Homemade Baby Food

This is my third baby, but I've learned something new this time around:

I've learned how to make baby food.

I am ashamed (literally- my cheeks are flaming as I type this) to admit that I once purchased banana baby food in a jar. Seriously? Did I not think I could mash a ripe banana with a fork? I guess I just never even considered it. I know, I know...

But I'm not afraid to tackle all sorts of fun foods for little Baby G. Our freezer currently contains cubes of sweet potato, squash (both butternut and acorn), peas, chicken, ham, avocado, blueberries, pears, apricots, apples, mango, and banana. I have to admit that I have WAY too much fun coming up with different combinations of food for my little girl to try.

Two sites that have been incredibly helpful to me are Once A Month Mom's baby food section and Wholesome Baby Food. These web sites give me the instructions I need to feel confident tackling whatever sounds tasty! They also help provide guidelines for appropriate ages to introduce specific foods- Wholesome Baby Foods does a wonderful job of outlining allergen risks.

Making baby food has been a delight for me- I adore learning how to do something new. It has also saved our family a whole lot of money. I haven't calculated it all out, but I can say that we have not had to budge an inch from our $200/month grocery budget, even with another little mouth eating solids now. What a win-win!

How about you? Do you make baby food at home? What's your favorite thing to prepare? (By the way, can anyone guess what G's been eating in the above shot?)

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This post is linked to Finer Things Friday, hosted at The Finer Things In Life and Frugal Friday, hosted at Life As MOM.