Homemade Baby Food: Made Easy

When my first kid was ready to eat "solid foods" I was encouraged by a few of my friends to make my own baby food. I love to cook and it would save a few dollars each month. It was easy! When he first started eating these foods, he wasn't very mobile and took naps often. This made for laid back days and a good amount of time to devote to "cooking" for my little eating machine! I loved making my own baby food. When my second came along, I was too tired to even think about making my own food, not to mention my blender had broken a few months before (No, I didn't break it on purpose!) I figured organic, jarred baby food will be just fine! Well then last week, me, my mom and grandmother went to the outlet mall. And what caught my eye, you might ask?! A Cusinart Blender/Food Processor (on sale at William Sonoma). Guess what my grandmother bought me for an early (REALLY EARLY) Christmas present?! You guessed it!! So today I opened my new, beautiful kitchen appliance and got to work. Granted, Riley is 9 months old and will probably be finished with baby-food soon, but my need for chopping, mixing, blending and puree-ing will still be here! Thank you Gram!

Today's menu:

Green Peas, Green Beans, Carrots, and Acorn Squash with Pumpkin

Buying the organic foods is a little more expensive, but in the long run still saves you money.

If the organic kind is not available or really expensive on a certain day....I buy whatever is going to work for my budget and my babies taste buds.

Start off by steaming things like peas, green beans and carrots on the stove until they are soft. (I use bagged baby carrots and frozen peas and green beans)

Put the steamed food in blender

(adding small amounts of water to thin the consistency based on age of your baby)

Puree food, stopping every so often to stir things up and make sure you don't have any chunks of food. Especially bad for younger babies!)

Note: if you have water left in the pot from steaming, use that water first! It has some of the nutrients from the fruits/veggies)

With Squash, you want to cut them in half and scoop the "guts" out (i use an ice cream scoop)

turn them upside down (skin facing upward) in a baking dish and pour water in the dish. Water should not cover the squash just go up the sides maybe an inch.

Bake at 375 for about 35-45mins depending on the size of the squash.

You want it to be soft when its finished.

Let cool, so you don't burn yourself! Scoop the insides of the squash, making sure no skin gets in the blender. And puree just like the other veggies! (Same thing, I would add the water from the baking dish if there is any left)- Today I added 100% Natural Pumpkin Puree to the squash, making it a little more festive! I used a half a can of pumpkin per squash.

In order for it to keep longer, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze them. These are green beans (the least appetizing looking vegetable, sorry) and I had a 32 oz frozen bag and it yielded 1.5 trays.

Once they are frozen , pop them out into a Labeled/Dated Gallon Freezer bag

(they can last up to three months in the freezer)

One to Two ice cubes is generally a serving size for babies. You can mix and match the veggies/fruits. And the best part about freezing it- is if you are going out somewhere....just pop two "ice cubes" in a bowl with a lid and they will defrost by the time you need them! Obviously you can add warm water to it or warm them up in the microwave as well.

The Goal: A happy, healthy baby!!

FYI: I still keep jarred baby food around the house, mainly bananas, because they brown really easily and I can't figure it out! and if we need to travel for a few days, I will take store-bought food, only because it doesn't need refrigeration.

Don't just make peas and carrots....branch out! Babies LOVE avocados and mangos (two GREAT things for them...but you don't have to tell them that!)

Let me total my spending Store bought vs. Homemade and I will get back to you on the TRUE number!