Homemade Organic Baby Food

Hi Busy Bees!

I’ve had several people ask me about making homemade organic baby food.  I do not like to cook however I LOVE making homemade baby food. It’s quick, easy, and less expensive than buying premade baby food.

Here are the items you will need:

-Baking sheet or large pot (depending if you plan to bake or boil)

-Potato masher

-Bowl

-Ice cube or baby food trays

-Organic veggies

Really, this is ALL you need! 


I have toyed with the idea of buying the Beaba Babycook Food Maker that steams and blends all in one container but since the above mentioned was good enough for my first child, I may just stick with it!

If you are just starting solids with your baby, you want to begin with orange veggies. Orange veggies such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots have the most comparable taste to breast milk or formula.  You can then move onto green veggies such as peas and green beans and then finally onto fruits. You want to save fruits until the very last as your baby might decide he prefers the sweetness of the fruits and refuse the veggies.

I started both children with butternut squash.  Simply cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and bake. I filled the inside of the squash with water and covered it with a piece of foil to create steam. Bake at 350 until soft. You can also peel the squash, chop and boil (this is what I do with smaller vegetables such as carrots or broccoli), in both cases save some of the water to mash in with the veggie.

Once the veggies are super soft (either from baking or boiling) put into a bowl and mash with a potato masher adding water until you reach your desired consistency.  

Once cooled, scoop into freezer trays and freeze overnight.  The next day you can put the frozen cubes into a freezable container or bag. Done! Now you have individual servings you can take from the freezer to the fridge in the morning and let thaw for each meal.

One organic butternut squash cost about $4.00  and makes about 16 1oz servings. One jar/pouch of organic butternut squash baby food can cost anywhere from .75 to $1.15 for 2.5 serving depending on the brand. So you are saving some money, saving some jars and the whole process (outside of the baking) maybe took me 15 minutes!!

 BUT most of all,

He loves it!! :)

Buzz!!

Eco-Painting

So since my last post so very long ago we have purchased a home and have been doing little projects to make it ours. The home is a small 1960 ranch and it was recently renovated by the previous owners so most of our projects are purely cosmetic. Painting a few rooms to make them appear larger and to appeal more to our taste was first on our list of improvements. The first room to be painted was our two year old daughter’s. I asked her the morning I headed to get paint what her favorite color was and she replied “urple” so I set off to find an eco-friendly purple paint. I wanted something with low odor and high coverage. I went to a big box store since I was in a time crunch (painting between closing and move in). Had I planned ahead, I would have had a few more options but I am very happy with the results. I have provided some additional options for you.

Zero VOC Paint

We chose “Zero VOC” paints which are now readily available at most retailers and are now also available in any color. These paints produce very little odor (the room smelled clean, not like paint once we were done), do not contain VOCs, and cover very well. (See our before and after pics) “Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are organic solvents contained in paint and many other substances. In paints, these solvents are released into the atmosphere as the paint dries after application. VOCs emitted by solvents that are found in most paints contribute to the formation of indoor air pollution and ground-level ozone.” http://www.olympic.com/

Ella's Room Before

First Coat

Ella's Room After

Guest Room



Den Before



Den After

Other Options

From what I have read, Low or Zero VOC paints are the closest to traditional paint. If you don’t mind a look that is a bit different than the dense coverage of traditional paint, here are a few other options:

Clay Paints

Clay paints are made from earth based materials and water. These paints cover well and absorb odors but color choices are limited to more earthy tones and can be a bit pricier than traditional paints.

Lime Wash

Lime Wash is made of limestone and water. This option can be tinted in a variety of colors but takes several coats and can only be used on surfaces such as brick, wood, plaster, and concrete.

Milk Paint

Milk Paint is non-toxic paint made with milk protein, lime, clay and earth pigments. This option is similar to clay paint options.

Many more

There are many more options available and I found this website with various brand recommendation for each type of paint. http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm   The site also contains information on paint strippers and eco-painting tips as well.

I especially liked this one:

“Remember the BUD rule.

BUY no more product than you need. Ask your retailer for help in assessing the quantity you need. USE up all the product you buy. Give leftovers to a neighbor or community organization.
DISPOSE of leftovers in a safe, responsible manner.”

Happy Painting! Buzz!!