The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet (Giveaway ends 1/11/11)

UPDATE 1/13/11

Winner was selected by random number generator, and has been contacted. Thanks to all who entered!

Well, happy new year all! It has been a lovely start to 2011 already for our little family, and to celebrate, I have some fun for you all with a review and giveaway of The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet by Karin Knight and Tina Ruggiero.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for a sample recipe from the book.
Yes, the recipes include nutrition information. Hot.

So I will just remind you all I love making homemade baby food. It saves money, it's healthier for your child, and it is actually a good time. Obviously, I was ecstatic when I was asked to review this cookbook of homemade baby food recipes.

And I have to say, this book brings it. It's full (as in over 200) of recipes for babies of all ages. In fact, the book is broken up into "chapters" based on baby's age, complete with helpful hints to go along with each stage of food. The book answers a lot of questions parents ask in a short first chapter (Should I Go Organic or Not?), and it serves as a great compass in the ways of homemade food.

What I particularly love about this book is the great variety of recipes in it. I have been making my son's food from the start, and there were ideas in here that sound delicious that I had not thought of (and I was skeptical that nothing in this book would sound new to me). Sure, there are how-to recipes on simple purees, but there are also great ideas for using food in baby-friendly ways (like a strawberry omelette or green beans in cream cheese and yogurt).

These recipes are simple enough to make, but they are inventive so that your babies will enjoy them, and I firmly believe that getting kids to try a variety of foods at a young age will help them to have a more developed and adventurous kid palate. I know it could happen, but I am trying desperately not to have that kid who will not eat anything at the party just because he hates all food. And honestly, I know this book has opened new doors for me involving what I prepare for my son.

One other thing I just wanted to note is that this book is helpful in getting you into new foods for your little one. We are not a huge tofu-eating family so I am sort of intimidated when it comes to preparing it, and this book is totally unassuming of your experience with varied foods-- I felt good that I didn't need to be a vegetarian James Beard winner to know what to do with the tofu mentioned in this book because it points out what is what so that you can successfully prepare the right tofu (or whatever!) product for your kid.

The book is priced at $19.99 and was published in November 2010 so it's a hot new item out there in the baby market. And if you want to make your baby's food, I would buy this book as your go-to-- it really did impress me, and I was not paid to say that. It's hefty and worth the purchase.

And you can win a copy of The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet!
*Include your e-mail in every comment so I can contact you if you win!*

Option #1: Follow this blog (on the left hand side) and leave a comment.

Option #2: Follow @amomwriting on Twitter and leave a comment.

Option #3: Visit the book's website here: http://www.homemadebabyfood.net/ and tell me something you learned there.

Option #4: Tweet about this giveaway, including a link to this blog post (http://su.pr/1wFGTe), the title of the book, & @amomwriting. (as much as twice per day) Comment for each tweet.

Bon Appetit!

This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on January 11, 2011. All entries without an e-mail address included are disqualified.

I was given a copy of the book to review, but was not paid for opinions or this giveaway event. These opinions are mine and mine alone.

--

Excerpted with permission...

7 months: Orange You Cute Carrot and Sweet Potato

Baby carrots can also be cut into thin strips (julienned) and microwaved, steamed, or simmered until very soft and served as finger food. When cooked or served with a little unsalted butter, the fat helps the body absorb the carrots’ vitamin A.

Ingredients:
4 baby carrots
1⁄4 cup (60 g) peeled, cubed, and cooked sweet potato
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water

Microwave Method:
Cut the carrots lengthwise, then in half, and place in a small glass bowl with the cooked sweet potato and water. Cover and microwave on high 2 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then purée in a blender or mash with a fork. Use apple juice, breast milk, or formula if needed to achieve desired consistency.

Yield: 4 baby servings, 2 tablespoons (30 g) each

Each serving contains: 12.8 calories; 0.0 g total fat; 0.0 g saturated fat; 0.0 mg cholesterol; 7.1 mg sodium; 3.0 g carbo-hydrates; 0.5 g dietary fiber; 0.3 g protein; 5.0 mg calcium; 0.1 mg iron; 3009.2 IU vitamin A; and 2.1 mg vitamin C.

--The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet, 2010. Knight & Ruggiero.

Cinnamon Apple Squash Oatmeal

Please excuse the phone-fuzzy photo!

Thanks for joining me at the Collingswood Farmers Market last Saturday! It was great meeting so many local parents interested in homemade baby food.

As promised, here is the recipe for Cinnamon Apple Squash Oatmeal...

Your favorite baby oatmeal
(portion based on your baby's needs, mixed with water, Mom's milk or formula to desired consistency)
1 Serving Baby Food Apples
1 Serving Baby Food Butternut Squash
1 tiny dash cinnamon

To make the Butternut Squash...

1. Cut squash in half length-wise. Scoop seeds out of squash.
2. Place squash halves in pan face down. Cover in 1-inch water bath. Cover. Cook at 400 degrees for approximately one hour or until skin is clearly puckering. The squash needs to be very mushy to respond well to the blender or food processor.
3. Puree to your baby's needs. Use the blender for thinner purees. Choose the food processor for a chunkier blend, perfect for an older baby.
4. Either mix directly with the apple puree to store as a squash/apple mix or pour individual servings into ice cube tray to use in your choice of mixes. (Storing individually will allow you to change the amount of squash or apples in any dish at any time. Use baby's favorites to introduce new flavors in a subtle way.)

To make the Apples... visit my previous entry on baby apple purees.

To make the Cinnamon Apple Squash Oatmeal, mix the prepared baby oatmeal, pre-mixed squash/apple puree or individual servings of squash and apple. Add dash of cinnamon, mix, and serve.

For more information on homemade baby food, check out my other posts on the subject!

Hey South Jersey, Join A Mom Writing at the Farmers Market!

Yes, I'll be at the Collingswood Farmers Market tomorrow doing a homemade baby food demo!

I'll be featuring local, seasonal ingredients to create dishes like cinnamon apple squash oatmeal. Yum! Plus, I'll offer lots of information on the basics of homemade baby food and the little tips you need to know to be your baby's #1 Chef. The demo starts at 10 a.m., and I don't expect it to last more than 30 minutes. So bring your babes and come check out A Mom Writing tomorrow!

I'll post the recipes and tips on the blog on Sunday, too!

Winner Winner...(Chicken Dinner)

F.Y.I. I didn't post it on here until now, but after using Random Number Generator, Jennifer from It's Not Easy To Be Green won the Yoreganics Giveaway. Enjoy!

I also won on Sunday...

I got to roast my first free range bird. (Okay, it was my first ever roasted bird in general, too.) This time the power did NOT go out, thank goodness, even though it did start flickering while we ate.

I was so nervous about roasting my first pastured bird that I actually e-mailed Hillacres Pride, the farm from which it came, and asked for directions. Well, how cool are they that they sent me some!

And here are the summarized directions... straight from Hillacres Pride Farm.

HOW TO ROAST A PASTURED CHICKEN

• If frozen, defrost the bird slowly. Yes, two full days in the refrigerator.
• Wash the bird, and clean up any last minute issues with the bird's cavity and neck.
• Dry the bird inside and out AND preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
• Place the bird into a roasting pan and rack.
• Season the bird with fresh herbs, salt, pepper, garlic, and/or paprika, etc. Stuff the cavity to your liking with lemon slices, garlic, onion, carrots, etc.
• "Tuck the legs under the fat flap or tie them up, and then dress the outside of the bird with olive oil or butter and salt and pepper. You can also dust with other ground spices, from a South Asian mix to humble paprika."
• "Put the bird in the preheated oven and forget about it for 2 hours."
• Basting optional.
• The bird is finished when the leg bones are flexible and the thigh juices run
clear after puncture with a sharp knife.

Option 1: For crispier skin, turn the heat to 400 degrees for the last 20 minutes of cooking time. Remove the bird from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Option 2: Place potatoes and other root vegetables in the roasting pan with the bird.

Feeding Roasted Chicken to Baby

The chicken was really juicy, and it gave us two very full meals (one roasted chicken, one chicken salad with apples, grapes, and onions). Gabriel tried his first chicken, too-- I actually chewed it a tiny bit before giving it to him (Is that creepy and bird-like? Oh well.). He loved it!

He also loves NOT napping. It has been a rough struggle trying to get him to nap even twenty minutes per day. I would be okay with his wakefulness, but he gets so cranky and sleepy that it is imperative he get on the nap train. He really fights me on it-- temper tantrums and all.

Would you ever guess this little angel face gets so angry?

Swing Low, Sweet Potato Pancake.

Gabriel has been quite the Goober over finger food... or any food thicker than the thinnest puree (other than cereal, which he loves any way you serve it to him).

And then there were pancakes. Sweet Potato Pancakes.


I made the recipe listed here with the two egg yolks option rather than one egg and just a pinch of cinnamon.

I was originally trying to do all sorts of weird alterations of the recipe because it called for milk. And, um, my Mad Scientist Mom concoctions were scary. The thing I learned when I researched further is that milk is a no-no before one, unless it is in a baked good. If baked, it's fair game at eight months. Thus, the Wholesome Baby Food sweet potato pancake recipe is safe for Gabriel. Of course, a cup of whole milk, is not. (Cheese and yogurt are just around the river bend, though. Yippee!)


The pancakes tasted awesome, Gabe ate them like a pro (and I do mean pro- pincer grasp, chewing, and all). And they froze/defrosted fabulously, too! Welcome, new staple carb/veggie option.

--

In other news, Gabriel finally rejoiced in the bath with ultimate splashing tonight. It was awesome.

Incredible Edible Eggs

In our house, it seems the egg comes before the chicken, for Gabriel anyway.

As in, Gabriel had his first scrambled eggs this morning. As an eight-month-old, he is generally considered to be ready for egg yolks. Not egg whites-- that's best reserved for the one-year-old-- so skip the whole egg and separate the yolks out for your younger babies.

I mixed two egg yolks with about .5 oz. of breastmilk, and then I poured it into the skillet to cook. It was a weird consistency, though they looked like your average more-yellow-than-white eggs. Gabriel didn't eat too much, but he was interested so we shall see if he starts to eat them as a breakfast/dinner protein option.

For more information on the health benefits of eggs for babies and some egg babyfood recipes, head to Wholesome Baby Food's egg section here.

Boy, Meet Watermelon.

Boy meets watermelon.

Boy inspects and mutilates watermelon.

Boy eats watermelon.


Thank you for joining us in this adventure of baby led solids.

Got A Lot of Eating To Do

My Mom is borrowing my camera so my post on 'my not so green thumb' is now postponed until I can snap a shot of my ailing plants. So what am I doing instead as my little one takes an actual nap in his crib? Reading about his food.

I decided I wanted to do homemade babyfood while I was pregnant, and I remembered the other day I had cut out a list from a magazine (most likely American Baby, Parents, or Parenting) inspired by Dr. Greene's suggestion to introduce a taste from all 21 plant families before age one. I just refreshed myself on food for baby with the list and reading this great article from Dr. Greene on homemade babyfood.

In any case, I was sitting here looking at this list thinking, boy, we've got a lot of eating to do (yes, please hum that to "Got a Lot of Livin' To Do" from Bye Bye, Birdie -- sidenote: when my sister was in high school, she was the cutest 'Kim McAfee' there ever was.)

So this list suggests G eat something from the following groups (I'm listing what Gabe has tried underneath the groups in italics. Foods yet to try are plain. Foods I really want G to try before age one are in color.) I went here for further reference. I still am sort of confused on family names and things so this list is not comprehensive of all the tastes Gabe will try.

Mushrooms - yet to try
Portobello mushrooms

Bromeliads - yet to try
Pineapples

Woody Trees - check!
-Bananas

Cruciferous Vegetables - yet to try
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mustard
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Collards
Turnips

Myrtles - yet to try
Guava
Cloves

Umbrellifers - check!
-Carrots
Celery
Dill
Parsley
Fennel
Parsnip

Health Plants - check!
-Blueberries
-Cranberries

Legumes - check!
-Peas
-Green Beans
-Chick Peas
-Soy beans
-Lentils

Gourds - check!
-Zucchini
-Pumpkin
-Butternut Squash
-Summer Squash
-Acorn Squash
-Watermelon
-Cucumber
-Cantaloupe
-Honeydew

Composites - yet to try
Escarole
Lettuce
Artichokes

Sesames - yet to try
-Sesame Seeds (hmm... maybe some sesame seasoning?)

Lilies - yet to try
-Asparagus

Rosy plants - check!
-Apples
-Apricots
-Peaches
-Pears
-Plums
-Cherries
-Strawberries (age one)
-Raspberries (age one)
-Blackberries (age one)

Grapes - yet to try
-Grapes

Citrus Plants (age one) - yet to try
-Orange
-Grapefruit

Nightshades - yet to try
-White Potatoes (I made a potato puree that turned out HORRIBLY. Take two coming soon.)
-Eggplants
-Peppers
-Tomatoes

Laurels check!
-Avocado

Amaranths - yet to try
-Spinach
-Swiss Chard
-Quinoa (I really want to make G a quinoa cereal sometime soon.)

Loosestrifes - yet to try
Pomegranate (Maybe G will get some Pom. juice at age one. I don't understand how he could eat this otherwise, as yummy as I find the seeds in my champagne.)

True Grasses - check!
-Barley
-Oats
-Brown Rice

Bindweeds - check!
-Sweet Potatoes

Where do these go?
Mint
Mangoes

Um, we are 9/21. We've got a lot of eating to do! Gabriel is eight months today, and we started solids just over two months ago so 9/21 is not too bad of a showing for that schedule. And with Gabe's reflux, I've been reluctant to introduce him to foods which are reportedly gas-inducing or harder to digest like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc. But that little tummy matures every day, and this little man is getting ready for a real smorgasbord of food!

A Gentleman at the Table

Basically, he stole his bowl and spoon and said,
"Mom, I got this. All over me."

Juice Boxes: Friend or Foe?

My husband and I inherited a red 1996 Thunderbird a few years ago, and my husband loves it. We bought a second car when I started working part-time because the amount of driving I would have to do in the morning would have been insane with one vehicle. Well, our precious little T-Bird decided to you know, um, die, last week so we are a one car household for a week or so. (We are so, so, so lucky that we are getting another car for a very minimal cost. Family is amazing.)

In any case, if I am driving, I am either listening to NPR or a random mix CD we burned for our drive to Shenandoah. I just love NPR. It's bursting with such interesting, diverse stories. And I cannot lie-- sometimes my most peaceful moment of the day is as I drive a snoozing Gabriel home from work, listening to All Things Considered, Fresh Air, you-name-it.

ANYWAY, in the annoying suburban traffic to and from dropping my husband off at the train and to and from work, babysitter, pediatrician, who-knows-what today, I listened to NPR as usual.


And then comes this story. About JUICE. About LEAD. ABOUT KIDDIE JUICE WITH LEAD IN IT. I wrote all that obnoxiously bigger because it is totally fine to start reading this entry from this point (especially if you are bored by my droning on an on about our family car issues and my potential unhealthy love of driving while listening to NPR.)

What's in my juice?

I write about making homemade babyfood all of the time. And when I hear stories like this, I am so glad I am trying to keep my kiddo on unprocessed, organic food made from scratch. Sure, I have given him organic banana puffs to help him learn the pincer grasp, and yes, we buy Earth's Best baby cereal because I just am not up for grinding oatmeal myself (who knows? maybe now that I wrote this I will feel challenged to try it), but most everything he eats is organic and made by Mommy.

But no matter how glad I am that most of what he eats right now is homemade organics, I know that as he gets older it will not only become easier to feed him processed food, but it is going to get more difficult to intercept the processed food from reaching him. And let it be known that the lead-contaminated juice mentioned in the NPR story was not just conventional juice-- some of it was organic. Organic food does not prevent all hell from breaking loose. (I do think homemade whole food has a lot to do with preventing bad food from getting into a child's diet, though.)

I started joking around that I wanted to get a juicer (I've wanted one for me for a long time) for the baby --so that he could have juice fresh from fruit without any added sugar-- just a little while ago. I say I joked about wanting it because when the words came out of my mouth to my husband, I thought, "Is this healthy or is this overprotective?"

And now I hear this story about LEAD in KIDDIE JUICE, and I think to myself, "NO! I am not being overprotective! Manufactured foods are RIDICULOUS."

I am sure there is more to come on this story, and I will keep on reading and educating myself, but suffice it to say, my husband stopped laughing about me asking for a juicer tonight.

This is my baby.

This is my baby on blueberries.

Any questions?

Jam Berry, Blam Berry, I'm Making Baby Berry...

I would start off writing a bit about my almost terrifying love for berries, but that is honestly a post of its own so I will just get straight to the blueberries at hand. And they aren't for me. They're for Gabriel.

Before I get to the good stuff, I just want to note that the blanket statement "Your baby cannot have berries" until the age of one is not totally true. While doctors recommend for babies not to consume strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries prior to age one, many studies show that blueberries and cranberries are low allergen foods that babies could consume prior to age one. Read more about this here and here. And always ask your doc if you have questions, concerns, or doubts about your baby's readiness for berries.

Remember, you can store baby food in the freezer for just over three months with no worries. That means that you can make and freeze your fresh, in season food for baby even before baby would be ready to consume it. Make it when it is best, and serve it when it is best for baby.

I've already explained your basic fruit/veggie puree for baby, but when you make a fruit or veggie with skins (such as green beans, peas, or blueberries), you have to take extra care to break down the food and extricate the skins from the puree. Otherwise, they can deceivingly sneak into your little one's mouth and lead to choking. So I figured I would make some blueberries and share the journey with you all.

Blueberries for my Blueberry

1. Get yourself blueberries. You need a bit to make an ice cube tray full of berries. They tend to liquify and cook down even before they get strained so about 24 oz. of frozen will get you your 16 oz. in the ice cube tray. I went with organic frozen because the organic fresh would have cost us more than I was willing to pay. These bags, I am almost sure, were less than $2 each.

2. Steam your berries with the standard baby food arrangement of water, steamer basket, food.

3. Steam until warm, tender, and juicy.

4. Then, blend! I always use an oven mitt and/or kitchen towel to cover the blender with my hand while I blend hot things because I had a not-so-fun experience making butternut squash soup a few years ago.

5. Once blended, pull out that strainer (fine metal) to get those skins out of there.

6. When you are done straining, you should have a sort of lumpy blueberry goo in your strainer.

7. Pour the non-goo into your ice cube tray, freeze, and package as you see fit! Get ready for baby to try.

Enjoy!

Zen and the Art of Homemade Green Beans

My husband had a grad class tonight, and I was in the mood for green beans so I decided to take a Mommy-Baby food adventure and cook up some organic greenies for Gabe and myself.

Sidenote: A bag of organic green beans at Trader Joe's is about $1.29 max.

I just made a small amount-- enough for a Mommy serving and four "baby's first" servings. But I will never waste my time making a small batch of baby green beans again. Because of the skins on green beans, you have to push the blended beans through a mesh strainer. It was pretty time-consuming-- next time, I'm doing a big batch and knocking out the mess in one shot.

I was a little daring (for some, not for others) this evening, though. Gabe was HATING his pureed green beans-- spitting them out and crying horribly-- so I thought to myself as I eyed my plate, "What would he think of my green beans?"

I sliced a bean in half, used my knife to swipe out the beans (choking hazards) within, and handed him some real cooked string beans.

Instantly the crying ends--Instantly he starts grabbing beans. Yum. Yum. Yum.

What struck me here was that after nomming and sucking on his green beans as I ate mine, he then gobbled down his ounce of green beans and an ounce of apples with a grin on his face. I wonder if finger-fooding it up allowed him to explore the taste before the puree overpowered his mouth? Maybe he liked having some control (alla baby led solids which I will definitely be writing more on later)? Whatever it was, it changed the entire mood of dinnertime, and it was awesome.

**I will note that finger foods are not generally recommended until about 8 months of age or when baby has mastered the pincer (pointer finger - thumb) grasp. Gabe is pretty close to having the pincer down, and he has all four of his front teeth now. He creepishly crawls and he's figuring out how to cruise. He is developing quickly, and it just feels right to let him carefully explore some finger foods at almost seven months. I think it's important to listen to your baby and medical recommendations when it comes to food timing guidelines, and letting G try real green beans was my choice for him today. Please don't think I'm pushing early finger foods across the board.**

Be Careful with that Carotene.

If you make your little one's baby food at home, take care with carrots.

Avoid using the water you used to steam the carrots to thin the carrots. While this is a great idea with most fruits and vegetables, carrots have high nitrate (which can be beneficial, but also poisonous to some degree) levels, and the nitrates seep into the steaming water. Instead of using the water from steaming, consider adding some breast milk, formula, or other fresh water to thin the carrots. Some Moms choose to feed baby jarred carrots instead of homemade because the packaged carrots lose more nitrates in the processing.

From what I have read, it is generally recommended NOT to feed a baby younger than 3 months old carrots. I also found that most babies should be able to handle carrots at 6 months of age.

I also know that for Gabe here, carrots may have caused him a bit of flatulence (and constipation-like symptoms -- as in he didn't go until this afternoon since Sunday night when carrots were introduced. We were about to resort to the doctor's orders for prunes, but he finally went... at the babysitter's!)

You can read some more specific information about homemade carrots for baby here and here and here.

"Hello!" from my little carrot.

"A Carrot Saved is a Carrot Earned."

Homemade Baby Food is an educated penny-pinching parent move.

When it comes to feeding your baby, homemade organics make your baby and your bank account just a little more green.

Really?

Sure. 'Green' choices are about living a healthy, socially-responsible life, but they also make a bank account a little more comfortable, too. As a young family with extreme student loan pressure, we just wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise. And, oh yeah, with Gabe being an exclusively breastfed baby, we were used to paying nothing for his food, so that whole pay-for-your-kid-to-eat thing is new.

So let's get out that calculator.

0000

Today we went shopping for Gabe's next few food adventures. Let it be known that Gabriel LOVES food shopping. He loved helping us pick the peaches (he's a fan of feeling textiles and textures), he enjoyed flirting with any and everyone, and he's currently crushing on Grocery Store Overhead Lighting.

Carrots, Bananas, and Peaches -- oh my.
And he'll be getting Whole Grain cereal (barley/spelt) sometime soon, too.

1 lb. Organic Carrots: $.99
1.05 lb. Organic Bananas: $.83
1.13 lb. Organic Peaches: $2.81

I have found that it takes just about 1 lb. of a produce item to make 1 full ice cube tray of food + 1 warm 2 oz. serving ready to serve to baby. That is approximately 18 oz. of babyfood from every pound, considering that the ice cube tray is 16 one oz. cubes. So let's do some math here.

If you make the food--

Let's look at the cheaper side of homemades-- the carrots...
For $.99, you are getting 18 oz. of food. In other words, for homemade organic carrots, you are paying less than 6 cents per ounce.

Let's look at the more expensive side of homemades-- the peaches...
For $2.81, you are getting 18 oz. of food. In other words, for homemade peaches, you are paying less than 16 cents per ounce.


If you purchased the food--

Let's look at the cheaper side of packaged-- conventional food...

Gerber 2nd Foods Carrots - 7 oz., 8 pack, 16 servings $12.99 (target.com)
-Each container is 7 oz. x 8 = 56 oz.
You are paying just over 23 cents per ounce.

Beech-Nut Stage 2 Tender Sweet Carrots, 48 oz. case $15.48 (buythecase.com)
You are paying just over 32 cents per ounce.

Let's look at the more expensive side of packaged-- organic food...

Gerber Tender Harvest Organic Carrots 2 pk Case of 8 $12.99 (diapers.com)
-Each container is 2.5 oz. of carrots. That's 5 oz. per pack x 8 packs = 40 oz.
You are paying more than 33 cents per ounce.

Earth's Best Baby Foods First Carrots 2.5 oz. (Pack of 24) $21.50 (amazon.com)
-That's 60 oz. of food.
You are paying almost 36 cents per ounce.

...and as baby eats chunkier, heartier meals, the packaged food prices just go up from there, whereas with homemades you can just mix, match, and thicken.

Whether you are spending 6 or 16 cents per ounce, you are always saving, even if you buy the least expensive bulk cases of packaged food, almost 10 cents per ounce. This might sound trivial, but if your baby eats 2 oz. of food per meal, you are saving almost 20 cents per meal.

For us, with Gabe eating 1 small bowl of cereal for breakfast and one 2 oz. bowl of homemade per day, we save $1.40 per week. When he graduates to two larger meals per day (8 oz. food/day), you save $.80 per day and $5.60 per week if you are comparing homemade organics to the cheapest packaged option. Add those weeks up, and you've got yourself a bit of green. To some, $5.60 per week may be nothing, but to our family, that is a worthy savings.

But then when you compare the homemade organics to the packaged organics, you are really saving money. For the expensive end of homemades, you spend 16 cents per ounce, whereas with the higher end packaged you spend 36 cents per ounce. That is a 20 cents per ounce difference, adding up to at least a savings of $11.20 per week. How 'bout them apples?

And with homemades, you are giving your child fresh food that YOU processed with the most important ingredient in any recipe out there, right? L-O-V-E.

oooo

So-- homemade baby food parents, the next time someone looks at you like you are a hippie-hearted, highfalutin, nose-in-the-air health food snot, just smile and say, "Actually, homemade organics are just plain cheaper," and shrug. With homemade food, you're doing your baby and your wallet good!


and please, please, please know there is no judgment here if you do feed your baby packaged or conventional food-- if your baby is happy and healthy, that is ALL that matters. -<3-

The Homemade Babyfood Play by Play

Gabriel has now tried rice cereal, avocado, pears, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes. And today we made the first batch o' apples for him to try later this week. Here's the play by play...

Babe Gabe's First Apples

3 Organic Golden Delicious Apples (OR Roma, Braeburn, Red Delicious)
3/4 cup water (approximate)
Small Pot
Steamer basket
Blender

1. Pare apples and chop into small cubes. Perfect, equal-sized cubes are not necessary.

2. Pour 3/4 cup water into small pot and place steaming basket in pot. The water need not overflow much into the basket. Adjust amount of water as needed.

3. Place apples into steaming basket and turn range heat to med-high.
4. Let apples steam/ cook in boiling water until very tender and can be mashed easily with fork.

5. Scoop steamed and tender apples and pour into blender.

6. Add small amount of leftover water from steaming (You can use breast milk to thin baby food, but this water retains some of the apple nutrients lost while cooking. I used breast milk to thin sweet potatoes and avocados, but not the apples).

7. Blend until smooth, adding more leftover water to adjust desired consistency as needed (the older the baby, the more textured and chunky it can be).



8. Pour into ice cube tray (3 apples makes just about 1 full tray), cool, and freeze in tray.


9. When frozen, pop out frozen cubes and store in desired container (Right now, we are storing food in breast milk sanitized freezer bags, and the dates on these bags are not the dates he tried these foods-- we do follow the 4 day rule).

To thaw (quickly):
Take out 1-2 cubes depending on desired serving and place in baby's bowl (Right now, we just use one cube). Heat water in tea kettle and pour into ceramic bowl. Place baby's bowl in ceramic bowl and allow hot water to melt cube. Turn cube over and break in half as thawing to speed process.

Great Resources for Homemade Baby Food Recipes
http://www.nurturebaby.com
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com

Mamacado, Babycado, Avocado, Mmm...

Solids have started, and they're actually a blast (We're doing homemade organics-- his cereals are all by Earth's Best- no GMOs). Gabe's not a fan of cereal, but enjoyed avocado. And this Sunday he was shocked by pears (both in taste and in his backed up just-starting-solids system-- if your babe has some issues going #2 when he or she starts solids, start the pears!).

This morning he had a mix of the bartletts with his rice, and he was much more willing to eat the cereal. Tomorrow we are doing oatmeal, and then he'll break into the stash of sweet potatoes I made this past weekend. Stay tuned for a step by step post on making apples.

But in the meantime, here's a meal from late last week... both mine and Gabe's.






...Mama 'Cado












Baby 'Cado...