TWO FOR ONE! {Honest Food}

So recently I've been whipping this up in the kitchen for Stanley to save me time and to give him several yummy and healthy meals for when he is not eating with us. It is a great way to cook as you start with the same base and make at least two different dinners with it. It is also fully adjustable depending on what your kiddos like to eat, and what you have kicking around at the back of the fridge!

So to start chop up all the veg you are using. For this recipe I think it is best to stick to similar vegetable themes if that even makes any sense! So this version I guess was more mediterranean. But you could totally do this with more Autumnal root veggies.

You want to cut up the veg fairly small as although one will be blended the other remains as it is so it is better if they are bite size. This is what we had and what Stanley likes. I have also used Aubergine and prefer red onion but we only had white. Stanley doesn't like broccoli and can spot those floret heads a mlie off so I stay clear!

Mix well with olive oil, coconut or rapeseed and season with some pepper if you like. Make sure your pan is nice and full as the veg will shrink down when roasted. My pan measures 34cm by 28cm.

Then pop into an oven at about 200-220C and roast for about 40 mins, or until your veg looks like this...

Now as this post is quite long and photo heavy you can click below to read the rest!

HONEST FOOD

Things seem better this time around. Perhaps I've chilled out a bit without really meaning too, and maybe all the conversations with this lady and her little Hooper have helped me feel more sane! On the whole Stanley seems to be eating a bit more, and in one sitting. Hoorah! He is understanding the phrase "all done" and he now uses it himself when he's finished. He's pretty clear that he is in fact most definitely all done, if I even try to put another spoonful his way his little face screws up in disgust! This is fine by me, by no means do I want this to become a future battleground, so when he says enough, I just stop. If I think he's proabbly eaten enough and is not being picky I offer him pudding - some fruit, a sweet rice cake or a yogurt. If I think he's being difficult then no pudding is offered.
He is trier though I'll give him that. This week he decided he was into olives and radishes since myself and Ben were eating them for lunch and he wanted them too. So that is good, he is never put off from a first taste and I've realised that something may take at least 4 goes before it is fully accepted. I am only giving him things I'd be happy to eat after so I don't have a complete melt down over food wastage.

cucumber, fish fingers, courgette polpettes (has never eaten them...)

roasted tomato and veg pasta with orzo (he eats this pasta, but not rice???!!!)

pancakes with raspberries - he at last likes pancakes!

soya burger with cheese, veggie fingers and corn on the cob

beans, scrambled egg and toast (note the toast is untouched)

lentils in a tomato sauce with peas

sweet potato cakes, humous and peas

home made pizza with tomato, pesto and cheese

So a few other things...he refuses to wear a bib, always needs a toy with him at the table (eating is just sooooo very boring by itself, right?!) he also normally needs to feed the toy or car some of his food and almost always stands up at some point in between mouthfulls. He also exclaimed this week when I pointed to his peas (I point to everything on his plate and say what it is so he is not suspicious) "I like peas!", I was like, oh good!

Hope all of you that are having fun with your picky eaters had a good week. As always feel free to share tips, recipes, woes here in the comment section or link back your site! Happy feeding everyone!

♥ S & s

HONEST FOOD

Another post to do with my child and how he eats. It seems to be the one thing I really obsess over and worry about. Occasionly, even if I've had a good day, the whole feeding ritual can really ruin it for me. Mainly I find it boring, a little tedious perhaps...is that a bad thing to say? Sometimes I find it frustrating, wasteful. And more often than not, time consuming. I'm always grateful for Tuesdays. Tuesday morning Stanley goes to nursery from 8-12.30pm. The one day I have two meals taken off my hands, suddenly not my problem, and boy oh boy it is such a relief!

Chickpea, carrot, pea tomato stew with paprika and cumin and avocado and mash

tuna mayo on toast with cucumber and leek, cauliflower cheese 'sausages'
{such a random lunch. poor child. although i ate the same...a nothing in the house kind of day! notice how he scraped off the tuna leaving all the toast...}

grilled chicken, cauliflower, cucumber and chickpea patties 

leftover aubergine, mango noodles from this ottolenghi recipe
{he HATED the aubergine, but ate all the mango off my plate too}

Pesto pea pasta, chicken, blueberries and yogurt
{lunch on the move}

Spaghetti bolognese and yoghurt
{ALWAYS a winner!)

On the whole though he is getting slowly better, I think. I'm still on occasion chasing him round the house, trying to shove food in his mouth every time he runs past me. It seems that no matter how hard I try, that feeling of motherly instinct that I simply must feed my child means I lose the battle to remain calm and discipline him in the same way I would if he was throwing things or hitting. When it comes to meal times I seem to lose my sensible logic, I panda to his whims, to his mischief. I let him get down out of the high chair so he can run around and yet still have food put in his mouth. It is like it is too boring to just sit there and eat. Anyway, I'm getting a bit stricter, and since his vocabulary has improved vastly I am now confident he undersatands full well what I'm saying. The phrase, "all done?" seems to work well with him, hinting that now when he leaves the table, that is it. No more food. No more me runnning about him while he plays and I still feed him. Not only is it is messy, it takes forever! I also feel he should be feeding himself a bit more, taking control of the spoon. He does with a few things, like yogurt or scrambled egg. I'm slowly moving away from me shovelling the food into his mouth while he does a puzzle or plays with his toy cars! Arghhhhh!! I swear, next baby is going to be fed baby led weaning style....I'm sure that'll be a better idea. Right? Right??!!!

If anyone wants to share their links to any 'before & after' feeding pictures I'd love to see them, so put your link in the comments section. Or, any successful feeding tips or toddler friendly recipes - always happy to hear those too!

I really relate to the feeding stories on this blog. It seems I have similar battles to this Mum feeding her little Hooper. It's a beautiful blog by the way, so check it out if you get a chance...

Final chance to enter my giveaway!!! I will be choosing the winner Sunday night by Random.org and announcing the winner sometime on Monday with a blog post on my bicycle and bike seat for Stanley as some of you asked before what make I had decided on.