Easy Homemade Gift Ideas for the Holidays

Making gifts for the holidays is a thoughtful way to add a personalized touch to the presents you give. Not only are homemade gifts personal and unique, but they are also an opportunity to get in touch with your creative side.  Getting crafty can also help save money during what can often be an expensive time of year. Here are 3 tips below for making your homemade gifts a hit this holiday season.

Plan ahead.
Planning ahead will help to save time and money … (read more)

Pear Mini-Muffins

Cooking with Cat: Pear Mini Muffins

A nutritious and easy to make breakfast or snack for the whole family.

Incorporating pears into a muffin recipe adds a flavor, cuts fat and increases nutritional value. Pears are a popular seasonal fruit during the winter and provide dietary fiber and vitamins C & K.  This delicious muffin recipe is great for both children and adults. For more information on the necessary nutrients your baby needs, check out our nutrient chart.

This recipe makes approximately 24 mini-muffins.

… (read more)

Easy Slow Cooker Ideas

Slow cooking for fast family meals

I am the mother to an extremely sassy toddler. I also work full-time. So like many working moms, I have developed a series of routines that help me balance both sides of my life. One of which is the after-work-dinnertime-routine. It goes like this: Every day, I leave the office and pick up my daughter from the babysitter’s house. We then drive home, let the dog out to go potty and make dinner. I … (read more)

Favorite Pear Recipes for Baby

And a partridge in a pear tree.

Much more than just a memorable mention in a festive Christmas song, the pear can be a tasteful and healthy ingredient of your baby’s diet any time of year. Offering the benefits of potassium and Vitamin C, which both promote muscle development and healthy growth, pears also contain fiber that assists the digestive process. Containing no sodium or saturated fats, pears are also known to be … (read more)

Mini Pumpkin Biscuits

Cooking with Cat: Mini Pumpkin Biscuits

A great side with any meal.

Fall is my favorite season of the year and I especially enjoy making seasonal foods. I was excited when I read this recipe because I really like pumpkin, and this is a great variation on  a traditional biscuit. These mini pumpkin biscuits are the perfect fall recipe for your whole family to enjoy.They are a nice addition to any meal, or they make a delicious and filling snack.  Pumpkin … (read more)

Creative and Healthy Snacks for the Whole Family

Finding new, healthy snacks that the whole family will enjoy can be a challenge. It can also become boring to prepare and eat the same old snacks day after day, and it may seem easier to pick up pre-made, packaged items while grocery shopping. Food that is freshly prepared often tastes better and is typically better for you. Mixing up snack time options will provide your family a variety of healthy ways to enjoy time together.

Changing seasons.
As … (read more)

Easy Pumpkin Recipes and Fun Facts

Pumpkins: Not just for jack-o’-lanterns anymore!

While pumpkins naturally attract more attention during Halloween season than any other time of year, this surprisingly nutritious fruit (yes, it really is a fruit!) can be a healthy addition to your baby’s diet. Packed with Vitamin A and beta-carotene, pumpkins are also a good source of potassium, protein, and iron. These beneficial nutrients are known to promote bone growth and muscle development while helping to combat diseases. Pumpkins are also low in … (read more)

Comfort Foods: What To Feed Your Sick Toddler

A few weeks ago, our little daughter seemed less than enthusiastic about her favorite mac and cheese meal at dinnertime. My wife and I exchanged worried glances. One of the first signs that our little one is not feeling well is the loss of her typically hardy appetite. After our pediatrician diagnosed her with a mild flu bug and we had her settled back home comfy and cozy on the couch, our concerns went full circle from illness . . … (read more)

Favorite Apple Recipes and Nutrition Facts

Baby’s favorite healthy fruit.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Almost everyone is familiar with this timeless adage, and with good reason.  This healthy tree fruit is a popular staple of baby and toddler diets and offers a lifetime of benefits as well.  Apples are loaded with vitamins A, B-1, B-2 and C, as well as calcium, potassium, iodine, iron and phosphorous. They promote growth in baby and toddlers, particularly in bones, organs, skin, blood, muscles, and … (read more)

Pork, Carrots & Applesauce

Cooking with Cat: Pork, Carrots & Applesauce 

A healthy and delicious meal for your toddler.

Homemade applesauce has always been one of my favorite foods, but I have never made it on my own. It was surprisingly easy to make and delicious. Combining a familiar food like applesauce to pork and carrots adds flavor, nutrients and increases the likelihood for acceptance. This recipe offers vitamins A, B, C, iron, potassium and other nutrients that are necessary for your child’s growth. Iron is a necessary … (read more)