​Our daughter turned one yesterday!

It was such a fun day full of laughs, swinging on the swings, and some bloody good food. We're pretty low fuss parents, so my husband and I decided against a party she wouldn't remember and got her a cute pair of shoes as her present. Pretty sure she had an amazing day and that's what matters most.

Disclaimer:  To each their own when it comes to feeding your kids! It can be a topic of contention among parents, there is no doubt about it. This is just what we decided to do on our daughter's special day. 

I knew my daughter was never going to have a proper cake on her first birthday. She hasn't had refined sugar, eats like a little legend and loves her fruit. Why introduce her to highly addictive sugar and risk the good thing we have going on?

I decided to make her one from scratch. It took me minutes to make and cost me 12$. 

Method
Place the watermelon in the fridge an hour or so before you need to make the cake

Slice the end off and continue to slice 1/2 inch to 1inch thick pieces. If you want a perfect shape, use a cookie cutter (like the image above). I decided to go free hand, cutting the largest square at the bottom and then each layer got smaller and smaller. 

Stack the slices on top of each other and secure with toothpick, or a long candle. I got a long candle because I thought it was a bit safer.

Add the blueberries and then sprinkle with chia (they're kinda like the "sprinkles") 

Serve chilled, and have fun watching the mess be made!

EMK

​You guys know how I feel about turmeric if you read my latest blog post.  

These burgers are so easy and make, healthy and fantastic for 8+ months - toddlers (and beyond). My daughter loved them. I like to incorporate some type of homemade burger on my Saturday meal prep day, and this is my latest made-up recipe which was a hit on all fronts, with all members of the family. 

Turmeric Chicken Burgers
(makes 7-9 patties )

Ingredients 
500 grams of chicken mince  (free range, organic, you do you) 
1 bunch coriander, washed well and roughly chopped  
1 white onion, peeled and grated 
1 egg  (if vegan, don't use an egg- or add a tablespoon of chia seeds if you want)
1 large carrot, trim ends, peel, then grated 
1 tsp cumin
1tsp turmeric 
1 tsp garlic salt

Method
Take the mince out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to making the burgers
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well with your hands
While pan heats up, roll into desired size patties. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil (or avocado oil), and the cook approximately 4 minutes per side. 

Enjoy!
EMK

Antioxident + Anti-inflammatory Baby Pureé
6+ month old 

Ingredients 
2 zucchinis, cut into 3 cm pieces (washed, not peeled) 
1 butternut pumpkin (chop off the ends, peel, de-seed and cut into cubes)
1 tbsp cinnamon 
1 tbsp turmeric 

Method
Steam the pumpkin and zucchini until tender
Add everything to the blender, including the spices, and puree
* 8 months + / BLW : Mash with a fork for a chunkier consistency 

Makes 5-7 servings depending on your bub's appetite!

​If you want to spice up your food, or baby's food, in ways other than a puree, try sprinkling some cinnamon on their morning cereal/yogurt, or mix in some turmeric with their scrambled eggs.  

​EMK x

What we're working with & WHY

Walnuts:  omega-3 fatty acids , antioxidants, manganese and copper
Chia seeds:  omega-3 fatty acids , antioxidants, fibre, iron, calcium 
Whole-grain rolled oats:  carbs, fibre, and protein 
Banana:  potassium, calcium, iron and folate 
Dark Chocolate 70-85% cacao:  antioxidants


Sweet n' Salty Breakfast Porridge
Serves 1 hungry Mama + a lil extra for bubby

Ingredients

1 cups of rolled oats
1/2 banana
1 Tbls chia seeds
​Dark Chocolate chips (or cacao nibs) 
Walnuts 
​* Optional: Shredded organic coconut 


Method

Cook the oats on the stovetop, per the directions on the box
Serve in a bowl and top with the sliced banana, a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips, chia seeds and walnuts. Enjoy immediately.

To make the baby version, spoon some of the cooked oats into a small bowl, and add 1 TBS of chia seeds and 1/2 a banana smashed or cut in small, bite-size pieces
* No walnuts or chocolate chips *
Then I add two heaped tablespoons of organic natural yogurt as well as baby DHA from Nordic Naturals. 


EMK

Peel and chop the sweet potato into similar size chunks. The potato doesn't take as long to cook, so you can cut the potato into larger pieces. 

Wash silverbeet. You don't need to remove the white stem, but you can if you'd prefer.

Fill your pot with water and place the sweet potato inside. Add the steaming basket on top, place the beets inside, and put the lid on top.  Set on a medium heat for 15-20 mins.

Check the beets with a knife and see they are easily pierced. Once they have softened, add the silverbeet to the steaming basket, with the beets, for the last 5 minutes.

Remove the beets and silverbeet and place inside your blender. Drain the water (reserve some) and add the sweet potato to the blender as well. Blend or pulse, deepening on your desired consistency. 

Use immediately or freeze in pods. For those of you practicing BLW (baby led weening), try adding something chunkier to the puree, like some shredded chicken or turkey. It's good to keep changing the consistency of your baby's food so that they don't become picky eaters!

EMK