toddler gastronomy

We've had crazy success with a few fun foods for the toddler, so I thought I'd share the wealth of knowledge.

Banana Cakes

I had a friend tell me this one. Whip up a small batch of pancake batter and slice a banana. Coat the banana slices in the batter and cook on the stovetop. Serve! Wesley can't quite handle the whole slice, so I cut them in half after they are cooked. They are a huge hit. A fun breakfast -- fruit and pancake in one!

Freeze-Dried Anything

Our little dude loves freeze-dried fruits. At first I got a teeny bag of something at Trader Joe's, and he inhaled them. I realized I needed a better option.

That's right, I bought a case (six) of freeze-dried fruits in #10 cans from BePrepared.com for emergencies. And the emergency is snacktime. We've currently opened the peaches and strawberries. Um, yum! Huge hit with the little guy. They are still pretty expensive ($20+ per can), but I am pretty sure that the math works out and they are a better deal than the teeny bags from Trader Joe's.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

I like fall/winter squash, but you have to do amazing things to it to make it to-die-for fabulous. The leftover for this meal were fought over! So it's a sure winner. I found the recipe in Parents Magazine, which I love. It's called Butternut Squash Casserole in the magazine:

Ingredients

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 lb. whole wheat elbows
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1-1/2 c milk
• 1-3/4 c white cheddar cheese
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss squash and oil and salt and spread out on a tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender; set aside.

2. Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions; drain and mix in bowl with squash. Meanwhile, melt butter over low heat and mix in flour.

3. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1-1/2 cups cheese; stir until melted. Stir cheese sauce into pasta and squash.

4. Spoon into 6 greased, individual ramekins (I did it all in one huge casserole bowl, so that's OK too). Sprinkle on remaining cheese; bake 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Seriously. Huge hit.

That's all for now. Just a fun post on food. Yum!