Chunky Plum Applesauce

I love the color of this applesauce...don't the plums just give it this fabulous purple color?  My 8 month old, Max absolutely loves homemade applesauce and I make it all the time for him.  So, I decided to mix it up a little and add something that he had not tried before.  When it comes to fruit, this boy is not picky (not so much with veggies), so I knew this was going to be a hit.  It also made a wonderfully wholesome afternoon snack for my toddler (it's definitely not just baby food!).  

Makes 2 cups

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced (your choice - I used golden delicious)

1 plum, sliced and pit removed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Fill a medium saucepan with about an inch of water and bring to a boil.  Place steamer basket on top of boiling water and add apples and plums.  Cover tightly with lid.  Steam for about 10 minutes until apples are tender, but not too mushy (by this time, the plum had pretty much disintegrated and I was able to just fish out the skin).  Mash or puree, whichever your little one can handle.  Add cinnamon and stir to combine.  

Store for up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.  

                      

Homemade Applesauce

I made this applesauce this morning for Max and he scarfed it down!  And honestly, it's not just for babies...Jules, my 2 1/2 year loved it and I must say, it is pretty good!  And so good for you and your family!  Nothing to it...apples and cinnamon.  That's it.  I used a potato masher to mash the apples, but you can also use a food mill if you own one, or a food processor to really puree them.   

Makes 1 1/2 cups

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced (your choice - I used red delicious)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Fill a medium saucepan with about an inch of water and bring to a boil.  Place steamer basket on top of boiling water and add apples.  Cover tightly with lid.  Steam for about 10 minutes until the apples are tender, but not too mushy.  Mash or puree, whichever you're little one can handle.  Add cinnamon and stir to combine.  

Store for up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.

                            

Peach Puree with Mint

Even though I am staying at home with my kiddos, I still felt like there was no time for me to make fresh baby food for Max like I did for Jules.  So, my husband and I came up with a plan to make time...like on a Sunday morning, make all the food for that week or even month and just be done!  And that's what I did.  I also took some short cuts like using frozen peaches and peas so I literally had to open the bag, steam and puree.  It takes minutes!!  If you want to use whole peaches, you don't even have to peel them.  Just cut them into slices, steam and the peel with come right off.  Then puree.

I decided with the peaches that I was going to add a little something extra, so I grabbed some mint from our garden.  I just washed it and threw the leaves right into the food processor.  He loved it!  Although he has loved everything so far...he's our big boy and a big eater.  :)  As far as storing, I use those little plastic 1/2 cup Glad containers.  I freeze most of it and put one of them in the fridge for the next couple of days.  It's perfect for portions because Max will eat about 1/4 cup at a sitting.  

Makes 2 cups

1 bag of frozen peaches (or about 4 peaches)

2 mint leaves

Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil.  Add peaches and cover, reducing heat to a simmer. Steam for about 5-7 minutes until the peaches are tender.  Put the peaches and mint into a mini food processor (I use the one that came with our immersion blender) and puree until smooth.  

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.    

Risotto for Baby

As promised, this is a recipe that calls for Baby's stock, and it's definitely been a hit at our house. So very gourmet for your little one! Jules adored this Risotto cold because it clumped up and she could feed herself. I added asparagus puree and it was a fantastic mix-in... add any veggie your baby loves!

Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup Arborio Rice

1 cup Baby's Stock

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

2 tsp fresh herbs (your baby's preference - tarragon, dill, oregano, etc!)

Put rice, stock, and oil in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring once, until liquid has been absorbed and rice is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in herbs and cover for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork, stir in puree and serve lukewarm or cooled.

Baby's Stock

This is such a great recipe to make for your little one because you can use it alone or as an ingredient in so many other baby recipes (to follow!). The veggies can really be your choice, just be sure that at least 2 out of the 3 you pick, you've already introduced to your baby. Mix it up, you can add leek, or squash and even add some tasty herbs like basil or chives. Your baby may even like this in a bottle as a substitute for water, and get all the nutrients from the veggies at the same time!

Makes about 2 cups

6 spears of asparagus

1/2 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks (1 cup)

1 zucchini (1 cup)

Put 4 cups of cold water in a medium pot. Add asparagus, sweet potato and zucchini and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cover pot. Simmer until vegetables are very soft and cooking liquid is light flavored and colored, about 1 hour.

Strain the broth, reserving veggies. Save them and puree for another tasty dinner! Serve stock lukewarm or cooled in a bottle or sippy cup or use in other recipes.

Black Plums for Baby

I've said this before, but plums are a favorite fruit of mine, so I pretty much always have them around. Jules really enjoyed this, too! After I steamed them, they really just fell apart enough for me to mash them up with a fork. And, if your babe is not ready for chunks, puree your cooked plums in your food processor.

Makes about 1 cup

Cut 2 plums into quarters and remove pit. Add about 1/2 inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil; add plums and tightly cover. Steam for about 5 minutes, until they are very tender and drain if necessary. The skins should peel right off, make sure to remove before pureeing or mashing with a fork.

Will keep in your fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Mashed Zucchini

Jules loves just about anything you put in front of her, which has been great fun for us. At 4 or 5 months, we gave her zucchini as a puree, but now that she is 7 months, we've been introducing chunkier foods. If your little one is not ready for chunks, feel free to throw your steamed zucchini into your food processor. It is very runny and liquidy so no need to add breast milk or formula. You may actually want to add rice cereal or oatmeal to make it a little thicker.

Makes about 1/2 cup

Cut two zucchinis into 1 inch rounds. Bring about 1/2 inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the zucchini. Turn your heat down to medium and put the lid on tight. Let steam for 5-9 minutes until the zucchini is fork tender.

If the water has not evaporated, drain well and let the zucchini cool. Mash with a potato masher (or puree in your food processor). Keep in your fridge for 3-4 days or in your freezer for up to 3 months.