Is it weird that I enjoy eating my son's baby food?
Let me back up.
I was a little (okay, a LOT) intimidated by making food for Dallas. Maybe because the fanciest thing I"ve ever done in the kitchen involved adding some honey and sea salt to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and telling my hubby that "it was made with a special ingredient: love."
Baby D had been enjoying his Earth's Best rice cereal and jarred fruits and veggies for a few weeks when my mom-in-law came to visit with a book called Blender Baby Food by Nicole Young.
I left it on the counter, but kept opening it and browsing through different recipes. One Sunday, we had some fresh blueberries in the fridge, and I decided to just try that recipe and see what happened.
First of all, Dallas looked like he was wearing blue lipstick. And second of all, he gobbled up the homemade stuff in about two seconds.
That was all the convincing I needed. My inner homemaker was unleashed!
I made apples, avocados, and sweet potatoes. Yum! I started boiling eggs and mixing in an egg yolk every other day (for brain development, one book said). He got whole organic yogurt (cream on top!) with finely ground flaxseed and mashed kiwi mixed in. In fact, I spent fifteen minutes a night planning D's meals for the next day, and then comparing them against previous days to make sure he was getting a variety of foods.
And I am still doing this! And liking this! To quote a previous post: Who AM I?! :-)
The great news is that the hubbs and I are feeling better because we are eating all of this fresh food, too. You can just eat it straight, or have a little fun with what's left of the blended food after baby dines.
Important note: Baby gets the straight fruit or veggie...don't give them any of these creative concoctions!!!! You definitely want to check out some good books (like Blender Baby Food or Super Baby Food) to find out specifics on how to prepare each food (blueberries need to be strained, etc.) and for all kinds of info on kitchen hygiene and safety.
For example, the avocado can be turned into chocolate pudding!
No, I am not crazy. :-)
Add some chocolate or cacao powder, a little maple syrup or agave nectar to taste, and voila! It's really creamy and doesn't take like something you should be dipping chips into. And, it's much better for you than the traditional stuff.
Or, you could just smear the plain avocado on your face and settle in for a few minutes of relaxation.
Or how about those leftover blended apples?
Add some butter, a little pumpkin pie spice, the agave or maple syrup, and you've got....apple pie in a bowl!
What about blended cauliflower, you ask?
Stir in some butter and sea salt, and chow down on...what tastes like mashed potatoes!
I would love to hear about YOUR creative adventures in baby food.
P.S. We are talking about how the Harvest Crusade changed your life! Hop on over to our Fish Facebook to join the conversation. I was blessed to be a part of the Harvest broadcast on The Fish on Sunday night, and had the privilege of meeting Cathe and Brittany Laurie (seriously, could those two be any cuter and nicer?!). They have started an AWESOME ministry that encourages more seasoned women to reach out to younger women and teach them what they've learned. Plus, Brittany has a section where she shows some simple sewing projects you can do for your family. Check it out at http://www.virtue.harvest.org/. Wait 'til you see the adorable lace-trimmed bloomers!
