Baby Food Exchange
We’ve really been ramping up with Tate’s eating, so I decided to put together another baby food making party. I had an amazing time planning and executing one when we lived in Houston when Henry was a baby. It’s so much more fun to cook with company!
Seven of us got together in Houston and produced so much food that it essentially lasted from the time Henry was regularly eating solid purees to the time when he could transition to un-pureed food.
Sadly, it’s not as easy with the second baby. One of my friends said her weekends are so packed she would rather cook on a Thursday when she’s off from work and schedule a play date to exchange the meals. The other friend was all set to come over on a Sunday and then found out that her husband had to work so she needed to stay home with both kids.
Life!
The current plan is for each of us to plan and make five recipes for a total of 15 different options. My two favorite baby food books are:
I’ll be making:
- Squash and quinoa pilaf
- Split-pea stew
- Potato & butternut squash stew
- Prune puree
- Whipped cauliflower
Baby food is surprisingly easy to make, and I love being able to control all the ingredients. Beyond that, I love how it ends up being chunkier than commercial baby food. I’m guessing that texture is an extremely important part of helping babies become healthy and diverse eaters.
I particularly appreciate the two books listed above because they advocate for introducing more interesting and complex flavors to babies right from the start.