Tuesday- November 30, 2010

Breakfast
Cereal
Vanilla yogurt
Grapes and strawberries



Lunch
Yakisoba- with tofu, green bean, carrots and napa cabbage
Pear

Dinner
Pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce and meatball
Peas with cheddar cheese
Apples and grapes

Monday- November 29, 2010

Breakfast
Oatmeal with apples
Hard boiled egg
Apple and grapes
Monkey Bread

Note: The leftover monkey bread was not intended for the girls, but they saw me eating it and insisted on having some. Gotta come up with another special occasion to make it again!

Lunch
Pizza with tomato, mushroom, spinach, sausage and Parmesan cheese
Strawberries

Dinner
Whole wheat bread
Scrambled egg with peas
Saute carrots
Pear
Vanilla yogurt and pear

Sunday- November 28, 2010

Breakfast
Peanut butter jelly sandwich
Hard boiled quail eggs
Vanilla yogurt with pear
Pear

Lunch
Dim sum
Whole wheat crackers
Grapes and strawberries

Note: One perk about living in the Bay Area is that we have very easy access to good dim sum! The girls love the cha shu pork bun, turnip cake and sticky rice with chicken wrapped in leaves. We were very proud that the girls did so well in the restaurant today.

Dinner
Baked sweet potato fries
Saute green beans
scrambled eggs
Grapes and strawberries

Saturday- November 27, 2010

Yay, Farmers market day!!

Breakfast
Cereal
Banana
Strawberry yogurt

Lunch
Strawberry pancakes
Sweet peas and cheddar
Quail eggs
Strawberries

Dinner
Pasta with tomato, salmon, spinach and peas
Apples, strawberries and grapes

Friday- November 26, 2010

Breakfast
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Vanilla yogurt with strawberry and banana
Banana, grapes and strawberries

Lunch
Quiche with bacon and spinach
Monkey bread
Pear

Here are some pictures of the Monkey bread that I made for the first time today. It was fun to make and definitely tasty. Not recommended for babies on a regular basis though.


The Monkey bread didn't make it out in one piece.


Dinner
Pizza with tomato, green bell pepper and sausage (made by Daddy)
Persimmons

Thursday- November 25, 2010

Gobble gobble! Happy Thanksgiving!

Breakfast
Oatmeal with apple
Vanilla yogurt
Apple and grapes

Lunch
Fried rice with peas, carrots, eggs and sausage
Cranberry salad with celery, walnuts, orange and pineapple

Dinner
The girls sat with the adults and had a real Thanksgiving dinner!! The menu included:
Roasted Turkey with gravy
Sweet potato
Rolls
Cauliflower with bacon and scallion
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry salad
Creme Brulee
Chocolate mousse

Their favorites were the desserts, probably because they had never had them before. Interestingly, one preferred creme brulee and the other preferred chocolate mousse. They were not big fans of the turkey, but asked for many more bites of the green bean, which I brought. Yay, mama! I personally liked the cauliflower dish the most. Gotta learn that dish!

Wednesday- November 24, 2010

Breakfast
Cereals (with milk)
Scrambled eggs
Strawberry and grapes

Lunch
Pasta with tomato, carrots, spinach and peas
Scrambled eggs
Oranges
Banana

Dinner
Crustless quiche with spinach, peas and sausage
Vanilla yogurt
Pear

Tuesday- November 23, 2010

Breakfast
Peanut butter jelly sandwich
Vanilla yogurt
Strawberry and grapes

Lunch
Pizza- with tomato, green bell pepper and sausage
Pear

Snack
Apple crisp

Dinner
Pasta with tomato, carrots and spinach
Sweet peas
Scrambled egg
Persimmons

Monday, November 22, 2010

Breakfast
Strawberry cupcake
Hard boiled egg
Strawberry and apple

Lunch
French toast
Tomatoes
Oranges and grapes

Dinner
Red rice (with sausage, green pepper and tomato sauce)
Celery, tomato, peas with cheddar cheese
Pears

Sunday- November 21, 2010

Breakfast
Oatmeal with strawberry and banana
Banana and grapes

Lunch
Baked sweet potato fries
Eggs and spinach
Tomatoes
Strawberries and grapes

Snack
Strawberry cupcakes

Dinner
Chicken soup Provencal
Peas with cheddar cheese
Yogurt with strawberries
Pears

Saturday- November 20, 2010

Breakfast
Cereals
Banana
Strawberry yogurt

Lunch
Pasta with salmon, tomato and peas
Tomatoes
Parano cheese
Strawberries



Note: Yay!! Our kitchen is loaded with farmers market goodness again!!

Dinner
Pizza-
1) Tomato, red pepper, onion, sausage and spinach
2) Tomato, onion and spinach seasoned with cinnamon, all spice and Parmesan cheese
Strawberries and grapes



Note: The girls really liked the pizza today and ate nearly both of the pizza! I think they really missed the nice tomatoes from the farmers market!

Friday- November 19, 2010

Breakfast
Peanut butter jelly sandwich on Brioche
Vanilla yogurt
Banana
Prune

Lunch
Quiche: 1) Spinach and sausage 2) Salmon and peas
Pear

Dinner
Teriyaki chicken fried rice
Vanilla yogurt with pear and apple
Apples

Thursday- November 18, 2010

Breakfast
Banana bread
Vanilla yogurt
Pears and strawberry

Note: The girls didn't seem to like pears that were not super ripe, so I ended up pureeing it. It was amazing how quickly it turned brown. The girls liked it though!

Lunch
Baked sweet potato fries
Eggs with spinach
Grapes

Dinner
Pasta with salmon, tomato and peas
Brioche
Persimmons

Note: As I mentioned a few days ago, we are suffering from the lack of farmers market goods this week. Today I really had to be creative. I found a piece of salmon in the freezer and thought it might be fun to make a pasta dish with it.

Here's how I made it:

1) Cook diced shallot in EVOO and added peeled and diced vine tomatoes. Salt and pepper were added to season.
2) Add chicken broth and cook for a few minutes until the liquid evaporated.
3) Add diced poached salmon and cooked elbow pasta and cook for a few minutes.
4) Stir in heavy cream and add frozen peas.
5) Add some lemon juice for flavor.
6) Optional: Add grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

It turned out pretty tasty and not too heavy. Most importantly, the girls ate it!

Wednesday- November 17, 2010

We are focusing on getting the intestines moving again today. Lots of banana and prunes will be fed to the girls.

Breakfast
Oatmeal with banana
Cheerio
Hard boiled quail egg
Oranges and prunes

Lunch
Banana bread- new recipe from Cooks Illustrated
Curry Egg salad
Celery
Grapes

Dinner
I am trying a new recipe, Indian curry tonight. I am not sure if the girls will eat the curry at all, so there's plan B.

Plan A-
Indian style curry with potatoes, cauliflower, peas and chickpeas
Apples

Plan B-
Banana bread
Peas with cheddar cheese
Chicken and stars (Earth's Best baby food)
Apples

Tuesday- November 16, 2010

Breakfast
Cereal
Hard boiled quail eggs
Apples

Lunch
Yakisoba with shitake mushrooms, cabbage, red pepper and eggs
Grapes



Dinner
Chicken and rice with peas
Tomatoes
Grapes and persimmons

Note: The chicken and rice with peas recipe comes from the Cooks Illustrated 30 minute meal recipe. The rice was cooked with chicken, broth and the flavorful onion and garlic. It's an easy and tasty dish. One of the girls really liked both the chicken and the rice.

Monday- November 15, 2010

As I mentioned before, I didn't think my girls eat enough fiber and protein while we were on the road, so today's diet will be rich in fiber and protein. (Also, we didn't get to go to the farmers market last weekend, so we are a bit low on options today)

Breakfast
Oatmeal with banana
Pear
Cheerio
Vanilla yogurt with strawberries and banana

Note: Lets get the intestines moving!!

Lunch
Crustless quiche with mushrooms, zucchini and spinach
Persimmons

Dinner
"Mac and Cheese" with sweet potatoes and carrots
Sweet peas
Orange

Traveling and Eating in a Restaurant

Last weekend we took a road trip to L.A. meeting up with friends from Texas. Every time we were away from home, I worried about the girls' diet. Eating in a restaurant with two little kids is not fun. Besides the issue of cleanliness in food preparation and appropriate selection for kids, we adults are so caught up with keeping the kids calm that we often just give them whatever keeps them happy. In my experience, this means starch: noodles, rice cake, bread, or pancakes. Occasionally they get eggs or fish if things are prepared in bite size. On a bad day, the girls might not be interested in adult food at all.

The past few times when we had to stay in a hotel, I decided to bring some items that did not require strict refrigeration. Washed whole fruits (apples, banana, grapes), hard boiled eggs, homemade bread or muffins are pretty convenient. For this specific trip, I made a loaf brioche and a dozen pumpkin muffins. Pasta is also convenient for the first meal on the road and it can be easily fed to babies in the car without too much mess. For their snack, I packed cereals, puffs, Gerber's non-refrigerated yogurt and rice cracker. Most baby cereals today are heavily fortified and high in fiber, so they are great for traveling. Although my girls don't eat canned baby food anymore, I like to bring those along in case we don't get good nutritious meals on the road. The girls found it fun to be a baby again.

In terms of utensils, we brought along small paper plates, small plastic forks, spoons, knives and a peeler. Oh, and don't forget the sanitizing wipes for wiping the high chairs and tables at the restaurants. Because my girls are still drinking lots of milk in their straw cups, I also travel with dish detergent, sponge and a small straw brush.

It is quite a hassle to drag so much food for a short trip, but I do feel good when my girls are eating healthy clean food that I make.

Thursday- November 11, 2010

Breakfast
Strawberry cupcakes
Vanilla yogurt
Asian pear and banana

Lunch
"Fried rice" with peas, carrots, zucchini
Scrambled eggs
Tomatoes
Plum and strawberries



Note: The fried rice today was experimental, since it is Thursday and I am running out of my usual ingredients! I first cooked minced onion and garlic in heated oil then added finely diced carrots and zucchini. Cold cooked rice was added and stirred until separated. Here I added a bit of chicken stock for additional nutrient and flavor, then I added frozen peas. Normally I add eggs to my fried rice, but today I made scrambled eggs on the side. The flavor was different from my usual fried rice made with Taiwanese sausage, and the girls ate quite a bit of it!

dinner
Sweet potato fries
Egg with spinach
Tomatoes
Grapes and persimmons

Wednesday- November 10, 2010

Breakfast
Oatmeal with banana
Cheerio
Banana and grapes

Lunch
Quiche with spinach, mushrooms, zucchini and smoked sausage
Pears
Yogurt with strawberries

Snack
Strawberry cupcakes

Dinner
Yakisoba
Tomatoes
Oranges

Tuesday- November 9, 2010

Breakfast
Oatmeal with strawberries, milk and maple syrup
Cheerio
Pear

Lunch
Buttermilk pancakes with apple and almond
Tomatoes
Oranges

Dinner
Oyako-don
Sweet peas
Tomatoes
Brussels Sprouts with Shitake mushrooms
Apples and persimmons

Monday- November 8, 2010

Breakfast
Peanut butter jelly sandwich with homemade brioche
Vanilla yogurt with strawberries
Pears

Lunch
Scrambled eggs
Elbow pasta with puree tomatoes, carrots, spinach, milk and Parmesan cheese

Dinner
Butternut squash soup
Southern spoon bread
Grapes and Oranges

Note: The butternut squash soup was pretty tasty. Girls enjoyed dipping things in it, including bread, grapes and oranges. Spoon bread was ok, but I don't think I will bother with it again.

Sunday- November 7, 2010

It's cold and rainy out... I just want to stay in and bake all day. But of course, we have to go out and look at houses. One bonus of a cold rainy day was that girls slept late! They didn't make a peep until after 8 and it's the day light saving time!

Breakfast
Strawberry and cream oatmeal
scrambled eggs
Grapes and plums
Oranges

Lunch
Quiche with zucchini, spinach, mushrooms and smoked sausage
Tomatoes
Persimmons

Dinner
Chicken Provencal
Sweet peas
Tomatoes
Grapes and plums

Note: I have been thinking about a soup, and I can't place where I had it before or where I have seen the recipe. Very frustrating!! The soup has grilled chicken, spinach and rigatoni cut up in small segments... ARGH! WHAT IS IT?

Saturday- November 6, 2010

Today is Daddy's day... Mama was out with a friend. She only prepared breakfast and gave instruction for lunch and dinner.

Breakfast
Oatmeal and apple with maple syrup
Apples
Strawberry yogurt

Lunch
Strawberry pancakes
Tomatoes
Strawberries and grapes

Dinner
Pizza both Mediterranean and Italian styles
Strawberries and grapes

Friday-November 5, 2010

At the end of the week, I often suffer the lack of ingredients, since we shop at the farmers market on Saturdays. Today is one of those days.... I have no big tomatoes, no banana, no organic yogurt and no bread. Gotta be creative here!

Breakfast
Cereal
Hard boiled egg
Plum

Note: I know the girls aren't really into hard boiled eggs lately, so I gave them the whole egg with shell. They love playing with it and a big bite usually follows the cracking and peeling of the egg.

Lunch
Baked sweet potato fries
Chickpeas
Steamed Brussel Sprouts and carrots with mayo dip
Persimmons



Note: Last time I made the sweet potato fries, the girls seemed to have a bit of trouble with the skin. Even though I know the skin contains good nutrients, I peeled them off this time to seeif the girls would like it better. As soon as they chew better, the skin is back on!!

Dinner
Brioche bread
Tomatoes
Egg with zucchini, smoked sausage and cheddar cheese
Plums

Thursday- November 4, 2010

Today was a busy day. We took a long trip to visit my aunt and uncle up in the East Bay, so the girls' lunch was simplified and served in the car.

Breakfast
Pumpkin muffin
Asian pear
Vanilla yogurt

Lunch
"Mac and Cheese"
Asian pear

Note: I personally think Mac and Cheese has no nutritional value, and I am not sure why it often appears on children's menu. Young toddlers can easily feed themselves Mac and Cheese though, and that's why I prepared it today for the girls' lunch in the car.

My version of Mac and Cheese contains puree streamed carrots and sweet potato/yam plus milk. Honestly I can't tell sweet potato and yam apart, but either one gives a sweet taste and beautiful color with carrots. If color isn't a concern, other vegetables can easily be added for better nutrition and flavor. Simply add the puree to cooked elbow pasta and cook on the stove for a few minutes with an optional addition of salt and pepper. Viola! My girls loved it!

Dinner
Chicken soup Provencal
Sweet peas with cheddar cheese
Tomatoes
Apples

Note: I didn't have much time to cook after visiting my aunt and uncle, so I decided that the girls would eat what we ate for dinner: Chicken Soup Provencal. It was very easy to make and very hearty. I took out the noodles and cut the chicken into little pieces for the girls. They had a nice hearty meal!

Wednesday- November 3, 2010

Breakfast
Oatmeal with banana and milk
Grapes, strawberries and banana

Lunch
Sweet potato fries
Tomatoes
Chickpeas
Persimmons



Note: Lunch was a hit! The girls loved the sweet potatoes and they asked for more tomatoes! The sweet potato was very easy to make. Gotta love Cooks Illustrated!

Dinner
Pizza- with tomato and spinach, Mediterranean style
Pizza- with tomato, green pepper, mushrooms and smoked sausage, Italian style
Pumpkin muffin
Apples



Note: The pizza was homemade, including the crust. Based on a "Turkish meat pie" recipe, the crust simply contains flour, salt, olive oil and yeast. The Mediterranean toppings were mainly heirloom tomatoes and onions seasoned with allspice, cinnamon and black pepper. Shredded Parmesan cheese was sprinkled to hold everything together for the babies. The pizza was simple, crusty and tasty. For variation, I made an "Italian" version using the same crust and toppings commonly found on take-out pizza. Because I didn't have tomato sauce at home, I used an organic ketchup instead.

I know pumpkin muffin doesn't go with pizza, but they were freshly baked... I couldn't resist giving it to the girls!

Tuesday- November 2, 2010

Breakfast
Peanut butter jelly sandwich
Hard boiled quail egg
Strawberries

Note: Like I mentioned in earlier posts, the girls are not interested in hard boiled eggs recently. But, they still need their protein, so I decided to slice the quail egg horizontally instead of half in the middle. It worked! One of the girls ate the whole egg!

Lunch
Apple and buttermilk pancakes
Apple and Banana slices
Strawberry and banana in vanilla yogurt

Dinner
Quiche with spinach, zucchini, mushrooms and sausage.
Plums and Grapes



Note: Girls seem to be eating a lot of carbs today, so I am giving them a low carb, high protein quiche tonight! They loved it! Both were eating on their own using spoons like adults!

Cold Remedy

I am very lucky that the girls were born healthy and have been strong for the past 17+ months. There were only a few colds with one or two incidents of low fever. Because they are still under the age of two, I try to use natural remedy when they get sick.

One of my favorite cold remedy is the steamed Korean pear. There are several variations. My mother used to core the pear, stuff it with rock sugar and steam it. We ate the pear as well as the juice. My Korean friend recommended adding honey to the cored pear before steaming. This version is quite tasty. Since my girls are still too young to eat honey, I alter the recipe a bit.

First, I cut the top of the Korean pear, so it has a "lid". Then I core the pear with a melon baller to remove the seedy part. To the cored pear, I fill it with approximately 1 tablespoon of julienned fresh ginger and 4 dried jujube (or red date in Chinese). Then I put the "lid" back, place the pear in a bowl with a plate on top and steam it using 3 cups of water in my electric steamer.



For the babies, I puree only the flesh of the pear and try to keep as much juice as possible. They love it!

Monday- November 1, 2010

Breakfast
Banana bread
Hard Boiled quail egg
Grapes
Vanilla Yogurt

Note: Girls don't seem to like hard boiled eggs these days... I will have to come up with something fun to fulfill their protein intake.

Lunch
Brioche
Sautee Brussels sprouts and carrots
Egg and spinach
Strawberries



Note: Girls were very distracted by Ah-Mah (my mom) on the computer screen (online video chat) with my mom at lunch and didn't want to eat anything. After giving them a bit of organic ketchup (Trader Joe's), they ate a lot of the eggs.

Dinner
Girls are eating "adult food" tonight with us.
Rice
Saute bok choy
Saute tofu
Plums
Steamed Asian pear (cold remedy)