DIY baby food

I know Cheryl has an earlier post on making your own baby food, so I thought I'd just tag-team that one and offer a few tips of my own, since I started making most of Liam's food myself.

I have found it INFINITELY easier to make his food one serving at a time with my immersion blender. Mine's the one pictured (a Proctor-Silex), and it was only $15. It's only one speed, but it works well, and I can quickly mash up his food to whatever consistency I want, from a rough chop to a fine puree. This little contraption makes food prep so much faster - and if you don't have one, even buying this little cheapo version is worth the money. It's also easy to clean. And handy in case I make something a little too chunky for his palate - just blend it for a few more seconds, and it's pureed.

Here's some of the stuff I've made for Liam with the immersion blender:
- oatmeal with frozen (& thawed) berries (just throw it all into one bowl & blend)
- canned fruit turned into a chunky sauce
- turning a chunky soup that we've eaten into a creamy one for him
- making fruit salad easier to swallow
- steamed veggie leftovers from our dinner mashed up for lunch the next day

You get the picture.

I also got a wonderful food processor for Christmas, and when I saw the price I couldn't believe it, so I thought I'd pass it along. (How I survived this long in the kitchen without one, I don't know.) It's a Hamilton Beach 'Big-Mouth' processor - and they aren't kidding. It has a 14-cup capacity and you can put whole foods right in. You don't even have to cut them up. This beast is amazing. I even used it to pulverize hard bar soap for laundry detergent. It's also not screaming loud. Of course, it's not a Cuisinart, so who knows how long it'll last. I saw it on several websites for $80, but I saw it on sale at Walmart (gasp!) last week for $39. That, my friends, is a steal, and worth gritting your teeth to run in and getcha one. :)

Another random thought: I saw a commercial for Robert's Dairy the other day that states they no longer use milk from cows given the bovine growth hormone. I also know Land-o-Lakes doesn't, either. (their milk tastes pretty close to organic, in my opinion) - for those of us who can't afford organic milk but don't like the idea of the BHG in our milk.

What I want to know is, how have some of you made meat palatable for your toddlers? I hate the gerber pureed meats, so I don't buy them. Looking for something a little more creative, yet easy to eat for Liam. Any ideas?

Tortillas!

Here is the recipe for Tortillas.

4 c. flour (bread flour is best)
3/4 - 1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. shortening (cut in to dry ingredients)
Add 1 1 - 1 3/4 c. water. (start with 1 c. and add the rest gradually as needed until dough is a bread-like consistency)

Place dough in plastic bag for 10 min.
Preheat dry pan on medium high heat.
Flip each tortilla after they start to rise/bubble & are a deep brown.

Store in plastic bag once cooled. Keep in fridge for a week or so. The dough can be stored for several days as well, but microwave/bring to room temperature before handling.


My Mom's turkey enchilada recipe:

Fill tortilla with white sauce, meat of choice and roll, filling a casserole pan. Top with remaining white sauce, cheese and black olives.

White Sauce:
Cream of mushroom soup/Any homemade white/bernaise sauce.
Sour Cream
Hot/Mild Green Chilies
Sharp Cheddar Cheese


I also enjoy making my own refried beans by pureeing pinto beans (canned/soaked overnight). I add sauteed onion to the puree and then "re-fry" my beans with olive oil/bacon fat/depending on your flavor preference.

Another great addition to any Mexican meal is Srirachi Chili Sauce!!! The garlic flavor works perfectly with Mexican food and it gives it a real kick!

http://veryasia.com/srchsa.html

Cranberry Cobbler

got this recipe from my cousin janelle at christmas. mmm!

Cobbler:
3 c. biscuit baking mix
2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. milk
3 c. fresh cranberries

Mix baking mix, sugar, eggs and butter together. Blend in milk. Stir in cranberries lightly until evenly coated with batter. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 50-55 min. Spoon hot butter sauce over warm cobbler. Serves 8-10.

Hot Butter Sauce:
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix altogether in a deep saucepan over medium heat.Bring to a boil. Boil 5 min., stirring constantly.

Notes:
*I halved the butter sauce recipe and it was plenty. I also just poured about half the sauce over the cobbler and served the other half on the side, letting people add as they desired.
*Caleb insisted i follow the recipe the first time i made it. I still wish i had added some orange zest to the cobbler, and maybe some pecans. I'll also add more cranberries if i can ever bring myself to make this again. And probably less sugar.
*Growing up, my mom made that exact same sauce but we called it 'pancake syrup.' YUM. We never had mrs. butterworths. It wasn't til i was an adult that i realized it was actually a sauce intended to go over apple cake. And now here it shows up again in the cobbler!

Chocolate Bark with Cardamom, Pistachios and Fleur de Sel

Ingredients:

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), chopped into chunks

1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds, toasted in a dry skillet, cooled, and crushed

3 Tbsp. raisins or dried apricots, cut into small pieces (I omitted this ingredient)

2 to 3 Tbsp. salted green pistachios, some left whole, some crushed into small pieces

- Fleur de sel

Steps:

1. Line a large flat dish or baking tin (about 10 by 8 inches) with a piece of parchment or waxed paper.

2. Put the chocolate and cardamom seeds in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  When chocolate has melted, stir in half the pistachios (and fruit, if using).

3. Spread mixture over the paper in a thin sheet, then press the remaining nuts (and fruit) lightly into the warm chocolate.  Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

4. Refrigerate until bark has set, about an hour.

5. To serve, break into pieces.  Store any extra bark into the refrigerator in a covered container or waxed-paper bag.  It will keep well for a few weeks.