Meatloaf

I rediscovered meatloaf during my pregnancy.  I ate it around 24 weeks  and couldn't get enough.  I use the Quaker Oats recipe my mom used when I was young, with some variation.  Sometimes I will add bell pepper, chopped celery or pureed carrots.  Hayden loves it, once he ate it so fast he threw up! (not my goal but I guess it was a compliment).  I like this because I mix it, throw it in the oven and then its done in an hour.  Not to mention leftovers are delicious!

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef or turkey

3/4 cup of oats

3/4 cup of chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup of ketchup

1 egg lightly beaten

1 tablespoon of worchester sauce

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1. Mix ingredients with your hands (don't over mix)

2. Transfer to 8"x8" pan and shape (I make a dome but you can also bake it in a loaf pan or make mini meatloafs in muffin tins)

3. Bake at 350 for 50 to 55 minutes.

Enjoy!

My Dirty Little Secret... I'm Lazy

I don't want to make two meals and I don't want eat hamburgers and hot dogs everyday.  Aside from all the glamorous ideas about developing healthy habits and good nutrition, I am lazy.  I want Hayden to eat what we eat because I like eating those things.  Motherhood is all about sacrifice, I have made countless sacrifices.  But I want to eat good food and I want to sit down and enjoy it, that is something I have not wanted to sacrifice.  

I have always operated on the thought that Hayden would only know he was eating food kids don't normally like if I or someone else told him.  So he eats hummus and tofu, and he likes it.  He eats these things because that is what I have always given him to eat.  If he is hungry, he will eat it and if he is not, then he will throw it (meal over).  It sounds harsh and I certainly would not deprive my child of food and that is not what I do.  Hayden eats the way he does because I have never said, "Oh, he wont like that."  He will try everything, up to 10 times, before I accept he doesn't like it.  To date, I have not found a food he wont eat after a few tries.

Time

I can't think of anyone who thinks they have enough time.  I am a stay at home mom and I can't seem to find the time to do everything I want to do.  I cannot begin to imagine how working moms run a household.  I applaud you for being able to do it.

Making your own baby food sounds time consuming, probably nearly impossible.  It is not as bad as you would think.  All it takes is a little planning and preparation.

How I did it...  I would pick one day a week and prepare a new food for Hayden.  Since you are introducing one food at a time to infants, you only need to make one thing a week and then freeze it.  It took less than an hour a week to make the purees and I had a variety of foods on hand to feed Hayden.