Mama Montage: food this n' that

I'm addicted to kashi almond-flax granola bars. They're just the right combo of chewy and nutty and not too sweet. They're so expensive, though. It's made me look into making some homemade granola (cute video) or Mark Bittman's granola bars or Alton Brown's granola bar recipe. I haven't tried any of those yet, but I'd like to when I have the time (ha!).

I had just been wondering about this topic: Is it Healthy to Have a Vegetarian Baby? (see video after jump at end of post).

I returned to my vegetarianism when I started my yoga teacher training in 2008, and was a vegetarian through pregnancy (eating more eggs and dairy than I would usually, though, as per Bradley Method recommendations). I just started incorporating some DHA/EPA supplement pills into my daily intake this week, to make sure the good omega vitamins are getting to me and to Sprout through breastmilk. However, I had been wondering whether I needed to incorporate meat into little girl's diet when she starts solids in a few months. Honestly, I don't like handling and preparing meat--especially when I'm not going to be eating it myself. Although it might be more work in the long run (chopping, prepping, steaming), I'm more comfortable prepping veggie dishes.

Talking about starting solid food for baby, this video from the same website, ParentEarth, is also timely: Cooking and Nutrition for Baby

I'm going to hold off starting Sprout on solids for as long as possible--mainly because I don't want to deal with cloth diapers and solid poops yet! Breast milk poops are so much easier to deal with (water soluble!). My childcare person has been fine using cloth diapers (supplementing with disposible when she's out n' about with the babes), but I don't know how I can sell cloth diaper care when MJ starts solids (diaper sprayers/bidets are just not common in the U.S.)! I'll tackle that challenge when I come to it.

Sprout continues to thrive. She's back to drinking 13-15oz of EBM in childcare while I'm at work. Her hunger dipped a bit at the start of the week because she had gotten used to nursing on demand from my previous week (when I had been able to take her with me on a work trip). I've been lucky that I haven't had to travel this week, so I've been able to keep my supply/pumping up.

Aren't these the coolest looking muffins (via boingboing)? Savory Broccoli Muffins (recipe towards the bottom here). What a creative idea. They seem like a great way to get broccoli into little kids who might otherwise not eat the green stuff (although I always loved broccoli as a child).

Finally, thank you to my friend, K, for getting me a vegetarian crockpot cookbook. I am now the proud owner of two such specific recipe books. I'll have to work on coordinating the recipes to my different time availabilities, either a 6-8 hr slow cook while I sleep or a 10-hr slow cook for while I'm at work. I tried the sweet n' sour cabbage from the Fresh cookbook, and it was pretty good--albeit a little burned on some of the leaf edges because it had to cook for a bit longer than recommended (work hours).