The Secret to Baby (Food) Makin' ...

I get a lot of emails from my readers. Did I mention you guys rock? Because you do. And I try really, really hard to reply to them all in a timely fashion. Most of those emails I receive are about formula feeding, some of them are about the camera I use and others about Carter's BabyLegs. But the OTHER majority of the emails I recieve? Well, they're about how I make Carter's baby food. For the record, I love every single one of those emails, so PLEASE keep them coming! This post has truly taken forever to put together and it's WAY overdue. So, without further ado- Here's how I make Carter's "num-num's!"

First, choose a recipe source of your liking. I've always started off with Wholesomebabyfood.com. I randomly stumbled across this website when I first knew I was interested in making Carter's baby food. Shortly thereafter, one of my favorite blogging Mama's also recommended it to me. This is great resource for making your own baby food for a myriad of reasons. The first being that it's free. The second being that it's both ridiculously quick and easy to access. It's also chock full of awesome information surrounding the perfect fruits and veggies for your babe based on his or her age. I've been using this website as a guide ever since I first introduced Carter to solids around 4-5 months old. Lot's of other Mamas I know swear by a few good "cooking for your baby" type cookbooks so if that's more your thing, that'll work just as good! Just know that there are other options out there, some of which don't require money! (Click to view).







Next, gather your cooking supplies. I steam the majority of Carter's fruits and veggies using my Oster Steamer. We were given this kitchen tool as a wedding gift and without it, I'd be boiling the fruits in a saucepan full of water, straining them and then tossing them into the blender. Once again, know your options. You don't necessarily need one of those fancy shmancy high-end baby food makers (ahem, Beaba Babycook), however if you choose to spend your money on one, go for it.  I've heard it makes the clean-up process a whiz which truth be told, would be quite nice some times. You'll see why in a bit. However, since I already have a food steamer, magic bullet, blender and food processor, I chose to work with what I've already got. My husband would be so proud.



When it comes to making certain fruits and veggies such as pureed yams, butternut squash and apples, for instance, I prefer to bake them in the oven before pureeing. Reasons being that they hold onto more of their nutrients that way. So in that case, all you'll need then is a baking dish and an oven.

Once steamed, blended and baked, you're going to need a way to freeze and store your delicious food cubes. Once again, you have options. The cheaper option works just fine here in the M household. I freeze the food cubes in standard cheap-o ice cube trays and then store the cubes in the freezer in ziplock freezer bags. Of course, you could always store the food cubes in those adorable, cutesy little food trays. However, let it be known that I've heard they aren't always the best option. Often times the lids don't always fit tight and nobody likes freezer burned fruits and veggies.

Once you've managed to procure your supplies, you're going to want to grab your shopping list and go to town at the local grocer. Needless to say I cannot wait for the Farmers Markets to return to our local area so I can stock up on bulk, delicious and local fruits and veggies. If you're just starting out, you'll want to be familiar with good introductory fruits and veggies. Basically this means you'll want to take note of the foods that will be easiest for your little one to digest based on his or her age. Great starter fruits include avocado, apples, bananas and pears.

Once you've graduated to fancier fruits and veggies, you can start to get creative like Carter and me, and mix up delectable fruit and veggie combinations right in your own kitchen. As of right now, Carter is pretty set on his dinners, however we seem to blow through our breakfast and "second meal" fruits and veggies like there's no tomorrow.

Some of his favorite fruit combinations are:

Banana-Avocado
Mango-Avocado
Bananas-Peaches
Blueberry-Pear
Apples and Oatmeal
Apples, Prunes, Plums and Oatmeal

Today, we'll be preparing a few of Carter's favorites. The disclaimer here is: Be sure to consult with your pediatrician before starting solids and/or before introducing certain foods based on your babe's history. Thankfully, Carter has shown no reaction to any of the fruits and veggies we've tried. On Carter's menu for today? Nectarines, Apples, Plums and Mango. He's also in desperate need of some more Bananas, however I need to allow for a little brown-age to occur before I can toss them into the mix.

For those of you daring to mix it up a bit, we'll be preparing Mango/Avocado, Nectarines and Apple/Prunes/Plums. Carter has been introduced to each of these fruits singally and therefore, I can mix them without worrying about food reactions.   

Step 1: Wash fruit thoroughly and peel. As baby gets older, skin can be left on certain fruits and will serve as an additional source of fiber. Until then, no skin for sensitive tummies.

Step 2: Slice and toss into steamer.

Step 3: Allow fruit to steam for desired amount of time (typically 10-15 minutes based on ripeness). Carter and I chose to play and read books during this time.

Step 4: Spoon slices into food processor. Add filtered water or fruit juice to acheive desired consistency. Make sure to check your recipe before using the water or juice that the fruit was cooked in. I only say this because you should never puree carrots using the juice or water they were steamed in due to too high levels of nitrates. Here, I threw in some frozen halves of avocado that I had cut up a couple of weeks ago.

Step 5: Pour puree from processor into measuing cup. I found out the hard way that it's sometimes difficult to pour directly from the processor into the ice cube trays. And when I say difficult, I mean really, really messy. 

Step 6: Freeze ice cube trays for 2-3 hours. 

Step 7: Crack trays, transfer cubes to LABELED zippies and store in freezer! 

Step 8: Clean up your giant mess. Or, if you're like me, claim insanity and leave it for The Husband.

Wha-la! There you have it. Sure, it's tedious and now that Carter is eating three meals per day, I find myself following these steps all too frequently. However, it's worth it to me to know exactly what Carter is eating! Not to mention that it's pretty darn cost effective. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at iloveyoumorethancarrots (at) gmail (dot) com!  

And just for good measure, here are the photos of the most delicious Nectarines and Apples/Prunes/Plums and Oatmeal that I've ever tasted in my whole life.

Happy Wednesday, Loyals!