Inspiration for: Toddler Food: my top three sites

I’m not yet on the level of cooking where I can create my own recipe, so I rely on others who generously share their recipes for amateur cooks like me. There’s a wealth of information out there, certainly, but I find myself frequenting these three sites for inspiration. 1. Annabel Karmel: Annabel Karmel is a modern-day … Continue reading →

Review: Mother Garden wooden play toys

Last December I came across a bazaar stall selling these adorable, wooden play toy sets imported from Japan. They were miniatures of things as birthday cakes, tea sets, stoves, and even an oven and a refrigerator. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with getting each and every one of the sets for my daughter. I’ve tried … Continue reading →

Inspiration for: Toddler Food: Roasted Chickpeas

One of the things that my daughter likes for sure is crispy food. French fries and fried chicken – those are among her favorite things to eat, and I’ve managed to find better ways to cook them (i.e. bake or roast as opposed to deep frying). Substituting, however, is a little bit trickier. I’ve tried … Continue reading →

Fish Sticks, a follow up

SUCCESS! My inspiration post last week was baked fish sticks. And they were a huge success with my daughter. She loved them. She ate all three sticks as pictured above, and some of the vegetables. And she wanted some more! These are quite easy to make. I used cream dory – next time I’ll try … Continue reading →

Spaghetti and Meatballs, a follow up

Due to an unplanned, last-minute out of town trip, I wasn’t able to make this over the weekend. I just quite made this for lunch today, and I’m dismayed that I managed to somehow bungle a fairly straightforward, easy-to-follow recipe! I chose to follow Jamie Oliver’s recipe (see my inspiration post). As an aside, I … Continue reading →

Inspiration for: Toddler Food: Fish Sticks

It’s fortunate that my daughter didn’t take after my husband, who doesn’t like fish. She eats them crunchy or otherwise, fried or steamed, with rice or on its own. As an alternative to chicken fingers, I thought I’d make her some fish sticks this week. These are a great source of protein but do read … Continue reading →

Inspiration for: Toddler Food: Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have to admit that I’m cheating a little bit here. Spaghetti and meatballs is such a staple in this household already. That said, it’s such a staple – nearly once a week there’s spaghetti at home – that not a lot of thought goes into cooking it. There’s ready-made sauce available, so it’s a … Continue reading →

Whole Wheat Pancakes, a follow up

There’s a book called “Pancakes, Pancakes!” by Eric Carlisle about a young boy named Jack, who wakes up hungry and in want of pancakes. But Jack’s mother doesn’t have all the ingredients at hand, so he has to help get the flour from the mill, egg from the hen, milk from the cow, and so … Continue reading →

Chicken Pot Pie, a follow up

I had been so busy over the weekend that I almost failed to make these, despite declaring my excitement last week. The good news is I was able to squeeze in time to cook the filling Monday night, put them in the ramekins, add the topping Tuesday morning and have them for lunch on the … Continue reading →

Inspiration for: Toddler Food: Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ahh, pancakes. They’re so easy to make, so filling, yet the regular made-from-the-box ones are so unhealthy and if cooked shoddily, taste little better than cardboard. Done right, though, and mindful of calories, they can be healthy, yummy, toddler food. They’re also great for no-mess, on-the-go breakfasts – not that I favor eating on-the-go, but … Continue reading →