Wednesday 18 April 2012

Up and running

One of the brilliant things about blogging is that, in addition to expressing my baby-related angst and giving myself an excuse to eat cake, I am effectively creating a journal. The future 'me' can look back and remember the daft things I did and the worries I had and think fondly of those early times with my tiny baby. (This is the time before he became an enormous boy who didn't want to go to coffee shops and look at pretty dresses with mummy, but wanted to dig in the garden or play football or eat worms).

All I can think about at the moment is weaning. There must be hundreds of posts about the joys of baby's first mouthfuls, but it has become a bit of an obsession and so I wanted to make a note of things just in case I forgot any of the details. (Yes, I think that counts as an obsession.)

When I finally put some real food in my baby's mouth, it was a bit of baby rice. However, it was the transition from baby portions to three full blown meals a day that was worrying me. My research suggested that the baby needed to be on breakfast, lunch and dinner by the time he reached seven months. That sounded pretty daunting! I needed to get going.

We started with some pear, which we mashed with a new mashing gadget. This was ok, went down well, mixed with a little baby rice and milk. Then we mashed some carrot, served in the same way. This was great, but the mashing left the dindins a bit coarse and wasn't going down so well. So, we bought a blender - just a cheap one - to give food a slightly finer texture. I prepared some apple - peeling, chopping and steaming it. I sterilised all my equipment and checked the mechanisms, I was ready to go. I whizzed up the apple, feeling very virtuous, and was just decanting it into little pots when I noticed something a bit strange. There was a little bit of something bluey coloured in the apple. When I looked closer, I realised it was a bit of plastic. I hadn't taken the plastic cover off the blades on the whizzer. Doh! I had apple and plastic purée. I don't think the health visitor would approve.

I was starting to run out of inspiration and decided to look at Gina (Ford) for some meal ideas. Now, I know she isn't everyone's cup of tea, but she is reassuring. She suggested a meal plan to work towards. It included toast and yoghurt and jacket potato. Now, I can do that! So, with a spring in my step and some new ideas, I went shopping.

I went to our local Tesco and was collecting some supplies when, quite randomly, the tannoy announced that the Osmonds were about to arrive in store. No, really, the actual Osmonds. They were in town for a date on their latest tour. But, I was on a baby food mission, I didn't have time for international superstars.

Since my brush with Gina Ford and the Osmonds (it's not everyday you put those two in the same sentence) I have stepped up a gear. The baby has been eating three times a day. He loves toast, like his mother. In fact he growled at his toast the other day. Maybe he was growling at me when I got too close to his new found friend! His other favourite food is fromage frais - he was gulping it down so fast I thought he might do himself a mischief!

I have revisited Annabel Karmel and jotted down some menu ideas and I have got some more inspiration from one of the mums picking up after Cubs. She suggested liver and onions. Back to the supermarket tomorrow.

The weaning menu is taking over my life. I am enjoying it though, I don't think anyone in my family has ever eaten this well.

Incidentally, while I was writing this post, I asked my partner who was sitting next to me on the sofa, whether Petit Filou was yoghurt or fromage frais. Rather than get up and look in the fridge, he immediately started googling it. Either we are very lazy or having a new baby has exhausted us beyond belief. I know which one I am going for!

3 comments:

  1. The weaning thing is mind boggling isn't it?! We too got a hand mixer and it was our life saver and I swear my 19 month old eats better than anyone else I know! I must say though, it's SO much easier now he just eats what we eat! Good luck!x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many things to think about. I have now got a fridge full of vegetables that need cooking and whizzing up. I have tried one of the ready made pouches of banana brekkie and that went down a storm! If all else fails there is always banana. And red wine for me!

      Delete
    2. Mine is only one one meal a day at the moment and already I am worrying about how I will possibly find the time to feed him all these meals, and to be home for them all, as we keep very busy at classes most days, so I guess that's my worry.

      Delete