Big Batch Baby Food

I have been making baby food for Everett since he was about 4 months old, but it has always been in small batches. This week I spent my 4th of July making big batches of food. Here is my experience. 

Grocery Shopping: I stuck mostly to things that were in season. My bill came to $19.33.

Prep Work: First I washed and cut my first batch. I cut, steamed, cut more, put my items in the blender, steamed more, blended, and then repeated. I found this was the fasted way to get things done. My steamer is part of the Baby Chef blender/steamer. This causes some problems as I wanted to do big batches. But instead of using the blender that comes with the Baby Chef, I used my large blender. 

Steaming: Some items need to be cut smaller as they are usually dense, firm, contain less water, etc. The Baby Chef has a steam button so I don't have to keep track of the time. Convenient but sucks because of the small amount that it holds. 

Blending: The firmer fruits/veggies need more of the steamed water in with the blender. By using the water it was steamed in, you get more nutrients. Younger babies need their food very very blended, thinner. Everett likes his foods a little chunkier. Be very careful when blending hot liquids. I put a dish towel over the lid of the blender, just in case it leaks. 

Pouring: Before putting the trays in the freezer, I leave them out to cool. I have many different types of ice cube trays. I just threw away these trays. They were awful, I could barely get the food out of them and they were starting to crack because of all the bending. My favorite trays are these, but they are expensive.  Unfortunately I couldn't find the type of trays that I bought at Albertsons. They were maybe $2 for two trays, nice and firm, and the food came out with a little warm water run on the back. 

Storing: The food stores nicely in freezer storage bags. Some people label them and put dates on the bags. I personally remember what's in every bag. Food can be stored up to two months. This month, I only made about 20 days of food so I don't have to worry about dating the bags. 

The breakdown: Each cube is an ounce. Most babies eat anywhere between 2-5 oz per feeding. On average, Everett eats 10 oz a day. 

For $19.33 I made 199 oz of food, which it turns out to be around 10 cents per cube or 20-50 cents per serving. A 5 oz package of Gerber baby food is about $1.50. For a month worth of food, I spend $30, but if I spent it on Gerber food, I would spend $90 a month. 

You have to decide if it's worth it. It is work. It took me two days because I had used up all my ice cube trays.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to accurately keep track of how much time I spent doing this because I had to stop frequently to tend to baby, but maybe somewhere around 3 hours? 

Next time: I need better ice cube trays and a bigger steamer. Since Everett isn't bothered by the sound of the blender, I'm considering making food after Everett goes to bed. 

Daily Tidbits...

• Something in my house smells like garbage... and I can't figure out where the smell is coming from! I might go crazy. 
• My week is going to be nuts. I am working Monday instead of Thursday and then leaving for my home town on Thursday. I'm trying to coordinate cleaning the house and packing.