We have been very intentional with the way we have been raising Mikayla. We have tried to buy as little new stuff as possible and recycle old stuff instead (in other words we have made or borrowed as much stuff as possible). Part of this is because we are what some people would refer to as “cheap”, but most of it is we saw how quickly children cycle through toys and clothes, leaving them in excellent condition when they were through. We couldn’t justify buying brand new stuff when we could borrow from family and friends items that were gently used.
We have also been using cloth diapers since Mikayla was around 1-2 months old. Despite the fact that they are super cute and cheaper than disposables in the long run, they are much easier on the environment than disposables. I have loved every minute of it!
Speaking of “green” things, when we found out we were pregnant we decided that we would make our own baby food. Call us crazy, but we knew we could make it work. It began as a money saver, and has now turned into much more. We make our own food because we feel it is healthier for our daughter. Making your own baby food is easy as 1-2-3 (and maybe 4).
- Wash, peel and chop vegetables (omit this step if you are using frozen veggies).
- Place in steamer basket (we have on that fits in our saucepan) and steam until soft (can easily break with a spoon).
- Place steamed veggies in food processor and puree until desired consistency (pretty runny at first). If too thick then add leftover water from saucepan in processor.
- Place pureed food in ice cube trays, cover and freeze until hardened. Once frozen transfer to ziplock bags, label and store in freezer. Frozen baby food can be stored for up to 8 weeks. We mix and match our food as needed, pulling out a cube or two from several bags for each feeding. **Don’t forget the all important rule of introducing only one new food at a time for a couple of feedings to determine allergies.**
When I first began making my own baby food I searched the internet high and low for advice, recipes and tips, and of course talked to some friends who were doing the same. Here are some helpful websites and books I have found.
- Annabel Karmel has some great books with high quality recipes and detailed instructions. She also has a pretty good website and books for recipes when cooking for toddlers. She has some great ideas!
- http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ This website is filled with recipes and valuable information when making your own baby food.
- http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-make-your-own-baby-food_1401482.bc
- http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4309.htm
- http://www.chow.com/stories/11562
- http://homecooking.about.com/od/specificfood/a/babyfooddos.htm (quick bulleted list of do’s and don’ts)
Mikayla even seems to think it tastes pretty good!
