I just finished making the following three batches of baby food: cinnamon infused apples, apricot and nectarine twist, and fabulous fennel puree. They taste pretty good if I do say so myself!
Making baby food is really time consuming, but the reward comes when my son says “mmmm” while gobbling it down. Almost everyday while he naps, I hop into the kitchen and whip up a couple of batches to throw in the freezer. As his appetite increases so does the amount of time I spend peeling, chopping, steaming and pureeing. Needless to say, the baby food aisle at the supermarket is becoming more and more tempting. And, I must admit, I do have a stash of jars in the cupboard for days when we’re on the run.
I'm motivated to keep up the baby chef routine because I've tasted the jarred stuff (it's nothing short of disgusting!). Even the brand name fruits and vegetables are inedible (at least to me. My son seems to like them okay, although he doesn’t say “mmmm” quite as much). And where is the variety? I can find all of the common fruits and veggies, but have never come across a jar of brussel sprouts, cauliflower, zucchini, or papaya.
As payoff for all my labour I'm hoping my son will grow up liking a wide variety of flavours and textures. Given how much my partner and I love gourmet food, it would be tragic if he ended up being one of those kids who pokes at his food with a fork saying, “I don’t like it.” I want him to enjoy going out for Carribean, African, Korean, and Thai food (among others), and to never be afraid to try something creative and new.
So far, so good. He likes everything I put in front of him (yes, even brussel sprouts!). Next week we start with meat and meat alternatives. These dishes, I assure you, will all be homemade. I’m not even willing to entertain the idea of him eating meat from a jar. It just seems so wrong!
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