the baby menu @ 11 months : by amy

So I will admit that before I became a mom, I would look at moms who only fed their kids organic foods with a judgmental eye.  I mean, we all grew up eating non-organic foods and turned out just fine, right?  The only organic foods that I consumed were organic milk and greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.).  Why?  Because organic non-fat milk tastes A LOT better, has a richer texture, and most importantly, has a longer shelf life than non-organic milk.  So, to me, that's totally worth paying the extra $2 for.  Similarly, I ate organic greens b/c I thought they tasted better.  Organic lettuce actually has a stronger and more delicious taste than non-organic lettuce.  Clearly, I was purchasing organic foods for all reasons other than the fact that they're pesticide/hormone-free...until I had a baby who started eating solids.

I started Logan on solids at around 6 months.  We did the whole rice cereal routine, leading to oatmeal, then mult-grain, introducing fruits and vegetables one at a time.  I wanted Logan to try new fruits and veggies every few days, but making my own baby food seemed daunting at the time since I was just getting comfortable with the idea of feeding him solid food.  I also didn't want to make a tray of peas and he would be stuck eating it for the entire week.  And when would I have time to make food anyway??  I hardly cook for myself anymore.  When looking at options, I found myself looking at the organic options.  They weren't that much more expensive than the non-organic options.  The ingredients label also had fewer ingredients which I liked.  Suddenly, I felt very conscientious about what I was about to give Logan.  Was I becoming one of those moms??  I swallowed my pride and said "the hell with it, I'm feeding my kid organic jarred food!"  If it was going to be jarred, it was going to be organic.   I gave him Earth's Best fruits and veggies since they offered a lot of variety and tasted pretty good.  I also tried Gerber's organic foods (which often also include DHA).  But my favorites were Ella's Kitchen varieties.  After Logan became well acquainted with various ingredients, Ella's was great because of their mixed varieties.  They would make combinations that I'd never think of!  Broccoli, Pears & Peas.  Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkins, Apples & Blueberries.  Carrots, Apples & Parsnips.  And, they tasted DELICIOUS.  If Logan ever had any leftovers (which was rare), the husband and I would be sucking the rest of that pouch empty!  I liked how they mixed fruits with vegetables so baby can get a serving of both in one meal.  The only downside was that they were pretty pricey-- on average, about 2 bones/pouch.

OK, so I gave into the organic thing.  But buying Ella's was starting to leave an unsavory taste on my credit card bill.  And looking at jarred chicken/turkey varieties kinda grossed me out.  If I wanted Logan to continue to broaden his palate, I needed to be in control.  My college roomie gave me this book as a baby shower gift:

First Meals by Annabel Karmel, $15 @ Barnes & Noble

The book had some good starter purees and ideas on how to mix different ingredients.  Using the book in addition to seeing what other varieties Ellas and Earth's Best were doing, I decided to copy and invent my own combinations.  Sunday nights are now dedicated to baby food-making.  As of today, Logan is nearly 11 months, so he's doing solids at breakfast, lunch and dinner, which means I make 3 different "meals" for the week.  I try to incorporate a fruit (which he has with his cereal in the morning), a veggie, and a complex starch/protein in his diet every day.  I get organic if it's available but I won't go crazy over it.  I typically steam most of his fruits/veggies, but occasionally will cook it on the pan with some boiling water (per the book).  Essential baby food-making tools are:

Food processor-- this is the one I have.  I like that it has 2 working bowls-- very useful when making multiple meals.

or

Hand immersion blender.  Great for the simple purees.

and

Food storage containers fit for freezing.  These are OXO 2 ounce containers.

I try to make something that the family can also eat and puree/food-process one serving for Logan.  When I do, I just don't season it the way I normally would-- I typically cut down on the salt or not use it at all if I don't need to.  Also, I used to food-process chicken breast, but Logan doesn't seem to like the texture anymore unless it's really pasty (like with "jook"-- Korean style porridge, but I don't have time to make jook!), so now I'm cooking chicken breast separately and shredding it up for him on the side as finger food.  Here is what Logan is eating this week!

Papperdalle Pasta in Tomato Sauce with Broccoli, Mushroom and Onions

Papperdalle is my favorite pasta, but it's also an egg-based pasta so only use it if you know your baby isn't allergic to eggs.  You can use any pasta since it's going in the food processor.  Logan was a little constipated this past week so I wanted to include a little extra fiber, hence the broccoli.  I steamed the broccoli first a bit before cooking it down with the rest of the veggies.  I also cut the steamed broccoli into smaller pieces so it would process more evenly w/the others.  BTW, I only used half a container of mushrooms and roughly chopped them.  This was truly a one-pot meal since mom, dad and baby all ate it tonight! 

Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Cheese

Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A and beta-carotene (good for the eyes!).  Their sweet flavor is liked by most babies and goes well with pretty much any other veggie.  Spinach is like a super-veggie-- iron (very important for babies), vitamins C, K, A to name a few.  I used one whole bin of organic baby spinach and 2 medium sized sweet potatoes.  While everything is hot, I toss into the food processor and add 2 ripped up slices of cheddar cheese.  Let it melt and get incorporated while processing and you just added some calcium and protein to the meal!

Peach and Cantaloupe Puree

I was actually planning on making a peach/blueberry puree since that's what I got at the farmer's market, but today I got a cantaloupe that was so juicy and ripe-- I made a last-minute change.  I usually steam or cook the fruit a bit first to help soften the texture a bit (also, the book only designates meals "freezer friendly" if they are cooked first-- I guess it helps kill bacteria and preserve?).  The last photo shows all of my meals in their little containers before I stick them in the freezer.  I like to keep his menu pretty colorful :)

So yes, I now purchase a few more organic items...I guess I'm sort of one of those moms for now. :-)  But my husband and I still eat whatever!

What are some of your favorite baby food recipes?

from teething to biscuiting : by amy

Fortunately for Logan, teething hasn't been so terrible as some moms have described it to be.  His mouth was a drool hydrant for awhile, and he had a very runny nose and a mild fever before the first tooth surfaced.  We went through stacks of bibs and tied one of these suckers onto his car seat/stroller:

green sprouts Cool Soothing Teether

Stick it in the freezer/fridge to keep cool, which not only provides teething relief, but also makes it a better toy for the hot summer days!  Miles has one too!

Then, we started solids.  He's mastered the purees but isn't much of a chewer just yet.  We've been giving him pizza crusts and Earth's Best whole wheat teething biscuits to strengthen his jaw muscles, but here is the king of teething biscuits:

Baby Mash teething biscuits

Founder, Molly McDonald, and her cutie patootie, Maren

Baby Mash was born in Brooklyn, NY by Molly McDonald, a dear friend to my sister-in-law.  You may have seen her biscuits in the recent DailyCandy article, Grub Street NY article or Wall Street Journal blurb.  Yes, all of the articles mention that she's the wife of this chef, blah blah blah (no offense to Brad...whose restaurant I we ate at this past weekend!), but come on, the real star here is Molly!  She's an umma who realized there had to be more than pizza crusts, stale bagels and sugar-filled teething biscuits for a baby to gnaw on.  Baby Mash rings are organic, dairy/soy/gluten-free and jam-packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables.  Their chunky textures make it fun for babies to hold, and they stand up pretty darn well to those drooly mouths.  They currently come in three scrumptious flavors:  Stewed Apple & Oat, Banana & Oat, and Pumpkin & Oat (this one smells like Thanksgiving!)  You can purchase Baby Mash through her website, or if you're a local, look for her at Brooklyn's Smorgasburg!