let's talk about baby food

Why do I make baby food?

i started making baby food when wolfgang was about six months old. i did not make baby food for eleanor because i worked full time with over an hour commute, so i just simply didn't have the time. whenever i began making baby food for wolfgang, i absolutely loved it. i turn the music up and dance around the kitchen, chopping fruits and veggies and it's just glorious ... but i think the real reason i love it, is because i am making something for my babies. something that will help them grow and hopefully make them smile. that is everything to me ... another reason i make baby food is because it saves us so much money. yesterday while at the grocery store, i took a stroll down the baby aisle to see how much a jar of food is going for these days and on sale they were one dollar a jar. i can make twenty four servings of baby food (that is two trays) for about two dollars ... so. much. money. saved ...but with all that being said ... i think buying baby food is totally fine. like totally. 

What do you need? 

you will need a food processor or blender, small jars or small tupperware containers, a steaming basket, a pot, baby food trays, spoons and a baby. :) 

How I make it.

there are so many baby food making methods out there and i am in no way an authority on the topic ... this is just how i do it and what works for me.

to begin, i soften my fruit and veggies, so that way they are easily pureed. some things you will not need to soften first, like bananas, peaches, avocado and berries. other things, like pears, apples, carrots, beets, potatoes and squash  will need to be steamed or roasted. 

to steam, you will fill the bottom of a small pot with water. place the steaming basket inside the pot, right above the water. throw your peeled and chopped fruits or veggies in the steaming basket and cover with lid. let steam on medium heat until it becomes soft enough to puree. 

to roast, you will peel and chop your veggies and place them on a baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil. bake in the oven at 375 for about 15 mins. careful to not let them burn because then you'll have to throw them out. trust me, i have made that mistake before! i line my baking sheet with a non-stick aluminum foil to prevent them sticking to the pan. also, ru's doctor advised us not to add any spice until they are a year old. his doctor also said to add a new food every three days. this way you can see if your babe is developing any allergies to certain foods!..  maybe your doc will advise you differently! 

after your fruit and veggies are ready to be pureed, throw them in your processor or blender. sometimes you may find you need to add a little water. if i have it handy, i will use breastmilk instead. divide food evenly into your baby food trays and pop them in the freezer. note: wait until cool before putting them in freezer. once they are frozen, you can put them into ziploc bags and label them. whenever i am ready to feed, i grab a cube or two and place them in a bowl. you can thaw in the microwave (careful not to scorch) or let it thaw on the counter for a while. if we are going to a restaurant for dinner, i will put a couple of cubes in tupperware and once we are ready to sit down, the food has been thawed and is ready to eat!

What I made this morning ....

blueberries and bananas: one container of blueberries and one banana. toss them in the blender or processor. that's it! super easy and great to mix with rice cereal in the morning. caution: this is messy! :)

pears and avocado: after i steamed three large pears, i placed them in the blender along with two avocados. for this combo, it was a bit thick, so i added about four ounces of breast milk. 

sweet potatoes: i peeled and chopped one very large sweet potato. lined my sheet, drizzled with olive oil and baked at 375 for 15 minutes. i also added a bit of breast milk to this because it was a little thick.

golden beets: i haven't prepared them yet, but will do so during nap time. i will use the steaming method.

wolfgang was watching me feed brother and kept saying, "yuck!" haha. also, he took this last photo of rufus. :)