24 February 2011

Making Baby Food (Ode to a Vitamix)

The Badseed Winter Farmers Market is ending this month, and Julia will be ready for solid foods soon - and we broke down and bought a Vitamix (!) - so, we've been making baby food!

"Mommy, can I eat some yet?"

Julia wore her sweet-potato-orange bib for our first session, which I thought was very clever of her. These days she has been intently watching us eat and drink, slowly but surely recognizing how we pick things up and put them in our mouths. She'll be ready soon.

silicone ice cube trays - a helpful gift from my mom

One of the reasons (the many reasons) we bought the Vitamix was because of the recipes for baby food in the back of the book. Using the Vitamix is so perfect for baby food that I can't imagine owning a separate baby food maker. I totally sound like the Vitamix demonstration lady at Costco, but it's true! It's an amazing machine and purees like magic.

smells so good

So two weeks ago I bought five pounds of sweet potatoes at Badseed - they were the last of the season for Bigg Blue Farm, so I'm glad I caught them in time! Then last weekend I bought 6 hefty acorn squashes, also from Bigg Blue Farm. (PS: the small amount of acorn squash puree left over in your Vitamix, blended with orange juice and some frozen fruit, makes a really good smoothie!) Having exhausted our orange options for now, next on the docket are some canned green beans from last year. (Won't be making a smoothie with left over green beans ... or will we?)

sweet potato puree

As the winter season wanes, we eat what we've been saving and the freezer (chockablock with preserved harvest at the beginning of the winter) slowly empties; so I am filling it back up with baby food. Tightly sealed perfect little cubes of colorful, local, organic baby food.

many cubic inches of baby food

6 comments:

Anne said...

We made all of Will's baby food. So fun! It's a pretty brief period of time before the baby starts eating all solids, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Jeanee said...

YAY! We want 1 too, but not for baby food :) I hate cleaning the juicer! This makes it SO easy!!!

Think we're getting a Blendtec though.

Emily said...

Ah yes - the Blendtec, of "Will it Blend" Fame. I don't know how the Vitamix compares, but we're not planning on blending any iPhones so hopefully we're okay without the Blendtec. Plus the Vitamix was on sale at Costco and the Vitamix demonstration lady was very convincing. :)

Mel said...

Why do i want to see wooden sticks coming out of those. Ah yes, orange kool-aid popsicles. That's why.

Anonymous said...

Hi - did you have to steam the fruit/veggies before using the Vitamix for baby food?

Emily said...

Yes! You can steam them or boil them - whatever you'd like - and reserve some of the cooking liquid to mix with them to make especially runny baby food. As your baby gets older you can use less (or no) water and just do the pureed veg.