Top Barn Farm

Today we went to Top Barn Farm near Ombersley to do their Pumkin Trail.

We had a lovely day and Sophia was so interested in everything. We visited the farm shop and coffee shop before a tractor ride to pick a pumpkin and bunny petting. Some pictures from our day...

On our way with lots of smiles!

On the tractor ride looking around the farm.

Daddy choosing our pumpkin.

He picked a good one!

Petting Kate the rabbit.

It was a great day out! We'll be starting to carve and eat our pumpkin tomorrow...yum!

All the country air did Sophia good as she was out like a light after her bath tonight!

We're planning to stay at home tomorrow and have a cosy day in, especially if the reports are true about the big storm on its way to us.

Hope everyone has a super rest of the weekend!

BLW Recipe: Homemade Fish Fingers

We’re big fish eaters at our house and especially love oily fish like mackerel and salmon.

On Saturday night I made us fish fingers out of salmon and it proved a hit so I thought I’d share the recipe.

Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fats which have been shown to increase cognitive function making it a perfect choice for a growing baby. It also has many benefits such as increased joint protection and eye health meaning it’s great for the whole family.

Health note: The NHS recommend that baby boys should have no more than 4 portions of oily fish per week and baby girls should have no more than 2 portions per week. You can read more about this HERE.

Serves: 1 baby and 2 adults.

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets, boned and skinned (I cut the skin off with a sharp knife)

1 slice of bread, I used granary but any bread would work well

1 egg, whisked

Zest of half a lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°c and put in the piece of bread to dry out for a few minutes.
2. Cut a thin strip of the edge of each salmon fillet, making two thin ‘fingers’ of salmon.
3. Remove the bread and put into a blender. Blitz until it creates fine breadcrumbs. Zest the lemon and mix with the breadcrumbs.
4. Dip each piece of salmon into the whisked egg and cover in the breadcrumb mixture. Place onto a baking tray. Repeat this with the other salmon pieces.
5. Bake for around 10 minutes or until completely cooked through.
6. Serve and enjoy!

We had ours with tomato, quinoa and avocado but they would be great served with just about anything! Rice, pasta or even baked beans.

Sophia loved picking up the fingers and was making ‘mmmm’ sounds as she munched away!

Discovery Bottles

Sophia is into everything at the moment! She loves playing with new and interesting objects so I decided to make her some fun and inexpensive discovery bottles.

I washed out some ordinary, clear drinks bottles and filled them with various things. Some ideas are…

• Dried rice or pasta - you could even add food colouring to make it more fun
• Bits of ripped up foil – the sound the foil makes is quite soothing and the reflections of light provide an interesting sensory experience for your baby
• Beads – making a musical bottle
• Bells – these would be perfect for a festive bottle along with some glitter
• Cut up pipe cleaners – different colours and lengths
• Off-cuts of different types of ribbon – these can be bought very cheaply on ebay
• Pom-poms – different sizes and colours
• Oil and coloured water – the separation of liquids will intrigue your baby
• Water beads – these can be picked up in florists or home ware shops
• Shower gel and small objects – you could use tiny animals or sequins to float in the clear and colourful gel

You can use just about anything in the bottles to stimulate little minds. For older children a nice idea would be to add in objects beginning with a certain letter to promote their literacy skills or numbers and shapes for some maths development. They really are very versatile and budget friendly!

**Safety note: I would recommend gluing the bottles shut and checking them regularly to make sure they are safe.**

BLW Recipe: Meatballs with a Twist

Sophia really loves spaghetti bolognaise, it’s her very favourite! So when I saw some meatballs on offer the other day I knew they’d be perfect for trying out a new recipe for a different take on mince and spaghetti.

The ‘twist’ to my recipe is the fruity, creamy sauce which has four hidden vegetables making it healthy for the whole family.

I used pre-made meatballs to cut down on time but you could make your own meatballs and chill in the fridge ready to add into the recipe.

Serves: 1 baby and 2 adults generously

Ingredients:

vegetable oil for brushing the pan

12 lean beef meatballs

1 medium carrot, grated

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 courgette, grated

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp curry powder

½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk

hot water from the kettle

125g wholewheat spaghetti

 

Method:

1. Brush the vegetable oil onto the frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onions and gently fry until softened and translucent.
2. Add in the carrot, pepper, courgette, paprika and curry powder and continue to cook until all the ingredients are soft.
3. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plastic jug or bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes before adding in the coconut milk and blitzing with a hand blender. Add hot water until the sauce is the consistency that you like.
4. Brush another pan with oil and once hot place in the meatballs. Brown them all over and allow to cook for around 10 minutes.
5. Turn the hob to a low to medium heat and pour the sauce onto the meatballs. Allow to simmer gently.
6. Meanwhile, add boiling water to a saucepan and add in the spaghetti. Cook as the packet instructs.
7. Once the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling, portion off your baby’s meatballs and sauce (Sophia had two meatballs and a large spoonful of sauce).Allow this to cool.
8. Season the remaining meatballs as you wish.
9. Drain the pasta and serve along with the meatballs and sauce.
10. Enjoy!

We all really enjoyed this meal and the meatballs were the perfect size for Sophia to pick up and eat. I’ll definitely be cooking this for my family again!

Sophia finished her meal with some natural yogurt. Yum!

Recently...

Some pictures of what we've been up to lately.

Making and eating pumkin soup.

Wearing pretty dresses.

Reading stories in bed.

Playing at the baby group.

Riding in the trolley like a big girl.

Enjoying bath time.

Standing up!

Enjoying healthy meals.

Having sleepy cuddles.

Messy Play

Sophia is developing so quickly now! Gone are the days when she'd be happy with one toy and a few cuddles. She's so active now and loves to be busy! 

I haven't done much messy play with her so have made it my aim to try a new messy activity every week. It is so good for fostering so many useful skills such as mark making (early literacy), exploration of the world and creativity.

We got Sophia a tuff spot (a builders mixing tray) like the ones I had in my classrooms in reception and nursery so she could sit in a space and get as messy as she wanted to!

This week we made gloop from cornflour and she loved it! I also made her some orange playdough which was less of a success as she was just desperate to eat it all (luckily it was edible). Here are some of the pictures...

Dear Sophia: 7 Months Old

**I can’t believe how busy this month has been that I haven’t got around to posting this sooner! Must try harder next month!**

 

Dear Sophia,

You are 7 months old! This month has seen lots of change in you and in our family. Daddy got a new job and Mummy went back to work. As usual you have sailed along with the changes, taking everything in your stride.

You’re now with Granny one day a week and Joan (your childminder) two days a week. You seem to be having lots of fun and haven’t cried or grumbled once. We’re so proud of you, our social, joyful girl. I think about you all the time at work and on my long commutes and you’re what keeps me going. I look forward to our days together so much!

Weaning:

You are still eating really well and Joan was very impressed with the range of food you will happily eat. You’re not fussy one bit and you take so much pleasure in family meals. You are still loving your porridge and banana for breakfast! We had a picnic in the park at the start of September and you really enjoyed that.

Development:

You are developing before our eyes! You seem so far away from that tiny baby we brought back from the hospital now. This month you can…

• Crawl. You’ve been able to move along for quite some time now but this month has seen you be able to crawl ‘properly’. You love exploring the house and can move pretty quickly!
• Sit up with very good control. You now prefer to be sat up rather than any other position. It’s so sweet to watch you sitting and playing with your toys.
• You are now in your ‘big girl’ car seat facing forwards. For the first couple of journeys you were amazed at looking at me and daddy in the front and all of the cars. You really like being able to see what’s going on!

Five Favourites at 7 Months:

Favourite toy: This month have been enjoying your rainbow ribbon toy and your wooden rattle. They always seem to be the first things you reach for.

Favourite book: This month you seen really interested in books and you’ll sit for quite a while studying the pictures in them. Your favourite this month is Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. It has a little cut out hole on each page and you love it when I hold it to your face and say ‘Peepo!’

Favourite food: This month you love yogurt. You take so much pleasure in feeding yourself with your spoon.

Favourite activity: You love ‘Round and Round the Garden’. When I start to creep up your arm you squeal in delight, knowing I’m about to tickle you.

Favourite thing to do or say: You love to splash in the bath now. We’ve been showing you for months how to splash and you’ve finally got it! You will splash away happily (and getting mummy all wet!).

Another month has flown by and you have changed and learnt so much. You’re such a joy and we are so grateful to have you. Everywhere we go you smile and everybody loves you. To us, you’re the best thing since sliced bread and we adore you.

 

Happy 7 month birthday beautiful girl!

Lots of love from Mummy and Daddy.xxx