Baby Food!

This weekend I made nearly 200 ounces of baby food. It is so easy to do, healthy and much cheaper! I calculated it to about 4 cents an ounce versus 20 cents or more an ounce if you buy jarred. So, I saved about $32 dollars and I bought a lot of organic. If Dillon eats 5 ounces a day (which he is not, but should soon when he gets the hang of it...) it will last me about a month and a half. I get all of my information from http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/which is a GREAT website. I highly recommend buying a hand blender for easy clean up and to get smooth purees.

This weekend I made:

Green Beans
Peas
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Acorn Squash
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Apricots
Plums
Prunes
Peaches
Mango
Papaya
Pears
Banana
Avocado

I baked the squashes and sweet potato, peeled and pureed adding water to get the consistency I needed.

I steamed the other veggies and pureed.

I left the fruit raw unless it wasn't quite ripe and then I baked it for a bit to break down the sugars. Then, peeled (except for the pears which has skins that are easily digested) cut into chunks and pureed.

For dried fruits, like plums, you need to let them sit in warm water until they plump up a bit. Then add liquid and puree. Don't skimp in the liquid, you'll need plenty to get a smooth puree.

If you notice I didn't make applesauce it's because it's much easier and cheaper to just buy natural applesauce :)

After I had the purees I put them into ice cube trays (here are pears and peas): And after they froze transferred them to labeled ziploc bags.So easy! Now I can combine flavors as needed or serve them separate. When Dillon is ready for more texture I'll add in white potato, pastina, brown rice, tofu or even start some meats like chicken or turkey. One cube equals about an ounce. There are 2 ounces in gerber stage one jars and 3 1/2 to 4 ounces in stage 2 foods.