i make my kids' baby food. i like to do things myself, and so i figured, when ethan was small, that i could do a good job making baby food and he turned (so far) out all right (nutritionally speaking:))and so i went on with avery and blake and here we are. there are lots of different ways to go about this, so this is just the way i like to do it...you do whatever works for you. buy it, make it, whatever, just be sure the kids get fed right?:)
step one: decide what food to do. today is corn.
step two: steam vegetable/fruit. this is to soften it up so it blends/mashes easier. i use frozen vegetables (not as much sodium and other preservatives as canned and i think frozen veggies retain more of their natural vitamins/minerals etc.) but i typically use canned fruits because they are cheaper than frozen fruits...whatever works for you...remember!
so i steam them in the microwave with just a bit of water, with a plate over the bowl (to actually steam them).
step three: put into blender (you can use a food processor, an immersion blender, even a hand mixer or a potato masher depending on what food you are doing and how large you want the chunks). blend until desired consistency is reached. you can add water or juice from the vegetable/fruit if you have it, to thin it and make it smooth.
step four: put into ice cube trays. (get three for a dollar at the dollar store...) one cube typically equals one ounce.
step five: freeze. sometimes i wrap them with plastic wrap but i don't think it makes a huge difference. i let them freeze overnight and in the morning, i take them out of the trays (run water over the bottom of the tray if they won't come out readily). i put them in zip lock bags,(i can usually get 12 cubes in one small zip lock bag). label them if you want with the date and contents (sweet potatoes and carrots can look a lot the same:)).
when you are ready to use them, put cubes in a small bowl and i microwave them to thaw them for 30 seconds or so. it is so nice to have this food already done. tonight i did the corn...32 oz bag and i filled three ice cube trays. i have done a lot of different foods this way...sweet potatoes, carrots, regular potatoes, peas, corn, peaches, pears, the possibilities are endless and it's fun! and the best part is...it doesn't take much time at all. probably about 10 minutes start to finish...
(blake's food stash)
