Pure Purées

As I enter the world of baby food and the nutrition needed for sustaining a healthy and growing child, I have been confronted with the cold hard truth that I have not practiced healthy eating habits for some time. I don't know a thing about vegetables or nutrients. This is no surprise to me, but now someone else's life is in the balance.

In an attempt to give my boy the good life he deserves, I've committed to put forth my best effort to do what I can to help him develop a healthy and open relationship with food. There is much to discover when it comes to what vitamins are found where and what they do for a growing body. As we start solids - once we establish a lack of allergies - variety will be the name of the game. He may end up being a picky eater, but I'll try and expose him to lots of tastes and textures early on to at least give the kid a fighting chance.

I'm trying my hand at making my own baby food so that we can save cash and know what's really being fed to junior. First on the menu are carrots, summer squash, sweet potatoes, peas, apples, avocados, and pears. Whipping up a few purées and freezing them has proven to be worthwhile, and at the end of the day saves some major time and cash.

I can't imagine the new world my boy is about to encounter. Sure, mother's milk is great, but sweet potatoes are pretty delish too. Bon appetite!

Chicken Salad with Lemon Dressing

Anyone out there still interested in my washed-up, never-written-on, has-been blog? Do I see any hands? No? I'm not sure if any person in their right mind is still coming back here to see if there have been any updates...if you indeed exist, sorry I've let you down for weeks on end.

Forward ho and moving on!...

In my book, making a big ol' batch of chicken salad means summer is in full swing. There is something that is just delightful about having some picnic food at the ready for when the urge for outdoor, simple eating strikes during the warm months. Here's a doozy I've loved for years. It's fresh and easy, so give it a whirl!

First, you'll need to poach your chicken. Poaching ensures that the meat is moist and tender, so don't skip this step! Boil enough water to cover the chicken breasts, cover and simmer for 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat, uncover, and let the chicken sit in hot water for 45 minutes.

While you're poaching your chicken, combine all of the other ingredients. Once the chicken is poached, dice it into cubes and add it to the dressing mix. Refrigerate until cool.

Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 TBSP dill weed
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 chicken breasts

Directions
1. Poach chicken: boil enough water to cover the chicken breasts, cover and simmer for 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat, uncover, and let the chicken sit in hot water for 45 minutes.
2. Combine all other ingredients.
3. Dice poached chicken into cubes and add chicken to the dressing mix.
4. Refrigerate.