Homemade Applesauce

Comin' at ya with another ridiculously simple, and amazingly delicious recipe!

Let's get right to it:

Ingredients:

3lb bag of Gala apples (I use organic)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop apples into large chunks.

2. Put apples into a large pot (with a lid) and add about 1/3 cup water. 

You really only want to have water that's about 1/4"-1/2" deep on the bottom.

3. Cover pot and simmer apples for about 30-45 minutes. Check the apples somewhat often- you want them to be extremely soft when pierced with a fork.

4. DO NOT strain the apples. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

5. Blend/mash apples to desired consistency. This is where I chose to use our ninja blender, because I wanted a very smooth applesauce. If you want a chunkier apple sauce, you can use a potato masher. You can also use an immersion blender... (I just don't have one...yet...). 

6. ENJOY!

I chose to make homemade applesauce because we go through it like CRAZY in this house. Gavin LOVES it and a lot of times we use it to mix with his carrot purees... to sneak some veggies into the boy! This homemade applesauce tastes a million times better than the store-bought. 

It truly can't be beat!

...especially since it's SO simple to make!

Hope you enjoy!! 

Sweet Potato Puree - Homemade Baby Food

I usually use 2 sweet potatoes when I make Gavin his purees, that way I have plenty to last him quite awhile! But you can use more, or less, depending on how much you want to have on hand!

Here's What I Do:

1. Peel and wash sweet potato. 

2. Cut into small pieces and steam in boiling water until sweet potato is soft when pierced with a fork. Before I strain it, I save a small glass of the water I used to steam the sweet potato, to add while I puree it in the blender. 

3. Using my Ninja Blender I puree the sweet potato until the desired consistency 

(this is when I add the water I set aside, just enough to get  the consistency I want- you can also use breast milk. When you steam the sweet potato, some of the nutrients seep out into the water, which is why I save & use the steamed water versus new, fresh water).  

4. Once pureed, I put it into ice cube trays, and toss it in the freezer. Once frozen, I toss them all into a freezer bag for easy storage!

*Sweet potato is great mixed with apple, pear, banana, carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin, broccoli, and zucchini!

Green Beans & Peas Purees - Homemade Baby Food

These two purees I make separately, but the exact same way.

Super easy!

I use frozen & organic for both.

Here's How I Do It:

1. First I rinse the veggies, then I steam them in boiling water until they are soft and tender.

2. Once cooked, I set aside a small glass of the water I steamed the veggies in (nutrients from the veggies seep out into the water while you steam them) and then strain the veggies. 

3. Blend the veggies until the desired consistency using a food processor or blender. This is when I add the water I set aside to get the desired consistency (you can also use breast milk).

4. Once pureed, I put it into ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen, I transfer it all to freezer bags for easy storage!

There you go, a couple more healthy & easy purees to make for your baby!

Oatmeal - Homemade Baby Food

Banana Oatmeal .... yummm

We chose to completely skip rice cereal with Gavin. Why? Because (long story short) it's totally unnecessary and not at all of any nutritional value!! I wasn't going to feed Gavin something that's just a "filler", and not nutritionally benefiting him. So, his very first foods were avocado, banana and sweet potato (and he LOVED them all!).  

I'm just now introducing him to oatmeal (he's currently 7 months old). 

(I pretty much followed the oatmeal recipe from The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet...I highly recommend this book for anyone who's going to make homemade baby food)

Here's How I Make It:

1. Using thick rolled organic oats (not the "quick cook"!!) I take about 1 cup and blend them in my blender. I blend it until it looks like a powder pretty much. I store the blended oats in a sealed glass container. 1 serving is only 2 tablespoons (which = 1oz)... so blending this amount will last you awhile.

2. In a small pot or sauce pan, I bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil I add in 1/4 cup of the ground up oats, and reduce the heat to a simmer. I use a whisk and stir almost constantly for about 5-10 minutes... until the oatmeal is cooked and soft. The dry "powder" consistency of the oatmeal, turns to a chunky/creamy consistency once cooked! I was surprised the first time! :) 

*Since a single serving is only 2 tablespoons, I put the extra cooked oatmeal in a sealed glass container and store it in the fridge to use over the next few days! 

3. I choose to add banana, peach, apple, or pear to the oatmeal for some added flavor, otherwise the oatmeal itself is pretty bland! After I add in the fruit, if the consistency is too thick, I add some breast milk until I get the consistency I want. 

There you have it. 

Another awesome and easy homemade food for your baby! 

Apple Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Ok, so this is the second kind of apple puree I've made. But this one takes the cake. 

Way better than my other one (I think, and Gavin agrees).

In my other apple puree, I used granny smith apples (less sugar), but they're more sour. They're not bad mixed with other fruits, or sweet potatoes, but they're still not the best tasting apples for a baby that's getting used to new tastes!

This time, I used Gala apples. Wow. Delicious. 

I also chose to blend them raw (preserving all of the nutrients) instead of steaming them to get them tender before pureeing them. Easier, and healthier! Woo hoo!

I used 5 Gala apples and got 1 1/2 ice cube trays worth of puree.

What To Do:

1. Peel apples and cut into small pieces. 

2. Puree until desired consistency, using blender or food processor. I use our Ninja blender (we got it from Target), single-serve option. It works AMAZING!!!

3. Pour into ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags for easy storage!

ENJOY!!

*PS... apple mixes good with pear, butternut squash, carrots, banana and sweet potato

Why I Chose Homemade Baby Food

If you're debating on whether or not to make your own baby food- then this post will be great for you!

Honestly, this should be a really short & sweet post, but I'm sure it won't be (knowing me).

Here it is:

I chose to make my own baby food for Gavin because I believe:

1. It's healthier

2. It's cheaper.

3. It's easy.

See. I could end my post right here.... but of course that'd be no fun. 

So let me dig deeper into each of those reasons for you :)

1. It's healthier. 
Store bought baby food (yes, even organic) has a shelf life of roughly 2 years. How is this achieved? By sterilization. How is sterilization accomplished? Well by heating the food to very high temperatures to ensure food safety. Well, during this process, the extreme heat destroys vitamins and nutrients- which also results in a change of taste (in my opinion, for the worse!). Homemade baby food is higher in nutrients since you prepare it by lightly steaming/cooking the foods, preserving the majority of the nutrients. A lot of ripe fruits can even be pureed WITHOUT cooking- which leaves ALL the nutrients intact! 

2. It's cheaper. 
(hold it right there- if you're anything like me, that just sold you. Yup, it saves you $$$)
Store bought baby food can cost two to three times more than home made baby food! The way I save the most money when it comes to making my own baby food, is making it in large batches and freezing it. The money you spend on jars of store bought baby food adds up.

3. It's easy.
I honestly am surprised at how easy it's been making all of the homemade baby food purees that I have! I have yet to make a baby food puree that takes longer than 20 minutes, from start to finish (that even includes the time it takes for me to toss it all in the freezer, and clean up my counters!)!
MOST of the baby foods I make only take about 10-15 minutes. It usually consists of cleaning the fruits/veggies, steaming/cooking them (sometimes you don't even have to do that!), tossing them in the blender for a few seconds, and then putting it into an ice cube tray to be frozen! *PS..remember how in the "It's Healthier" reason, I said with some purees you don't even have to steam/cook them?! Yes, that's right. Some of them are as simple as tossing them in a blender, and that's it!! Trust me, if it wasn't easy... I wouldn't say it is! (and I most likely wouldn't be doing it myself!)
Another thing to remember is you're baby doesn't eat pureed foods for very long...it's not long before they move onto finger foods, etc. So it's not like you'll be making puree's for your child forever! It's actually something I enjoy doing too! It's fun (because it's easy & it's saving me $$!).

Yes, making your own baby food is a little more work than going to the store, tossing the baby food jar in the cart, taking it home, popping open the jar, and feeding it to your baby.

But, homemade baby food really isn't a whole lot more work once it's made and frozen. Every morning (first thing) I take out the puree cubes that I plan to feed to Gavin that day, and toss them in the fridge to thaw. That way, when it's time to feed him they're ready to go! Sometimes I'll still warm them up- just like you sometimes would with a leftover jar of store bought baby food you've had in the fridge.

So when it all comes down to it, making your own baby food really isn't that much work- or as much work as a lot of people think!

For myself, the biggest benefit of doing it all is knowing exactly what's in my baby's food and knowing it's as nutritious as can be!

If making your own baby food is something you're interested in- I say give it a try!

Check out my homemade baby food recipes HERE!

PS...for all of my baby food purees I use my NINJA BLENDER, single-serve option (we bought ours from Target).

Cauliflower Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Another great food choice for your baby, cauliflower is packed with all kinds of nutrients!!

Like broccoli, it has a stronger taste, so it probably shouldn't be one of your babies first foods! 

*Helpful hint: cauliflower mixes good with other baby food purees including apples, broccoli, green beans, peas, squash and zucchini. I've seen some suggestions where they recommend waiting until your baby is 8-10 months before introducing cauliflower, but others say it can be introduced at 6 months. Like any other aspect of parenting, do your research and decide for yourself I guess ;) 

(the reason for waiting to introduce it until later has to do with digestion- it can cause some gas which isn't always pleasant for younger babies, as well as it's stronger taste)

So here you go:

1. Wash and cut cauliflower florets into small pieces.

2. Steam cauliflower. This only takes about 10 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be soft when pierced with a fork. *Save a small glass of the water you used from steaming your cauliflower to thin your puree... or breast milk is another great option*

3. Puree cauliflower to desired consistency. Use a blender or food processor. (I use our Ninja blender single-serving option)

4. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, transfer cubes to freezer bags for easy storage!

ENJOY!

*PS... Cauliflower mixes good with carrot & sweet potato.

Broccoli Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Broccoli.... why give your baby broccoli?? Well here you go:First, look at the nutrients broccoli contains: vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A (from beta-carotene), B vitamins, fiber, calcium, iron, folate (folic acid), omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, protein...and more! 

Second, it really boosts your baby's immune system and it has anti-inflammatory properties! 

No wonder it's considered a super food!

So here you go:

1. Cut off broccoli stems and cut broccoli into small pieces. 

(if you're like me, you'll throw the broccoli stems out in your yard for the bunnies that live under your shed....yes, they love me....Harley the dog, not so much)

2. Steam broccoli. This doesn't take long, 5-10 minutes only. You just want the broccoli to be soft when you pierce it with a fork. Save a small glass of the water that you used for steaming the broccoli, to thin the puree (nutrients seep out of the broccoli into the water, which is why you want to use this water vs new water...or breast milk is always an option too).

3. Puree broccoli to desired consistency. Use a blender or food processor. 

I use my Ninja Blender's single-
serving option. Works like magic.

4. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags for easy storage!

*Helpful hint: broccoli has a strong taste (don't we all know) so it's not always a baby's favorite food...at first. Try mixing your broccoli puree with sweet potato or pumpkin purees to make it much more yummy for your baby!*

ENJOY!!

PS...Broccoli mixes good with sweet potato & pumpkin

Butternut Squash Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Gavin LOVES squash! It's one of his absolute favorite foods!

I used one medium sized butternut squash, and I got 2 1/2 ice cube trays worth of puree! It also only took a total of 20 minutes from start to finish.

Can I also just quick say that the difference in the taste & even coloration of homemade baby food vs store bought baby food is CRAZY! My husband even commented on it (and that's coming from a guy, so it's obviously quite apparent...). But if you're undecided on whether or not you want to make your own baby food, let me just say: 1: it's super easy, and 2: compare the two and then decide which you'd rather feed your baby!! Way better taste when it's homemade! Anyway......

Here ya go!

1. Peel squash. 

2. Cut squash in half and get rid of seeds.

3. Cut into small pieces and steam. 

This took about 10-15 minutes.

4. Let cool & puree. 

I saved a small glass of the water that I steamed the squash in (nutrients from the squash will seep out into the water- so it's best to use the water you steamed it in, or breast milk), and added about 2 Tbsp of it when I pureed the squash to get the desired consistency. 

As I've said in the majority of my previous homemade baby food posts, I use my Ninja blender single serving option to blend my purees (highly recommend it), but any blender or food processor will work! 

5. Freeze in ice cube trays & once frozen, store in freezer bags!

Enjoy!

*PS... Butternut squash mixes good with apple & pumpkin

Zucchini Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Another super easy & nutritious food to make for your baby! It took all me all of 15 minutes to make this puree, start to finish!! 

(Using 3 medium organic zucchini, once pureed, I got almost 2 ice-cube trays worth of baby food)

*When preparing zucchini, DO NOT PEEL THE SKIN!!! The skin of the zucchini actually contains the majority of the nutrients!! *

1. Wash zucchini & cut off ends. 

2. Cut zucchini into small pieces.

3. Steam zucchini. This doesn't take long- it only took about 5 minutes and it was done.

4. Puree zucchini. I use my Ninja blender (the single size option) and puree it until the desired consistency. You shouldn't have to add any water/breast milk to thin the puree, the zucchini is quite juicy on it's own. 

5. Freeze. I freeze all of my baby food purees in ice cube trays, and once they're frozen I transfer them to a freezer bag! 

Makes for super easy & organized storage! 

:) 

There you go!! 

*PS... Zucchini mixes good with sweet potato, carrot & pumpkin

*Pear Puree* - Homemade Baby Food

What You Need:

Pear(s) (I use organic)

Blender/Food processor

1. Wash & peel pears. 

2. Cut into small pieces.

3. Add pears to small pot of boiling water, reduce heat and then simmer until pears are soft. (I used very ripe pears, so I probably only simmered them for 5 minutes, and they were ready)

4. Let pears cool slightly, then blend until desired consistency 

(I use the Ninja blender single size attachment for all of my purees. With pears, they're juicy enough that you don't need to add any water, or breast milk, it ends up decently runny all on it's own).

5. Put pear puree into an ice cube tray to freeze. Once frozen, toss into a freezer bag for easy storage!

There you go! Another delicious food choice for your sweet baby! 

:)

Enjoy!

*PS... pear mixes good with sweet potato, apple, carrots, blueberries, and pumpkin

*Banana Puree* - Homemade Baby Food

Yummmmm

Ok, it does NOT get easier than this.

All you need is a banana (I use organic) and a blender/food processor. Yup, it's that simple!

Toss the banana into the blender/food processor and blend until it's the right puree consistency. 

I didn't need to add any breast milk to thin it- the banana itself gets good & creamy. 

(When making my homemade baby food purees, I use a Ninja Blender...specifically the single serving attachment. It makes the most PERFECT purees- perfectly creamy and no chunks that get left behind! I highly recommend it!)

Once you have your banana pureed, pour it into an ice cube tray to freeze. Once frozen- store in freezer bags! 

*I used two bananas, and once pureed, I got 10 cubes out of it*

  

*PS... banana mixes good with avocado, sweet potato, pumpkin, peach, blueberry, watermelon, and plain yogurt (full fat)

Apple Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Apple Puree

What You Need:

1 Apple (I used a granny smith)

Food processor

What To Do:

Peel the apple.

Chop the apple into small pieces (the smaller the pieces, the faster they cook).

Boil the apple until soft (I brought it to a boil, then reduced the heat and let it simmer until done).

Strain and toss the apple into a food processor.

*UPDATE: Instead of using a food processor, now I always use my Ninja Blender single-serve option*

Blend the apple until smooth.

I used a Tablespoon and spooned the apple puree into small balls onto a small cookie sheet covered with freezer paper.

Pop them in the freezer!

Once frozen I put the puree balls into a freezer bag for easy storage!

SO simple!

*PS... apple mixes good with pear, butternut squash, carrots, banana and sweet potato

CHECK OUT MY *UPDATED* (and favorite) APPLE PUREE POST HERE!

Avocado Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Avocado Baby Food Puree

Making your own baby food is super simple! Give this one a try!

Avocado is a great first food option for babies.

They are rich in Omega-3

They have a mild flavor

They have a creamy texture- easy for babies with no teeth ;)

What You Need:

4 very ripe avocados

Breast milk (I use it to thin the puree)

What To Do:

Slice & pit the avocado.

Using a food processor or blender- blend the avocado until smooth.

I prefer to use our Ninja blender.

I used to just use a tablespoon and put the purees into little balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet. 

*I have found it's much easier just to use an ice cube tray!*

Each cube = 1 oz.

Toss the ice cube tray into the freezer.

Once the puree's are frozen, I transfer them all into a freezer bag for easier storage.

*Using 4 avocados- I'm usually able to fill 1 ice cube tray*

*PS... Avocado mixes good with banana, cantaloupe, and plain yogurt (full fat)