soooo...since i've started my little nutritional adjustment, my fridge and kitchen have changed quite a bit. i also go to the store A LOT more.
it's tough keeping delicious, fresh produce.
but...i'm making it our new normal, so a couple of trips to the grocery store a week is just how it has to go.
as i was saying, since i have glorious, fresh produce on hand much more often these days, and since sawyer is eating more and more solid food, i decided i was going to dabble in making her food.
those pouches she was downing aren't cheap. if you get them on sale they can still be $1.30 p/pouch...and if girlfriend is eating two a day...and kaye snacks on one, that's nearly $4 p/day on pouches. multiply that for the month and you're looking at a $120 bill.
this is all to say - i have zero clue how much it costs me to make sawyer's food, but it HAS to be cheaper than the pouches, right? i sure hope so.
today i'm sharing some of sawyer's favorite blends i've put together...and people, it's so easy. a lot of times i just use what we're already eating and either add in something i think is missing or omit the food she isn't eating yet...like dairy.
i use the baby bullet around these parts.
honestly, it gets the job done, but i'm SURE there are better food processors out there.
i bought this used one amazon for like...$30. if i had spent the full price i would be pissed.
what i don't like? it's small and i usually have to shake it to get the food completely blended. whatever...it gets it done.
the storage containers have a handy date // twist system so you know when you made the food. this is good for me since food tends to get pushed to the back of our fridge.
i think it's safe to say this food didn't last very long. sawyer had it down the hatch in a matter of moments.
all in all...i'm basically like the very best baby food chef ever. basically.
sawyer loves the blends...and kaye will now eat food i never could get her to before, like avocado.
(who doesn't like avocado?!)
have you dabbled in baby food making? if so, i'd love some more recipe ideas!
it's tough keeping delicious, fresh produce.
but...i'm making it our new normal, so a couple of trips to the grocery store a week is just how it has to go.
as i was saying, since i have glorious, fresh produce on hand much more often these days, and since sawyer is eating more and more solid food, i decided i was going to dabble in making her food.
those pouches she was downing aren't cheap. if you get them on sale they can still be $1.30 p/pouch...and if girlfriend is eating two a day...and kaye snacks on one, that's nearly $4 p/day on pouches. multiply that for the month and you're looking at a $120 bill.
this is all to say - i have zero clue how much it costs me to make sawyer's food, but it HAS to be cheaper than the pouches, right? i sure hope so.
today i'm sharing some of sawyer's favorite blends i've put together...and people, it's so easy. a lot of times i just use what we're already eating and either add in something i think is missing or omit the food she isn't eating yet...like dairy.
the blend shown below is the blueberry + avocado + baby spinach.
if you ever happen to blend this up, baby or not, it's good. it's creamy. you're going to love it. i was seriously shocked at how creamy avocado makes food.
the only downfall to using avocado in recipes is that it browns quickly and gets an old taste. know the one i'm talking about?
but, if your babe is like my sawyer...the food will be gone in a blink.
no bad avocado taste around here.
honestly, it gets the job done, but i'm SURE there are better food processors out there.
i bought this used one amazon for like...$30. if i had spent the full price i would be pissed.
what i don't like? it's small and i usually have to shake it to get the food completely blended. whatever...it gets it done.
i think it's safe to say this food didn't last very long. sawyer had it down the hatch in a matter of moments.
sawyer loves the blends...and kaye will now eat food i never could get her to before, like avocado.
(who doesn't like avocado?!)
pin me!
Thank you for sharing! My Little is past this stage so I sent it to my sister in law! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't like avocado, but I do like saving money.... and I'm pretty sure you are doing exactly that... while also keeping that babe happy and healthy!
ReplyDeleteI made my son's food too when he was a bitty! (Now I take the fruit/veggie pouches with me on the go since they're super convenient, and he's learned how to suck the goods out without a spoon!) When I made his food, I used an immersion blender (I think I got it for $30 at Costco). It was super easy to use and clean, I loved it! And I used the baby food cookbook Sage Spoonfuls (available on Amazon); it was a God-send to me since I was clueless when it came to making baby food, and it offered great tips and combos. I would make single-ingredient batches on grocery day (whole batch of just carrots or just blueberries, for example), then freeze portions in ice cube trays (once frozen, I stored the cubes in labeled Ziplocs in the freezer). When mealtimes came around, I would thaw and combine cubes based on suggestions in the book. Super easy!
ReplyDeleteWe haven't done blends yet, but our lil guy LOVES to eat whole foods. Just gums them to his hearts content! I have a few ice cube trays full of single purees, but I'm going to keep these recipes on hand for future use. I wonder how avocado will freeze?
ReplyDeleteHi!! New reader here. :) I'm Laureen, and I have a 7 month old/baby #2 also!! I was hoping you'd post about making your own food as I noticed you mentioned it previously. I've been trying to some here and there, but not near as 'creative' as you. I just bought some frozen organic veggies, steamed, food-processed and froze in cubes (hardly counts as 'homemade'). Haha, poor second baby!! :) I just need someone to tell me what to do, so we'll be trying these combos very soon, thanks for sharing!! Looks delish. We love avocado!!
ReplyDeleteMy Snuggle Muffin Caleb is 9 months (tomorrow - queue mommy tears) and he is obsessed with Banana Avacado. It freezes well also if you make a big batch. He also loves Broccoli Pear and all berries mixed in his oatmeal. I know that fresh is best, but getting mango is a pain for me so I buy the bag of frozen cubes at SAMS club and let him gnaw away on those as well. I have made all of his food from day one (well 5-6 months old) and it is so much cheaper! The Gerber/pouches are great for going out, but when you are at home, I always recommend to make your own for cost savings alone. I love the combos you suggested up above as well and will definitely be trying them out for my Snuggle Muffin. I have heard Kale is great for them. Have you tried at all? I'm nervous to make it for him. I don't know what will go well with it.
ReplyDeleteLife as a Hughes
One of my guy's favorite blends is blueberries, steamed carrots, steamed green beans, and pears. Yum! I agree, this has to be cheaper, but we still keep a few pouches/jars of the organic stuff on hand for when we're out and about. They're handy, but way over priced!
ReplyDeleteOh my glob she is so precious!!!
ReplyDeletePear was SUCH a hit for my first daughter.. I'm actually really excited to start making baby food again!
ReplyDeleteThat is sooooo cool & if I would ever get pregnant, I would be one to make my own baby food. I would like to know what is going in my baby's mouth & the only way to know for sure, is if I make it. Nice work, girlie, Sawyer seems to really like it...or her face does anyway. Ha, ha! :)
ReplyDeleteMandie ~ http://badbrewpack.blogspot.com/
Sending this to my sister! Great informational post!
ReplyDeleteI feel like I would totally eat this as normal food haha it looks good and is healthy!!! so if you add some lemon juice to avocado, it preserves it and doesn't brown! I use to work in a sandwich shop (worst job ever) BUT I learned that little trick! cause there's nothing worst than brown avocado. bleh. and it didn't make it taste lemony, either. sawyer is quite the little cutie!
ReplyDeletexo, Candace | Lovely Little Rants
Those don't sound half bad, even has grown up food! If there is avocado in something, I will try it! I never made my own baby food for my little guy, but I do love making him smoothies now- these recipes would be good for those as well with a few additions!
ReplyDeleteI'm making baby food for my son now and it definitely is a money saver. I make it in big batches (using a regular blender) and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once they're frozen, I pop them out and store them in ziplock bags in the freezer. My boy's a big eater and he'll go through 8-9 cubes at a meal. I do all the prep about once a month. For fruit, I buy bags of flash frozen fruit- all you have to do is thaw and blend. For bananas, I toss a hand of them in the freezer and then thaw and blend the next night.
ReplyDeleteFor veggies, I just roast or steam them, then blend and freeze. I do the mixing when I serve the meal- 1 cube of spinach with 3-4 cubes of white sweet potatoes, for example. I've been using this website for ideas (it's great for beans and veggies you might not think of):
http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/
Good luck on the baby food front!