Baby Food: Amaranth & Plum

Yummy, fruity, and delicious, Baby Girl loves this one, and it’s super easy! Suitable for babies aged seven months and up!

Equipment:
Saucepan and Stove
Blender or Food Processor (used my Cuisinart Mini Prep this time)

Ingredients:
1 ripe plum
11/2 cups water
1/2 cup amarinth

Directions:
1. Bring water to boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add amaranth and return to boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. The amaranth will me transparent and sticky.
2. Pit and chop the plum. Put in the blender or food processor and pulse until suitable for your baby’s age and chewing ability.
3. Stir plum into amaranth. Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days.

Easy Peasy, lemon squeezy!

Baby Food: Zucchini Medley

Now that Baby Girl is getting more adventurous with her food (a bit), I’m finding it a bit easier to make things that she likes. Here is an easy thing to whip up that might get baby to eat her vegetables! It is suitable for 7 months and over.

Equipment:
Steamer (or pot of water, stove, and steamer basket)
Saucepan and Stove
Blender or Food Processor

Ingredients:
1 small zucchini
1 cup water
1/4 cup millet
2 Tbsp. applesauce (I use the natural kind)
4 tsp. basil

Directions:
1. Slice the zucchini and steam it in your steamer (or over boiling water in a steamer basket) for about seven minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil on the stove. When boiling, add the millet and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the millet is soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add zucchini, millet, applesauce, and basil to the blender or food processor and blend until it is the consistency preferred by your little one according to their age. Add water if needed for a smoother consistency.

Easy Peasy!

Here’s To Baby Food: Prunes

Everyone always complains that prunes are too hard to make from scratch and that you’re better off buying them…I disagree. These were simple.

Equipment:
Food Processor OR Blender
Colander
Stove and saucepan

Ingredients:
1 cup prunes
1 cup Water

1. Add prunes and water to the saucepan. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about ten minutes until prunes are tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Let cool.

2. Puree prunes and reserved liquid in the food processor or blender until smooth, adding additional water if needed.

3. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

If your baby constipates easily, this is a good puree to have on hand in the freezer.

Here’s To Baby Food: Minty Green Beans

I’m starting to think I have a baby that just isn’t a fan of vegetables, because she isn’t a fan of this either. She’ll eat it mixed with stuff, but not on it’s own. I think it was delicious.

Equipment:
Food Processor OR Blender
Steamer OR Steaming basket, Stove, and Saucepan

Ingredients:
1/2 pound frozen cut green beans
1 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves

1. Steam the green beans in a steamer appliance or over boiling water for 14 minutes or so.

2. Add green beans and mint to the blender or food processor.

3. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth, add water as needed to make a smooth puree. I needed about 3 Tbsp.

4. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.

It really smells great! This is suitable for babies 7 months and older.

Here’s To Baby Food: Asparagus

Baby Girl doesn’t particularly like this asparagus puree, but mix it with pears, and she’ll eat it.

Equipment:
Food Processor OR Blender
Steamer OR Steaming basket, Stove, and Saucepan

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb.)

1. Cut woody, tough ends from the bottom of the asparagus. Steam in steamer appliance (I use an Oster) or in a steamer basket over boiling water until bright green and well cooked, about 10 minutes.

2. Run hot asparagus under cold water to stop the cooking.

3. Puree asparagus in blender or food processor until smooth, you shouldn’t need any additional water.

4. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.

If your baby is old enough for spices, you can add a little garlic, basil, dill, or pepper for a little flavor.

Here’s To Baby Food: Apricots

I’ve always been a huge fan of apricots, but Baby Girl is pretty meh about them.

Equipment:
Food Processor OR Blender
Colander
Stove and saucepan

Ingredients:
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup Water

1. Add apricots and water to the saucepan. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about ten minutes until apricots are tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Let cool.

2. Puree apricots and reserved liquid in the food processor or blender until smooth, adding additional water if needed.

3. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

The puree can turn out a bit bitter. If your baby isn’t a fan, try adding a bit of apple juice or cooking the apricots in juice instead of water.

Here’s To Baby Food: Cherries

Yummy cherries do a baby good! I used frozen in this recipe because we’ve had rough cherry crops around here the last couple of years, but fresh would be even better!

Equipment:
Food Processor OR Blender
Mesh Sieve
Stove and saucepan

Ingredients:
16 oz. fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed and pitted(I used frozen, because I always have them on hand)

1. Puree the cherries in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve with a rubber spatula to remove the skins and any remaining pit pieces. Discard the skins.

3. Cook the puree in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot and thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Once cool, store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

If baby is old enough for flavorings, feel free to add a dash of vanilla for an extra delicious treat!

Here’s To Baby Food: Blueberries

Baby Girl really LOVES this pureed blueberry sauce. She loves it so much that she’ll even let me mix it with beets. That’s a true test.

Equipment:
Food Processor OR Blender
Mesh Sieve
Stove and saucepan

Ingredients:
16 oz. fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed (I used frozen, because I always have them on hand)

1. Puree the blueberries in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve with a rubber spatula to remove the skins. Discard the skins.

3. Cook the puree in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot and thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Once cool, store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Super easy. Time and again I am amazed at just how quick and easy it is to make wholesome homemade baby food!

Here’s to Baby Food: Peaches

Baby Girl really loves peaches. I like them too, and she tolerates them mixed with all sorts of things, making them a go-to puree for sure!

Equipment:
Steamer OR stove, pot, and steamer basket
Food Processor OR Blender

Ingredients:
4 ripe peaches or nectarines, or 2 lbs. frozen peaches

1. Steam peaches for 5 minutes if fresh, 8 minutes if frozen. I used frozen because I wasn’t able to find fresh in my local grocery store. You can use an actual steamer appliance (I use an Oster, because it’s on a timer, so I don’t have to worry about walking away), or a steamer basket over an inch of water would work just as well.

2. Let the peaches cool. If you are using fresh, you’ll want to remove the skins and discard them. Since I used frozen, they were already skinless.

3. Process the peaches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add water as needed.

4. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.

This is an easy and delicious one for sure. Love me some peaches!

Here’s to Baby Food: Beet and Potato

While Baby Girl only tolerates this, she does like the beets a lot better mixed with some fruits and things. I think the beets and potatoes go well together. She doesn’t really agree.

Equipment:
Oven, cookie sheet, shallow baking dish
Food processor or blender

Ingredients:
1 lb. baby beets, trimmed and scrubbed
1 russet potato, scrubbed

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the trimmed beets in the shallow baking dish and add 1/2 an inch of water. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Prick the potato with a fork several times and place on the cookie sheet.

2. Bake both the beets and potato in the oven for about an hour. Let cool.

3. Peel the beets and potato and cut into chunks, discarding the skins. Process the potato in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding water as needed.

4. Process beets in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding water as needed.

5. Store beets and potatoes separately in airtight containers. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Serve by swirling equal parts beets and potato together in a bowl.