Baby Food Making: Part 2 :-)

Sorry it's been so long since my last (& first) blog. 

 I have been taking pictures of some of my baby food making endeavors & decided it was time to add a few more veggies to the list!

First up....

CARROTS!!

I buy my organic carrots in 5lb bags at BJ's (I know they have them at Costco as well).  You are more than welcome to use baby carrots as they save you the peeling and chopping time, but from what I've researched they aren't as healthy as the whole ones.

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/nutrition.html

I paid $3.99 for my 5lb bag which made me 24 oz + side dish for dinner

It'll take you about 10-15 mins to peel a 5lb bag of carrots - and look how pretty they turn out!

Next, you'll want to chop them to the size of a baby carrot (2-3 inches) and if the ends are really thick, they may cook better if you chop them in half as well.

Drizzle with Olive Oil

Pop into a 375 degree oven for 40-45 mins (turn them over half way through)

VOILA!!!!

Seriously, these taste like CANDY! 

They've become my new favorite way to cook & eat carrots.

Place them in a bowl (or blender) and puree away

This is how they looked after 45-60 seconds with my immersion blender (which if I haven't mentioned was worth EVERY $30).

Also, it's ok if it's a little thick.  You can add some water, but I wouldn't thin it too much.  Once you're getting ready to give it to your baby (or toddler -- mine LOVES to eat this off the spoon), you can add some water to thin it.

Place them into ice cube trays and freeze for at least 3-4 hrs then pop them into labeled (veggie/fruit & date) Freezer Ziploc bag -- easy storage! 

 Each cube is roughly 1oz, so they're easy to pop into a bowl and thaw for a few hours.

Look at that roasted GOLDEN deliciousness!  MMmmm!

Next up....

BROCCOLI

This is a 3lb bag from BJ's

I paid $4.99 for a 3lb bag which made me 48oz of baby food + our side dish for dinner

Put the desired amount into 1" of boiling salted water (I prefer sea salt). 

I'm using a frying pan but you can use a steamer if you have one (mine's in storage so I used an alternate method)

Turn heat to low, cover & simmer for 10-12 minutes

Once it's done, strain it & repeat the prior steps with any other veggie (puree & freeze)

SWEET POTATO:

I keep forgetting to take pics - but I make these ALOT! 

I buy a 3lb bag at BJ's for $2.49 and it'll make me between 30-36 oz

Pierce the potatoes several times & place them on a baking sheet

Place in a 350 degree oven for around 50-60 mins (depending on how many potatoes you have)  You should be able to pinch them with your fingers & have them feel soft.

Let them cool for 30-40 mins and using your fingers you'll be able to easily peel the skin right off.

Place into a bowl & puree!

Baby Food Making 101

With baby # 2, I decided to try and stick with my prior goal of making my own baby food.  I can't even begin to describe how easy it was, so I thought what better way to show it then with pictures! :-)

PRODUCT:

I battled back and forth with which gadget would be best to buy.  Do I get an actual "baby food maker" or do I buy a food processor? (which can get expensive).  I ended up being practical (in my mind) and buying an immersion blender at Bed Bath & Beyond.  After using my 20% off coupon, I only paid $31 for it :-)  This is something I know that I'll use besides whipping up baby food.  It has MANY purposes (I've already made a delicious smoothie with it). 

I decided to start with squash (butternut & acorn) for his first food.  I paid $3.00 for each one of them at the grocery store.  I sliced them in half and cleaned out the seeds & membranes as seen below:



Next, they were placed on a baking sheet with a little bit of water in the bottom and put in a 400 degree oven for 35 mins

This is what they looked like when they were removed:

and the inside.  They look good enough to eat ha? :-)

Next, I used a knife and cut them into 1" cubes and put them in a bowl

Then, with my immersion blender I blended for no more than 90 seconds (so easy) and got this beautiful texture:

Claire was napping, but I had Shepherd sitting in the kitchen with me while I did this.  This is a picture after I gave him his first taste of butternut squash:  MMM! 

Next, I poured it into ice cube trays and froze them (about 3 hrs)

I popped them out and placed them in a LABELED (with kind of veggie & date) Ziploc bag and put it back into the freezer.  Each cube is 1oz, so it's easy to pull a couple of them out the night before and put them in a bowl and defrost them to have them ready for the next day. Each squash made 18 oz of food.  Seriously, SO easy!

These are next on my list: organic carrots ($3.29 for 32 oz), followed by organic peas ($1.99 for 16 oz)!

He LOVED it!!  Woohoo!!

So, why not take a little time out of your busy schedule to create some yummy and NUTRITIOUS food for your little ones.  It was 10 mins of hands on prep time.  The rest is time spent in the oven & freezer.  As an added bonus, it's cheaper than buying organic store bought.

WEBSITE:  This is a fantastic website loaded with lots of information on making your own baby food & the many pro's to it -- along with numerous recipes.  PLEASE check it out!

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

HAVE FUN!!!