This is what UltimateMama fed her children today for breakfast since she had more time to make a proper meal. UltimateMama's children are one and three years old.

3 year old: Almost two waffles with a sprinkle of maple syrup, one egg, strawberries, water, milk

1 year old: Almost one whole waffle, one egg (she ate mostly the yolk), strawberries, water, milk

This is what UltimateMama fed her children (ages one and three) for dinner:

Three year old: Lemon Sole, Steamed Sweet Potatoes with Smart Balance spread, Broccoli (she didn't eat much of it tonight), applesauce, breadsticks, milk, water 

One year old: Lemon Sole, Steamed Sweet Potatoes, peas, applesauce, thin slice of whole wheat bread, strawberries, milk, water 

UltimateMama loves to make Lemon Sole. Do not be afraid, it is simple!

 Easy Baked Lemon Sole recipe:

Heat oven to 420-425 degrees. Sprinkle olive oil in a large glass baking dish.  Place Lemon Sole on top of the olive oil, Put 6-12 cherry tomatoes halved on top of the fish.  Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice on top of the fish. Bake Lemon Sole for 20-25 minutes (covered in foil if you wish).

This is what UltimateMama fed her kids (ages one and three) today for lunch:

Three year old:  Hamburger (broiled ground chuck), Guacamole and Gluten-free Rice Crackers, pineapple, Stoneyfield Farm organic Peach yogurt, milk, water

One year old: Hamburger (broiled ground chuck), Guacamole and Gluten-free Rice Crackers, blueberries, Stoneyfield Farm organic Plain whole-milk yogurt, milk, water

Guacamole is a great way to get nutrients into your child's body!  Quick and Easy Guacamole recipe as follows:

Quick and Easy Guacamole Recipe

Combine three-four peeled, pitted and mashed avocados with five diced cherry tomatoes (or 1/3 of one large tomato, a small onion chopped finely, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of cilantro. Mix it all together and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Hamburger Recipe

Make 4-6 small patties from 1/4 to 1/2 pound of ground chuck. Broil on each side for 4-5 minutes.

This is what UltimateMama fed her children (ages one and three) for breakfast today:

3 year old: whole wheat toast with Polaner Fruit Spread, apple slices with peanut butter (peeled), strawberries, milk, water 

1 year old: plain whole wheat toast, cubed Mild New York Cheddar cheese, strawberries, milk, water 

Child behavioral problems are never fun to deal with but we all must at some point. UltimateMama knows that children are not always angels even though we think of them as such. If your child harms another child at home or at school it is best to address the issue right away while it is "fresh" in their minds.  If your child has kicked, pushed, poked, bit, or scratched another child you may want to pull them aside and sternly talk to them about their negative actions and explain that we use "gentle hands/feet/etc." and "kind words" with friends.  You should also encourage them to address the other child with an apology and either a hug or handshake. 

If an incident happens between your child and another when the other parent is not present you should tell them about the event verbally or with an email.  An example of an email that could be sent to a class parent:

"Miss King (teacher) told me that Monica (your child) and Dee had a little rough-housing incident in the gym today and Monica may have scratched Dee.  The teachers did talk to both children about what happened. I just wanted to let you know that we find Monica's behavior unacceptable and have also spoken to her about her negative actions and encouraged the use of "gentle hands" (Monica hugged Dee when they left school today)."

Easy meals for kids – that is the goal!  UltimateMama always likes to add more nutrients to her children's meals. What better way to do just than than to add healthy foods to your recipes.  Sound hard?  Not at all. 

Below are a few of UltimateMama's sneaky foods for kids or food that dissolves as it cooks. Try a few of these "tricks" from the sneaky chef UltimateMama:

– Zucchini:  Finely dice a zucchini and put it into your marinara or spaghetti sauce.  It will not take long before it disappears!  (yellow squash does the trick as well)

– Fuji apples:  Peel, core, and finely dice a fuji apple and put it into your tagine, stew, pasta sauce to add some extra nutrients.  (other apples may do the trick as well)

UltimateMama never offers her children food or drink that she has not tried first (excluding formula and breast milk – that is off limits for UltimateMama).  For example, UltimateMama sampled Earth's Best turkey before her youngest ate it on an airplane.  UltimateMama regularly smells and sips their Organic Whole milk and tries their yogurt to make sure it is not spoiled.

If you are giving your child something new you should definitely test it yourself! Make sure you agree with the ingredients, texture, composition, taste, smell, and appearance of anything you put in the mouth of your babes!

Feeding kids in a nutritious manner does not have to be time-consuming. UltimateMama does not see anything wrong with taking short cuts when it comes to feeding your child.

From bagged baby carrots to pre-cut fruit to frozen vegetables, you can feed your child heartily and nutritiously in a matter of minutes.  UltimateMama believes that using such short cuts is better than ordering food out for delivery or getting take out.

Think about it – do you really know what makes take-out broccoli from your local Chinese restaurant or delivered broccoli rabe from your local Italian restaurant taste so good?  Probably not. If you are not preparing the food yourself you really don’t know the “extra” ingredients/spices that may be added – sugar, salt, etc.

Snacktime or mealtime with kids does not have to be stressful!

Whether your child needs an afterschool snack or a meal, you should always have in mind what you will prepare and serve.  Take it from UltimateMama, you do not want to fall victim to the taunts of a hungry child who scream that you are not giving them food fast enough.

UltimateMama usually organizes snacks in little containers so she can just grab and take them with her when she leaves her home.  UltimateMama even lets the child choose what sort of snack she craves. Give them two choices – cheese stick or crackers; strawberries or cucumbers, dried apples or goldfish crackers. 

For meals, UlimateMama tries to prepare and portion out the food the night before (for lunch and dinner).  All she has to do is heat and serve.  A little time spent in advance is well worth it in the end.

UltimateMama never thought of herself as the type who would ever dress her children as a "mini-me" or like herself.  However, she realizes she is falling into that trap.  After perusing her oldest child's closet this weekend she realized that she was creating a "mini-me" – at least in terms of apparel.  From khaki cords to Patagonia fleece jackets to Speedo bathing suits to Keen footwear, UltimateMama discovered that her daughter's wardrobe matches her own.  Call it yearning for comfort, call it aiming for classic style, but whatever you call it mommy and daughter are twins.

For look alike khaki cords for girls check out Hanna Andersson comfort cords ($16 now from $38).