Making the Next Stage of Baby Food…

There are many things in my life that I thought I’d never do, but have since embraced. 

A few of those are: 1) Shooting with a digital camera (until I got back an entire roll of baby photos of Gage in which he was so distorted and squinty and weird that he resembled Yoda).  2) Editing my digital photos (have since realized that editing is just the second part of the photography equation).  3) Moving to Molalla (we all know how that turned out).

And another was making my own baby food.  I thought, ‘why bother?’  And then I heard of a few others who’d done it, and came across this post and realized how incredibly easy and CHEAP it would be.  Plus, it gives me the satisfaction of having control over something in a world that is quite out of control.  

To feed Kaden store-bought baby food, right now, it would cost about $1.50 per day.  That doesn’t seem like much, but for that same $1.50 I can make enough for about a week and a half (that’s a total estimate, as I haven’t done the actual math, but when yams are only $.98 a pound and one yam makes almost 2 trays of food… you get the point).

Here’s my process:

Peel and cut and steam (these are yams – American’s sweet potatoes).

Puree with some of the water from steaming (I think this may put some of the nutrients back in…)

Or I’ll lightly simmer frozen veggies…

And puree those…

Scrape into ice cube trays (that I bought for 50 cents each) and freeze…

Then put them in their own bags and store in the freezer…

I’m by no means an expert on this and haven’t even read a book on the subject, but with as simple as this is, I’m not sure I could mess it up (unless of course I give him ground up peanuts or something like that).  Does it make me think I’m a better Mama because I’m making Kaden’s baby food?  No way.  Just like I don’t think I’m a better Mama for having nursed all my kids. God’s just given me the ability to do these things and I’m running with it.  (I would however think I’m a better mama if I actually grew my own vegetables to make my own baby food… ) 

But I do feel pretty silly for having not tried this before. 

Because, again, it is so easy and cheap.  And now I know my baby’s eating food that was made with fresh veggies and a lotta love (hearing all my readers collectively saying ‘ahhhh’…)