Image via Honest Fare

One of the next major hurdles to tackle in this New Mama adventure – solid foods.  About mid-way through my pregnancy, my husband announced that he couldn’t wait to make our own food for the little guy.  My thoughts on the matter – “sure buddy, it’s all you”.  I’m not known for my prowess in the kitchen, and tend to lean toward anything involving the least amount of hassle possible…even more so with the additional stresses of motherhood.  But we also try to eat as healthy as we can around here – lots of produce, seasonal foods, whole grains, and the like (I’ll admit, the advantage of having a chef for a husband makes it a heck of alot easier to make it happen)…so why wouldn’t we start our baby off the same way?

We started pretty easy – avocado, zucchini, carrots, peas, bananas, etc. – but even I have been comfortable prepping this stuff.  It’s way easier than you would imagine, doesn’t take much time, and if you do it once or twice a week, you’re set for quite a while with freezer stock.  We have been doing just plain pureed foods so far, but are ready to venture into some herbs, meats and more complex flavors in the next month or so.  A friend gave me the Williams Sonoma Cooking for Baby book, which includes everything from basic purees (helps kitchen dummies like me with info like how long to steam things before tossing in the food processor) up to stews and snacks for toddlers.  It also includes lists like what foods to feed (and not feed) when, storage instructions, and basics like the best time of day to start the little one with solids. I’ve also referenced the Wholesome Homemade Baby Food site for both basic info and “recipes”, and recently ran across the NurtureBaby site, which I plan to start checking out as well.

Naturally, there are a million gadgets sold for baby food making.. I’m a little minimalist about some of this baby stuff (and by minimal, I mean “cheap”), so we use an old fashioned steam basket and food processor, but I’ve always thought that this happy little guy would make the task fun (and it’s all in one, so fewer dishes!)

 Beaba Baby Cook from Williams Sonoma

 Cooking for Baby, Williams Sonoma; Joseph Joseph Lotus Steamer, Sur La Table; OXO Baby Blocks Storage Containers, Buy Buy Baby; iPlay Baby Food Mill, True Harvest; OXO Baby Food Freezer Tray, Buy Buy Baby; JJ Cole Bib Set, Buy Buy Baby.  

For storage, we like these OXO blocks – they come in a couple of different sizes, come with a freezer tray, and are dishwasher safe.  I just write on the top with a whiteboard marker what’s in it and the date, and we are set.  We also just picked up one of these freezer trays for overflow (you could use a regular ice cube tray as well, but I liked the lid on this one).

We were also given a small food mill similar to the one shown here – it’s great for softer foods like avocado and banana, or if you’re mashing up a small amount of something and don’t want to drag out the food processor.

As far as the actual feeding goes – I don’t have a strong preference on baby dishes, spoons, etc.  I will weigh in on bibs, however – I was given some great ones as a gift – they are lightweight, waterproof…we just rinse them off after a meal, hang to dry and use again. I can’t find the exact brand ANYWHERE online, but the ones shown are as close as I could get…just find something easy to rinse – because the last thing any new mom needs is MORE laundry!

However you go about making, storing or feeding your baby, just be sure to have the camera ready the first few times they taste something new.  We have some of the most hilarious and precious pics of our guy experiencing these new tastes…the first of many to come!