Adventures in the Land of Baby Food

Many moons ago I committed to the idea of making my own baby food instead of relying on some corporation to feed my child. I know exactly what goes in his food and, most of the time, it tastes good enough for me to snag a few bites here and there.

As a result, Sunday's have become quite busy days in our house now that Rylan is eating EVERYTHING in site. He also seems to eat ALL. DAY. LONG. After church and lunch we'll head out to the grocery store and purchase whatever produce and items we need for the week along with a plethora of organic fruits, veggies. Sometimes we have to do bags of precut and frozen produce due to the season or if the store hasn't received a fresh shipment but we still try to go as organic as possible - keep those pesticides away from my child, thank you!

We've had lots of success with Rylan liking most foods but a few failures in the taste and texture department (not to mention over-steaming/burning the first batch of cauliflower - boy does that STINK!)

Peas - are a NO GO. They are just too gritty.

Anything with Avocado is a definite YES!

And fresh organic Eggs have become a regular favorite!

Today we made a second attempt at cauliflower and it was a huge success! I love that this kid loves his veggies! I also decided to try a new recipe I found online from another blogging-mama. Rylan didn't get to try it yet but we'll see how it goes in the next few days. She wasn't kidding when she said it was EASY to make either!

Black Bean Banana Mash from Sage Spoonfuls

So if you are thinking of making your baby foods - be encouraged - it is possible and very rewarding for both you and baby. I take one afternoon out of my weekend and that is my "make-baby-food-and-destroy-the-kitchen" day. I love it! Below I've listed a few of  Rylan's favorite recipes with a few simple instructions. Enjoy!


Simple Sweet Potatoes
Bake 2-3 sweet potatoes at 375 degrees for approx. 45 minutes (I wait till they start to "weep")
Allow to cool, peel off skin and mash well. If too think add a little unsweetened coconut milk or water.
This is literally Rylan's favorite food of ALL time!

Apple-mole
Slice, core and peel the skin off 2-3 medium sized apples (we always use Gala apples). Once peeled I cut the slices into 2-3 pieces. Put in a blender/food processor and puree. I add unsweetened coconut milk or organic apple juice if more liquid is needed. Once you have a nice puree, pour in a mixing bowl and stir-in 2 mashed avocados.
This was Rylan's first food and a regular staple! Storage tip: Reserve a little of the apple puree before adding the avocado. Once you have a nice mixture and portion it off into your storage containers, add a thin layer of the apple puree so that it covers the entire food surface. Avocado browns quickly when exposed to air so the layer of apple will prevent oxidation and preserve the quality of the food.

Mango-nana!
Peel 2-3 ripened magnos and slice off the fruit, Discard the seed. Puree with a little coconut milk and a large banana.
The banana will  cause the puree to brown a bit on the top. A different method would be to layer the banana in your storage container first and then add the mango on top. I'll have to try that next time.

Butternut Squash + Apple
Slice in half (length-wise) a small to medium butternut squash (this is on the list of Toxic 20 so be sure to buy organic). Bake at 375 degrees for45-60 minutes until squash is soft. Allow to cool, peel the skin away and puree. You will need to add a liquid to this one since squash gets pretty thick when processed. You can add apple puree afterwards or process it all together. This is a pretty tasty treat!

Storage -I use 4oz Tupperware containers with lids to store all my baby foods. They do well transitioning in and out of the freezer and I have been very happy with them.