New Product Line

I would like to introduce my new product line! All items were designed by me and are exclusive to My Homemade Baby Food.com

You can view all of the items on www.myhomemadebabyfood.com.

Below are my exclusive homemade baby food labels that are designed to label your zip lock bags, jars, bowls, or whatever you store your homemade baby food in. They are only $4.95 for 20 (small labels) or $4.95 for 6 (large labels). All of our members of the month receive 12 large labels for free! Join our message forum and you can become the member of the month an receive these labels. Check it out!

I also have aprons, bumper stickers, mugs, onesies, toddler apparel and a shirt especially designed for breastfeeding moms! Check it out. Go to www.myhomemadebabyfood.com to see the whole line.

Homemade Baby Food Labels
by
BabyChef

Make Sweet Memories with Your Baby For Valentine's Day

If this is your baby's first Valentine's Day make it special and take lots of pictures for your scrapbook. There are so many things that you can do to make your baby or toddlers Valentine's Day a fun one.

Here are fun tips:

Heart Shaped Pureed Teething Pops - for babies

Buy heart shaped ice cube molds (Target currently sells silicone ice cube molds for $1 in their "$1 Spot"). Puree fruits & veggies like apples, pears, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, sweet potatoes, squash, avocado in a blender. Pour the mixture into the molds and insert popsicle sticks. When frozen, you can put the "Teething Pops" in a zip lock bag and give to your baby to help soothe her teething pain and show her you love her. You can also freeze plain water, babies also love sucking on ice.

Heart Shaped Teething Biscuits - for babies

Using cookie cutters, roll out the dough of your teething biscuits and cut hearts out. Visit http://www.myhomemadebabyfood.com/recipes/teething_biscuits.htm for a teething biscuit recipe.

Heart Shaped Cookies - for toddlers

Buy heart shaped cookie pans and cookie sticks from Michaels or your local craft store. Make sugar cookies and sprinke red and pink sugar crystals on each heart for a heart-felt treat.
Heart Shaped Muffins - for toddlers
Serve some love for breakfast! Bake your favorite muffin recipe in heart shaped muffin pans (Target currently sells silicone muffin pans for $1 each at the "$1 Spot") and your toddler will love you for it.

Don't forget to dress up your little one in Valentine's Onesies & Bibs and take lots of pictures. They don't stay young and cute for long!

Semi-Homemade Baby Food Explained: What is Semi-Homemade Baby Food?

Everyone has been asking me, "What is Semi-Homemade Baby Food?"

Semi-homemade baby food is part homemade baby food and part store bought baby food. Women who are full-time career women and full-time moms don't always have the luxury of time on their side! Neither do some stay-at-home moms who have busy schedules carpooling their children around or busy with maintaining the home.

I don't know anyone who doesn't keep a couple of jars of baby food on hand. So why not use some of those jars with fresh food? First I will say that I am a big fan of Sandra Lee's "Semi-Homemade" Television show, although some people have unfavorable views toward the show. But one day, I wanted to put some apples in my daughters homemade sweet potatoes and I didn't have one apple in my refrigerator! What I did have, was a jar of apples and guess what? I discovered "Semi-Homemade" works for Baby Food too!

If you don't have certain fresh foods, or don't have time to cut, peel, dice and cook, mix some of your already frozen purees with store bought and you get, Semi-Homemade Baby Food. It's still nutritious and tastes better than store bought food alone! Stay tuned for more semi-homemade recipes, tips, and ideas.

Let's Get Back to Basics

Let's Get Back to the Basics

Many of us can't fathom living without the frozen foods section in our grocery store and the abundance of canned and pre-packaged foods that pack the aisles. Buying primarily frozen foods and canned goods has become the way of life! It really is convenient to come home from work and pop a frozen pizza in the oven and sit down with your baby to a jar of baby food.

It seems like something is wrong with that picture! While there is nothing wrong with frozen foods and canned goods, we've come to rely on those items too much. Fresh produce and meat has not been a hot commodity in my refrigerator and I know it has not for other moms as well. But when I have bought fresh meats and produce, I feel so much better...I feel like I am actually eating healthy for a change! Making my own baby food has helped me come to that realization.

While my husband and I were at Sam's Club the other day, I bought a boatload of fresh items that I usually wouldn't buy. We had to keep to freezers because of all the frozen foods I bought. Now our refrigerator is glistening with red and green bell peppers, kiwi fruit, pears, oranges, apples, broccolli, romaine lettuce...all kinds of good stuff.

Because of all the fresh foods I have been giving my baby, I have been eating more fresh fruits and vegetables myself. I actually had a freezer that wasn't hard to close because of all the frozen junk I was buying -- French Fries, Taquitos, Corn Dogs, Frozen Dinners, etc. We don't need all that when we can make all those things fresh.I don't know about you, but I'm going to stick to the basics and try to continue eating full servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. Maybe it will help me lose some weight!

What on Earth is a Parsnip?

Someone on my message board inquired about feeding her baby some new and different vegetables, other than the common veggies we here about. Not long ago, I did some research on some unique fruits and veggies to try and I came across something called a "parsnip."

What is a Parsnip?

Parsnip is a root vegetable that is white in color and looks very similiar to a carrot. Parsnips have been around for ages and is native to Europe. It belongs to the carrot family, its flavor is strong, and it is cooked the same way you would cook a carrot.

Parsnips can be given to your baby during stage 1 or as a first food puree. Parsnips can be steamed, boiled, or roasted. You may need to cook them longer for small babies for easy pureeing, but older babies that can chew can enjoy this vegetable a little crispier by cutting down on cooking time. Shortening the duration of the cooking time also helps preserve vitamin C.

Nutritional Value

The parsnip is richer in many vitamins and minerals than its close relative the carrot. It is particularly rich in potassium with 600 mg per 100 g. Parsnip is also a good source of dietary fiber. 100 g of parsnip contains 55 Calories (230 kJ) energy.

Parsnip Puree

Ingredients:
2 medium parsnips

Directions:
Trim, peel and slice parsnips. Boil in pan of water and simmer until very tender. About 20 minutes. Remove parsnips from pan with a slotted spoon and puree, adding as much of the cooking liquid as desired, to a smooth consistency.

Parsnips are yummy when combined with white potatoes, carrots, or chicken.

Semi-Homemade Recipes! Great for Working Moms.

Get the best of both worlds...convenience & homemade!

Semi-Homemade Apples and Squash

Ingredients

1 2 oz. jar squash (stage 1 or 2), I prefer Del-Monte baby food
4 tablespoons Homemade Apple Puree
pat of butter

Combine above ingredients and serve warm.

Semi-Homemade Apple Bananna Puree

Ingredients

1 jar of apples
2-3 tablespoons of mashed banana

Combine ingredients and serve.

Semi-Homemade Apples & Prune Puree

Ingredients

1 jar of prunes
4 tablespoons homemade apple puree

Combine ingredients and serve.

Green Beans & Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

1 2 oz. jar green beans
4 tablespoons homemade mashed potato puree
pat of butter

Combine ingredients and serve warm.

Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

1 oz. gerber carrots
1 oz. gerber peas
2 tablespoons homemade califlower puree
2 tablespoons homemade broccoli puree

Need homemade recipes? Visit www.MyHomemadeBabyFood.com for basic puree recipes to go with these semi-homemade recipes.

Protect Your Child Against Pesticides in Food

Many parents worry about the high levels of pesticides found in fruit and vegetables and the affect it may have on their child's health. There is evidence that pesticides contribute to certain cancers and respiratory illnesses.

Fruits and vegetables are important to your child's health. BabyCenter recommends, following the steps below, to cut down tremendously on the amount of pesticides your baby and other family members consume.

• Peel fruits and vegetables, or remove the outer leaves (on lettuce and cabbage, for example).
• Wash fruits and vegetables that you choose not to peel, using a produce wash product (i.e. Fit)
• Serve a wide variety of produce. This will limit repeated consumption of the same pesticide.
• Choose produce that's free of mold, bruises and decay (these are apt to harbor more pesticides).
• Trim the fat off meat and the skin off poultry. Pesticides are also found in these foods, and they're concentrated in the fatty parts and skin.
• Buy organic produce, especially when buying foods in the higher-risk category, like cantaloupe, winter squash, green beans, strawberries, pears, or tomatoes.

According to Consumer's Union, children who eat non-organic tomatoes, strawberries, pears, green beans, or winter squash have odds ranging from 2 to 66 percent of getting more than a safe dose of at least one pesticide.

View our article on our website "Grow Your Own Fruits & Vegetables for your Baby" for more information on how to grow an organic garden.