Not ready?

Olivia has gone back and forth on the solid food thing. When we first introduced rice cereal, as per the pedi's recommendation for her reflux, she was pretty excited about it. She didn't eat a ton of it, but did seem to enjoy it. It took me a few days to figure out when she would want it, before or after nursing, when she was tired or wide awake, etc..... thought I had it figured out!

Anyhow, her interest waned quickly. I have since tried oatmeal, peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes. She liked the peas a lot, but still would only eat a few bites, then seem uninterested or would even fuss a bit. Otherwise, she has just tried a few bites of things and then was over it. She is currently 3 days shy of 6 months, so I don't know if that is what the deal is. I know tons of babies younger than her that love solids though, so I guess it is just her.

I suppose she is just not ready. I feel almost bad trying to force it. I don't actually force her to eat, but I mean even trying when she seems so uninterested. She is breast fed and I guess is perfectly content with that. 

Maybe I will wait a week and see what she does then. Anyhow, just thought I would post this to see if anyone had thoughts, and to let people know that not all babies are ready just because they meet all the "criteria" for being "ready" for solids!

More bananas please!

So after our unsuccessful attempt at apples, I figured I’d skip the next veggie and do over the fruit. I thought bananas would be a safe bet, and I was right. So far, he loves bananas. He ate them right up with zero issues. All I did was take about a piece of banana (about an 1 ½ long) and mashed it up with a fork. I didn’t add any liquid because I am trying out thicker foods with drew now. It was still pureed though, no chunks yet.

Teething Biscuits from Wondertime Magazine

I saw this recipe in the latest addition of Wondertime magazine. Drew is not quit ready for teething biscuits yet, but I’d figure I would go ahead and post the recipe for others now. I’ll post about it again after Drew’s tried them.

1 ½ Cups unbleached flour
½ Cup whole wheat flour
½ Cup of maple syrup
3 Tablespoons applesauce

Heat oven to 300. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until dough begins to hold together. Dust counter with flour, then transfer contents of bowl to counter. Knead lightly until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes. (If the dough is difficult to handle, dust with a little more flour.) Roll out with a rolling pin until 1/3 inch thick. Cut into biscuits using an inverted cup and a clean soda-bottle cap (or your thumb) for the hole, or use a doughnut cutter ($3 for 2.5 inch cutter, cooksdream.com ). Transfer biscuits to a greased cookie sheet. Bake until barely browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a cookie sheet. They’re ready to eat now (under supervision, of course) They’ll harden slightly more if you leave them out overnight. Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

(2009, February). Teething Biscuits. Wondertime, Retrieved January 23, 2009, page 50.

And here is a caution about feeding teething biscuits from wholesomebabyfood.com:

IMPORTANT CAUTION: When feeding your infant Teething Biscuits, baby finger foods, or any other food that may pose a choking hazard, it is VERY important to watch the child closely. Always ensure the child is in a totally upright sitting position as well! Some parents will tell you one brand or recipe is great while others will tell you the very same brand/recipe was horrible and their child choked due to crumbling or breaking. There is no brand or recipe for teething biscuits that is guaranteed not to crumble or break off into pieces!!

An Apple a Day Keeps the Baby Away

So we was at the grocery store the other day and couldn’t remember what type of apples my book suggested to use so I wasn’t sure what to buy. I asked the produce worker what he thought would be sweet, taste good to a baby and cook well. He suggested honey sweet apples. I had never heard of them before so he let us try one. Tasted good, so that is what we got. These were not organic so I peeled them before I cooked them. Here is what we did…

2 Honey Sweet Apples (Peeled, cored, and sliced)
Steamed apple slices for 10 minutes
Pureed (No added liquids)

We froze the left overs to use over the next few days. As far as Drew liking or not liking apples, the video explains it all. (Until I can get it to post the video, here is a link)

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2ijozlz&s=5

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Peas!

Despite the terrified look on the child's face, Olivia LOVED the peas! She has now eaten them for three days, and can't get enough. Yesterday I took to feeding her in her diaper though, as that bright green is not so pretty on cute baby clothes! Some peas dropped on her tray, and let me tell you, she had the time of her life smearing it around! Straight to the bath after that.

I have to say, I tried them and they are soooo good. I don't know if it is because they are organic, or what, but I would eat it if I were her!

I blogged about making it a few days ago, so go back if you need to know those details.

Now that she has eaten a food she liked, I am excited to try more. It's fun!

Review: Cuisinart MiniPrep food processer

I use the Cuisinart MiniPrep to blend up Drew’s baby food. I decided this after reading about a few nesties that had it. I figured I’d use it to also help chop food for our own meals, but this hasn’t been the case. I tried it out once for us, using it to “chop” onions. But, it beat them to a bloody pulp. Now, it may have been user error, but I haven’t tried again since. I figure I can just chop onions by hand just fine. So, it is solely used as a baby food processor. And for this, it works just fine. It has blended Drew’s food very well and with zero issues. However, I am not sure that it is any better than any other food processer.

From the Crate & Barrel Website:

The compact size and precision performance of this two-speed Cuisinart taskmaster made easy work of grinding and chopping foods.
· Contemporary brushed stainless steel housing
· 21-ounce capacity lexan work bowl
· Stainless steel reversible blade chops and grinds
· Grind control processes hard foods (nuts, seeds and spices)
· Chop control chops or minces softer foods (onions, garlic, herbs and cheese)
· Spatula and instruction-recipe book included
· Durable work bowl and cover are dishwasher-safe

Think Green: Fresh Organic Zucchini

OK, I am not sure why I am stuck on green food right now. I guess it is a subconscious thing or something. But, I do know that Drew was pretty happy with this new found flavor. Zucchini has a very mild flavor, so it wasn't too much of a shock to his taste buds. And, like everything else thus far, it was super easy to make. I pulled this from my Williams & Sonoma Cooking for Baby book.

Steam fresh sliced zucchini until very tender (5-9 minutes, leave the skin on)
Blend in a food processor (To your desired consistency)

Notes: You should not have to add any fluids to this. If anything, you may want to thicken it with cereal if it is too thin. I didn't have to do that this time around. Also, because you leave the skin on, the book suggest that you buy an organic zucchini.

I put the left overs in my new Beaba Multi Portion from Williams & Sonoma. This is my first time using this, but so far it is good.

Avocados: Take Two

Update: Drew's doctor said that from the description of the rash, it did not sound like a food allergy rash; but, to be sure he said to wait until Drew is a year old and re-introduce them again (Which was are plan!)

Well, it looks as though Drew may just be allergic to avocados after all. Later that same day, his rash went away. I was hoping that it was just a heat rash. We waited one full day with no fruits or veggies and Drew did not break out with a rash. We decided to go ahead and try the avocados again. We fed him the next morning and by the time I got home that night he had the same rash all over his legs and belly. I don’t want to entirely rule out avocados. I will probably wait 6 months to a year before trying them again. Of course, I plan on speaking with Drew’s doctor about my little game plan too, to get his take on it. Drew’s 6 month check up is on the 20th, I will let everyone know what the doctor has to say about it. Meanwhile, it looks like we are moving on to zucchini next; hopefully in the next day or two.

Possible Allergic Reaction to Avocados

So this morning I got Drew out of his sleeper and noticed this rash all over his chest. It doesn't seem to bother him and he isn't itching either. He had avocados for the third day the night before. No new soaps, clothes, etc. I am hoping that the rash is not from the avocados though, because Drew really loves them. The rash stops at his diaper line, which also makes me think it is not a food allergy.

Game Plan:

I am going to stop giving him food, except for cereal for the next few days and until the rash goes away completely. Than, I am going to re-introduce avocados again for four days. If he breaks out in a rash again, it will be pretty safe to say that Drew is allergic to avocados. Cross your fingers for us.

We're Like Peas and Carrots

Awww, reminds me of Forrest Gump!

DD and I made peas and carrots on Thursday. As always, I used organics, and the peas were frozen, and the carrots were fresh. Who wants to shell peas anyways! It was super easy with my steamer/blender (see below). All I did was steam, and blend. I did use the reserved cooking liquid to thin them down, and plan on using breastmilk or water to thin it further, if need be, when it's time for Olivia to eat them.

The most interesting thing about this time was the comparison I did. I had some "canned" baby food leftover from a game at my baby shower. Now I am not bashing prepared baby food. I am sure that is what I ate, and lots of other babies are perfectly fine with it. But when I made the peas and carrots this time, I dug out those jars and actually tasted them both. The difference is amazing. The taste is completly different and the color is sooooo much brighter with the fresh food.

I am using the Fresh Baby freezer trays. BPA free, and they come with lids. Sounds good to me. They have been easy to use. I just freeze things in them, and then transfer them to freezer bags later.

Oh yeah, and Olivia didn't try any of the food yet. I plan on introducing them in a couple more weeks. She is still on the cereal, and is only just starting to get more interested in it. Since the sweet potatoes were a big FAIL, I decided to wait a bit longer for other "food".

Williams Sonoma- Part 2

Little did Sabrina know, I was just thinking about posting something like this!

I got the same cookbook for a baby shower, along with this Beaba Babycook from Williams-Sonoma. I tried it last night for the first time and LOVED it. I know, I know, what a waste of counter space, just use a blender/food processor you already have, etc, etc, as I have heard some of you comment before. Well whatever- I love it! It's a 2 cup size, and it steams and blends. Couldn't be easier! I am sure I will use my 9 cup food processor sometimes too, but I don't even know what food she likes yet, so why make so much?!

I am also excited about the cookbook. It's really pretty for one, and very easy to follow. i used it for my sweet potatoes the other day.







And Olivia helped! I'll post about what we made tomorrow.

Williams & Sonoma for Baby

For Christmas, I received the book Cooking for Baby from Williams & Sonoma. It was a gift from my sister. It is very interesting and has some great gourmet type recipes that I can't wait to try out with Drew.

She also just got me a baby food freezer set from there as well. It is called Beaba Multi Portion and it is made of BPA free silicone. This makes it easy to pop out the 2 oz. portions of frozen food one section at a time. I will be testing this out with our next batch of homemade baby food.

Update: The silicone tray works really well. You can pop out just one section at a time and it comes out very easily. It is easier to work with than just an ice tray and holds more ounces per serving as well.

Avocados are a BIG hit

Drew LOVED the avocado and it couldn’t be any easier to make. I took about a tablespoon size of avocado, mashed it up with breast milk (you can use water or formula also) and voila; instant baby food. I made it a little on the thin side for Drew since it was his first time to try it. I highly recommend this. Check out the section about avocados at wholesomebabyfood.com. It tells you how to find the perfect avocado, how to freeze them, and about all the health benefits they have. Note: An avocado is actually a fruit, not a vegetable.

Sweet Potatoes!

Hi guys! I'm happy to join Sabrina on this blog, and hope everyone enjoys our adventures. I have been excited about making baby food since I was pregnant. I have a weird obsession if you will, about knowing exactly what goes into my children's bodies, and I thought, what better way to start out then by making healthy, organic baby food!

We did start with rice cereal, a few days before Olivia's 5 month "birthday". I wanted to EBF for 6 months, but she got a late diagnosis of reflux, and the doctor thought the cereal may help. She was pretty gung ho about it the first day, and really hasn't been too enthused ever since. We use Earth's Best Organic.

This summer, I planted a garden, as I have for the past 4 years that we have owned enough land to do so. Honestly, this year was awful. Um, what did I think, that at 9 months pregnant, I would be out there in the TN heat, weeding a garden? Not only that, but I really didn't think about the timing. My cutely pregnant, second trimester self got out there in the spring, planting away all these veggies I could make into baby food. Didn't think about the fact that you can only freeze it for so long, and baby Olivia wouldn't be eating baby food until at least 2009, so what was I to do with all these baby friendly veggies?

Let them die....or become overrun with weeds! What do you expect, I was huge, and it was over 100 degrees in July! The only one salvaged was the sweet potatoes, and since you can keep them in a cool dry place for a long time, they were ready for me when I decided to embark upon my first adventure in baby food making. There was something oddly satisfying about knowing that the first veggie my daughter ate came right from our own land! I knew it was organic, and I knew it would be great for her.

I didn't know how easy it would be to make though! And I didn't know that she would hate it....

So I tried...for three days in a row. Still no go. Oh well. I have plenty in the freezer to try again later! She will like them....!

Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
liquid of your choosing- breastmilk, formula, or water

Pierce the skin of the potatoes, and bake on 350 for about 45 minutes, or until a fork inserted into the potato goes in easily.

Remove and let cool.

Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the "meat" with a spoon. Puree using food processor or blender with desired amount of liquid until you reach desired consistency.

Fill ice cube trays with food and freeze. Remove from tray and store in freezer bag, removing cubes as you need them.

Recommended freezer life is 3 months.

Pureed Sweet Peas

This was Drew's first vegetable (He was 5 1/2 months old). So easy to make, and he actually liked right away. And for those that are unsure (like I was), sweet peas and green peas are the same thing.


Recipe: 2 cups of frozen peas (you can use fresh if you can find them). Steam until bright green and tender (about 5-7 minutes for fresh or hard frozen and 3 minutes for thawed frozen). Puree peas in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add water, breast-milk or formula to thin puree to your desired consistency. I made mine a little on the thicker side. That way, when I thaw it out I can add warm water or breast milk. This warms it up a bit and thins it out at the same time.

I scooped up the puree into an ice tray, put in freezer until frozen, than took them out of the tray and put it in a zip lock bag. This makes it easier to thaw out one serving at a time. These keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Next veggie: Avocado