Cuisinart & Family
June 11, 2007 |
Can you imagine how it must
feel for teeth to literally erupt through your gums? And being a helpless
little tyke to boot? YOWCH! Many babies' are in the throes of their teething
woes come 9-12 months of age, and exhausted, frustrated parents are left
scrambling for ways to ease their pain.
To further complicate things,
it's been widely reported that certain teething toys are made out of plastics
containing phthalates, an ingestible,
toxic substance that can leach into their saliva and be swallowed. Dental
experts also say that biting on hard toys can sometimes damage a babies incoming
teeth.
The good news? We've come up
with a cool and nutritious way, in keeping with the spirit of the summer
season, to safely soothe babies' painful, swollen gums -- a homemade smoothie pop!
"With all the ongoing
discussion about the fear of teething gel packs erupting, and toxics in
plastics, a frozen pop made with a proper mold can be a nutritious way to soothe
an older baby's teeth," says Jennifer Perillo, former personal chef and
founding editor of her parenting blog, The
Mama Chronicles. "It's a positive way of literally providing comfort food.
Plus, it's a great way to get them to eat fruit and even sneak in some veggies."
And all you have to do is
gather the necessary ingredients, plug in your Cuisinart
SmartPower Premierâ„¢ 600-Watt Blender,
blend and freeze!
Take a gander at Jennifer's easy-to-make recipes for teether pops and
offer your lil' one some sweet relief:
Feelin' Groovy Teether Pops
Most any berry will work, so
feel free to experiment until you find a flavor combination your little one
loves. You can swap carrot juice for orange to lower acidity and up your
baby's veggie intake.
To make these pops, we advise you
to use pre-made ice pop molds found in many large home supply stores and
boutique culinary supply stores. Babies are much too young to handle a pop made
in an ice tray with toothpick at this stage.
Off to the Tropics
Makes six 2-ounce pops
1 whole banana, peeled and cut into three
chunks
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup mango, cubed
1/2 cup orange juice
Place banana, raspberries and
mango in jar of Cuisinart
SmartPower Premierâ„¢ 600-Watt Blender.
Add 1/2 cup of juice and blend to smoothie consistency. If mixture is too
thick, add more juice, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth and pureed.
Divide into ice pop molds and freeze until solid.
Berries n' Cream
Makes six 2-ounce pops
1 whole banana, peeled and cut into three
chunks
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, stems removed
1/2 cup milk
Place banana, blueberries and
strawberries in jar of Cuisinart
SmartPower Premierâ„¢ 600-Watt Blender.
Add milk and blend to smoothie consistency. If mixture is too thick, add
more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth and pureed. Divide into
ice pop molds and freeze until solid.
TIP: Not sure how
many ounces your ice pops hold? Fill one with water, and pour it into a
measuring cup that has ounce markings printed on the side.
For more information about Jennifer Perillo, read her blog The
Mama Chronicles.
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