Potato and cod purée with vanilla - recipe from Laura Annaert

This has to be the simplest and tastiest way to make your baby try fish. Cod has a very subtle taste, is quite firm and pairs perfectly with vanilla, making it an easy fish treat for Bébé.

Margaux's plate before it completely disappeared.

This is a recipe from Laura Annaert, Mamanchef, which I got from Babymoov and PARENTS Magazine.

For babies 6 to 9 months (introduce after you have introduced baby to white and red meat. Makes an ideal first fish meal).

Ingredients:
One potato
10g / 1/3 oz. of fresh cod
1 teaspoon of butter
1cm / 0.5 inches of vanilla pod
4 tablespoons of milk

Peel the potato and cut it into cubes. Steam it for about 20 minutes.
Open your vanilla pod in half and scrape half an inch of it.
Add the butter and vanilla to the cod and cook it on low temperature in a pan for 7 minutes on each side. Add the milk. Mix everything together.

Note: this is the original recipe from Laura Annaert but when cooking it for Margaux I changed it a bit: I steamed the cod and potato together, then added the milk and mixed. I found that was quicker, easier, healthier.

There you have it: a fish loving bébé.

Good finds: Trumpette socks

Socks. If your baby is anything like mine, he/she will love pulling off his/her socks. Most of them don't stay on, and I've tried using the socks'adds-on , those elastics which you put on the socks so they stay on. Margaux quickly figured out how to remove those as well (just like she figured out how to remove the safety plugs cover two days after we had baby-proofed the house). There's another problem: you don't want to use anything other than wool booties or socks as the baby's feet are still growing and should not be put in tougher fabrics or anything which could cramp their feet.
My good find: Trumpette socks.
1) They stay on.
2) They are made of 73% cotton (you don't want any other fabric than wool or cotton as research shows the baby's skin is then more prone to developing eczema etc. if using fabrics such as polyester. Also allows their skin to breath better.)
3) They look like shoes so you have a two-in-one and can go straight from home to out and about without changing.
4) They are simply ridiculously cute

The original models were the Mary Jane for the girls and the Johnny (sneakers) for the boys, both models I absolutely love for their classic look. The choice is yours as they have many, each cuter than the other and it's easy to quickly collect those little boxes, which also make great gifts as they are sold in a pretty packaging.
They come in baby size 0-12 months and toddler size 12-24 months.

Here are two of my favorites:

The Ballerina:

The Benny's:

For more information, you can check out their website here

Special thanks to the beautiful babies Margaux & Maxence for doing such an amazing job modelling the Trumpette socks.

At Peter Luger's restaurant - Lamb chop, lunch like a champion

When you're Margaux, you eat like a champ. That means when grandpa Mike and Mimi visit New York and we take a trip to Peter Luger's restaurant, Margaux doesn't get left behind.
Ready to go in her cooler bag: her first lamb chop. Considering she ate a bit over 8 oz of it and left a very clean looking bowl, we can say it got her seal of approval.

For babies: 7 months and up
Note: This comes after you have introduced your baby to poultry as white meat comes before red meat. Baby needs to eat lean and less fatty types of meat before being able to digest a more fancy one.

Reproduce it:
20g/70 oz of lamb chop
One big new potato
120g/4 oz of tomato medley (mix of small cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, black cherry tomatoes)
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 teaspoon of sunflower oil

Wash and peel the potato and tomatoes. Cut thin slices of the potato and the tomatoes in two.
Cut up the rosemary sprigs.
Put everything in a steamer basket (if using the Babycook this is water level 3). Using the Babycook, it takes only 15-20 minutes but of course adapt this timing to your own food processor.
Once cooked, keep a teaspoon of the cooking water and add a teaspoon of sunflower oil and mix.

Taste to check the temperature before giving it to your baby. Wish you had some for yourself. Change the quantities to adult's size portions. Be as happy as your baby.

Disclaimer: I am using the guidance of my wonderful Parisian pediatrician and the classic French book of Laurence Pernoud on how to raise your child. I am not a pediatrician nor a nutritionist, just a French mother sharing recipes. Always check with your own pediatrician especially if your baby has any allergies or health issues.

Don't steal! This is my own recipe, if you want to share it, please credit A La Maud.

Margaux's first salmon

For babies: 6-8 months
Note: You should introduce fish once you have introduced meat, starting with white meat, then red meat and finally fish (white fish, salmon and tuna - shellfish comes later).

This is a bit more sophisticated than cod and helps to widen your baby's horizons.

What's in it for bébé:
Salmon is what I call a miracle food: lots of omega 3, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A which is baby's friend for growth, good eyesight and boosting the immune system and last but not least, vitamin D for strong teeth and bones. It's a winner!
Fennel is filled with vitamins A and E and helps baby's digestion

You will need :
0.5 oz/10g of salmon
6 oz/170g of a mix of eggplant, fennel and tomato
1 teaspoon of olive oil

As easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Peel all the vegetables and cut them into cubes, along with thin slices of salmon.
2. Put everything in a steamer basket and steam for about 15 minutes (If you are using Béaba Babycook, this is water level 3 and only use 1 teaspoon of the cooking liquid when mixing) 
3. Add the olive oil* and mix to a smooth purée.

Who says there's no time to cook for baby? Save even more time by cooking it for yourselves: we used the same ingredients for us, grilling everything on the barbecue. Summer cooking made simple, healthy and tasty.

This makes one balanced lunch for bébé. Follow with a plain yogurt for dessert and you've just covered all of your baby's needs.

*I use ZOE for Kids olive oil, specially formulated for babies, it's organic, extra virgin olive oil with a fresh  fruity flavor and comes in an aluminium tin which helps to protect it from light and heat.

Disclaimer: I am using the guidance of my wonderful Parisian pediatrician and the classic French book of Laurence Pernoud on how to raise your child. I am not a pediatrician nor a nutritionist, just a French mother sharing recipes. Always check with your own pediatrician especially if your baby has any allergies or health issues.

Don't steal! This is my own recipe, if you want to share it, please credit A la Maud.

Taste of Summer: Peach, nectarine and vanilla compote

What better way to kick off baby's summer taste buds than with peaches and nectarines? Add a little vanilla and you've got one happy, healthy baby.

For babies: 6 months and up
Note: this is after baby has been introduced to solids and can start mixing fruits. For more information read my page Starting solids

What's in it for bébé:
Peach is full of vitamin C and has lots of water and little sugar, making it ideal for hot summer days.  It's also very easy to digest for fragile babies' intestines.
Nectarine is not only filled with vitamins B3, C and E but also phosphorus, which helps baby's growing bones.
Vanilla helps babies to relax and prepare them for a good night's sleep.

You will need:
3 peaches
3 nectarines
1 vanilla pod (do NOT use vanilla essence as it contains alcohol, and you want your baby to taste pure vanilla. If you don't have vanilla pod, just skip it.)

Peel all the fruits and cut them into pieces. Scrape off the vanilla from the vanilla pod, using a sharp knife to cut it lengthwise. Put everything in a steamer basket and steam (If you are using Béaba Babycook, this is water level 1 and only use 1 teaspoon of the cooking liquid when mixing) then mix to a smooth purée.

This makes about 3x 3.5 oz/100g jars. One jar along with 4oz/120ml of milk (breast milk or your usual baby formula)  makes a balance afternoon meal for bébé.

Disclaimer: I am using the guidance of my wonderful Parisian pediatrician and the classic French book of Laurence Pernoud on how to raise your child. I am not a pediatrician nor a nutritionist, just a French mother sharing recipes. Always check with your own pediatrician especially if your baby has any allergies or health issues.

Don't steal! This is my own recipe, if you want to share it, please credit A la Maud.

Summer Read: French style

If you are going to read just one book this summer, then this should be it. It's funny, down to earth, and it is uncanny how true everything is. I read it pregnant on a vacation to Italy and could not put it down. Even my husband was a fan. Everything reminded me of my own childhood. We were lucky enough to attend her book signing and she is a very sweet lady as well. Just grab your best sunglasses and read. A must.

French Children Don't Throw Food (UK version)
Bringing Up Bébé (US version)
Pamela Druckerman

The Oatmeal Blanket

Just when we decided to have a baby, I started this blanket. Not knowing yet if it was going to be a boy or a girl I chose some wool I had and decided to match it with other neutral colors. A friend of mine named it "The oatmeal blanket". I loved the name so decided to keep it. With it I made a set of socks, scarf and hat for newborn.