Cream Cheese Frosting

found this picture on the web, how fun  and creative!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4112414183_8b5f748120_o.jpg

This frosting is excellent on carrot cake or any cake for that matter..

 



5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup low fat milk

4 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature
 Sift powdered sugar. In an electric mixer, whip together milk and cream cheese, then gradually add sugar until creamy. Spread or pipe on your favorite cake or cupcake!

Baked Ziti

This is one of my favorite recipes. If you want it to be even easier use a jar of prepared pasta sauce instead of the crushed tomato's and sauce I do that ALL the time! Enjoy.


8 oz. ziti  pasta noodles.

1 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce

1 t. oregano

1 C. grated Mozzarella cheese

1/2 C. shredded cheddar ( optional, I like mine cheesy)

1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook ziti in boiling water and  drain.

Lightly brown beef and onion in a saucepan. Pour off any excess fat. Add garlic, tomato with juice and all, tomato sauce and oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Mix cooked ziti and sauce together in a 2-1/2-quart baking dish. Mix 1/2 the cheese in and sprinkle the other half lightly over ziti mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

 6 servings.

baby food storage optional option's.

you can even buy container's for the very purpose of storing homade baby food. I have never bought these. I am cheep and  ice cube tray's work just fine for me. They also sell ice cube tray's that have lid's. Again, plastic wrap worked for me!

Storing Homemade Baby Food in the Refrigerator

I found this picture on the internet first of all I would not "store" more than a single serving in a used glass jar and NEVER freeze in glass ( I can't tell if this pic is of a freezer or a fridge)

The refrigerator is probably one of the least convenient and safe way to store homemade baby food. It is recommended that baby food be stored no longer than 48 hours in the refrigerator  to reduce the risk of  contamination on the food.  (This goes for store bought as well if it has been opened)

If you choose to store your baby food in the refrigerator, please be sure to take
INDIVIDUAL servings from the container. NEVER feed your baby directly from the main container if you do PLEASE  discard all of it when your child is finished with the particular meal. his/her Saliva may contaminate the food.

freezing homemade baby food

 Spoon your purees into clean sterilized  ice cube trays and then cover with plastic wrap. Each cube is about 1 oz.

Once the purees have been frozen in the trays, pop out the cubes and use as needed. If you've made big batches, pop out the cubes and store them in freezer bags. Put the baby food cubes into freezer bags. lable and date each bag and use as needed.

NEVER FREEEZE IN GLASS!
 
Benifit's-
Small portion's
Little waste
Time saving.




Here are two of my finished projects from this summer.

Green Bean Baby Food

Wash then  peel tip and string off, break bean's in half

Add green beans and some water to a medium sause pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 15 minute's

Remove beans with a slotted spoon, saving cooking water, and place in blender. Add small amounts of the

water until the beans are puréed and no large pieces or strings are visible.

Avacado Baby Food

Baby's Mashed Avocado

Peel and de-pit a ripe avocado ( ripe avacado's are soft not firm)

 mash with a fork



There is   no need to use a machine just like bananas, avocados have a very soft consistency. Avocados do not need to be cooked.

Below are some nutritional facts for avacado baby food as well  my source.
http://baby.about.com/od/homemadebabyfood/qt/avocado_nutrition.htm
You might be surpised to know that though not a selection in jarred baby food, avocado is an excellent first food for your baby. In fact, renowned pediatrician, Dr. William Sears ranks it #1 on his top ten list of fruits for babies because avocado nutrition is well-suited for a baby's growing development.




Avocado Nutrition Information

Compared to other fruits appropriate for babies (and yes, avocado is a fruit), avocado is considered to have the highest nutritional value packed into it's bumpy, dark green skin. Avocados will nourish your baby as they are rich in in protein, fiber, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and zinc. You won't find this sort of diverse nutrient density in many other fruits.



Fat Content and Avocados

You might ask, so what about the fat content in avocados? Isn't that a problem? Well, it could be if you are an adult trying to loose weight or a mom trying to return to her pre-pregnancy size, but for a baby, not so much of a concern.



The fat calories in avocado are of the heart-healthy variety (no cholestrol, monounsaturated fat), but they do increase your calorie count. That being said, avocados also contain desirable Omega 3 fatty acids and are free of sodium. For a developing, growing baby, the type of fats and the caloric value is a good thing. Particularly, avocados are often recommended as a food for babies, who are aged about 6 months or older and who are experiencing slow weight gain.



Types of Avocados and Fat Content

If you are looking for avocado for either a higher or lower fat content, you can be choosy on what type of avocado you buy. Florida avocados are considered to have around half the fat and two thirds the calories of California avocados.



Avocado Nutrition Facts

Here's the breakdown of nutrition facts on avocados. Serving size is 1 oz. or about 1/5 of a medium size California avocado.





•Calories: 50

•Fat calories: 35

•Total fat: 4.5 g

•Saturated fat: .5 g

•Polyunsaturated fat: .5 g

•Monounsaturated fat: 3 g

•Potassium: 140 mg

•Total carbohydrate: 3 g

•Dietary fiber: 1 g

•Protein: 1 g

•Vitamin E: 4%

•Riboflavin: 4%

•Vitamin B6: 4%

•Pantothenic acid: 4%

•Magnesium: 2%

•Copper: 2%

•Vitamin C: 4%

•Iron: 2%

•Thiamin: 2%

•Niacin: 4%

•Folate: 8%

•Phosphorous: 2%

•Zinc: 2%

•Manganese: 2%