BLW | Pinwheels

Before I started baby led weaning with Joe, I never knew what a pinwheel was! But they are now not only a favourite of Joe's but the whole family love them too.

I try to make a huge batch of various flavours so I can freeze them but guaranteed half of them have been eaten by me, my OH and Lily as soon as they come out of the oven!

There are so many different pinwheel fillings you can try, sweet and savoury, but I thought I would show you our two favourites, cheese and spinach and pizza! 

Makes 20 Pinwheels

Ingredients

• 1 Ready Rolled Puff Pastry Sheet
• Approx 100g Spinach
• 1-2 TBSP Pizza Sauce
• 1/4 Finely Chopped Pepper
• Handful of Grated Mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

2. Boil the spinach for a couple of minutes then drain and squeeze out any water.

3. Roll out the ready rolled puff pastry sheet (I leave this on the greaseproof paper that is rolled around it so it doesn't stick to the surface) and cut in half.

4. Add your fillings!!

On the left I've added a layer of cooked spinach with a sprinkle of mozzarella on top, then on the right I've added a layer of pizza sauce, chopped peppers and also a sprinkle of mozzarella.

5. Gently roll the pastry into a log, place onto a tray and pop into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

6. Once pastry has chilled, remove from the fridge and cut each log into 10 equal slices.

Pop onto a lined baking tray (I can fit 16 onto a large baking tray then I pop the remaining 4 onto a smaller tray) and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

If you manage not to eat all of the pinwheels as soon as you take them out of the oven, they can also be frozen once cooled and I usually defrost for a couple of hours at room temperature before warming in the oven for 5 minutes.

Some other fillings you could try are:

• Pesto
• Ham and Cheese
• Cheese and Tomato
• Leftover Bolognese
• Cheese and Onion
• Apple and Cinnamon
• Banana and Nutella

Enjoy!

BLW | Oaty Bites

This is another recipe that Joe has loved from the start of his BLW journey and lots of mamas have also asked for the recipe and made these for their little ones.
I have changed the recipe a little from my original by adding desiccated coconut and I have found this makes a huge difference!

Makes Approx. 12-14 Oaty Bites
Ingredients

• 200g Rolled Oats
• 25g Desiccated Coconut
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Pouch (approx. 90g) Banana Puree - I use the Aldi Mamia one
• 190ml Full Fat Milk
• Handful of Strawberries
• Handful of Blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan
2. Combine the Rolled Oats and desiccated coconut together
3. Add the egg, banana puree and milk
4. Mix until all ingredients are combined
5. Roughly chop strawberries and blueberries, add these to the mixture and stir
6. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin - I use fry light coconut oil
7. Spoon in the mixture, making sure you you push the mixture down with the back of the spoon so it's all compact
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your muffin tins

I can usually make 14 oaty bites so I usually cook them in two batches. It's best to use either a standard muffin tin or silicone, I did try making these in paper muffin cases but they didn't work out as well.

If your little one has a cows milk allergy, you can always substitute the milk for a different milk of your choice.

These little oaty bites are not only perfect for breakfast but for lunch and snack times too. I usually eat one with a cup of tea as soon as they are out of the oven!

The oaty bites should last for 3 days in an airtight container. I also freeze the oaty bites the same way as I freeze my pancakes with a piece of baking parchment in between each oaty bite, then placed into a container. They literally take 1-2 hours to defrost, then I pop them in the oven to warm up.

You can also add lots of different fruits to your oaty bites and can substitute the banana puree for 2 mashed bananas but you may need a drop more milk.

Let me know if you try out this recipe.

Enjoy!

Get Your Snuffle Babe, Snuffle-free!

I'm no stranger to Snufflebabe as I remember using their vapour rub back when Lily was younger, many, many, years ago! We have used the vapour rub with Joe to try and help with his congestion while he is teething which has worked a treat but Snufflebabe kindly sent us more of their amazing products to try out.

Joe has been teething for months and has only recently started to cut his two bottom teeth. During the night he gets really congested when he is teething and usually wakes us with his Pug-like grunting! I feel so sorry for him as there's nothing worse than being snotty, especially when you're so small and there's nothing you can do about it!
Joe also had his first cold this weekend so we got to put some of the other Snufflebabe products to the test.

Snufflebabe Nasal Drops

This has to be our favourite Snufflebabe product! It's suitable for use from newborn up and it is so easy to use. Just squeeze 1-2 drops of the gentle saline solution into each of your little ones nostrils - I find this easy to do when Joe is getting sleepy just before having his bottle.
These drops help to rinse out their little nostrils and make them feel more comfortable. You can either use the drops on their own or if your little one is really snotty, use the nasal aspirator afterwards.

Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator

We didn't need to use the nasal aspirator after using the saline drops, but the first time we needed to use it was when Joe was really snotty with his cold over the weekend. At first I thought this would be totally gross when I read that you suck your little ones mucus out of their nostril (TMI I know) but it's a genius little invention!
Simply place the nozzle at the entrance to your little ones nostril and suck! Then the mucus collects into a sealed chamber!
I thought Joe would hate this but after his dinner he was really snotty and I managed to clear it all away within seconds, it didn't distract him or cause him any discomfort.

Snufflebabe Vapour Oil

The vapour oil is perfect for helping your little one breathe better during the night and is suitable from birth. So if your little one is under 3 months and you can't use the vapour rub this can help them out during the night as a room vapour.
You can either add a couple of drops to a bowl of warm water near the little ones cot, or during the colder months when the heating is on, add a couple drops to a damp cloth and place over the radiator.
When I first saw the doctor about Joe's congestion this is what he recommended as it's one of the best things to help congested babies.

Snufflebabe Nasal Spray

To me, the nasal spray is just the same as the nasal drops, it's just a matter of preference to which you prefer to use.
At first I thought the spray would be easier but as soon as I got the nozzle near Joe's nostril he would flinch then the spray would go everywhere but up his nose!
I think the spray will be easier when Joe is older, but for me the drops are way easier!

My favourite Snufflebabe products out of the above has to be the nasal drops and vapour oil. I also think the vapour rub is a must have product if your little one is over 3 months.

Snufflebabe is available from leading supermarkets, pharmacists and chemists.

What's your favourite Snufflebabe product?