Good Taste: Grilled Shrimp and Lemon Kebabs

If you know me (and you all do, I'm guessing), you may know about my secret. I have this bad tendency to hoard recipes. Not like you imagine, where I'm drowning in papers and have to clear a path to my bedroom! Maybe hoard is too strong of a word...maybe I collect recipes. Many recipes, 3 overflowing binders of recipes, mostly in the form of magazine clippings. So, I am changing my system. I always have thrown away recipes that haven't impressed me and my food tasters, but now I am going to dump all the successful recipes right here and throw away the paper. This means that there will be a lot more recipes on here and more peace in my life.

Grilled Shrimp and Lemon Kebabs

24 medium shrimp

2 lemons, cut into small wedges

3 yellow Squash or Zucchini, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 sprigs fresh basil

16 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Heat a broiler on high. Place the shrimp and lemon wedges on 8 skewers, alternating them. Halve the squash or zucchini lengthwise, then cut them into 1-inch-thick slices. Divide the squash among the remaining 8 skewers. Place the skewers on the grill and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Serve the shrimp and squash with the basil, torn into pieces if desired.

Thoughts: this meal takes 10 minutes and the grilled lemon is great squirted over everything. Yummy with simple salad or rice pilaf.

Good Taste: No room for ice in our ice cube trays!

[note: this post was intended to be created pre-move! Currently, our ice cube trays are still in a box!]

For the past few months, our ice cube trays have been filled with baby purees. After ecstatically receiving an immersion blender for Christmas from my mother-in-law, I have been pureeing up a storm for little Nathan.

My best resource for baby food has been Annabel Karmel's First Meals. It has great ideas for purees, as well as food for toddlers and preschoolers. We especially love our 'sunshine rice' (which is officially Paella in the cookbook). There are newer editions of this book, as well as other similar books by this author, but I've checked them out from the library and still love this one the most. Be warned: she has some pretty intense meal planning for babies and she also recommends milk and bread too early for my liking. We really only do the simple veggie and fruit purees (and not even all she recommends--who wants cauliflower puree?). For the the more exciting combos, we've been going back to my very favorite Earth's Best baby food, which is usually on sale at Amazon (like it is today) and is cheaper than Gerber.

Nathan is just now growing out of baby food, which is a relief to both of us. He likes to feed himself and I like to eat my dinner. I'm remembering what I used to give Peter at this age: chickpeas, toast, soft fruit and berries, little bits from my meal, and cheerios. Lots of cheerios. So, tell me, what little finger foods am I forgetting?