How I cook babyfood!

I have been talking about this a lot with other moms (and a soon to be mom!) lately. First of all, yes I did covet the Beeba Baby Cook...I drooled over it and thought about it but did not want to spend the $$$ on it (like $140). On a good day I am frugal, on a bad day I am cheap!!!

So here is what I do:

I have a magic bullet (Cooks brand from JCPenny) and actually a very small counter top food processor (Kid Co brand). I had the magic bullet thing before and got the KidCo as a gift. Both great because the mechanical parts are totally separate from where the food goes...so you can put EVERYTHING that touches the baby food into the dishwasher for a good scrub.

I also did not buy the special baby food storage containers...Most Gladware and Tupperware is BPA free now and I rarely if ever microwave in the plastic anyway...So I used some of the 1 cup and 1/2 cup containers with lids I already had (also a fast clean in the dishwasher).

Here are my cooking techniques for some of the foods we have eaten so far (note, our farm share starts next week and we will be getting huge boxes of veggies...so watch for dinner to get super yummy soon!!! as for the last month or so, we have done a lot of frozen veggies and root veggies) Note, everything I store is 'single serve' to prevent spoon contamination.:

1. sweet potato: Scrub the outside skin under running water (I use a very small drop of dish soap), punch a bunch of fork holes in it and put it right on the oven rack with another pan on the rack below to catch the drippings. I usually bake 3 or 4 of these bad boys at a time, one for Elle and a couple for our dinner. Bake on 350 for about an hour. Let cool for about 25 minutes (or as long as you need...) then I peel the skin off it (good dog treat) and drop it into the KidCo to mash. I do not add anything to this paste. Then I divide it into 4 or 5 containers. I usually serve one that night and then put one in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. Elle only eats about 2-4 tablespoons of food at a time...but I like to make extra in case she gets hungry. We do not enforce "clean plate club" in our house. When I get ready to serve it I warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave and then add breast milk until it is a nice consistency...something like a creamy mashed potato. WINNER!
   
   
2. pear, plum, peach, apple: Scrub the outside skin under running water (I use a very small drop of dish soap), peel the pear before you cook it (chemicals used to protect fruit from bugs hangs out in the skin so you don't want it leaching into the fruit sauce). Dice it up, put it in a pyrex or other oven safe glass dish, add about 1 teaspoon of water. Cover and bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Let cool for about 25 minutes (or as long as you need...) and drop it into the KidCo to mash. This is usually the consistency of apple sauce. Then I divide it into 4 or 5 containers. I usually serve one that night and then put one in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. WINNER!
   
   
3. Peas, green beans, carrots, corn (frozen) white potato: Put in a small sauce pan on the stove barely covered with water. Put the lid on. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 6 minutes (everything should be fork tender). Drain in a small strainer and drop it into the KidCo to mash. I do not add anything to this paste. Then I divide it into 4 or 5 containers. I usually serve one that night and then put one in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. When I get ready to serve it I warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave and then add breast milk until it is a nice consistency...something like a lumpy mashed potato. WINNER!

I mix a lot of veggies together....I also mix them with white potatoes. Bananas and avocados are served raw, very ripe and smashed. Usually the bananas and avocados don't need any breast milk to thin them out. I also keep a list of what day I introduce each food (partially to watch for allergies and partially just to remember what I did in case Elle gets to be a big sister).

Blue berries and grapes have been introduced via the Baby Safe Feeder. It is like a double mesh bag that you stuff food into with a handle...Elle gnaws on it and in this way both self feeds and soothes those tender gums. I cut the grapes in half. I also sometimes freeze the fruit. What a treat that is. Elle was waving that thing over her head like it was a party!!! It is strawberry season soon, so I want to introduce them (worried about allergies, but will watch careful).