Kidamerinks in the Kitchen: Baby Food

I was talking to another Mom recently and mentioned that I made my own baby food. She was in shock and couldn't believe that I did that. I had to convince her that it really wasn't that hard and it is WAY cheaper than buying canned baby food at $1 a pop. 

 

I make my own Baby Food because:

1. I can control what goes into my baby (i.e. no additives/preservatives)

2. It is cost effective.

3. It is more Organic.

4. She loves it!

5. It is so easy to make!!

Seriously. It is so EASY to make!

And, I don't believe in the Baby Bullet or Shelling out tons of money for a specific "Baby-Food"  blender system. 

If you have a good blender, that is all you need.  Mine is a $45 blender by Oster, and I've had it for about 5 years and it is still going strong.

You can get Ice Cube trays at the Dollar Store and I'm sure you have Freezer Bags lying around somewhere too.

So, here's a simple Baby Food recipe and How To:

Peaches & Sweet Potato Baby Food:

Ingredients:

1 large peach

2 small sweet potatoes (or 1 large)

4-6 oz. of liquid (Breast Milk, Formula, Water, or 100% juice)

Cook the Sweet Potatoes. Scrub the outside and pierce with a fork, then bake @ 400 degrees for about 30 - 45 minutes or until soft. Remove skins and cut into cubes. 

Skin and cut the Peach into cubes.

Place in the blender.

Add liquid, about 4-6 oz. I used breast milk since I am still breastfeeding. But, water or juice or formula works just fine.

Then Puree away!

Add more liquid if you have to until desired consistency is reached. 

Sweet Potatoes are thick, so I added about 2 more ounces of water.

Then pour into Ice Cube trays, and freeze. 

Each Ice Cube of Baby Food is about 1 oz.

Once completely frozen, remove from the ice cube tray and put in a Freezer Bag. 

Label and Date (which I didn't do yet in this picture) and keep in the Freezer. When ready to use, pop 3 in the microwave for about a minute and serve to your baby Kidamerink! 

(1 jar of baby food is equivalent to about 3 oz.)

If the baby food is too thin after thawing, add rice cereal to thicken it back up.

And believe it or not, it can be portable. If I am going to be out during feeding time, I defrost 3 cubes into a baby food container and take it with me. It is good for about 3-4 hours after defrosting.

I save all of the "Store-Bought" containers for this particular use, or sometimes I use a small Rubbermaid Cup.

Mmmmm...

She actually will not eat the canned stuff from the store anymore... except for Applesauce! :)

Visit this Blog: Homemade Baby Food Recipes for more ideas and recipes. They have some interesting combinations that I want to try soon. My little Kidamerink is getting big enough to start trying more things!!