I’m extremely excited and honored to be co-hosting Pregnancy Awareness Month in May with Ricki Lake and Josie Maran. Through PAM, co-founders Anna Getty and & Alisa Donner aim to empower pregnant women and new parents with information, “how to” ideas and inspiration to incorporate PAM’s four key initiatives – education, exercise, nutrition & wellness and nurture– into their life routines and to show how easy it can be to make healthy changes in their lives, for themselves, and their children.

I often see Anna at our local farmer’s market and I know how much she loves cooking for her family. Because we both happen to be in the baby food making stage with our second children, Anna sent me this recipe and told me that her entire family enjoys eating it. I knew Chloe would be delighted with it, but I was curious to see how my 3 year-old Kenya would react. I put some in his school lunch the other day and was psyched when the container I put it in came home completely empty. My husband finished off what little remained in the fridge, so this puree delivers as promised!

Apple Fennel Puree (Make 6 Baby Servings)

1 Fennel Bulb, fronds removed and fennel bulb (the white part) chopped
2 Apples, peeled, cored and chopped (I like to use Gala, Pink Lady or Fuji apples)

1. Place the fennel in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Add the apples to the pot and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until fennel and apples are fork tender.
3. Place the mixture in a food processor and puree.
4. Serve.

Of all the new recipes I’ve made recently, these Mashed Potato Cakes are one of the biggest hits in our kitchen. I made them for family dinner, but they were equally perfect in Kenya’s lunch box for school the next day. I find most kids love to eat anything they can hold in their little hands, so these little cakes are a special treat. They’re delicious served on their own, but when I served them with a side of apple sauce, Kenya the fun of eating them seemed to double for Kenya.

Mashed Potato Cakes (Makes 12 Small Cakes)

2 Cups Mashed Potatoes
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg, whisked
7 Tbsp All Purpose Flour, divided
Butter or Oil, for pan-searing
Accompaniments: Apple Sauce and/or Sour Cream

1. Place mashed potatoes, cheese, egg, and 3 tbsp flour in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Take a scoop of the potato mixture and form into patties.
3. Place the remaining 4 tbsp of flour on a plate.
4. Lightly coat the potato patties in the flour.
5. Heat a thin layer of the oil or butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
6. Cook the potato cakes for 3 minutes on each side for a total of 6 minutes.
7. Serve as is or with accompaniments.

*After step 2, place patties on a baking sheet and place in freezer for 30 minutes then place par-frozen patties in a ziploc bag and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours and follow steps 3-7.

Kenya and I went on an apple sauce binge last week. I know, I know. I normally make my own, but I’ve been testing so many new recipes in the kitchen that I haven’t had time to whip up a new batch. So, I decided to buy several different brands and do a taste test — which is so much fun to do with kids. There couldn’t be a more honest focus group than a bunch of two year-olds. You always know when a little kid likes something when you get that big “MMM!!!!” Kenya’s response to the one kind in particular was huge!

I tried several national grocery store brands but I kept feeling this gritty apple texture that I didn’t enjoy. I also tried many health food store brands which varied by flavor and texture too. My very favorite, though, was the LeRoux Creek Organic Apple Sauce. Not only does it come in a variety of flavors such as cinnamon, mango, berry and apricot, it’s packaging is the perfect size for on-the-go snacks. Weelicious is always a huge supporter of family owned and operated businesses. LeRoux Creek only goes to their local family farms to get the apples that go into their product.I still love homemade apple butter and apple sauce — it’s always the most inexpensive and freshest way to go — but if you don’t have time to make your own, give this yummy brand a try. Trust me, the little ones will be happy.

A few months ago, we got in the car and drove just outside of Palm Springs, CA to Los Rios Rancho’s beautiful u-pick farm to go apple picking. Not only does Los Rios have rows and rows of apple trees that seem to go on for miles, but they also have live music, pony rides, a petting zoo, roast corn, BBQ and more. We had a blast and we picked bags filled with several varieties of apples to take back home.

Whenever we go apple picking, I always set out with an adventurous spirit thinking I’m going to get home and crank out batches apple pies, turnovers, bread ,etc….and then I get home. I’m so exhausted from a long day of running around after Kenya that I just want to rest on the couch. Still, what to do with all those apples? Apple butter!

For all of you that are like me, this recipe for is so easy and healthy that you can make it even if you have no energy. I went to the farmer’s market the next day to ask several farmers what the difference between apple sauce and apple butter — I got many different answers. I came to the realization that it’s made simply from half sweet apples and half tart apples. Luckily, we picked tons of Golden Delicious (sweet) and Wine Sap (tart) apples, packed with vitamin C and fiber, a perfect mix for this recipe. Adding just a bit of agave nectar for sweetness and a pinch of cinnamon for zip, this apple butter recipe is perfect spread on toast, sandwiches or even used as a dip for turkey as Kenya demonstrated for us at dinner the next night.

Apple Butter (makes 1 1/2 – 2 cups)

2 Apples (1 tart such as granny smith or wine sap, 1 sweet such as golden delicious or Fuji)
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 Tbsp Apple Juice, Cider or Water

1. Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat.
2. Cook for 15 minutes, covered or until apples are soft and tender.
3. Smash apples with a potato masher or back of a spoon. You want to apple butter to be slightly chunky.
4. Cool and serve.

I’m a total sucker for the holidays and especially the foods that you get at this time of year. I always loved celebrating Hanukkah with my friends when I was growing up, spinning the dreidel, lighting the menorah for 8 days, eating chocolates coins (Hanukkah gelt), and especially munching on crispy latkes with tons of apple sauce and sour cream.
Potato pancakes, also known as latkes are a Hanukkah tradition and one especially that I wanted Kenya to take part in. Even for a kid under the age of 2, Kenya knows something yummy when he sees it. We made a huge batch the other day and he ate them one after another, dipping away in the apple sauce. Making these treats is a beautiful way to celebrate the festival of lights.

Potato Latkes (Serves 6-8)

1 Onion
4 Potatoes, peeled
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Flour
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Apple Sauce, for serving
Sour Cream, for serving

1. Grate the onions and potatoes into a large strainer over a bowl (you could also do this through the grating blade in a food processor).
2. Press on the potato mixture in the strainer and discard any clear liquid in the bowl under the strainer.
3. Place the onion, potatoes, egg, flour, salt and peeper in a bowl and throughly combine.
4. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a saute pan over medium heat.
5. Place one heaping tablespoon of potatoes in the oil forming a circle.
6. Cook for 2-3 and minutes or until golden and flip over.
7. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through and remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
8. Can be served immediately or kept warm in a 300 degree oven until all latkes are prepared.
9. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce.

*Allow to cool, then place in ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, pop them into a oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until warmed through or defrost in fridge for 24 hours then heat in a dry pan.

We used these to make this recipe:

Oxo Good Grips Box Grater

This is a perfect first food for a little one. I’ve been making it for Kenya since he started eating solids, but for some reason I forgot to put my recipe on weelicious. Applesauce is THE baby food standard. Inexpensive, healthy, sweet and complementary to so many other fruits and 
vegetables, apples should be one of the stars in your babies diet.

Full of vitamin C and fiber, you can make sauce from almost any kind of apple you can find, although Fuji’s and Gala apples are especially sweet and 
delicious.

I add a touch of cinnamon just to give it a little zip, but you could easily leave it out. Why spend more money buying jarred when you can make this in minutes?!


Apple Sauce (6 Baby Servings)

2 Apples, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon

1. Place apples in a steamer pot over boiling water.
2. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Place apples and cinnamon in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor