The Scoop on Baby Food Making

     Little bear has started on solids.  Hooray, a new milestone!! More like... sniffle sniffle, soon he'll be telling me he wants pantates (that's Munchkin speak for pancakes).  Every new milestone my babies hit is a bitter sweet moment.  I love that they have achieved a new level in their young lives, however it also means they are growing up.  In order to make this transition more on the sweet side,  I've decided to make little bear's baby food.  Making my baby's food gives me a sense of "I am woman, hear me roar!". You know, a sense of pride.

     To all of my working mom friends out there, it's not as hard or time consuming as you think.  When I started making Munchkin's food, I was working full time and I commuted almost 2 hours one way.  I had been given a baby food maker as a gift and it sat in the box for months.  I was inspired to dust it off by a friend of mine.  She had two small boys (2 1/2 & less than a year), she worked full time (with a monster commute), and was still breastfeeding the baby.  When she visited one day, I was shocked to see her unpack her pumped milk and frozen packages of homemade baby food.  I was very impressed that she found the time.  What I've realized since becoming a mother is we make time for what is important to us.

     My friend's advice to me was pick a day.  She made hers for the week on Sunday.  Currently I am blessed with the opportunity to stay at home with my boys, so Monday is my day.  You should then decide how much your going to need for the week, or until the next time you plan on making food.  Next pick your tool.I have the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker.  It was a gift when Munchkin was a baby, but you can use a blender or food processor as well.   Then choose foods.  For menu ideas try wholesomebabyfood.com. If you have a baby food maker, it will probably have the capability to steam the food, if not steam it or cook it yourself.  FYI - Bananas get really brown when you steam them first.  Next, blend!  I like to add the water used to steam the food or a little breast milk to get the right consistency.  You can also use formula to thin the food out.  If you add to much accidentilly, try add a bit of baby cereal to thicken it back up.  Last store your food.  I've read you can use ice cube trays to give you perfect 1 ounce servings.  I use little snack baggies.  I measure 2.5 ounces in little wide mouthed advent baby bottles first.  Then pour into the baggies.  I label the baggies with type of food, date, and amount.

     I started out pureeing just fruits and veggies.  Then I experimented with different types of flavors.  This week Little Bear is experiencing cinnamon.  I mixed carrots, apples, and whole grains, then sprinkled just a bit of cinnamon.   At some point I'll make a modified version of what my Munchkin, my husband and I are eating and blend that together.  You can decide what your baby is ready for.
Happy Blending!!