Yes! Another Parental Triumph!

My baby is going through a super picky phase right now. (At least, I hope it's a phase.) The wonderful veggies he used to eat have suddenly become Baby-Kryptonite. His morning ritual of Cheerios and/or Puffins cereals is no longer welcome. The last two evenings, my last-resort standbys "rice" and "noodles" were completely unpalatable.

I was on the verge of a breakdown. I couldn't get him to eat cereal, crackers, rice, noodles, or anything remotely food-ish. Now, I realize that my baby is not starving. He is, after all, in the 90th percentile as far as weight. He's quite a healthy boy, actually. I realize he's not going to starve if he decides to skip a meal or two, but that doesn't stop me from worrying about his health and nutrition, his calcium and protein intake, or his blood sugar and energy levels!

And then I realized: even though he turns down every type of food, he always drinks! He will drink juice, milk, and water at all times of the day. BINGO!!

Now, on occasion, when he's decided he doesn't want any dinner, I have given him a PediaSure instead of regular milk for his last drink before he goes to bed. It is a complete source of nutrition, and a good way to make sure he gets enough healthy calories. However, I also like to give my boy options and get him used to different tastes. So, I've started giving him different smoothies and shakes. He loves them!! All kinds of fruit, soft tofu, soy milk, and even some Benefiber to help fill him up. I control what goes in, and I feel good about giving him something healthy, delicious, and filling.

I realize I'm not the first parent to think of this, but I'm sure there are other parents out there who are struggling. If your baby is really picky, maybe try one of these easy recipes. Hopefully, your little food critic will give it two thumbs up!

Mango Lassi
Anyone who has been to an Indian restaurant will likely recognize this.
1 cup plain yogurt (I use fat free 0% Total Fage Greek yogurt)
2-3 large ripe mangoes, peeled and stoned
1/2 cup plain or vanilla soy milk
Sugar to taste

Throw it all into a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth. If your fruit is very ripe and sweet, you may not need any sugar. Serve immediately. If you use fat free Fage, and no added sugar, this recipe is about 380 calories for the entire blender of lassi, and is also quite rich in protein, calcium, and vitamin C.

Soy & Fruit Smoothie
1/2 cup soft silken tofu
1 cup plain or vanilla soy milk
1 cup of the fruit of your choice. I like to use frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.), and bananas or other pulpy fruits work very well.
Sugar to taste

Throw it all into a blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the fruits you use, you may have to add more soy milk. This recipe is also rich in protein and calcium.

Feel free to experiment with this, as it is such a versatile smoothie. Try a chocolate-peanut butter-banana smoothie, or a strawberry-orange-banana smoothie. My favorite flavors are frozen blueberry smoothies (for the antioxidants), and pumpkin smoothies, which are very rich vitamin A, and good sources of fiber, potassium, vitamin K and iron. If you don't like the soft tofu, use plain yogurt. The point is to give your baby a protein, calcium, and vitamin-mineral rich meal replacement. It's also a great dessert for the whole family!

I wish my boy would eat his spinach, chicken, noodles and other food. But since he's quite set on being finicky right now, I'm happy to let him drink up a yummy smoothie. When babies get picky, parents adapt and slip in the nutrition any way they can. Ha! Another point goes to the parents!

5 Sandwiches Under 300 Calories

I am a busy mom. I am also a woman with a weight loss goal. My lifestyle requires me to eat healthy, low calorie meals that are quick to prepare, quick to eat, and quick to clean up. All parents know that their children are capable of getting into five different escapades in the fifteen minutes it takes to grab a quick lunch.

So here are my Five Current Favorite Quick-n-Easy, Low Cal Sandwiches. The best part? They are all under 300 calories!! Yummy and healthy, and an easy part of a low calorie lifestyle. I wish you Happy and Healthy Eating!!

Turkey & Cranberry Sandwich ~ Total Calories = 238
90 cal - 2 slices Sara Lee Delightful Bread
70 cal - 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Cheese
28 cal - 1 tbsp. Trader Joe's Orange Cranberry Sauce
50 cal - 6 slices Hillshire Farms Deli Select Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
- Spread 1 wedge of cheese on each slice of bread. On one side, place turkey slices. If desired, toast both slices until turkey and cheese are warmed through. Spread cranberry sauce on turkey, top with second slice and enjoy. *Note: Sprinkling a little cayenne pepper on this sandwich gives it a pleasant kick which goes very well with the sweetness of the cranberry sauce!

Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese ~ Total Calories = 266
90 cal - 2 slices Sara Lee Delightful Bread
70 cal - 2 tbsp. light cream cheese or 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Cheese
80 cal - 2 oz. smoked salmon
10 cal - 1 slice red onion, diced
11 cal - 1 plum tomato, sliced
5 cal - 2 tbsp. capers
- Lightly toast bread if desired. Spread 1 tbsp. or 1 wedge of cheese on each slice of bread. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. capers over cheese on each slice of bread. (It helps to push them into the cheese slightly, so that they don't roll out of your sandwich.) Top one slice with onion, tomato slices, and smoked salmon. Top with second slice of bread and enjoy.

Boca Burger Sandwich ~ Total Calories = 250
90 cal - 2 slices Sara Lee Delightful Bread
100 cal - 1 Boca Burger Patty
30 cal - 1 slice Kraft Singles Fat Free American Cheese
4 cal - 4 leaves lettuce (0.8 oz)
11 cal - 1 plum tomato, sliced
15 cal - 3 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Prepare burger patty according to package directions. Lightly toast bread. Spread mustard on one or both slices of bread. Place burger patty and cheese on one side. Top with tomato and lettuce. Top with second slice of bread. Eat up.

Tuna Salad Sandwich ~ Total Calories = 243
90 cal - 2 slices Sara Lee Delightful Bread
99 cal - 3 oz. tuna (packed in water and drained or dry - NOT packed in oil)
12 cal - 3 slices onion, diced
7 cal - 2 waterchestnuts, diced
11 cal - 1 plum tomato, diced
24 cal - 1 oz. fat free mayonnaise
- Lightly toast bread if desired. Mix tuna, onion, waterchestnuts, tomato and mayonnaise. Add black pepper and salt to taste. Spread on bread, top with second slice. Enjoy.

Melty Pastrami Sandwich ~ Total Calories = 282
120 cal - 2 slices Sargento Deli Style Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese
90 cal - 2 slices Sara Lee Delightful Bread
60 cal - 7 slices Hillshire Farms Deli Select Pastrami
12 cal - 4 tsp. mustard
- Spread 2 tsp. mustard on each slice of bread. Cut each cheese slice in half. Layer cheese and pastrami on one slice of bread (a little cheese, a little pastrami, a little cheese, a little pastrami). Put both sandwich halves into a toaster, and heat until pastrami is warmed through and the cheese is melting. Top with second slice of bread and enjoy while it's warm!

Hina's High Tea Eats

As you may have already guessed from past posts, I am extremely fond of tea. Not just the beverage, but also the entire afternoon tea or high tea experience, complete with petite finger sandwiches, savouries, pastries, jams, creams, and an enormous selection of desserts.

For your gustatory pleasure, I have assembled some of my favorite afternoon tea sandwich recipes. These are some of the tea sandwiches I have enjoyed since childhood. I am also making sure to include some recipes that may please the gentlemen. I think if more men knew that tea time includes a bounty of food, they would be more inclined to attend, and less likely to pass it off as a girly pastime. We recently had a family tea with husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, and children from 5 to 25 months of age. It was an extraordinarily congenial gathering.

Easy Tea Sandwiches
(Note: When making tea sandwiches with a moist filling, make sure you butter both slices of bread generously. This prevents the bread from becoming soggy.)

Cucumber and Mint (Difficulty Rating: Super Easy)
Ingredients: bread, softened unsalted butter, fresh mint sprigs, fresh cucumber - salt and pepper optional

Wash and dry mint thoroughly. Separate the mint leaves from the stems and chiffonade them. You'll want enough mint so that there are pieces in every bite, but not so much that it overwhelms the sandwich. This depends on how many sandwiches you are making. In a bowl, mix the mint with enough butter so that you have enough to spread generously on both slices of bread. Slice cucumber very thinly. Butter both slices of bread with mint butter. If you like, sprinkle some salt and pepper over the butter. Place several thin slices of cucumber on one piece of bread, layering slightly, no more than two to three slices high. Top with second buttered bread slice. Trim crusts and cut the sandwich into quarters (triangles or squares).

Cheddar and Pimiento (Difficulty Rating: Super Easy)
Ingredients: bread, shredded cheddar cheese, softened unsalted butter, 1 jar sliced pimientos - pepper optional

Drain pimientos very well. Chop into small pieces and place into a bowl. Add 1-½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese (more or less according to your taste). If you like, sprinkle some pepper. Mix with enough butter (about 1-½ to 2 sticks) to create a thick spread. Spread thickly on one piece of bread and top with second slice of bread. Trim crusts and cut the sandwich into quarters (triangles or squares).

Pineapple Cream Cheese with Walnuts (Difficulty Rating: Super Easy)
Ingredients: bread, whipped cream cheese, 1 can pineapple in pineapple juice, 1 cup shelled walnut halves

Toast walnuts for a few minutes, until just lightly browned. Allow to cool. Drain pineapple well, removing as much liquid as possible, and chop into small to fine pieces. Chop walnuts into rough small pieces. In a bowl, combine pineapple, walnuts and whipped cream cheese. Generously spread mixture on one slice of bread and top with second slice. Trim crusts and cut the sandwich into quarters (triangles or squares).

Man Sandwiches
(Note: These are designed to be a bit heartier, but don't over do it. Tea sandwiches are supposed to be finger food.)

Turkey Cranberry (Difficulty Rating: Super Easy)
Ingredients: bread, softened unsalted butter, thin sliced turkey (your own or from a deli), cranberry sauce (I feel it tastes better if you use an actual sauce with fruit pieces rather than a jelly) - pepper optional

Generously butter both slices of bread to prevent it from becoming soggy. Spread some cranberry sauce (about ½ to 1 tbsp) on each slice. If you like, sprinkle some pepper over the sauce. Neatly layer turkey slices across one slice of bread, as evenly as possible. Depending on the thickness of the turkey, use about 2 - 5 slices. Top with second slice of bread. Trim crusts and cut the sandwich into quarters (triangles or squares).

Tuna and Water Chestnut (Difficulty Rating: Easy)
Ingredients: bread, softened unsalted butter, two 6oz cans albacore tuna packed in water, red onion, canned water chestnuts, mayonnaise or Vegennaise - pepper optional

Drain tuna very well and place in bowl. Finely chop red onion (about ½ to ¾ cups, more or less to your taste). Drain water chestnuts and rinse with very hot water to remove smell and canned taste. Dry water chestnuts and chop finely. Add onion and water chestnuts to the tuna. If you like, sprinkle some pepper. Add about ¾ cup mayonnaise or Vegennaise and mix, breaking up the tuna as much as possible. The mixture should be thick and chunky, but creamy enough to spread. Add more mayonnaise/Vegennaise if needed. Generously butter both slices of bread to prevent it from becoming soggy. Spread a thick layer of tuna mixture on one slice of bread and top with second slice. Trim crusts and cut the sandwich into quarters (triangles or squares). Note: Since it can be difficult to cut these neatly, you may want to consider using cocktail bread. See my previous post Afternoon Tea - Sit, Chat, and Eat, Eat, Eat for explanations and further info.

Cold Smoked Salmon and Capers (Difficulty Rating: Easy)
Ingredients: bread, softened cream cheese, cold smoked salmon, capers - pepper optional

Generously spread cream cheese on both slices of bread to prevent it from becoming soggy. Drain capers well. Place a few capers, evenly distributed, on one slice of bread on top of the cream cheese. You can push them into the cream cheese slightly so that they don't roll off. (Note: Unless you or your guests really enjoy them, go easy on the capers. They have a very strong flavor.) If you like, sprinkle some pepper. Place 2-4 slices of salmon on top of the cream cheese and capers, layering as evenly as possible. Top with the second slice of bread. Trim crusts and cut the sandwich into quarters (triangles or squares).

I have mentioned bread in each recipe, but I haven't specified what kind. Please experiment with flavors, textures, and colors. I frequently use rye, sourdough, pumpernickel, and whole wheat breads. It adds a wonderful element of color to your table. For instance, I like my cucumber sandwiches on white bread because the green really pops out and looks vibrant. I put the salmon on pumpernickel because the orange color looks so striking against the brown. I find that rye bread adds a little extra flavor that seems to work well with my tuna and egg salad fillings. My little foodie heart swells with pride whenever I find a combination that works well, but the only way to find them is to try things out.


Those are my contributions for today. If anyone else has some easy recipes to share, please do so. I'm always up for trying new recipes. My goal is to share the treat of afternoon tea with everyone, and to show that, although it may be presented in a fancy way, there is nothing intimidating or very difficult involved with hosting a delicious tea party.

"Tea! The panacea for everything from weariness to a cold to a murder. Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea."
Henry Fielding