Yum Yums in the Tum!

Well... I finally decided to give up on the rice and start with some actual purees for "tiny". If you have been keeping up with our dear sweet Aidyn, then you know that he has persistently been an anti-fan of the baby rice. I have tried and tried again ever since shortly after his fourth month of life and he still refused it! So, as you know from past blogs, I received as a Christmas gift a food processor, which makes my baby food system complete! Baby Cookbook from Williams & Sonoma - check! (thanks Janelle for the tip!), food steamer - check! Food processor- check! Ice cube trays - check! Freezer bags -check! For those of you who do not know what goes into the entire baby food making processor, let me just tell you... it takes pure dedication! My oh my how tempting all those baby food jars are in Babies R Us! I was in there today looking at them just contemplating the goodness and sanity of the idea ... ;) However, I plan to keep the momentum going and make more purees! I will however turn I think to some of the organic store purees from time to time- some of the mixed blends sound good! Anyhow, for pureeing baby food let me briefly explain the process... are you ready?????!!!!!!

1. Decide what you are going to puree.
2. Find the veggies or fruits to use... preferrably organic.

3. Decide if you need to steam the ingredients first. Usually you need to steam the fruit or veggies in the steamer. If not, then you have to bake them- such as the squash or sweet potatoes - which usually takes about 1 hour for baking.

4. Steam or bake for designated time alotted for each specific fruit or veggie - which is sometimes noted in the recipe book or in another book you may have come across.

5. Take ingredients out of steamer or oven and let them cool, another 20 minutes.

6. Scoop ingredients usually out of the skin of the veggie or fruit and place all ingredients in food processor.

7. Use food processor and then use the water from the steamer to help make the puree the right consistency for the baby. If you are using something '"baked" then use Baby Water which you have bought at the store. The reason you use the water from the steamer is because the extra vitamins from the fruit or vegetable go into the water used for steaming.

8. Take all the puree out of the food processor and spoon it carefully into seperate ice cube trays. Cover and then freeze.

9. Next day or several hours later, take each ice cube out of the trays and place in a freezer bag, specially marked with the designated food, date of which it was made, and how long it can stay in the freezer - freezer life is usually 3 months.

10. Depending on what you plan on giving the child the next day, take ice cubes out and place them in the fridge to thaw out.

Wheew... a long process that's for sure, but I'm starting to get the hang of it now! Aidyn is just shy of 6 months now and I have introduced (with success and with NO allergies- you are suppose to wait about four days in between each new food to make sure of no allergic reactions) sweet potatoes and apples. Tomorrow Aidyn will be getting sweet peas! Keep your fingers crossed on this one, I hear peas are a tricky one get the little munchkins to eat! Oh and by the way, he now will eat the rice with the apples! Yes, definately an accomplishment after all those spoonfuls spit out at me of it!

Here he is getting food off the spoon Nanny G is holding... and yes he IS feeding himself. It is funny, if I try to feed him myself he gets so angry he gets all red in the face and blows bubbles with his mouth. He is grabbing the spoon here - a typical reaction when I put food on the spoon. He sometimes misses his mouth, can you notice? But... hey he will never know how to do it unless he practices himself!