So I have recently been asked if I can share some of the kids favourite snacks and meals and I thought why not share from baby food through to the bigger kids.

Well with each of my 3 eldest I have been pretty lucky in the aspect of them liking pretty much whatever I have put in front of them but by far my best eater that will have anything and everything is my son.

When they were little I used to make a good share of their baby food and freeze it up so that it was easy to just pull out and unfreeze. All my kids started eating solids at around 4 month or just older and I no there is huge controversy on whether it should be 4 or 6 month that they start food and I think it really comes down to your preference. I decide to start feeding solids because all my kids needed it otherwise they would have been having a bottle every hour on the hour but it’s your choice.

So when I first started out making food I used a baby bullet for when they were little and went up from there to is a blender. I went simple not to overwhelm them with flavours, for breaky’s I did a Apple or banana rice porridge.

Ingredient

• 1 Banana/Apple or you could choice other fruits
• 1 cup of Rice
• 3/4 cup of Water

Method

1. Firstly I put my rice through the baby bullet to mill it down to a powder
2. I then put the water in a pot and boiled and added the milled rice and let cook until it was a good consistency and smooth
3. Once cooked I let the rice porridge cool
4. When the rice porridge has cooled enough I placed it back in my baby bullet along with my choice of fruit cut up and blended until very smooth
5. Then it’s time to eat or store away

I have also tried many a different fruit combos for lunches but all my kids mostly loved was stew or pasta bake blended up and they still love it now just not blended haha

For the stew you can put anything and everything in it. We use:

• Diced vegetables
• Rice
• Spiral pasta
• Either beef mince or diced steak
• Beef stock

1. I usually cook my mince or steak
2. Then place all ingredients in my slow cooker with water and let cook all day with just stirring every hour
3. Once cook I would put it through my baby bullet and feed or store

And my pasta bake is very simple:

• 2 cups of Diced vegetables
• 250g of Pasta of your choice
• 1 Egg
• Parmesen and Grated Cheese
• 50g of Butter
• 3 tbs of Plain Flour
• 600ml Milk
• 1kg Mince
• Bbq and Tomato sauce
• 1 Can of crushed tomatoes
• Herb if you choose

1. I get a large oven dish or a slow cooker
2. I find it easiest to have 2 pots and a pan, 1 for pasta, 1 for cheese sauce and the pan for mice
3. Cook the pasta and let cool slightly
4. While the pasta is cooking put your mince in and cook and drain any fats out of the pan once done
5. Add vegetables, Canned tomatoes, and both sauces, I also use mixed herbs and paprika but the choice is yours. With the sauce and herbs I don’t have measurements for I do it to preferred taste.
6. I then put it on a low heat and simmer until vegetables are cooked
7. Then I get the pasta and add the egg and some parmesan cheese and mix well
8. Once the pasta, egg and cheese are well combine I empty that pot into the oven dish and make it into a smooth layer at the bottom
9. Then when the mince and vegetables are all cooked I empty that on top of the pasta and make it into the second layer
10. I then let that sit while I make my cheese sauce
11. In a small pot I melt my butter and then add my flour while constantly mixing
12. I then slowly add in the milk once butter and flour are combined still constantly mixing so that it doesn’t stick to bottom of pot
13. Continue mixing until the mixture just starts to boil then take off heat and add grated cheese, the cheese is preference on how much you want to add.
14. Then place back on heat and continue to mix until all melted
15. Once the sauce is cook I pour it on top of the meat for the final layer
16. Then cook for an hour and a half in the over or place in the slow cook on low for the day
17. Then I simply took out what I want to be blended and the rest is a meal for you 🙂

Both of these recipes my kids still absolutely love and if they are being fussy and don’t want to eat I no if I put this down in front of them they will eat it all.

So now down to a couple of snacks I like to have made for the kids are pies, sausage rolls and they also love vegemite and cheese scrolls. Now I no pies and sausage rolls don’t sound like snacks but to our kids they are haha

Well my pies are made in a pie maker which makes it a whole lot easier and I literally put anything in them, I have made spaghetti pies, breaky pies and normal meats pies but I leave the top off my pies as otherwise the kids just fill up to quickly. My sausage rolls I either make with beef mince or sausage mince I guess it just depend on what I have in the house at the time.

Both my sausage rolls and and vegemite and cheese scrolls are done in my slow cooker that way I can just put them in quickly and leave them.

Hope these can be some fun recipes for some other mum’s and families out there and that your kids can love them as much as mine 🙂

Talk again soon CC ❤