Making Homemade Baby Food & Edible Austin

One of the more exciting things that has happened for me this year was to be asked by Edible Austin, one of my favorite magazines, to write an article for their summer edition.  Honestly, I would have written about worms if they had wanted, but luckily they asked me to write about making your own baby food - a subject near and dear to my heart.



You might be wondering what a single, childless woman knows about baby food.  When my niece Ali was a baby, I wanted to do something special for my sister, but didn't have a lot of money.  I decided I could help by making baby food for Ali from my farmers market produce.  It ended up being one of the most meaningful gifts I've ever given and I had so much fun doing it.



Each week, I made Ali's food while I was cooking our family Sunday night dinner.  We froze the purees in ice cube trays and my sister could thaw it as she needed it.  It was so much fun to try new things and discover what Ali liked.  To this day, I'm convinced that Ali loves vegetables so much because we made her food.  (Even if it's not true, just let me think that.)



This article was a fantastic way to share that special experience with the parents I interviewed and know that I could help demystify something that sounds like a lot of work, but is actually quite easy to do.



If you have a baby in your world that is nearing the age for solid food, I hope you'll consider helping make some of their food.  It's easy and so rewarding.



If you don't have time to make your own food or are looking for a great gift for a friend, Little Vittles Organic, an Austin company, delivers hand-made baby food to your doorstep.  I haven't tried their service yet, but it looks like a great service.



I'd love to hear your baby food stories if you have some to share.  With several of my friends pregnant, I'm going to need to refresh my baby food making skills.



Home Plate: Feeding Baby by Kristi Willis, Edible Austin 2010 Summer Edition