Oats and Banana Cereal

Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves 2 people
Calories: 296 per serving
Source: Better Baby Food


Ingredients

• 3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1.5 cups milk
• 2 small bananas, mashed

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine oats and milk.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until thick.
4. Stir in mashed banana; top with additional milk if desired.

This hardly counts as a recipe really, but when I was first learning how to feed a growing baby, I relied on simple recipes like this.  It's sweet enough that I can eat it too, without having to add too much sugary jam to the mix.

Cracker Fish

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Serves 2
Calories: 618 calories per serving
Source: Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals


Ingredients

• 2 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 12 saltine crackers
• 2 6-ounce pieces of white fish

Directions

• Combine half the oil with the garlic and oregano in a rimmed dinner plate.
• Place crackers in a plastic bag and crush them; place crumbs on another dinner plate.
• Dip each fillet in the oil mixture, then coat with crumbs.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot.
• Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the fish and saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add more oil to the pan if necessary, then turn the fish and cook the remaining side 3-4 minutes.

A bunch of saltines is probably not the healthiest coating for fish, but these are really delicious.  And they have such a fun name that they are pretty much irresistible for Charlotte!

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Hands-on Time: 15 minutes
Soak Time: 1 hour or overnight
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Serves 8 people
Calories: 413 per serving
Source: CBC Calgary


Ingredients

• 1/2 baguette, torn into one-inch chunks
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups half and half cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• 2 tbsp butter
• 10 - 15 crab apples, sliced or quartered
• 2 tbsp sugar

Directions

• Whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, half and half cream, vanilla and cinnamon.
• Stir in the bread and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Pour the bread mixture into a greased baking dish.
• In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat.
• Add the crab apples and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
• Sprinkle with sugar and cook until golden.
• Stir the apples into the bread mixture or sprinkle them over top.
• Bake for 45 minutes; serve warm.

We were staying with my brother Andrew and his wife Lannie in Edson, Alberta in mid-September.  They had a tree in their back yard that was loaded with crab apples, so we looked up crab apple recipes online and found this one.  I put it together one evening with plans to bake it the next night, but with all the fun stuff we had to do, it ended up sitting in the fridge for two nights before I baked it.  I worried that it would go soggy, but it was just fine.  The pudding was sweet and the crab apples were tart - it made for a great combination and I'm not sure if it would be as good with regular apples, though I think it might work well with cranberries.  Next time, I'll try it!

Real Popcorn Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4 people
Calories: 249 per serving
Source: Parents Quick and Easy Kid-Friendly Meals


Ingredients

• 3 cups popped popcorn
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken in 2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. canola oil

Directions

• Grind popcorn after removing unpopped kernels.
• Place popcorn in a shallow dish; mix in thyme, salt and pepper.
• Place the egg in a shallow bowl; beat with 1 tbsp. water.
• Place flour in another shallow dish.
• Coat chicken in flour, shaking off the excess.
• Dip in egg mixture, then in popcorn to coat.
• Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat.
• Cook chicken 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally.

What kid doesn't like popcorn?  Charlotte certainly does!  I always set aside a few kernels as a "garnish" for the chicken and Charlotte is thrilled to have popcorn for dinner.  So am I, if it comes to it!