Cloth Diapers

This is an aside from the blogs about baby food. It doesn't really fit with the content of my blog, but I have had so many friends ask me about using cloth diapers lately that I thought I would write a post about it. If cloth diapers are not your thing, no worries, there will be more baby food posts to come.



I started using cloth diapers when Little E was about seven months old. I was opposed to it initially thinking it was too much work and too expensive for a family who has to pay per load for laundry in our basement. Not to mention how expensive it can be to purchase the diapers initially. I started rethinking the idea when he began to use fewer diapers a day and poop less than when he was an infant. I did quite a bit of research asking friends who use cloth diapers what they use and how they care for them and looking on the internet for the perfect combination for our needs. As a result, I was able to buy 12 diapers for $80! That seemed affordable to me, so I took the plunge and bought the supplies. Twelve diapers will last me about 3-4 days, so I am only doing 2 extra loads of laundry a week. And, because we waited we were able to get covers in a size that should last him through potty-training without having to buy more supplies. Like making my own baby food, I take the hybrid approach. I use cloth diapers when we are home and use disposibles at night and when we go out. I find the cloth diapers don't hold as much pee and poop to get us through the night.



Now, I know there are some AMAZING all-in-one diapers out there. They even have snaps on the diaper that make it a one-size-fits-all diaper you can use from the time your baby is born until potty training. Cool, huh? I looked into it. We just couldn't spend the money required to purchase a dozen at $18/each. Perhaps if I had started out with cloth diapers I would have registered for these awesome diapers. I have even heard of people giving diaper baby showers where each guest buys a diaper for the mom-to-be. We couldn't do it this far into the game, so here's what we did...



I started out with a high-quality chinese pre-fold diaper. They are a big, rectangular white diaper with two seams down the diaper vertically dividing it into three parts. You may have used this kind of diaper for a burp cloth. In my research I decided on a high quality version counting on them lasting longer and absorbing more.



I added a fleece lining that I place over the diaper to keep him dry. It's a white strip of micro fleece that wicks away the moisture. I was concerned we might have a problem with diaper rash from all of the moisture, but we haven't had any problems and he stays dry with the liner. And, it catches most of the poop, so it's easier to dump in the toilet, or dunk if it's too sticky.*



I ordered both of these items from http://www.cottonbabies.com/. Their website has a lot of really good information about choosing diapers, how to prepare them to use, how to launder them, how to fold the pre-fold for different babies, and accessories you might want to buy to make things easier (diaper pails, portable diaper pouches, a sprayer that attaches to the toilet, etc.) I'll tell you more about what we do for some of these things in a minute.



The cover we use is from a different website that was recommended by a friend. I was about to order these super cute covers from Cotton Babies thinking I might need 3 or 4 covers and could reuse them if he only peed, however my experienced friend told me they stink if you reuse them and suggested the cover she uses. They are probably the cheapest out there, they get the job done and if something happens to one of them they are easy to replace. With a cover that velcros tightly you don't need to use pins or a fastener, either.



As I said before I ordered 12 of each piece for a total of $80.



To get them ready to use you have to wash the diapers 4-5 times in hot water. They need to bunch up to be ready to absorb. Cotton Babies has great instructions for this process. It only took me an afternoon to get them ready.



Now, about how to care for them. Taking my same experienced friend's advice, I hang an ordinary mesh laundry bag on my back steps. When we have a soiled diaper I dispose of the poop in the toilet if he's pooped, then I bundle it up like you would a disoposible and toss the whole thing in the laundry bag. The covers have a place to velcro the tabs down so they don't stick to each other or the diapers in the wash. So smart. Keeping it bundled keeps the stink factor down a lot. Sometimes I smell a faint scent of ammonia signaling me it's time wash them. Most of the time, though, they don't smell at all until I unbundle them to wash.



When it's time to wash them I separate all of the pieces and throw them into the washer. It smells a bit, but I am used to it by now. They go through 3 cycles in the washer. First, I soak them on cold with a scoop of Oxy-Clean (a mother's best friend!), and a small cap of detergent. Second, I wash them on the heavy cycle with a capful of detergent on warm. Third, I rinse them again with cold water. I find this step keeps them from stinking too much after they are worn. It might be a step you could avoid if you have a better washer. It's important to use the right detergent, because some detergents that have softeners keep the diapers from absorbing pee, resulting in leaks. Cotton Babies has a good list of detergents you can use. To my surprise a few of the detergents are the cheaper brands.



I dry them in the dryer on low heat without a dryer sheet. No dryer sheet follows the same principle as the detergents with softners. Believe it or not they come out clean, white and void of smelliness!



That's it in a nutshell! We have been really pleased with our diapers thus far. I find I have to change him a little more often or else he'll have leaks, and I've had to experiment with different folding methods to make sure the diaper is covered by the cover to keep leaks to a minimum. But, all in all they have been a good purchase for us. We'll be moving to another country soon and I think these diapers will help save us a tremendous amount of money there because disposibles are even more expensive (if you can believe it). Also, I hope to save our supplies and use them with future babies, too.



*I've found my babies poop changes from time to time. Sometimes it's really solid and just falls into the toilet and sometimes it's really loose and requires me to dunk his diaper in the toilet to get the poop off. One of my friends bought the sprayer from Cotton Babies that can attach to the toilet making it easy to get the poop off. It's kind of gross, but the old school dunking method works for me right now.

I'm interested in hearing any of your comments about cloth diapers.

Figuring Out Finger Foods...

We are about to hit the one year birthday mark, and with only two teeth completely in and the top two about 1/4 of the way in it's getting challenging to figure out what finger foods to serve. I am amazed at how well he could do with only the bottom two teeth, chewing up cheerios, peas, string cheese bits and so on. I think their jaws do most of the work.

I've been working with him to transition to more types of food like we eat...grown-up food. Within a few weeks we will be transitioning him from formula to whole milk. I want to make sure he gets the nutrients he needs once he has made the switch, so offering a wider variety of food seems to be the best plan. What's hard about this is that we don't eat at the same time he does and those darn teeth. I feel limited as to what I can feed him with only two working teeth and two coming in.

Any ideas?

Here are some of his favorite finger foods:

Whole Peas

Cut up carrots

Pieces of cheese (string and american)

Cheerios

Sweet Potatoes

Bananas

Pears

Mango

Peaches

Another thing...

Up until now he has pretty much eaten single or double ingredient foods. Pureed carrots, appesauce and cereal, whole peas, rice and beans, green beans and rice, etc... I have started with some multi-ingredient foods like toddler cereal bars, but want to expand in this area as well.

Any ideas?

Rice & Beans

I mentioned a little while ago I would share my recipe for baby rice and beans. I started Little E out on mashed beans at 8 months and began mixing beans and rice the following month. I felt like feeding him both rice and beans in one sitting to begin with was a little much for his digestive system. I didn't want to suffer alongside him all night if the after effects were negative! I keep a steady supply of rice and bean frozen food cubes in the freezer. I feed him two at a time every few days or so.

I have heard from a friend who is from Puerto Rico that Latinos don't have a problem with gas from beans because they began eating them as babies. I hope this is true for my little Latino boy, too!

For the beans, I take one can of organic light kidney beans or black beans and rinse and drain them in a colander. I puree the entire contents in my food processor, adding a little water so they can puree evenly. The texture is entirely up to you, puree more for a smoother consistency and less for a chunky consistency, which is great for older babies.

Set aside.

For the rice, I measure out 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of water into a small saucepan. Bring the rice and water to a boil and turn heat to low. Simmer for 1/2 hour or until the rice is done and the water is evaporated. I then puree the rice with water until fairly smooth. I have found that brown rice doesn't really ever get too smooth, but I like the chunkiness. It makes the meal seem kind of hearty to me.

Then, I mix the beans and the rice together. I usually refrigerate enough for 2 days and freeze the rest in food cubes, like this:

Sometimes I need to add a little water before heating to make it a little thinner.

Yum! No salt or spices, but it's still great. I even love the taste!

Yogurt Goodness

My baby LOVES yogurt! There is hardly anything else that lights up his face as much (except the yellow cheerios box and the sight of his mother, of course!). I started giving him whole milk plain yogurt when he was 8 months old. I mash up 1/4- 1/2 of a banana and mix with 3 heaping tablespoons of yogurt. He goes nuts when he sees me take the container out of the fridge!

I buy Stoneyfield Farms organic whole milk plain yogurt in the big container. It's a lot more economical than buying the little containers that come in a 6-pack, but not nearly as convenient. I'm glad Stoneyfield Farms started making plain yogurt in the 6-packs, because until a couple of months ago they only offered flavored YoBaby! yogurts, which contain sugar as well as fruit.

He is 11 months old this week and still eats a bowl of yogurt just about everyday. I like that it contains good bacteria that helps strengthen his immune system. I will probably try out the YoBaby! flavors soon so we can have a more portable option.

Great Website!

A friend just reminded me of this GREAT website for making baby food. What's so great about it is the breadth of information they offer. There are a lot of articles about food allergies, how you can take homemade baby food to daycare, and other topics of interest that don't seem to be covered on other websites. They even offer food plans for different age groups, although I wish they contained more specific information about quantities. Check it out, you might find it helpful.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

How much to feed your baby?

This is such a hard question to answer and when I started feeding my little guy solids I searched for a chart or something that would tell me exactly how much he should get at each meal. All I got was a headache, confusion and a bunch of conflicting answers. And, here's what I took away from it:

Feed them until they are full and then stop.

But, how do you know if they are full or just want to keep eating? It's hard to discern, I must admit, but I did get better at judging how much he needed as time went on.

As you know, I am a hybrid feeder, meaning I mostly make his food, but do buy jarred foods for eating out, eating with papa and when I am lacking time to prepare a meal. Well, I used the prepared food jars as my guide for how much to feed Little E. Here's what I mean:

A small jar of baby food for the first stage is 2 oz. A frozen food cube in most ice trays is 1 oz. Each measured tablespoon is 1/2 oz. So, using this as my guide I started out feeding him 2 food cubes or 1 jar of food or 4 tablespoons. At this point I fed him one food at a seating.

As soon as he wanted more (which was almost immediately), I would add one more food cube or 2 more tablespoons. When I started increasing his quantities I started adding more variety. I would feed him 2 oz. of pureed peas and add 1 oz. of apples as a dessert.

From there we just kept increasing out quantities as he wanted more food.

How do you know if they are still hungry? They let you know. Crying, yelling, mouth smacking...I just always knew.

Once he was eating 4 oz. at a time I switched to the bigger jars, and I started mixing foods he had eaten together. Apples and sweet potatoes. Winter squash and pears. Carrots and peas. You get the idea.

When Little E was 6-7 months here is an example of meals he would eat:

- 1/4 cup Earth's Best multi grain or oatmeal cereal mixed with water
- 2 pea food cubes, 2 pear food cubes - 2 carrot food cubes mixed with 2 apples food cubes
- 1-2 oz. jar Earth's Best winter squash, 1/2 ripe banana mashed up
(I always offered 2-4 tablespoons of cereal mixed with water if he was still hungry)

Around 7-8 months:

- 1/4 cup cereal mixed with 2 tablespoons organic, unsweetened jarred applesauce, water
- 2 pea and brown rice food cubes, 1-4oz. jar of Earth's Best Apples and Plums
- 3 carrot food cubes, 1/2 smashed banana
- 2 green bean and brown rice food cubes, 1 apple food cube mixed with 4 tablespoons of cereal
(I always offered 2-4 tablespoons of cereal mixed with water if he was still hungry)

Around 8 months and beyond:

- 1/4-1/2 chopped banana pieces as finger food first, then 1/4 Happy Bellies oatmeal cereal mixed with 2 tablespoons applesauce and water
- small handful (3-4 tablespoons?) whole cooked cooled peas as finger food; 1/2 banana smashed with 3 tablespoons organic whole-milk plain yogurt; 2 pea and brown rice food cubes, handful of cheerios
- small handful of chopped cooked cooled carrots, 2 bean and brown rice food cubes, 4 oz. Earth's Best jar of peach, banana and oatmeal, handful of cheerios
- 1/3 stick of string cheese, chopped into small bits, 3 carrot food cubes, 4 oz. jar of Earth's Best Apple and Apricot, handful of cheerios

SIDE NOTES: I worked into these schedules, which means I introduced each food for 3-4 days before adding a new food. I also worked up to the above quantities as Little E demanded more food. I always stop if he seems full, which to him is playing with his food and throwing it over the highchair onto the floor, or disinterest.

Also, you will notice that I feed him a lot of jarred fruit. There a few reasons for this. First, it is either difficult to find during a New England winter or too expensive to buy a variety of organic fresh fruit. Hopefully this will change as summer rolls around. Also, some of the jarred foods offered fruits I could easily introduce using the jarred mixed versions (apricots, plums, raspberries, peaches). These are all mixed with apples.

Feeding plans that worked for us

I had a lot of trouble figuring out how much and how often to feed my baby when we started with solid foods. We had waited to start him on rice cereal until he seemed interested in food and could sit up in his high chair. Once he learned how to take food from the spoon he was able to move it to the back of his mouth in no time at all with some practice. For Little E that was at 5 months, just after the doctor had given us the OK to start solids. SO, after I introduced the cereal a few times I began to wonder how to balance solid food with breastfeeding. The search I began became the genesis of this blog. So, I thought I would share a sample plan that we used. It will be different with different babies, but hopefully this will be a little bit of a start for some of you just starting out.

8 a.m. - breastfeed or bottle
*12 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle and immediately after offer cereal
4 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle and cereal
8 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle
12 a.m.(if needed) - breastfeed or bottle

*It was at this feeding that I introduced new foods, like winter squash or sweet potatoes in the beginning. I had read that introducing foods early in the day is a good idea in case there is an allergic reaction. If so, then there is still time to call the pediatrician's office.

The above schedule turned into this schedule between 6-7 months (which we are still on at 10 1/2 months) Again this will vary with child:

7:30 a.m. - breastfeed or bottle
9:00 a.m. - cereal with fruit
12 p.m. - yogurt with fruit and veggie (cheerios for dessert)
2:30 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle
5:00 p.m. - cheese, veggie and fruit
7:30 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle

What works for you? I'll keep you posted as we hit the year mark.

HappyBellies Cereal

Let me tell you about my new favorite cereal. It's called HappyBellies and its made by HappyBaby. My friend, Kristi, turned me onto it a couple of months ago and now it's the only cereal I feed my 10 1/2 month old. For one thing it's both organic and whole grain, two things I think are essential in baby cereal. And, the oatmeal version actually tastes like oatmeal. But, an added bonus (and the real selling point) for me is that it has probiotics in it. Probiotics are "good" bacteria that help aid in digestion, as well as crowd out "bad" bacteria. Apparently this helps promote good health and can help guard against allegies, as well. All in all I think it's worth hunting around to find it. I buy mine at Whole Foods and it's only slightly more expensive than Earth's Best, which is the other organic whole-grain cereal out there.

I scoop out 1/4 cup of cereal and mix with 2 tablespoons of organic unsweetened applesauce and water to desired consistency. I then pop it into the microwave to heat a bit.

One other bit of info...in the lid of the cereal container is a coupon for HappyBaby frozen baby food. The coupon makes the food a steal because it's buy one, get one free! As you know, I make most of what Little E eats, but with a coupon like this I couldn't pass up trying it. It's super yummy!

Stove or Microwave?

Most all fruit and veggie purees can be made either on the stove using a steamer basket in a saucepan, or in the microwave in a covered glass bowl. Some veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash or other winter squash can also be roasted in the oven. Just decide what's easier for you.

For the microwave you will want to add a less water because fruits and veggies steam using their own moisture. You will also want to figure out how quickly your microwave cooks. As a general rule, veggies and fruits steam in the microwave using about 2/3 of the time as on the stove. You can use pastic wrap to cover foods, however do not let the plastic touch the food because it will leach harmful chemicals into the food.

For the stove you will want to make sure you use a steamer basket set above water in a saucepan. The water level should come just below the steamer, but not above the bottom of the steamer. Steaming cooks foods above water using the steam from the boiling water. Steaming is better than boiling because a lot of nutrients are lost when a food is submerged and boiled in water.

Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squashes can be peeled, cubed and steamed using the above methods. Or, you can wash the veggie, pierce several times with a fork, and roast in the oven utnil soft. Some resources I consulted believe that roasting veggies in the oven makes for a sweeter end product. That would be the only reason I would cook in the oven, because it takes a lot more time to roast than steam.

Peas, please!

I just made a batch of peas for my little one and I wanted to share how easy they are to make! Here's what I did:

I buy frozen organic petite peas because they are pre-shelled and it's difficult to find fresh peas. I actually don't think I have ever eaten fresh peas!

I steamed them in a about 1/4 cup water in the microwave in a covered dish. It took about 10 minutes for one bag of peas. You will want to make sure they are really soft, because that makes a smoother puree.

After the peas were finished steaming, I drained out the cooking water and reserved it for the puree. You will want to submerge the peas in ice water until cool. This step not only cools the peas down so they can be pureed, but it also helps them retain their vibrant green color.

Once cooled, I pureed the peas thinning them out with the reserved cooking water until smooth. Then, I filled an ice cube tray with the peas, covered with foil and popped them into the freezer. After they freeze I will pop them out and store in the freezer, thawing them as I need them.

So easy! And, once you see how bright green the color of these cooked peas is, compared to the darker color of the jarred peas, you will be a fan.

~Age - An excellent first food, 5 + months

~Yield - 1 bag will yield about 10 servings (1 serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

~Nutritionally Speaking - Peas are high in protein, vitamins A & C, and iron

Note: Peas can also be steamed in a steamer basket in a saucepan on the stove. Frozen peas can be refrozen if they have been cooked.

Should I buy Organic?

I have this dilemma everytime I go to the grocery store to buy food for my family. I can't believe how expensive organic food is! I read an article that helped me understand the cost issue a little better. The article explained that it is more expensive to farm organically and that the crop yields are smaller raising the end price. While I understand this, I get so angry when I stand in the produce section of Whole Foods trying to justify paying $2.99 a pound for apples or pears.



There are pros and cons on each side of the organic food argument. The most compelling argument for me is the pesticide issue. I understand that farmers use pesticides on produce to control insects, mold and disease, but I have also read that the level of pesticide absorption is 4 times higher with babies than with the average adult. I have also read that nitrates found in conventional soil is dangerous for babies because it can cause an unusual form of anemia because they can't excrete the nitrates as effeciently as adults. On the other side, some argue that research has shown that organic produce isn't any safer than conventional. I'm not sure what "safer" means, but I would rather air on the side of safety. I want my child to have the healthiest start possible. I don't like the idea of unknown and unnecessary substances floating around in his young little body.

SO, I have set myself out to find the cheapest way to provide the healthiest food for my child. Here's what I do...when I am ready to introduce a new food I explore the different options (jarred, buying fresh or frozen) and I make the decision from there. Some fruits and veggies are readily available at reasonable prices to buy fresh (carrots & apples) Some foods have a very low rating for pesticides and are not reasonably priced for organic varieties, so I buy conventionally (banana, avocados, sweet potatoes, butternut squash). Others are either not widely available or are too expensive and I buy frozen (peas and peas). And, still others are just not available fresh all year long or are too expensive to justify buying fresh and I make a choice to buy organic jarred (apricots, plums, prunes, pears).

But, my advice is to not drive yourself crazy about this. Make the best choices you can for the food you are introducing. Please learn a lesson from me about this. I have stood in the middle of the grocery store several times wandering from the frozen food section to the produce section to the baby food aisle breaking out into a sweet and anxiously deliberating what decision to make. Do what feels right for you and trust your instincts.

To help you decide where you are on the organic debate, check out these websites:

http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

http://www.ocregister.com/life/organic-foods-food-1962436-vegetables-pesticides

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cheap/20040901a1.asp

And, I am interested to hear if you have found other sources that are helpful.

Why Make Homemade Baby Food?

Pears

Pears are an excellent first fruit. They are mild, not too sweet and super yummy! When I made Pearsauce for the first time I wanted to not only lick the spoon, but the blender as well. Here's what I do:

Start with 4 pears. After washing peel, core and slice pears. Place them in one layer in a saucepan with a steamer basket. Fill with enough water so that water is below steamer basket and not touching food. Steam on high with lid on saucepan for about 8-10 minutes. Test pears to see if they are done by piercing with a fork. They are done when very soft and easily pierced.

Let pears cool in pan with lid off until easy to handle. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Pears have a high water content and do not need any additional liquid.

Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze to make food cubes.

~Age - An excellent first food, 5 + months

~Yield - 6-8 servings (serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

~What to look for - Bartlett, Anjou and Bosc pears are all good varieties to choose from. Pears tend to ripen from the inside out, so a pear is ready when it is firm to the touch, but not too hard.

~Nutritionally Speaking - Pears provide both Vitamin C and Potassium.

Applesauce

I made the yummiest fresh applesauce the other day. It was so easy and it tasted so much better than anything you can buy! Here's what to do:

Start with 4-8 apples. After washing core and slice the apples into quarters. Leaving the skin on during cooking gives the cooking water more nutrients. Place them in one layer in a saucepan with a steamer basket. Fill with enough water so that water is below steamer basket and not touching food. Steam on high with lid on saucepan for about 10-12 minutes. Test apples to see if they are done by piercing with a fork. Apples are done when very soft and easily pierced.

Let apples cool in pan with lid off until easy to handle. Scrape flesh out of skin and puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Add some of cooking water to thin out to consistency desired.

Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze to make food cubes.

Age - An excellent first food, 5 months and on

What to look for - Use milder apples with no dents or bruises like Golden Delicious or Rome (Green apples are too acidic for new eaters)

Yield - 8 apples will make 10 servings (serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

Nutritionally Speaking - Apples provide Vitamin C, Potassium and Pectin (good for soothing an upset tummy or diarrhea).

Disclaimer

Information on this blog is not meant to be taken as medical advice and should not replace the advice given by your doctor or pediatrician.

Independence

Sometimes feeding our sweet, lovable babies can turn into a wrestling match trying to keep food from flying all over the kitchen, getting on your clothes and into your baby's hair. I can't get over how quickly my laid back, anything goes child can turn into such a protester when he gets into the high chair. He won't swallow his food and it dribbles down his chin, he frantically waves his arms around trying to knock the spoon (full of food) out of my hands, or he'll cry protesting peas one day and sweet potatoes another. Maybe I was too quick to declare how un-fussy of an eater he was when we started solids. He would approach anything I fed him with an open mouth. He still eats pretty much anything I feed him, but when we have an episode it is a battle of the wills between us.

"Mealtime should be fun," I keep telling myself.

I am learning (slowly) to take meals less seriously. The goal is to nourish my child and help him become an independent eater. If I can involve him in mealtime, then he will have a positive attitude toward food. What I am learning is that this is one of the only places in his life where he can assert his independence. He can choose what he likes to eat and if he wants to eat it. He wants to feed himself with the spoon and gets mad when I won't let him. I wish he could understand the reasons I list for him as to why I need to hold the spoon instead of letting him, though!

Here are a few tricks I have learned to make mealtime with my 8-month old a little easier:

- I give him a toy or clean spoon to hold. It distracts him and gives him somewhere else to focus all that frenetic energy.

- I take little breaks in between bites to let him have a rest, play for a moment, swallow his food completely, and take it all in.

- At the end of a meal I give him the spoon with a little food on it to let him practice feeding himself.

- I place a little soft piece of mashed banana or other food on the tray of the high chair and let hom play with it. He will squish it with his hands and I know that one of these days soon he will put it in his mouth reinforcing his independence. This is something you can do once they start picking things up with their fingers. If your baby doesn't have teeth yet, be very careful and make sure the food it tiny and very soft so that it is not a choking hazard.

Are there ways you are involving your babies in mealtime and overcoming the challenges of an independent eater?

Good luck! We're in it together.

Thawing Frozen Baby Purees

Using a microwave-proof container, thaw frozen puree cubes in microwave on low to medium heat setting. Check every 20 seconds or so to make sure food is thawing and not cooking. BE SURE TO STIR PUREE THOROUGHLY. Microwaves heat unevenly and it is important that puree is stirred to distribute heat evenly. You are simply thawing puree, not cooking it. Baby's cannot tolerate hot food in their sensitive mouths, puree does not need to be any warmer than room temperature. The best way to test food is to put a small amount to your tongue or on the inside of your upper lip to test the temperature.

Storing Fresh Baby Purees

You can store fresh baby purees in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Storing individual portions in small containers will make mealtimes easier, eliminating extra steps when your baby is anxiously awaiting their lunch.

You will want to freeze any puree you won't use within 4 days. Do this by spooning puree into ice trays. Each section filled to the top will be approximately 2 tablespoons, making measuring portions easy. Cover the ice tray with aluminum foil to eliminate freezer burn before placing in freezer. After food has frozen solid (usually overnight), pop cubes out and store in a zip-lock bag labeled with the food and date frozen. If it's hard to pop out puree cubes, run the bottom of the ice tray under a little warm water and they will pop right out.

Butternut Squash

Winter squash, such as the butternut, make a creamy, beautiful orange puree and are a perfect first vegetable for new eaters. While they are in season during fall and winter months, they can be prepared and frozen to be enjoyed by your baby all year long.

Wash outside of squash with soap and water. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and strings. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup). Place squash skin side down on sheet. Bake at 375 for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Squash will be done when can be pierced easily with a fork.

Let squash cool so it will be easy to handle. Scoop flesh out of skin and puree in either a blender, food processor or mixer with whip attachment. Add water a couple of tablespoons at a time to reach desired consistency.

~Age - An excellent first food, 5 + months

~ Yield - 1 butternut squash will yield approximately 10 servings (1 serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

~ Nutritionally Speaking - Vitamins A, C and B complex; calcium, and potassium