Today we had a productive day! In the morning we went over to the UW to participate in a study with the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. Emma the science experiment, woohoo! The study was about infants understanding of others actions. After being briefed we went into a room where they taped her watching someone look excited about a toy, and did that a bunch of times to see how long she watched and was interested. Then we went into another room and they did it again in a different way, with two toys. She was totally focused and did great, though probably thought we adults were pretty weird with all the odd interactions and repetitions. Supposedly she reacted the way they expect. It was fun and funny to be a part of it all. At the end she got to take home a toy, which was nice.
Onward, to the food! Later in the day we did some cooking! First I made a quick mango/blueberry puree, since Emma’s main preference for fruit is soft and spoonable. And there is only so much applesauce I am willing to give her.
Next, I attempted my first Emma baking project (other than pancakes)! This means no wheat, egg, dairy, or soy. Geesh! I got adventurous and made this pumpkin & fruit bread, though I made a ton of substitutions. I made my own wheat free flour mix, with brown rice flour, amaranth flour, potato starch and xanthum gum. I substituted an egg replacement product for the egg, and added a banana in for good measure instead of the carrot, which I didn’t have (bananas are supposedly a good sub for eggs as well). I also used brown sugar instead of white, because I read somewhere it improves texture and moisture in gluten free baked goods. I was pretty surprised when it actually turned out really well! Yum! It was really moist and delicious, kind of like cake, and she ate it up with no complaints whatsoever. I might try next time to use a little less sugar, since I would prefer to fruit sweeten her foods most of the time. But overall, a success. Hurrah!
For dinner, I made a pumpkin chicken curry, with the leftover half a can of pumpkin. I changed up a recipe I found online, and it was delish. Emma loved it as well, and ate all parts of it, even the asparagus!
Kristin’s Pumpkin Curry
2 T olive oil
one onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 t (or more) fresh grated ginger
2 t (or more) curry powder
half can (about 1/2 cup) of pumpkin puree
one can of light coconut milk
salt to taste
8 or so chicken breast tenders (about 3 breasts worth)
3/4 bag (not sure exact amount) frozen asparagus
In large skillet (or cast iron pan) on medium heat, saute onions and garlic 2-3 min. Add ginger and curry powder, cook until onions are translucent. Add pumpkin puree, coconut milk and salt, stir well & cook until simmering. Add chicken, cook for 10 min or so, until chicken is nearly done. Add asparagus and simmer for another 5 min. Taste and adjust spices. Finished! Serve over pasta or rice.
Note dog head in left bottom corner, hovering much to close for scraps which inevitably get tossed overboard…
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I love the recipes! She seems like such a good eater. What a wonderful variety. And yes, applesauce, though popular–it’d be nice to try different fruits! We’re getting there. So far pear has also been good.