"Hillbilly" Food - It REALLY IS So Easy!

The "Cookbook"
Grandma Mary Carey was kind enough to order a kit for us, that allows moms to make their own baby food using fresh fruit and vegetables. My sister-in-law Kristy (Joe's wife) in Phoenix used this kit with Trinity, when Trinity became old enough to eat baby food. Mary saw how easy it was to use, and got it for us as a gift. I originally was gun-shy, thinking "how in the world am I going to find time to MAKE baby food?" I'm no longer gun-shy!





One of the "Recipes" :-)
On Friday I tried my hand at making applesauce using the kit. Saturday I made butternut squash, and on Sunday we made peas. Doug helped by making a batch of peas, himself.

The kit includes two freezer trays with lids, an instructional DVD and a great cookbook which advises which foods are best suited for specific age groups. The cookbook also suggests things you can add later on, such as vanilla, cinnamon, spices, etc. (http://www.freshbaby.com/).

Preparing a week's worth of food is supposed to only take 30 minutes. I would say it didn't even take that much time.







Making apples
It really is SO EASY, as the cookbook suggests! Wash, peel, slice the fruit / veggie, cover with saran wrap, microwave until soft, toss in a food processor / blender, puree and then pour into ice cube trays. Voila! Baby food!

It is supposed to be more economical this way, rather than paying for the packaging and marketing of the food. With fewer additives it's healthier, too.





Making "peas" with the peas
In the words of the great John Lennon: "All we are saying is give peas a chance."















Making butternut squash (Reminiscent of one Sir Captain Hook)















The Finished Products-Apples!














The Finished Products-Peas!
Don't these look good? (Yikes!)
To quote Lane Myer's Mom in Better Off Dead: "It's got raisins in it. You LIKE raisins."
















Grandma Pam, Ava and I went to Harry's Farmer's Market while my Mom was visiting, and we bought apples and pears. While Grandma Pam was in town, Ava did try store-bought applesauce. She seemed to like the taste of it. We've since fed her more of the store-bought applesauce, but she doesn't have the tongue-thing quite right, pushing food out instead of eating it. She's getting better with each attempt.

(The doctor suggested Ava begin to try things with a spoon, to begin to develop the skills needed to eat solids. She is still on a diet consisting mainly of breastmilk and sometimes cereal.)

I recently relayed my excitement to my sister about being able to make baby food. She was like "Duh, don't you remember that Daymian and Jordan ate 'hillbilly' food like that, too?" She then proceeded to remind me that my nephews were raised on the "good stuff". She told me that Pa (on Dad's side) and Grandmother (on Mom's side) fed the boys anything healthy that could be mashed-up. Now, understand that Grandmother doesn't exactly appreciate the word "hillbilly" (she's from the BEAUTIFUL hills of Corbin, Kentucky), but my sister was definitely using it as a term of endearment. I believe Pa, if still living, would affectionately refer to it as "hillbilly" food, also, with a smile.

Thanks again, Grandma Carey!

How 'bout them apples?

With love,
Shelly, Doug and Ava