Baby Food Round 2

This is my basic carrot recipe. I peel all my fruits and vegetables before I cook them even though they are organic. I bring the water * you can also use stock for flavor* in the pot just to the carrots so they steam. Once they begin to boil turn the heat down. I wait until the carrots are fork tender and use this method for all my recipes. If you were in the first stages of introducing I would stop here. You can now puree your carrots to a smooth texture adding a little water from the pot as you need to. I have gone on however in picture 4. I added celery and peas.

I am making risotto minestrone for my son who is just about 9 months. You can make risotto or orzo or any tiny pasta you may have on hand. I puree the carrot, pea and celery mix and then add this to my pasta. I stir in spaghetti sauce, homemade or jar is fine. You can also use fresh tomatoes and add those in your puree. Like I mentioned before once you have the basics its really an open canvas.

Baby Food

I have decided to start my blog off with some recipes for baby food. I will be updating the recipes and adding over the coming months. I want to start off with some basics and a recipe that you can use in the first stages and add to it as your little one becomes older

A few things about homemade baby food first : I love to make baby food. I love the feeling of knowing that I put as much love into my son's food as do the other meals at our family table. I recommend everyone try it and if its not for you than its ok. If you get into a routine though it becomes easy. If you are a family where both parent work then trying to do your purees on a Sunday or your days off may make things much easier. Everything can be altered and experimented with. Baby food is an open canvas as your child gets older and is able to chew a little better.

Ok so materials. I will make this part very easy. I bought a food processor from an estate sale. This was very cheap and works like a dream. You don't need to buy anything if you already have it. A blender works good and even a small food processor will do just fine. If you need to buy something it doesn't need to be new or expensive. Check garage sales, estate sales and church sales. If you want to buy containers this is good too. I bought some on Amazon and only used them when my son was first starting. This way my portions were small and I could freeze everything. I still freeze my food when I make it in bulk, however I just use Tupperware at this point and when its time to serve we use measuring cups for portion control.

I like to buy apples and carrots in large quantities and pears as well. Carrots can be bought in bulk (organic) at a cheap price. Organic apples and pears are more expensive and its up to you if you want organic or not.

So lets get started I will break down a few recipes to start step by step with pictures. First is sauteed zucchini. This recipe is as simple as the two pictures as the top of the blog. My son loves this. I wish my two older ones loved it as much as he does. The way I prepare it is for older babies but this can also be put in your processor to puree. I peal and cut the zucchini, saute in a little olive oil. My olive oil is a 1-2-3 count. People like to use more or less this preference and doesn't need exact measurement. Saute until it fork tender and then transfer to plate, and add a little parmesan cheese. Its really good. You can also roast it with other vegetables in the oven.