For this game you need to purchase about 10 – 12 bottles of baby food. Make sure that you get different flavors that look the same; this is especially important if you decide to go with the taste or smell version of the game without using blindfolds. You will also need to remove the labels from each bottle and write down the number alongside the correct contents of the bottle on a piece of paper.

One version of the Guess the Baby Food game and one that can be quite hilarious is to do the taste test. This game can be played with or without blindfold, as this increases the level of difficulty and the fun. It is common knowledge that bottled baby food is not something the average adult likes. For this version of the game some baby food is placed in plastic spoons and the guest or mom-to-be tastes the food and tries to guess what it is. The look on the faces of the persons doing the tasting is priceless and will bring life to any baby shower.

In addition to the taste version, guests can be blindfolded and given jars of baby food to smell and guess what it is. Another version is to just let the invitees try to look at the sealed jar of baby food and guess what it is. With the latter version the sealed jars and the list with the numbers indicating what each jar contains is given to the mom-to-be for future use.

Do you have a favorite baby shower game not listed?  Please comment!

1. Baby Bank – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
   Ask guests to put the money in a piggy bank and give it to the parents for their baby’s first bank account. (usually goes with the baby pool)

2. Baby Bingo – Contributed by: Audra
   Print out BINGO sheets for all guest. Before gift opening instruct guests to fill in squares with “baby items”, rattle, teething ring, etc. While honored guest is opening gifts instruct guests to circle any and all items that are given that match what they have written on their BINGO sheets. As BINGO’s are being yelled out have a designated person pass out Shower prizes.

3. Baby Food Guess – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
   Preparation: Take about 10 different baby food jars and number the bottom of each bottle. Use a permanent marker or write on masking tape and stick it to the bottom of the jar. Be sure to write down which baby food goes with which number.Directions: Place the bottles on a tray and pass it around to the guests. The guests then try to guess what flavor is in each bottle and write it down. After everyone has seen the bottles and guessed, then read the answers. The person who has the most flavors listed correctly is declared the winner.Variation: Buy a stack of papered plates and write the numbers 1-10 around the outside. Then put a small spoonful of each baby food next to the number. Give each guest one of these baby food plates and a spoon. The guests then guess the food by tasting all the flavors! As before, be sure to write which flavor corresponds to which number.

4. Baby Pool – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
   Copy a page or two of a calendar. Have the guests put their initials on the date and time they predict the baby will be born. Each person pays a dollar or so for each chance she takes. For more variables, have people try to guess the sex (if unknown), weight, and length of the baby. The prize can be the money or another gift.

5. Baby Quiz – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
   Ask the grandparents to write up what the parents were like as babies. Have them include vital statistics such as time of birth, height, weight, first tooth, first smile, age when toilet trained, and early indications of personality. Based on this information, make up a quiz about the future parents to hand out to guests. The person with the most correct answers wins a prize.

6. Bottle Races – Contributed by: Anne
   Put 1 or 2 oz of milk or juice into bottles. Before explaining the game ask for volunteers (3) you can make sure to include the mother to be too. Give each volunteer a bottle, explain that they must drink from the bottle until the liquid is all gone, the first guest who finishes wins. It is a lot harder to drink from a bottle than you think! Even the people who are not drinking have fun cheering, watching, and laughing. This is a good time for pictures too.

7. Diaper Derby – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
   To play, you’ll need a four-roll pack of toilet paper. At the shower, divide your guests into four teams. Give each team one roll of paper. Using only that, each group should dress one of their team members in a diaper. They can’t use pins, staples, or anything else to hold it together. The mom-to-be picks the best-diapered baby, and the whole team wins small prizes.

8. Dirty Diapers! – Contributed by: Phyllis C.
   Make diapers out of paper napkins, put mustard inside of one napkin. Each person is to pick a napkin and the one with the dirty diaper (napkin) wins a prize!

9. Variation on Dirty Diapers Game – Contributed by: Alyssa W.
   Buy several diapers and several kinds of chocolate (Mars, butterfinger etc.). Melt one of the chocolates in one of the diapers. Do this with all the different kinds of chocolate. Lay the diapers on a table with a number next to each one. Have each guest look at and smell the inside of the diaper. Then have the guests write down the number and what kind of chocolate they think it was on an index card. The guest with the most right wins!

10. Don’t Say Baby! – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    The object of the game is to avoid saying the word ‘baby.’ Everyone gets a clothespin or safety pin when they arrive, and if someone catches you saying ‘baby,’ she gets your pin. The person with the most pins at the end of the party wins a prize.Variation: Everyone gets a clothes pin… and anytime you were sitting down, you couldn’t cross your legs. If you were caught crossing your legs, the person who caught you got your clothes pin. The one with the most in the end got a little prize.

11. Dress the Baby – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Get a life-size baby doll, receiving blanket, cloth diaper, diaper wrap, and one-piece underwear. Guests take turns trying to either dress or swaddle the baby. Time each guest – the one who does it fastest wins.

12. Feeding Time! – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Place a bunch of cotton balls in a large bowl. Set an empty bowl in front of it. Instruct the guests that they are to transfer as many cotton balls as possible from one to the other while blindfolded. Blindfold the guests, one at a time, and hand them a large wooden spoon from the kitchen. Give them 30 seconds to scoop up as many cotton balls as possible and place them in the second bowl. This is harder than you think because the balls are almost weightless on the spoon and the blindfolded person has no idea how many cotton balls they’ve gotten. The balls are counted after each guest plays. The guest who transferred the most wins.

13. Grab the Baby Pins – Contributed by: A. Swim
    Put several small safety pins in a bowl full of rice. Give each guest one minute to find as many pins (blindfolded) as possible. It’s amazing how difficult it is. The guest with the most pins, wins.

14. Gum Babies – Contributed by: Julie S.
    Each guest gets a piece of bubble gum (the square ones like bubble yum) and a number is attached. The guest has to make a baby out of the piece of gum, the wrapper can also be used. The gum is collected along with the number (each guest has to remember their number). The mom-to-be judges the baby figures for best and worst and a prize is won. It is a great way for guests to loosen up and meet the people around them.

15. Ice Cube Game – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Buy a bunch of tiny plastic babies – the kind you might put on a cake – and freeze them in ice cubes. Each guest gets one in a cup or bowl. The first one whose baby is ‘born’ wins

16. Jellybelly Count – Contributed by: Adrienne C.
    You will need a baby bottle and 1/4 lb. of jellybellies. Fill the bottle with the jellybellies and write the number on a sheet of paper. Have the guests and guest-of-honor write their guesses on pieces of paper. The person with the closest guess wins the bottle!

17. Memory Game – Contributed by: Phyllis C.
    Place a large number of baby items (rattle, diaper, teething ring, etc..) in a large bag. Give each guest 1 minute to study the items in the bag. They need to write a list of as many items as they can remember. The guest with the most correct answers, wins!

18. Mom’s Book – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Buy or make a small blank book. Ask each guest to write in advice, their blessings, a wish, proverb, or poems the mom may enjoy. She can read the book while waiting for the newest additions arrival. It’s nice to let guests know ahead of time so they are prepared.

19. The Name Game – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Using the baby’s full name, the guests make up words using the letters in the name. The person who comes up with the most words is the winner.

20. Name That Tune – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Play or sing the tunes to children’s songs like ‘Pop Goes the Weasel,”Hush Little Baby,’ ‘Rock-a-Bye Baby,’ and ‘Lullaby and Goodnight,’ and have the guests guess the titles.

21. Onsies Paintathon – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Get some white onsies or undershirts and give each guest one. With (non-toxic) fabric paint the guests can decorate each one for the baby. Variation: – Contributed by Debbie L.
    You can also do this with bibs.

22. Picture It – Contributed by: Alisa V.
    Ask all of your guests to bring in a photo from when they were babies, hang them all on a bullitien board and have everyone try to guess who each photo belongs to. The person who has the most correct answers wins!

23. Pin Counting – Contributed by: Amy N.
    Fill an 8 oz bottle with diaper pins and pass it around to your guests. Have them write down their guess on how many are in it. The closest guess wins!

24. Pin the Umbilical Cord on the Baby – Contributed by: Sarah H.
    A variation on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” with a twist! Use a photo of a baby and a paper umbilical cord.

25. Playdough Babies – Contributed by: Mindy C.
    Using playdough, have your guest make a baby item. Mom-2-be will deside the winner!

26. Round the Tummy – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Buy a ball of yarn or string before the shower. Pass the ball of yarn to each guest and let them cut off the amount that they think best represents the waistline of the mother-to-be. After each guest has their string, have the mother to be go around the room and try out each string by wrapping it around her waist. The one that comes closest to her actual size wins.

27. Time Capsule – Contributed by: Lainey
    Ask each guest to bring an item for a time capsule. It could be anything from a newspaper cutting for the year he/she was conceived, to a poem written by a friend of the mother-to-be on their thoughts of the mother-to-be.

28. Zoo Babies – Contributed by: Lorna F. of Pinopolis, SC
    Have someone name an animal like ‘bear’ and then everyone writes down what it’s baby is called (e.g. ‘cub’ for bear). The person with the most correct gets a prize too.

29. Onsie Messages – Contributed by: Shannon Ley
    Have some onsies of different sizes available and some permanent fabric markers so guests can write a message or draw a design on a onsie if they choose to. You can also ask each guest to bring their own onsie in the invitation. Be sure to have little pieces of cardboard cutouts to stick in each onsie so the markers don’t bleed through.

Do you have a favorite baby shower game not listed?  Please comment!

When it comes time to start feeding your bay something other than breast milk or formula, you turn to stage one foods such as cereals, fruits and vegetables. The selection is growing however and baby food producers are adding organic baby food to the choices of food you can feed your baby.

Your Baby’s Health
Many parents do not want to introduce their baby to the pesticides and artificial preservatives that are put in fruits and vegetables. They want their baby to be as healthy and pesticide free as possible, and are determined to only give their baby the best. Tests have shown that the pesticides do show up in children and decrease immediately when a child is switched from non-organic fruits and vegetables to organic fruits and vegetables. Long term health benefits are still unknown, but immediate health benefits are high and enough to sway many moms and dads to give their baby organic foods from the start.

Where To Start
Most parents start their children out on rice cereal from the baby food isle. For those that make that choice but want baby food for their baby that is pesticide free, they can choose to start with organic rice cereal. If you are really adventurous you can attempt to make your own organic rice baby food by purchasing organic rice, cooking it per the directions, blending it with breast milk till desired consistency, and serving it to your baby. You can even freeze it in ice cube trays and store it in plastic baggies till you are ready to feed it to your baby.

Organic Fruits and Veggies
After your baby has learned to eat and swallow the baby cereals and it is time to move onto the jarred baby foods, you still have lots of choices in the organic department. There are organic jarred baby foods in all the different stages. Your baby can start out with organic peas, carrots and sweet potatoes for the organic vegetables and organic bananas and apples for the fruits. Organic fruits and vegetables taste the same as the non-organic fruits and vegetables and give your baby a healthier alternative to the already healthy baby food he has begun to eat. As your baby moves up in stages the food changes and more organics are added. As your baby begins to eat table food you can choose organic fruits and vegetables for your table.

Organic foods are the new in “thing” for many families. While they are often a little bit more expensive than your non-organic food, having it available on the supermarket shelves is not only welcome, but convenient.

We all know baby food is a natural transition in every baby’s life by about six months of age. It is really nutritious for your baby though, and do you know what goes into it? You wouldn’t put strange food into your body and for that same reason you want to make sure you know what is in the food you are giving to your baby before you give it to them.

You’re Infants Needs
The nutritional needs of your infant are not the same as the nutritional needs that you have or that your spouse has. They need certain fats and only small amounts of the fiber, proteins and sugars that adults need. You should never apply your diet to your baby.

Jarred Food vs. Home Made Food
Jarred food is in many cases just as good for your baby as homemade food assuming the home made food is carefully prepared using clean work areas and kitchen tools. You want to make sure that you do not expose your baby to any harmful bacteria from your last meal that might be growing on the counter. When prepared carefully and made correctly either food is healthy for your baby to eat.

Water
Water is occasionally added to baby food in an effort to thin it out and get it to the proper consistence for your baby’s growth and development. When your baby first starts on baby food it would be very hard for him to swallow peas that have been simply chewed up, so baby food companies add water to make the food the right texture. If you are making your own baby food at home you can substitute breast milk or formula for the water.

Starch
Some people may not realize, but many baby foods contain starches which are easily digestible carbohydrates which are actually good for your baby. The Food and Drug Administration has stated that starches are ok to put in baby food but specifies that companies must put it on the label.

Textures
Why does your baby need texture in his food you might wonder? The texture on your baby’s tongue helps to teach them about shapes and sizes when it comes to food that goes in their mouth. Learning about textures when young, helps a baby as they become a toddler and begin to eat table food. It is important for them to learn to swallow chunky foods because no one can puree food with their teeth, even your toddler who thinks he can do EVERYTHING.

Organic vs. The Original
Is there really a difference and is it important which one you feed your baby? In the big world probably not, but if you and your family is into organic foods then you may want to follow along the same with your baby. Organic foods are free of the pesticides and preservatives that some of the original jarred baby food may have been made with or treated with while the food was growing whether it is vegetables or chicken from the range.

It is important for you to be concerned about your baby’s nutritional well being. After all, what you feed your child now will help shape the type of eater they grow up to be. If you have questions about what you should be feeding your baby or your baby’s developmental progress be sure to ask your pediatrician at your baby’s next well-check.

By Carrie Lauth

Is your baby about to start solid foods? Are you thinking of making your own baby food?

When you make baby’s first foods, you can save money and reduce waste. You also can choose more nutritious options. Fresh foods are typically more nutritious than canned, and you can purchase organic food to prepare for baby if you wish. You can also avoid unwholesome ingredients that show up in commercial baby food.

Making baby food doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. In fact, the easiest and cheapest way is the best way!

The easy way to making your own baby food:
1. Don’t bother with buying one of those baby food grinders. They’re hard to clean and too much hassle.

2. If you wait until your baby is 6 months old to start solids, you can almost always just mash with a fork to the desired consistency. If you’re breastfeeding, you can even wait until baby’s “pincer grasp” is developed and offer him small finger foods like peas, bits of grated apple, and the like. The pincer grasp is developed when baby can pinch small objects (like those bits of carpet fluff or food on the kitchen floor!) inbetween his thumb and first finger. In fact, if you have a family tendency towards food allergy, waiting longer to start solids may be preferable. No matter what baby’s age, always offer one food at a time and wait several days to watch for signs of allergy before offering another. Take it slow.

3. Start with fresh single ingredient foods like:
Banana
Steamed carrot, turnip, potato, yam
Avocado
Ripe pear, peach, melon, plum
Cooked squash
Grated apple- raw or steamed
Peas
Well cooked beans
Hard cooked egg yolks (avoid the whites until 1 year)

Some of these foods could be served raw. Others are lightly steamed (steaming retains more nutrients than canning), to make them softer for baby.

4. It’s not necessary to make a big deal of preparing baby’s food. If you want to take a lot of time blending food and freezing them in ice cube trays, you could certainly do that. But I’m all for the easy approach!

Although you do want to avoid giving baby salt and sugar (and spices that may upset the tummy), you can usually just take an ingredient from your own menu and “make” baby’s dinner.

For instance, if you’re steaming veggies to serve at dinner, take a tablespoon of them out of the pan before you add butter and salt. Put this in baby’s plate and mash away. Voila! Instant baby food with no extra work. Or take a bit of beef from your roast and mash mash mash until it’s very soft.

Even when you’re at a restaurant, you can either bring an apple with you and “grate” it finely with a spoon at your table, or bring along a banana or other portable food. Any restaurant with a salad bar would have cooked beans or avocado. Or give baby a bit of your baked potato (before you add the goodies on top).

Life with a new baby is challenging enough. Keep starting solids simple!

About the Author:
Carrie Lauth publishes a free newsletter for Moms doing things the natural way. Get your copy plus free subscriber goodies at: http://www.natural-moms.com/natural_mom_newsletter.html.

Infants, simply because they are so young and small, are often susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Fortunately, you can reduce this risk with a little common sense and safe food handling practices. Infants less than one year of age do not have fully developed immune systems and because of this bacteria that may not cause illness in an adult or older child, can cause serious illness in infants.

For infants under six months old, the safe storage times for formula and expressed breast milk are 24 hours in a refrigerator at 35 F to 40 F. Breast milk can be frozen for up to three months at 0 F. However, do not freeze formula.

If you give an infant water, it should be boiled water during the first three months of the infant’s life. Milk and formula for six- to 12-month old babies may be stored for 48 hours in the refrigerator. The same three month time limit applies for milk, and the “do not freeze” rule applies to formula.

Other safety tips for the liquids that you give your baby include

• Observe and follow the “use by” dates for stored, unopened cans of formula.
• Heat bottles in hot tap water, not in the microwave oven.
• Shake baby bottles and check the temperature on the top of your hand before feeding.
• Discard any unused milk left in a bottle.
• Follow the manufacturer’s recommended procedures for preparing bottles.
• When traveling, keep milk and formula cold (less than 41 F) by transporting bottles in an insulated cooler.

Some of the rules above apply for baby food but there are also other things to remember.

• Observe the “use by” dates when storing unopened jars. Jars of commercial baby food normally have a 1 to 2-year shelf-life. Check to see that the safety button on the lid is down before opening. If the lid does not “pop” when the jar is opened or if the jar is not sealed, do not use the food.
• For microwave heating, transfer food from unopened jars to bowls or dishes. For adequate heating, heat four ounces of food on high for 15 seconds, stir, and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir again and check the temperature (more than 140 F) before feeding food to the infant.
• Never allow opened jars of food to sit at room temperature.
• Solid baby foods that have been opened may be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 days.
• Strained fruits and vegetables can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days or stored in the freezer for 6 to 8 months.
• Strained meats and eggs may be stored one day in the refrigerator or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.
• Meat and vegetable combinations are good for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.
• Homemade baby foods will keep for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

Once commercial formulas or foods are opened you need to use them immediately and refrigerate the unused portion quickly after you are done. When you use the refrigerated leftovers, heat them quickly to 165 F to prevent growth of bacteria

by: Meredith Edwards-Cornwall

Baby in a highchair, mom in front with a small spoon and a jar of baby food. It looks like something right out of a parenting magazine, and it’s a scene that is played out several times a day in the majority of homes with small babies. Unfortunately, it’s also a powerful marketing image that can cost a family a great deal of money in the long run.

The Convenience Factor
Most parents would say the main reason for using commercial jarred baby food is the convenience aspect. After all, with the busy lifestyle many of us have today, no one has time to specially prepare a meal for each member of the family. It doesn’t have to be a special event to create your own baby food, however. Baby can usually eat what the rest of the family is eating with very little special preparation.

Good Nutrition
Everyone worries about proper nutrition for growing babies. Iron, calcium, and vitamin D – all of these things are legitimate concerns in children’s nutrition. However, fortified and processed foods aren’t necessarily better than whole foods. Homemade baby food, created from fresh ingredients, offers your child superior nutrition as well as encourages a taste for simple, unprocessed foods – a taste that will possibly prevent obesity-related problems later in life. It’s not necessary to offer commercial baby foods in order to have a healthy child.

Economics
Why pay more for an inferior product? Beginning baby food often runs between forty and seventy cents for two ounces. It’s entirely possible to purchase half a pound of produce for the same amount, and baby will reap the benefits of eating fresh, nutritious food. Buying produce in bulk can result in even more savings, and even frozen produce is preferable to what you find in the jars.

Getting Started
It’s important to know when baby is actually ready for solids. Introducing solids too early can lead to an increased likelihood of food intolerances and food allergies. Most medical associations agree that starting solids around six months of age is ideal, and many people find delaying solids for allergy-prone babies is even better. Signs of readiness for solids include:

• Increased nursing for more than a few days, which is unrelated to illness or teething, or, if baby is fed artificial baby milk, consuming more than 32 ounces daily.
• Ability to sit up unsupported.
• Absence of the tongue-thrust reflex. This life-saving reflex causes babies to push foreign objects (in this case, solid foods) out of their mouths to avoid choking.
• Ability to pick foods up and place in mouth independently (or development of the pincer grasp).

What About Allergies?
Experts recommend introducing new foods between three days and a week apart. This helps parents and caregivers identify signs of a food allergy or intolerance. Common signs of food allergy/intolerance are:

• Increased bloating and gassiness, painful discomfort.
• Sandpaper-like raised rash on face, often where the offending food made contact with skin.
• Runny nose and watery eyes.
• Diarrhea or mucous in the stools. Blood in the stool can also be an indicator of a food allergy, usually dairy or soy.
• Red rash around anus, or an unusual diaper rash.
• Vomiting or increased spit up with discomfort.

Ideally, it is best to introduce foods that are less likely to produce an allergic reaction in baby. Avoiding foods such as egg whites, certain nuts such as peanuts, cow’s milk, corn, wheat, and some berries such as strawberries is recommended, as they are more likely to cause reactions. Instead, start with foods that are easier on baby’s system. Some good ideas include:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Carrots
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Asparagus
• Oats
• Barley
• Brown rice

Tools of the Trade
Fancy equipment isn’t necessary to make healthy food for your baby. Things that might be helpful include a blender, a food mill, a steamer basket and ice cube trays if you want to freeze small portions. Most people have blenders already in their kitchens, and a food mill (or baby grinder) isn’t necessary if you have a good blender or food processor. Steamer baskets can be found in most grocery stores for only a few dollars, and fit easily into saucepans. Many beginner foods require nothing more than a small pan and a fork.

Sequencing
Many doctors recommend starting your baby on rice cereal first. Many parents find, however, that fruits go over better for beginning eaters. It is a myth that babies will prefer sweet things if they are given fruits first – nature’s first food, breast milk, is naturally sweet, and that is what baby is accustomed to. Banana is a wonderful first food, as its creamy consistency is similar to mother’s milk. After introducing banana, try another fruit or vegetable. Continue adding fruits and vegetables until baby has a wide variety of tastes. Then consider adding whole grains in the form of cereal. Many whole grains have naturally occurring iron, so there is no need to supplement baby’s iron unless there is a medical indication for doing so. Brown rice, oats, and barley are all good choices. Next, introduce a meat or poultry such as beef or chicken. If you are a vegetarian, introduce another protein source such as tofu or lentils. As time goes on, introduce a combination of tastes, such as cereal mixed with applesauce or peas and carrots. This is also a great time to introduce finger foods, especially if baby has teeth. As baby learns to self-feed, you can move away from making purees and offer small baby-sized portions of the family meal.

Getting Started
Bananas make an ideal food for a baby starting solids. To serve, let bananas ripen well (the more ripe, the better – brown spots are desirable), cut into small chunks and mash with a fork. Pears are an excellent source of fiber and can be cooked like apples: peel and cut into chunks. Place in small saucepan and just cover with water. Cook until tender. These can then be mashed with a fork, run through a food mill, processed in a blender or food processor. They can also be offered as finger food if they are cut into small enough chunks. Carrots, another popular first food, should be scraped with a vegetable peeler, sliced and steamed or boiled until soft. Process in blender or food mill. Carrots can be a choking hazard for children, so do use caution if offering as a finger food.

Sweet potatoes are extremely easy to make, and one potato can last a long time if frozen after cooking. Place sweet potato in a microwave for about eight minutes, remove and let cool. Open up and serve right out of the peel – the potato is very soft and needs no further processing. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of B6.

Winter squash such as acorn or butternut makes an excellent first food. Cut squash in half and clean. Place in one half inch of water in a baking pan and bake at three hundred and fifty degrees for half an hour. Use a spoon to scoop out squash and feed directly to baby.

Avocadoes are an extremely nutrient dense food and offers important vitamins and minerals such as iron and potassium. Cut avocado in half around the pit, grab each half and give it a twist. Scoop out meat and mash or dice.

Making cereal for baby is very easy. Take a cup of the whole grain if your choice such as brown rice, oats, or barley and process in the blender until the desired consistency is reached, usually about two minutes for very young babies. Store in an airtight container. To cook, mix with liquid of your choice and heat over medium heat on stove until thick.

Enjoyment
Enjoy this fun stage in baby’s development, and rest assured that baby is getting superior nutrition and developing good eating habits which will last a lifetime!

About The Author
Meredith Edwards-Cornwall owns and operates Attached Mamas at www.attachedmamas.com, which caters to families looking to achieve health naturally. Remedies for colic, morning sickness, infertility and more. She is also a designer for the web and print and owns Beach Designs Studio at www.beachdesigns.net.
meredith@attachedmamas.com

by Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers

Making baby food is healthier for your baby, and offers your baby an introduction to foods rich in variety, flavor, color, taste and smell. All of your friends (and your mother-in-law) will think you are a super parent for making your baby’s food. The big secret — it is super easy and takes less than 30 minutes per week.

A common approach to making baby food is called the “ice cube tray” method. The concept is simple: make large quantities of basic food purees using a standard blender or food processor and freeze it in single servings (1 ounce) in ice cube trays. With this method, you only need to make baby food once, maybe twice, per week. Over time you build up a large variety of single-serving baby food cubes in the freezer.

Here are the four basic steps of making baby food with the ice cube tray method:

Step 1: Prep
Depending on the type of baby food you are preparing, you will need to wash, chop and peel the fruits and vegetables. You should not use detergent or bleach when washing fruits and vegetables because these chemicals can leave a residue that will be absorbed by porous food like produce. If you are using frozen produce, simply open the package.

Step 2: Cook
Cook the food in the microwave or use a stovetop method of steaming. We prefer microwave cooking for several reasons: saves time because foods cook faster; retains more nutrients than other cooking methods; and it is easier clean up. If you prefer the stovetop method of cooking foods, you must use a steamer basket. DO NOT boil food, boiling food reduces nutrient content. Foods must be cooked well. They are done when the can be pierced or mashed easily with a fork.

Step 3: Puree
Pour the food and cooking juices into a food processor or a blender and puree. Food consistency is created during this step. You want your baby to have food that is soft and velvety in texture. You may need to add water to some foods to get the right consistency. Although water will slightly dilute the food’s nutritional value, the difference is not significant enough to worry about.

Step 4: Freeze
Pour the food puree into ice cube trays. Cover and place them in the freezer for eight to 10 hours or overnight. Pop the baby food cubes from the freezer trays. Place the cubes in a freezer storage bags or stackable containers (Label the bag/containers with the date and the type of food), and return them immediately to the freezer. Baby food cubes stay fresh for up to two months.

Sample Recipe: Apple Puree

6 medium golden delicious apples

Step 1: Prep
Wash, peel, core and cut apples into one-inch (3 cm) slices.

Step 2: Cook
Place apples in a microwave safe dish. Cover. Cook 5 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes. Cook an additional 5 minutes. The apples are done when they can be pierced easily with a fork.

Step 3: Puree
Place apples and cooking juices into a blender or a food processor. Puree to a smooth texture.

Step 4: Freeze
Spoon into So Easy Baby Food Trays or ice cube trays. Cover. Place in freezer eight to 10 hours or overnight. Remove cubes from trays, place in storage container or freezer bag, and return immediately to the freezer.

Makes 24 1-ounce servings. Stays fresh for two months in the freezer.

To serve, select frozen apple cubes from the freezer, defrost and warm, check the temperature and feed.

Age to introduce: About 6 months

Serving homemade baby food

Using the ice cube tray method of making baby food makes it is easy to create a large variety of food cubes in your freezer. When it is time for feeding, simply select the food cubes from the freezer, thaw them and feed them to your baby. You may want to warm the food first. Baby food can be served cold, at room temperature or slightly warm. Never serve hot food to your baby, and always check the temperature of food or drinks before feeding them to your baby.

Baby food should have soft, velvety consistency. If you are just starting solids, thinner food is better than thicker food. If you defrost the food and see that it is too thick, you can easily thin it by adding some breast milk or formula. This also adds a little extra nutrition too. If the opposite happens, and the food is too thin, you can easily thicken the food by adding a little baby cereal, mashed banana or plain yogurt.

After your baby has been introduced to a variety of single flavor foods and he is a little older, you can begin making meal time more interesting and introduce your baby to array of tastes, by combining different foods to create medleys.

Here are some examples of foods cubes that taste great together:

• Green peas and sweet potatoes
• Green beans and white potatoes
• Broccoli, cauliflower and melted cheese
• Butternut squash, corn and mashed tofu
• Peaches, pears and rice cereal
• Mango, Papaya and banana
• Raspberries, apples, yogurt and ground walnuts

About the Authors
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children, and founders of Fresh Baby (www.FreshBaby.com). Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track records of business success, they decided to combine their skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know it’s better. Their goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier for all parents. Fresh Baby’s breastfeeding accessories and baby food making supplies provide parents with practical knowledge and innovative tools to support them in introducing their children to great tasting, all-natural foods – easily and conveniently. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family’s healthy eating habits!

By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers

Introducing solid foods is a very important step in your baby’s development and well-being. In fact, studies show that babies who are fed nutritious, healthy diets grow into stronger kids and better-adjusted eaters than those who are fed poor diets.

Many parents don’t realize that making baby food at home is a simple and economical plan to provide your baby with the best in quality, nutrition and taste. It makes it easy for you to ensure your child gets the best start possible. Making baby food using fresh, all-natural ingredients has many benefits, including: