I uncapped the jar of baby food and was assaulted by the smell: beef with beef gravy.
Hmmm, smells like cat food.
Hmmm, I bet cat food is cheaper.
This brief conversation with myself marked a turning point. It was time to start making my own baby food. Previous conversations with friends had assured me of the economical sense and the simplicity of this task. And when my sleep-deprived mommy brain contemplated feeding cat food to my baby? Well, that just sealed the deal.
I stocked up on supplies and pulled out the blender and the ice trays. I grabbed a bottle of breast milk to provide additional nutrients to my concoctions. I put pots of water on the stove to boil, pre-heated the oven, and began rinsing the produce.
Definitely better than cat food!
Hours later, the freezer was stocked with tiny, frozen cubes of baby food: applesauce, sweet potatoes, peas, avocado, spinach, kiwi banana, mango banana, blueberry, succotash, and carrots. I had even experimented with using our dinner, resulting in miniscule servings of pureed chicken and dumplings.
Doesn't it look scrumptious?
To me, the benefits of making my own baby food are numerous. It saves money. It’s convenient to grab one or two little cubes out of the freezer and thaw the appropriate amount. I’m more confident that my child is getting the necessary vitamins and minerals and not unnecessary preservatives, salt, sugar, etc.
To 10-year-old Squirt, there is only one benefit to this process: Watching me spread some of the pureed blueberries onto my waffle and eat the entire delicious fruity meal, all while waiting for the perfect time to remind me, amidst much laughter, that I was in fact, eating my own breastmilk.
image credit: (cup)cake_eater on Flickr
Hilarious! I remember those days of making baby-food, funny how those little pureed cubes can make you feel so accomplished. I think I’m glad I wasn’t fortunate enough to have breast milk to add. Thanks, your post made my day
Thanks Michelle. I’m glad you liked it. It’s really quite simple to make, but I do feel quite accomplished every time I pop those little cubes out of the tray!
umm — ew? I’m not sure why, but ew.
LOL! Yep, ew is a good word!
Christi, you are too good! I always wanted to be a mom that made her own baby food! In fact, the meat varieties had me so grossed out that my girls were forced to be vegetarians!
I hope little Squirt realizes just how lucky she is to have a Mommy that loves her THAT much to go to all that trouble!
I just love how you take an ordinary topic and make it into something humorous and motivating! If I still had a baby around here, I might just be tempted to get out the puree machine and have at it!
Thanks Rachel. I didn’t plan on making baby food. I didn’t with my first child. However, so many people kept telling me how easy it was that I had to give it a try. They were right – it’s definitely worth it!
Oh, Christi!! You had me just reading along, all happy and nodding my head in agreement and with approval… and then BAM! You hit me with the breast milk!
Good one, Squirt!!
So funny that your daughter let you eat the whole waffle with blueberries before reminding you there was breastmilk in it!
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