Aleesa, what a lovely picture - she's really going for that cheesy toast isn't she!!!
Sabrina, we don't have any history of food allergies and to date it's only really been fruit/veg that Sam has been having but he did have a little Weetabix this morning (OMG - what a mess!). Like Aleesa, I'll go careful when we introduce meat as they have such delicate tummies!
Jaci, I only steam my carrots and broccoli for 7 minutes - that way they're firm enough for him to hold but soft enough that he can bite (or rather gum) off bits and chew a bit. I get a good size floret and break it down into smaller trees iykwim with a longish handle for him to hold onto. As for the cheese sauce, it's just 1oz butter melted then take off the heat and stir in a spoon of plain flour until it goes into a sort of paste (may well take more than a spoon but best to start slow), then put back onto a gentle heat and very gradually add milk. You'll feel it thicken but be warned it won't do this if you've sloshed loads of milk in - slowly slowly catchy monkey!!!! Then stir in grated cheese and Bob's Your Uncle!
Blimey, never thought I'd be giving out recipes/instructions as I've always been a disaster in the kitchen
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Here's a recipe I did yesterday with Sam for potato cakes which I got from a lady on the babyledweaning.com website. Got others too which I'll trial for you and post (if successful, don't count on it!):
Great Nanna Peg's/Nanny Annie's potato cakes
This recipe is actually the Nome's great granny's, but her Nanna makes a mean version. They are a lighter, fluffier and altogether more comforting version of tattie scones. I grew up eating them with bacon as a lovely Friday night tea - thought that they might make usable fist food, and a good vehicle for other flavourings, and the Nome shoved them into her mouth as fast as her little paws could go.
Potatoes - fluffy mashable kind
butter - unsalted, ideally
flour - I use plain, but can't see SR doing any harm
Peel, chop and boil potatoes until cooked enough to mash. Drain, and mash with a knob of butter until most of the lumps are out - don't overmash. (Add extra ingredients at this point - see below for suggestions). Add flour little by little until the dough just stops feeling sticky, but is still light and fluffy. Place on a floured board, and pat into a circle about 1 1/2 cm thick. My mum usually cuts this into wedges, but I went all posh and used a scone cutter. A complete waste of time, as the Nome rearranged them into the abstract shape of her choosing, and then shovelled them in. Anyway, put a very small amount of butter in a hot frying pan, let it lightly cover the pan, and then fry on both sides until golden brown - it's very quick.
Suggestions for additions - a good Lancashire cheese met with N's approval, and I've also made them with spinach and herbs. They'd make a good fishcake as well, I reckon, and bits of other veg would also work.
The great thing is that you can collect up the bits that litter the high chair tray, squish them together, and if your child is as laid back as mine, they'll just treat it as a brand new potato cake. I think it's good "early BLW" food, as it's very handleable, but soft enough to bite and manipulate easily for the novice baby.
When I did it I don't think I made the cake thick enough and it all ended up a bit squidgy. Sam scoffed it - I held some for him and he'd grab my hand to his mouth and chomp away. Glad I've got some uses eh!
Best go as this is turning into an essay and I don't want you all to nod off.
