a natural approach to baby's first year
to enjoy experimenting with food in a social setting
**********************************************************************
This content was adapted from the vast archive of environmental, family and child-friendly parenting practices detailed in The Other Baby Book: A Natural Approach to Baby’s First Year by Megan McGrory Massaro and Miriam J. Katz.
Who knew a blender could be so profitable?
Baby food is a thriving $1.25 billion industry in the U.S. The average American infant “consumes” 600 jars of baby food by their first birthday. We use the word loosely, as there’s often as much puree on the baby as in the baby. And yet babies in Western Europe go through about 240 jars, and their Eastern European neighbors only taste an average of 12 jars in that first year! (Miriam and Megan’s babies tasted no jars, by the way.)
We can thank Justus von Liebig, a German chemist, for introducing prepared infant foods to the market. He invented what he dubbed the perfect infant food in 1867. His “formula” was a mixture of wheat flour, cow’s milk and malt flour cooked with bicarbonate of potash, a salt containing potassium. Yum.
Babies weren’t always opening wide for an airplaned spoonful of pureed bananas, though. Before von Liebig’s discovery, and even today in some non-industrialized countries, babies were given a homemade mixture of grains and water, animal milk, or broth as the start of the weaning process. In some cultures parents chew or slice fruits, vegetables or other foods and feed them to infants.
The industrialization of food around the turn of the 20th century launched an American love affair with processed food. We increasingly replaced backyard gardens and trips to the local farmer with canned goods, which afforded the luxury of eating fruits and vegetables all year round. This new convenience, along with doctors recommending earlier introductions of solids, paved the way for the birth of a new industry: baby food.
In the U.S., manufactured baby food reached more and more little mouths between the 1920s and the postwar baby boom of the 1950s. Gerber came on the market with strained vegetables in 1928, and Beech-Nut, Heinz, and Libby’s soon followed.
But what baby-food buying moms often didn’t know, because no laws mandated ingredient disclosure, was that commercial baby food included a lot of “others” – salt, sugar, fillers, artificial preservatives, and occasionally, lead and glass shards. In the 1980s and 90s, several major baby food products were recalled, but the industry suffered little. Even as recently as 2010, lead was found in baby food.
The Players
Currently, Gerber, Beech-Nut and Heinz control over 95% of the baby food market (of which Gerber enjoys a whopping 70%). Earth’s Best joined the game in the late 1980s, offering organic jarred baby food and juices, but only reaches 2.5% of the market.
Gerber works hard to stay on top of the baby food industry. In the 1950s, they ran a feel-good campaign touting their rice cereal: “You can’t feed children as well as we can!” Talk about truth in advertising – if nutrition- and taste-deficient rice cereal could match the benefits of breastmilk or garden-raised produce we’d be a much healthier society today.
The Science behind Baby Food
According to Dr. David Bergman, a Stanford University pediatrics professor, “There’s a bunch of mythology out there about [introducing solids]. There’s not much evidence to support any particular way of doing things.”
Parents feel we’re doing our baby best by offering pureed fruits and vegetables one. at. a. time. We interpret guidelines for food introduction as law, especially when coming from a pediatrician. Let’s not forget, however, that general pediatricians are not nutritionists, and their recommendations are often based on outdated and culturally-biased information. And that information was crafted and paid for by baby food manufacturers.
It’s clear to many in the scientific community – not to mention common-sense parents – that the standard early fare may not be best for baby, after all. Rice cereal is among the top suspects. It’s often given in bottle form and is baby’s first taste, aside from milk. But, according to Dr. David Ludwig of Children’s Hospital Boston, a specialist in pediatric nutrition, “These foods are in a certain sense no different from adding sugar to formula. They digest very rapidly in the body into sugar, raising blood sugar and insulin levels.”
There’s a growing movement to get back to basics when introducing solid foods. It’s been named Baby-led Weaning, by British pioneer, researcher and author Gill (pronounced Jill) Rapley. Keep in mind that in the U.K., “weaning” typically refers to the introduction of solids, whereas Americans typically think of it as the end of breastfeeding. So we’ll refer to it as baby-led solids to reduce confusion. Really though, it’s been an unnamed way to feed your baby for millennia.
Let’s circle back to our purpose in writing The Other Baby Book: reviving baby-care practices that are simple, natural, and intuitive. Give your baby what you’re eating. Let him feed himself. Yes, it’s that easy.
**********************************************************************************************************
This content was trimmed from the vast archive of environmental and child-friendly parenting practices detailed in The Other Baby Book: A Natural Approach to Baby’s First Year by Megan McGrory Massaro and Miriam J. Katz.
I spent a good many of my childhood holidays pining after the Chia Pets shown in those catchy commercials. Would I find the Chia Sheep, Chia Cat, or coveted Chia Dinosaur under the tree this year? Nope. I sadly never got one.
Now that I am grown and had completely forgot about my chia pet hopes as a child (until writing this post…note-to-self for next holiday), the chia seed has come back into my life in a completely different light. The chia seed is great eats!
The record of chia seeds as a cultural superfood date to Mayan and Aztec times in Mexico. Hailing from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, they are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, calcium, and manganese.
When exposed to moisture, chia seeds make an emollient gel similar to flax seeds and expand to approximately 4x their original size. The gel is a great beauty treatment for the skin, but also is perfect as an all natural pudding! We make almost weekly batches of chia pudding at our house and our two year-old loves to dump in the ingredients and stir it to perfection. It is a fabulous, healthy treat you can feel great about giving to…well…anyone!
Chia Pudding
2 1/2 cups milk of your choice (cow, almond, hemp, coconut, etc)
2-3 Tablespoons of sweetener (agave, brown rice syrup, honey, maple syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup Chia Seeds
zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk (I like to use a combo of almond and coconut milks), sweetener, and vanilla. Add chia seeds and lemon zest (if using) and stir to combine. Refrigerate approximatey 4 hours or until the mixture has reached a pudding-like consistency, stirring occasionally.
Eat it up! It is even great for a nice, summer breakfast.
Since discovering the benefits and deliciousness of including raw vegan foods into her diet in 2008, Stephanie has been experimenting with “new to her” nuts and seeds with great success. Luckily, her husband and daughter are willing lab rats.
It was looking a bit gloomy for the St. Louis gathering for The Big Latch On last Saturday morning. We woke up to thunder, lightning, and buckets of rain. Were it not for the recent unrelenting, blistering triple-digit heat wave, I would have been outright grumpy for the inclement weather. I had so been looking forward to this public celebration of breastfeeding! As I checked the Facebook feeds for both the La Leche League of Greater St. Louis and The Big Latch On-St. Louis, participants were slowly bowing out with regret. We happen to live just a handful of blocks from the park where the event was being held, so we were thankfully able to wait the weather out and still arrive for our NIP-fest on time.
The rain had relievedly slowed to a soft drizzle. While we waited for our 10:30am latch-on time, my toddler decided to capitalize on some serious puddle-splashing opportunities.
Like many of you, this wasn’t the first time, nor will it likely be the last time, I’ve nursed my spectacularly sodden child. Around 10:20am, I headed over to our designated latch-on rendezvous point in the park, soggy toddler in tow. We chatted with friends, waited for the clock to strike 10:30am, and then…
In spite of the damp and dreary weather, 25 St. Louis-area little ones came out to be counted amongst the 8,862 other nursing tykes across 23 countries in 626 different locations to honor of World Breastfeeding Week, to raise awareness of breastfeeding and promote its positive presence in public places, and to advocate for access to adequate breastfeeding support services. It was an impressive Big Latch On indeed, and it was not a bad way to pass a drizzly Saturday morning, y’all–muddy toddler and all.
Over the last week we’ve been working on night-weaning in our house (forthcoming post on that), and though it’s been going well, it has also churned up some serious sentiment for me. I can’t even begin to write about what breastfeeding means to me, about how it restored a sense of empowerment about my body; about how much I relish those upward gazes from my son; about how the weight of his body in my arms has changed so much from then to now; about how much I treasure the cheeky upturn of his mouth when he smiles as he nurses; about this new respect for and relationship with my breasts as a nursing adult woman.
Our breastfeeding relationship is far from over, but it is changing. From 10:30am-10:31am on Saturday morning, during our internationally shared moment of nursing, I meditated on my boundless gratitude for being a mother; for the ability to nourish my son both nutritionally and emotionally through the act of nursing; and for the women in my life who supported me and inspired me during our breastfeeding journey. We may not have broken the world record on Saturday, but my breastfeeding relationship with my son has far surpassed my every expectation in innumerable, heart-stoking ways.
Did you attend a Big Latch On gathering? How did it go? What are/were your breastfeeding goals? Did you break your own personal world record?
Rhianna’s 19 month old son is known to give her a spontaneous fist bump when he nurses. Nothing in her mind quite says “Breastfeeding kicks ass!” like the nursing toddler fist bump.
This is the third installment of a four-part series on the popular Paleo way of eating and lifestyle from a mama’s perspective. You can find Part I here and Part II here. Although Kate is not a medical professional or nutritionist, she’ll share her thoughts and experiences of implementing Paleo in her household.
Paleo: a simple, whole foods way of eating that focuses on meats, vegetables, fruits, and fats. It is also a lifestyle that places importance upon restful sleep, functional movement exercise, and interacting with and enjoying the outdoors.
“Good to Know” Paleo Tips for Success
Kale-Coconut Smoothie
Ingredients:
Directions:
Our Family’s Favorite Recipe Links
Best Paleo “Spaghetti”: one of my favorite recipes to serve for my family AND for company. It’s that good, my friends! Play with the ingredients, experiment, and enjoy. You won’t miss regular pasta after having this. Vegetarians/vegans: leave out the meat, and you’re good to go!
Pancakes: We make this recipe EVERY.SINGLE. WEEKEND. No joke, it tastes just like regular pancakes, minus the carb crash afterward. Need more convincing? Reference photo above. If you’re worried about sugar though, you can omit the added honey. Sometimes when we’re being really bad, we’ll melt (by way of a double boiler) a 1/2 bar of extra dark chocolate and mix it in with the batter.
Butternut Squash Soup: We make this soup every fall and it’s pretty much a tradition at this point to have it at least once a week. It’s savory, satisfying, and a bit on the spicy side.
Birthday Cake: We made this for our daughter’s first birthday, and let me tell you, the guests preferred it to the “regular” cupcakes I also made. Since I made it for my little one, I cut the honey in half and left out the chocolate.
Paleo Recipe Websites to check out: Nom Nom Paleo, Primal-Palate, and Everyday Paleo
On Pinterest: Check out Robb Wolf‘s two boards for further inspiration!
*********************************************************
Coming Up Next Week: I will be answering your questions about eating Paleo, so hit me up with your tough ones! OK, well maybe not too tough, but you get the picture. Leave a question in the comments below or feel free to leave it on our facebook page.
Kate loves eating delicious meals, but BIG SECRET, hates cooking. Who would’ve guessed? The last time she and her husband got together with friends, her Paleo cupcakes were an epic fail and she (guiltily) bought a gluten-free cherry pie to take instead. Sometimes her 16 month old spits out her meal, and Kate wonders if even the toddler gets that mama is not the cook in the house.
This is the second installment of a four-part series on the popular Paleo way of eating and lifestyle from a mama’s perspective. You can find Part I here. Although Kate is not a medical professional or nutritionist, she’ll share her thoughts and experiences of implementing Paleo in her household.
Paleo: a simple, whole foods way of eating that focuses on meats, vegetables, fruits, and fats. It is also a lifestyle that places importance upon restful sleep, functional movement exercise, and interacting with and enjoying the outdoors.
WARNING: Reading the following might result in improved health, more energy, and a desire to swing from a tree branch. Oh, and your kids will benefit as well!
This morning my husband, my mother-in-law, daughter, and I shared a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, sautéed fresh squash from the farmer’s market, and cups of coffee for the adults (no cream/sugar.) Vivi wasn’t crazy about the squash, but tasted it several times, examined the texture, and eventually decided to enjoy her eggs without. She still seemed hungry, so I quickly blended up some raw kale, frozen fruit, coconut milk, and water. She gulped down three small cups.
This meal, while simple enough, met the complex and diverse needs of all of us. The low-glycemic index of the squash and eggs satisfied my diabetic mother-in-law. My husband, who seems to be always trying to slim down and get a six-pack (I support ya, sweetie!), appreciated the low-carb aspect of the meal, but felt satiated by the coconut oil used to cook the squash. And my daughter? Well at 16 months, a meal like this is normal, tasty, and unbeknownst to her, nutritious. When we eat Paleo as a family, every meal is a home run: nutritious, tasty, and satisfying.
Paleo is a total change of lifestyle and can be tough enough for adults. So often, there might be one person in a family eating Paleo, while the rest stick to what’s familiar. I want to assure you that it doesn’t have to be this way! But inevitably, there are usually two questions floating around when you mix Paleo and kiddos:
Paleo eating for kids is pretty simple: if you’re eating Paleo, they can eat all the same things as you. No more cooking two meals and loading the shopping cart up with “kid-friendly” options!
Babies and toddlers will naturally gravitate toward a more veggies/fruit/fat based version and less meat. My daughter will often refuse meat for a week at a time, while devouring everything else. Paleo and baby-led weaning naturally go hand in hand: think soft pieces of fruit and vegetables, egg yolks, homemade broths, and slow-cooked meats that are easy to chew for the baby who is at least 6 months old. Don’t forget the breastmilk…your cavewoman ancestors would be proud!
Independent toddlers will relish the opportunity to eat what their parents do, rather than something else that looks and tastes totally different. Having options to choose from will allow these headstrong babes to feel in control.
Older children might be a bit more difficult to get on board if they haven’t eaten this way previously. The best thing you can do is to only keep nutritious options in your home, make Paleo meals, and don’t worry about the rest. Kids are so resilient and adaptable: give them the chance to make healthy choices, and I think you will be surprised.
Immediate answer: YES! Do you know anyone who has ever become obese/sick/diseased while eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and high-quality meats, eggs, fats, and fish? Children thrive on this type of diet, and you may have seen something similar prescribed for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the GAPS diet. The Paleo way of eating provides such a varied, nutrient-rich diet that allows a parent to relax about food choices. No need to worry if your little one is getting enough of one nutrient or another because, most likely, they are getting them all and in ample quantities.
However, there are two big issues that concern many parents: no grains and no dairy. Aren’t kids supposed to have both for the fiber and nutrients (grains) and the calcium and vitamin D (dairy)?
The short answer is this: kids will get all of the above nutrients from a Paleo diet. Vegetables and fruit provide ample fiber (yay poop!), leafy greens and nuts take care of calcium, and vitamin D can be sourced naturally from a short play session outside (step away from the Wii, my friends.) Instead of cow’s milk, my daughter drinks plenty of water, kale/spinach shakes, and an occasional cup of straight coconut milk. I’m pretty positive (at least 99% sure) that she is not only meeting the government’s snazzy RDA (recommended daily amount) of nutrients, but blowing those old-school recommendations out of the water. But if you want scientific charts, medical studies, etc., and not the word of some random mama on the internet, you can’t do wrong with reading a little Robb Wolf.
Kids on a Paleo diet are healthy, happy, don’t experience sugar-induced mood swings, and will typically sleep pretty soundly. If the warm and fuzzy image of your kids growing lean and strong on whole, nutrient-dense foods and plenty of play outside has you clamoring for more info, take a gander at these oh-so-helpful resources:
Books
Blogroll
Who doesn’t love a good blog? (Ahem, TOBB.) Feast your eyes on these great internet writers:
And please, by all means, shoot your questions my way, and I’ll do my best to either answer them or point you in the right direction. Now go whip up a spinach smoothie, and get with it!
When Kate is not sharing a coconut-kale smoothie with her little one or planning/throwing together a Paleo meal, she enjoys writing about women’s issues, endlessly (virtually) redesigning her place a la Pinterest, and chatting with friends over coffee.
This recipe is always a total crowd pleaser (and won’t heat up your kitchen). As the tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers are flourishing in ours gardens and at the farmer’s markets, let’s keep it fresh! Bulgar wheat is easily found in the bulk food sections of more natural-type grocery stores. If you are cutting gluten from your diet, try quinoa instead. It is just as delicious!
Basil and Bulgur Salad
Base
1 cup fine bulgur (cracked wheat)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
2 tbsp. chopped walnuts
1 cup basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
salt, to taste
A drizzle of olive oil
Topping
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the bulgur. Remove from the heat and cover. Let it stand about 20 minutes until wheat is tender and water is absorbed.
Place the walnuts into the food processor and puree. And the basil, garlic, and half of the lemon juice, and process until a coarse paste is formed. Add salt and olive oil and additional lemon juice to taste. Process one more time. Combine the bulgur with the pesto and toss well. Set aside. (The bulgar/pesto combo can either be served warm or at room temperature…both equally delicious).
For the topping, combine all ingredients and toss to coat.
Divide the bulgar between bowls and top with the cucumber/tomato topping. Eat it all up! (A little secret? It’s vegan too!)
Happy Eating!
Stephanie is currently trying to tackle apartment gardening. So far, the leafy greens are rocking the house!
This is the first installment of a three part series on the popular Paleo way of eating and lifestyle from a mama’s perspective. Although Kate is not a medical professional or nutritionist, she’ll share her thoughts and experiences of implementing Paleo in her household.
Paleo: a simple, whole foods way of eating that focuses on meats, vegetables, fruits, and fats. It is also a lifestyle that places importance upon restful sleep, functional movement exercise, and interacting with and enjoying the outdoors.
Four years ago, if you would have told me that my life would mostly follow the above definition, I would have laughed. And perhaps protectively grabbed my energy drink and skittles. I thought regular exercise was for fanatics, and I assured myself that climbing the stairs to my apartment and walking my dogs was enough. Four years ago, I was newly married, in my early twenties, and totally unhealthy.
In 2009, while undergoing a battery of tests to figure out why I had no period and was nauseous/dizzy all the time (and no, definitely not pregnant), my husband kindly suggested we change some eating habits. He had heard of this “new” way of eating that looked back to our paleolithic ancestors who were relatively free of the modern diseases and ailments (such as Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and PCOS) that commonly plague many people today. I just laughed.
Soon after, I realized I had a soy intolerance which totally ruined my grocery and eating habits because, well, it’s in EVERYTHING. At least everything in a package or box. I started reading labels. Reading labels led to reading nutrition books and research articles. As the soy disappeared from my diet, so did many of the refined foods I was accustomed to eating, as well as the chronic stomach problems that had plagued me my entire life. Around the same time, my doctor diagnosed me with a prolactinoma, a benign hormone secreting tumor on my pituitary gland.
In early 2009, my husband and I began experimenting with eating Paleo and exercising regularly. I started having real energy again, no energy drink needed. I started feeling fully satiated by my food rather than having raging hunger on a sugar binging roller coaster of glucose levels. The chronic sinus infections went away, and I quit catching every illness that passed my way. My hormones levels balanced out from the medication. For probably the first time in my life, I actually felt healthy.
By January 2010, we challenged ourselves to eating 100% paleo for 6 months and even tried out Crossfit, that “are you crazy!?” high-intensity, competitive group workout that I swore never to do. I did it and loved it. When we found out we were expecting, we were elated. After years of messed up periods, fluctuating hormones and moods, I thought I would never get pregnant. It still seems like yesterday that I was sobbing in my car outside of 7/11 because the doctor said I would probably never be able to get pregnant naturally. She was wrong.
Today, my daughter is 16 months old, eats mostly Paleo and is thriving. As a family, we still focus on simple meals with tons of greens, some meat, and fat. Our daughter eats everything we eat, and I don’t make her special meals. Although Paleo and gluten-free eating are becoming more mainstream, we still get plenty of weird looks and questions. Regardless of what people think, we have eaten this way for 3 years and will continue to do so indefinitely. After years of feeling sick all the time, I finally feeling in control of my health and my life. I’m happy to say that it’s been over two years since I’ve needed to take medication for the prolactinoma, and we rarely, if ever, need to see a doctor.
Disease, sickness, and ailments plague so many of our family and friends that it seems commonplace to need medication, doctor visits, to be exhausted, and to never see an end in sight. This telling of my journey to better health was not for bragging rights, but as encouragement. It’s easy to feel helpless and unable to change aspects about your health and diet. But I can say, from experience, that the hard work does pay off in the end.
I hope you’ll continue with me in this series about eating Paleo. In my next post, I’ll focus on how to implement a Paleo way of eating with children, and answer some common concerns and questions. My final post will contain a few Boomerang Mama family favorite recipes as well as resources for getting started yourself. And please let me know if you have any specific questions!
Kate is a total foodie and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen with her hubby Kirk and their little helper, Vivi. You can read more about their pre-baby adventures in Paleo-land on their first (and sadly, now defunct) blog Paleo Prerogative.
World Breastfeeding Week is almost here! August 1 – 7, 2012 marks twenty years since the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action introduced this week-long call to global advocacy for breastfeeding education and support. There are abundant global, regional, and local events planned to honor and promote this world health initiative, but there is one local community level event I am particularly stoked about: The Big Latch On.
Breastfeeding mamas from over 11 different countries and 218 locations are gathering together on either August 3 or 4 (depending on your location) this summer to rock some serious NIP (nursing in public) and hopefully break a world record for most women breastfeeding simultaneously while we’re at it. I enthusiastically signed up for the St. Louis The Big Latch On event, which is actually being held in my ‘hood this year.
The Big Latch On describes its aims this way*:
- Support for communities to identify and grow opportunities to provide ongoing breastfeeding support and promotion.
- Raise awareness of breastfeeding support and knowledge available in communities.
- Help communities positively support breastfeeding in public places.
- Make breastfeeding a normal part of the day-to-day life at a local community level.
- Increase support for women who breastfeed – women are supported by their partners, family and the breastfeeding knowledge that is embedded in their communities.
- Communities have the resources to advocate for coordinated appropriate and accessible breastfeeding support services.
I mean, who can’t get behind that? You can find your local event location here. Don’t see an event listed in your area? You can host one! The Other Baby Book’s own resident breastfeeding badass, erm, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Molly deGroh, is hosting one in her area. Pretty nifty, right?
I would love to know how many of friends of TOBB are planning to attend their own local latch-fest. Molly and I both plan to take pictures and share our experiences here on the blog, and we’d love it if you’d join us! We’d love to hear about your experiences and even share some of your pictures in the blog space, if you’re open to that. We’ll send out a call for your stories and pictures on Facebook after the event!
Will you be there? Ever attended The Big Latch On in the past? Tell us about it!
Follow The Big Latch On on Facebook here. Follow World Breastfeeding Week on Facebook here.
*Information copied directly from The Big Latch On website.
Breastfeeding totally handed Rhianna her ass that first month, but she and her 18mo son are still nursing strong. She thanks the stars for the breastfeeding badasses, erm, lactation consultants, who gave her the strength and hope to keep latchin’ on.
When it is a bazillian degrees out I can’t bear to cook. So I don’t. I turn to my raw foods cookbooks (or un-cookbooks if you want to get technical) and whip up some surprisingly satisfying fresh and tasty meals all made without so much as turning on the oven or stove. The inspiration for this recipe came from a particularly steamy week in Boston a few weeks ago. Even though I was simmering in my own juices while giggling at my toddler who was sitting naked on the couch eating a popsicle, I still wanted something sinful for dessert that night. A little chop chop and zip zip of the food processor and I was done. Tasty, decadent, and nutritious (yes, no empty calories here!). It was a hit!
Raw Cherry-Blueberry Cobbler with Coconut Whipped Cream
Serves 8
Filling:
2 pounds (about 8 cups) cherries (pitted and chopped) and blueberries (any ratio of the two fruits will do…whatever makes you happy)
2 Tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crust:
1 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup nuts (I like a combo of walnuts and almonds)
1/3 cup chia seeds*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
*if you don’t have chia seeds on hand, add 1/4 cup more nuts
To make the filling, combine the cherries, blueberries, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well to coat. Set aside. To make the crust, combine the nuts, chia seeds, salt, and spices (if using) in the food processor and pulse into coarse pieces. Add the dates and process until mixed well. If you are using one, large serving dish, sprinkle half off the crust in the bottom of the dish, scoop in the fruit mixture and then top the fruit with the remaining crust. My favorite way to eat this treat? Layer it parfait-style in individual glasses and top with the Coconut whipped cream…
Coconut Whipped Cream
1 can full fat coconut milk
powdered sugar to taste
Place the unopened can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight or for 8 hours. Put your feet up. A magical thing happens. When you open the chilled can you will find that all of the creamy coconut has risen to the top. Skim it off and place it in a bowl (add the liquid below the cream to your next smoothie). Whip the creamy coconut with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff peaks form. If you desire, add a bit of powdered sugar for increased sweetness. A perfect way to top off your cobbler!
Enjoy!
Stephanie’s new obsession is Coconut Whipped Cream. After her daughter goes to bed, she often finds herself rummaging through the fridge for a rogue can of coconut milk she may have forgotten about and that she can subject to the mixer. Lately, she has come up snake eyes.
the other baby blog 