The Lazy Mom's Guide to Homemade Baby Food

Leave it to me to wait until my third baby to make homemade baby food. Isn't it usually the first born who gets the most effort? Not in our house. He gets better quality food and better quality baby pictures. What can I say, I get better with time.

I have no problem with store bought baby food. It is convenient, inexpensive, and did I mention easy? Both of my girls ate store bought baby food, but never for very long. Once I let them self-feed they were done with purees and onto chopped up fruits and veggies that they enjoyed smearing on their faces.

My only issue this time around was taste. A jar of bananas that has been sitting on a grocery store shelf for who knows how long DOES NOT taste the same as a fresh banana. That's just science. Fresh food tastes better and I know exactly what goes into it and into my baby. I want my dude to know what real food tastes like, and baby food does not taste like real food.

So here I was, third time around, making the decision to feed my baby only healthy, fresh food that I have prepared. He has gotten a little baby oatmeal and yogurt a few times, but those are things I cannot make. Well I guess technically I could in theory make my own yogurt. But I'm not going to.

The first natural step for me in the whole baby food making process was to buy just a little bit extra fresh fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I cook them with the dinner I'm already making, or sometimes I just cook them up especially to puree and feed my dude. Either way I'm not doing much extra cooking. I have to feed him anyway, what is a few more minutes to steam some green beans.

Yesterday I made my dude some green beans and some broccoli.

I started with fresh green beans and diced them into smallish pieces. Right after I took this photo.

Then I steamed them. I happen to have a microwave steamer that I bought at Walmart for $6, but you can steam or cook vegetables anyway you want. This works for me because I can walk away from it and it isn't going to overcook or burn.

I typically cook small portions, so I only bought a handful of fresh green beans. Nobody wants to be eating the same food everyday for a week. After the green beans were cooked I set them out to cool, he wasn't going to be eating them immediately so there was no rush. Not all of the steps have to be done at the same time, this isn't that big of a committment.

At this point, while the green beans were cooling, I thought Why not randomly switch the vegetable that you are making right now to broccoli? That won't be confusing at all! I had a container of leftover steamed broccoli in the fridge already, so I grabbed that and added it to my to-do list. Sometimes I just cook a little bit extra of dinner so I can make it into food for Witten. See how I do that, save some time since I already had the broccoli?

So out came the broccoli, and out came the food processor. I just have this little food processor, which is an accessory to an immersion blender I have. If you have a bigger one feel free to cook more veggies at once, but small quantities work for me and my baby food processor.

I added about half of my cooked broccoli, and a fair amount of water. That's the secret here, you aren't going to get the texture you want unless you add some water. You are just going to get finely chopped up vegetables. And you don't have to add water to every puree, some foods naturally contain a little bit more water than others.

I initially added about 1-2 tablespoons of water, then pulsed the broccoli a few times and reassessed.

It needed more water, so I ended up using about 1/4 cup more. Then it was pretty smooth, but the nature of broccoli isn't that smooth, it still had a couple stray sprout guys hanging out. That's okay, my baby is older but I would use a smoother fruit or veggie when they're first starting out, depending on what age you start your baby on solids. My girls got baby food at about 4 months, but I didn't start consistently giving it to Witten until 6 months, which is actually what most doctors will recommend.

I took my final product and divided it into small tupperware containers. I put one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Alternatively you can freeze it in an ice cube tray or something similar and then freeze individual portions. Food stays fresh in the fridge up to 72 hours, but I would toss it after that to prevent the growth of bacteria. It is also recommended that you not feed a baby directly out of the storage container and then reuse that same container of food on another day. The bacteria from the baby's mouth goes straight from the spoon into their food, and just to be on the safe side I always feed my dude out of a separate bowl. Any food that you store in the freezer will last up to about 3 months, but I make mine in such small batches that it doesn't last that long. If you don't freeze any of your purees you will have to make them more frequently.

In my freezer right now I have broccoli, green beans, and some sweet potatoes. None of these things required more than ten minutes of actual "work" from me and they taste so much better than food from a jar. Not that I want to eat pureed broccoli, but I have a full set of teeth.

There are instances where I feed him non-fruits and veggies, like oatmeal or even yogurt. He loves the yogurt, but it has way more sugar in it than any baby needs so I only give him small amounts at a time. He is a fan though. I only buy brands that don't have high fructose corn syrup and have natural ingredients, babies should eat wholesome, healthy foods.

The thing about making your own baby food is that it doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming. I have three kids, am a part-time student, and spend way too much of my day driving back and forth to pick up my kindergartener. My secret to saving time is to break up some of the steps when I have to. I cook extra veggies at dinner to feed to Witten later. Then I can pull those out of the fridge the next day and they're already cooked and chopped, ready to go. If you are eating healthy then feeding your baby healthy should be the next natural step.

I know this may sound like Greek to some people, and I get that. So I'll help a little more, its the least I can do right?

In most cases, if you would eat something cooked, then your baby will eat it cooked. Broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, all of those things need cooked. And some of them can also be bought pre-chopped (that's how I buy squash all the time) and you can steam it in your microwave, right in the bag. When it comes to fruit, some need cooked and others don't. Bananas are probably the only thing I feed him raw at this time, I choose to bake or steam other fruits like apples, pears, or peaches.

Since it is winter the variety of fresh fruits or vegetables on hand is different, and in this case buying frozen alternatives is fine. I never opt for canned though, they won't taste as fresh and many companies add salt. Frozen peaches are great though, so are green beans (and they're already chopped up!).

Steaming vegetables is not rocket science, my steamer even came with a handy little chart. Most vegetables are done in less than ten minutes, just chop them up and stick em in the steamer.

Cook times for most veggies are not too tough to remember:

• Green beans: 8-10 minutes, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• Broccoli: 6-9 minutes
• Carrots: 6-9 minutes
• Cauliflower: 7-13 minutes
• Corn: 1-2 minutes
• Zucchini: 4-7 minutes
• Squash: 6- 8 minutes. I generally buy this in a bag, chopped, and follow the directions on the bag. Don't even need a steamer, you cook it in the bag!

These vegetables should all be cooked until fork tender, if they are undercooked they will not puree the way you want them to.

Other things I choose to roast/bake in the oven instead. Its not any less convenient, and the texture is generally better for some foods if you don't microwave it.

• Sweet potatoes: roast whole, at 350 for about 30 minutes. If you pierce it with a fork prior to cooking it tends to cook faster. Check for doneness after about 25 minutes by squeezing the potato while wearing an oven mitt. It should yield to gentle pressure.
• Apples and pears: peel and roughly chop, then bake in a shallow dish with a little bit of water at 350 for about 35 minutes. They should be soft and are relatively easy to puree.
• Peaches: since it is winter I have only bought frozen, sliced peaches. This does save time since they are peeled and ready to go, but defrost them in a colander with cold running water before you cook them. Bake them in a shallow dish about 25 minutes in a 350 oven or until tender.

Don't add sugar or any sweetener to any of the fruits, especially if you want your kids to like the taste of the fruit or vegetable the way Mother Nature intended. If a fruit is particularly sour then it isn't ripe enough, use something that is going to be better tasting and in season. You can, if you're feeling particularly daring and adventurous, add a little sprinkle of cinnamon to apples, pears, or peaches. You know, if you like to live on the wild side.

Also make a note to steer away from things that babies shouldn't eat until they are at least one, like honey, peanut butter, egg whites, shellfish, and berries. There are plenty of foods that they can have and they like variety just as much as the rest of us. Once my kids get a little bigger I usually give them more table food or whatever we are having for dinner, with emphasis on fruits and vegetables.

At this point my baby is 7 months old, so he will probably only eat purees for another month or so. Once he develops the ability to pick things up with his thumb and forefinger (the pincer grasp) he can start with more self-feeding. Then I will feed him the same things he is already getting, but skip the puree step. I will also add in more meats and some cheese, but not too much dairy. I skip pureed meats of any kind, because gross. He is breastfed, so he doesn't need any extra protein that he isn't getting from breastmilk.

Let's review in case anyone has forgotten anything:

• Cook extra vegetables when you are prepping dinner, you can use the leftovers later to feed your nugget.
• If you don't have any extra cooked veggies on hand, steam or roast a small portion and then you can come back later and puree it. It doesn't have to be done immediately after you cook it.
• Puree the amount that you need, in my case I just do about 3-4 servings at a time, except when it comes to butternut squash because I buy it in a large bag. Stick 1-2 servings in the fridge, then you can freeze what you want to use later.
• When it comes time to defrost, treat the food the same way you would any other food you need defrosted. I put mine in the fridge overnight, but you could also microwave it (on defrost or low power) until it is thawed. Don't leave it sit at room temperature, that is a no-no when defrosting anything.
• Not all baby food needs to be cooked and prepped ahead of time. Mash up some banana or avocado, mix up a little baby oatmeal, or give them some yogurt. Sometimes raw food is fine.

I don't feel like feeding your kids should be time consuming and complicated. You can feed them simple, whole foods without much effort. I promise. If I can do it, and I can be lazier than anyone realizes, then anyone can do it. It doesn't take much more than 5-10 extra minutes, scout's honor.

And you end up with a happy, healthy, satisfied? customer, who still might make faces when eating broccoli.

Everything is Better with M&Ms on it

I shared this picture on Facebook so now I must share the recipe. It would be rude of me not to, because these are so good. Its one part saltiness, one part marshmallow, and of course what dessert is not improved by adding mini M&Ms. If I could I'd share the actual cookies with people because at this point I've eaten way too many. I'm not especially concerned with the weight gain because I'm having a baby next week so what damage could I do at this point. So make these. You won't even dirty a bowl. And they're worth it.

M&M S'mores Bars

12 graham crackers

3/4 cup butter (real butter, don't use margarine, yuck)

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 (ish) cups of mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups (approximately) of M&Ms or mini M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350. Line 15x10 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Line your graham crackers up on your cookie sheet with the sides touching. Melt the butter and brown sugar till smooth and just boiling, stirring constantly. Pour over the crackers and spread out evenly. Bake for 5-6 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. I usually don't measure them, I just sprinkle them where I need them in a single layer and try not to leave any gaps. I don't know if this is more or less than the 4 cups in the recipe, but its not the whole bag. Bake for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the M&Ms. Again I don't measure, because you can put as many or as few on there as you want. And I like to use mini M&Ms because they cover a bigger surface area and you don't use as many. Plus I like the mini ones better. Let the bars cool and eat them.

Recipe originally from Betty Crocker



Make These for Breakfast Tomorrow. Thank Me Later.

I have artfully tuned and worked at my recipe for buttermilk biscuits for a couple of months now. Tweaked it. Gone through several boxes of delicious salted sweet cream butter. Made them several times. Devoured them willingly each time.

Now I believed I've reached biscuit perfection. Biscuit euphoria. My mission in life is complete. Culinary wise anyway.

We happily ate biscuits and gravy for dinner last night. It was yummy. I paced around the kitchen waiting for David to get home because I was hungry and the food was ready. I hate waiting! These biscuits were calling me.

In order to share my happiness with the world, I must also share my recipe. With great power comes great responsibility. Buttermilk biscuits must not be kept to myself.

My pastry cutter and I have become friends while making these biscuits. We used to occasionally quarrel over pie crust, but now we have reconciled to make biscuits.

I like to cube my butter, just to make less work for the pastry cutter.

This is what your dough should look like right before baking. Flaky, with chunks of buttter.

Recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) real butter, salted
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cubed butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Do not overmix it, you want flaky biscuits. Mix in buttermilk and egg, just until moist. Again, if you overmix it, your biscuits will be less flaky and tougher. Less is more with the mixing people. At this point you could drop the dough onto a sheet by the spoonful, or roll it out and cut it into circles, but I like to shape it into a 10 by 5 rectangle, then cut it into 8 - 10 pieces, depending on how big I want the finished product.

Put them on a greased cookie sheet, or line it with parchment paper. Make sure whatever cookie sheet you use has a rim around it, because the large chunks of butter are going to melt, and if it spills over into your oven your house will fill with smoke, then you will have to eat outside. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes for smaller biscuits, or 11 - 13 for larger biscuits. You can brush the finished product with melted butter, but they hardly need it. They have 1 1/2 sticks of butter in them already people, adding more butter is redundant.

If you wanna change things up a little bit, add 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes. Yummy!

I snuck a bite. Mmmm.

We topped these with some sausage gravy that I whipped up, but they're also good with a little egg or what-not on them, as a breakfast sandwich. Or just eat them as leftovers the next day. I do.

A Ban on Scissors and a Cookie Intervention

Alana has done what I've been told every kid does: took scissors to her own hair. The sad thing is she had my permission to use scissors, and I was no more than ten feet away at the sink. She chopped of a chunk on the side of her head, then tried to sneak past me to hide it in the trash. When I looked in the trash, after a little digging, I found a big chunk of brown curls. I suppose it could've been worse, it could've been at her hairline. At least her curls disguise it a little bit. Now scissors have been banned, if not for life, at least for a while.

While she was doing that, I was doing something super important. Making delicious cookie ice cream sandwiches. I might be addicted. They are so good! Even David, who doesn't have 1/3 of the sweet tooth that I have, loves them. As long as I make his with cookies and cream ice cream.

There are a few handy tricks to keep in mind when you're making these, or you'll end up with a cookie you can't bite through, or ice cream squishing out on to your hands.

Important tips:
Underbake your cookies. Try this recipe. Our Best Bites rules! They should be barely set around the edges, and still super gooey in the middle. If you don't do this, your cookie will be too hard to bite through when it's frozen.
Pre-freeze your cookies. After they've cooled, put them on a plate in a single layer, till they're nice and solid. That way when you put your ice cream on them they won't break.
Soften your ice cream. Don't let it melt or microwave it till it's all runny, but let it set at room temp for about 10 - 15 minutes, so you can spread it on your cookies without too much effort. No one tell my dad, but sometimes I microwave ice cream, he hates that!
Freeze the entire finished product, individually wrapped in plastic wrap, till the ice cream is solid again. If you're impatient and don't let them sit, ice cream will come out the sides everytime you try to take a bite. Then you'll have it all over your hands instead of between your cookies.
Eat it. It will be delicious.

My personal favorite. Plain old vanilla with a chocolate chip cookie. Yum.

David prefers the cookie, plus cookies and cream. Whatever floats your boat.

Eleven Years in the Making

The year 2000 was an important one for me. I turned 18. Graduated from high school. Got a job. Not a prestigious job, but still a job. Someone has to feed all the people who are too lazy to make their own food right?

I started working at Wendy's in June of 2000 and for a while I was in pita heaven. To me, the pitas were the best thing on the menu. They were unique. They were delicious. They were semi-healthy and vegetarian friendly. I didn't eat red meat as part of some punk alternative lifestyle I had embraced at that point in my life, so they were perfect for me at a place that mostly sold hamburgers.

Then, fast food tradegy struck. The worst possible thing that Wendy's could do. They were phasing out the pita to make room for more salads. I hate salad. Even though the pitas were kind of salad, they were wrapped in warm soft carbs, which made them edible. I'm still mad.

I was devastated. I hoarded the leftover bread in my freezer so I could make my own. But when that supply ran out, I was left pita-less. Years passed. I tried every new pita bread that Walmart put out. They were never the same. They weren't soft. They were stale. They left a pita-shaped hole in me that couldn't be filled.

Till Friday. I was innocently browsing one of my favorite recipe blogs, Mel's Kitchen Cafe, when I clicked on a wrap bread link from a recipe she had posted before. I was intrigued. Could this end my pita quest? I wrote it down, bought the only ingredient I didn't have on hand, and yesterday, I made it. Its the BEST PITA BREAD EVER! Its soft. Its salty. Its delicious. I made them a second time. I've eaten two today.

Now my life is complete. The pita-shaped hole in my heart is filled.

***My fave Wendy's pita was the Chicken Caesar. Its just this yummy bread, grilled diced chicken, romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, and a caesar dressing. I like Kraft Caesar Vinaigrette, because it tastes just like what Wendy's put on their pitas. Wrap it up like a soft taco and enjoy!

The Art of the Ghetto Milkshake

Two facts about me:

I do in fact own a blender.
Sometimes I'm lazy.

Sometimes I get a hankering for a good, thick chocolate milkshake. Yes, I just said hankering. No, I'm not making any apologies.

It is my personal belief, but also a tried and true fact, that the only proper way to make a chocolate milkshake is with chocolate ice cream. None of this nonsense that Dairy Queen and some other restaurants do with the vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Except Denny's. They make a mean chocolate milkshake with actual chocolate ice cream. They even give you the extra. For these reasons Denny's will always hold a special place in my heart. I'll even forgive them for their new thin sliced bacon.

If you really love chocolate milkshakes, like me, then you're a purist who will only consume them when prepared with chocolate ice cream. If you go out of your way at the movies or Disneyland to get a perfect wonderful delicious milkshake, and then pay upwards of five dollars for it, then you're a true milkshake aficionado.

Sometimes at home I have the desire for a chocolate milkshake. I have the ingredients. Who doesn't keep chocolate ice cream on hand at all times? But I have one major problem. I don't want to get out, then wash the blender. So I do the only natural thing. I make a ghetto milkshake.

To make a ghetto milkshake: scoop desired amount of ice cream into a cup. Nobody tell my dad I soften ice cream in the microwave first. He hates that! Add milk till it touches the top of the ice cream, depending on how thick you like it. Get a fork. Combine the ice cream and milk with the fork, mashing the ice cream up as you go. Drink it.

This saves time and dishsoap. Its also much quieter than getting out your blender and alerting your ice cream sniffing children to what you're doing. You can then eat it at the computer and avoid sharing.

Now if you'll excuse me I think I need a milkshake.

Fried Dough Heaven

Do you feel like your life is incomplete? Do you wonder what is missing from it? I have the answer. Beignets. Fried beautiful pieces of dough completely drenched  lightly dusted in powdered sugar. I've ruined my appetite for dinner with these. Not that I care.

As much as I'd like to take credit for this recipe, I can't. It came from the source of at least half of my recipes. OUR BEST BITES. They are geniuses. Go to them. Learn from their infinite wisdom. Make these. Then add some honey. Yum.

Upon request

Here is my recipe/instructions for Banana Cream Pie. Its really kind of a pudding pie. You could use vanilla Jello pudding (cook and serve, instant is bleck) but I never do. Its not as good.

First thing is first, you need a pie crust. You have two, maybe three options. First, make your own single crust pastry from scratch. Second, buy Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust. Put it in your own glass pie plate and no one will know the difference. Third, buy a graham cracker crust. My favorite choice is number two. I occasionally (ok, most of the time) am too lazy to make my own crust, and the refrigerated kind is pretty good. Its salty and flaky and pretty much all you can ask for from a pie crust.

Anyway, make your pie crust. If you have chosen option number one or two, take a fork and poke small holes around entire bottom and sides of uncooked crust. Bake it at 450 for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Then let it cool for about 30 minutes, about the time it takes to make the filling and let it cool.  If you choose option 3 then you're already good to go.

Additional ingredients.
3/4 sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 Tbs butter or margarine
2 to 3 bananas, sliced

In 2 quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils; boil and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. (Seriously, if you leave it unattended and the milk scorches, throw it away because it will taste nasty. I use a whisk and scrape the bottom of the pan with it constantly, just to be extra careful it doesn't burn.)

Stir about 1/4 cup of hot mixture into egg yolks. Gradually stir yolk mixture back into hot mixture. (If you just throw the eggs in with the hot mixture all at once, they will end up like scrambled eggs. This way cooks them a little slower and keeps them smooth). Cook, stirring constantly, just until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool until lukewarm, about 20 minutes.

Arrange banana slices in cooled baked shell. (A deep dish pie plate will work best so you don't have any leftover filling that won't fit into your crust, but if you do, just eat it. Its delicious.) Pour cooled pudding over bananas. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set. It tastes best cold. You can top it with whipped cream if you want, but I don't think it needs it. Enjoy.

Hand-me-down guess who part 2

A couple of sweet watermelon babies. Which is which?

Double-Coconut Cupcakes

I just made these for Easter tomorrow and I don't know how I'm going to keep from eating them until then. They are so good. I thought the frosting might be too strong with the coconut extract, but its perfect. Wish me luck and extra willpower. Happy Easter!

Can't take a picture of anyone or anything without including Alana.

Cupcakes:

2 cups flaked coconut

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 yellow cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Heat oven to 375. Place paper baking cups in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

In medium bowl, stir 2 cups coconut and milk; set aside.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (3/4 full). Top each with about 1 tablespoon coconut mixture.

Bake 15 to 22 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make coconut cream frosting.

Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 to 3 tablespoons milk

In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, salt and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed until well blended.

Beat in coconut extract and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Gradually beat in just enough of the milk to make frosting spreadable and smooth.

Immediately frost cupcakes. Dip tops of cupcake in toasted coconut.

**To toast coconut bake in a shallow pan at 350 for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

If you like coconut, these will not disappoint you.

Favorite banana muffins

We are currently OBSESSED with these muffins. I've made them at least 4 times in the past week and a half. I only like bananas that have ZERO brown spots on them, so we always have leftover overripe bananas laying around the kitchen. I love to look for recipes on www.allrecipes.com. They have recipes for everything and reviews from people who made them saying whether they're good or not, or what to add to make it a little better. I doctored the recipe a little bit until I liked it. I added honey and cinnamon; and I make them in jumbo muffin cups, but you could make them in any size.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour              3 large bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon baking powder                3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda                   1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt                           1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon                    2 tablespoons honey
                                                   1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners.
I prefer to use non-stick spray because it makes the outside of the muffin a tiny bit crunchy, which I love.
Stir together dry ingredients; set aside.
I don't like banana chunks so I pre-mix the bananas with my mixer, just till they are smooth.
Combine bananas, sugar, egg, butter, honey and vanilla in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix just until smooth. Don't overmix, it won't do anything but harm.
Scoop into muffin pans.
Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, regular muffins about 15 minutes, and jumbo muffins about 20 minutes.
Muffin tops will spring back when lightly tapped.
Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. You can eat them warm or cool.
I like them better when they've cooled off a little bit.