Thursday, October 22, 2009

baby cereal: this is how we roll ***now with updates!***

Here's a little tip for all you baby food feeding people out there. Lean in close, because I'm gonna tell you a secret:

Baby food is a colossal rip off.

If you have a blender or a food processor, a stove, a pot and some water at your disposal, you can make baby cereal for wicked cheap. We have the sweet Mennonite Bulk Food Store Hook-Up. Today, I made brown basmati rice cereal, barley cereal, and oat cereal.



You can't beat the price.

This here's barley.

Put it in that there food processor.
Or blender.
Just don't put so much in the blender.
Because it will get all crabby with you.
And it will refuse to do a good job.
Trust me on this one.

Turn on your food processor.
Go fold laundry or something.

See how there's still chunks of barley?
That means it's not done.
Go fold some more laundry.
Or something.

When the barley (or rice, or oats, or millet)
gets all powdery and flour-ish,
it's done.

Also, please do not make me tell you
that sticking your hand in a
food processor is
STUPID.
Moving on.

Bring a couple of cups of water to a rolling boil.
Whisk in a half a cup or so of the powdery, flour-ish grain.
Be certain to pay attention.
Because if this sucker boils over,
you are going to regret it.
Trust me on this one.

Continue to watch your the pot boil.
Whisk often.
Nobody likes burnt baby food.
Again, trust me on this.
When it's thick and resembles
porridge
it is done.

Please don't make me tell you that
you shouldn't feed your baby
boiling hot porridge.
Really, Holmes.


Happy baby.

***UPDATE/ADDENDUM/ETC.***
1. Sarrah asked if I made the pot for the whole week. My answer: sort of. I make a pot and put it in a canning jar. We scoop out a meal for Elliott, and pop the jar back in the fridge. I make more as needed because it's really quick. And if you make porridge right before baby's mealtime, and you have frozen cubes of fruits and veggies, you can throw one or two into the hot porridge to cool it down before feeding it to your babe.

2. I make lots and lots of ground grain at one time. Last night I ground a quart jar of rice powder, a quart jar of barley powder, and a quart jar of oat powder. My main reason for this is because I do not want to have my food processor on my counter any more than necessary. I keep the grain powder in quart canning jars in my fridge, but it stores very well in the freezer, too.

8 comments:

  1. I make Holland's baby food in big batches and freeze it in ice cube trays, but I've never done anything with grains because I just didn't know how! But just curious...did you make that pot of it for a day or a week or something or was that all of it and you froze the rest?

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  2. Holy Cow he is cute!

    My boys never ate commercial baby food. Totally a waste of money.

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  3. I agree!! I'm not sure why more mom's don't do this. It's so easy and not really that hard. And you know your food that you make will never be recalled!

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  4. I used to buy extra jars of peaches and bananas. For me. I'm so ashamed.

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  5. But can you make something as awesomely yummy as Blueberry Buckle? Huh?

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  6. No more babehs here! Seems like he is enjoying his home made food! Such a good mama...

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  7. agreed!!! i bought these "ice cube trays" from one step ahead and freeze all my baby food (sqaush, carrots, etc) in 1 oz. cubes. I have ziploc bags full of cubes to defrost for every meal!

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  8. I would like to add a different technique for serving baby some delicious cereal-
    Cook your barley or rice or other cereal grain like you are making it for big people. But then, when it's done cooking, put a bit in the blender with some breastmilk until is smoothy smooth and that is baby cereal too.
    XOXO
    Joce

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talk to me, people. because you know i get all giddy when you do.