Just Call Me Martha [Tasty Tuesday]

If you know me, you know that I'm fairly UNdomestic.  When we bought our house, I was determined to learn how to be more domestic.  I didn't and my excuse was that we didn't have the necessary tools.  Then we got married and got all of those "necessary tools" from our registry.  Shoot.  So then I promised [myself] that I would at least try to become domestic in ONE domain.  I became a baker.  Not like a Buddy Valastro  cake boss, but more like Betty Crocker.  (Because I used her box mixes!)

That was 4 years ago and now I'm much more comfortable in the kitchen.  I'm most confident in my baking/desserts, but I have also been trying tons of new recipes for dinners and I've even started meal planning!

After Carson's 4 month appointment, we were given the "go ahead" to start solid foods.  I knew I wanted to make his food, but I wasn't ready for my little baby to take that step because it meant he was growing up!  (That might sound ridiculous but I know other moms understand!)  We started out with [oatmeal] cereal and he loved it.  He ate that for about a month and I finally decided I needed to get some real food for this boy!

I've been using this site as a basic guideline for our journey into solids.  We decided to start with sweet potatoes and Carson loved them!  Making my own baby food used to sound so daunting but it was a lot easier than I expected!  Here's a quick little "tutorial" if you're interested.  Make sure to scroll to the end to see Carson enjoying Mommy's creation!

Step 1: Scrub your potatoes clean.  Using a super cute brush helps make this process fun.  Next, poke some holes in the potatoes with a fork and wrap each one in some aluminum foil.  Place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes at 400 degrees.

 Step 2: Unwrap your potatoes and let them cool for a few minutes.  Cut each potato in half length-wise.  The potatoes should be very tender.  Scoop out the "meat" and leave the skin behind.  Put the good stuff into your food processor!  [Blenders work as well.  Check out this article if you're unsure which to use!]

Step 3: Add some breastmilk or formula to thin out your mixture.  I used about 1.5oz of breastmilk for each potato.  You can do more or less depending on your desired texture.  This was Carson's first food (besides oatmeal) so I didn't want it too thick or textured!  Once you add your thinning agent, process for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

 Step 4: Using a spoon, scoop your mixture into ice cube trays.  I bought my 3-pack of BPA trays for a few bucks at Walmart.  Wrap the trays with plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer.  Once the cubes are sufficiently solid, pop them out and stick them in a labeled freezer bag.  I labeled my bag with the food, date, and "use by" date.  I've read in multiple places that you should try to use frozen baby food within 1-3 months.

Step 5: Thaw your cubes and feed to your adorable baby!  Please make sure to read this very informative article on thawing and heating!