Make Baby Food Not War

The human baby (for the sake of this post, lets just call her Indie) turned six months old on the 15th making her eligible to start eating solid foods. I tried to get her to eat an almond joy, but she just turned her nose up at it. She's probably one of those weirdos who prefers Mounds. Blech. I said "Beggars can't be choosers, Indie. You're gonna have to meet me half way on this one. I get it, sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't. But today you better feel like a G-D nut, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL I GOT, KID!"

She looked at me blankly and then spit up.

"FINE MS. STREISAND, WE'LL GO TO WHOLE FOODS THEN!!!"

And off we went to make the duchess some baby food.

When I had my first daughter, I decided that I would make her baby food from scratch come hell or high water. It was one of those things that I was absolutely determined to stick with. As it turns out, making baby food is ridiculously simple and affordable, plus you get the added benefit of actually knowing what has gone into the food that your kid is consuming. Sticking with homemade baby food, incidentally, required very little hell or high water. In the years since my first daughter was born, there have actually been a quite a few advances in baby food. You can find tons of organic stuff out there that are seemingly free of additives and other crap that you wouldn't want your offspring chowing down on. These products are convenient, but also quite pricey and so I tend to only use them when we are out of the house if at all.

Let me tell you, homemade is where it's at. At my baby shower I received a spiffy newfangled baby food machine that will steam and puree your food for you. It's mildly gimicky because, lets face it, you could get the same results with a steamer pot and a food processor. But it's a machine that is adorable, and so I use it.

You should cook foods for your baby that are vibrant in color and have different textures and flavors. Some food, like potatoes, cauliflower and apples, require cooking before they can be mashed. Some foods, like peaches, plums and berries, require no cooking at all. Foods like bananas and avocados should be mashed on an as need basis because they will turn brown after a while, and brown food is gross.

 I will typically steam a vegetable in a small amount of water, and then puree it with the cooking water. When you think you have pureed it enough, puree it some more. Once you're done, you're ready to store and freeze. I like to make a few mixes like broccoli/cauliflower or plum/sweet corn. Feel free to get creative with it.

 I borrowed (read: stole) some of these pumping bottles from my local hospitals NICU. That sounds bad. I should say I borrowed (read: stole) these pumping bottles from my local hospitals NICU while my kid was a patient there. I had quite a few left over so I've stored my first batch of baby food in them.

 Baby food can be stored in any old freezer safe container, but do be sure to use it in 3-6 months.

Once you're done, walk into the living room, and thank your husband for doing the dishes. Lock self in bathroom.