Babies are expensive! When I was pregnant and starting to buy baby stuff I was amazed at how much everything cost. As an inexperienced mommy-to-be I had no frame of reference to know if something was a good deal. Also, I was afraid to buy things used because I didn't know how safe they would be. (I have since gotten over that fear. Wish I'd bought a lot more stuff used!) I was even so neurotic that I stood in the pain reliever aisle for 5 minutes trying to decide if it was safe to buy a generic brand of Tylenol, and I decided it wasn't! (Pregnant women are all crazy. However, it is not their fault.) A few months after Annalee was born and I started to see what babies were like I was able to get some perspective on a few things. (I LOVE my $4 thrift store walker!)
When she began to eat solid food I was quite shocked that a little jar of green beans costs more than a whole bag of frozen ones for me! That's why I make my own baby food. The only time I use store-bought is if we are traveling a long distance where a cooler would not be convenient. Maybe all of you already know how to make baby food, but if not, here is how I do it.
I mash up veggies or fruit and freeze them in ice cube trays. Wanna know a secret my sister told me? One large can of pumpkin will fill two ice cube trays perfectly. No cooking and blending food! After a few hours you can empty the trays into quart or gallon freezer bags for a ready-to-heat meal.
I usually don't freeze applesauce, but we were going on vacation and I didn't want it to go bad.
Last week I boiled chicken and then pureed it in the blender. This week I made green beans in the blender. Three cans is just about right for two trays. Rather than pay twice as much for the No Salt Added kind, I just rinse the green beans really well and then added enough fresh water to get them to blend.
To use the cubes you can either let them thaw to room temperature (laughs hysterically) or you can nuke 'em. At first Annalee wouldn't even eat one whole cube, but now she eats three per meal. For three cubes of veggies in a plastic bowl, cook them at 40% power for 90 seconds. (If there is meat in there it will take longer to defrost.) Now the cubes are mostly melted. Crush them up and stir them around, then add baby cereal (rice, oatmeal, etc) and milk/formula, enough to make it a good consistancy that your baby likes and won't gag on. Put it back in the microwave for 15 seconds, then stir it really well (to blend in the hot spots) and test the temperature. If it's still a little cold put it back in for 5 seconds at a time until it's right. Of course, you can serve it cold, but I hate cold veggies and meat, and Annalee seems to eat more when it's warm.
I don't usually freeze fruit, just because I haven't needed to. Most of the fruit she gets is applesauce from a jar, mixed into her oatmeal or yogurt. Sometimes she gets bananas freshly mushed, if they're on sale.
Feel free to post your own Works-for-Me Wednesday tips!
5 comments:
I've always been too intimidated (okay, lazy) to do my own baby food. If we have another one, I just might have to try it.
We made all of Trevor's baby food the same way. One piece of advice I was given was not to mix in the baby cereal too often because it helps them get used to and maybe even like the choices that are not always accepted by babies and younger children. I think putting cereal in the baby food is supposed to mask the flavor of the baby food and doesn't let them get used to the full flavor. We saved so much money making our own baby food!
I am with Keri- always been too lazy. My goal is to actually do this child justice so I may have to start the mashing and blending. Let me know if you find a cheap blender.
We have just started baby food with Spencer and it is SO expensive. Eeeekkk! I will be blending and mashing from now on. Thanks for the idea.
Jenny is right: baby cereal makes the flavor less intense. Annalee doesn't like to eat some veggies without it because they are too strong. So even though I've escaped the pacifier crutch, someday I will have to take the cereal away and we will have a power struggle!
On the other hand, I like mixing in cereal just to help her get all of the food group servings she is supposed to get in a day. (2-3 grains, 2 fruit, 1 juice, 2-3 veggies, 2 meat, and an offering of yogurt and cheese, according to the Dept of Health & Welfare. If I didn't mix some of these together I would be feeding her every hour of the day!)
Thanks for pointing out the dangers of mixing, Jenny!
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