4.12.04

(my)baby(and her)food pt.2

my beautiful baby

Isabella is 16 months old now and the war against a junk food future is raging on.

It might be a hopeless fight - unless aggressive advertising of junk food aimed at preteens is banned - but I can count on some strong allies:

1. My mom's minestrone. During a holiday in Italy we gave Isabella a bit of the minestrone we were eating to try and taste: next thing we know she is devouring an adult size portion of the thing with such gusto that we dubbed it "magic potion" on the spot. I made a few modifications of my own to the recipe and now the result is even better (yeah, you guessed it: my mom doesn't read my blog. I will keep on writing it in english just in case...).

2.Pasta but above all pastina. Pastina, is pasta in tiny little shapes and it is the quintessentially italian babies' food. Simmer it in stock with finely chopped courgettes or carrots or broccoli or just on its own. Pour it in a plate and stir in bits of soft cheese. Stand back and rejoice at the view of your little one wolfing it down only stopping to say "gnam gnam".

3. Couscous, which is basically pasta in another shape and even quicker to prepare and easy to mix with absolutely everything.

4. Roast chicken: i always try to give her the breast and keep the brown juicy bits for me but then paternal instict kicks in and i give up.

5. Fish: mackerel , bream, skate... bring them on!

6. Apples -good to eat - and bananas - great to splatter all over the face.