Friday, January 31, 2014

Baby Savings

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, we make our own baby food.  My friend, Sadaf, got us the Baby Bullet as a shower gift.  At Turner’s 4 month check-up she was cleared for solids!  Now, the pediatric “solids” aren’t actually solids.  They just mean purees.  To the usual baby-food-from-a-jar family, this adds a little extra cost to the monthly budget.  For us it’s about $4 per week.  Not bad for the little Tu to have fresh, organic fruits and veggies!  


I wish I had recipes for this, but it’s so easy no recipe is necessary.  I guess I was a little lost on how to cook the different foods for the least amount of nutrient loss.  Avocados don’t need to be cooked at all, just scoop those bad boys in the Bullet!  With apples, baking and steaming are the best.  We’ve done both.  Steaming took a lot less time, and I thought it was easier.  We have a rice cooker with a steaming tray on top.  I just peeled (worst part) and chopped one apple, dumped some water in the bottom of the cooker, threw the apple chunks in the steaming tray, put the lid on, and let it rip!  While I was waiting for that, I pureed a banana.  In a half hour or so I had enough food for three to four days of good eats!  


I also made some rice cereal.  That was a little tricky.  The recipe that made the most sense to me called for you to grind up the rice first, before cooking.  The Bullet had some issues with that.  I think it’s better equipped to grind up soft stuff.  I ground up that rice until I smelled the motor in the Bullet get too hot.  The rice still wasn’t fully turned to dust (that’s what you’re looking for, by the way).  I thought I could sift it, but it turns out we don’t have a sifter or a strainer; might have to invest in one of the two.  After a good sifting, the ratio of rice to water for cooking is ½ rice to 4 cups water.  I don’t think I did it right, but I just brought the water and rice dust to a boil, then cooked it till I thought it looked done.  This is probably not a good method.  20 minutes of cook time is what the recipe I followed said (I really only followed the first part, not the cooking part…).  The first time baby girl had the rice cereal, she ate it plain.  Then she got a taste of fruits, and it was goodbye plain rice.  Now we have to mix some fruit in the cereal (not a big deal).  Tutu’s menu to date has included the following: apples, banana, sweet potatoes, avocado, and carrots.  So far it seems she will eat just about any fruit or veggie you feed her, but the top of her list belongs to apples and carrots.  She LOVES those two.  She almost sat up out of her semi-recline to get closer to the spoon.  


Homemade baby=success!  I definitely suggest trying it.  I can’t wait to try actual recipes when she’s a little older!


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