Oats and Plums!

Absence does make the heart grow fonder!! Yesterday while I was at work, I thought about my precious baby all day long! I usually don't find myself doing that, but for some reason, my heart was extra soft yesterday!! I think it is partially due to the fact that she is really changing and developing more and more each day! She has really got the "sitting up unassisted" thing down well! Pretty soon she will learn to crawl ... then walk ... then run ... then be all over the house in everything!! I do have to admit, I am looking forward to those days!!

Even though I was working hard, Sophia had a fun filled day yesterday at Grammie and Grampie's house!! Aunt Sarah even came down to play! Sophia got to swing at the park which is one of her favorite things to do! She even got to visit with my Uncle Harv! He can be a softy when he is around little babies!!!

This morning Sophia and I spent some time in the kitchen! Sophia was in her exersaucer, and I was at the stove top! I am still trying to make it through all the fruits and veggies with Sophia before giving her any meats or yogurt. Organic plums were on sale this week at Meijer so I picked up 6 of them for Sophia. I made them up in the Beaba and tasted them .... Wow ... they were really tart. Hum... how to sweeten without sugar or honey (since those are big no-no's until after 1-2 years old)? I added the left over pear juice from the batch of pears I made .... still a little tart ... then I added two very ripe bananas! Much better!! So we have two full trays of "plum-ear-ana"!! The combination actually tasted really good! I let her taste test them and she really enjoyed it! Success!!

Next -- on to a new grain -- steel cut oats! (A little background information -- Nate has an allergy to gluten-containing foods which includes all wheat, oats, barley, etc. Due to genetics, Sophia has a chance of the same allergy. It was suggested she be tested for Celiac around 6 months. However, I started doing a little research and saw that a person needs to be exposed to gluten-containing foods for at least 2-3 months before the levels of antibodies will build up and register on a blood test. After consulting with some GI specialists, it was decided we should introduce oats and check her blood levels of IgA and IgG at 9 months.) So, all that being said, I made up a batch of homemade steel cut oats!! It tasted 100x better than the rice cereal!! I will be excited to add cinnamon to it in another month!! Yeah for spices!!!

Recipe:

1) Boil 4 cups of water.

2) Grind up 1 cup of steel cut oats into a fine powder.

3) Add the oat powder to the boiling water and stir (with a whisk) for at least 10 minutes. Add extra water for the right consistency!

4) Pour into storage trays! (Made 36 cubes)

Here are the oats I used. You can find Bob's Red Mill products at Meijer and Kroger. I believe some Walmart's have started carrying some of them as well! Trader Joes also sells good quality steel cut oats!

This is what my freezer looks like after the morning cooking session. 2 trays of plum-ear-ana and 3 trays of steel cut oats!! Yum Yum! Plus my freezer bags full of the other foods!!!

Have a great day!!

Allyson and Sophia