So as I've been making food for the girls the past month or so, I've really really grown to love it. I know I touched on it for a second in their monthly post, but it's just so fun! I honestly feel so accomplished when I make them something. Especially when they like it! Sure, it's a lot of work. But it's so worth it. Most things I make, I know I'm not only making food that tastes good, but I'm saving so much money! With 2 little ones, we definitely need that.
For anyone that is thinking of making baby food, here are a few things I've discovered...
Peas - though my most hated food item, are probably the easiest to make. I buy the frozen peas, steam them until they're mushy (gross) and then blend them up. It's the easiest really because there is no peeling, no prep needed. Seriously open the bag and there you go. I did try the canned peas once (because they were on sale and I happened to be in that aisle) and although the girls still seemed to like them, I wasn't a fan. The color was weird (kind of yellowish, not the nice bright green) and it was just odd to pore these veggies out of a can.
Avocado - I wanted to try this because it was suggested as a "first" food and seemed so fun! I honestly don't think I had ever bought one before, so I was very happy that the store provided stickers that said "ripe" on the ones that were. Haha. The actual prep work wasn't too bad. The fruit? cuts really easily and it was kinda fun to pop out the pit. So I pureed it with some formula and we were on our way. The down side? I had made a big batch (well, about 16oz which is enough for 4 days). I kept 8oz in the fridge and freezed the other 8oz. The first 2 days were good, and as one day went by, I defrosted 4oz for the next day. When day 3 came, I noticed that it had developed that gross brown topping. So I threw it all out. Sure, I think if I mixed it around, it would be ok. But I never eat it when it looks like that, so why would I do the same for my girls? Oh well.
Pears - These were good, but I think the lady at the checkout line over charged me. So when I got home, made them, and calculated in my head, the final batch was probably slightly more expensive than the jar food! Sure, it tasted better and didn't have any of that preservative nonsense, but I may stick to other fruits instead.
Yellow Squash - I ended up getting this veggie because the store didn't have the butternut squash I was looking for. It cooked up well and everything, but I forgot how watery it is, and immediately added some water/formula before pureeing it. Needless to say, it was super soupy so I had to add a good amount of cereal to get the consistency. Plus, the flavor was super bland... so I wouldn't worry about doing this one.
Butternut Squash, Carrots, Apples - All super yummy and relatively easy to prepare. I haven't done the squash in a while, but I'm sure it will make another appearance.
For my shower, I received the Top 100 Purees and was very excited to use it once the food making had begun. Well when I pulled out the Baby Bullet, the book was no where to be found (that's my job this weekend - to find it!) So I borrowed my friend's book because she said it's awesome. And it is! But the sad thing is, while glancing through it, is that I realized how incredibly boring my meals had been! So now I'm determined to spice it up for my girls. I started with a yummy Chicken w/ Sweet Potato and Apples. Let me tell you, that I was very scared to cook and puree chicken. I just think it's gross. So I had been putting it off. But when it's mixed with all that other stuff, and you don't know it's chicken, then it's really not bad. Looking at the recipe, I wanted to make sure I made enough to last a while, since this was a big ordeal. The recipe called for 1 cup of chicken broth and the concentrated package I have of it makes 3.5cups... so I quadrupled the recipe! Yeah, that's a lot of food! I was able to fill 27 servings to freeze... 27 servings = 54oz! Holy cow! It's a good thing these girls like it because they are going to be eating it for weeks on end. But now I know... maybe just double the recipe next time...
I am really excited to try out even more recipes!
What is scary now that the girls are eating some more solid foods is that I'm really going to have to think about what they're eating! As adults, I know Bruno and I don't think about that darn food pyramid or whatever it is now. We eat what we can, and move on. But not for these little ones. We need to make sure they get all their servings of fruits and veggies and whatnot. Yikes! That's a lot of pressure!
I'm also wondering when do I start them on foods that aren't so much pureed? The rice puffs are big crowd pleasers, and of course pasta is coming along soon! I don't want them to choke, so I'm just a little weary of when the right time for that it.
We are heading out of town soon for a wedding and we'll be gone for about 5 days. Obviously it would be a lot of trouble to try and transport the frozen foods I've already made. So we're going to have to buy storebought jars - bleh. I feel like such a food snob now - I don't want to buy anything premade! I even bought brown rice to make my own cereal... but then got worried it wouldn't have enough of the nutrients the girls need. I bought some yogurt for the girls A. because my SIL recommended it as a good breakfast meal and B. making your own is just crazy! But obviously, I'm just going to try to make as much as I can!
All in all, I love making food for my girls! Bottom Line.
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