How to Feed a Henry

One of Henry's favorite foods is bananas. Of course, he has been asking to pack bananas in his lunchbox.  Henry has chosen dried banana chips several times, but we've discouraged him from taking fresh bananas. Fresh bananas brown easily when they sit in a lunchbox all morning, so I started thinking about how he could enjoy a banana in his school lunch. He was so excited when I suggested a banana roll-up for Monday's school lunch. I think this is one of Henry's new favorite recipes. Most of the items in Henry's lunchbox are grab and go, but this simple combination was quick and easy for Henry to make himself. Sprinkling cinnamon on the banana and wrapping it inside a tortilla helps to keep it fresh in his lunchbox. This recipe is definitely Henry approved; he ate all of it at lunch. CINNAMON BANANA ALMOND BUTTER ROLL-UP Serves 1 - 1 Banana - 1 Wheat Tortilla - Almond butter (you could use peanut butter or sunflower seed butter instead) - Cinnamon...

It was a beautiful week for the opening of our local farmers markets .  On Thursday, we enjoyed a lovely picnic on the grass at the Tacoma Broadway Market. This midday market features plenty of lunch vendors for downtown workers, but many families attend as well. Henry and I shared a combo meal from Gateway to India . Henry's favorite is definitely the chickpea curry; he ate his portion, and then devoured mine too. Henry LOVES chickpea curry. Yesterday, we met up with friends at the 6th Avenue Market for dinner. After more Indian food, we headed over to the produce stalls where we found purple asparagus and apples. Our favorite vendors here are the fish mongers. Henry requested an apple for dessert -- YUM!   We are very lucky to have an array of farmers markets in Tacoma -- daytime, evening and weekend options can fit almost any family's schedule.  Are your local markets open for the season? Who are your favorite vendors?

This recipe is a sweet ending to a winter weeknight meal using an assortment of winter pears and apples, with no added sugar. Henry had as much fun helping to get this dessert ready, as he did eating it. I used raisins and dried apricots for the filling. This recipe is Henry-approved. Henry helped himself to a huge handful of raisins while we were preparing the pears and apples. Photo courtesy of http://taniakristyphotography.squarespace.com/ . Ingredients 3 winter pears or apples ¼ cup raisins or other chopped dried fruits Cinnamon Nutmeg ¼ cup + ¼ cup whole milk Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the core of the pears and apples. Place the pears and apples in a pie pan or other shallow oven-safe pan. Fill the center of each pear and apple with dried fruits. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour ¼ cup of milk in the bottom of the pie pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove pears and apples from the oven and allow them to coo...

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.

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Helping with the Harvest. Henry loves berries, with one big caveat -- he loves fresh picked berries. He will devour handfuls of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries if they are directly off the vine. Henry is much more fickle about eating berries when we have a meal at the table and sometimes won't even consider berries when they are cold from the refrigerator . But when we harvest berries from our yard, then he just keeps signing for more, more , more ! Eating fresh-picked raspberries from our backyard. Helping with the harvest can be a big motivator for kids to eat fresh produce. It certainly makes a difference for Henry. Whether you have room for a big backyard garden or just a few containers on your porch, try including your kids in growing and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. If you don't have any space to grow your own, find out if there is a community garden in your neighborhood, or take a trip to a local...

Whoosh!  That's the sound of the month of June just passing me by. I have a lot of blog story ideas on my mind but just not enough time to write them. Instead, I thought I would post a few of my favorite food photos of Henry from this past month. Caught stealing strawberries from our front yard. Applesauce from Great Grandma's garden is serious business. Helping Daddy set up his new grill. Lounging in a camp chair on his first camping trip. Enjoying a snack in the great outdoors. Double-fisting first of the season Washington apricots.

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: The Power of Positive Peer Pressure. Over the past few weeks, I  have tried offering melon to Henry a few times but he has been uninterested. At lunch on Friday, we had quiche and a fruit plate. Henry happily ate the pineapple, grapes and orange slices. He cautiously tasted the cantaloupe and honeydew melon, but I could not convince him to try a second bite. On Sunday, we went to a barbecue at a friend's house. The delicious spread included slices of honeydew melon. I figured that Henry would be uninterested, so I picked out a variety of other foods for his plate. Then, one of Henry's peers started munching on honeydew. Henry was convinced that he had to have some too. I was thoroughly surprised when Henry ate four slices! Henry enjoying a slice of honeydew melon. It was a good reminder to keep offering, even when your child refuses to eat something the first few times. Seeing a friend eat a new food may encourage your littl...

Henry and I eat oatmeal for breakfast about once a week. It’s a hearty dish for chilly spring mornings. I like to mix seasonal fruits in with the oatmeal, and lately that has included Ataulfo or honey mangoes. Henry is a big fan of this dairy-free variation. This recipe is Henry-approved. Ingredients ½ cup 1-minute quick oats ½ cup mango (about one small mango) ¼ cup flaked or shredded coconut, unsweetened ½ cup coconut milk Henry's portion is served with two spoons, since at least one will inevitably end up on the floor. Directions Dice the mango flesh into small pieces. Pour oats into a microwave-safe bowl. Add the mango, coconut and coconut milk to the bowl. Stir until well combined. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir the oatmeal. Heat for an additional 30 seconds on high. Stir again. Scoop a portion of the oatmeal into your child’s bowl. Allow the oatmeal to cool slightly before serving. Henry using a spoon to e...

I have been baking a lot of muffins lately, both sweet and savory. This week I wanted to share one of our family’s new favorites, a muffin that tastes like strawberry shortcake. Daddy enjoyed these so much that he asked me to make another batch before we had even finished the first dozen. This recipe is Henry-approved. Ingredients 2 cups strawberries ½ cup unsalted butter 2/3 cup maple syrup or agave syrup 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups flour* ½ cup plain Greek yogurt *You can use all-purpose white flour for this recipe. I like to replace ½ cup with whole wheat flower for a slightly denser muffin. Strawberry Shortcake Muffins - delicious! Directions Soften the butter by letting it come to room temperature while you prepare the strawberries. Rinse the strawberries and remove the stems. Cut the strawberries into large chunks. (For a standard size strawberry, I usually cut it int...

I’m back with another delicious dish using leftover rice. I was inspired to create this recipe with the locally smoked salmon that we found on opening day of a nearby farmers market . These salmon nibbles make a unique and healthy appetizer or side dish. I hope you enjoy them as much as our family. This recipe is Henry-approved. Ingredients 1 cup cauliflower, diced ¼ cup green onion, diced 1 cup apple, grated 1 cup Swiss cheese, grated 1 cup smoked salmon, flaked 1 cup cooked sticky rice 1 egg 2 teaspoons soy sauce Northwest Salmon Nibbles hot from the oven. Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and dice the cauliflower and green onion into small pieces. Rinse and grate the apple. Grate the Swiss cheese. If you have a smoke salmon fillet, flake it into small pieces. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir until well mixed. Scoop by large spoonfuls into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes, until the...