moment there.

As if all those shots and his other group of shots weren’t enough… I put him through another ordeal. I held him down while they drew some blood for food allergy testing. Yeah, i know. It sucks. He cried so much, and the nurse didn’t get his vein on first try, so she had to move around in there till she found a good one…Not nice to watch either, but it is all for the greater good. We are starting solids, so it is good for us to know what he can’t have, given his brother’s history.

The baby’s  large stroller was in his dad’s car, so i had to carry the carseat into the Dr’s office. On our way back to the elevators, i dropped the carseat with the baby in it! It just slipped off my hands, while trying to reach the button on the elevater. Oh Good Lord! I was soo scared, i thought i hurt him. Oh, It is scary to even recall that drop. Thank God it fell base down, and  Graco car seat  saved us here!  There were 2 men in  the elevator and were both assuring me baby was ok, the scare was from the fall and that was why he was crying.  I left the elevator crying too.  So yeah, that was my day.

I had to give Eli Tylenol for the fever from his shots, i gave him a warm bath at 2:30 AM since he could not sleep and he kept on touching his little thighs where the shots were administered, and of course nursing me dry. Then 30 min later after taking his batch,  he finally fell asleep, well and of course Julian comes jumpin in our bed at 6 AM waking his brother up.

The nurse recommended having him lay down and free to kick his legs this would help with the swelling. Tylenol for pain and any fever, and we were warned due to the flu shot we may see a runny nose or cough, but not to be alarmed.  Dr wanted him back in a month for the next set of flu shots…mmmh. Yeah. I am still debating here, but chances are we may go back, we will see.

Oh, our children! You sleep, wake, walk, and constantly worry about them. I pray that they stay healthy and safe.   A letter to my Children

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I miss my mom

Author: Sophia

Dec 12

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I haven’t talked to my mother for 2 weeks now and it feels like ages. I haven’t seen her for 4 years now and i feel terrible. I MISS HER SO MUCH! I miss her so much am on the verge of tears. I want to call her and talk to her right now, but i don’t want to wake up Eli. I am going to wake up early in the morning and call her and talk to her for as much as that calling card will take.  See she still lives in Africa, her and my entire family.

They have a decent life there. Other than health issues, she is doing good. I miss everything about her. I feel bad she hasn’t met her grandkids yet. I know she would love to, but my parents are so busy with work that them taking  a vacation to come here and visit is just not in the cards right now, so i am going to have to take the boys there this coming year to see them…Hopefully.

Have you ever sat down and thought about someone in your life, and you somehow think to yourself, or basically  have  a feeling that , there may be a possibility that  same  very minute they  may be  thinking about you too? That is how i am feeling this moment about my mom. So, If only  i could just see my mom right now, i would run to her, throw my arms around her and give her a big bear hug. I would laugh, jump with so much joy that i would just be in tears. I would look up in the sky and just thank Heavens for keeping her safe for me. I would tell her how much i have missed her, all those years, everyday. I will give her a big kiss and tell her how much i love her with all my heart and soul.

A letter to my mom

I would thank her for being my mom. I would sit and tell her everything about my days, my moments with the kids, and that i am happy, but just miss her and all my siblings and everyone else in the family very much. If only…

It is definitely the Holidays. There is just something about Christmas that makes you want to be around those you love dearest.

Well, i hope you will get to spend this Holiday season with those you love the most.

Happy Holidays!

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Does your child eat veggies?

Author: Sophia

Dec 10

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If you have a toddler or child that  is a ” good eater ” then you are one of the few lucky parents. Julian had his yearly Allergy visit yesterday and we saw a new Allergist as his Dr wasn’t available. We were going through his allergens , when she stopped and asked if we had  ever seen a Nutritionist for Julian. Well, we have never. She recommended we saw a Nutritionist, if i am concerned of Julian’t eating habits to make sure he is getting enough nutrients.

So, i am sitting here at work writing a list of what Julian likes to eat and what he would never touch. So, i have decided to lure Julian into eating more Veggies.

This boy will eat, raw unseasoned Broccoli, Raw baby carrots, Apples sliced like fries, loves Edamane, corn,  chapati,  fried Plantains, fried potatoes, chicken wings, chicken nuggets, roasted pork,  ocassionally will eat ground turkey and ground beef. Will eat anything baked into cup cakes, cake, muffin etc.

Writing all these down really doesn’t seem to be too bad.  I would love to see him eat more frsh fruits and veggies, but this is  not too bad.

So, I am going to work on tricking Julian this weekend. He has never had Cauliflower, since it is white  i am going to cook and mash it and mix it with white rice and see if he can eat it.  Bell peppers- I am going to to slice them into different shapes and offer him raw and see if he will be willing to try them, if not i will puree them in my blender and mix it with pasta sauce and add on to  his pasta.

Peas and green beans- mmmh, i may have to cook them puree them and mix with pasta sauce for his macaroni or i am yet to figure this one out.

sweet potatoes- He will eat them baked as fries or wedges, but i am actually going to cook mash them and  bake bread  and muffins out of them. I can actually seeing this work. It worked with bananas.  Zucchini in bread, yuuum – that i will definitely try.

Kiwi- This is one of the fruits with high nutrients compared to any other fruit. Since i have no luck in getting him to eat it, i am going to try mixing with strawberry , banana, and so yogurt and some soy vanilla icecream in a blender and see if he will drink  this smoothie.

greens and spinach – I know a mom that used to puree this as well, she would add a handful and have the child eat that. See i can see this working if am making the pasta sauce actually…

celery sticks- mmmh I am going to make him watch the wonder pets DVD, lol… and when they finish rescuing that cow off that tree , i am going to give him celery and see if he will eat it. You may think this is crazy, but i will try it.

I mean the list is endless, but after our visit to the Dr  yesterday, it got me thinking of what he  is not eating and what fun or tricky ways , i can get him to try them.

Hey, if you have ideas be free to post as i could sure use them.

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First Snow of the year in KC

Author: Sophia

Dec 10

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So we had our first snow on Tuesday and yesterday it was cold! I drove home and my windshield read 7 degrees F.  So yes it does get that cold even colder.  I grew up around Mt Kilimanjaro area, during the night and early mornings it would get cold, but not even remotely close to the American cold winters!

You wear layers of clothes to keep warm, must have a coat, hat, gloves, socks, pants and decent shoes/boots to keep your body warm.  Of course this time of year the gas and electric companies make their money! We bought an additional space heater so we can have that in the room that feels cooler.

I have been making soups for us, and hot teas and chocolate too, i mean just anything to combat the cold.

I love the snow, it is pretty  to look at , and  even love it more because of the children- the look on Julian’s face when he woke up and saw snow outside –  priceless! I don’t really  care  much about driving in this weather or worse having to watch other drivers drive like they  could care less about others around them, but it is winter and we will get to take in all the good and the bad, and wait for this to pass too!

On our list next is to build a snowman , when we get the next snow fall…now that would be fun!

We took beautiful pictures of  Julian out in the snow, but i can’t find the camera. I try to blame it on my husband, but he kinda reminded me, i had it last, lol. I am hoping i didn’t drop it in the snow.

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Busy, cold Monday

Author: Sophia

Dec 8

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Winter is here and we will be seeing snow very soon.  I am sitting here tired, pooped. If i was a smart mother , i would probably have been in bed say about an hour nad a half ago, but am sitting here catching up on my blog.

Today it was a busy day at work, that made time go a little fast i guess.  I am still taking Cardio at work too, so am starting to tone up a bit. The numbers on the scale have been fluctuating, given thanksgiving was not too long ago, plus i love to cook, lol

Julian and Eli are doing great. Julian is trying to read and Eli is trying to roll over the place and trying to pull himself forward in a craling position, though we are not there yet. He is exactly 6 months today!  He has been sleeping since i got home, so this is pretty new. Normally he would have already woken up a couple of times already.

I am fighting to keep my eyes open, so i am going to join the rest of the family and just call it a night.

Hope you are having a good week…Well there  cries Eli.

Goodnight

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Honey Coconut Cinnamon Raisin Bread- Milk free, Egg- free and Nut- free!

Author: Sophia

Dec 8

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I know the Title is long, but that was my bread # 2. My bread # 1 was a simple Cinnamon Raisin bread that i baked on Saturday. I tweaked that original Recipe by adding Honey and Coconut to my second bread  and oh my , it was De-li-ci-ous!

This  Recipe came with my Breadman.  So here’s  what i did:

Honey Coconut Cinammon Raisin Bread

I baked a 2 lb size loaf, Medium crust

1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp  of water

2 Tbsp of canola oil

2 Tbsp Brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 Cup of Honey ( I have a sweet tooth, so i added this)

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Soy milk

1Tbsp Cinnamon

4 Cups of All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup of Grated Coconut

2 1/4 tsp Active dry Yeast

2/3 Cup Raisins

The Rest my Breadman did for me. It kneaded the dough, the dough rose 3 times and 3 1/2hrs later the bread was ready. I immediately put it into a large Ziploc  bag to capture the moisture, so it didn’t dry out.

And i must admit, I have a happy husband and 3 1/2 year old son who can’t get enough of this bread. When you slice it and add some smart Balance light butter, mmmh mmmh You will definitely forget that this is completely, dairy free, egg free and nut free! Absolutely Home Made!

Enjoy!

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Buying bread for the allergic child

Author: Sophia

Dec 4

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Buying bread for anyone with milk, soy, egg, gluten allergies  can be a pain in the neck! You can spend time in the stores going through the ingredients on the back of the bread, hoping that they are safe before you buy, and  yes not fun!  Oh, and don’t always assume because last week that particular bread that you finally scored to be  safe, that it would be safe again this week, uh-ah- Always doublecheck the  ingredients as they do change!

Before i had my children, grocery shopping was  a breeze- i would get in a store and  grab  the bread or what i needed and get out. I never thought of  what ingredients were on what, let alone what the allergy warnings meant. I have to admit, i never really paid any attention of what was in anything.  Heck, i thought people from Africa never had food allergies! I mean, we ate everything.  While in Africa, i  never  met ANYONE that couldn’t eat a certain dish because they would have an allergic reaction to something in it. I knew people who were on  very strict diets due to other health issue like  high blood pressure or so, but food allergies? Nope.

My mother is still convinced my children are only allergic to the foods because they are abroad, and that if i take them to Kilimanjaro she can feed them all the things they can’t have and they would be ok. :)   I won’t let her do that though.

So on the bread issue, … Sara Lee  used to make breads that were milk free last year or beginning of this year… Yeah. She no longer does. There is a big bold warning now  on the breads saying contains Milk.  We switched back to  Oroweat they make  a really good potato bread and whole wheat bread that is milk free. You know not many bread makers make milk-free bread. Those that do make allergen free, some are not too tasty, so  i have decided enough of  searching for the perfect bread!  

I bought a bread maker today- The Breadman from Target.

I am going to start making my own bread in my own home.  A co-worker of mine has been making some really tasty homemade bread, and since i am  already good around the kitchen i may as well do this myself.  This is the perfect way to go , as i can definitely control pretty much what goes in that bread , and the greatest thing of all is  i will not have to worry about allergens.

So, if you are a mom out there dealing with food allergies in your home, try to learn how to cook, bake and pretty much make your own foods, it is less headache to deal with.

I will share any recipes that i try and  will definitely post a picture of  my first  loaf.

I have a feeling,  my breadmaker will definitely be worth every penny i spent on it!

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The Tiger Woods scandal- The price of fame!

Author: Sophia

Dec 3

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Tiger you know there was no way people would have left you alone.  You are an icon and in the world of golf you are the superstar, and so when drama happens in your life, everyone will not only hear about it, but mostly would have something to say about it.

So Tiger cheated on his wife,  so should we really care?  I mean… Whatever happens in his marriage should be  his business, and is between him and his wife, right?  Oh yeah…i forgot, it would if he was only  Tom, Dick , or Harry.

I am not saying cheating is ok, but for heavensake,  leave the man alone  and let him work on fixing his marriage, whatever that is left of it!

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