Making Your Own Baby Food

I am very blessed to be able to stay home with Lindsey. It is something I never take for granted. Since I am home, I try and use my time wisely and really enjoy making her baby food. I take comfort in knowing exactly what she is eating. Now that she is eating more "adult" food, I would rather make it than buy it. Not to say the jars aren't healthy! They are and I still use them for travel and going out but when we are home she normally eats what I make. I also make her food just about as flavorful as ours is. I do watch the amount of heat but I know I don't like bland food so why would she? :)

Pumpkin & Carrot 
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup carrot puree (2 jars of baby food carrot)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbls vanilla yogurt

Mix it all together. When I serve it to Lindsey, I find I need to add a little water to thin it out. I keep half in the fridge and freeze the other half.

Butternut Squash Applesauce

Recipe adapted from here

3lbs gala apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 lbs butternut squash peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

Throw all ingredients in your slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours and low for 8. Once the ingredients are nice and soft, I used my hand mixer to puree. This also makes a large amount and I froze a good portion. 

When making veggies or fruit I just throw the amount desired in a pot of boiling water until tender and soft. Then I puree it in my baby bullet. A food processor or blender would work just as well. Add as much water that you boiled the veg/fruit in to the consistency your little one prefers. There are so many benefits to making your won baby food. It is money conscious, health conscious and you can control how much you make. I always make a large amount to cook all in one day and store in the freezer. That way I have enough to last me until the next big cooking day.

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and apple cider glaze

Okay this is seriously the easiest, most delicious and moist cake I have made in quite sometime. The cake itself is only 2 ingredients. I was a little apprehensive as I was mixing it because it was really thick I though there was no way it would be that moist. But boy was I wrong. Give this bad boy a shot because frankly, its way to good not to.

This picture does not do justice. Blame it on the iPhone and my lack of photography skills.

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and apple cider glaze
Makes a 9x11 pan
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 box yellow cake mix
1 tsp cinnamon

1 can cream cheese frosting

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbls apple cider ( I used apple juice)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the puree, cinnamon, and cake mix with a hand mixer until well incorporated. Spray a 9x11 pan with non stick spray and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 min until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely and spread with your jar of cream cheese frosting. Mix ingredients for glaze until powdered sugar dissolves and drizzle over.