Not sure if I posted this before, but I do make my own baby food. I did with Phoebe and I do with the boys. It does make things cheaper and as the boys get older they will be able to have everything we are having for dinner, but mushed up. Plus, have you tasted some jarred baby food? It's horrible. I do buy some jarred baby food and powdered cereals for when we are traveling, but I try to stick to the things that taste OK.
This website has been very helpful in baby food recipes, but there are many others out there. I do use a spice and nut grinder to grind up short-grain brown rice, barley and oatmeal for cereal for the boys. It takes about 10 minutes to cook on the stove after you grind it up. I have had to reduce the recommended amount of water as shown on the website as the boys like their food less watery than early baby food is.
I have a small Cuisinart food processor for mushing up small portions, but if I'm on a huge production moment, I use my large food processor. I never bought that new baby cooking appliance they sell these days, as I already need a small food processor for making things like cilantro pesto or guacamole. I have so many cooking appliances we use, I can't see buying something that would only be used for a short period of time. For applesauce, I use a food mill, but you could use a food processor. Some baby food you don't need to cook like bananas and avocados. Sweet potatoes are easy as I just bake extra for the baby food when we are having them for dinner and I mush up the insides with some formula or breast milk that I am almost out of. Butternut squash, green beans (love just buying the big bags from BJs!) and carrots, I steam on the stove and then mush them up. I haven't tried peas yet as I'm not sure what will happen with the skins on them, but I will try soon.
When I'm on a big production kick, I do freeze the baby food using these freezing trays. I'm sure I'll reuse these for freezing cilantro pesto or regular pesto in the future. When the big cubes are frozen, I do take them out and put them in a big freezer bag, so I can freeze more cubes of food. When you have twins, they go through a lot of frozen meals!!!!
I usually mix things together now that the boys have had several foods so they'll have combos like applesauce or another fruit and oatmeal for breakfast or carrots and barley or sweet potatoes and green beans for dinner. We don't serve them separately, we just mix them in one bowl for each of them.
I'm in no hurry to have the boys try meats. I'm not a big meat eater myself. We do eat meat in our house, but it's not a big focus of the meal. In the next few months, I'll be more focusing on trying some beans and tofu along with the fruits, veggies and cereals they are eating today.
This website has been very helpful in baby food recipes, but there are many others out there. I do use a spice and nut grinder to grind up short-grain brown rice, barley and oatmeal for cereal for the boys. It takes about 10 minutes to cook on the stove after you grind it up. I have had to reduce the recommended amount of water as shown on the website as the boys like their food less watery than early baby food is.
I have a small Cuisinart food processor for mushing up small portions, but if I'm on a huge production moment, I use my large food processor. I never bought that new baby cooking appliance they sell these days, as I already need a small food processor for making things like cilantro pesto or guacamole. I have so many cooking appliances we use, I can't see buying something that would only be used for a short period of time. For applesauce, I use a food mill, but you could use a food processor. Some baby food you don't need to cook like bananas and avocados. Sweet potatoes are easy as I just bake extra for the baby food when we are having them for dinner and I mush up the insides with some formula or breast milk that I am almost out of. Butternut squash, green beans (love just buying the big bags from BJs!) and carrots, I steam on the stove and then mush them up. I haven't tried peas yet as I'm not sure what will happen with the skins on them, but I will try soon.
When I'm on a big production kick, I do freeze the baby food using these freezing trays. I'm sure I'll reuse these for freezing cilantro pesto or regular pesto in the future. When the big cubes are frozen, I do take them out and put them in a big freezer bag, so I can freeze more cubes of food. When you have twins, they go through a lot of frozen meals!!!!
I usually mix things together now that the boys have had several foods so they'll have combos like applesauce or another fruit and oatmeal for breakfast or carrots and barley or sweet potatoes and green beans for dinner. We don't serve them separately, we just mix them in one bowl for each of them.
I'm in no hurry to have the boys try meats. I'm not a big meat eater myself. We do eat meat in our house, but it's not a big focus of the meal. In the next few months, I'll be more focusing on trying some beans and tofu along with the fruits, veggies and cereals they are eating today.
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So far Connor's only had butternut and sweet potato but I'm determined to go as long as I can - it's cheaper for one and I'm sure it's better that he get used to my cooking now.