Mixed Vegetable Stir Fy

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of organic cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup of organic cauliflower, separated into small, individual clusters
• 1 small kno of organic carrot, finely sliced
• 1 clove of organic garlic, chopped
• 1 organic shallots, chopped
• 1 tsp of organic extra virgin olive oil/ coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp of shallot oil
• 1 tsp of Bragg Liquid Amino

Heat up a small pan. Add in the extra virgin olive oil/coconut oil, shallots and garlic. Fry for 10 5-10 seconds or until the shallot are translucent.

Add in the rest of the vegetables. Fry for 2-3 minutes before adding in 1/4 cup of water, and the Bragg Liquid Amino.

Mix well before covering the pan and let the vegetables continue cooking.

After 1-2 minutes, uncover the pan. Add in the shallot oil and stir thoroughly before turning off the heat.

I serve the vegetables with a bowl of steaming rice.

How does Z like my vegetable stir-fry?

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Here's him picking off the vegies while mommy was trying to take a picture of the dish!

Tips:

I find that Z does not have the patience when it comes to chewing big pieces of vegies, especially stringy ones. So, try cutting them up into smaller pieces to make it easier for the little ones to take their vegies.

Shallot Oil

Here's my secret to flavoring Z's meals- shallot oil! They are amazingly fragrant and add a new depth of flavor to the food.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of organic shallots, roughly chopped
• 1 cup of organic canola/ extra virgin olive oil

Heat up the oil in a frying pan or a small to medium size pot. Test the temperature of the oil by dropping in a slice of shallot. If the oil bubbles around the shallot, that means the temperature of the oil is just right.

Add in all the shallots. Adjust the heat to medium. Ensure that the shallots are spread out evenly. When the shallots have turned light brown, turn off the heat* and let the shallots continue cooking in the oil.

When cooled, transfer the shallots and the oil to a jar for future use. I use both the oil and the shallots when flavoring a dish.

* At this stage of cooking, you would need to watch the shallots very carefully, as the shallots could easily get burnt if the heat is not turned off soon enough.

Tips: If you are not able to find shallots in regular supermarket, try the Asian markets.

Who Would Have Thought?!?!

My recipes are now on The Star's parenting portal: www.parenthots.com.my! It's very exciting for me... as you can clearly tell. :)

You can check it out here: http://www.parenthots.com/resources/recipes/first_foods.aspx

5-piece Puzzle

Z never fails to amaze me with his milestones.

Just a few days ago, I was telling my friend that Z hasn't mastered doing a whole puzzle by himself. He could do a piece of two of the whole puzzle and only when I made it obvious for him... or so I thought.

Yesterday, we were just hanging around and just so happened, one of his complete puzzles (the other one has pieces missing and hidden around the condo) was next to us. So, I thought, ok.. puzzle time.

I was going to take out one or two pieces of the puzzle out to let Z practice his puzzle skills. But Z started taking all of five of them out and was slowly putting the pieces back in place. I was blown away! My baby can do a whole puzzle on his own. It may only be a five-piece puzzle.. it's a whole puzzle nonetheless! If you could just feel my proudness radiating right now... :)

Aging well starts in womb, as mom's choices affect whole life

By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

Keishawn Williams is already talking to her baby, although her child isn't due until November.

"What are you doing?" asks Williams, 22. "Are you awake? Are you asleep? Why are you sitting on my bladder?"

Although Williams may not realize it, her body and baby are also conducting a separate, even more important conversation that may influence her child's health for the rest of its life. Although neither mother nor child is aware of this crucial dialogue, Williams' body already is telling her baby about what to expect from the world outside, says Mark Hanson, a professor at the University of Southampton in England.

And thanks to those biological signals, the choices that Williams makes today — by getting good prenatal care, eating nutrient-packed vegetables and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and caffeine — may help her baby long after birth, Hanson says. Research into the "developmental origins of adult disease" suggests that Williams' healthy living may help her child avoid problems such as cancer, heart disease, depression and diabetes not just in childhood, but 50 years from now.

Read the whole of this article from here.

Source: USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-06-30-prenatalcover_N.htm

Simple Baby Bak Choy Soup

Serves 1-2

1 stalk of organic baby bak choy, washed
1/2 cup of cubed organic firm tofu
1 clove of organic garlic, slivered
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 organic egg, beaten
1 small pinch of wakame
1 tsp of extra virgin coconut oil/olive oil
2-3 cups of hot water


Separate the stalk and the leaves of the baby bak choy by cutting them. Separately, cut them up into medium size cubes. Meanwhile, heat up a small pot and add 1 tsp of extra virgin coconut oil/olive oil. Add in the shallots and the garlic and stir for 10-15 seconds. Add in the stalk of the bak choy and cook for another 1-2 minutes. After that, add in the water, leaves of the bak choy, tofu and the wakame and let simmer, covered under low heat for 3-5 minutes. Lastly add in the egg and cook for another 30 seconds or until the egg is fully cooked.

Serve the soup with a bowl of steaming rice for a complete meal. Alternatively, short pasta* could be added into the soup to make it a one pot meal.


*Note: If short pasta is used for this dish, add them in with the water and cook until al-dente before adding in the rest of the ingredients; i.e. leaves of the baby bak choy, tofu, wakame and egg

Infant Formula: How to Choose it & Use it

This is a great guideline for the use of infant formula from the enviroblog.  

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Breast milk is best, but most families use formula to supplement or replace it when needed. If you use formula, use this guide to choose and use the ones that are safest for baby.

Infants need breast milk or formula.

Information about contaminants in formula and water can be scary, but remember that infants less than 1 year old should not be fed straight cow milk, and other drinks might not meet their complex nutritional needs. Breast milk and formula are the best foods for infants.

Choose powdered.

A toxic chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) can leach from the lining of metal cans and lids. Liquid formulas have higher levels, so powdered is a better bet. If your pediatrician recommends liquid formula, choose the types sold in plastic containers and avoid ready-to-eat.

Use soy formula only if medically necessary.

The American Association of Pediatricians recommends that soy formula use be limited to infants who need it for medical reasons.

There are longstanding concerns that natural plant estrogens in soy formula may affect the developing baby's body. There is not enough research to make a solid conclusion, but in the meantime we recommend you limit soy formula use when possible.

Use filtered water. 

Both bottled and tap water can contain contaminants that are toxic for babies whose sole or main source of food is formula. Examples are fluoride, lead and perchlorate. If you have fluoride, lead or perchlorate in your water, use a reverse osmosis filter. The American Dental Association recommends making formula without fluoridated water.

Avoid bottled water - including 'infant' water - because contaminants are not known. For the safest tap water, contact your local drinking water supplier to identify contaminants, then choose the most effective filter for them.

Choose glass or BPA-free plastic bottles. 

Plastic bottles can leach a toxic chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) into formula. Most companies sell non-BPA plastic. Look for details on packaging or from the manufacturer.

Always avoid

• Unfiltered water when reconstituting formula.
• Ready-to-eat liquid formulas in metal cans.
• Old or used plastic baby bottles; they are more likely to contain and leach BPA.

By Lisa Frackk, 20 April 2009; 

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=95088135991&h=fBN8s&u=Q1exw&ref=nf

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