How to Feed a Henry

A few years ago, Daddy and I took an incredible trip to New York City. We visited the top of the Empire State Building, saw a Broadway show, and went shopping on Times Square. One of our most memorable experiences, however, was a food tour of Greenwich Village. We sampled New York pizza, cheeses, cookies, and a surprising cauliflower dish.  The cauliflower was so delicious that I immediately worked on replicating the recipe at home. The result has become a mainstay at our family's holiday dinners. This recipe is Henry-approved. But at this year's Christmas dinner Henry only wanted to eat dinner rolls and pomegranate seeds. Ingredients 4 cups cauliflower (1 medium head) 1 Tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup red onion ½ cup pine nuts ½ cup currants ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter The simple ingredients for New York Cauliflower. Directions Remove the leaves from the cauliflower head and rinse well. Use a large knife to cu...

Henry helped prepare this year's Thanksgiving dinner, including mixing the vinaigrette for our roasted Brussels sprouts side dish. At dinner, however, he only had eyes for Grandma's homemade cranberry sauce so I can't say for sure that this Brussels sprouts recipe is "Henry-approved". I can say that everyone else around our table enjoyed it and I hope your family will too. Henry shakes the vinaigrette for Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts. You can easily divide this recipe in half for a weeknight family meal. Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts ready for roasting. Ingredients 4 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1 pound) 4 slices bacon 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 Tablespoons honey 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse Brussels sprouts and cut of the base of each sprout. Remove any outer leaves that are yellowed or have black spots. Inspect to ensure there ...

In my ongoing attempt to give Henry more independence and responsibility in the kitchen, I decided to reorganize our cupboards.  I have been meaning to do this for a while, but my motivation came while reading Amy McCready's book " If I Have To Tell You One More Time ". I have really connected with her positive parenting approach. One of her recommendations is to empower children by giving them many opportunities to make age-appropriate choices throughout the day. I hope t his lets Henry know that his input is valuable and respected. There are plenty of everyday ways to do this in the kitchen, such as offering him the choice between apples or grapes at breakfast.  Henry chose grapes for breakfast. McReady also acknowledges the importance of a child's environment for fostering independence. When a child can access things they need by themselves, then they can play an active role in making decisions about what tools or equipment they need to help contribute to th...

I voted "Yes" on Washington's Initiative I-522.  A few months ago, I wrote about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in our food and the efforts in Washington state to require food labeling through Initiative 522 . While I had hoped to share more information on the topic, this blog has been on back burner for the past few months. However, I haven't forgotten about this important issue and I wanted to share with you why I voted to approve I-522. Henry thinks the Voters Guide makes a good coloring book. It really comes down to one simple fact: I want to know what's in the food that my family eats. Even if I end up buying foods with GMOs, I should be able to make that choice for myself and my family. GMOs should not be allowed to hide in our food. If GMOs are great advancements in agriculture and technology, then food producers and manufacturers should not be scared to come out in the open. Secrecy only creates fear and I don't want to be afraid of t...

Henry is starting to help out with a lot of meal preparation at our house. This week, Henry helped me make a creamy tomatillo sauce to go with our carnitas tacos dinner. It also made a good dipping sauce for his afternoon snack of crackers and sliced mango. We didn’t measure exactly and it was a little messy but it was worth it since Henry loves being involved. This recipe is Henry-approved. Ingredients 15-20 small tomatillos ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Directions Peel the husks and stems off the tomatillos and rinse them. Put the tomatillos in a food processor and blend until they are well chopped. Slowly add the sour cream and continue to puree the tomatillos until well blended. Sprinkle in the salt and fresh ground pepper, then blend until the sauce comes to your desired consistency. Serve immediately or store chilled in a covered container for up to 3 days. How your kids can help 2-year old: Rinsi...

Henry has started to take a more active role in the kitchen. We started by asking him to help set the table , but I wanted him to be able to participate in making our food too.  Henry tests out his new Learning Tower. In order to do help out in the kitchen Henry really needs to be able to reach the counter and the sink, so I started looking into stepping stools that might work for us. A basic 2-step stool does not bring him high enough. I've heard that some people use dining chairs as a makeshift platform for their kiddos, but we have a dinette with benches that cannot move around the kitchen easily. Instead, I have been eying the Learning Tower . The price for a new one was out of our range, so Daddy thought he might build one for Christmas. Then last month, I found a great deal on a used Learning Tower so we jumped at the opportunity to buy it. Henry helps Grandma make applesauce. The Learning Tower does take up a fair bit of real estate in our compact kitchen, but I t...

It's been another busy month with lots of summer family fun. Here are a few of my favorite food-related photos from August.  Helping harvest potatoes from our garden. Choosing the week's menu options from one of Mommy's cookbooks. Picking blackberries with Henry's cousins. Devouring one of his favorite foods - clam chowder. Eating another messy favorite - baked beans. Sharing a scoop of ice cream with Daddy. Eating a pear and driving on the sidewalk.

Henry has turned a corner. I knew this day would come -- the day when I can no longer hide some of my less than stellar food choices from him.  For the most part, I try to make good decisions about the food we eat. Choosing a baby-led weaning model definitely encouraged our whole family to become more aware of our eating habits over the past year. Since Henry eats the same foods as the rest of our family, Daddy and I try to set a good example . Henry does get to have occasional sweet treats, but they aren't an everyday occurrence. Henry enjoys a slice of cake at his cousin's birthday party. Last week, we were at a restaurant that has legendary burgers and shakes. I ordered a milkshake with my meal, thinking I would have it all to myself. When it was delivered in a fancy cup topped with hot fudge, Henry was sure it was meant for him. As we waited for the rest of our meal to arrive, I offered Henry a small taste.  When our food arrived, Henry was certain that he only...

Daddy and I have been grilling up this chicken recipe for years. It’s a staple on our summer menu, and makes an easy dish for camping. Just toss the chicken in the marinade the night before to let it soak up all the flavors. Grill the chicken and a few vegetables for a memorable meal at home or in the great outdoors. This recipe is Henry-approved. Ingredients 1 pound boneless chicken thighs (about 4-5 pieces) ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup cider vinegar ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup diced onion 1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves) 1 tsp Chinese five-spice 1 tsp paprika Yummy Chicken on the grill. Directions Make the marinade by pouring the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, onion, garlic, and spices into a large Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and shake the marinade until it is mixed thoroughly. Add the chicken to the bag. Reseal and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Heat a barbecue grill on medium heat. Place the chicken on the grill, reserving marinade. ...