finally another baby food post

Sorry to anyone who has been wondering about baby food in our neck of the woods. I can't say how much longer I'll be posting "babyfood" things because Barrett pretty much just eats whatever I am eating. However, today I HAD to do something with the four sweet potatoes I had sitting on my counter. So I baked them and then was just going to mush them up a little and put them into small tupperware containers. However, I wanted to be able to freeze them without it being a big clump. So, after they had cooled, I cut them into about 1" sections and put them into individual bags. Then I put them all into a bigger ziplock bag. I'm pretty excited about my idea. I think I'll keep this up! Even though I'm not making purees anymore, there is no reason not to keep and freeze pre-cooked veggies! We'll still be able to easily and quickly feed Barrett fresh and healthy food.

We still LOVE quinoa! Lately, I've been eating it more as a breakfast food! I love to cook it with water and then add a bunch of my grandma's amazing super chunky applesauce! Soooo good :) I also make brown rice with chicken broth and then add in two celery stalks and two large carrots chopped up pretty small.

Other things I've been really happy making and feeding Barrett are soups/stews/chili. I'm ecstatic that he loves all of these kinds of foods. My hope is that by constantly making new things and feeding them to him directly from my plate, that he'll be less picky but also learn how to make healthier food choices. It certainly keeps me in check!

I do have a question for anyone that can/wants to help! We were trying a new baby formula (temporarily) because he hardly ever has any anyway. When we did that, he got red patches all over his back, arms, and a little around his mouth. It looks like excema. Problem is, we had also been giving him more dairy like yogurt and cheese. We switched back but there are still some of those patches. I guess my question is what do you guys think? Was it the formula and it just is working itself out or is it all dairy? Or something else entirely?

Barley and Sweet Potatoes

Alrighty, barley is like quinoa in that you should rinse it. Anyway, first I cooked the sweet potatoes in the oven at 350 for a little over an hour. I used two but for the baby food only used one. {Sweet potatoes are so yummy so I had one for lunch!}

 Cook the barley according to package directions....

 When the barley was done, I added the sweet potato in chunks, as well as a bit more water and cinnamon for some tasty flavor. You can leave that out or add other spices that you like.

 Let it cook down a little longer until most of the water is absorbed, then just blend it according to your baby's needs...

All done! Let it cool on the counter for a bit before putting it in the freezer.

***Side note, there was some leftover and it would have only made about half a tray so I just put it in a tupperware and shared it with Barrett the next day. I'm surprised that I kind of like barley. I think it's a texture thing for me... The flavor seems pretty typical but I like the chewy, bubbly texture. I definitely will be adding barley in place of rice in future soups/stews! Good luck! Let me know if you do anything different and how it turns out!

Broccoli and rice

So I decided to make broccoli and brown rice for Barrett. I feel like this is something that we as a family will eat and it's mostly nutritious. :) {That's why I chose brown instead of white rice...} Basically, all you do is cook the rice and the broccoli. [I think it's ironic I am using my rice cooker for the broccoli instead of the rice haha] Then combine them and blend. I used a stick blender because it gives more of a "rough chop" than a puree but just do what your baby needs. Also, now that he's bigger and I feel ok about it, I add a little bit of provolone cheese on top when I warm it up to give it a little extra flavor. Yum!

 Steaming the broccoli

 Cooked brown rice

Finished product!

I added ginger because "they" say it helps with gas.... Honestly I'm not convinced. You probably have to add a substantial amount and I didn't because I didn't want to completely change the flavor of the broccoli. Maybe I'll add more for the next cube I warm up for him and see if it makes any difference.

I love our broccoli with lemon juice and butter melted on top and then a bit of parmesean cheese sprinkled over it. I think that would be another option for this!  

Quinoa Babyfood Breakfast

I'm going to explain how I made such a tasty babyfood breakfast for Barrett. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures but you really do need to just trust me on this and make it. Honestly, you should whip up a batch right now because you can eat it for breakfast (awesome oatmeal substitute) or even for dessert (better than a cobbler)! If you want to read about the awesomeness that is quinoa, check it out here!

What you'll need:

• quinoa
• banana
• a couple of small apples
• a can of pears
• cinnamon (if you want to use spices you can, just double check with your pedi that it's ok)
• a little butter (again, only if you feel comfortable and it's ok with your boss pedi)
• water

The very first step in cooking with quinoa is to rinse it. I am not kidding. Don't skip this. If you do, you won't like the taste of it it's very bitter. So, rinse the quinoa and add the water according to your packages directions. I used 1 cup of quinoa and 1 and a 1/2 cups of water. I also added about a half of a tablespoon of butter. Then you cook it kind of like rice... Stir it occasionally and let it absorb the water. After it is done, I added a chunked up banana, a can of pears, and two small apples peeled and chopped into small pieces. Add a little bit more water and some cinnamon and let it all absorb and get soft and delicious, then you could blend it or mash it up more finely. I used a stick blender because I wanted everything to be a bit smaller but not tiny. Anyway, I think I ate about a third of the final product I am not kidding it is super tasty!

Enjoy! Let me know what you think :)

Homemade Baby Food

Well, as you know I have been making Barrett's baby food and I love it! :) I have so many friends with babies just a little bit younger than Barrett who are starting to ask how I make his food. As a result, I've decided to start posting about what I make and how I do it! I guess to start I'll talk about what supplies I've found work best to make baby food!

• Ice cube trays (any will work. If you're a perfectionist you may want square, silicon trays)
• Spatula
• Blender (When I first started I preferred the baby bullett to start, then used a full size blender, and have now been using a stick blender. Use what works best for you!)
• Deep pots for steaming foods
• Steaming trays that go in pots

Now you need some food! The first foods I made for Barrett were peas, carrotts, and sweet potatoes. You can start with whatever you want! Just keep in mind that if you start with fruits, some babies might not want to eat veggies because they aren't as sweet... That's why I started with veggies. Also, if you are a worrier about things, you might want to do some research about which foods are best to start for allergy sensitivities as well as nitrites {which I know nothing about...}. I wasn't too worried about that because neither TJ or I have any food allergies. Here is a great site that has tons of info about making baby food. [And once you check it out, I probably won't be that helpful. ;)]

The first step is to cook the food! Steaming and boiling are best because it keeps the most nutrients. When your baby is first brand new, you'll need to cook it very very well so that it is soft and easy to blend. After it's fully cooked, put the food in the blender and add a bit of breastmilk, formula, or water and blend. [FYI: I preferred to use breastmilk/formula because I felt like it added a bit more nutrition when Barrett was going through his "I don't want to drink anymore just eat everything I possibly can" phase. Now that he's past that, I just use water or the water that the food cooked in because there is still some nutrition in it. Blend it all up and pour it in the ice cube trays! I've found they work well because it's always right about one ounce and is easy to defrost. Plus, it's easy to put in ziplock baggies and store in the freezer. Just be sure to write what the food is and when it was made. They usually only last about three months in the freezer which is actually perfect because often they'll be ready for more texture by then! :) Good luck! Feel free to message me with any questions and I'll answer them as I can! :)

Paulie want a carrot??

So today I made carrots for Barrett! I'm so excited for him to try them! He still loves the peas! Today he ate the entire jar of them :) I'm so proud of him! Pretty much, you use the same process to make carrot puree. So, I'm just showing you the pics :)

 Cooked baby carrots....

 Add formula to thin it out. As he gets bigger I'll add less....

 Blending!

Finished product! And now I have six servings of carrots :)

peas. mmm....

HAPPY FOUR MONTHS TO MY LITTLE BOY!

I can't believe how quickly the time is passing! Barrett is already four months and he is so big! I have been giving him rice cereal for a short time now and the pediatrician gave me the green light to start him on other solids. She suggested veggies first because they're less sweet and that way he won't refuse them later. She also said I need to give one type for a few days before introducing another kind so that if there is any reaction I'll know what it's to and be able to not give him that anymore. I was given a Baby Bullet as a shower gift so I was even more excited about trying veggies with him! I am not an "organic" type person nor am I anti packaged stuff but I also think that fresh is best. So I definitely want to give Barrett fresh, homemade baby food as often as possible. But I also realize there will be times when I compromise and give him jarred, store-bought baby food. Anyway, I decided today we would start with peas! :) mmm! Haha :) Let me just tell you, HE LOVED THEM! I am so excited to continue trying new foods with this guy! I am very hopeful that he likes food and is less picky than his dad..... 

 Before: He is so happy to just sit in his bouncy seat because he can see what's going on :)

 I steamed one cup of frozen peas then added a half cup of formula to thin it out. 

 Side view. LOL

 Finished product. Yummy? Barrett thought so! :)

 mmmm! See his pea green grin! 

The best part is that it made seven servings! And it was SO easy! 

So, Thanks Tye and Lisa for the awesome gift! Barrett and I love it! :)

Also, just thought I would let you know that I had my gallbladder out on Thursday. I am very glad I did; apparently it was more enlarged than she thought it was. Plus, I'm glad I got it done while TJ is still home. He leaves next week to go to New Mexico for a few weeks. There is no way I would be able to take care of Barrett alone after the surgery. I'm not even allowed to lift him :( It stinks but I would rather "follow the rules" now than make things worse and have to have another surgery blah blah blah.... Anyway, I'm healing up ok. I'm sore but it's getting better every day. I'll be happy when I am back to my normal self!