The breakfast apron

Like all my boys, Puggle has preferred to feed himself pretty much right from the start. For a long time he has also resisted any attempt on my part to get him to wear a bib. I do love his independents but I'm not quite so keen on all the mess.

I struggle to find good breakfast options for my youngest boys who are usually far too busy to sit still for more than a minute or two in the mornings. So I'm very happy that Puggle has become a fan of my breakfast porridge with blueberries.

However, it usually mean that a complete change of clothes is  needed after he has had his breakfast. 

 Last week, after having to change his clothes pretty much after every meal, I decided that perhaps an apron was in order. It is a bit harder to pull straight off than a bib and has the extra length which is needed to collect the little pile that gathers in his lap.

There is still plenty of cleaning up to do but hopefully a little less washing in the pile! Perhaps I need to make a few more of these little aprons.

Wordless Wednesday - Strawberry picking

Puggle just couldn't resist sampling the last few strawberries of the season

What's for breakfast?

Kids eating habits seems to be something that most mums stress over at some point. I try not to worry about my boys eating habits too much because they both seem to eat very little some days and then more than make up for it on others. However, it can be very frustrating when I have made an effort to serve up something that I think they will love and they won't even touch it! However every now and then they really surprise me. A week or so ago I made my first green smoothie. I have been meaning to try one for ages but didn't really think the boys would like it. Junior wasn't that keen but to my surprise Rascal loved it.

The next day I read another blog post (sorry can't find it now) which reminded me that perhaps I should be making a little more effort to get Rascal to eat breakfast. He still demands a big drink of milk first thing in the morning and then is far to busy to eat anything for breakfast. However, as soon as we step out the door (and he has to sit still in the pram or the car seat) he wants a snack. I always have fruit and crackers at the ready but I though perhaps I should try making some sort of smoothie for him to drink in the mornings. Last week I tried it (just some milk, yoghurt, banana or pear and a spoon full of Sustagen powder) and it seemed to work. I need to build up my smoothie recipe collection to include a few more easy but nutritious breakfast options and perhaps find some more ideas for breakfast on the go. What is your favourite smoothie recipe for little ones? Do you have a perfect breakfast for little ones who are so busy they need breakfast on the move?

What's in the box?

With Junior starting Kindy this year, comes the dilemma of deciding what goes in his lunch box. He takes a piece of fruit to share for morning tea every day and thankfully he is a pretty good eater, but like all littlies there are a number of things he "doesn't like" (like fresh tomato or lettuce - although he will happily eat tomatoes when they are cooked in something!).
So far he has been pretty happy with a standard sandwich but I'm sure that will get pretty boring after a few months. The request most days has been for ham, cheese, carrot and beetroot sandwiches - an interesting combination but all good stuff and given that he is happy with wholemeal bread I'm not complaining. We have also resorted to vegemite and cheese a couple of times when the fridge was looking a little empty. He will also snack on carrot sticks and hummus for dipping, or a boiled egg which is handy.

However, he has already let me know that some of the kids take packets of Tiny Teddies or Milky Way bars as part of their lunch so I have also included home made mini-muffin a couple of times. I have been thinking of trying him with some pasta salad or zucchini slice but I'm not sure he will like savoury slice cold for lunch. I'm looking for inspiration for ways to pack an interesting and nutritious lunchbox. Any suggestions or links to other sites would be great so please me know what you have been making your littlies for lunch.

So far I have found Taste.com and The vegan lunchbox - any other suggestions?

Foraging

As you can tell from my previous post Bub loves his food. So much so that he has taken to foraging when he is playing outside - stealing grapes from the neighbours vine!
They always taste so much better than out of the fridge!

How to eat a sandwich

Like all things in life Bub does, eating is embraced with much vigour and enthusiasm, ...
... generally with both hands at once, and lots of mess. Our dog Jack just loves it because we tend to eat outside as much as possible and he hovers beneath the high chair waiting for discarded bits to rain down on him!
Bub showed interest in eating solids from about 4 months onwards.
We delayed for a little while but he was clearly very keen so we tried the baby lead weaning approach, which worked a treat for him.
He hasn't looked back and hopefully it will be a little while before he becomes a fussy toddler when it comes to food.

Eden

This morning while Junior and Hubby were out and about, Bub and I went for a little wander around my sister-in-laws' permaculture garden.
What a wonderful thing for a toddler to explore - we spent about an hour pottering about, looking at sunflowers, butterflies and bugs and sampling the delights on offer.
Strawberries, cherry tomatoes, blackberries and blueberries were all ripe for the picking and, being chemical free they could be enjoyed straight from the bush. Bub, who is the King of finger food, was in heaven (or should I say Eden?). A reminder that I really should make more effort in our little garden - perhaps there is a New Years resolution in the making?