Apple Crumble

6 apples, peeled, core removed and sliced

1 tablespoon caster sugar

2 cups plain flour

125g butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

• Preheat oven to 190 C
• Place sliced apples in the base of a greased baking pan and sprinkle with caster sugar
• Leave aside
• Put flour and butted in a large mixing bowl
• Rub butter and flour with fingertips until mixture is crumbly and all butter/flour is combined
• Pour crumble topping over fruit
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden
• Serve warm

Baked Mushroom Chicken Drumsticks

A hit with adults, too, a no-sweat way to cook your meat is to just marinate them and have them baked in the oven the next day.

For the above: (half it or divide to your desired proportion if you are making less)

15 chicken drumsticks

Marinade:
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 sticks of lemongrass
2 tablespoon of wolfberry (aka kei chi in Cantonese)
10 pieces of fresh Shitake mushrooms, sliced

1. Put the drumsticks in a shallow ovenproof dish
2. Combine all ingredients of the marinade and pour over to drumsticks
3. Baste mixture and drumsticks
4. Set aside to marinade for at least 30 minutes (would be great if kept in fridge overnight)
5. Preheat oven to 180 C and bake, with the marinade, for 30 minutes or until tender, turning once
6. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes

**Remove the chicken bone for young toddlers

**Extra cooked chicken can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day

**Have a small fridge but wish to leave the drumsticks to marinade overnight? Just keep in airtight container and transfer to baking dish when ready to bake

Cheesy Cocktails

It is funny how food on sticks does appeal to little ones.

This was put together for Arthur's second birthday party.

Simply wrap the cocktail sausages with sliced cheese (previously divided by four strips per slice) and assemble with cherry tomatoes and zucchini. A hit at the party ;)

'Tools and Gadgets'

If you happen to have a tot, like me... chances are, you will be trying out different gadgets/utensils that can make meal times easier...

Most essential on the list happens to be a high chair. Not the typical have-meals-together family? Whether or not, it is good to have your little one on the high chair (best if the little one can have the meals with you) everytime they are to eat something. Start as soon as they are able to sit without supprt. Yes, even when it's just 2 spoonfuls of cereals or 2 pieces of cookies.

I find that this is important to get them understand the idea of needing to sit 'still' (they won't be running around... legs still shake... still try to move around) at meal times.

Some friends and relatives of mine often complain that they cannot go out for a meal with their toddler or the only place they could go would be somewhere with a play area as the little one won't be eating but playing... When asked about how meal times go at home.. it's the typical Malaysian Chinese - little ones eat first (spoonfed around the house), adults later. This is mostly done in fear that the little ones will not have enough to eat... Anyway, that is another topic altogether.

Where highchairs are concerned, the Ikea Antelope seems to work best for us... they seem to be everywhere nowadays. As such, no complains about being not familiar to it during the early stages.


Just so you haven't noticed, the highchair is made of all plastic... means, washable from top to bottom. This is especially handy when I use it for Arthur's haircut sessions :)

Also, take a closer look as you will see that there's nothing for their legs to rest on... means, nothing for them to 'stand' on. I just love this high chair to bits!

Next on the list is something to keep the clothes clean. I am a huge fan of bibs.. from little ones for 6 months-old to toddler ones that can keep the food from dropping to the floor. These are the 2 recent ones that Arthur's been using:
From Ikea (in Sydney), this is meant to be a children's bib (I guess) since it is too long for Arthur. The fold-over bottom does not catch much as the opening lays flat with the back layer... not a worthy bib :(
Looking for a Tommee Tippee Catch it All... I can across this Sunny Lion bib which basically uses the same concept. This is great for when eating dry food such as cookies and rice... catches most of it. With squishy food, you might want think twice and consider your little one's behaviour... will they try to scoop the food from the bib and put it inside their mouths?

Letting your little one feed themselves would also require some feeding set. This one from Ikea is the very first feeding set that Arthur's got. It was a full moon's gift from one of his aunty. The plate is good as it has anti-slip bottom. Spoon is just nice for him to handle but the cup... didn't really use much of it as it is not spillproof :( What a waste. So cute, too.

As the menu for my little one grows, so does his bowls and cutleries. The one on the left is a suction bowl from Anakku.. too small, really, to eat anything with. Few pieces of fruits or a couple of cookies is all it could take.

The one on the right is from Toys R Us... their housebrand... also a suction bowl. This is a good size and the curves make it easier for Arthur to scoop his food :)

One thing about suctions, though, is that you shouldn't be thinking that the suction will be strong enough for prevent the toddler from taking over the bowl and pour the contents out. It is really more for so that the bowl doesn't move around as they try to scoop/poke their food ;)

Then, comes cutleries... again, as the menu increases, so does the size of his cutleries...
Left-most is the first and truly easy to use spoon-feeding spoon from Nuk. Comes with heat indicator but faded as time passes. Still, a worthwhile investment due to the unique shape. You've got to try it to believe it.

Second from left is Braun's learning cutleries. Slightly slanted to ease toddlers to feed themselves at the early stages as they are often unable to bend their wrists like we adults do. Works great. Would be greater if the spoon bowl is not so narrow.

Third from left is Take 'n Toss Cutleries. Graduating from the slanted cutleries, I got this for Arthur to train him to bend his wrists. Too small spoon and food ends up falling all over... and thus, this led to the latest in Arthur's cutlery collections... the adults cutleries, in plastic.

Last but definitely not the least is the Edison Chopsticks. Been Arthur's best buddy for noodles and sushi since March 2008. I got them for him when I noticed him showing interest in chopsticks and wanted to take ours for use. No. The adults version are too dangerous to play with. Even knowing he won't really be using it for months to come, I bought them just so he could hold on to them whenever he sees us having chopsticks in our hands.

Now, whenever he's given a choice between rice or noodles, Arthur will most likely opt for noodles. Could it be the chopsticks?

Oats and Cereals

One of the good things about oats and cerels, other than many of their nutritious benefits, is that it is easy to make...

Lucky me, my little Arthur is very into the basic food. I seldom have to add any flavours to anything at all.

In fact, even if I were to serve him plain oats, he would finish them all. As he grows, just to make things a little more interesting as well as nutritious, I have been adding fruits to his breakfast routine and what better than oats and cereals to go with them?

Almost all fruits/food squishy is ok to go with oats and cereals though the pictured fruits are Arthur's all time favourites (i.e. blueberries, banana and kiwi).

Imagine squishy food, think mango, papaya, peach, plum, ripe pear, strawberries etc. etc.

If adding to just cooked oats, just remember to make sure the oats are cooled enough before giving to your little one as oats can contain heat pretty well.

Appropriate age to start oats? Well, from the day your little one starts on solids, you can slowly start introducing oats. Do start with the fine and easily digestable ones, though and do start a bit at a time... gradually build up the amount and add a type fruit a week or so.

Frozen Greens

Frozen greens (or non-greens) is a quick and easy way to meal preparation. While we would much prefer to cook our little one's meals from fresh greens, they are times when stock has run out or, we simply do not have time enough to soak, trim, cut, etc. etc.... to prepare the greens to make it fit for consumption.

Malaysians might not have as big a variety of frozen greens in our supermarkets' chillers but we do at least have the simple corn, peas and/or carrot. If you are lucky enough to be living near a supermarket that sells lots of imported food, like Cold Storage, you will also be able to find varieties such as brocolli, cauliflower, string beans etc. etc.

Choose!
You might want to stay away once anything not 'fresh' comes to mind but frozen greens, if well tended to, can be just as good as fresh ones. Just make sure that the veggies are still fresh to the eye... DO NOT get the over-frozen ones as they will cook to be stiff and stale-tasting

Cook!
Preparing frozen greens for your toddler is simple. Either of these will work as fine:

1. Steam - Just steam with the steamer rack!
2. Boil and drain - Bring water to boil, add a drop of oil (this is essential to lock in the greens), add in the greens, boil until cooked, drain

Season to taste... usually, a little butter and a little salt will do. Some greens do not even need any seasoning at all (e.g. corn, brocolli, peas) as they are naturally sweet and tasty ;)

Junior Pikelets

... aka mini pancakes

Good finger food

1 cup self raising flour

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons oil

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the sugar.
2. Combine egg, milk and oil.
3. Make a well in the centre and whisk in the combined egg, milk and oil to make a smooth batter. Add raisins if you wish... (only add if your little on is able to chew/process them)
4. Heat and lightly grease a frying pan. Drop teaspoons of the batter into the pan and cook until bubbles form. Turn and cook the other side until golden. Cool and serve.

The cooked pikelets can also be frozen, layered between sheets of greaseproof paper, for up to a month.

Yogurt for Tots

I still remember clearly how little Jung Min (my nephew who was about 2 years old then) got diarrhea from drinking Yakult. Before you start thinking that there's something wrong with the product... it's more like the cultured drink is more for adults and children but not babies and toddlers.

If you do not already know, cultured dairy products (i.e. cultured milk, yoghurt etc.) are usually too strong for your baby/toddler, resulting in disturbed little tummies.

Then again, due to the benefits of the good bacteria it provides, many parents, like myself, would like to introduce them to their little ones.

Just like how they have Yakult for adults and older children and Vitagen for the younger market, there's yogurt for babies and toddlers, too.

You just have to look them up at Cold Storage or even certain Jusco stores. Unfortunately, they are imported (quite pricey) and usually comes in six packs...

Fortunate for me, I am able to get them as they are the very thing that can treat Arthur's cold... even when medication failed.

Baby's first fruits

When Arthur was about 7 months, I have started giving him fruits.

True to many suggestions, I have found a very ripe banana (almost spoilt but not brown yet) is an easy and nutritious option. However, like me, many Malaysian Chinese will probably find that the 'tradition' is not to feed baby any banana as it will attract phlegm. Hmm.. it was ok for Arthur.

Simply, the banana can be mashed with a fork and spoon fed to baby.

Papaya was also a favourite due to it's soft texture and sweet... similar to the banana, really. So, all you have to do is to mash it with a fork and feed to baby.

One particular fruit that was easy and Arthur liked lots was the Pear. Unlike banana and papaya, pear can actually be the meal itself. As you would have encountered with jar food (e.g. Heinz or Gerber), you would have seen one of the more popular fruit would be apple... next is pear... while apples have to be poached to soften it before giving to baby, pear is easy.

With the green pear, all you have to do is to let it be ripe enough (very soft to touch). Then, just cut a small opening (something like a bite... or, you could just bite a bit off) and start scooping it out with a spoon to feed. Easy as jar food and fresh, too ;)

Many ways to an Orange baby

Ok, ok... now, don't be too excited if you have a love for orange and babies.... no, we are not trying to perform some magical transformation here. Indeed, this is everything about what you SHOULDN'T be doing so much of, unless you want your baby to turn into an Orange. No, no... not the fruit, rather the colour of the skin.

After a while, I've come to realise that, as a new parent, I am usually not the only one who encounter some 'silly sounding' mistakes.

This particular one has everything to do with what we feed our little ones.

When our babies reaches 6 months of age, this is usually when we start introducing them to solids. As most recipes suggests, some of the 'right' food includes... pureed pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes and the like. On the fruit side of the story, we've been brought up to think that oranges are great in Vitamin C and it's important for us to take in Vitamin C.

Are you beginning to understand how our babies can turn orange?

Like many new parents, all I wanted to do was to provide my baby with the best possible. Naturally, that includes nutritious food. Boy, was I happy and amazed when my baby showed great interest in pumpkin. I am not one who puree food... I was giving him small cubes of pumpkins, boiled soft enough to be mashed with the tip of the tongue... read Chew Baby Chew... at ten months, he can almost finish a full bowl of that. Pumpkin is nutritious, right?

Since we were only to provide pure food for those first years... for a pure start towards a healthy lifestyle, I began giving him pumpkin, alone or combined with other food such as rice, brocolli, carrot etc. etc... most of the time... and, in no time, I've got an Orangey baby!

Nothing wrong medically but as the Doctor advised, food should be given in moderation. We shouldn't be taking in too much of something all the time.

Yes.. I know... but, why was I not practising it with my baby? Probably, I was too afraid to give him too much variety at such a young age, in fear that it will not be right for him. Probable, it could be because I was just too lazy to try more since I've found his 'favourite food' which is so easy to feed to him? Probably due to the reason that I didn't even once doubt the goodness of pumpkin?

Anyway, our babies should have a healthy colour and the colour orange definitely has nothing to do with that.

Macaroni and Cheese

This is an easy to prepare recipe. For a more impressive variation, you can always put it into a baking dish and add grated cheese on top... bake until cheese are melted and golden brown ;)

Suitable for toddlers who can chew their own food.

Ingredients
30g butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 cup milk
salt, to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese
2 cups cooked macaroni

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Blend in the flour and cook for 1 minute
2. Remove from the heat and gradually blend in the milk. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens
3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and stir in the cheese. Mix the macaroni through the sauce and serve

Must haves for Arthur

Being Mom to a firstborn, I try to be extra careful with everything. I believe most new parents tend to be so with their firstborn, too. Of the many topics that we share among first time parents, I realise that food and nutrition is the one of those that comes up on a frequent basis.

While I am not sure what you might be feeding your toddler, I have a feeling, given the Malaysian culture, that you are giving him or her porridge/congee.

Well, to me, variety is the key word here and there are days that Arthur goes without a single grain of rice. I just mix it here and there... of course, researching that a particular food is actually OK to be given to toddlers before I do so.

One of the main replacement for rice for Arthur is this:

This is couscous. I am surprised not many people know about this. So far, everyone who asked me about the kind of food I am giving to Arthur looked at me with a blank expression on their face at the mention of this food. It is from the pasta family and is a very good option to rice, if you ask me. If you know pasta enough, you will know that it provides a lot of energy and can be very tasty... I have started giving it to Arthur ever since he started solids (at about 7 months... at 6 months, we started giving him a new food a week, to test on allergies, and added on...).

The preparation of couscous is fairly simple. It cooks sooner than rice and have more benefits than rice. I usually just cook the soup base (this is usually a mix of a variety of vegetables) and put in the couscous last... boil it for another 3 minutes and voila!

One reason why not many know about couscous is because it is not widely available in Malaysia. For your information, places like Jusco and Cold Storage would have them stocked along their pasta section... definitely hard to get from your local mini market. Most of the brands... Zara, Barilla, San Remo etc. are the same. You just have to read the preparing instructions. While some cooks in just 2 minutes, others might take a little longer. For me, where possible, I get the organic ones.

If you need more information on couscous, you can email me at peekaroobaby@gmail.com. In time, I shall be posting some recipes here, too.

Another 'hot topic' of toddler food among my friends seems to be multigrains. This is our attempts to nutritious food for toddlers. Unlike couscous, the contents of multigrains varies from one brand to another. These can vary between rice, brown rice, black rice, wild rice, oats, barley, flaxseed, millet, sunflower seeds etc. etc. There are usually a combination of 5 different grains.

While some of my friends started giving it to their babies since they are about 7 months old... Due to it being 'multigrain'.. I was afraid there are too many things to look out for at one time... I only started giving it to Arthur when he is almost one year old.

Pictured above is just one of those available in the market and what I am giving to Arthur, from recommendation by a good friend of mine. If you wish to try this out, please note that multigrains take a little more work than plain rice or couscous. You need to blend it with a blender (after cooking) to ensure that it is soft and smooth enough for your toddler. That is another reason why I resisted giving it to Arthur when he was younger.. I don't really like to blend food... to me, blenders are for juice and sauce.

As Arthur is now more experienced with different food textures (at 17 months), I do not need to do this anymore. I just need to ensure that the grains are cooked long enough to be soft enough for him to chew.

As I am already taking photos of food... for those who'd asked me and those who wish to know... my fridge will always consist of these fresh produce to make food for my tot:

Green capsicum is missing from there.. need to restock. Weird enough, green capsicum is one of Arthur's favourite. He chose to have it in the first place.. we were shopping in the vege department (he was about 11 months then) and he took a capsicum (while sitting in the trolley) and put it into the trolley... I was surprised how he did that and decided to buy it and give it a go... even more surprised was I when he shows his great preference for food with capsicum!