Food is yummy

I've been so in the spirit of the slightly cooler weather this week, that I have in--in the past 24 hours-- made not one, not two, not three but four of our favorite fall recipes. Yes, stuffed pork chops, applesauce, pumpkin butterscotch mini muffins, and sweet potatoes abound. I even got a $25 Whole Foods gift card and free cute bag out of it when Whole Foods sent me home with the wrong pork chop order. All of this fall recipe business has reminded me that summer is nearing an end and I need to wrap up my blogs on our summertime nest list!

Soooo...speaking making fun yummy food, I have been making yummy baby food for Owen all summer long! It has been so fun for me (even more fun than cleaning cloth diapers!!).

Here is what I do....

At the very beginning of each month, I stock up on a lot of yummy fresh produce.


And then I spend a couple days worth of Owen's nap times making all of his fruits and veggies for that month.

Enter FAO Schwartz Baby Chef Cooker Food Processor:

Although I am already on my second FAO Schwartz Baby Chef Cooker Food Processor (I mean really, could they have tried to make a longer name for their product?!?) because my first one broke (they sent me a new one for free), I really do like it. It steams on one side and blends on the other. With it, I have prepared many meals for my growing boy...(sidenote:--John has willingly tried several of Owen's baby food concoctions without me even asking him to)

Foods Owen has eaten:

Fruit:
Avocado
Banana
Apple
Pear
Peach
Plum
Mango
Cantelope
Honeydew
Blueberry
Prunes
Kiwi


Vegetables:
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Acorn Squash
Sweet Potato
White Potato
Carrot
Peas
Green Beans
Cauliflower

Other foods:
Yogurt
Puffs
Barley Cereal
Rice Cereal
Oatmeal

Spices:
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Vanilla
Garlic

His Faves:
Pear
Yogurt
Carrots & Cinnamon
LOVES picking up puffs and gumming them

Least Faves:
White Potato
Cauliflower
Avocado (don't let his avocado picture deceive you)


Next up to try in October:
Pumpkin
Parsnips
Strawberries
Beets
Cherries
Spinach
Corn
Asparagus

I love making his food for several reasons. For starters, it saves a TON of money. For example, I can buy organic carrots on sale for 99 cents (with 17 big carrots in the bag!) and it will last for a carrot meal for Owen for half a month. AMAZING. Jar food is SO overpriced.

I think it is great knowing what is in Owen's food. It is simple, yummy and natural.

Also, I love being in the kitchen and I have the time to. If I were working or hated cooking, this would be out of the question. So if you can't stand the kitchen or if you are a working mama, I hope you Gerber it up!!!! I have a similar mentality about cloth diapers, too...I sometimes feel nervous that people think I think I'm doing things the way I think everyone should do them, but honestly I'm just choosing whats best for our family. (Mainly I'm just scared of being judged for making baby food and using cloth diapers....hello there insecure self...). EEK ok moving on.

One more thing...I haven't always enjoyed food the way it was meant to be enjoyed. In fact, as many of you know, I have struggled a lot over the years with body image and eating. As much as I love to cook, I often cringe when it is time for me to eat again. Making food for Owen and eating it with him has helped me appreciate that food is such a gift from God. I can't help but be thankful for the delicious food as I cut up a plum and remember how GOOD they are and how creative and gracious God is for giving us so much to enjoy. I had no idea that this would happen, but viewing food through the eyes of Owen who is discovering things for the very first time has truly restored a lot of my unhealthy views on eating. I've come a long way with the whole eating thing through the years and for that I am incredibly thankful.

And in his own way, Owen has also come a long way with the whole eating thing, too. It took a whole summer of this...






But more often than not these days meal time goes like this:

(Click on the picture to enlarge if you want to see an adorable tooth)