Apple & Banana Suprise

Being a parent can be really stressful some days. Having kids is just awesome, but haven't you had one of those days when you just want to give up?

You need a little stress relief to get you through the day. I’ve learned that if you can't learn to find the humour in the situation, you'll go crazy or maybe because I’ve already gone crazy I find it. Either way, you’ll feel better if you can laugh, it relieves stress.

 So what is it, that got me talking about stress and laughter, how about the concept of a clean house with a baby???

I used to have a beautiful, spotless, immaculate house. I could take pride in how shiny my kitchen and bathroom floors were, how everything was exactly where they should be and I could dare someone to find a speck of dust anywhere! What can I say, I was a cleanliness freak. I think I got it from my Mom. I still remember how she would go absolutely berserk if anything was out of place!! This more or less usually happened when she visited MY bedroom.

Just to be clear, I wasn't born this way. Before I got married, I did like everything to be neat and tidy, but could not be bothered to do it myself. After marriage though, once you have your own family and your own place, things change. You can't have enough of that pride swelling up inside you when someone randomly visits your house and comments that your kitchen floors are so clean that they could literally eat off them! Ahh, those were happy times.

 Nowadays it’s a major achievement if I can even manage to get through the day without Issac making the living room look like Santa Claus' goody bag exploded in there.

Ever since I've been back at work, things have started to get slightly out of hand. The house looks like a tornado went through it. It’s embarrassing. And it’s no help when you have a baby waiting for just after you have tidied up to crawl over and decide he definitely likes everything thrown across the floor rather than tidily stacked up on the shelves.

Oh well, at least one of us is having fun J

OK, now that I’ve had my rant for the day, here’s today’s recipe. This is a simple yet delicious snack that you can whip up in no time and is always a winner.

Apple & Banana Surprise

Image courtesy: http://recipes.lovetoknow.com

1 small apple, cored and sliced

1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1 heaped teaspoon raisins, chopped
drop of vanilla (optional)
pinch ground cinnamon

Cook the apple with the raisins in a small saucepan with a little water on a low heat until tender. This would take roughly 3 to 4 minutes.
Purée the apples and raisins lightly.
Combine with a drop of vanilla,if using, and the mashed banana in baby’s serving bowl.
Stir in the cinnamon and serve while still warm.

Notes
I choose to not peel the apple as most of the nutrients are on the skin. But for younger babies I would recommend peeling.
You can add a little more water if necessary as the apple is cooking, but make sure you don’t add too much or overcook it as the apple will become watery and flavourless.
You can also add some yoghurt(natural or flavored) into the mix to give it a more thicker texture and for that extra boost of calcium.