Our Twins Gender Announcement

Hi All,

Here is the video we took today when we announced our babies' genders to our family!!

ENJOY!





And Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,
Shane, Chantal & Alina

Tarragon Carrots - Quick and Easy Side Dish for Thanksgiving

Of the many Thanksgiving holiday meals, some are pot-lucks and you never really know what's in some of the dishes (like the candied yams that come in a can swimming in High Fructose Corn Syrup). Or sometimes it's an old family recipe that tastes amazing but is not really that good for you. Now you can say, "it is just once a year" and as an adult you can make that decision, but for your baby - maybe not so much.

Here is a simple recipe with minimal ingredients but full of flavor - Tarragon Carrots. It is from my new book "The Baby Cuisine Cookbook". It's so good the entire family can enjoy it and I will give those tips in a moment.
Here are the goods:

Tarragon Carrots

Country: France

Babies: 6 months +

Ingredients:

7 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1/8 C fresh tarragon, chopped
1/2 C water

Instructions:

Steam carrots for approximately 15 minutes, until fork tender.

Using a hand blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree steamed carrots, tarragon and 1/4 C of the water.

Continue to blend, adding in the remaining water as necessary. For older babies, you can simple fork mash.


Yield: approximately 2 Cups

Variations for adults:

So if you want to make extra, just keep the ratio of carrots to fresh tarragon the same. You can also roast your carrots in the oven and then toss them with a little melted butter and tarragon. Feel free to sprinkle a little sea salt and fresh pepper and WOW you have a hit and you did very little work! Mmm delicioso!

Enjoy!!

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!


With Gratitude,
Shane

PS - My first book,"The Baby Cuisine Cookbook" will be out in stores early next year but I will have a special, unbelievable, irresistible offer sent only to our members before they hit the shelves! Don't miss out on this special promotion (and just regular updates on us) please sign up on our website here: http://www.alinascucina.com/signup.php. You won't be disappointed!

It is free to join and if you are already a member THANK YOU, and if are signing up today THANK YOU too! And we don't sell our list so your email is safe with us.

PSS - remember to check back on Friday as I will post the video on our twins' gender announcement to the family -- it is going to be so fun!

PSSS - If you know someone that might like my blog and/or my new book, please forward this on to them - Thanks!

(c) 2009 Shane Valentine

A Thanksgiving Meal Idea for Babies and Tots

It's that time of year again and that time is coming on us super quick....it is Thanksgiving time! I want to start of by saying that I am not going to tell you to make a whole separate meal for your little ones or the other little ones that will be attending your Thanksgiving meal!

No, no - if you don't know me by now you will quickly learn that I am all about feeding the whole family the same meal. Not only does this approach/philosophy make your life easier (and it's more cost beneficial) - it is an important bonding opportunity. Sharing a meal together, sometimes referred to as "breaking bread" together, bonds us emotionally and socially.

The act of eating food is very physical and it involves all of the senses - sight, which is key to the experience (example - plate presentation), taste (the delicious flavors), touch (the textures of the foods), sounds (especially when you hear something sizzle), and smell (rich aromas).

Moving beyond the physicalitys of eating, there is an emotional aspect to eating as well. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it brings us together as a family, is a bonding experience and an event the whole family (including your baby) can share!

Above is a picture of an idea that you might want to try with your little one - it brings in the sense of sight along with the emotional/social benefits of eating from the same meal. Take from the meal already prepared (as long as it is healthfully prepared) and make small portions and serve them in cupcake tins. It will make them feel so special!

From left to right:

Example #1 - Mashed potatoes, a little stuffing, a little turkey and a small dollop of cranberry sauce

Example #2 - Mashed sweet potatoes, chopped up turkey, small drizzle of gravy and a small dollop of cranberry sauce

Example #3 - Mashed sweet potatoes, minced turkey - all mixed together (baby food)

Example #4 - Stuffing with sliced turkey and a drizzle of gravy

Again, these are just ideas that I have and you can create your own combinations based on what is being shared at your table. At the end of the day, what is important is that Thanksgiving is a day where everyone has fun, enjoys each others company, shares a great meal TOGETHER and maybe watches a little football (sorry I had to put that in)!

ENJOY!

PS - Monday I will post a quick and easy side dish that you can feed your baby and I will give you ideas on how to increase the recipe so that the adults can eat some too. I promise the adults will LOVE it!

PPS - On Thanksgiving we are going to announce the gender of our twins to our families in a really cool and fun way (and of course it involves food!) We plan on video taping it and posting it the Friday after Thanksgiving. So after you get home from shopping on Black Friday (if that is your family tradition - not mine :)) pull up a chair and check out our video! We are so excited!

Take care and I will chat with you again on Monday!

With Gratitude,
Shane

Another Fun Fall Recipe - Apple Butter

Its that time again....a fun recipe the whole family can enjoy! This one was inspired by a great treat we have here in the great Northwest -- Apples! If you are lucky enough to get a hold of some Honey Crisp Apples - oh they are so naturally sweet and so good! We love them so much I planted a "dwarf" Honey Crisp Apple tree in my back yard.

Washington Apples are delicious especially now when they are in season. There are a multitude of reasons it's best (when possible) to buy in season:

1. It is the freshest
2. It is the most flavorful
3. It is most abundant - which translates in economic terms as: cheapest! (supply and demand)

Doesn't nature know just how to do it! Gotta love it!

So after being surrounded by so many apples, I asked, as is custumary with Alina's Cucina, "What country or culture does something special with Apples?" Lucky for me my sister-in-law's family is of German decent and on their farm in rural Illinois they make Apple Butter this time of year...again with abundance of apples it is a great way to preserve and can them. It is a big deal for them and the whole town gets involved. I have not made it down there to witness this event just yet, but is on my list!

I won't bog you down with the whole preserving process. Instead I came up with my own take on German Apple Butter that is super easy to do and makes a small batch -- no need to call the neighbors over for help! What I can tell you as you cook this and the aroma of the apples, cinnamon and cloves takes over your house ,your neighbors will be lining up asking, "What are you making?"

Just a couple things before you get started:

1. There is no butter in apple butter. The term is used to describe the consistency - think of peanut butter or almond butter. (And if you didn't know, there is no butter peanut butter either :)

2. This recipe is like a two-for-one special. Because the first step in making apple butter is making applesauce - you now will now know how to make applesauce, which is a recipe in and of itself!

3. It is super easy to make and it just takes a few hours - so if you have time and you're going to be home for an afternoon - then it is perfect!

The Goods:

Apple Butter

Recipe by: Shane Valentine

Stage 1 - Make Applesauce
Ingredients:

2 pounds of Apples (preferably a sweet variety like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady)
5 Cups of Water

Directions:

1. Slice apples (leave on the skin, core and seeds - they will be removed in the next step) and simmer in a pot with water that covers them for about 40-45 minutes until tender and soft.
2. Once done, remove apples and press through a fruit strainer or food mill. Discard skins and seeds.

Now you have Applesauce! (See how easy!) Yield approx. 2-2 1/2 Cups

Stage 2 - Making Apple Butter

Ingredients:

Your fresh Applesauce
1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Cloves

Directions:

In a pot, combine your applesauce and all the ingredients and simmer on medium to low heat until thickened. Stir occasionally for approximately 2 hours. (Every 15 minutes or so, give it a little stir.)

Enjoy on toast and here is a great snack idea (it's one you can serve at a holiday party - maybe on Thanksgiving as an appetizer: Take crackers and spread creamy goat cheese (can be found at your local Trader Joe's) and top with a dollop of your Apple Butter - I promise you it will be a hit!!!

It is also a great addition to your baby's warm cereals or yogurt! YUM!

Have fun and let me know how it turns out!

Take care - With Gratitude,

Shane

(c) 2009 Shane Valentine
Photo courtesy of New York Apple Assoc.
(c) New York Apple Association

Alina's Cucina Gives Back to the Community

Baby Ella (with her mum Jodie) won a prize that Alina's Cucina donated to the Washington Trails Association for their recent Hike-A-Thon. That little girl is quite the hiker!

Alina's Cucina donated an in-home cooking session for Jodie and her friends. We went over our recipes and Jodie picked 3 that she wanted to learn. We brought the ingredients and I showed them how to whip them up - they were chopping and stirring non-stop :)

We had a fun-filled morning with Ella, her friend Oliver and their moms as we all whipped up some of Alina's Cucina's recipes. On the menu was Moroccan Stew with Couscous, Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes & Spinach from Peru, and Ratatouille from France.

We love showing parents how easy it is to feed their babies delicious, international foods! These two moms were experts in the kitchen and are accustomed to making flavorful foods for their babies. Jodie is from Austrailia and Kiki is from Germany. We enjoyed talking about babies, food and being moms!

Thank you for a great morning everyone!!

-Chantal

(PS - Kiki said that Oliver has never eaten so much! Here he is eating Quinoa while putting his hand in the Moroccan Vegetable Stew! Adorable!)