Hmm...

I don't know what to make of this:

On one hand, I am thrilled that the Beaba Babycook may encourage some otherwise-not-willing moms to make homemade babyfood.

On the other hand, my steamer insert in a plain ole' pan and food processor did just fine for making all our homemade babyfood and I didn't have to have a new piece of equipment taking up space in my cabinet, nor did I have to pay an extra $150. But does that sound old and crotchety?

Anyone out there tried the Babycook?

SPC

Final Baby Food DIY

So you have been there, done that, with the first foods for babies. Here are some other “outside-the-box” foods for baby food making:

Berries
Pineapple
Kiwi
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bell Pepper

As your baby gets older, you can also puree fruits and vegetables and even meats. Baby Sweet Pea likes a ground meat-sweet potato-pea puree that I made recently.

Troubleshooting Guide:

My baby just doesn’t like the food I am making him/her. He/she only likes jarred food. What’s the deal?

If the food is something your baby likes already, then the issue is most likely food consistency. I have seen this with my own boys and lots of friend’s children as well. If your food looks like this instead of creamy, a young baby is not going to like it:

Try cooking the food longer, adding more liquid as you puree or even a bit of cereal and liquid. If you can get the consistency right, I guarantee your child will not be able to tell the difference between jarred and homemade food.

My baby is allergic/doesn’t like/won’t eat XYZ food. I have an enormous amount of said food in my freezer. Now what am I going to do with it?

Eat it! Use it for your family. Get a copy of the Sneaky Chef or Deceptively Delicious book and find ways to sneak a vegetable or fruit boost into your own food.

I do not have fun making my own baby food. It stresses me out!

Then by all means, go to your store and buy some baby food. It is not worth risking your emotional well-being to make your own food.

Baby Food DIY, Day 3

Today I share the breakdown on some good first fruits to make for baby:

Good First Food Fruits:
Pear
Peach

1. Peel well-ripened fruit and remove the seeds, pit and stem.
2. Place in a food processor and puree. Mixture may turn a bit brown, but this is a natural reaction to oxygen and doesn’t mean the fruit is “bad.”
3. Save some of the food puree for your sweet pea to taste during his/her next meal and freeze the rest in an ice cube tray
4. After the trays of puree are completely frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a marked freezer bag.
5. When you are ready, put the number of cubes you wish to thaw either in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave to cook immediately. If you are going out for a play date or will be on-the-go, put them in a small Tupperware for easy transport.

Apple
1. Peel apple and remove seeds and steam. Cut into quarters or pieces and steam in a steamer basket in a sauce pan filled with an inch of water or microwave with a small bit of water until apple is very soft.

2. Repeat steps 2-5 as above.

Mango

1. If you aren’t sure how to cut a mango, check out this site: http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-a-Mango

2. If the mango is well ripened, simply place in the food processor and puree, if not, you may want to steam it a bit first.

3. Repeat steps 3-5 as above

Banana
Avocado

1. Peel and, in the case of the avocado, remove the pit
2. Chop into small cubes and then puree. Mixture may turn a bit brown, but this is a natural reaction to oxygen and doesn’t mean the fruit is “bad.”
3. Repeat steps 3-5 as above.
   

**Once your child is ready for slight texture in his/her food, you can easily make banana or avocado baby food by simply mashing either with the back of your spoon, a la guacamole!

Baby Food DIY, Day 2

So you’ve thought about it and you are ready to make some baby food. Different foods must be prepared slightly different ways, so here are some details to help you along the way. First, let’s start with some good first vegetables to try:

Good First Food Vegetables:
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash (Acorn, Butternut)

1. Rinse the outer skin, and place sweet potatoes whole (prick the skin with a fork to help them “breathe” while cooking)/squash in half (cut side down in a glass pan) in a 425 degree oven for about 45-55 minutes or until squishy.
2. Peel the skin off the sweet potatoes/scoop the squash out of the skin and place in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or my favorite, boiled water until the consistency is right*
3. Save some of the food puree for your sweet pea to taste during his/her next meal and freeze the rest in an ice cube tray
4. After the trays of puree are completely frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a marked freezer bag.
5. When you are ready, put the number of cubes you wish to thaw either in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave to cook immediately. If you are going out for a play date or will be on-the-go, put them in a small Tupperware for easy transport.

Carrots

1. Peel the carrots and cut into pieces small enough to fit into your steamer…the bigger the pieces, the less nutrients lost during steaming (because of less surface area being steamed). Steam in a steamer basket placed in a cooking pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom or in the microwave until very soft and mushy.
2. Place the mushy carrots in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or use some of the water from steaming until the consistency is right.

Green Beans

1. Wash the beans and remove the ends. Steam in a steamer basket placed in a cooking pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom or in the microwave until very soft and mushy. With beans and peas, since they have a tougher skin, it is very important to steam until they are very well cooked!
2. Place the mushy beans in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or use some of the water from steaming until the consistency is right*
3. Steps 3-5, same as above.

Peas

1. Unless you can find fresh peas, I have always used frozen peas. Some things I read said not to use frozen peas and then refreeze them but I always did with no problems. Use your best judgment. Place peas in a steamer basket placed in a cooking pan with an inch or so of water in the bottom or in the microwave and steam until very soft and mushy. With beans and peas, since they have a tougher skin, it is very important to steam until they are very well cooked!
2. Place the mushy beans in a food processor and puree. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add some formula, breast milk or use some of the water from steaming until the consistency is right*
3. Steps 3-5, same as above.

*Consistency is a huge issue for young babies. Especially for “first foods,” a baby is going to want a food puree that is not much different than breast milk or formula. Make sure you process the food well enough to make it like a thin pudding consistency. If the food you are pureeing continues to be gritty or not smooth, even after you add liquid, chances are you did not cook the food long enough.

More on "first fruits" tomorrow...

Baby Food DIY Guide, Day 1

I am often asked by friends and friends-of-friends about making homemade baby food. Homemade baby food is easy to make, cost effective (especially if you are using organics), and allows you to introduce your baby to a much more varied diet at an early age.

Over the next few days, I am sharing with you my “baby food-making” primer. I do so though with a major disclaimer:

***If cooking is not your “thing,” and/or you do not like spending time in the kitchen, you will become more stressed than empowered by the baby food-making process. The last thing moms and caregivers need is more guilt. So please, PLEASE do not take this baby food making guide as anything more than a simple 1-2-3-4-5 of DIYing the baby food process.***

Still reading? Ok, so here are the Sweet Peas and Pumpkins 5 Ps to homemade baby food:

1. Prepare the food, usually by peeling and/or steaming or baking
2. Process the food in a food processor, adding formula, breast milk or boiled water to the puree until a “baby food” consistency is reached
3. Pour the food puree into ice cube trays to freeze, reserving some of the puree for your sweet pea’s next meal.
4. Pop the food cubes into freezer bags to store…be sure to label each bag, as you will be amazed at how similar many of the food cubes will appear (ie, hard to distinguish carrots from sweet potatoes from peaches)
5. Pick the cubes you need when you are ready for mealtime, and thaw them in the microwave or refrigerator.

Easy Peasy.

Ready to get started? Grab your--

Food Steamer (You can also use the microwave to steam, or other steaming method)
Food Processor (Blenders work okay, but I strongly prefer a processor—if you don’t have one, borrow a friend’s, neighbor’s or family member’s)
Ice Cube Trays (A standard ice cube is about 2 tablespoons, which equals one ounce)
Gallon Sized Freezer Ziplocs

And now all you need is some food…