Homemade Baby Food

I began feeding my firstborn pureed vegetables and fruit when she was about five months old.  I did the math and figured out we could save money and offer our daughter healthier food if I made it myself.  That was about six years ago and now I have three children that I have fed pureed vegetables made in my kitchen.  I haven't tried making fruit, because when I first looked into it and read that you have to boil the fruit first that seemed a little odd, so I buy the large container of no sugar added applesauce and mash up fresh bananas and purchase Beechnut brand jars for other varieties of fruit.  I found that making the vegetables myself at home ended up being 1/5 of the price of buying premade jars of food with added ingredients.  When my second born came along I had a busy one year old and wondered if I would have the time to make the pureed food again, but I did.  The third time around I really wanted to make healthier, cheaper food, but thought it definitely wouldn't be a possibility with a four and five year old and all of the new tasks I had recently committed to, but it's true that you make time for what is most important to you.  Here is the process...


1.  Purchase fresh or frozen veggies of your choice in bulk. Some that I have chosen are brocolli, green peas, green beans, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, etc...

2.  Cook the vegetable in the oven or on the stovetop as you would for yourself, not adding salt or any other ingredients.
3.  Place the cooked vegetable in a blender, add water and blend until pureed.

4.  Pour puree into ice cube trays and freeze.  I prefer cheap dollar store trays covered with plastic wrap, because the name brand trays with lids tend to be harder to get the frozen food to pop out.  

5.  Pop out of the trays and place in freezer plastic bags labeled with date and vegetable.
6.  Depending on your child's age and appetite remove about 1-5 cubes at a time to thaw and feed your baby.


I didn't start feeding my third baby pureed food until she was about seven months old (started with rice cereal at six months), and she is now 9 months and starting to eat some cut up table food such as blueberries, bananas, watermelon, bread, green beans, peas, etc...  She still has the homemade pureed food when there is not really a baby friendly option with the meal we are having, but all this to say, pureed food is a short stage of a baby's life so it has been worth it for me to make most of it at home.

Magic Cookie Bars

These cookie bars are so yummy and easy to make.  The recipe is from my mom who used to make these for us when we were kids.

Ingredients:

1/2  cup butter

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 14 oz can condensed milk

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs, press into bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.

3.  Pour condensed milk over evenly.

4.  Layer remaining ingredients evenly.

5.  Bake 30 minutes.

6. Cool before cutting into bars.

Banana Nut Bread

Grant's Mamaw gave us this recipe early on in our marriage and the classic, moist taste is a favorite.  Most of the ingredients we usually have on hand, so it is a great recipe to make if we haven't gotten to all of the bananas before they get too ripe to eat.  You can also freeze bananas to speed up the ripening process (they turn black) and thaw them for this recipe.  I have had this banana bread with chocolate chips or golden raisins added, but I have never added them myself since we like the basic recipe the best.  This is one of those recipes I'm not sure whether I should file under desserts or breakfast.  It is good for several days after baking and my husband likes it best fresh or warmed in the microwave with a dollop of butter on top.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup buttermilk (works just fine with any type of milk)

1 tsp vanilla

2 or 3 ripe - mashed bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Stir all ingredients together in large bowl.

3.  Pour into 2 small greased pans and bake for 40 minutes.

Twice Baked Potatoes and Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans

My sweet husband usually cooks steaks for our Valentine dinner.  This year I made twice-baked potatoes and bacon-wrapped green beans as our side dishes.  The potato recipe came from Allrecipes.com and the green bean recipe came from a friend that made these for me when Camille was a newborn.  

Twice Baked Potato Recipe

Ingredients:

4 large baking potatoes

8 slices bacon

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

4 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Bake potatoes in oven for 1 hour.
3.  Cook bacon in skillet over med-high heat. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
4.  When potatoes are done, allow to cool for about 10 min.
5.  Slice potatoes in half lengthwise.  Scoop potato out of skin and place in large bowl. Save skins.
6.  In the bowl, add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, and 1/2 green onions.  Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy.
7.  Spoon the mixture into the potato skins.  Top each with remaining cheese, green onions, and bacon.
8.  Bake for another 15 minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Recipe

Ingredients:
Fresh or canned whole green beans
Italian dressing
bacon

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Wrap a piece of bacon around a few green beans and tie bacon in a knot.  Repeat with the rest of ingredients to make desired amount.
3.  Place bacon wrapped green beans in baking dish and pour Italian dressing over.
4.  Bake 20 minutes or so.

Times of Refreshment

"I need regular moments in my life... of refreshment and restoration that refill the spiritual well in my heart, which is too often left dry by the spirit-draining hustle and bustle of contemporary life.  If I don't care to keep it filled, I soon find I have no spiritual refreshment to give to those whom God has put into my life, especially my always-thirsty children.  When I let my well run dry, I am no longer able to be a source of refreshing water to them, or to others in my life.  To say it more simply, I cannot keep giving out without taking in."          
     -Sally Clarkson, Seasons of A Mother's Heart


When I was a teenager in my church youth group I remember many times hearing people say things like, "You don't always need to be taking in, you also need to be giving out."  During that time in my life when others were paying my bills, cooking my meals, I was involved in numerous extracurricular activities, spending lots of time with friends, going on dates, exercising daily, and going to Bible study after Bible study, I had plenty of time to sit at the feet of Jesus and soak up the knowledge and goodness of God.  I had to be intentional about "giving out," whether it be sharing the gospel with someone or serving others.  I also remember a Sunday School teacher describing our lives being like a sponge that is filled up with water.  She taught us that we need to not only soak up God's word but allow ourselves to be squeezed out sometimes and refreshing to others.

I think moms have the opposite problem.  WE ARE DRY!  We give, and give, and give, and then we give some more, and when there is nothing left to give we tear off a piece of the sponge and throw it in as well.  At least that's how I feel sometimes.  

"As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." -Psalm 42:1

I'm thirsty.  I need life.  I know the source.  But when?  (Said every mom who's ever lived!)

I thought I was busy before I had kids.  That is comical to me now.  I was busy, but I only had myself to carry around, and now I have three little ones attached to me at all times and getting places or accomplishing things is a little more difficult.  Don't get me wrong, I chose to have these three little ones and consider them a blessing and the source of much joy in my life!  My life is a dream come true in so many ways!  But children are hard work!  I have found that the first year of my babies lives are particularly demanding.  I nursed my first two babies for a year, and my third baby for the six months that she has been alive.  There is just something about nursing that drains me.  I literally feel like the life is being sucked out of me sometimes, and that continues after the first month of pain and mastitis and everything getting regulated.  Add that to the crazy hormones, irregular sleep, diaper changing, spoon feeding, and carrying around and that first year is just a doozy!

Times of spiritual refreshment have changed for me over the years.  My husband is a pastor which means we have countless opportunities to serve and minister to others.  Although Sundays shouldn't be our only time in the word or singing or praying, in the past, I always looked forward to the refreshment that I knew would come as I "didn't forsake the assembling together with other believers."  Sundays and Wednesdays for me now (and for the last 5 years), have involved being a single mom, pastor's wife, working in the children's ministry, or teaching a small child (or 3) how to sit still, be quiet, and listen to their father's sermon.  Not the most refreshing of times!  My plan is to get up before the children each morning and spend time reading my Bible and praying, and that happens some, but reality with three young children looks a little different than my plans many times.  So, sitting in my comfy chair with a cup of hot cocoa (I'm not a coffee drinker) having my quiet time OR being refreshed at church, is more like a fond memory in this season of my life.  I have had to find soul nourishment in more creative ways.

Everyone's situation is different, but the point is we all have to carve out time to "take in," especially when we are in a season of "giving out" so much.

In the midst of a lot of good things, I want to choose the best things.  I know that when I say "yes" to something I need to say "no" to other things.  That's the problem, I've always had a hard time saying "no."  I recently said "yes" to homeschooling.  Add that to my already FULL life (including that baby that I'm nursing) and I am exhausted!  I've been thinking for a while now that I need to SLOW DOWN.  And once again I have reached that point where I have no other choice.  I can always feel it coming.  When I get sick because my body is worn out, when I am weepy due to lack of sleep, when I am impatient with my kids, when I can't encourage others, when I have nothing left to give my husband, when I'm in a bad mood all the time and can't enjoy life.  That's when I reevaluate and cut some things out of our schedule and slowly start living again.  

So, if it's you I have to say "no" to in the near future, please don't be offended. 

Since I'm slowing down I thought I would take the time to write this and hopefully encourage others to slow down, evaluate what's most important, and focus on those things.  We can't do it all!  Everyone's situation is different and I'm NOT encouraging anyone to be lazy or selfish or to quit their responsibilities.  I still plan on working hard and being tired at the end of each day.  But I also know...

"I need regular moments in my life... of refreshment and restoration that refill the spiritual well in my heart, which is too often left dry by the spirit-draining hustle and bustle of contemporary life.  If I don't take care to keep it filled, I soon find I have no spiritual refreshment to give to those whom God has put into my life, especially my always thirsty children.  When I let my well run dry, I am no longer able to be a source of refreshing water to them, or to others in my life.  To say it more simply, I cannot keep giving out without taking in."

*What is the refreshment and restoration that the spiritual well in your life needs?
*Has your spirit been drained by the hustle and bustle of life?
*Do you have spiritual refreshment to give to those God has put in your life?  especially your children?
*Are you giving out more than you are taking in?

Banana Oat Waffles

There's nothing like a good, healthy waffle to start your morning off right.  Although, breakfast for dinner is a favorite around here as well.  We recently tried these waffles made with bananas, oats, and wheat flour.  This recipe is sweetened with applesauce instead of sugar, so I can feel good about making it for my family.  

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup applesauce

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Preheat waffle iron

2.  Mash the bananas in a bowl until they are smooth.

3.  Add the applesauce and eggs and whisk to combine.

4.  Stir in milk.

5.  Add the oats, wheat flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Stir until well combined.

6.  Pour batter in waffle iron and cook.

*Serve with syrup, bananas, or honey.

Chocolate Chess Pie

Once again, Mamaw gets the credit for this fabulous recipe.  I have tried several recipes for homemade pie crusts and I still like store bought the best.  I even like Kroger brand better than name brand.  This recipe is really quick and easy and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand, except for may be the evaporated milk.  Which, by the way, you don't want to use a large can of evaporated milk, because it will be too runny.  I know from experience. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tbsp cocoa

1/2 stick butter, melted

2 eggs

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 uncooked pie shell

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix sugar and cocoa.

3. Pour in melted butter and eggs.

4. Beat well with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

5. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

6. Pour into pie shell.

7. Bake for 40 minutes.