Applesauce Muffins

These were a hit with our preschool group, as well as at home in general.

Ingredients
Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butternut squash or carrot puree
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

Topping
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Coat muffin tin with spray or baking cups. To make topping, stir together the oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in the butter.

To make the batter, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl or bag and stir or shake to mix. In a second bowl, mix the applesauce with the milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil, and egg with a wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened. Do not overmix - it will be lumpy.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. 18-20 minutes.

I would even press the topping into the batter a little bit. A lot of ours fell off. But if you get it stuck to the muffins, less falls off.

These were really yummy. We ate them in no time and the kids were getting some extra veggies without stressing about it!

Rice Balls

This is a new idea for me, but I love it. This post is done by a guest author, my talented sister Heidi. She wanted to make this recipe and I hadn't yet. So we figured it would be a great opportunity for her to guest-blog! Enjoy her wonderful recipe!

~ Julie

Like many moms of young children (mine are 18 months and *almost* 3) I often struggle with what to make for lunch. I find myself in the same rut: mac & cheese, pb&j, grilled cheese, and quesadillas. I like chicken nuggets (as do my kids) but after watching an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution where he shows how chicken nuggets are made (ewwww) I can't ever do that to my children again. So I set out on a mission, to find easy but healthy food to feed my kids. Of course, the first thing I turn to is Mrs. Jerry Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious. I thought the Rice Balls looked easy and wondered if I made a double batch, would they freeze well. I called my baby sister Julie and discussed the possibilities. She invited me to try it and then do a guest post on her blog. And here I am.

The recipe is as follows:

1/2 cup short grain brown rice (or 1 cup leftover cooked rice) - I have come a long way in eating whole grains and whatnot, but when it comes to rice, I will never cross over to the dark side. It was long-grain, nutrient-lacking white rice for me, which was leftover from dinner a couple of nights before.
Nonstick cooking spray
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 pound chicken cutlets, rinsed and dried - I made boneless skinless chicken breasts for dinner the night before and just cooked up a couple of extra then.
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese - Frankly, I think reduced fat cheese is almost as much of an insult to all that is yummy as american cheese is. Yuck.
1/4 low fat buttermilk - I didn't have buttermilk so I used plain whole milk.
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup spinach or broccoli or butternut squash puree - I used butternut squash
1 1/2 cup whole wheat cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs
*Her recipe didn't call for flax seed meal, but most of her breaded recipes do so I threw in a couple of tablespoons just for good measure

Instructions:

1 - Place the rice in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and cook until the rice is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. You can also use your rice steamer.

2 - Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tsp oil. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and the pepper, and cook until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

3 - Cut the chicken into chunks and place them in a food processor or blender. Add the sweet potato puree, cheese, 1 tsp salt, and the buttermilk, and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cooked rice.

Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.

4 - In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and vegetable puree with a fork. Put the crumbs (and flax seed) in the bowl. One at a time, dip the rice balls in the egg mixture, then roll them in the crumbs to make sure it has an even coating.

**This is where I deviated from the recipe. I stuck them in the freezer on cookie sheets until they were frozen. then I put them in freezer safe bags and waited for a few days to see how they would work as a frozen food.

5 - Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add the rice balls and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally and spraying with cooking spray until browned and crisp all over. Serve warm.

I found that they did very well going straight from freezer to pan. You just need to make sure that when you cook them, the pan isn't so hot that you burn the outside before the inside is warm.

Now, for the purposes of full disclosure, when I put this in front of the kids, my younger one dug right in. She even picked them over the strawberries. My older one, on the other hand, ate a few strawberries then took a bite of the rice balls and immediately declared them "icky". Of course, at that point, the little one heard that big brother had called them icky, so the little monkey-do had to call them icky too and now neither kid will eat them now. But I would comfortably say that your standard kid is really going to like them.

Sneaky Bon-Bons

What a nice treat for the kiddos. And packed full of really good stuff too! I will say, I didn't think these were too great, but Joseph loved them!

Ingredients
1/4 cup sweet potato baby food
1/4 cup carrot baby food
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (They say not to use the quick oats, but that's all I have and it worked fine as far as I could tell.)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) I didn't use these, but if I had some really tiny chips, I would.
Topping options: cinnamon sugar, sprinkles

*Purees can be used interchangeably, as long as it totales 1/2 cup.

In a mixing bowl, combine baby food and peanut butter. Mix in whaet germ, oats, and chocolate chips, if using. Scoop up heaping teaspoon-size amounts of batter, and roll into balls with your hands. Roll balls into topping to coat completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to refrigerate or freeze.

Like I said, Joseph really liked these. I think if it had the chocolate, I would've enjoyed them more. These are not deceptively delicious, but I'm going to label it with them since it uses purees. Definitely a must try for your kiddos if you're looking for a snack alternative.

Macaroni and Cheese

This is D.D. macaroni and cheese. I've made it tons of times. I think it's a great variation to mac and cheese.

Ingredients
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup butternut squash or cauliflower puree (I've used both. This time it was squash.)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz. cream cheese (I'd leave this out for a bit so it's room temperature. It'll melt faster.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the macaroni, and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the macaroni is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, Cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings (I'm sure I use more than she calls for.) and stire until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

Yummy.

Sloppy Joes

Another D.D. recipe. I was very pleased with this recipe. The last few I wasn't ecstatic about. This one, I thought, was great. It tasted like sloppy joes, made good leftovers, and was overall a great meal.

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/2 cup butternut squash or red pepper puree (I used squash. You can use any variation of the purees listed. Or even 1 cup of one. Just so you still have the called for amount. It doesn't matter which combinations you use.)
raw, finely chopped carrots (optional) (I put these in)
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
8 hamburger or hot dog buns (We had large sandwich type buns. We buttered and toasted them.)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook until the onion starts to soften (not brown), 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vegetable purees, raw chopped carrot (if using), beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about one-half, 15 to 20 minutes.

My kids don't really get the joy of sloppy joes. I guess they're not old enough yet. I remember loving them as a kid. If yours enjoy the sweet messiness of a sloppy joe, this is a great recipe to use, and it's packed full of good stuff!

Oatmeal

This is D.D. oatmeal. It looks a bit orange in the picture. It was not this orange.  It does have peanut butter in it (an option) so it's more of that color. I didn't love this, but Joseph ate it just fine. I'm not big on oatmeal however, so my opinion shouldn't weigh heavily here.

Ingredients
1 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional) (We used it)
1/4 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon)
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tsp natural peanut butter (optional) (I used this, but I might've used too much. I'm not sure. It just seemed really thick)
Dried fruit and nuts (optional)
Pure maple syrup, for serving (No way did my kid get syrup on his oatmeal. But I imagine it would taste good.)

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in the peanut butter, if using. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts, if you like, and serve with warm maple syrup.

I might've cooked ours too long, because it was extremely thick. But I think the overall idea is great, and if you eat oatmeal somewhat regularly, it gives you some nice ideas for variations. Especially if you use old fashioned oats. They're pretty boring, so you have to find fun ways to spice them up.

Italian Meatloaf

Here is another D.D. recipe. I was curious about it since it has bacon on top. I thought that was a cool touch. It was a very different type of meatloaf, but it was alright. I think I prefer my regular meatloaf, but it was a nice deviation.

Ingredients
1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs (I only had plain ones, so I added some italian seasonings to mine.)
1/2 cup nonfat milk
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup carrot puree
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup bottled tomato sauce
4 slices turkey bacon

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the celery and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Add the turkey, Parmesan, carrot puree, ketchup, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Turn the mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Spread tomato sauce over the meatloaf and lay the strips of bacon on top. Bake until the center of the meatloaf is no longer pink and the bacon begins to brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

I think I probably could've cooked mine longer. Whenever I make turkey meatloaf, it always has to cook longer than the directions indicate. And even though this recipe is already taking into account that it's turkey, not beef, I think it still could've cooked longer. It pretty much fell apart when I took it out of the pan. It was cooked thoroughly, and wasn't pink, but I think it could've crisped up a bit. It also had a lot of juice, which kept it from getting crisper and firm. The overall taste was good though. And I think bacon on top is a nice twist.

Brownies

This is Deceptively Delicious. It's one that she kinda brags about, and has rave reviews. The last time I tried it (over a year ago) I did a few things that I shouldn't have and it came out, well, unedible. This time they were pretty good. Although, my spinach was canned, and that gave it a weird texture. If I had pureed fresh spinach, I know it would've made the brownies even better. We all still ate them. I even put some peanut butter on mine. They didn't last long.

Ingredients
3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet choclate (I'm not sure if mine was semisweet or milk chocolate. Whoops.)
1/2 cup carrot puree
1/2 cup spinach puree (like I said, I used canned spinach. Bought it to experiment with. I wouldn't recommend it.)
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp margarine
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour (Never had oat flour before)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or over a very low flame. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting.

Don't use canned spinach, and these are some mighty yummy brownies. (Even with the canned spinach, they were completely edible and pretty good.) I'll post some how-to's on pureeing, if you're not as knowledgeable on that. I wasn't. Some things are straight forward, others I didn't see coming. This will help you to avoid mistakes I've made in the past. Like pureeing raw cauliflower. (Who knew cauliflower could make something taste bad. It hardly tastes like anything. Well, I did.)

Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is another Deceptively Delicious recipe. I really enjoyed it because it is different than what I'm used to. This says a lot. I grew up with spaghetti and meatballs every Sunday. I'm spoiled and can't stand canned sauce from the store. I only like my mom's homemade sauce. But I've been itching to try other homemade sauces. (I still hate canned stuff.) So this was refreshing to have something different.

Ingredients
1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup butternut squash puree
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 26-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, pureed in a blender
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup carrot puree (optional) (I totally used it)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay lead (again, don't have any, so I used my crushed bay leaves)
1 lb. spaghetti or angel hair pasta

In a large bowl, mix the turkey, breadcrumbs, butternut squash puree, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper until well combined. Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Coat a large nonstick skillet (this would take a mighty deep skillet. I'd just use a pot, or you have to dump your meatballs in the pot when you have to add everything else) with cooking spray and set it over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the olive oil and then the meatballs and brown for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the pureed tomatoes, water, carrot puree (if using), garlic powder, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center. Remove the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook your pasta. Drain and serve with sauce.

A fun variation to what I'm accustomed to. Worth a try. (It's packed with veggies, so it's pretty darn good for you too.)

Meatball Soup

Thanks to Deceptively Delicious for this one.  It was different, and I wanted to try it. It was pretty good. I wasn't really into the leftovers, and this recipe serves 10 (If I had known that I would've halved it.) Now you know. And if I'm remembering correctly, I accidentally doubled both my purees. That would've altered the taste a bit. It still tasted good mind you. So I bet if I hadn't doubled that, the taste would've been even better.

Ingredients
3 oz. whole-wheat pasta shapes (I used elbow macaroni)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
1/4 cup carrot puree
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups beef or chicken broth
3 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 cup nonfat milk
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 lb. ground turkey

Cook the pasta. Drain and set aside.

Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it ove rmedium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil and then the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Puree the tomatoes and their juice with the carrot puree in a blender, then add to the pot along with 1/2 tsp salt. Add the broth, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the bread in a large bowl. Add the egg, sweet potato puree, milk, Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, the pepper, and paprika, and let soak until the bread is very soft. Stir to break up the bread, add the ground turkey, and mix until smooth. Form into mini-meatballs 1/2 inch in diameter. Add the meatballs to the pot. Simmer, covered, until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the pasta. Serve with sprinkled parmesan cheese.

Excuse the bright redness of the picture. Hers always come out like that with my camera. I think it might be the carrot puree somehow. I don't know. It's not really this color. And the strange white parts in my bowl are parmesan cheese. It looks weird, sorry. Like I said, I accidentally doubled my purees, so I think the flavor would've been even better. Definitely worth a try. It's a fun one.

Turkey Chili

This is a deceptively delicious recipe. It turned out pretty good. It was a very mild chili, which for our kids is good, since they're not crazy about spicy.

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 lb. ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sweet paprika (I don't have that. I used regular paprika)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 26-oz. can chicken broth
1/2 cup red pepper puree
1/2 cup carrot puree (I didn't have red pepper puree, so I used 1 cup carrot puree. Her recipes are all designed to do that. You can use them as listed, or just use the whole amount in one puree.)
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Coat the bottom of a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle the turkey with the garlic, chili powder, salt, paprika, and pepper. Add the turkey to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longe rpnk, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the broth, red pepper puree, carrot puree, cornmeal, and flaxseed meal, and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until the flavors have blended. Stir in the beans and cook a little longer, just to heat them through.

As I said, it's like a beginner's chili (not for making, but for eating.) Joseph definitely preferred it, I think, to our normal, more flavorful chilis. And ours had a full cup of carrot puree in it. It was mild, but good.

Chicken Nuggets

This is a deceptively delicious recipe. I've made it many times. It really makes a great chicken nugget. They're a little soft (from the puree, and not in a bad way) but have a great flavor. The smaller you make the pieces, the better they cook. You're better off having long strands of chicken, versus small, thick chunks. Just a tip. Even if you don't use the puree, the breading is really yummy.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat, white or panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup broccoli or spinach or sweet potato or beet puree (for the first time, I highly recommend sweet potato)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders, rinsed, dried and cut into small chunks (tenders are easer to keep them from being too thick. That's the key, not too thick!)
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp olive oil

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan, paprika, garlic, and onion powder and mix well . In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Dip the chunks into the egg mixture and then toss them in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.

Coat a large nonstick skillet cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crisp all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Check the centers for any pink (of the biggest pieces anyway).

The key really is making them thin. Then they cook fast, and don't get too dark. Mine always end up being a tad dark. And they never fit in the skillet in one shot, so I do them in waves. I don't feel like I've perfected the cooking part, but in the end they always taste great anyhow. I do find that as long as you have a small layer of oil in the pan, you can usually shake the skillet and the chicken will be able to move around on its own. This is good because that means the breading won't come off. I've made the mistake multiple times of thinking I can turn then with tongs or something similar. Don't make this mistake. It only squishes the breading and puree and you end up losing breading. Just keep them loose on the skillet (the oil and shaking mentioned before) and use a spatula to turn them. These are a great recipe we all enjoy. If it takes multiple waves to cook them all, it can be quite time consuming. But in the end I always find it's worth it when there are none left for leftovers.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Don't let the veggie in the name fool you. These are killer good pancakes. Sweet potatoes get a bad rap being veggies, but they are so sweet! They are one of my favorite purees to use in my foods.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice (optional) (You could totally get away with any spice. Ours tasted like a dessert)
1 cup pancake mix
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
Pure maple syrup, for serving

In a large bowl, mix the water, sweet potato puree, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon), if using. Add the pancake mix and stir just to combine-the batter should be lumpy. Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, and spoon the batter onto the griddle or pan, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. (I didn't use cooking spray or oil. We have an electric griddle and it doesn't need either.) Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes and the batter is set, 2 to 3 minutes. Then use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook them until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes.

We didn't have real maple syrup, but these were still ultra sweet. (In a good way, not in a gagging way.) I could even nix the cinnamon next time. They're almost like a Thanksgiving morning kinda breakfast. If you do that next year, give me credit! I think I'll definitely do that, now that I think about it. Anyway, this was a great recipe. Joseph devoured these (like he does with any pancake), and so did we!

Deceptively Delicious

This is a wonderful cookbook I got a few years ago that uses vegetable purees in your regular meals. There are tons of different ones out there. This one is authored by Jerry Seinfeld's wife. It has lots of great recipes, of which I've only skimmed the surface. It gives directions and tips on everything vegetable and everything puree. It's great. I've found that you can use home pureed foods in these recipes, as well as baby food. I've got a baby who's not on table food yet, so we have baby food sitting around all the time. Sometimes I've had home pureed sweet potatoes or yams, which work for her recipes. But I've also found that the canned baby food from the store works great too. It even comes in perfect proportions for her recipes. (usually 4 or 8 oz.) So look out for these recipes coming up soon. They can take a few tries to get used to, but I really do think they're great if you do them properly, and don't tell your kids what's in them!  And to be honest, I don't just do this for my kids' benefit, but for me too. I know I don't get nearly enough vegetables in my diet. So this way we are all getting more of what we need and it feels good to be eating healthy.