The whole introduction to solids is going really well for Dav. She loves eating! I'm mad proud of how well she's doing with it all and her real enthusiasm for whatever we offer to her. I imagine things like kale and lamb might be difficult for some babies' palates, but she is loving it! I am finding wholesomebabyfood.com to be really helpful and informative. My OXO food mill has been the perfect baby food maker because it gives me amazing control over the consistency of what I make for Dav.
Dav is getting pretty good at putting the spoon in her mouth herself. She's managed at least a few bites so far on her own. I never really doubted (with my genes) that she would be a picky eater. Food is just about my favorite thing in the world (not counting the living, breathing things, at least). I even went on a date to a grocery store once (and it was fantastic!).
So just to share with everyone how I've been making Dav's food, here are my preperation methods:
Most veggies get put in a roasting pan with a little bit of water and roasted in a 400 degree Farenheit oven until tender, then put through the food mill and mixed with the cooking liquid. This puree I then pour into ice cube trays to freeze, and once solid move to zip top plastic freezer bags.
Sweet potatoes get poked with a fork, wrapped in foil, and baked at 400 degrees until cooked through (30-50 min). I scoop the tender flesh out of the skin and mash with a fork.
Avocado just gets mashed with a fork. I only mash the amount for one serving at a time. The rest gets sliced, dipped in a water/lemon juice bath, wrapped in cling wrap, and put into the refrigerator. Freezing avocado will significantly change the consistency, I don't reccommend it!
Kale gets a very, very thorough wash by filling a huge bowl with water (or just fill up your sink) and swishing the leaves around. Lift the leaves out, change out the water and do this again. Now do that one more time (3 times in all). Then de-stem the leaves and steam until tender. Put through the food mill, using the coarsest disk first and working your way to the finer disks until the desired consistency is reached.
Lamb shoulder gets chopped into bite sized pieces and wrapped in a little foil boat with a few tablespoons of water. Give it 3-4 hours in a low oven (I did 3 1/2 at 225) until the lamb is cooked through and falling-apart-tender. Freeze on a cookie sheet until solid then transer to a zip-top bag.
Label and date your zip top bags, and try to use within a month. Three months is the longest you want to keep homemade baby food in a regular freezer (you can go longer in a free standing deep freezer). Buy organic veggies and free grazing meat! Careful with leafy greens (be aware of nitrates) and make sure everything is super clean!!!
Dav is getting pretty good at putting the spoon in her mouth herself. She's managed at least a few bites so far on her own. I never really doubted (with my genes) that she would be a picky eater. Food is just about my favorite thing in the world (not counting the living, breathing things, at least). I even went on a date to a grocery store once (and it was fantastic!).
So just to share with everyone how I've been making Dav's food, here are my preperation methods:
Most veggies get put in a roasting pan with a little bit of water and roasted in a 400 degree Farenheit oven until tender, then put through the food mill and mixed with the cooking liquid. This puree I then pour into ice cube trays to freeze, and once solid move to zip top plastic freezer bags.
Sweet potatoes get poked with a fork, wrapped in foil, and baked at 400 degrees until cooked through (30-50 min). I scoop the tender flesh out of the skin and mash with a fork.
Avocado just gets mashed with a fork. I only mash the amount for one serving at a time. The rest gets sliced, dipped in a water/lemon juice bath, wrapped in cling wrap, and put into the refrigerator. Freezing avocado will significantly change the consistency, I don't reccommend it!
Kale gets a very, very thorough wash by filling a huge bowl with water (or just fill up your sink) and swishing the leaves around. Lift the leaves out, change out the water and do this again. Now do that one more time (3 times in all). Then de-stem the leaves and steam until tender. Put through the food mill, using the coarsest disk first and working your way to the finer disks until the desired consistency is reached.
Lamb shoulder gets chopped into bite sized pieces and wrapped in a little foil boat with a few tablespoons of water. Give it 3-4 hours in a low oven (I did 3 1/2 at 225) until the lamb is cooked through and falling-apart-tender. Freeze on a cookie sheet until solid then transer to a zip-top bag.
Label and date your zip top bags, and try to use within a month. Three months is the longest you want to keep homemade baby food in a regular freezer (you can go longer in a free standing deep freezer). Buy organic veggies and free grazing meat! Careful with leafy greens (be aware of nitrates) and make sure everything is super clean!!!