homemade baby food basics

if you want to take a stab at making your own homemade food for your little one, i know it can seem like tons of work. you're busy enough as it is, right! who has time to hang out in the kitchen for hours? nobody!

making homemade baby food from scratch is super easy. i never slave hours over a hot stove. i don't spend hours in the kitchen. the effort is worth it! do you really want to feed your pride and joy that goop from the store shelves? it's loaded with sugar, sodium, trans fat, saturated fat, and preservatives....yuck!

let's face it, these kiddos have a mind of their own. they're learning what they like, and they know what they hate. chances are they'll develop a taste for new food after several attempts. if they don't, then you know what to keep off the menu.

making your own homemade baby food can be done with a little planning. you only need a few tools and an hour every couple days.

so, lets start with what you need:

• a baking sheet
• a sauce pan
• a steaming basket
• a food masher
• a hand blender or food processor
• ice cube tray

now, how to cook:

steaming is the easiest way to go. put on a pot a water. throw in a steaming basket...this one's my favorite. then, toss in some chopped veggies.

baking is great. just about every veggie can be cooked in about 20 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit on a baking sheet.

sauteing is the yummiest. this one takes a bit more attention. all you need is a saute pan and some extra virgin olive oil. you'll get caramelized flavor and golden brown edges when cooked at a medium heat for about 15 minutes.

serve it up:

puree with the hand blender or food processor for the newbies...you know, the ones who are toofless. adding a tablespoon of reserved steam water can help thin it out.

store it:

freeze the leftovers in a ice cube tray. to defrost, place in the fridge for a few hours. mash it with the food masher for the ones who've had a bit of practice and a tooth a two. give it to them in bite size pieces if they're picking it up and shoving it in.

store the leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container, preferably glass. no point in doing all the work just to throw all away by storing in a plastic container that leaches bpa and other toxins. if you've heard that glass is toxic too...please don't tell me about it!

in no time, you're little one will want to eat what the rest of y'all are having!