by Ellen Bannink -

Finger foods for baby – 6+ months

Please note: I am not an expert and I have not had special training regarding this. “It’s just something I do’, however this is purely a record of how we have dealt with it because I like to write that down for myself and share our experience. Each baby is unique and develops at its own pace. Stella loved food from the beginning, liked every flavor and she eats everything. This is certainly not the case with all babies. Most babies need to get used to solid foods, the taste or the texture. And some babies just only want to eat purees. Just make sure you don’t force her to eat. Your baby will show you whether she’s ready or not.

Deconstructed fish taco bowl for Stella, fish taco's for the adults!
Deconstructed fish taco bowl for Stella, fish taco’s for the adults!

– Click here for this blog post in Dutch -> Baby finger foods 6+ maanden –

Let me start with helping a common misconception out of the way: a baby doesn’t need teeth to eat finger foods. In fact, my baby eats everything without teeth! Haha, her first tooth just broke through, and she’s already been eating finger foods for months now. Babies chew with their gums, because remember they only get molars around their second birthday.

I knew that Stella was ready to eat more solid food when she didn’t choke on chunky purees anymore, and really did chew her food. When she was 6 months old I started to offer breadsticks and bread crusts, to see how she would deal with it. Well, she

by Ellen Bannink -

Baby’s first solids 4-6 months

Please note: I am not an expert and I have not had special training regarding this. “It’s just something I do’, however this is purely a record of how we have dealt with it because I like to write that down for myself and share our experience. Each baby is unique and develops at its own pace. Stella loved food from the beginning, liked every flavor and she eats everything. This is certainly not the case with all babies. Most babies need to get used to solid foods, the taste or the texture. And some babies just don’t like purees at all. Just make sure you don’t force her to eat. Your baby will show you whether she’s ready or not. Especially the first few months solids are for practice, their main food source is still milk!

zucchini-inmyredkitchen

– Click here for this blog post in Dutch -> Baby’s eerste hapjes 4-5 maanden –

Baby’s first solids 4-6 months

Which mom doesn’t look forward to it, when her baby is ready to start solids? I sure did! After months of nothing else but preparing bottles with milk, I couldn’t wait to make something else for her.

Stella was just 4 months old and the pediatrician had given us the green light to start with solids. You all know that

by Ellen Bannink -

So much love…

photo credit: Madelon Verdoorn

– Click here for this post in Dutch -> Zoveel liefde… –

So much love!
She’s already ten weeks old today, our beautiful and happy baby Stella. On June 22 she was born after a long and difficult labor & delivery. For all those months we couldn’t wait for her to be here but if you wake up because your water broke at 38 weeks, you’ll be surprised anyhow.
But there she was finally, that little girl who we were dying to meet because we were wondering how she would look like, what her birthday would be and if her name would fit her. We spent two nights

Baby announcement 'in my Red Kitchen' #sushi #baby #babyannouncement
by Ellen Bannink -

Want to hear a secret?

Baby announcement 'in my Red Kitchen' #sushi #baby #babyannouncement

You might have noticed that I was a little absent the last two months.

Since two months, I don’t eat sushi anymore (ok, the sushi with the raw fish). Since two months, I don’t drink alcohol (and oh my how I miss those spontaneous cocktails). Since two months I use cart wipes when I grab a shopping cart in the supermarket. Since two months I can’t stand vegetables. Since two months, I also can’t stand pasta with tomato sauce. Since two months I’m craving potatoes, and especially mashed potatoes. Since two months I don’t go hiking (ok, maybe that also has a little to do with those coyotes that I saw). Since two months I use a special veggie wash for the fruit I eat. Since two months I eat the food I grew up with (soft buns with chocolate sprinkles and cheese sandwiches! Nibbit chips! Rice with ragout! Crackers with cream cheese! Rice pudding!). Since two months I no longer drink raw pressed juices.

Since two months I lie mostly sick, weak and nauseous on the couch. Since two months I take a nap daily. Since two months I have to eat every two hours because otherwise I get nauseous and have to throw up. Since two months I go to bed between 10pm and 11pm instead around midnight, what I used to do. Since two months there is a box of breadsticks on my nightstand.

You probably already guessed it by now…

by Ellen Bannink -

I’m on vacation!

 

Amsterdam

It’s quiet over here at inmyredkitchen.com but that is because I’m on vacation! Last Monday we celebrated our first ‘LAnniversary’, just in time before we hopped on a plane for a vacation in Amsterdam. It’s going to be strange having vacation in a country where I lived all my life but I can’t wait to come back to sunny LA and share my stories with you!

But for now: two weeks of partying with friends, eating home made food cooked by my Chinese aunt, biking through Amsterdam, eating bitterballen, stroopwafels and cheese and taking my grandparents out for their first sushi!

See you again in three weeks!

with love, Ellen

Amsterdam_