Need your help here

[Monique1]

Monday I will be taking care of my grand daughter who is 15 mos old - she is a darling. I am trying to plan some activities for her - plus fix a meal for my daughter when she gets home from work but something that my grand baby can eat also. My daughter is fussy what she serves her daughter, not canned stuff. I am fussy what I cook also. Any good ideas, recipes? I do have one that I plan but that is more of a snack. I was thinking pot roast in the crock pot, chicken a la king - but most recipes call for canned soup - I hate canned salt sugar filled soup.

I know there will be a salad for sure - maybe stuffed wheat pita bread with soft veggies and melted cheese but I don't know what else. I was thinking of meatballs but they have spaghetti I think frequently. Meatballs would be great for the little one. My little one loves food!

It has been a long time since preparing foods for little ones plus my children did not have allergies nor was the choice of foods we had at that time compared to today. They ate what we ate, I was a good cook and always used fresh veggies and fruits but I am rusty.

[hippywife]

1. Little ones love finger food, so

the meatballs, made small for her tiny fingers, is a fun idea while the adults eat the pot roast. Also for the little one, peas or corn, fresh or frozen can be a fun finger food, too.

A pot roast in the crock pot needn't require soup. Just throw it in there for a while with some onions, then add small potatoes, carrots, peas. Add a little Worchestershire or soy sauce with your seasonings at the beginning to add some flavor, that way it marinates in the crock pot while it cooks.

[elleng]

2. I remember making beef stew on my day 'off', holding and showing baby daughter.

Good old days!

Browned flour-dusted beef cubes, flour mix included garlic powder, salt + thyme, added/covered w cubed potatoes, can peas + carrots, jar baby onions (w juice), stewed tomatoes. Bring to simmer, cover, stew for ? hour(s). Near end, add red wine + reduce. Been a while, so may have missed something(s). Oh, like can mushrooms!

Also remember making pot roast for her 2d birthday party. My cousins were supposed to attend, but they were snowed in. We had dinner, but they missed dinner + the party!

Stuffed pita will probably fall apart in 'baby's' hands, but have carrot stix around.

Have a great time!

[Phentex]

3. Why can't she eat what you eat?...

If you wouldn't cook with canned soups, why start?

She can probably eat some modified version of whatever you'd fix for yourself. Otherwise, little ones love pasta, veggies, small bits of chicken, fruit, yogurt, cheese, little sandwiches made using cookie cutters, etc.

Have fun with her! :hi:

[trud]

4. ask your daughter? n/t

[grasswire]

5. you could do meatballs and pasta that's a fun shape...

....like the wagon wheels or shells or something. You could do it without a tomato sauce to make it a bit different from the spaghetti she gets at home -- sometimes I just dress the pasta with butter and olive oil, grated parm cheese, chopped parsley and spinach and sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Kids love olives, too, so you could put black olives in your pasta dish. You could use italian sausage in your meatballs, even.

pasta
butter
olive oil
grated cheese
parsley
spinach
sun-dried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
black olives


That makes a really good and healthy supper, especially with a salad alongside. If the little one isn't up to chewing a regular salad, there's always frozen peas and carrots that they seem to do well with!

Enjoy, enjoy.

[Warpy]

6. Canned cream soups are the lazy person's way

to avoid doing a bechamel or veloute and then modifying it.

At 15 months, the kid is still largely living on finger foods. They're generally not good with spoons and forget about the knife or fork. Start thinking small where the kiddo's concerned, not big. 15 month olds have enough teeth to chew softer stuff, so you won't have to puree anything, but don't serve steak. Be careful of hot dogs, they're the #1 choking hazard food in infants and toddlers.

Meatballs can be served plain or Swedish style with gravy. Expect the kid and the kitchen to be covered with gravy if that's what you do. Just make sure they're not too hot for the kid to use fingers.

[Monique1]

7. Great ideas here

I am sure she will like meatballs - great reminder to make them small, no way with hot dogs I know the danger of those things. Swedish meatballs, haven't made them in ages. I had Swedish meatballs not long ago when we went to IKEA - they were great. I think using the wheel noodles sounds great or mash potatoes with the meatballs.


The reason for not asking my daughter what to serve is because I want to surprise her when she gets home from work. I was shocked that a child care center would be closed Monday - schools closed and many people remain working. Oh well, it is going to be a long day but I will enjoy my little munchkin. She loves to play peek-a-boo with me, when Grandma walks in the door, the game begins. She doesn't do this with anyone else except her grandma.

I love to watch little ones eat at that age - just pick the food up and shove it in the mouth and I also enjoy watching them progess using a spoon or fork.

I will probably make a pot roast for my daughter and her SO she has many crock pots so that won't be a problem.

Hopefully when I go to the store today they will have some lean short ribs bone- in or a 7 bone chuck roast. I am a believer that bones add to the flavor.

Just thinking if I make the pot roast my little one can eat the potatoes and carrots from the roast with her meatballs.
.
Than you for your help, now the wheels are turning in my head. My little one keeps my brain working which is good at my age.

[kurtzapril4]

10. Hot dogs are not good food

but lots of parents give them to the kids as snacks. Here's how you eliminate the choking hazard: Cut the hot dog in half, lengthwise. Then slice as normal.

[Monique1]

8. Great ideas here

I am sure she will like meatballs - great reminder to make them small, no way with hot dogs I know the danger of those things. Swedish meatballs, haven't made them in ages. I had Swedish meatballs not long ago when we went to IKEA - they were great. I think using the wheel noodles sounds great or mash potatoes with the meatballs.


The reason for not asking my daughter what to serve is because I want to surprise her when she gets home from work. I was shocked that a child care center would be closed Monday - schools closed and many people remain working. Oh well, it is going to be a long day but I will enjoy my little munchkin. She loves to play peek-a-boo with me, when Grandma walks in the door, the game begins. She doesn't do this with anyone else except her grandma.

I love to watch little ones eat at that age - just pick the food up and shove it in the mouth and I also enjoy watching them progess using a spoon or fork.

I will probably make a pot roast for my daughter and her SO she has many crock pots so that won't be a problem.

Hopefully when I go to the store today they will have some lean short ribs bone- in or a 7 bone chuck roast. I am a believer that bones add to the flavor.

Just thinking if I make the pot roast my little one can eat the potatoes and carrots from the roast with her meatballs.
.
Than you for your help, now the wheels are turning in my head. My little one keeps my brain working which is good at my age.

[japple]

9. My little 15 mo. old niece loves steamed broccoli, cut-up fruit,

small crackers (Annie's bunny crackers!!!), all kinds of peas, green beans, corn. In fact, she likes just about everything. Her 3 year old brother used to be like that. Now, he likes only a few things and has to be encouraged to try new foods. I guess everything comes in stages.