GIVEAWAY ALERT! Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for the third contest of The Eco-Summer Blog Party! CONGRATULATIONS JULIE & JEANNE!
Lil’ B will be 6 months old on Saturday and we have recently introduced solid baby food to her. Most doctors recommend introducing solids anywhere between 4 and 6 months of age. We introduced solids to Big B at about 4 months but I was little more patient this year with his sister. We almost made it to 6 months before she started stealing food right off our plate! No kidding…she would literally grab for any kind of food within reach. And once again we were faced with another parenting decision…homemade baby food or commercial baby food?
It’s much more common these days to hear about parents preparing fresh baby food for their little ones. Back when Big B was a baby I was a huge fan of the book Super Baby Foodby Ruth Yaron. It was great because it provided a list of foods and at what age it was best to introduce those items to babies. Unfortunately, I loaned it to a friend and haven’t seen it in about 3 years. I began searching the internet for baby food recipes and ran across the Homemade Baby Food Recipeswebsite by Christine Albury. What a wonderful website full of information about introducing solids to your baby, how to overcome feeding problems and hundreds of easy to make recipes.
I chose to make our own baby food because of all the fillers and water that are contained in commercial baby food. I like having control over what I feed my baby. I can control if I buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. I can control if I buy organically grown foods. I guess I am a bit of a control freak! It’s more than that though, it’s easy! For me I purchased the Magic Bullet, a small food processor that fits neatly on the counter. I had considered buying those fancy food mills but after reading some of the reviews I decided my money was better spent on the Bullet. (I’m still unsure whether the plastic in the Bullet is BPA-free or not…see my posts on July 9th for more information on that!)
What’s on the menu for Lil’ B? So far she has tried (and liked) avocado, mango, sweet potato, plain yogurt, banana, and pear. I’ve even mixed a few for some great tasting combinations. We also have a box of traditional rice cereal (organic of course) but I don’t use it much. I would rather fix her something fresh. I’m dying to make my own yogurt but scared to try it!
Which brings me back to Homemade Baby Food Recipes website. In addition to the wonderful baby food recipes they have a great monthly newsletter, Baby Bites. When you sign up for Baby Bites you get a free e-book called Ten Perfect Purees. They also have a great set of e-books for purchase; Tempting Tiny Taste Buds, the 2009 Homemade Baby Food Recipes Annual, and the Best of the Blog. This set of e-books is almost 600 pages full of everything you need to know about feeding your baby for the first year and beyond. It’s more than just recipes. There are sections on food preparation, food storage, flying with baby food, eczema & baby food, asthma and baby food, and so much more!
Giveaway! Would you like to win your own copy of Homemade Baby Food Recipes e-book? Christine has graciously offered TWO copies for TWO lucky readers! CONTEST ENDED! CONGRATULATIONS TO JULIE & JEANNE!
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Sounds very yummy!!!!!
Red pepper and pasta dream (6 months+)
2oz uncooked pasta (something like rigatoni is ideal, because the tubes tend to hold the sauce – perfect if your baby likes to eat pasta with his fingers!)
8oz red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, crushed
3 fl oz homemade chicken stock
1tsp tomato puree (paste)
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
Simply place all ingredients (except the pasta) in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 mins, until the mixture begins to thicken a little.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
Finally, puree the red pepper mixture and pour over the hot cooked pasta. Puree or chop for your baby.
Honestly, my first child loved ground up carrots and pasta. Not the most appetizing to me, but what do I know!
HEY ! i love this… experimenting with homemade baby food on baby number two, he is so excited whenever he eats something homemade!
ok – so i suck and can’t read… its over 🙁
Never fear Melanie! Most of the recipes can be found on their website!