Well, as you know, Addie has started eating "solid food." "Solid food" isn't exactly what I would consider it; but since she's been on a strictly liquid diet most of her little life, this is solid to her! After buying some stage 1 organic food (and realizing how expensive all of it is, not just the organic; as well as realizing how many tiny little plastic containers we would be consuming & discarding), I decided that I'd better at least look into making my own baby food.
No, I promise I'm not bored (see previous
post) and looking for things to do...but the budget and the world in which I WANT my child to grow up and the world in which I FEAR my child will grow up in were the driving factors!
For those of you that know me though, you know that I DON'T cook. It isn't that I can't cook; it's just that 1.) I don't enjoy it and 2.) my husband is a FABULOUS cook...so why bother! :) (I did cook dinner 2 of the past 3 nights though, so I'm getting better!). Anyway...so me choosing to make baby food is a much bigger deal than it is for most mothers, I think.
Everything I read kept saying how "easy" it was and how "anyone could do it." I found a great website call
Wholesome Baby Food that had everything you could ever want to know about buying, pureeing, and freezing food for your baby. I got a lot of encouragement from two women who make their youngest child's baby food...their youngest of three!!! (
Megan and
McMama). If they could do it with 3 kids...I sure better try it with just one!
So I gave it a try, starting with some vegetables that I didn't have: green beans and carrots. Apparently steaming keeps the most nutrients in the vegetables, so I steamed the fresh carrots (it removes most of the natural nitrates that aren't good for babies this young) and boiled/heated the frozen green beans (frozen is ok, canned is not).
Then I got brave today and tried a butternut squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, plums, and the rest of the carrots. I got a little puree happy! I baked the squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, and plums. Needless to say, our house smelled pretty yummy!
So...after I pureed them, everything went into ice trays.
...and then into the freezer.
I popped them out of the ice trays so they wouldn't stay in that harder plastic and put them in freezer bags all labeled and everything where they'll last 3-4 months!
And the final product turned out pretty yummy...at least yummy in baby terms!
Addie had her 1st homemade baby food a few nights ago and really seemed to enjoy it. I'll let you be the judge though!
Just be glad she's eating it. I got all excited to make my own food, cooked up some batches of delicious fresh, organic baby food, then stashed them in the freezer. Then Savannah didn't want anything to do with anything pureed. So after a few months, I just threw it away :( Maybe this next baby will be more cooperative. And now you are proof that it really is that easy to make your own baby food. Good job!
ReplyDeleteOK...call me when you get a chance. I need to start making Isabel's food myself!!
ReplyDeleteOrganic produce must be a lot cheaper in good ole' Alabama. I actually found it more expensive, ounce for ounce, to make Will's baby food. And I made a complete mess the few times I tried it. I'd say you are off to a great start! Maybe you'll end up a cook after all.
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud to have given you some encouragement! Isn't it so much fun!?
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth....I don't use all organic stuff. I just wash it really good. I still figure it's better than some old stuff sitting on a shelf for months!:)
BTW, Greer's new favorite is corn! It freezes really well, too!
Anna-
ReplyDeleteMy parents made all of my baby food from scratch from the time I was born until I was about two years old. To this day, they credit that to my absolute love of vegetables. I could eat vegetables raw, plain, whatever, any time they are available.
Keep up the good work!
Mary Michael