Mama's Quinoa

Here are the new additions to William's food repertoire in the past month or so:
Basil
Peach
Strawberry
Pinto beans
Onions
Mango
Zucchini
Green beans
Raspberries
Egg yolk
Cauliflower
Cheddar cheese
Olive oil
Corn
Lentils
Blackberries
Quinoa
Cottage cheese
Dill
Nutmeg

The most exciting new foods for William have been peaches, raspberries, cheese, lentils, blackberries, cottage cheese and quinoa.  I love when he gets excited about a new food.  It's amazing to see how much joy a baby can express without using any words!

Here are a few simple recipes inspired by William's favorites:

Mixed-berry Yogurt
Mash 2 raspberries, 2 blackberries and 1/2 a strawberry with a fork.
Stir in 2 Tbsp. whole milk plain yogurt.
Thicken with powdered baby cereal if desired.
(great with any fruit variation: peach-raspberry-banana is another favorite!)

Brown Rice & Lentils
(This recipe is from my favorite baby cookbook,  The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler)
Boil 2 cups of water in a small, covered pot.
Stir in 1/2 cup of rinsed, sorted lentils and 1/2 cup brown rice (I used organic long grain).
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes.
(After being refrigerated, I rolled this into little balls for William to eat with his hands!)

Quinoa for Little Hands
(Quinoa is an amazing whole grain that cooks up quickly, is full of fiber and a surprising amount of protein!  It is somewhat like couscous, but much more nutritious.)
Cook quinoa according to package directions.
Mash or puree any type of canned beans (garbanzo, pinto, etc.).
Mix beans and quinoa together until you reach a thick, not too goopy consistency, and roll it into baby-bite-sized balls.
(you could also add mashed or chopped veggies, or substitute mashed avocado, banana or sweet potato for the beans).