BANANARAMA!

"Wooo-woooo," indeed.

Another classic baby food!  Obviously I don’t recommend feeding fruits like bananas until the baby has reached 6 months—as directed by my pediatrician, What To Expect, & Your Baby’s First Year books—for a couple of reasons: 1.) Babies don’t need to get used to sweeter-tasting things early on because it will be harder for them to eat non-sweet items like vegetables later.  Babies do love sweets so it’s easy to want to give them first, but when you get your first face full of spit-out peas you’ll wish you hadn’t. :/  AND, 2.) The high sugar content in fruits like bananas make them harder to digest in tiny tummies so you can end up with gas & *GASP!* fussiness.  I’m not going to say to not do it at all because it’s your choice, but babies develop a taste for sweet things very quickly.  Just saying…

Bananas are a staple fruit for sure.  They’re portable (well, unless you’re packing a tree around most fruits are, but you get my point.) they’re convenient, they’re nutritious, they’re CHEAP.  At around $0.55 a pound you can always afford a good banana.  They’re also one of the simplest fruits to turn into baby food.  Bananas are packed with potassium*, vitamin C, fiber, & omega-6 fatty acids^….  (Omega 6 fatty acids & other “essential fatty acids” are important in food because the body is incapable of making them itself, but they’re necessary for us to live!)  Unfortunately they’re also packed with sugar, but everything in moderation!  They’re natural sugars, but I’m always going to stress to vary your child’s diet once you’ve weeded out the food allergies.  Preparation couldn’t be easier!  The older your child gets, the less time you spend making a banana!  Early on it’s pureed, later it’s mashed, later it’s cut up into chunks, and even later you just peel it!  Ahh, convenience.

So here’s the lowdown on potassium & babies: Babies need at least 500mg of potassium each day according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.  One serving of this banana puree (half a medium banana) has roughly 300-400mg of potassium.  Sweet!  Potassium is necessary for all cell function in the human body.  Like salts, potassium is an electrolyte & electrolytes are crucial for electrical impulses to make their way through the body from the brain.  These impulses are needed for absolutely every bodily function including the heartbeat & breathing.  Anyone who has too little potassium, infant or adult, runs the risk of their heart stopping.  It’s an easy vitamin to get in your diet & even easier with potassium-rich foods such as bananas, avocados, and cantaloupe.  That is by no means a complete list!

Babies love bananas, so I promise your little munchkin will love this recipe!


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½ medium, ripe banana (a few brown spots)

¼ cup warm water

Cut banana into chunks, put in food processor, pulse a few times, adding warm water periodically until puree reaches desired consistency.  You can also push it through a food mill & add water if needed.  If any chunks remain, you can push the mixture through a sieve, but chances are they are going to be small enough for a child over 6 months.  Honestly doesn’t get easier than that!
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Peace & Baby-Love,

Elias's mommy

*If your baby has suffers from hyperkalemia, talk to your pediatrician about his/her intake of foods containing lots of potassium.

^… To get more information on Omega-6 fatty acids & their role in the body, check this out! http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-6-000317.htm

Sources: http://www.webmd.com; http://www.umm.edu (University of Maryland Medical Center); “What to Expect: The First Year” book by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, & Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N.

Wouldn't sound half as good if they were "apple-rama"
or "tomato-rama."

Don't let sleeping babies lie! (keeping up milk supply)

I’m not a lactation consultant, nor am I a midwife, but I could definitely tell you what not to do while breastfeeding!  From a dwindling supply to a poor latch, I’ve experienced some of the crappiest parts of breastfeeding from the day Elias was born.  Yes, breastfeeding can be easy for some & your baby may take to it like a duck to water, but more-often-than-not it will be a bit tough, especially in the beginning.  Never fear though, the bonding & health benefits seriously outweigh the frustration of a “lazy baby” or your milk supply going down.

Step 1: Don’t let sleeping babies lie

As a severely-exhausted mother of a 5-month-old, I can tell you how easy it was to let my little man sleep through the night.  I even have a lot of help from Drew, but any amount of sleep I can get is golden.  However, when my milk supply began to take a nosedive, I realized one of the reasons was because I wasn’t nursing in the middle of the night.  I would either give him pumped bottles or he’d just sleep through his feedings.  Once your breasts feel like they don’t have to produce during that time, they’ll begin to stop making as much milk.  Breast milk is pretty smart; your body will automatically adjust to your baby’s needs & when milk doesn’t seem to be needed as much it will quickly change to suit baby.

Step 2: Don’t use a pump too much

Though this did help me a lot when Elias was first born –he wasn’t latching at all & a few rounds with a bottle seemed to help him suck a little better.  Poor guy was in the NICU for a few days for fluid in his lungs— I took advantage of the convenience & ease of pumping breast milk.  I had always read that breast pumps stimulated the breasts & helped women produce more milk, but lo & behold I think that was clever marketing.  Not only are the cheaper breast pumps not effective enough to mimic a baby’s suckle, even the priciest ones are no replacement for the baby stimulating the breasts early on.  Once I stopped using the pumps as much, my supply actually did go up!  I heard this from my lactation consultant early on in the game & I’ll bet she was super-frustrated that I didn’t seem to listen.  I don’t doubt for a second that my exhaustion played a big part in me not nursing him at the breast more.  I also heard this from his pediatrician.

Step 3: Don’t formula-feed/”supplement” unless absolutely necessary

Many pediatricians are quick to say “you need to supplement” when your baby isn’t gaining exactly what he/she should be.  There’s nothing scarier than the prospect of a “failure to thrive” label for your baby, so you listen when the doctor says your baby isn’t big enough.  How could you not?  You’d feel like a horrible mother if you didn’t do everything you thought was right!  If you are presented with this suggestion (or order!) don’t be afraid to ask if it’s absolutely necessary.  There might be another solution to your baby’s weight gain.  Also, breastfed babies are naturally skinnier than their bottle-fed counterparts.  Breast milk changes from thin & watery to slightly thicker & fattier during feeding, formula is just fatty through-and-through, so of course it makes chubby babies.  That’s about the only nutritional benefit to formula, and who said that was a benefit at all??  Obviously if you have concerns about your baby’s development you should talk to your pediatrician.  Hopefully you’re one of the lucky ones who have a pediatrician who is just as committed to breastfeeding!  I listened & supplemented, as I thought a good mother should.  WRONG!  Still regret doing that.

Step 4: Don’t diet after giving birth

After baby is born, the first thing you might want to do is go on a diet to lose all of that baby weight ASAP.  You don’t feel like  yourself because you’re still not back to your pre-baby weight, but just let it go for now.  You’ve spent months feeling like a whale, you can go a little while longer feeling a bit pudgy.  If you lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to cut what it feels like are non-essential resources such as breast milk.  It’s no surprise that when your body goes into “starvation mode” it will stop doing things that make it burn even more calories –such as breastfeeding!  Believe me, you’ll be running around & doing so much stuff the pounds will melt off.  Breastfeeding alone burns about 200-500 calories per day!  Of course if you were overweight or obese before you were pregnant, you need to talk to your doctor about the risk/benefits of losing weight while nursing.  If you are nursing you should not consume less than 1500 calories a day; sometimes no less than 1800.  Again, I made that mistake.  I didn’t eat nearly enough & noticed a drastic change when I stopped eating as much & ESPECIALLY not drinking enough water.

Step 5: Don’t nurse when you’re frustrated

Babies are rather intuitive when it comes to their mommy’s mood.  If you decide to nurse when you are too frustrated, chances are the mood will shift to baby & he will forget that feeding is supposed to be a wonderful bonding experience between the two of you.  Nursing will no longer be “fun.”  I didn’t nurse when I was frustrated, but I was told by a nurse while feeding in the NICU that I need to offer my son lots of praise, stroking his hair, kisses, etc. while he is feeding so he will enjoy himself.  Also, if you start to associate nursing with frustration you’ll be less-likely to do it as well!  It seems like a no-brainer to hug & kiss your baby while nursing, but during things like colic, post-partum depression, your period returning, you sometimes don’t feel like loving on anyone.  And no, you’re not a bad mother for that & you’re not crazy.

So how in the WORLD am I still nursing after making all of those mistakes??  I am taking Fenugreek, drinking “Mother’s Milk” tea (which can be found in health food stores & online), and Blessed Thistle as well as drinking lots of water.  I also spoke with my lactation consultant who gave me further instructions for pumping & supplementing with a feeding tube.  I would share those things, but in the case of a severely-reduced supply, you need to speak to a doctor/midwife/lactation specialist yourself so they can tailor a plan to your needs.

Okay, so here’s a list that will probably get a few eye-rolls because it’s nothing most women don’t already know.  Here are some BIGGIES when it comes to what not to do when nursing & trying to keep up your supply:

-DO NOT SMOKE.

-LIMIT CAFFEINE INTAKE.

-ALCOHOL: VERY LITTLE TO NONE AT ALL.

-ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THE RISK/BENEFITS OF TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS WHILE BREASTFEEDING, INCLUDING WHETHER THEY WILL REDUCE YOUR SUPPLY.

-DO NOT USE A FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL THAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR WOMEN   WHO ARE NURSING.

Peace, love, & breastfeeding!

-Elias’s mommy

Note: These suggestions are meant as tools to help you keep up your supply & are not intended to be used as a substitution for seeking professional help.  If you are having severe problems with breastfeeding or pain in your breasts contact your doctor/midwife/lactation consultant.


Midwife/Lactation consultant: Susan Fischels; Trover Center for Women's Health
Midwife: Sarah Almon; Trover Center for Women's Health
Pediatricians: Dr. Rennan Quijano & Dr. Angell Suarez; Pediatric Health Group

(These are just the names of the specialists from which I received advice. This is not an endorsement by them.)

Baby Miralax: Prune Puree! *stages 1&2*

The humble prune.  I mean, dried plum.

A few years ago our tax dollars were put to good use by the Supreme Court proposing we do away with the word “prune” & replace it with the more appealing, dare I say “sexier” name: “dried plums.”  In this case I think I would have to agree because the purpose was to get people to eat more prunes. After years of considering them a food for old fogies, they didn’t seem as appetizing with their old, wrinkly nomenclature.  If you’ve noticed, prune popularity is on the rise & manufacturers are taking more measures to keep them moist & delicious, so now would be the best time to make prune baby food! 

So let’s get to the elephant in the room here. The biggest reason why we reach for prune baby food:  CONSTIPATION.  This is another reason prunes get a bad rap.  Everyone associates prunes with nearly-instantaneous bouts of gas & seemingly-uncontrollable bowel movements.  Who would want to eat something that makes you think of POO??  Yes, prunes are fantastic at giving our bodies a good nudge when things aren’t “moving along,” but they’re less laxative & more a way to keep you “regular.”  However, they seem to work wonders in babies who are stopped up whether it’s from a new formula, new veggie, etc.

WHEN CAN BABY HAVE PRUNES?  

Due to the high sugar content in prune puree, it’s not recommended that babies under 6 months eat prunes on a regular basis.  Yes, baby food companies do have “stage 1” prunes, but any pediatrician worth his/her salt will tell you to limit those servings to a couple of times a week or small amounts at a time.  Babies any younger can experience gassiness & fussiness.  However, if your baby needs a good “tune-up,” a serving of prune puree as early as 4 months is okay.  Personally I’ve given them to my son when he’s experienced occasional constipation & it’s like miralax for babies –no huge “blowout,” not a lot of fussiness or gas, just a good, solid bowel movement & a very relieved little man :)

If you’re trying to introduce an older child to prunes, just explain to them that they’re like giant raisins!  A lot of children prefer them refrigerated because the gelatinous, sometimes slimy textures of prunes can be off-putting to a child.  Reward them with individually-packaged prunes like candy.  Just a treat with more fiber & minerals than miniature Snickers!  Remember, prunes have a lot of sugar so feed in moderation as you would with any baby foods. The more varied your child’s diet, the more apt they will be to try different foods later in life without a picky-baby outburst!

Homemade Prune Baby Food

5-6 pitted prunes

1 cup water

Boil prunes in 1 cup water for about 3 minutes or until plump & juicy.  Carefully remove & put in food processor.  Use remaining water from boiling a little at a time & pulse the rehydrated prunes & water together in the processor.  Add water & process until mixture is smooth.  The mixture may still be stringy so if you want to feed it to a child under 6 months, push mixture through a sieve to remove any stringy pieces.  Over 6 months a few stringy pieces are okay.  Feed alone or mix with cereal or baby’s favorite fruit/vegetable.

We mixed stage 1 prunes with avocado & Elias loves it.  I mean LOOOOOVES it!

Hope your baby loves it!  I also hope this helps get the train out of the station if you’re having some bathroom troubles with your little one :)

-Elias's mommy

*Remember, always talk to your pediatrician before introducing your child to solid foods.  Make sure your child meets his/her developmental milestones required for eating solids.

Holy Guacamole!: Avocado Baby Foods *stage 1&2*

Gerber sure never made this when we were kids!  Wait, they still don’t make it!  Why?  Because the avocado isn’t shelf-stable without non-baby-safe additives (like citrus or vinegar*) so unless it’s eaten promptly, it will oxidize to a brown, gooey mess, which actually looks like what we find in diapers.  No good!  So it’s essential that you feed your baby this food as soon as possible.  You can make either a stage 1 or stage 2 food out of avocado by either pureeing it on its own or by mixing it with another fruit.  Avocado is super-rich in those “good fats” we hear so much about these days.  Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, chock-full of omega-3’s, DHA, & vitamin E!  Not many fruits are as oily & fatty as avocado so you don’t get much of these oil-soluble nutrients like you would with avocado.  Yes, avocado is botanically a fruit, but it is still safe for children as young as 4 months old*.  They also produce a wonderful paste when ripe, as any guacamole fan will tell you.  So here is a recipe which can be tweaked & tasted to your liking.  I guarantee your little peanut will LOVE the smooth, almost pudding-like texture you'll get.  Elias can't get enough!


ADDITIONAL PROPS: Avocados are a great way to introduce a high-calorie food into your baby's diet that is actually healthy.  A medium avocado can boast almost 600 calories, but they're mostly from the healthy fats in the fruit. As with any food, moderation is always key.  You don't want to bore your baby with the same thing over and over again anyway!

Stage 1 recipe:

½ ripe avocado meat

Warm water

To safely remove avocado “meat," cut the fruit in half by running your knife lengthwise around the fruit, then pull it apart to expose one side with the pit, & the other without the pit.  As a tip, use the half without the pit & if you’re going to store the other half for later, keep the pit inside^†.  Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into your food processor & pulse a few times.  Add water & process to your desired consistency.

Stage 2 recipe:

½ ripe avocado meat

½ ripe banana

Removing meat safely with aforementioned method, place both ingredients in a food processor & blend until a smooth paste is formed.  If still too thick, add warm water a tablespoon at a time & process to your desired consistency.

^† If storing a ripe, unused portion of avocado, place in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator & use within a day.  Remove pit by placing a towel or oven mitt over your hand, hold the avocado in that hand, & strike the pit with a large knife.  Once the knife is in the pit, twist to remove the pit & discard.  Remove brown area with the knife.  Use as desired.

*Citrus fruits & other acidic foods are not recommended until after the child has reached 1 year of age.

Love at first bite!  Avocado mixed with a little prune puree --recipe coming soon!

When homemade baby food is NOT safe: volume 1

Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be any more things to scare you as a parent, the talking heads have brought forth an attack against homemade baby food.  Gasp!  Unfortunately there are some reasons why homemade baby food isn't safe for all babies, and I don’t just mean babies with food allergies.  So here is a large reason homemade baby food may not be safe for some infants: NITRATES.

If you’re like me, this word brings up thoughts of processed meats, Viagra commercials, angina & explosives (my stream of consciousness is quite polluted) Strangely enough these volatile compounds are naturally-occurring  in everyday foods such as: carrots, spinach, and squash.  The naturally-high levels of nitrates increase with improper food storage of spinach.   Why are the jarred versions of these vegetables safer than the homemade kind?  The food companies remove these compounds during manufacturing so your child will not ingest them.  What does this mean for your baby?  Unless your baby is at risk for anemia or has sickle cell disease, limited exposure is just fine.  However, these vegetables are recommended more for children over 6 months of age due to their levels of nitrates.  High levels of nitrates can cause “baby blue syndrome” where nitrates keep red blood cells from properly carrying oxygen to parts of the body, creating a “cyanotic” appearance (i.e. bluish, purplish skin discoloration).  With repeated, high exposure to nitrates, the baby will literally asphyxiate slowly.  DON’T PANIC.  You would have to be force-feeding your child foods with high-levels of nitrates over & over.  Again, if your child already has a condition where red blood cells are compromised, the occurrence of this problem is higher.

Here is a short list of common baby food ingredients that are known to have high nitrate levels:

• Carrots
• Green beans
• Squash
• Beets
• Spinach (or other dark, leafy greens)
• Turnips

Prevention?  Just try not to feed your baby too much nitrate-rich foods* to your baby if he/she is less than 6 months of age.  I'm not a fan of fear-mongering, but this may be a big help to babies with red blood cell disorders. 

-Elias's mommy

Chemical poisoning in children overview: http://www.healthofchildren.com/M/Mineral-Toxicity.html

*Not sure how much is too much?  Ask your pediatrician of your child's risk factors.


Sources: http://webmd.com, "Your Baby's First Year: Week by Week" book by Glade B. Curtis, http://mamapedia.com

Homemade Jasmine Rice Cereal *stage 1*

So why Jasmine* rice?  Well, Jasmine rice is amazingly fragrant & the taste is incomparable to regular old white rice.  The reason I choose Jasmine rice is because I want my son to experience different tastes other than the bland, expected tastes of baby food.  Obviously you can't expose your children to spicy foods or anything over-seasoned at such a young age, so you can find healthy alternatives like Jasmine rice.  There's a big plus as well: your whole kitchen will smell like flowers!  The American palette is becoming more sophisticated & food companies are taking advantage of this by adding words like "organic," "whole grain," & "all-natural" to their labels, adding much to their price & not much to the actual nutritional-value.  However, Jasmine rice remains a cheap source of all-natural & interesting flavor.  An entire bag of Mahatma Jasmine rice is half the price of prepared rice cereal.


IS HOMEMADE REALLY BETTER FOR YOUR CHILD?


Honestly, there's not much "wrong" with prepared rice cereal other than the following: 

• you don't know who prepared it & the conditions of the factory (same goes for the rice though!)
• no flavorings besides added flavorings from processed fruits
• some prepared rice cereals contain preservatives, fillers, & other additives

Honestly, the reason behind making this rice cereal is to expose your child to the wild, wonderful taste of Jasmine rice.  I'll be blunt, it's not nearly as convenient as popping open a can of prepared rice cereal & adding hot water, but it's whole grain, easy on the tummy, & much tastier than its canned counterpart.  Jasmine rice also has less "amylopectin," a polysaccharide starch, than other white rices, making it easier to digest.  It's a small difference, but hey, anything to make a baby less fussy, right??

Tools of the trade & Why I HATE the "Baby Bullet"

Realizing not everyone uses the same stuff, I thought I'd post what I use right now as a suggestion.  The first thing I wanted to do when I decided to make my own baby food is go out & buy one of those "Baby Bullet" systems by the makers of the counter top "magician" ie. the "Magic Bullet."  It's a food processor with cutesy little cups sporting smiley faces galore!  I think it's kind of disgusting how companies take advantage of mothers who just want to make what's best for their kids.  They make it seem like if we don't buy their products then we must be horrible parents!  There will always be brands trying to keep our confidence down so we'll buy their products, the trick is just trying to ignore that & go with your own instinct. What are the benefits of using the "Baby Bullet" ($80+) instead of a mini processor that can be found at your local mega-mart? (around $10-15)  Here are some of the things included & why they're not exactly necessary:

• A batch & storage tray for freezing baby food:  I don't think it's necessary to freeze baby food unless you're deciding to leave your baby for a week at a time with someone else who has no idea how to process baby food.  Why?  Fresh is best, refrigerated is second-best, & third in line is freezing, nutrition-wise.  So just make enough for what the baby eats & if there's anything left over, refrigerate it for no more than 48 hours.  Ice crystals form in all foods that contain water & the more ice crystals that form, the more the cellular structure of the food will be broken down.  There are occasions where I'm sure you'll need frozen baby food, but you can go out & buy a silicone ice cube tray for around $2, or to go even cheaper you can get a regular ice cube tray for $0.50!  Just cover it with saran wrap, freeze until solid, pop out & stick it in a zip-top bag.  Ta-da!

• "Date Dial" storage cups: I'll admit, it looks really cool, but you don't need to turn a dial to know when you made your baby's food.  Like I said before, you really should only make enough to store for less than 48 hours, but if you have to go further than than, masking tape & a sharpie works just as well.

• "Pocket Nutritionist" Recipe Guide: While it is good to have a recipe guide, there are soooo many resources available to you for baby food recipes.  Ahem, there's this blog for example :)  You can find tens of thousands of recipes online, from your local health department, pediatrician, etc.  If you want a book, you could get one from your local library or even a Barnes & Noble without having to shell out $80 for other stuff you don't need.

AND THAT'S ABOUT IT!

SO WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?

• Food processor --I got mine at Walmart for $10 & it is available at Walmart.com for $14. It is a Rival brand mini food processor with a 1.5 cup capacity.  Perfect size, works fantastic, easy to clean & store, safe, & even grinds rice to a fine powder.
• Storage containers --I'll admit it, I'm a supporter of Walmart because there are locations everywhere & I can get cheap, BPA-free containers to store baby food.  I got a 6-pk. of 0.5 cup capacity storage containers with lids for around $2.  The Glad "Mini Round" storage cups are BPA-free*, hold half-cup servings, & contain lids.  8 cups for $2.58 online & in stores.  I just got the 6-pk. of the store brand containers because they were more dishwasher safe & were actually slightly cheaper.  Always the thrifty one!
• Ice Cube Trays --I'm not going to pretend that no one freezes baby food just because I don't want to do it, so invest in some ice cube trays.  If you want to go all-out & get the ones specifically made for baby food, they're around $10 both online & in stores.
• Zip-Top Bags --You gotta put those frozen cubies somewhere!  Just wait until the food is frozen solid, transfer to a zip-top bag, & freeze.  There are times where we can't control the weather, power-outages, etc. so I'm not going to feel like a failure if I must freeze some food.  Hey, works for freezing breast milk!  They even have zip-top bags with a contraption to suck the air out!  NEAT!  Not really, I have one.  Works horribly.  I do have one of those "food saver" things, but if you're cheap you don't want to get those.  However, Rival makes their own version & it's significantly cheaper & works just as well.
• Insulated carrier you probably already have for bottles --keep your baby food cool while traveling long-distances in an insulated lunchbox, bottle-holder, teeny cooler, etc.  Always cheap, always available, gotta keep that food at a safe temperature!

That's what you really need.  As Alton Brown says: 

            "I only allow one 'uni-tasker' in my kitchen & that's a fire extinguisher."  

You can bet if something is made for only one purpose --like making/storing baby food-- you're probably losing money in the long run.  You can get all of the nice gadgets, gizmos, & recipe books & still not pay as much as you would for some silly "Baby Bullet" system.  If I got one as a gift, yes, I would use it, but I'd rather spend that money finding quality ingredients for baby food.

And I'm spent.  Now I must get back to cleaning my bedroom which has been ignored for the past, oh, 3 WEEKS!  If there are any questions, feel free to ask because I realize I kind of rambled here.  It's the rare moment where Elias is sleeping so I really get into my opinions.

Peas & Love,

Alli

*what's the big deal with BPA?  Check it out online! http://children.webmd.com/environmental-exposure-head2toe/bpa

"As seen on TV" might as well be a bulls-eye

for taking advantage of new mothers...

Song, Song of the South: Sweet potatoes! *Stage 1*

Ah, sweet potatoes.  A great alternative to the mashed potatoes every grandmother & great-grandmother tries to sneak across the Thanksgiving table into our babies mouths *sigh*  Not as starchy as its white-fleshed cousin, the sweet potato is full of beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, & fiber, just to name a few benefits!  Of course no baby cares about nutritional value, so there's an added bonus to sweet potatoes: they have enough natural sweetness that babies go nuts for it :)  No need to add sugar, so please resist the urge or you'll create a monster!   Believe me, you don't want your baby to get used to sugar.


It's cheap, it's considered a stage 1 food so you can feed it to a child as young as 4 months old*, & there are several ways to cook it.  Personally I steam mine, but don't think you have to run out & purchase a steamer!  I put mine in an aluminum foil packet with some water & throw it in the oven.  See?  Cheap, cheap, cheap!


Here goes for steaming:

• 1 small sweet potato
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
• water (for foil packet)

Peel & cut up sweet potato into small chunks, steam in a steamer or wrap up in aluminum foil with water & bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  Once done cooking & slightly cooled, put in mini processor with ¼  cup of water & pulse until smooth.  If it’s not watery enough, add remaining water & process until desired consistency.  Makes 1 to 1-½ cups of pureed sweet potatoes.

EASIEST WAY, BUT MESSIER:

One sweet potato, pierced; wrap in aluminum foil like a baked potato, bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until flesh is easily pierced with a butter knife.  Skin will easily peel off, but either wait for the potato to cool or use gloves to peel the skin off!  Once peeled, put in processor & follow same directions as above.

*Can be fed to children who meet the developmental requirements to eat baby food such as: being a "supported sitter," not pushing the food out with his/her tongue immediately after feeding, can hold his/her head up.  Always talk to your pediatrician before introducing baby food into your child's diet.

Important Intro!

This is my first post & I would like to get to know the person telling me about food going into my child, so let me introduce myself.  My name is Allison, I am a fairly-young mother *22* and I had my first child, Elias, almost 5 months ago.  I'm a wanna-be hippie, but life happens sometimes & I don't get to have the perfect "natural" life for my child like I want --but I sure do try!  I had to be induced, I got an epidural, I ended up with a very much unwanted cesarean section, but my child is healthy now & that's all that matters.  I am still nursing, though I've had to supplement recently, & now I'm doing my best to build up my supply once again.  Now that we're getting to the solid food stage, I'm making my own baby food.  Maybe it's guilt for having to supplement, but it's more likely the fact I've been a "food snob" since like birth & if I'm going to eat healthy, so is my little man.


However, I think the thing that keeps me from being an all-out "hippie" is that I'm a realist. I know we all don't have the time --or the MONEY-- to roast vegetables for 12 hours or buy organic, pure Polynesian pineapples, Peruvian pomegranates, etc.  One of the biggest reasons I'm writing this blog is to supply real mothers with real recipes that are neither time-consuming or expensive to make.  I also plan on trying to appeal to palettes because we all know there is no nutrition if your kid won't eat it!  This is what I'm proposing:

• unique, easy, nutritious foods that can be made cheaply.
• a new recipe every 3 days since it is pediatrician-recommended that a child does not change foods more than every 3 days so if there is a reaction to any new food you can know which food to avoid. (it's to check for allergies, dig?)
• provide recipes for different stages
• promote a positive, supportive page for mothers out there who don't think it's crazy to make their own food!

So don't listen to your mother, your friends, your husband if they think you're nuts for making your child's baby food.  It makes you feel better as a parent, it makes your child feel better, & by introducing great, fresh food to your child's diet early on can substantially prevent obesity & promote an atmosphere of trying new things :)


HAPPY COOKING, EVERYONE!


-Alli, Elias's mommy