Fresh Food for us and for Mr. Luke!

Drew and I have really been enjoying grilling out.  It is so easy and the food tastes awesome!  We went to Sprouts Farmer's Market, which is located just down the street a couple of miles from our house, on Sunday and picked up a lot of fresh produce and meats.  I spent a couple of hours making a lot of fresh foods for Luke Sunday afternoon (see explanation a little later in this post) and then we prepared some delicious food for us as well.  For dinner, we grilled some salmon, chicken, Corn on the Cob, green beans and even some sliced peaches mixed with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.  YUMMY!

Luke got to sit down with us at the table while we ate, and he sampled some of the freshly cooked items that I made for him to eat over the next few weeks.  At dinner, he sampled a chicken and apple dish, some butternut squash, and some sweet potatoes.  He ate every bite!  I am glad he enjoyed each of these, because he will be munching on these, along with some other items for the next month!

For those of you with a little one who have been interested in making your own baby food, but weren't sure how it all worked--let me tell you--it is very easy, makes a nutritious meal for your little one, and will save you a lot of money (I made the equivalent of 40 jars for less than $5).  Not only that, there are many other benefits as well.  For example, store-bought baby food does not come seasoned.  By making it yourself, you can play around with various seasonings.  Also, store-bought food does not provide a lot of variety.  By making your own, you can make your own combos and try things not available in the jars--like asparagus, broccoli, beets, etc.

It is simple to prepare.  Just pick whatever foods (veggie, meat, fruit) you would like to make, grab some ice trays (one ice cube slot equates to about 2 oz of food-there are 4 oz in a typical baby food jar) and your food processor.  I love the food processor/blender that we received as a wedding gift from my friends Missy and Danna.  I never knew I would be using it to make baby food!

There are some great charts on the internet that recommend different foods dependent on your child's age.
 

I'll share the chicken and apples dish below. 

Ingredients

• 1  6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast half
• 1  medium (5 to 6 ounces) apple, peeled, cored and cut up
• 2  teaspoons unsweetened apple juice

Directions 1. In a small saucepan, cook chicken breast half in enough boiling water to cover for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (internal temperature should be 170°F). Remove from saucepan; cool. Reserve the water the chicken was cooked in. Cut up cooked chicken into small pieces
2. Meanwhile, grind apple in a food mill or mini food processor with the apple juice until the consistency of applesauce; set aside.
3. Grind chicken in a food mill or mini food processor. Mix ground chicken and applesauce together. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid for the consistency your child likes. Use within 1 day, or freeze up to 1 month.

To Freeze: Spoon finished food into ice cube trays. Cover with waxed paper and freeze until firm. When ice cubes are frozen, remove cubes from tray and store in a resealable plastic freezer bag or freezer container. Label package with contents and date. Use within 1 month. Before serving, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

It's pretty simple.  :-)