Make It

Baby Food Edition

Bananas

Prep time: 2 minutes
Yields: approximately 8 ounces

This recipe is so easy, it's almost insulting (or maybe it actually is...) What's your excuse?

Peel the banana and mash it with a fork.

Add breast milk to desired consistency and voila. It really is that easy!

Check out more homemade baby food recipes here!

Make It!

Baby Food Edition

Applesauce

Prep time: 5 minutes
Yields: approximately 12 ounces

After successfully making pureed pears (or pearsauce, as I like to think of it), it's time to conquer apples! Here's how:

Here's what an apple looks like, for those who are really starting from square one...

Peel and slice. Remove core, seeds, and stem

Dice into 1" cubes and toss into your food processor (or blender)

Here's what one apple yields (it's a VERY small food processor and was purchased before I knew I was carrying a litter of children and not just one)

Pulse on high. Initially, I assumed there would be enough natural liquid to fully blend the apples into a sauce but I was very wrong.

See? No amount of blending and pulsing was going to make these chunks disappear...

I added some breast milk and voila! That did the trick.

Throw the applesauce in the OXO tot baby blocks. These are 2-oz blocks, which means one apple and milk yielded just under 12-oz of applesauce.

Tip: The same methods can be used with pears to create a pearsauce for baby.
Tip 2: Once you've introduced the applesauce and are ready to try something new, add some cinnamon!

Make It!

Baby Food Edition

Pureed Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes
Yields: approximately 8 ounces

This weekend marked my first attempt at pureed meats and it was a huge success! I am amazed how different a chicken breast can look with just a few simple steps.

Lately, I've been getting surprising reactions from people who discover that I make my own baby food. I think people just don't realize how easy it is!

Here's how:

Heat about an inch of water in a saute pan

Remove any fat from the chicken breast

Cut chicken into 1" cubes

Place chicken cubes into pan of simmering water - cook for approximately 3 minutes

Flip chicken pieces over to cook evenly - approximately 3 more minutes - until cooked through

Place chicken pieces in food processor and let cool. I cover the container and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours

Once the chicken has cooled, pulse in the food processor until crumbly in texture

Here's another view of the chicken

Next, add milk or water to reach desired consistency. I use quite a bit of breast milk because my girls are still getting use to the idea of solid foods and prefer smoother textures

Distribute into containers. I use OXO Tot baby blocks

..and serve! Lily approves :)

Edit: I love that my husband just called me at work asking how to make this pureed chicken because we ran out of the current stash. I just sent him this link! We're a good baby-food making team :)

Equipment: Get the same Cuisinart Food Processor and baby spoons I use!

I Support You

You Can't Please Everyone

I came across this article today (via Reddit) and thought it was awesome. I'm very opinionated about how and what I feed my girls but I also accept this as a personal choice. Before I had kids, I was probably a lot more judgmental. Now, my only hope for all parents is that they do what is right for their family and what is going to make them the best parent for their kiddos. For example, if a mother feels overwhelmed trying to figure out breastfeeding and pumping is too painful, formula is a great option for her to mitigate the stress and thank goodness for that!

The more you love your decisions, the less you need others to love them.