A Kitchen Drawer, Banana Muffins, and the Perfect Starter Spoons

Making food for our wee ones is truly a labor of love. By taking the time to cook for them we not only insure what they won't consume (preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, and high-fructose corn syrup), we also teach them about the cycle and art of food. But it's not always easy to find the time to cook, especially when you know who wants to cling to your leg.

One great solution is a kitchen drawer—just for the toddler in your life. It's very simple too. Just pick a drawer in your kitchen that is low and make it his or hers. Fill it with fun, colorful, non-pointy objects like spatulas, wooden spoons, mini whisks, plastic bowls, cups, and blunt cookie cutters. We call the silicone baster brush "the tickle brush," which in turn makes it hours of fun. :) Just make sure that the drawer has a catch so it can't come all the way out. Happy cooking!

Recipe:

Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins (from The Madison River Inn in Bozeman, Montana)

I love this recipe and have been making it for many years. The tofu and yogurt add that special something that makes it super satisfying. Note: This was originally a loaf recipe, but converts easily to muffins. Just watch the cook time, which will be significantly shorter when sized as muffins.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or Earth Balance, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup firm tofu
3 Tbl. plain or vanilla yogurt, or cream cheese
3 med bananas, mashed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup hot water
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

1) Lightly grease muffin pans. Stir together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
2) Blend tofu and yogurt (or cream cheese) in a blender until smooth. Add to butter and sugar and blend well. Add bananas, and stir.
3) In a clean medium bowl, add flours, salt, and baking soda. Stir to blend.
4) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Alternate adding flour mixture and hot water to the butter-banana mixture. Stir just enough to blend. After all the dry ingredients and hot water are blended, add optional walnuts, and stir lightly.
5) Pour batter into muffin tins. Place in center of oven for 20-40 minutes, checking every 5 or 10 minutes by poking a knife into the center, until it comes out clean.
6) Remove from oven, and let cool.

Product:
Green Toys BPA-Free Recycled Plastic Spoons
Lilie started eating solids with a Green Sprouts silicone spoon, which had two downsides to it: the spoon was too wide for her tiny mouth, and in time, the food smells began to "stick" to the silicone. That's why I was stoked when I found the Green Toys spoons. They are small, light, the perfect size for early eater's mouths, and so far, no food smells have leached in. Also, for the same price you'll get 8 spoons instead of one, which means you won't have to be washing spoons all day once solids become the norm. You can find the spoons at many Whole Foods Markets in the baby section, or on the internet at various stores (see link above).


"We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open." — Harry Edwards