 
Storing Fresh Berries
For short-term storage, keep berries refrigerated. Store them in a single layer, loosely covered, and refrigerate for a day or two. Heaping fresh berries on top of each other in a bowl can crush the fruit.
For longer storage, freezing is best. Place the berries in a single layer on a baking pan and place them in the freezer. Once they're frozen, put the berries in freezer containers or plastic freezer bags and seal. Stored this way, berries will keep in the freezer for up to a year.
Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
Original recipe yield:
10 pancakes
PREP TIME 5 Min
COOK TIME 8 Min
READY IN 13 Min
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk, plus more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon artificial sweetener
1/2 cup blueberries
DIRECTIONS
Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside. Beat together the egg, milk, salt and artificial sweetener in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened, add blueberries, and stir to incorporate.
Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking until golden brown.
Note
You may need to use more milk than 1 cup. The batter should be thin enough so that it pours, but not so thin that it's runny. We find that 1/4 cup additional milk is about the maximum needed.
Oatmeal and Wheat Flour Blueberry Pancakes
Original recipe yield:
8 servings
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 20 Min
READY IN 30 Min
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups soy milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat.
In a large bowl, mix whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, mix oats and soy milk. Whisk in eggs and olive oil. Pour into the flour mixture all at once. Continue mixing until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries.
Pour batter about 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared griddle. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbly. Flip, and continue cooking until lightly browned.
Blueberry Nut Oat Bran Muffins
Original recipe yield:
12 muffins
PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 18 Min
READY IN 45 Min
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/8 cups applesauce
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/4 ounce chopped pecans
1/2 cup low fat granola
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper muffin liners, and spray liners with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix the oat bran, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, blend the applesauce, egg substitute, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Thoroughly mix the applesauce mixture into the flour mixture. Fold in the blueberries and pecans. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle batter with granola, and press granola lightly to make it stick.
Bake 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Note: Unsweetened or sweetened applesauce both work well in this recipe.
Blueberry Gelatin Mold
Original recipe yield:
4 to 8 servings
PREP TIME 10 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs 10 Min
INGREDIENTS
2 cups boiling water
1 (6 ounce) package raspberry flavored gelatin mix
1 (15 ounce) can blueberries
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 pint sour cream
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir 2 cups boiling water into the raspberry gelatin until dissolved. Mix in blueberries and pineapple and pour into a 2 quart mold. Let set in refrigerator until firm (about 2 hours).
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Spread over the set gelatin and sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired. Refrigerate until serving.
Blueberry Bread
Original recipe yield:
1 - 5 x 12 inch loaf
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr
READY IN 1 Hr 10 Min
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS
Mix together beaten eggs with the sugar. Add milk and melted shortening or vegetable oil.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Combine mixtures, stirring only until blended. Carefully fold in fresh or frozen blueberries and broken walnut pieces.
Pour into greased 5 x 12 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan but try to turn it out of pan before it is totally cool. It will be easier to remove. Can also be made in a normal size loaf pan or can be made into 2 pans.
Lemon Berry Smoothie
Original recipe yield:
4 servings
PREP TIME 5 Min
READY IN 5 Min
INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) container blueberry nonfat yogurt
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon powdered lemonade mix
DIRECTIONS
Place yogurt, milk, ice cubes, blueberries, strawberries, and lemonade mix in a blender. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
Red, White and Blue Ambrosia
Original recipe yield:
10 cups
PREP TIME 20 Min
READY IN 4 Hrs 20 Min
INGREDIENTS
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 pint fresh blueberries
3 cups miniature marshmallows
DIRECTIONS
Combine the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Whip with an electric mixer until thick but not grainy. Mix in sour cream.
Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flaked coconut, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and marshmallows until everything is evenly distributed. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving. It tastes best if chilled overnight.
Red, White and Blueberry Cake
Source: Ladies' Home Journal
Ingredients:
2-3/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups milk
3 cups blueberries, divided
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons water, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners¿ sugar
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
Mint sprigs, for garnish, (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with wax paper; grease again and flour.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and the 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. At low speed, add milk to batter alternately with dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until cakes pull away from sides of pans and spring back when lightly touched. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, peel off wax paper and cool completely.
4. For the filling, combine 2 cups of the blueberries, the 2/3 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of the water in large saucepan. Bring to full boil, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, stir remaining 3 tablespoons water into cornstarch in a cup. Add to blueberry mixture, stirring constantly, and return to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and remaining 1 cup berries. Set pan in large bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally, until cold, or transfer to a shallow container and refrigerate uncovered 1 hour.
5. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread half the blueberry mixture on top. Arrange second cake layer on top; spread with remaining blueberry mixture and top with third cake layer. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 3 hours at room temperature to set (or refrigerate up to 24 hours).
6. For the topping, beat cream with the confectioners' sugar in large bowl with electric mixer to stiff peaks. Spread on top of cake. Top with strawberries. Garnish with mint, if desired. Makes 12 servings.
Red, White, and Blue Tart
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
1 20-roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
Coarse sugar
1 14-ounce can (1-1/3 cups) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup dairy sour cream or light dairy sour cream
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon or lime peel
1/3 cup lemon or lime juice
1 cup fresh blueberries or blackberries
2 cups fresh red raspberries or 3 cups fresh strawberry halves
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. For crust, generously grease the bottom of an 11x8x1-1/2-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom or an 11- to 12-inch pizza pan; lightly grease sides. With floured hands, pat half of the dough onto bottom and up the side of the pan.
2. For cookies, on a lightly floured surface roll out the remaining half of the dough to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using small star cutters, cut into shapes. Place cutouts on an ungreased baking sheet. Re-roll trimmings and cut. Sprinkle half with coarse sugar.
3. Bake crust and cookies until golden, allowing 4 to 5 minutes for small cookies and 12 minutes for crust. Cool on a wire rack.
4. For filling, in a mixing bowl combine condensed milk, sour cream, lemon or lime peel, and juice. Stir about 3 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Cover and chill until ready to assemble tart.
5. To assemble tart, loosen and remove sides of pan from crust, if desired. Transfer crust to a platter, leaving bottom of pan under crust. Before serving, spread filling onto crust. Top with berries and cookies. Cut into squares. Makes 12 servings.
6. Tip: Decorate cookies that don't fit on the tart with canned frosting tinted red or blue.
4th of July Flags Cookies
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Red paste food coloring
Canned creamy white frosting
Blue decorator gel
Directions:
1. Beat butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon.
2. Divide dough in half. Into one half, stir red food coloring until well mixed and desired color. Divide red dough and plain dough into thirds. Line the bottom and two sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan with waxed paper. Place one portion of red dough between two pieces of waxed paper. Roll or pat dough into a 7x2-inch rectangle. Remove waxed paper. Place in bottom of prepared loaf pan. Gently pat dough to edges of pan. Repeat rolling and patting with remaining portions of dough, alternating red and plain dough. Cover loaf pan with plastic wrap. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. To bake, grasp the waxed paper to lift the dough out of the loaf pan. With a sharp knife, slice the dough crosswise into three equal parts. Then, starting at the short end of each part, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool. Spread a 1-inch square of white frosting on the upper left corner of each flag. Make a star in the center of each frosting square with blue decorator gel. Makes about 36 cookies.
Fourth of July Cherry-Cola Cake
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
1 pkg. 2-layer size German chocolate cake mix
Cherry cola
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
1 recipe Celebration Icing (see below)
10 to 12 dark sweet cherries with stems
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions except substitute cherry cola for the liquid called for and add ground ginger and lime peel. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
2. Use a serrated knife to cut top of cake level. Trim edges of cake. Discard trimmed pieces. Cut cake in half lengthwise into two 13x4-1/2-inch rectangles. Place one rectangle on a serving platter. Spread with tinted icing. Top with second rectangle. Spread with white icing. Refrigerate cake for 1 hour or until icing is set. Wrap cake in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours before serving. Top each slice with a cherry. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Celebration Icing: This recipe is based a 1-lb. box (about 4-1/2 cups) of powdered sugar. In a medium mixing bowl beat 1/3 cup butter with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 2 cups powdered sugar. Divide the mixture in half. To half of the recipe beat in 2 tablespoons cherry spreadable fruit and red food coloring to make a pink icing. Gradually beat in enough powdered sugar for spreading consistency. To remaining half add enough powdered sugar for spreading consistency.
Red, White & Blueberry Parfaits
Ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Sugar Free Low Calorie Gelatin, any red flavor
1 cup cold water
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1-1/2 cups blueberries
Directions:
1. Stir boiling water into gelatin in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Pour into 13x9-inch pan.
2. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
3. Cut gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes. Reserve 1 cup whipped topping for garnish. Layer blueberries, remaining whipped topping and gelatin cubes into 8 dessert glasses. Garnish with reserved whipped topping. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.
Sparkling Stars
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
3 - 3-ounce package red or blue fruit-flavored gelatin
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
4 cups water, apple juice, or white grape juice
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, stir together flavored and unflavored gelatin; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, apple juice, or white grape juice to boiling; pour into gelatin mixture in bowl. Stir constantly for several minutes or until completely dissolved. Pour mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Chill in the refrigerator about 1 hour or until gelatin is set. Use a cookie cutter to cut into star shapes or cut into 1-1/2-inch squares. Makes twenty to twenty-four 2-inch stars or 48 squares.
Creamy Stars: Prepare gelatin as above, except use sparkling white grape-flavored gelatin and 3 cups water. When gelatin is dissolved, stir in 1 cup dairy sour cream. Chill and serve the gelatin as directed.
Red, White and Blue Potatoes
Source: Midwest Living
Ingredients:
2 medium red potatoes
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Milk
Directions:
1. Prick potatoes with a fork. Brush with cooking oil. Place potatoes on a microwave-safe plate in microwave oven.
2. Microcook on 100 percent power (high) for 3 minutes. Turn potatoes; microcook for 3 to 4 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Halve lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving thin shell.
3. In a large bowl, beat together potato pulp, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the walnuts until combined. Add milk to make desired consistency (1 to 2 tablespoons). Spoon into shells.
4. Arrange filled shells on microwave-safe plate. Microcook on high for 2 to 3 minutes to heat. Top with remaining cheese and nuts. Makes 4 side-dish servings.
Easy Picnic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients:
1 pkg.(7-1/4 oz.) Kraft macaroni & cheese dinner
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped sweet pickles or relish
1/4 cup chopped onion
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1 medium tomato, chopped
Directions:
1. Prepare macaroni & cheese as directed on package.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
3. Add additional dressing just before serving, if desired; mix lightly.
For a special look: Prepare as directed. Press firmly into 6-cup ring mold; cover. Refrigerate several hours. Unmold before serving.
Tarragon Coleslaw Salad
Source: Ladies' Home Journal
Ingredients:
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (or white-wine vinegar with 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 head (3 lbs.) green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded carrots
Directions:
1. Whisk together orange juice, vinegar, oil, tarragon, salt, sugar and pepper in large bowl. Add cabbage and carrots; toss to combine. Serve immediately or chill up to 4 hours. Makes 20 servings.
Boston Bean Salad
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups torn curly endive
2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
Directions:
1. Combine beans, celery, and green onion in a large bowl or container.
2. For dressing, combine vinegar, molasses, oil, mustard, and pepper in a screw-top jar. Cover and shake well to mix. Pour dressing over bean mixture; stir to coat. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Place endive and bacon in separate self-sealing plastic bags, seal. Transport bean mixture, endive, and bacon in an insulated cooler with ice packs.
3. To serve, stir curly endive and bacon into bean mixture. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bean mixture to a salad bowl. Makes 10 to 12 side-dish servings.
Finger-Lickin' Barbecue Chicken
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks)
1-1/2 cups dry sherry
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 15-ounce can tomato puree
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Directions:
1. Place chicken in a self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a medium bowl stir together sherry, onion, lemon juice, garlic, and bay leaves. Pour over chicken; seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Cover and chill chicken until ready to grill.
2. For sauce, in a large saucepan combine the reserved marinade, the tomato puree, honey, molasses, salt, thyme, red pepper, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups. Remove from heat; remove bay leaves. Stir in vinegar.
3. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above the pan by holding hand over coals for 4 seconds. Place chicken pieces, bone sides down, on grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 50 to 60 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, brushing with some of the sauce during the last 15 minutes of grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above.) To serve, reheat and pass the remaining sauce with chicken. Makes 6 servings.
Easy Picnic Pitas
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups chopped cucumber
1-1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
6 pita breads, cut in half
Cheese slices
Thinly-sliced deli meats (ham, turkey etc.)
Pickles
Directions:
Mix cucumbers, tomatoes and dressing.
Spoon 2 Tbsp. cucumber mixture into each pita half. Fill with remaining ingredients.
Worms & Eyeballs
Ingredients:
1 Package of Ramen Noodles
A can of peas
Serving Size : 2
Follow the directions on the package of Ramen Noodles. After cooking strain water out of ramen noodles & add cooked peas.
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Puzzle Sandwich
Make your child's favorite sandwich with peanut butter, jelly, honey, tuna,
cold meat or other favorite. Cut the sandwich into several pieces & allow your child to piece it back together.
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A Good Egg
Ingredients:
2 Boiled Eggs
1/2 teaspoon of Butter
SaltCrush the boiled egg with a fork. Add Butter & Salt. Best when served
warm.
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Worms in Dirt
1 bag of gummy worms
Plastic cups (preferably clear)
crushed Oreo cookies.
Pour crushed Oreo cookies into individual plastic cups.
"Bury" worms in the crushed Oreo cookies. Serve.
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Goofy's Slurpin' Slurpee
4 cup ice cubes
1 1/2 - 2 cup water
1 pkg. Kool-Aid unsweetened drink-mix (any flavor)
3/4-1 cup sugar
Place all ingredients into a blender, water first. Blend on low speed,
gradually walking the speed up to high. Blend 1-3 minutes. Serve
immediately.
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Max's Mambo Marshmallows
1 pkg. large marshmallows
1 tub ready-made chocolate frosting
Put frosting in glass bowl. Melt in microwave for 1 minute; stir;
continue to heat at 30 second intervals until completely melted. Poke
toothpicks into marshmallows and dip into melted frosting. Cool on wax
paper.
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PJ's Peanutty Banana Sandwich
2 slices of bread
1 banana, peeled and cut into slices
1 tbsp. peanut butter
Spread peanut butter on both slices of bread. Top with banana slices and
cut sandwich into quarters. Pete's Grump-buster Crazy Cake
2 (29 oz.) cans sliced peaches w/ juice
1 package yellow cake mix
1 C. chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 C. melted butter
Preheat oven to 350°. In baking pan, layer the ingredients in order. Bake for 1 hour.
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Green Beans - Age 4 Months
Top, tail, remove any stringy beans and cut into 100g(4oz) beans diagonally into thin slices. Steam them until tender(approx 8-10 minutes), then put in a blender and process. Add a little boiled water or baby/breast milk to make a smooth puree. You can use any variety of green beans but smaller, younger ones are more tender. When your baby gets older, green beans make great finger foods
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Baby Teething Crackers
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (try a little less first)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In food processor or in large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Blend in enough of the milk to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball.
On a floured surface or pastry cloth, roll into a rectangle about 3/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 x 3-inch rectangles. Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick each cracker 2 or 3 times with the tines of a fork. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the crackers are thoroughly dry. Cool on a rack. These crackers should be hard. If necessary, put them back in the oven for a few minutes.
Yields 10 to 15.
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Baby Jigglers
This serves one baby for days.
1 envelope unflavored gelatine
1 cup hot milk or soy milk
4 ounces cream cheese
2 cups of any combination of the following:
Shredded cooked zucchini, squash, onions, eggplant,
carrots, green beans, peas, or any other vegetable;
chopped cooked apples, pears, peaches, apricots,
mangoes, plums, berries, or any other fruit
Salt and/or granulated sugar, to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice, if desired
In a blender or food processor process the gelatin and milk for 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and lemon juice (if using) and process for 10 seconds. Add the fruits and/or vegetables and blend until thoroughly puréed. Don't over process or this will become foamy. Pour into an 8-inch square or loaf pan and chill until firm. Cut into squares and serve.
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Carrot Puree
1 carrot
1/4 teaspoon sweet butter
Scrub the carrot thoroughly and chop into pieces. Put into a small saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Boil until the carrot is very tender and mushy (about 30 minutes).
Place the carrot in a blender or food processor and add the butter and a little bit of the cooking water. Blend until smooth.
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Home Made Organic Baby Cereal
Using a food processor or blender, blend organic brown rice until it is finely ground, like a flour. Boil some water in a saucepan with a lid, about 2 cups, slowly whisk in about 1/4 cup of the rice flour. Cover and turn down to minimum heat. Stir every 2 minutes for 10 minutes.
This will last in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. As your baby gets older, you can begin using all sorts of different grains and then legumes such as brown rice, oatmeal, millet, garbanzo beans and black beans. Just blend into flour and cook.
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Banana Farina
1 small ripe banana
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups Cream of Wheat farina
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
Boil water in a medium-size pot. Stir in the farina. Cook until the cereal is thick (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Put cereal, banana, applesauce and sugar into a blender. Blend until smooth. If the cereal is not cool enough, let cool. Add cereal to a bowl.
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Zwieback Biscuits
For 10 months or older.
1/2 cup formula or breast milk (whole milk
for babies over 12 months)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground anise (or cinnamon)
3 unbeaten eggs
3 cups unbleached flour (may use white,
but it has less nutrients)
Heat the formula or milk until very hot, but not boiling (scald). Set aside and let it cool to lukewarm.
Add yeast to the milk. Stir until well blended and let it rest for 6 minutes.
Add the sugar, butter, anise (or cinnamon) and eggs. Stir until well blended. Add enough flour to handle the dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth, adding flour as needed. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into strips 1 inch wide, then cut the strips to 3 inches long. Place on a buttered cookie sheet, 1 and a half inches apart. Let rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake biscuits for 20 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool.
Makes about 18.
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Chicken and Rice
For 10 months or older.
1/4 pound ground chicken*
1/2 cup peeled and chopped zucchini
1/2 cup sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup frozen, fresh or canned corn
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1 cup long grain, enriched rice
3 cups water
Boil chicken in water for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Mash or purée to serve.
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Pedialyte Substitute
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon salt substitute
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Mix all in 1 liter of boiled water.
Feed 1 liter daily to supplement the regular nutrition of a baby six months or older with severe diarrhea.
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Toddler Slushies
For 18 months or older.
Ice
Fruit juice or juice concentrate
Crush ice in blender to make snow. Use an ice cream scoop to shape and pack “snowballs” and place in bowls or use paper cups for easy cleanup. Pour fruit juice or juice concentrate over snowballs.
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Vegetable Custard
Source: The Complete New Guide to Preparing Baby Foods - Sue Castle (Bantam Books)
For babies 6-12 months.
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon whole wheat or enriched flour
1/4 cup hot milk
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup cooked, mashed vegetables
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 custard cups.
Melt butter in medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add hot milk and nonfat dry milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir a small amount of hot sauce into egg in small size bowl, then mix egg into rest of sauce. Add mashed vegetables. Pour mixture into custard cups. Place the cups in a pan of hot water that comes up to level of mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Store covered in the refrigerator.
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Teething Sticks
2/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup plain, untoasted wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour
Beat together the milk, butter and sugar. Stir in the wheat germ and enough flour to make a dough. Knead until smooth and satiny, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Pinch off balls of dough and roll them into sticks about 1/2 inch thick and 4 inches long. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until browned and hard.
Yields 20.
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Rice Pudding
For 6 to 9 months.
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup warmed milk
Couple drops vanilla extract
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Combine all ingredients. Cook very gently for 10 minutes until the rice is heated through. Check the temperature before serving.
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Chicken Stew
For 10 months and older.
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1 cup water
1/4 pound ground chicken (may use boneless breast
cut into cubes if it will be puréed)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup yellow squash or summer squash,
peeled and chopped
1/4 cup prepared barley (prepared according to
package directions)
Bring chicken and water to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Add vegetables. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add prepared barley. Mash or purée, depending on desired consistency. The stew may be seasoned mildly with herbs or salt.
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