If I allowed them to, my kids could probably eat brown rice for three meals a day. It’s one of those foods the both of them have loved since they first started eating solids and, lucky for me, it’s as nutritious as it is tasty. But as easy as plain old steamed rice is to make, I wanted to try making something a little bit different that’s still simple to prepare.

I’ve used coconut milk before as an ingredient in my kids’ baby food purees like Sweet Potato Coconut Puree, but I never thought of adding it to rice until recently. The milk gives it a subtle coconut flavor and an almost creamy consistency that totally livens up the every day rice that we’re used to.

And if you find that you have some left over from dinner, you can try what I did with mine. Just add some vanilla rice milk and a touch of cinnamon and you’ve got a unique breakfast treat or a special spin on rice pudding for dessert! My guys ate it as both! When a recipe is as easy to make as this one is AND everyone is happy eating it no matter when I serve it, I realize that I better keep it stocked in the fridge at all times!

Coconut Rice (Serves 4)

1 14 oz Can Coconut Milk, unsweetened (low fat or regular)
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Brown Jasmine Rice

1. Place the coconut milk, water and salt in a medium size pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the rice, stir until combine, bring back to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.
3. Cook for 30 minutes, turn heat off and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
4. Serve.

At this time of year the picking for seasonal fruits to feed your baby can be slim. However, when the kids and I went to our local farmer’s market this past weekend, a myriad apples in tons of varieties were abundant: Pink Ladies, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji and more — all sweet, crispy and delicious. Apples are one of those fruits that make the most delicious homemade baby food because when pureed, their texture is smooth and sweet — perfect for brand new eaters.

I came up with this Apple Walnut Puree recipe for Parents Magazine as a part of an article on nuts for kids of any age. In the last few years there has been quite a bit of controversy about giving kids nuts before the age of 1, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed their stance on the issue, suggesting that it is safe for babies to be consuming nuts as a part of their diets.* As long as nuts are in the form of a smooth nut butter or pureed very fine (whole or pieces of nuts still present a choking hazard to children under the age of 4), they are an excellent source of protein and important for babies growing bodies. Walnuts in particular are rich in Omega 3′s.

This puree is so delicious that my kids, even though they are past the puree stage, eagerly devoured it. I don’t know why I was surprised. When you think about how much most kids love apple sauce, it makes total sense why this puree should be an easy sell to any little one from 8 months or older since it’s just like a nutty applesauce. And given that I caught my husband finishing the last batch I made the kids, I’d wager you may even win over some older fans as well.

*If your family has a history of food allergies or if you have any concerns, I highly recommend speaking to your pediatrician before offering nuts to babies or kids.

Apple Walnut Baby Puree (Makes 6 Serving)

2 Apples, cored & peeled (Pink Lady, Fuji or Gala are all good choices)
1/4 Cup Walnuts, shelled & halved
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon

1. Place apples and walnuts in a steamer pot over boiling water.
2. Cook for 7 minutes or until apples are fork tender.
3. Place apples, walnuts, cinnamon and 3 tbsp of the water from the steamer pot in a food processor and puree for 3 minutes or until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

Like a lot of moms, I started feeding my kids brown rice cereal when they were 6 months old. I never even thought about making it homemade. The baby food companies perform some of their most impressive marketing when it comes to this tried and true first food, because while I bought it by the boxful, it never occurred to me just how easy it would be to make it on my own. I don’t know why I never thought of it before because all you need is a blender and brown rice. It truly is THE easiest thing you can make your baby.

Packed with iron, magnesium and other vitamins and minerals, brown rice cereal makes a perfect first food. No more nutritionally stripped white rice cereal or spending way too much money on pretty packaging and advertising. Make it on your own and you’ll have a simple food that your baby will love!

Brown Rice Cereal (4-6 servings)

1/2 Cup Short Grain Brown Rice (I like to use organic brown rice)

1. Place the brown rice in a spice grinder or blender for 45 seconds-1 minute or until finely ground.

* At this point you can store the rice powder in a sealed container in the refrigerator or in a cool dark place.

To make 1 serving for a 4-6 month old baby, bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil and sprinkle in 2 tbsp of the ground brown rice. Whisk continuously for 30 seconds and then occasionally for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and creamy to prevent any lumps from forming. Serve as is or with one of the additions below.

Additions:

Breast Milk
Formula
Molasses
Banana, mashed
Rice or Almond Milk
Apple Sauce
Baby Food Puree

Is your baby getting ready to start solid food? Want to save money and offer your little one homemade brown rice cereal that tastes better and costs a lot less than anything you could buy in a box? Packed with fiber and
tons of nutrients, this homemade brown rice cereal will be a treat for your baby’s developing taste buds!

I love February 14th — what girl doesn’t — so I start experimenting early with new Valentine’s Day recipes. For the occasion, I stocked up at the Farmer’s Market on baskets of fresh, juicy red raspberries. I was mashing some with banana as the base for a Valentine’s dessert idea I had when Chloe looked at the contents of the bowl and started shrieking “I want some!!!” My girl went on to eat every last drop when suddenly, it hit me: what baby wouldn’t love this bright, pink homemade puree that’s packed with potassium and Vitamin C?

Luckily I had pints more of raspberries on hand, so I quickly mixed up a new batch to taste for myself. What can I say, my daughter has good taste. It was delicious. Even though this recipe is perfect for babies given it’s smooth texture and simple composition, there’s no reason adults won’t love it too. Swirled into plain Greek yogurt or even served on top of ice cream, it’s a treat that you can serve your special someone this Valentine’s Day or any day you want to offer a them something naturally sweet.

Raspberry Banana Puree

1 Banana, peeled
1/2 Cup Raspberries, rinsed

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree, or place in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.
2. Serve.

One of the first foods I gave my kids after they went through a rainbow of fruit and veggie purees was hummus. It’s creamy texture and vibrant flavors were an eye opening pleasure for them both, especially after the simplicity of their first foods.

Even now, you can always find hummus in my fridge. It’s easy to make and stays fresh for over a week, so I don’t have to worry about having a healthy protein on hand that I know my kids love (even though it will probably all be eaten up before a week is up). Whether I’m serving it as a dip with veggies, as a spread on a sandwich or even just to eat with a spoon straight out of a bowl (Chloe’s preferred method), hummus is a recipe that’s simple to prepare but packed with flavor!

Hummus (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

1 15 Oz Can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Tahini (can be usually be found right next to the peanut butter at your local grocery)
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil

1. Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and puree.
2. Add the olive oil and continue to puree until creamy.
3. Serve.

If you follow weelicious with any regularity, you know that I have a very intimate relationship with my crock pot — it’s like my best friend. Coming back after the holiday, with school starting back up, endlessly busy schedules to juggle and so on, my crock pot has been my salvation for getting hearty foods that everyone wants to eat made easily. A vendor at our local farmer’s market offers the most beautiful assortment of beans, and since black beans are one of our family favorites and cook beautifully in the crock pot, I buy them from him all of the time. Packed with protein and dietary fiber, black beans make for a filling, inexpensive and nutritious vegetarian meal that everyone can enjoy.

I really loved making this soup with my kids, because, like me, they love using the crock pot. But the real fun for them started when it was time to puree everything. Kenya, being an incredibly curious, almost 4 year-old boy who loves anything with a motor, was totally game to help me out with the hand-blender. As he gripped it and pressed the power button, he was enthralled as he made the beans transform into a creamy, rich soup. But if it was fun for me to witness the blast Kenya had, watching Chloe drink three helpings straight out of her bowl ensured that this soup will be in our regular mealtime rotation!

Crock Pot Black Bean Soup (Serves 6)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Cups Dried Black Beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 32 oz Chicken Broth or Vegetable Stock, low sodium
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Water

Accompaniments: Yogurt, Sour Cream, Crème Fraiche

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes.
2. Add chopped garlic and sauté an additional minute.
3. Place the onion garlic mixture into the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. Using either a hand blender or traditional blender, puree the ingredients to your desired texture (I like to get it so a few pieces of beans are still visible so the soup is thick and still has a bit of texture).
6. Top with a dollop of yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche.
7. Serve.

As the seasons change and the weather gets colder, I have a growing desire to make warm, hearty foods for breakfast. To me, a hot bowl of oatmeal before heading off to school on a chilly morning gives kids a sense of comfort — not mention enough energy to carry them through to lunch. Back when I first had Kenya, I discovered my crock pot, a wedding gift that had sat unopened in our closet through two moves. After years collecting dust, it quickly endeared itself to me and became my best friend in the kitchen. It’s so easy and efficient to use, I think I try to find a way to make everything in it. Oatmeal is one of the things I wanted to make in it for the longest time, but it wasn’t until last week when the weather finally got cooler here (and Kenya took to draping himself with a blanket at the kitchen table), that I felt truly motivated.

Plus, with my husband leaving for work everyday before 6am and the kids and I not eating our breakfast until around 7:30am, I loved the idea of preparing something the night before that, no matter what time each of us fed ourselves in the morning, would seem totally fresh and special. As hard as this all may sound, it was one of the easiest breakfasts I’ve ever made. All I did was toss steel cut oats and the other ingredients into the crock pot, stir it up and 8 hours later we were enjoying a perfect nutritious meal to start our day. The added benefit was that the kitchen smelled so amazing in the morning that even the kids stopped to remark, “what’s for breakfast, Mom?”

I’ve now made this recipe five days in a row, so there must be something about it that everyone loves!

Oatmeal in the Crock Pot (Serves 4-6)

1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
2 Cups Water
2 1/2 Cups Milk
1 Tsp Cinnamon
Desired accompaniments: honey, maple syrup, walnuts and or raisins

1. Place the first 4 ingredients in a crock pot and stir to combine.
2. Cook the oatmeal on low heat for 6-9 hours (the amount of time can vary depending on your crock pot. Some crock pots that don’t have non stick surfaces can get hotter then others).
3. Stir in desired accompaniments and serve.

* I like to let the kids squeeze in their own honey to get them involved and swirl in a bit of extra milk to cool it down for them.

These Strawberr-Wee Popsicles are not only super easy to make, they’re nutritious and perfect for anyone in the family, no matter your age!

When you’ve got one soft, ripe mango, one banana and one hungry baby, that’s a perfect combination! Smooth and creamy, this Mango Banana Puree is an ideal first food for any little one. Your baby will be getting more than her fair share of Vitamins A, C and B6, dietary fiber, Potassium and more. With all these exciting facts, you don’t need to be on the National Mango Board to know this puree will be a real winner!

Mango Banana Puree (Makes 8 Baby Food Servings)

1 Mango, cut into chunks
1 Banana

1. Place the mango and banana chunks in to a food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Serve.

We used this to freeze this recipe:

Baby Cubes