One Meal; Two Ways: Making Meals Parent AND Child Friendly

Move over Mommy and Me outfits (well, actually no, those are still adorable); here come Mommy and Me meals. Why should your babies have all the fun with their homemade food? Here are three recipes you can easily transition from baby to mom by leveraging the great power and easy clean-up of the Braun MultiQuick 5 Baby Hand Blender. The MultiQuick 5 Baby is so easy to use thanks to the extra milling blades which finely chop and evenly blend fresh foods into smooth purees. And you can quickly switch between the EasyClick attachments to make foods with chunkier textures for developing palates. Yes, it’s that easy.

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF KELSI HAMILTON

BREAKFAST

Incorporating greens into morning meals has never been easier than with the Braun MultiQuick 5 Baby. I’m not talking about hiding greens in your baby’s meal but rather featuring them as the shining star. One of our home favourite blends is spinach, avocado, and banana – three dependable ingredients (climate depending) that pair well together for baby and mom.

For Baby: Fruity Green Purée

Add one handful spinach (raw or steamed), one avocado and one banana to the mixing beaker and blend until smooth. If your child is ready to try chunkier textures, use the 2-cup chopper and pulse until blended. Set aside half of the purée for mom. The rest is to help baby start the day off right.

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF KELSI HAMILTON

For Mom: Green Smoothie Boosters

Do yourself (and your health) a favour and prep the purée in the evening. Section off the saved purée into your Silicone Baby Food Freezer Tray overnight and… voila! A frozen nutrient packed smoothie boost ready for you to level up your morning blend.

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF KELSI HAMILTON

LUNCH

I have a confession to make: I have a thing for soup. In the summer months, I’m the person who enjoys a bowl soup for lunch even when the temperature is 40+ degrees Celsius outside. Strange? Maybe. Delicious? Always. The best thing about winter is that soup is fair game, pretty much any day of the week. And the best thing about purees? They are basically cold soup, or veggies with warmer potential, as I like to say. (That’s the only the first time I’ve said that, but I think it works.) Don’t miss out on the delicious vegetables you’re making your kid eat for your kid. Moms need those nutrients, too.

For Baby: Vegetable Purée

Together in a large soup pot, add 1 peeled and cubed root potato, 1 sweet potato, ½ white onion, 3-4 carrots, 2 garlic shallots, 3-4 celery stalks, and butternut squash. Boil until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Strain the vegetables reserving any leftover water. Transfer ¼ of the vegetables to the Braun mixing beaker and blend until desired consistency is reached. Add in reserved vegetable water or some breast milk if needed/preferred. Let cool and serve! Bonus for your if your child is self-feeding and can start in on their meal while you prep yours. (I am not yet at that stage but dream about it on a daily basis.)

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF KELSI HAMILTON

For Mom: Chunky Vegetable Soup

Add 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth to remaining vegetables. Add in your preferred spices. (Thyme, garlic, black pepper and sea salt go well with this soup.) After broth has simmered for a few minutes, turn of the element and grab your hand blender. Go to town and blend right in your soup pot. Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, serve yourself a big ol' bowl, or mug, or whatever you like to eat soup from, and join your littles for lunch.

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF KELSI HAMILTON

SNACK/DESSERT

There are so many options when it comes to tasty fruit combinations, but I try to keep it somewhat simple for the twins so they can start to recognize specific flavours and not get lost in the general taste of a meal with 5+ foods blended together. I always try to make something that I think tastes good because chances are I’ll end up eating more of it than the babies.

For Baby: Mixed Fruit Purée Pop

Wash peel and core your fruit and add two chopped pears and 8-10 chopped strawberries to the 2-cup chopper. (Apple and blueberry are another great combo.) Pulse until your desired consistency is reached. Fill a silicone baby feeder with 1 tbsp of the mixture and watch your child enjoy this no additives sweet snack.

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF KELSI HAMILTON

Mom: Mixed Fruit Boozy (or Virgin) Ice Pops

Using the same mixture, you can either freeze as is or transfer to the beaker to smooth out the texture. Transfer into popsicle molds, or even your silicone baby food tray, and freeze. If you’re feeling festive, add a splash (or three) of sparkling wine and enjoy on a girls’ night in or just solo after the kids go to bed. Feeling fancy but want to ditch the alcohol? For a non-boozy version, use the frozen pieces in a wine glass of soda water with a spring of mint for a decorative touch.