Ksal again welcome to the Cooking Forum! You life doesn't sound like chaos to me, it sounds like you're very considerate of the kinds of foods you eat and your kid. You sound pretty well organized. I'm no toddler, but due to not being able to find work closer, I have an hour commute and I come home starving so the sooner I can get dinner on the table the better for me. That way I can spend more time eating and savoring. Weekend cooking is my real savior. Soup is a great thing to get a toddler started--with fun crackers. Plus some chopped up veggies and dip. I often munch on baked tortilla chips and black bean salsa dip while prepping dinner. Also toasted nut mix and maybe a piece of cheese or small dish of cottage cheese. Most of my friends with toddlers I see making simplified versions of mom and dad's meal. Toddlers have much smaller tummies so they eat less but more often, and are often sick with a runny nose and don't always have the tolerance for the heavy and spicy foods that grownups do. Sometimes yes, I know my friend's daughter loves salty greek olives and I loved smoked oysters and braunschweiger as a kid! But a fruit cup and cottage cheese or a PB&J on whole grain bread are fine starters too. Nothing wrong with good ol' spaghetti O's. There are more healthful versions of instant kiddie foods out there now, in some of the higher end markets. I sometimes buy little chicken drumsticks and bake them with barbecue sauce on the weekends and them have them for quick protein during the week. Check out the homeade applesauce thread. You could make your own applesauce and can it up in little jars that would make a good starter for your toddler. My brother lived on hot dogs, cottage cheese and applesauce as a kid. And a lot of milk. The only veggie he would eat was green peppers, so mom always had some gp sticks on hand to serve him. To this day he still like plain individualized foods. If I had a toddler like him, I would make stuff up on the weekends and freeze it in those little plastic freezer cups--mashed squash, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes. I think I remember reading that if you add cream cheese to mashed potatoes they freeze well. I buy the lowfat stuff.

I've had this meatless lasagna in my "want to try" file for a while - it gets excellent reviews at epicurious.com. Becky Lompoc, CA * Exported from MasterCook * BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND HAZELNUT LASAGNE Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- For squash filling 1 large onion -- chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 lb butternut squash -- peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage 1 cup hazelnuts (4 oz) -- toasted, loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and coarsely chopped For sauce 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 cups milk 1 bay leaf (not California) 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper For assembling lasagne 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella -- coarsely grated (2 cups) 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz) 12 sheets no-boil lasagne (1/2 lb -- (7- by 3 1/2-inch) Make filling: Cook onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts. Cool filling. Make sauce while squash cooks: Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. (Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.) Assemble lasagne: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cheeses together. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 3-quart baking dish) and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese. Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagne in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Cooks' note: Filling and sauce can be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before assembling. Makes 6 servings. Gourmet December 2001 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is a tomato sauce I make all the time and freeze in small containers. Simple Tomato Sauce Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis Serves: 6 cups Ingredients * 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil * 1 small onion, chopped * 2 cloves garlic, chopped * 1 stalk celery, chopped * 1 carrot, chopped * Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper * 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes * 4 to 6 basil leaves * 2 dried bay leaves * 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional Directions In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors. Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce. If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months. One of my favorite soups: Cream of Tomato Soup Winter Style 1 16oz. can whole tomatoes 1/4 c. chopped onion 1/2 c. chopped celery including leaves 2 TB butter 1/2 t. dried basil 1/2 t. dried oregano 1 t. salt 2 TB tomato paste 1 TB brown sugar 2 TB butter 3 TB flour 2 c. beef broth 1 c. milk In a sauce pan over medium heat, simmer tomatoes, onion, and celery in the first 2 TB butter with the basil, oregano, salt, tomato paste, and brown sugar, uncovered for 10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or cool a little and blend in a blender or food processor. In another pan, melt second 2 TB butter, stir in flour, cook 1 minutes. Sitr in broth to make a smooth, thick sauce, Beat in milk. Add the tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings. Source: A Feast of Soups

We don't do any grilling in the winter but in summer, if someone's coming to dinner who I know is watching calories, I often make grilled fruit desserts: GRILLED STRAWBERRY SUNDAES 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup strawberry spreadable fruit 1 tsp. cornstarch 2 pint strawberries, hulled 2 cups low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt Preheat the grill to a medium heat. In a medium saucepan, combine the orange juice, spreadable fruit, and cornstarch. Set aside. Thread the strawberries onto 4 skewers. Grill the kebabs, turning once, for 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the medium saucepan directly on the grill or on the stovetop over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove the strawberries from the skewers and stir gently into the sauce mixture in the saucepan. Divide the yogurt among 4 bowls, spoon the strawberry sauce over, and serve. Notes: Can substitute ice cream for the frozen yogurt if desired. Sauce is best when serve hot. Can also be served over sliced angel food or pound cake. GRILLED PEARS WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE serves 4 4 large firm-ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears 3 Tbs. fresh lime juice 2 Tbs. sugar 1/3 cup evaporated milk (can be evaporated skim milk) 2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tsp. butter (not margarine or spreads) 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Peel the pears, halve lengthwise, and core. With a sharp knife, cut a very thin slice from the rounded side of each pear half so they will lie flat. In a bowl, toss the pear halves with the lime juice and sugar. Grill the pears over medium heat for 4 minutes. Turn them over, drizzle with any remaining lime mixture, and grill for 5 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Cook directly on the grill or stovetop over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Divide the pears among 4 plates, drizzle with butterscotch sauce, and serve hot or warm. GRILLED STUFFED PEACHES (serves 4) 4 large peaches 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats 2 Tbs. firmly packed brown sugar (light brown, preferably) 1 Tbs. finely chopped almonds 1 Tbs. butter, melted 1/2 tsp. cinnamon In a large pot of boiling water, cook the peaches for 30 seconds to make them easier to peel. Immediately remove and rinse them under cold water and carefully remove their skins. Halve and pit the peaches and cut a very thin slice from the back of each peach half so it will lie flat on the grill. In a medium bowl, toss the peach halves with the lemon juice and set aside. Preheat grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Dividing evenly, fill the centers of the peach halves with the topping. Place filled peach halves on grill and cook, covered, for 5 or 6 minutes or until the peaches are tender. Serve hot or warm. Great with vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream.