Baby Oatmeal Breakfast

Little Miss Maria is on a new sleep schedule. She never consulted us on her most recent decision to wake up at 6:30 every morning. She just expects us to go with the flow of course, because she's bossy that way. Christian is usually surfing at that time so that means that I am the default parent responsible to get the baby before she wakes up the entire neighborhood with her screaming "Mama, Enzo, Mama, Enzo, Mama..."

I think she gets up at 6:30. It could very well be that she is up much earlier than that. I wouldn't really know because I am in deep sleep in the early hours of the day. For the millionth time, I am not a morning person!

But I am a mother and I get up in spite of my body begging me to ignore the crying child. I get up and bring her to my bed because one thing is for sure, she may be a whole lot of naughty but she is also a whole lot of cuddly too. I never knew that such a small person could know how to give so much affection. Her hugs and kisses don't make me any less tired but they do make me a better mother. If it weren't for her waking up early we would probably never get alone time together.

So down to the kitchen we go, the two of us, where she holds on to my legs and watches me closely as I make her breakfast.

We're an oatmeal kind of family and Baby Maria embraces our taste as long as the texture is right. If the oatmeal looks like this she won't eat it.

Baby Maria eats baby oatmeal. Baby oatmeal is something I created. It's probably the most simple thing I have ever claimed to create. Basically, it's a pulverized version of the oatmeal above with flax powder. It's oatmeal that I put in the food processor and grind until it looks like oatmeal flour. You wouldn't believe it but baby oatmeal is really good with yogurt and fruit.

So I make baby oatmeal and Christian makes baby yogurt. No! I'm just kidding. Christian just makes regular plain yogurt. He's a very good yogurt maker, that Christian. As for the strawberries I'm not sure who made them. I think it was a combination of God and the wonderful farm workers whose backs I see bending, picking strawberries all over California these days.

I'm thankful for the farm workers you know. It's easy to be thankful for them, specially during this time of year where beautiful produce comes to us so easily. I'm also thankful for Christian and his yogurt contributions to our family fridge. And baby Maria is thankful that I make her baby breakfast, she said "thank you mama" today about one hundred times in three different languages. In reality it sounded like "taku" "gado" and "acias" which I'm assuming translates into "thank you," "obrigada," and "gracias."

Baby Oatmeal Breakfast

(printable version)

baby oatmeal mixture

1 cup quick oats

1 tablespoon flax powder

1. In a food processor grind the quick oats with flax powder until very fine. 
2. Store in an air tight container.

Oatmeal Breakfast

3 tablespoons baby oatmeal mixture

6 tablespoons boiling water

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

honey (optional)

chopped up strawberries and favorite fruits

1. Put 3 tablespoons of the baby oatmeal mixture in a small bowl. I like to use a tea set because then I can put additional fruit on the plate for her and also because the plate is a safe zone between her mouth and the oatmeal. In other words, since she's feeding herself, a lot of the oatmeal that she transfers using a spoon from the tea cup to her mouth ends up falling on the plate, which is better than falling anywhere else.
2. Add the boiling water to the tea cup and stir. It will form a very thick paste. Add the yogurt and stir. The yogurt will both smooth and cool the oatmeal down.
3. Drizzle with honey and add chopped fruits on top

The fantastic thing about oatmeal is that it's quick and easy to make which usually leaves us with at least another hour of alone time before Christian returns from his surf session and Enzo and Gabriel wake up. Which means that we always have time for a second breakfast -- wooden food, Yum! My favorite. 

She'll guest post her recipe soon.