When giving a baby gift, one doesn't just want to be unique, but also practical. What can be more practical than food?
But you want a personal touch to it, so - make it yourself! Sure, you can probably get better quality if you buy it, especially if you never made it before, but it will lack that personal touch.
It may seem like a tacky idea but all you have to do is place the food used jar and decorate it nicely with a ribbon and/or some nice wrapping - viola! Nice looking gift!
You can print out the recipe along with the card you attach to the gift.
If you have no idea how to make baby food, here are a few recipes for you to start with. You can find more online.
Apple Grain Breakfast Salad Baby Food Recipe - 8 months+
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if needed)
3/4 cup quick-cooking brown rice
3/4 cup bulgur
1 Granny Smith apple
1 Red Delicious apple
1 large peach
1 cup raisins
1 container (8-ounce) low fat vanilla or plain yogurt
1.) In large pot, heat water and salt to boiling over high heat. Add rice and bulgur; reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, covered 2 minutes. Spread hot grains on baking sheet to cool. Grains can be prepared the night before and kept refrigerated.
2.) Just before serving, prepare fruit: Core and chop apples; peel orange or peach and cut into sections. Add apples, orange or peach, and raisins to grain mixture. Stir in yogurt to coat grains and fruit. Sprinkle with wheat germ. Ensure that you use soft ripe fruits when serving to babies 10 months of age + and be sure the texture is manageable for a baby
Just before serving, stir in yogurt of an amount you desire. Sprinkle with wheat germ.
Avocado Mix
1. Peel and take out the pit of a ripe avocado - do not cook
2. Cut meat out and mash with a fork. No need to use a blender as they are nice and soft.
3. Add formula/breast milk or water to thin or add cereal to thicken up.
If you want to do something a little more complicated:
Yams/Sweet Potato Mix - (4)6 months+
1. Wash and poke holes in sweet potato with fork then wrap sweet potatoes in tin foil - do not peel for baking/microwaving.
2. Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes or until soft
3. OR
4. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small chunks
5. Place chunks into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover potato
6. "Steam" boil until tender, make sure to check on the water level.
7. Reserve any left over water to use for thinning out the sweet potatoes
8. If you have baked your sweet potato, remove skins and use liquid from your preferred source
9. Place sweet potato into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
10. Add the reserved water or other liquid as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
