7.16.2009

Feeding Our Little Foodie.

We've been spicing it up . . . in the kitchen that is. That's right, over vats of puréed baby food.

We make all of Noah's organic baby food from scratch--and so far, so good. Though I consider myself to be more "the baker" of the house and Dean "the gourmand", it seems that I have a newly-found knack for puréeing too . . . though it's honestly not that hard.

Last night I whipped a few weeks worth of the following:
  • Apricots
  • Zucchini with fresh garlic
  • Asparagus with fresh garlic
  • Apples with a dash of cinnamon
  • Mixed fruit surprise! (Nectarines, Apples, Mangoes & Bananas)
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Curried Butternut Squash
  • Mangoes
Our baby food cookbooks suggest several ways to cook the fruit and veggies before puréeing them, and though they say baking preserves more flavor, I think that it is a less energy efficient method for us. For example, in the time that it takes to preheat our oven and then bake the food, I could have already prepared several batches of steamed food using less resources. I have found that using a steamer basket placed in a pot on the stove top with just a small amount of water in the bottom produces quite yummy and perfectly softened fresh fruits and veggies--the only key is not to over steam.

The best part is the vitamin-packed juices that have drained from the fruit and veggies during the steaming process and fallen to the bottom of the pot. Though we think that we are going to avoid giving Noah juice more than just once or twice a week . . . we think that this is a perfect substitute to sugary store-bought juices. We just dilute the juice with a little bit of water and . . . voila . . . a refreshing treat!

Noah Finn is, unfortunately, still not too keen on avocados which greatly disappoints me because I love, love, love them--and they are oh so super nutritious! I continue to offer them once a week hoping he might cease to gag and spit them out the second they hit his little pink wagging tongue. Other than that, he is a super great eater and has no problem packing down two square meals a day plus plenty of mommy milk in between.

If you haven't already given making your own baby food a thought or two, I strongly encourage you to try it . . . just once. I truly take pleasure in the process--it's just a ton of fun. Plus, knowing EXACTLY what goes in to my little guy's tummy and knowing that it was prepared with love is the most fulfilling feeling in all of the land. The website wholesomebabyfood.com has been an incredible and indispensable resource for all things baby food. They even have a search feature that allows you to type in the name of any fruit or veggie to get detailed nutritional information, cooking directions and tasty recipe suggestions.

9 comments:

Rosanna =) said...

What a lucky boy Noah Finn is to eat all those yummy foods instead of gross stuff that come in jars!

jacqueline f. said...

which baby food book do you use? you've been an inspiration to me on the baby food front. but i need to do more!

Holly Noelle @ Domestic Dork said...

I'm with you on the avocados! Lu doesn't like 'em yet either and it's kind of a bummer b/c I love them!

m a m a :: m i l i e u said...

The best of the books is "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. It was given to me as a shower gift and has been a super resourceful guide! She's a little intense, but super thorough!

Anonymous said...

Hey Joni, we're inspired! I just steamed up a batch of sweet potato and some peaches for little Henry. If he doesn't like that peach puree, I'll eat my hat - it is delicious!

Agreee with you on Super Baby Food - such a great resource but pretty much every page has a WARNING or CHOKING HAZARD.

XO Carrie

Heart Felt said...

Great stuff Mama....nothing like home made baby food. xx

Heather said...

Thanks for the tips! I started making baby food for Cole and it's SO fun! I need some fresh ideas though, so this post is great!

elizaloni said...

Are you offering a class on making your own baby foods? I am interested in attending if you are.

j o n i said...

Hi Elizabeth! I do teach baby food making workshops, and I think that you have stumbled across the wrong site! Check out my other blog at www.feedinglittlefoodies.blogspot.com for all of the latest class info., etc. If you leave me your e-mail address, I can also send you that information directly!

Thank you for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

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