It’s baby food making day, ladies & gentlemen!
I love doing it because I know exactly what’s going into my little man’s food and he loves it! Today I’m doing a variety of dishes and I’ll share all of them with you.
The first thing I do is prep all the ingredients I am using. Today that includes:
*Onion
*Sweet Potatoes
*Carrots
*Chicken
*Spinach
*Beef Broth
*Butter
I dice the onion, peel and chop the sweet potatoes, chop the carrots (I use bagged baby carrots to save time), dice the raw chicken and I use bagged spinach so it’s ready to throw in the pan.
Put butter out the night before to allow it to soften.
First Batch: Carrots
1. Dump about 4 cups of baby carrots (whole) into a large sauce pan or pasta pan. Cover with water and boil until fork tender.
2. Drain reserving about a cup of the water.
3. Puree in blender, adding some of the cooking liquid as needed until you get the texture you want.
**For babies just starting solids, puree the heck out of it. For older babies, leave it a little chunky to help them learn to chew.**
I use freezer-friendly plastic storage containers. You can use freezer storage bags or other containers if needed. If you are making more than your baby will eat in a week, freeze the extra.
**I try to make two weeks worth of food at a time.**
Second Batch: Mixed Vegetables
1. In a large saucepan, melt one tablespoon butter and add about a half an onion.
2. Saute on medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add about 1 1/2 cups of chopped sweet potato and the same of the chopped carrots. Cook for about three minutes.
**The actual measurements don’t matter, just work with the batch size you want to make.**
3. Add about 1 cup of beef broth and turn up to high. Boil under fork tender.
4. Pour into the blender (broth and all) and puree until desired consistency.
Third Batch: Chicken & Veggies
1. Start one tablespoon of butter on a large saucepan on medium heat. When butter melt add 1/2 onion and saute until onion is soft and translucent.
2. Add 1 1/2 cup sweet potatoes and 1 1/2 cup carrots. Saute for three minutes.
3. Add 1 1/2 cup beef broth and bring to a boil. Boil until fork tender.
4. Pour contents into a blender and puree until desired consistency is reached.
Fourth Batch: Potatoes & Carrots
1. Dump remaining carrots and potatoes into a large pot.
2. Cover with water and boil until fork tender.
3. Puree until desired consistency is reached. You may need to add a little of the cooking liquid.
Fifth Batch: Chicken Florentine
1. Saute one tablespoon butter in a large saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add chicken and saute until chicken is cooked through.
3. Add three or four cups baby spinach and cook until wilted.
4. Transfer to a blender and add about 1/2 cup beef broth.
5. Puree until desired consistency is reached. You may need to add more beef broth along the way.
Well, that wraps up my baby food making extravaganza. Start to finish took me about 2 1/2 hours. Not a bad sacrifice on the weekend to feed my baby for two weeks.
When you take the time to make your own baby food, you are ensuring that your baby is eating the best possible food you can offer. Go organic and make it even healthier for his growing brain.
Baby food making doesn’t have to be intimidating. I was terrified when I started, but it’s so easy I felt terrible for not making homemade baby food for all my little buddies.
Happy Baby Food Making!
Niki
