BLW: Lentil soup

So I made lentil soup the other day and Paisley LOVED it! I also gave her avocado because it is one of her favorite foods and its so great for her health wise. I cooked the lentils with celery, carrot, wild rice, fresh thyme, and bay leaf and just scooped out her portion so I could add the broth (it has loads of salt) to me and my husbands portion. I was nervous about giving these to her because I thought maybe there would be a choking hazard but I made them super soft and she just used her arm and hand to scoop them into her mouth. Paisley is 6 months old and this was our first dinner as a whole family....meaning the same meal! She did gag once, but if you have read the baby-led weaning book it teaches there is a difference from gagging and choking. Babies gag reflex is much closer to the front of the mouth as a safety thing.  

Lactation Cookie Recipe

I really love these cookies! My husband and brother wont try them because of the name though haha! I don't really blame them, it makes it seem like they will start lactating haha! These seem to help me with increasing my breast milk supply. You can get a lot of information from the source of the recipe: Click for source  

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup self raising wholemeal flour (if you have plain flour, add 1/2 tsp baking powder)
• 1/2 cup low fat butter (for a healthier option, use organic, virgin coconut oil instead which is super good for you!)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (if wanting to reduce sugar, you could try just 1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (can be found at any local health food store or on Amazon)
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tablespoons of water (depends if you prefer moister cookies)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla (optional, for flavour)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, for flavour)
• 1-2 tablespoons of brewers yeast (do not substitute with bakers yeast or any other yeast).
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (use himalayan salt if possible)
• 1 & 1/2 cups oats (get the thicker cut oats if you can)

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar then add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed and water, let sit for a few minutes before adding to mix.
• Add the dry ingredients (apart from the oats and your additional ingredients) and mix well again.
• Finally, stir in the oats and your additional ingredient.
• Make the biscuits (I use a desert spoon as a rough size guide) and place them onto a lightly greased or lined baking tray. Flatten them a little with your fingers or a spatula – if you like a soft centre, don’t squish them down too much. If you like you can just make them into balls – I do this and love the soft centre!
Bake for around 10-12 minutes depending on how well cooked/crunchy you like your biscuits – I prefer them a little soft and lightly cooked.

Starting baby-led weaning

I planned on making my own baby food purées with my new food processor for Paisley when she turned 6 months. As that 6 month mark got closer I discovered Baby-led Weaning and I am so glad I did! A ton of parents have done this without knowing it had a name. Basically you skip the purées and go straight into REAL food that the baby can gum/suck and it should be finger sized....grabable? Is that a word? Haha

Spoon feeding a baby can be tough, typically it's a chore and both mom and baby don't really like it. With BLW (let's call it that from now on so I don't have to type so much haha I'm on my iPhone) your baby feeds herself/himself and the amount that they want. You can enjoy your meal with your baby!

My FAVORITE part about it is watching Paisley explore different textures and flavors. My hope is that she has a life long love of healthy foods and likes a wide variety of foods. I am hoping she won't be one of the many kids screaming "I ONLY WANT CHICKEN NUGGETS!!!!!!" But we will see :D 

BLW is going to make us (the parents) eat better because soon we will be eating the same meals! I just have to adjust Paisleys with less salt and sugar. We already eat "kind of" healthy-ish but we have fallen off the bandwagon after I delivered the baby. Example: I had 3 chocolate milkshakes in one day after I had Paisey.  

Here are some photos of our BLW adventure! Tell me about yours in the comments please :) 

Banana 

Avocado

I swear she liked it haha

Cantaloupe

 Broccoli 

Broccoli beard! 

Soon we are going to try eggs, toast, cream cheese, lentils, steamed carrots, sweet potato, yams, and much much more!