Simple Kids contributor Emily Carter is filling in today over at Simple Mom while Tsh is on maternity leave.

This spring our family decided to try something we have never done, or even heard of before. We joined a local CSA.

What is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, that means you have a local farm that is supported by community members who purchase a “share.”  Typically, shares are picked up weekly and contain a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Why Should You Join?

We have had such a positive experience with our CSA.  Here are my top three reasons you should look into joining one in your area.

[Head over to Simple Mom to read the rest ... ]

Kara, here.  This is part two of Megan’s series on feeding toddlers, which originally ran August 2009. 

This is part two in a series on Finger Food for little ones. Earlier, we shared some ideas on what to serve for breakfast and snacks to toddlers who are new to feeding themselves. Today, I wanted to extend the idea into lunch and dinnertime ideas.

Several of you mentioned in the comments that your little ones eat what you eat at mealtime, and I have to agree this is the easiest way to approach meal preparation! I also have to confess that when my oldest was a new eater, she absolutely would not eat meat in any form. (She’s still a reluctant omnivore).

Sometimes patience and a good perspective on the big picture are helpful when approaching how much and what kind of food your new eater is eating. When our second child reached the finger food age, I was better about serving her what the rest of us are eating and not freaking out if she doesn’t eat much. She almost always makes up for it later in the day or throughout the week.  Having said that, sometimes what we are eating just isn’t great for the new eater – particularly those who only have a few teeth!

And don’t we all love to hear what other families are eating for lunch? Lunch is the biggest culprit of food rut blues for me. How many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can one person eat?

Thoughts on Meals for Little Eaters:

Realistic Portions

Remember that toddlers don’t need a full serving, nor do they even need a half-sized serving in most cases. They have little tummies that fill up quickly! Start small and serve more if they are still hungry.

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Kara, here.  After last week’s series on Homemade Baby Food 101 by Christen, we had a few readers asking about the next step and feeding toddlers.  So, I decided to re-run Megan’s series on Toddler Finger Foods, which originally ran August 2009.  Don’t miss the great suggestions in the comments – and feel free to leave your own thoughts, too.  We’d love to hear what simple breakfasts and snacks are a hit with the toddlers at your house!

Last week’s post on toddler mealtimes elicited some great discussion in the comments.  Several of you asked for ideas on finger foods for your toddlers.  I decided to create a two-part series with some ideas that have worked well in our family, and I hope others will share their toddler favorites as well!

For today, let’s focus on breakfasts and snack time.

Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers

Fresh Fruit

I liked to roll pieces of fruit in dry baby cereal.  This makes it easier for little fingers to successfully pick up the fruit and get it into those sweet little mouths.

Scrambled Eggs

Break up the scrambled eggs into little bite-sized pieces.  I often top scrambled eggs with a little shredded cheese for an extra calcium boost.

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Today, more and more moms are choosing to make homemade baby food, passing by the vast array of conventional choices in our supermarkets.  To recap Monday’s post, homemade baby food is simply better for your baby, your wallet, and the planet!

Today, we will expand upon this topic by showcasing a variety of time and money-saving tips to create delicious homemade goodness for your little ones.

Preparing your own baby food is quite simple, despite its daunting reputation.  It does take a bit of planning and a few hours of your time, but the benefits far outweigh the sacrifice. The result will be a great sense of pride, and  more importantly, a happy and healthy baby!

Timing

I start with timing because this is where I lose most moms.  However, you only have to set aside a maximum of an hour per week to prepare homemade baby food. Some recipes take as little as ten minutes. Most recipes are designed to yield a large amount of food (literally dozens of servings for baby), therefore, your will have a delicious variety of age-appropriate, homemade goodness within a few weeks time. This works well considering you only introduce one food a week to your baby in the beginning.

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In the tradition of all old things becoming new again, today at Simple Kids we will discuss making homemade baby food – just like our grandmothers did - but with a fresh spin designed for the modern mom.

Today, unlike our grandmothers’ time, we have a plethora of choices in our supermarkets – everything from the conventional, shelf-stable variety to the expensive, gourmet, “boutique” brands. These foods have revolutionized the way we feed our children and there is certainly nothing wrong with them. However, after having my first child, I made the decision to feed my baby the same fresh, wholesome ingredients I fed the rest of my family. Little did I know at the time how simple and convenient homemade baby food would be.

I am certainly not alone in the decision to make homemade baby food; it is making a big come back these days!

It appeals to modern-day moms for a variety of reasons:

It’s better for your baby.

Homemade baby food allows you to introduce fresh, seasonal, healthy, and tasty foods to your little ones - providing them with the best start in life…no fillers, no preservatives. Because you control the ingredients, you can introduce little one’s taste buds a vast array of flavors and textures that you might not find in the conventional brands. The more fruits and vegetables you introduce to your baby at a young age, the more likely they will eat (and enjoy!) them later.

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