DIY baby food and why I love it so

I'm not sure why I waited so long to start making Minnie's baby food. Such a cinch! Here is why I love it so:

a. It costs a lot less

b. We already have everything on hand to make it

c. I think it tastes a lot better than the stuff in jars

d. I don't have to go to the store every week and load up on it

e. It's more compact and takes up less room in my cupboards

Bob and I struggle to finish all of our produce before it goes bad, so it's nice to be able to puree it and freeze it for Minnie, meaning less waste and less money out of our pockets for baby food. When bananas are about to go bad, I usually put them in the freezer to make banana bread later, but I usually just end up with a freezer full of bananas and no banana bread. Solution: baby food. The darker the banana, the sweeter they are anyway, right? Meaning better flavor for Min.

Here's the process:

1. Puree however much you want of the fruit or veggie you're making. Peel fruits and steam or bake veggies before pureeing them.

2. Add a little water to get the consistency right.

3. Once pureed, spoon into quart-sized plastic freezer bags. Smooth out so the puree is spread evenly through the bag. Lots of people use the ice tray method for freezing, but I have found that the Ziploc bag works even better, mostly because you can stack them flat in your freezer, but you can also break off as little or as much as you want to use after it's frozen.

4. When you want to use the puree, break the amount you want to use in a bowl and microwave it for about 25 seconds. Stir, and then microwave for another 15 seconds. If it's a little runny, add some rice cereal. If it's too thick, add some water, breast milk or formula.

And...voila!

I spent 30 minutes the other night making a big batch of apples, bananas and sweet potatoes, and it looks like it's going to last me at least 2 weeks, if not more. I think the key for me is making it in batches so you get the mess over with and can put the CuisineArt back on the shelf for awhile.

As you can see, Minnie doesn't think the DIY baby food is half bad either.