baby food

This is the ultimate DIY project, and one that makes you feel good! I guess if you don't have a baby right now, you probably won't try it though.

I will be honest about making Charlotte's baby food. It's not because I am some great health guru. I figured I would give it a try, and turns out it's pretty cheap and easy. So there's the truth. And, I think the little cubes of frozen food are pretty darn cute.

So here are some of the tools that have helped me become a baby food gourmet. Just kidding....It's pretty basic.

{1} The Baby's Table - This has been a great book that a friend loaned me. It has great recipes, but so far I've been following the cooking methods for simple purees.

{2} Annabel Karmel Trays - I actually found these at Wal-Mart in Griffin. I love them. The size of each cube is perfect for a meal, and I love that it has a lid while freezing. 

{3} Tovolo Cube Trays - I read about these trays on Styleberry {link below}, so I ordered them. My two complaints are the size and lack of lid. Each cube is pretty small, so now I am using two cubes for a meal for Charlotte.  Basically, I'm using these trays for the extra food. 

{4} Boon Edgeless No Skid Bowls - These are great, although I still don't leave them on the highchair tray while Charlotte eats. She would have both hands in the bowl.

{5} OXO Bowls w Lids - I found these in green at Marshall's. They are great, also have a no skid bottom.

{6} Gerber Spoons - We have these spoons, and they are good. You can find them pretty much anywhere you find baby stuff.

Okay, so on to the exciting process of making baby C's food. 

1. Peel & cut up fruit or veg

2. I use a regular cooking pot with a steamer basket

3. Place fruit or veg in steamer basket with some water in the pot

4. This is where the book comes in handy, it will tell you approximate cooking times

5. Once the food is steamed and soft, I let cool then put in a food processor

6. I usually add some of the cooking water to help the food puree easier and a little thinner

7. The puree goes in the trays, then in the freezer

8. Once frozen, I pop out the cubes, and put in freezer ziplock bags labeled with the name and date

So easy! When it's feedin' time, all we do is grab a cube from the freezer, and place in a bowl and microwave. 

So far, Charlotte has had sweet potatoes, golden delicious apples, green beans, peas {i used frozen}, pears, & butternut squash.

Styleberry is a great blog that I found on Pinterest. She posts on making baby food, and the picture below is from her blog. You should definitely check out if interested.

Aren't the cubes cute? We haven't had any purple or pink ones yet. 

And of course the most important part of mealtime, the little green chair. That's where Charlotte sits while she eats. :)