Sweet Marshal Jay

Marshal, he's such a sweet boy.  This past weekend we had the opportunity to travel to Scottsdale, where Jalon and I got to do music for a retreat.  Since both mama and daddy went, that meant the M&Ms came too.  We had such a blast.  I love being a family.  It's so fun to live life with little boys. 

Train Day!

Sweet Maso-Faso

I love mornings best. 
Sweet precious bed-head and squishy face.
A little sweaty and smellin' like last night's bath.
Heaven in jammies.

Precious!

Mama - "Marshal you're precious!"
Marshal - "Mama, YOU'RE precious!"
Mama - "Is Daddy precious?"
Marshal - "No."
Mama - "What is Daddy?"
Marshal - "A PARTY!"

Library Days!

Homemade Baby-Food: Some Basics

I'm DEFINITELY not a chef.
Nor am I super green or Earthy.   
Making homemade baby-food is not my "cause" in life.
I know many babies grow up perfectly healthy and happy without it.

However, after LOTS of research, I found out it's the best for us and our family.  Just in case it might be best for you and your family, I'm posting some hints.  

SOME BASICS:

• Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended (I can give you ENDLESS references, but for starters the American Academy of Pediatrics) for the first 4-6 months of life.  Breastfeeding should be baby's primary source of nutrients until age 1.  (With iron-rich foods or supplementation after six months.)
• Babies should be introduced single-ingredient foods first, to decrease the risk and identify potential food allergy.
• It's WAY too easy, too healthy, and too economical to NOT make your own baby-food!
• Certain foods should be avoided until certain ages (dairy, citrus, peanuts, shell-fish, wheat, certain whole fruits, etc...)
• I make my babies' food, using the techniques I'll explain here, until they have shown no sign of ingredient allergy and are developmentally ready to transition to the food I make for the rest of the family.
• I introduce single-ingredient foods a minimum of 3 days a part and look for signs of my babies' intolerance to foods - including upset stomach, fussiness, gas, changes in stool patterns, and diaper-rash.
• I freeze single ingredients, then after I know it sits well with baby, I mix and match frozen cubes. 
• I like to get my babies HOOKED on veggies before I introduce them to the sweet fruits.
• I've taken homemade baby-food across the country on road trips and on airplanes.  Long-trips and short-trips alike.
• I know what's in it, I buy organic, and it TASTES yummy. 

A great book (has how to cook ANY food you would ever want to give your baby) -
Top 100 Baby Purees, by Annabel Karmel

Homemade Baby-Food: Tools

Luckily, making baby-food is cheap and easy.
Most of all you need, you already have in your kitchen.
Promise.
You'll need something to cut with, and something to cut on.

You'll need a pot big enough to boil water
and your raw, cut-up food.
You'll need something to steam.
I use a steamer that came on my rice-cooker,
but you can also use the kind that sits on a pot.

You'll need a dish that is deep enough to hold some water
and bake some squash, halved.
You'll need something to blend/puree your baby's food
to the right consistency for their age.

 You'll need ice-cube trays of some sort to freeze your food, and something to cover the trays while they freeze. (I got this kind, super cheap online - they're durable and go right into the dishwasher over and over.)You can also use regular trays and parchment paper to cover.
Zip-lock bags to hold frozen cubes. Containers to carry and reheat.

Homemade Baby-Food: How to make it!

These are the simple steps to make your own baby-food.
You can follow these steps for pretty much all baby-food you'd like to make.

1.) Peel it or wash it

2.) Cut it up into small pieces

3.) Cook it
(Go to THIS POST to find out how I cook different foods.)

4.) Puree/Blend it to your baby's developmental consistency
(Use water from your steamed drippings or boiled water to change consistency.)

5.) Freeze it
(In covered ice-cube tray.  One 'lil cube makes about an ounce of food.)

6.) Warm and enjoy!

Homemade Baby-Food: How to Cook Different Foods

• Sweet Potato: Peeled, Boiled
• Broccoli/Cauliflower: Steamed
• Carrots: Peeled, boiled (with a little pat of butter - it binds with the chemical makeup in carrots, and causes them to retain nutrients... who knew???)
• Squashes (any kind): Cut in half, gutted, placed flat-side down in baking dish, add 1/2 inch of water.  Bake at 400 degrees until tender (20-40 minutes, depending on size)
• Apples: Peeled, Steamed
• Pears: Peeled, Steamed
• Blueberries: Warmed in a sauce pan with 1tbs water for every 1/4 C. Cook until little blues start to rupture, then strain blueberries out and puree.  They will be very juicy.
• Meats: Boiled or baked

Yee-Haw Jesus

I've always prayed that my kids would LOVE to be at church. That they would not see church as a place where Daddy goes to work, or where they get "put" while Mama and Daddy go to minister.  I've prayed they would see it as their church.  That they would go and LOVE their classes.  LOVE to see their friends.  A place that is SO fun - and somewhere we all get to go as a family.

Thursday night we were driving to a music practice, and Marshal (looking out the window as we drive) asks, "Mama? Church?"

"Yes son, we're going to church."

"Woo-Hoo church! Woo-Hoo Traygus [Treyson]!!! Woo-Hoo Iley [Riley]!!! YEE-HAW JESUS!"

I think we're moving in the right direction.  Lol. 

Delish

Babies still in bed.
Cream with a little coffee.
Screen doors and a rainy morning.
Does life get any better?