Adventures in Eating...Yum #1

I love introducing new things to LP.  Sometimes milestones make me feel like she's growing up too fast, but really, I relish in the excitement and even the funny little confused or determined look her face when she's trying something new.  One of my favorite things so far has been introducing her to new foods!  From the first taste of sweet potatoes to her watching her figure out how to daintily pick up Cheerios, even to her first time eating little pieces of my favorite Cheeseburger meatloaf and peas, it has been so fun to watch her enjoy sampling different tastes.  In fact, if you didn't know, her favorite food of all?  Brussels sprouts.  Don't ask, because I didn't do anything special to get her to love them.  I suppose I ate them a lot when I was nursing?  I don't know, but anyways, LP loves to try new foods and I love to get a little creative with her, because I don't want her to grow up a picky eater.  I hope that she maintains her love of fresh foods and I hope that we can teach her healthy and fun eating habits. 

I thought I'd share one of our favorite recipes here...Spinach Nuggets.  Sounds weird, I guess, but they are a really healthy and tasty alternative to chicken nuggets (which don't get me wrong, we have those sometimes too) and can be frozen in larger batches for easy reheating on nights when you need a quick meal for the little ones!  I got the recipe from this site featuring wholesome toddler foods but I'll also write it out here for you: 

Spinach Nuggets
1-16 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I've seasoned them myself with basil, oregano, parsley, etc.)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 large eggs (or two if you're using jumbo)
Heat oven to 375 degress

Mix ingredients much like you'd mix up the ingredients for meatballs.  Roll spoonfulls in your palms and flatten each on a cookie sheet (sprayed with cooking spray).  They should look like the shape of chicken nuggets.  Bake for 25 minutes, turning each nugget over after the first 10 minutes.  Easy! 

The finished product!

LP really loves these.  I still cut them into small pieces for her but they are bite-sized in nature.  Mike complains that I don't make enough for all of us at a meal...he also claims he'd like to serve them for appetizers at a party.  Stay tuned for that entry! 

And so, as I continue my adventures of cooking for my toddler (eek, I can't believe she's a toddler) I will try to share any fun recipes that I come across, and please share yours with me too!   I'm looking for lunch ideas because Chloe mainly eats what we eat for dinner...anybody?