As I eluded to in our previous post, Gloria's six month check-up was this past week. Even before we found our way back to the lobby, I was focused on one thought: I have got to do something about solids. So I did, and enjoyed the process. I want to share my first batch-cooking experience; not just so people can see what Gloria is up to, but also for possible ideas and support. Navigating through first-time (and beyond!) parenting can be tricky. I've found it helpful to observe and listen to others doing the same, obtaining a wealth of information. Perhaps this will spark an idea somewhere. Enjoy!
Gloria's Solid History
Okay, so here's the scoop: from 4.5 months until this past Tuesday (appointment day), we have been attempting solids every day . . . except on days we weren't home at the right time, or that certain week over the holidays . . . oops. I think my idea was to not over-do the solids before she was eager for more. I shared this with our pediatrician. During our conversation about solids, Dr. Hoff made the following points in her responses to my questions.
- Gloria needs more calories during the day as she grows; as such, she can be eating 3 solid meals per day in addition to her formula intake.
- Meat is appropriate starting at six months of age; this recommendation has changed in recent years from 8 months as meats are such a good source of protein and iron.
- As long as there is no sign of a reaction, as with all foods, adding spices is appropriate.
- By the age of one year, Gloria should be eating all table foods.
Her foods are all pureed. We started with sweet potato, green beans, and banana. Sweet potatoes continue to be a success. We have put the brakes on green beans; I think the taste is too strong right now. The banana happened once, mixed with organic whole-grain oatmeal cereal and formula. Last weekend I made carrots, and she had them for the first time on Monday (the day before the appointment). She loves them. We also tried pear mixed with the oatmeal two days before this cooking venture; baby seems to enjoy them. Here are the photos from her first run-in with carrots.
So far, she has only been sitting in her high-chair. We have a nice spot for our routine; the past couple of days I have had a bottle ready and give her a few sips when she gets distracted. It brings her back to an eating focus, easily associating the stuff on the spoon with the stuff in the bottle.
Food Preparation
In my mind, we had some serious work to do. A bit more diligence was required for this operation to progress. I thank and give credit to www.wholesomebabyfoods.com.
A trip to Whole Foods was made. It is a personal choice of mine to use all organic, grass fed, and GMO-free ingredients for baby. For about $30, we purchased:
- Half a pound of "pasture raised grass fed boneless beef top sirloin steak"
- One pound of fresh ground turkey
- Both of these were found in the deli; not frozen.
- Beef is $14/lb; turkey is $5/lb
- Three pears
- Six braeburn apples
- Three medium carrots
- Two bags of frozen peas
- One large sweet potato
- One avocado
The avocado was the first thing I knocked out. To freeze, I cut it in half, removed the pit, and spread a few drops of lemon juice on the open flesh to prevent browning. I plan on cutting off this thin layer before consumption in order to avoid the citrus. Wrap, bag, done.
Now, for the challenge. Everything I make is steamed or baked, so it takes some thought to coordinate between those techniques and blender use/cleaning. When I have made food before I used either a regular blender or a food processor, no big deal. Not this time, my friends. Thanks to David, my good [chef] friend of many years, I present to you the VitaMix Professional Series from the Culinary Institute of America.
BAM. This fine piece of equipment did the trick and then some. I never had the need to turn the power up past a six, and even that was a bit much. When cranked up to ten, this blender is nothing short of an outboard motor. Very impressive; delightful, even.
Tip: to easily clean your blender, blend water and soap.
Both the beef and turkey were baked, cooled, and then blended in to fine powder. Water was added to reach a desirable consistency.
Note: after I divvy up the puree in to ice cube trays and give them time to freeze, I put all cubes of one food item in to a labeled freezer bag. I believe the preferred, maximum freezer life for baby food is three months. If I am lacking available cube trays, I will buy time with tupperware in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.
The apples were peeled and steamed. They did brown a bit but after a trip through the blender, they turned out perfect apple sauce for Gloria.
I used the same process for the pears as I did the apples. Some recipes say to just mash a fresh pear -- this has not worked out for us in the recent past, so we steam them. However, since she has had pears before with no negative consequences, I added cinnamon. I did not measure the exact amount, but it looked right. I definitely did not want to over-do it, so I didn't.
The carrots were done the same as before: peeled, chopped, and steamed. Since she has had carrots (and has plain carrot puree in the freezer already), I spiced this round up with garlic and basil. The garlic we use at home is Spice World's minced garlic; it was easy for me to dip a spoon and get the liquid to add instead. The last thing I want is for Gloria to hate garlic because her first experience was ruined due to a non-pureed chunk of intense flavor in the wrong place. Lame. This puree smells great, too. I think we may do this combo for ourselves as well.
My cautionary tale when steaming carrots: don't let this boil over on to an electric stove. I'm not sure why, but both times I've made carrots this has happened to me and it stinks.
The sweet potato was cleaned, mercilessly stabbed, wrapped in tin foil and baked. I forgot to do it this time, but next time I am putting it on a plate. I am over the smell that is produced when the sugary liquid hits the bottom of the oven. For those of you with Fiesta Ware, it is oven-proof. I look forward to teaching Gloria that homemade science lesson: why this plate changes color when exposed to a heat source. But I digress. I added nutmeg.
And finally, peas. I chose peas because I read that they are a more desirable taste for Glo's first green vegetable compared to green beans. To prepare, I steamed them. Although I bought two bags, I only made one. This made plenty of puree, plus I will be able to spice up the second bag.
I saw a suggestion for achieving a smoother pea puree: right after steaming, dunk the peas in ice water. So, I did. I filled up a large mixing bowl with cold water and ice cubes, leaving room at the top for my colander to fill with water while pushing the ice down. Easy peasy . . . eh, eh??
This whole process would have taken exponentially longer had Danny not been hanging out with Gloria. I was able to focus my attention and work hard. Total time, spanned over two days, is roughly 8 hours. A lot of this time was making sure to keep everything washed and free of contamination. I constantly kept the cutting boards, chef knife, steamer, and counter-tops clean. A cluttered kitchen has never been a friend of mine. Today at lunch, Gloria tried peas for the first time. While she didn't devour them, she did a great job and seemed accepting of this new flavor.
Since the appointment, Gloria has been doing two meals a day (breakfast and lunch), and on one of those days we attempted three. She eats however much she wants; we do not force her. If she loses interest, we give it a few minutes of calmly trying to refocus. The amount of food per meal varies, as we're still trying to identify her cues for the perfect mealtime window. We'll learn right along with her.
So, our final menu: avocado, peas, apples, pears/cinnamon, carrots/garlic/basil, sweet potatoes/nutmeg, beef, turkey (in addition to our previously made plain carrots, pears, sweet potatoes, and green beans).
As she tries more foods and develops a more sturdy meal schedule, we will definitely expand our culinary repertoire. My personal goal is to incorporate foods and [especially] spices from all over before she reaches the one-year mark; cilantro, lemon grass, chilies, tamarind, curry powder, et cetera. My hope for this is that when she starts eating "real" food, we won't have to rely on sugar or salt for flavor. Food is an important and diverse aspect of life; I want to start Gloria off by doing as much as I can to make eating a positive, healthy experience that will stay with her forever.
