Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The Joy of Raising Your Own Children


“We have been so anxious to give our children what we didn’t have that we have neglected to give them what we did have.”
– Author Unknown




Homemade Baby Food

At about six months babies start to need something a little more substantial. Find a good baby book to help on what kinds of foods to introduce and how quickly. When it comes time to introduce solids, special store bought baby foods are not necessary. And there is no need to prepare two different meals for family and baby. Babies can eat what the family eats as long as it is not overly seasoned, salted or sweetened.

Cereals: Rice is usually the easiest on digestion. Prepare rice or other grain for family (wheat and corn are the hardest on sensitive digestive systems) and place a small amount in blender for baby. Add water and blend to a creamy consistency. Freeze leftover rice in ice cube trays, pop out when frozen and store in labelled freezer bags. Defrost and heat in microwave oven or in saucepan and serve when ready to feed baby rice cereal again.

Vegetables: Prepare cooked vegetables the same way as cereal preparation.

Fruit: Can be prepared by either pureeing fresh or slightly cooked fruit.

Meats: Can be processed the same way but need a sauce, gravy, or cream soup added to give it a creamy consistency and ease for swallowing.

Desserts: Puddings make a good treat for baby but do not give often.

Teething children often enjoy chewing on large chunks of frozen broccoli, carrots, and
apple slices. Large, hard cookies are also good for teething, but make cookies with fruit juice
concentrate instead of sugar.

2 comments:

Happy Wanderers said...

I also just grind all my flours (oat, rice, barley) in my wheat grinder, then keep them in plastic zip lock bags in the fridge. Then add about 1/4 c flour to 1 cup water and boil, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes or so. The kids love it! :)

jedwards said...

That is a great tip! You probably know more ideas for feeding babies economically that any person I know! Thanks for the comment!