As I've previously mentioned, my husband is spending weekdays out of town. We survived our first week with the help of my mom, but I freely admit that I wasn't feeling like my usual organised and (somewhat) on top of things self! With being away part of the weekend, I didn't have a chance to do my usual meal planning/grocery shopping/food prep routine. Then, with my husband being out of town I really didn't have a chance to catch up. While we ate very well thanks to my mom, I really noticed the difference in the extras - my work lunches, and breakfast and snacks for the kids. For one, my stash of healthy muffins in the freezer ran out, and on Friday I realised that the kids didn't get as many veggies in as they normally would. Cue the mommy guilt.
This weekend, I've been trying very hard to get back on top of things. The washer and dryer have been going... and going... as have my steamer and oven. My goal is to have a week of well planned, minimal prep dinners, and lots of good, nutritious foods for the kids and I to enjoy for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. While I was looking for recipes I came across a Baby FoodE recipe I'd bookmarked but never tried. Their recipe for Apple + Green Beans + Broccoli Purée is great - no tweaks required!
Now, I have never had much luck with purées. No matter how carefully I'd select delicious, fresh, local produce, steam to perfection, and purée them just so, my kids just never seemed to enjoy my purées. Store bought baby food pouches, they'll suck back in the blink of an eye on the other hand. I was taking it pretty personally... until I really looked at the ingredient list. While I was buying products with things like broccoli, spinach and kale in the name, the veggies were actually not at the top of the ingredient list, so my kids were getting mostly fruits (and some veggies) when they'd polish one off. So, I decided to get more creative with my purées, and take a cue from baby food manufacturers and incorporate more fruit. In my searches to try and find the right balance between fruit and veg, this recipe came up, and I'm so glad I bookmarked it for future use!
Apple, Broccoli and Green Bean Purée
2 sweet apples, peeled and chopped
1/2c broccoli flowerets
1/2c chopped green beans
1. Place chopped apples, broccoli and green beans in a steamer and steam until tender.
2. Purée to desired consistency, adding water from the steamer as required. (I added 3/4 c water, and used my regular blender.)
Makes about two cups
This purée reminds me a bit of my Orange (Carrot) Applesauce, and both kids are really enjoying it. For Mini Muffin, who as a toddler/preschooler is well out of purées, we've framed it as Green Applesauce, much like the Orange Applesauce she loves. She was hesitant, but we got there in the end. I'll call this one an easy mommy win, and seeing Mini Muffin actually consume broccoli and green beans makes it all the better!!!
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