Baby Food - No Way!

And why would he ever want strained peas or pureed turkey? Because real food is so much better - especially Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie! (see recipe below) I have tried everything - applesauce, pears, bananas, rice cereal, oatmeal, squash, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots - you name it, I have bought it. Justin wants nothing to do with any of it.

He does want 'real' food. He will go crazy for little pieces of bread, meatballs, and ham. He loves baked sweet potatoes, noodles, crackers, cookies, and bagels. I guess he is bypassing the baby food. I guess he thinks he has more that just two teeth. If he had more, I cannot imagine what his menu wold be like - steak and lobster. Well, maybe not lobster because I don't give the boys seafood until after they are three because of food allergies. So, no surf, only turf! He also loves the toddler foods - the puffs and wagon wheels and teething biscuits and toasts. I guess no one told him that he is not quite a toddler yet.

Maybe I just think that it is funny because Sean loved baby food. I was still feeding it to him when he was well over a year old. He ate plenty of table food too, but he enjoyed the jars and it was an easy way for me to see that he got all of his fruits and veggies. I have read about a cook book to teach you how to sneak fruits and veggies into you recipes. I might need this for Justin until he gets some more teeth. Any one need some baby food?

I guess it is also that he is older than a lot of babies starting out with solids. But I waited until six months with Brian and Sean, so that isn't it Maybe it is because he sees everyone else eating things that are different from him and he just wants to be part of the group. Maybe it has something to do with feeding himself. I hope he is not asserting his independence already! Who knows?

messy face

I really do have hair!
Look at my teeth!
Ouch! So, pulling hair does hurt.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart/Pie (from The Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crust (or buy a pre-made graham cracker pie shell like me)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs, about 14 crackers
1/3 cup sugar
14 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 lb. unsalted butter , melted (one stick)

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for ten minutes and then cool to room temperature.

Filling
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt (I used regular salt)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 extra large egg yolks ( I didn't have extra large so used 4 large)
1 package (2 tsp.) unflavored gelatin
1 ripe banana finely mashed
1 tsp grated orange zest (didn't use)
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tbsp. sugar

Heat that half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot - about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl and then add some of the hot pumpkin mixture into the egg yolks to heat them. Then pour the egg- pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken. Stir constantly, you don't want the eggs to scramble. Remove from heat. Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, mashed banana or orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour into the cooled tart/pie shell. Chill for at least two hours or overnight.

Decoration
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
orange zest

Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon decoratively onto the tart/pie and sprinkle with orange zest.

This recipe is work but so worth it. Like I said I didn't use the orange zest because I don't have the thing, maybe a 'zester'?, to 'zest' an orange. I also didn't make the tart and bought a pie shell. I have to admit that I didn't put the decoration on either - not enough time. And I did use the double boiler for the first pie but just used a pan on low heat for the second one. I am always looking for a short cut or two! Enjoy!