Make Your Own Baby food

Making your own baby food doesn't only make sense because it's healthier and fresher but it saves you cash as well! Who really knows how long ago that food was grown or how long it has been in those jars? Who had a hand in preparing what you are about to feed your CHILD?! It's so simple to make and there are a number of sites on the internet to suggest to you ingredients to include to add protein when the baby gets to the "time to add meat to their diet" stage. (lentils, nutritional yeast, brown rice, tofu etc etc.) It's really not rocket science.

We've always been an "on-the-go" family. My children on occasion ate jarred, usually organic baby food but I never felt good about it. It was for convenience sake. Then I learned the trick of FREEZING it into ice cube trays and creating individual portions for easy transport.

The basics of making your own baby food is to steam the veggies until they are soft enough to mash or puree, add protein if they are at "that stage" and give them lots of variety. My kids always loved carrots & squash combined, or blueberries & apples combined. Be creative and open your child up to a whole world of new and wonderful foods!

Shepherd'sPie

4 medium potatoes

2 Tbsp margarine

1/4 cup milk

Salt & Pepper

1 meduim onion finely chopped & sauted

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 pkg ground-beef style soy

1 1/4 cups of prepared vegetarian gravy (either a powdered mix prepared or canned mushroom gravy)

I cup of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)

Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes or until mashable. In a medium bowl, mix the cooked onions, ground beef-style soy, mushroom gravy, frozen vegetables, and salt & pepper. Pour into an oven proof casserole dish. Top the soy mixture with the potatoes, spreading to the edges.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and the mixture bubbles around the edges.

Makes approximately 6-8 servings

Banana Muffins

3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup oil or melted margarine
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts (or raisons or chocolate chips)

Mash bananas (overripe bananas are best!) Add oil/margarine and sugar. Mix well.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together and add to the banana mixture. Mix until the flour is well blended (do not beat).

Pour into muffin pans or a bread pan and bake at 360°F until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 1 Dozen Muffins