PB&J

 Leo had his first Peanut Butter and Jelly today - or a variation of it at least.  It was easy to make  and a huge hit - and despite the extensive clean-up required afterwards (he had peanut butter in his hair!), I think this will be in our regular lunch rotation.  Leo was trying to lick his elbows he liked it so much.

To make a baby-friendly version of this classic lunch time meal I made a mixture of all-natural peanut butter and fruit puree (I used a strawberry-banana jarred food, but you can make your own or use any flavor). 


I like that natural peanut butter doesn't have all the junk in it (partially hydrogenated oil and sugar), but it does make for an especially sticky situation for the roof of your mouth.  The added fruit puree thins it out and gives it a little sweetness.

I used one tablespoon of peanut butter and two tablespoons of fruit puree, which yielded a pretty good consistency.

Then I just spread the mixture on (small pieces of) rice cake.  I'm loving the America's Choice (generic brand at Pathmark) Multigrain ricecakes we recently got.  The only ingredients are: whole grain brown rice, flax seeds, caraway seeds, and millet.  And Leo gobbles them up. 

(Note: remember, peanuts are an allergen so if you haven't introduced them into your baby's diet yet check with your pediatrician about how and when to do so)