I must revive the Daily Momo!

I have been terrible about posting on the Daily Momo - honestly mostly because I don't have a good way to get photos into the mix (long story), and I don't like posting without pics. The photo with this post is old - from I think around early March of last year, just before Momo turned one. He's in the pic with his pal George, who is three days older. Momo and George have regular playdates together still, and get on great. It's especially adorable when they give each other hugs and kisses. But they are both much older now - almost 21 months (they will turn this month). They both look like little boys now. I'm going to try to post more often, at least twice a month perhaps is more realistic. But this is a nice look into the past - love their facial expressions! Looking back on some of these older posts, I feel like a lot has changed, about Momo of course, but also about my attitude toward parenting and being mother. I definitely feel less stressed about it - those early months, really the whole first year, can be so harrowing sometimes! Anyway, more soon from rainy Portland!

On the Menu

Okay, so it's been while, but here is another post, this time about what baby's been eating. I've been wanting to post about this for awhile now, as feeding Momo is such an adventure, both for him and for me. It also seems like one of those things that you write about so you'll remember later on! First I should say that he's a fantastic eater, a trait that he must get from his mama. Although the fact that he seems capable of eating almost anything is actually more like his dad. Our naturopathic doctor recently said to me that babies are often either good eaters or good sleepers. Well, M definitely falls into the former camp! We've still got some work to do in the sleeping department, though things are getting better there too. Some of M's favorite dishes so far have been:

brussel spout, pear, and amaranth puree 
lentil and lamb stew
pinto bean and swiss chard puree
sweet potato "fries" roasted in coconut oil (yum!)
blueberry applesauce 
salmon and cauliflower puree
salmon, collard greens, and amaranth puree
chicken, broccoli and brown rice puree with ginger
steamed broccoli, avocado and brown rice puree
roasted pumpkin puree
puree of roasted butternut, acorn, or delicata squash (he loves squashes!)
kidney bean, turkey and broccoli "chili" puree
pineapple slices and brown rice cakes (snack)
lamb and sweet potato casserole with prunes
chicken, green bean and millet puree (this is kind of like a chicken pot pie)
roasted delicata squash and mustard greens puree (tonight's dinner!)
split pea stew with carrots or other vegetables
mango amaranth pudding with cardamom

These are just some sample meals from Momo's cafe. I frequently sautee a tablespoon or so of leeks in a little olive oil before cooking to add flavor. M really seems to prefer savory dishes over sweet, and he seems to need pretty hearty meals several times a day. I usually drizzle olive oil over his food before he eats it which he seems to love--even applesauce. And of course M still gets plenty of breastmilk to supplement his diet. Right now the emphasis is on high quality meats, fresh greens, beans, vegetables, fruits, and a few high quality oils like olive and coconut. I try to cook fresh for him most of the time, but I do end up cooking in batches and freezing some because it's hard to cook from scratch every day, even with the flexibility I have being home. I am thankful that I have the time to do this and not cut too many corners. It's actually a lot of work to cook for him like this all the time, and takes a lot of thought and preparation, not to mention timing, because when he's hungry, there's no delaying him! I'm looking forward to the publication of this book, and to our continued adventures in food!