SUPER IMMUNITY JELL-O

We've been enjoying a lot of jello in our house recently. I've made jello a host of ways with a variety of layers and flavors but this is the one I land on most often. It has both form and function - is delicious and beneficial. I don't add any sweetener to mine as I prefer the sour tilt but raw honey is a wonderful way to add some sweet as well as a nutritional boost.

[THE RECIPE]

2 c. cranberries, fresh or frozen
2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 c. dried elderberries
1/4 c. dried bilberries
1/8 c. dried hawthorn berries
4, 1-inch pieces of fresh ginger or 1 - 2 tsp. dried minced ginger
4 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 - 4 T. pure gelatin
Add-in options: raw, local honey [to taste], camu powder, ginseng powder, ginko powder, goji berries, coconut milk

Optional Roasting: Roasting really add depth to the flavor of this jello. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread berries onto baking stone or parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 7 minutes [if using fresh berries] or 10 - 15 minutes if using frozen berries. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Place dried berries, ginger, and water in a medium size saucepan. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 - 45 minutes [the more time you do the stronger the tea will be]. Remove from heat, strain out the whole berries and ginger, and set tea aside to cool slightly.

Prepare a 9 x 13 glass baking dish by rubbing it with a light coat of coconut oil. Set aside.

In a blender container, place [roasted] berries, tea, lemon juice, gelatin, and any addition add-ins you may have*.

Blend on high to very smooth. Pour mixture into prepared glass dish and place in refrigerator for 2 - 4 hours to firm.

Cut into small squares or use cookie cutters to create fun shapes. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

*If you want to make this a two layer jello, simply blend 1/2 the ingredients as noted above, pour into prepared pan and place in freezer to set quickly. Reserve out the other half. Add 1 additional tablespoon of gelatin and 8 ounces of regular coconut milk [or milk of choice] to the remaining ingredients. Blend on high to smooth. Remove the jello from the freezer and pour in creamed layer. Place in refrigerator as noted above.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH HASHBROWNS

Warning: this post may change your life.

If you've been journeying with me for any amount of time now, you have probably picked up on my minor infatuation [borderline obsession?] with winter squash. Obvious, I know. It may seem silly but if you live anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line and try to eat as local as possible, you know what I know - winter months can be tough. Enter winter squash.

Not only are the varieties endless, but what really gets me is: they're delicious, can be prepared a zillion different ways, are packed with nutrients [can you say beta carotene, Vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium, carotenoids, and good complex carbs], can be stored for months, are super easy to freeze, one can make a meal for a family, and are so plentiful come fall they are cheap, cheap, cheap. Need I say more?

I realize not everyone shares my enthusiasm for this particular breed of veggie. I actually have a few mishapen, multi-colored orb-aphobes in my life [the horror, I know!]. Yes we're still friends and yes I'm still married to him. Fortunately for them, I've made it a personal goal to get these certain people to love at least one dish [and not one that I've deviously placed squash in].

Insert hashbrowns. I would bet at least 99% of the people I know have an affinity for shredded, fried potatoes. I mean, what's not to love? Potatoes, oil, salt, and pepper - simple and delicious. The problem is, the variety of potatoes available to the average consumer have significantly decreased over the years. Like from thousands to less than a dozen varieties [think grocery store - redskin, Idaho, and yukon]. Yikes. What was once a very nutritious and diverse food has been dumbed down to starch, simple carbs, sugars, and a whole lot of genetic modification. A bit less than the best [sarcasm intended]. Don't get me wrong, I love potatoes as much as the next person and try my hardest to find and plant a host of organic, heirloom varieties [check out heirloom seed catalogs like Seed Savers and Annie's Heirloom Seeds among many others] and support farmers who do the same. But variety and change rarely hurts a person, especially in the way of food.

In a spurt of creative brilliance [ie. complete lack of the necessary items in the house] I decided to julienne* some squash instead. The result? I may never go back to the potato version. Yes, I'm serious.

So, here's to you squash-avoiding, orange orb-wary, crookneck cautious husband [or friend] of mine. May this change your mind!

[THE RECIPE]

1 winter squash of choice [I used butternut here but any will do]
extra virgin olive oil
Celtic sea salt
freshly ground pepper
any other seasoning of choice

Cut off stem and butt end of the squash. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove skin of squash [it's super easy]. Cut squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out seeds and innards, saving seeds for sauce. Begin to julienne squash, working away from the hand you are using to hold the squash [I'm not into kitchen casualties - safety first people!]. If you are doing a single serving, simply julienne a quarter to half of the whole squash. The entire squash should feed about four to five people depending on serving size.

Pour enough oil in cast iron skillet to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat oil to hot but not smoking. Carefully dump in shredded squash, spreading evenly. Toss a time or two and allow to cook for a couple of minutes or until the bottom starts to brown. Flip/stir and repeat until all of the squash is lightly browned and a little crispy. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and pumpkin seed dressing to taste and enjoy!

I love serving this over a bed of black rice or adjacent to a spinach and baby greens salad. A local farm with a greenhouse may have baby greens and spinach this time of year and many with hoop houses are beginning to plant. It's worth scouting out the fresh, local stuff!

[FOR THE DRESSING]

seeds from one winter squash
extra virgin olive oil
white wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground pepper

Rinse seeds in a fine mesh strainer. Spread on baking sheet, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and either lightly toast in a toaster oven or bake at 400 degrees in oven until dry and crisp [check often so they don't burn].

Place toasted seeds in food processor with enough oil to cover and a splash of vinegar. Blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

*A side note about julienne. This particular kitchen tool may be the most useful gift I've ever received [thanks Mom!] and it cost 25 cents. Okay, mine came from a garage sale but this little baby is used almost as much as my VitaMix which means I use it a lot. I highly recommend you go out immediately and find yourself one. I'm sure some uninformed, sorry someone donated one to a local thrift store, has for purchase at a garage sale, on Craig's List or Amazon. You may be able to find one through Freecycle or facebook.

BABY FOOD GUIDE

Everyone has a different approach to introducing foods to their baby. Do a google search and you will find a lot of options. Confusing right? 

After all those options, I'm sure you are wondering what sets the information and guide found here apart from the others.

A couple of things. First, my recommended food introduction schedule is geared toward catching and preventing food allergies and / or sensitivities. Many mainstream pediatricians suggest starting infants on cereals and grains. The problem with this is grains [cereals included] are some of the most difficult foods to digest along with meats, dairy, and many fats.

In addition to this, I also start with vegetables rather than cereals and fruits. Vegetables are the most important foods you can give your baby. They are full of essential vitamins and minerals and are, almost exclusively, low in sugars. It's important to remember that our bodies, both infant and adult, are wired to want sugar and fat in mass quantity when it is available. This is part of our survival mechanism and is what allowed human beings to survive over the years. These days what was once a key to survival is now an addiction. Starting with low-sugar [yes, even natural sugar] foods helps provide your baby with the taste for veggies. The exception is avocado, the food I recommend you begin with.

I've also provided some important tips to help you navigate through the baby food confusion as well as a couple resources I have found to be really helpful throughout the journey.

May your baby be nourished by the food you provide.

[TIPS]

1] It's important to introduce new foods in 4 - 7 day increments to allow your baby to get used to each food and give you time to observe any reactions to said food. Once you have built up a safe food base, remember to vary the foods you give your baby to prevent an from allergy forming.

2] Be persistent in giving your baby the food even if he/she doesn't like it at first but do not force. Try a couple times [use games, songs, etc. to make the food enticing] and if that doesn't work try another time but do try. Hide small amounts in foods he/she really likes to get him/her used to them. Fight the urge to let your personal preferences define what your baby eats. For example, I don't love cooked spinach but I eat it with my baby because this is the form she can have it in right now. Eating the food with your baby at the beginning [one bite for baby, one bite for mama/daddy] helps your babe adapt to each food.  Roasting foods is a fantastic way to pull the deep flavors out of foods making them more desirable. 

3] Cooking each food well helps babies digest them better. 

4] You won't find meats or glutenous foods on this list as I use meats as "medicine" for specific ailments rather than a part of the everyday diet and am very allergic to gluten. If you plan to give your child meat or glutenous foods, it is best to wait until after 24 months old as both meat and gluten are difficult foods to digest for anyone, especially a young, inexperienced digestive system.

5] Whenever possible, give your baby organic food. When it comes to children, organic may be one of the most important choices you can make. Local and variety are close seconds. If you are unable to purchase all of your foods organically, use the Clean 15 / Dirty Dozen Guide as a starting point. Please note that I place corn and soybeans among the Dirty Dozen as both are almost always genetically modified unless they are started from organic, heirloom seeds.

6] Documenting everything because, no, you won't remember. Keep track of the date, length of introduction, and response to each food introduced. Make a note of the reactive foods so you can try again at a later date when your baby's digestive system is a bit more developed. Look for increased gas, constipation, rashes, red bottom, discomfort, irritability, and any other abnormalities throughout the four - seven days of introduction. Stop the food if you find any of these and, depending on severity of the reaction, introduce at a later date. 

7] Constantly remind yourself that your baby doesn't know anything other than what you put in front of him/her. You have the power to define what she views as "treats". Teach her that eating sweet potato chunks with her fingers is a treat. Allowing him to feed you her food as a treat. Make watermelon-chunk popsicles, allow the popcorn to pop all over a blanket on the floor, serve sightly frozen berries as treats. Make the experience of eating the treat. Your child doesn't need what we know as "dessert" [ie. over-processed, sugar and chemical-filled foods] and you will find the alternatives much more fun! 

8] Use herbs to flavor instead of salts and sweeteners. Not only are the flavor of herbs more complex but you are adding a lot of vitamins and minerals to each meal! Of course when using herbs, educate yourself on which herbs are appropriate for infants. 

[OTHER RESOURCES]

Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron
Start Fresh by Tyler Florence

Note: I don't take either of these as gospel [for example, I disagree with food introduction schedules] but both provide  great starting points and are extremely useful in guiding through the baby food preparation, storage, and safety process.

[FOOD INTRODUCTION GUIDE]

6 - 9 MONTHS

avocado
sweet potato
green beans
sweet peas
pumpkin 
spinach [spinach is so high in iron which is essential for babies]
Swiss chard
raw pumpkin seeds [pre-soaked / sprouted, dehydrated, and very finely ground]
kale
any of the other greens [lettuce, dandelion greens, mustard greens, endive]

flax seeds [finely ground]
chia seeds [finely ground]

extra virgin olive oil [organic, especially helpful to add to food if your baby is constantly hungry or not receiving enough calories]

coconut oil [organic, unrefined]

coconut butter [organic, unrefined]

dulse flakes [you can get this flaked at the health food store - I highly recommend this for baby and mama - it acts as a booster of essential vitamins and minerals already found in the foods you are serving - just sprinkle a little in with the food]

parsley [fresh or dried, although fresh is preferred]
leeks
blueberries
raspberries [make sure you strain the berries to eliminate seeds or blend in a Vita-mix]
blackberries [make sure you strain the berries to eliminate seeds or blend in a Vita-mix]
winter squash [butternut, acorn, delicata, etc.]
banana
applesauce

9 - 12 MONTHS

broccoli
carrots
lima beans
asparagus
cauliflower
potato, white / red / purple / yellow
mung beans* [well cooked]
molasses, blackstrap [this is full of great minerals as well]

amaranth* [ground]
pears
lentils* [soaked / sprouted, well cooked]
quinoa
peas, dried
peaches
pinto beans* [well cooked]
papaya
cabbage
kidney beans* [well cooked]
rhubarb [well cooked]
raisins [soaked]
figs [soaked or fresh]
summer squash
prunes [soaked]

strawberries [make sure you strain the berries to eliminate seeds or blend in a Vita-mix]

12 - 15 MONTHS

celery
cucumber 
garbanzo beans* [well cooked]
corn [directly from the cob, not processed]

watermelon
cantelope / muskmelon
honeydew
beets
rutabaga
turnips
radishes
Brussels sprouts
grapes
buckwheat*
nutritional yeast [VERY different from regular yeast because it is really high in vitamins and minerals, use in small amounts for baby]

15 - 18 MONTHS

sprouts [homemade is preferred, otherwise from a very reputable source]
oats* [soaked and well cooked]
tahini
dates [soaked]
millet* [soaked / sprouted and well cooked]
sunflower seed butter [from raw, soaked sunflower seeds]

18 - 24 MONTHS

coconut milk
cashew butter [from raw, soaked cashews]
almond butter [from raw, soaked almonds]
walnuts [from raw, soaked walnuts]
tomatoes
eggplant

24+ MONTHS

honey and maple syrup [although I recommend holding off on introducing any sugars for as long as possible]
eggs
brown rice* [soaked, well cooked]

yeast [type used in breads]

*Please go to this link to review proper preparation on legumes [dried beans] and grains.

Note from Tina: Always remember, this and all other posts found here should be considered for educational use only and be used as a guide rather than absolute fact. Work with your pediatrician or holistic health care provider to put together a plan that best suites your baby's needs and, above all, remember that you know your baby better than anyone else. Trust your intuition.