3 Yummy Toddler Meals They Won't Refuse

It can be incredibly frustrating to get a toddler to eat, let alone be sure that they are getting an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. Their little bodies are going through big changes that have a monumental effect on their appetite. Sometimes, my little one will ask for more, and sometimes he only takes 3 bites and he's done. 

The key is preparing foods that he can enjoy, that have nutrients packed into every single bite. 

 One of the things I learned not to do is give him what I know he likes just because I know he will eat it. French fries may be tasty, but they are certainly not an everyday thing. 

 

The following meals are colorful and healthy, and they have Nico running to the dinner table every night!

Salami and Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Mustard and Margarine, and Carrot Sticks and low fat Ranch dip

 Kielbasa Sausage with Carbonara Elbow Macaroni, and Juicy Cucumbers

Homemade Fish Sticks, White Rice & Black Beans w/ Fresh Chopped Spinach, and Juicy Cucumbers

**BONUS**

For a delicious and nutritious dessert, Apple Slices with Vanilla Yogurt!

3 Strategies for Feeding Stubborn Toddlers

My 19 month old son is as stubborn as they come. As he begins to explore his independence and to realize his place in the world, he is often unreasonable and too clever for his own good. His strong will can be especially frustrating when it comes to eating meals. 

A once easy 20 minute dinner routine suddenly turned into an hour long nightmare. It was the part of my day that I absolutely dreaded, until I started paying attention to what Nico was really trying to tell me. 

1. Change the plate: It was 30 minutes in to our evening food war and Nico was on his 3rd bite of food. His dad was sitting close by eating the same meal from his own plate. In an attempt to help my futile efforts to get nutrients in to Nico's little stomach, Pedro stooped down and offered Nico a bite of food from his own bowl which Nico happily and willingly accepted. The very next day during lunch time, I put Nico's lunch in a grown up bowl and fed him with a grown up spoon and he blissfully ate every single bite. From now on, I will serve him a variety of food on a variety of platters.

2.  Stoop to his level: Another thing I realized when my husband fed Nico from his bowl was that he got down to Nico's eye level and made eye contact with him while smiling. Frowning and worrying while trying to feed your child can create a tense atmosphere. While looming above them must make us seem like the enemy trying to squash their new found independence. During lunch time, instead of sitting in a big chair in front of him, I sat on the floor in front of him and offered him lots of smiles and encouragement. It worked like a charm! 

3. GOT WATER?: Along with all of those things that I tried, I also gave Nico a little bit of water in his Sippy Cup and let him decide when it was time for a drink. To my surprise, he did not try to chug it. Instead he would take a drink after a couple of bites of food, just like mommy and daddy. He especially enjoyed feeling like he was in control of at least one part of his meal!

7 Secret Parenting Tips

We can all agree that being a parent is extremely difficult, especially being a young one. 

Our kids are their own people, which makes us wish that they came equipped with an instruction manual and all the gear they will need throughout their childhood. Let's face it, we don't always have the answers and we don't always know what to do.

That is why I searched all corners of the internet to bring you 7 Parenting Tricks that will help you save money like its your job, cure sicknesses like a doctor, and make you feel like a superhero!

1. Vapor Rub Socks - Us Latina moms are well aware of the Vapor Rub remedy used on us every time we got sick. When your child has a cough instead of giving your child a Vapor Rub bath, try rubbing some on his/her feet and covering them with socks! This will help them fall asleep!

 

2. DIY Baby Puffs - I love those yummy Gerber Puffs for Nico, but they are just so expensive for a container that doesn't last him very long. So, I found a great recipe for puffs you can make yourself using ingredients that are much better for baby!
Baby treats
2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Egg Yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Baby Cereal
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Water
Mix all ingredients. add enough water to make it come together. add more cereal if you added too much water. Roll dough into tiny little bite size balls. You don't need to worry about separating them all completely, after they bake, they separate easily just by shaking the pan. Bake at 325 for about 7-10 minutes. let cool for 5 minutes or so before putting them in an air tight container. Store in the fridge.

3. Removing Baby Stains - I haven't tried this one yet, but wouldn't it be amazing if all those baby food stains would magically come out? Apparently they do! With a little Dawn dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda, you can remove even set it stains. It calls for 2 parts peroxide and 1 part Dawn and baking soda (1 cup of peroxide and 1/2 cup of the Dawn and 1/2 cup of baking soda) 

4. Jumbo Play Yard - Play "yards" are expensive and small. Babies don't really have room to roam or play so it can feel more like a jail than a play area. Skip the play yard and baby gate buying and get a large inflatable pool instead! Its a great safe place to put baby without you needing to worry about baby boredom or a little escape artist. 

 

5. Doll Hairspray - A small spray bottle with 2 tablespoons of fabric softener and water will make any dolls hair soft and silky like new! I wish I knew about this as a kid. This will save many barbies from "emergency" hair cuts. 

6. Crib Teething Guard - When Nico started teething, I wondered how long it would take him to chew through his wooden crib bars. We took an old blanket and cut it to turn it in to a very effective teething guard. He still chews on the blanket, but he will not be breaking out any time soon!

7. Plane Common Courtesy - This was a really nice idea! If you are flying with a fussy baby or toddler, maybe you can try making little treat bags with a few pieces of gum and candy and a tiny explanation note. It would look something like this: 

Sunday Dinner

This week for dinner I decided to try a new recipe, Pink Bean chili with Shrimp and Beef. This meal took about half an hour to make since I cooked everything simultaneously.

To make it into a baby food, after meal is cooked add 1 cup of water and blend to desired consistency. 

That way every one can enjoy the same meal as you sit together sharing and enjoying the company of one another! 

Ingredients

1/2 pound of ground beef

1 cup of rice

1/4 cup frozen spinach

1 8oz can of corn

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup of onions

Directions

Season ground beef.

Brown the seasoned ground beef with the onions and garlic.

Warm beans in separate pot along with the frozen spinach and add 1/3 cup of water (do not drain the beans) 

• Season beans with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt to taste with a dash of lemon zest. 

When the meat is about half way browned add the shrimp so that it can soak up the yummy juices of the beef.

When the meat is brown drain it and add it to the beans. 

Cook for 10 minutes on low, then add corn. 

Meanwhile cook a pot of white rice until soft. 

When it is almost ready (maybe has 2 minutes left) add it to the chili mixture. 

Mix and cover, cook on low for 5 - 7 minutes and serve in bowls.

I also served this yummy mean with a side of honey biscuits! 

BUEN PROVECHO! =)

DIY Baby Food

As a young mother, I know better than anyone how difficult in can be to save money. Kids are their own people, and they come with their own needs and expenses. One way Pedro and I have managed to save HUNDREDS of dollars is by making our own baby food!

What I do is make our regular meals (lunch and dinner), I add about a cup of each dish, then I add a cup and a half of water and I blend it up in the Magic Bullet to the desired consistency.  I have been using the regular spices that the meal calls for ever since Nico started on mashed solids at about 6 months, and I have had no health problems (food allergies, upset stomach, etc.) with it at all! 

Best of all is that Nico loves it just as much as he likes Gerber. He has tried a variety of different meals which helped me avoid encouraging picky eating habits, and allows him to get all kinds of vitamins and minerals from diverse sources! 

Today for lunch he enjoyed Parmesan Crab Cake Bites with Cheddar Pasta and Beats! For dessert he had Cinnamon Banana Puree!

The recipes are simple:

Parmesan Crab Cake Bites with Cheddar Pasta and Beats

1 cup cheddar pasta

5 crab cake bites

1 half can of beats

1 1/2 cups of water

Mix all ingredients together and blend to desired consistency. 

Cinnamon Banana Puree

1 1/2 table spoons of cinnamon

3 bananas 

1 cup of milk

Mix all ingredients together and blend to desired consistency.