I had been researching and talking with other mommies about when we should start feeding K baby food. Everyone, including the 101 baby sites online, seemed to think she was ready. I, on the other hand, was not so sure. We decided to wait until she turned 5 months, which was this past Friday. So, off to get the supplies I went.
We had already decided while I was pregnant with K that we were going to make our own baby food. I have spent the past 5-6 months researching the best ways to go about doing this. So, I bought ice cube trays, plastic wrap, a steamer basket, and 1 butternut squash (another long and thought out decision process on which veggie to try first). I found an awesome website that explains all the ins and outs of baby food making. http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/pureebabyfoodandstore.htm
So, first you cut the squash longways down the middle. Then, put it in a baking pan, meat side down, and add one inch of water. Bake it for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender. Scoop out the meat and place it in a blender to puree, adding water as needed for consistency. Then, scoop it out into ice cube trays (this particular squash filled three trays). Cover in plastic wrap and stick in the freezer. Once the cubes are frozen, you can pop them all out and put them in a freezer zip lock bag. I will keep one bag at home and send one to preschool with K. When it's time to feed, just grab 1-2 cubes and heat them up in the microwave. So, I paid less than a dollar for the squash and now I have 24 servings of baby food. What a huge savings!
The process was so easy and quite fun. The best part was feeding our big girl baby food for the first time. She LOVED it! She kept opening her mouth up for more. I am so excited for the next round of baby food making. I'm thinking something green!
