Baby Food Mill and Cottage Cheese

So I made my first Food Mill purchase.  I went with the Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill.  It was cheap and I didn't want to invest money in something I didn't see using for a long time and from reviews it supposedly ground into bigger textures.  Also it had a deeper bowl and so I figured I could feed both girls with one grinding (I hope) based on this.  No other real logic to it than that.  Side note:  Can I just say how much I am loving my free Amazon Mom subscription (no marketing intended really).  But I love it...you get two months free prime shipping and then when you purchase from Amazon Mom you can add on months to this benefit (one additional month for every $25 you spend) and it's free two-day shipping on any Amazon Prime item (not just baby stuff)...nice!

Green Sprouts Baby Food Mill (BPA free and "green" friendly)

 
Anyway back to the Food Mill.  I received it in the mail yesterday and was excited to try it out.  So I washed it and decided to throw some cottage cheese into it.  I loaded it wrong (yes I skipped reading the directions) so I then started over and voila milled cottage cheese.  What did the girls think of it?  Kendall liked it and swallowed most of her few spoon fulls and Seren...well not so much.  She gave me the look of "what is this putrid thing you put in my mouth?" and spit most of it out.  Oh well...maybe next time.

Cottage Cheese 
I only did a few tablespoons/ounces and milled it through.  Then just used a baby spoon to feed them right from the bowl.

Serving:  3 tablespoons (approx 3 ounces)
Prep/Cook Time: 2 minutes (super easy)
Price:  approx $4 for a 3 lb tub at my bulk store and I love cottage cheese so it's basically always on hand in our house.

Rating:
Kendall - 3 stars
Seren - 1 star

The Sippy Cup

Bottle Weaning and Sippy Cups.  The age to start you baby on a sippy cup is dependent on the child.  It is recommended to wait until at least 6 months.  There are many types of sippy cups.  Some are free-flow style and some have a valve so that the child has to suck or bite on it.  Others may have spill resistant design.  Which style you chose is up to you and ultimately up to your child liking it or not.  We went with a spill resistant style at first.  Then a style that had slits which required minimal sucking.  We also introduced the sippy cup to our twins very soon after 6 months of age.  I figured it was best to introduce it early on so they didn't get attached to their bottles for drinking and also they were showing interest in drinking out of our cups as well.

 We started with something like this

...then moved on to something like this.  However our twins don't seem to have a preference so we still switch it up quite a bit so they don't get settled into one or the other. 

I have also read and heard from family that it's best to keep formula in bottles and juice, water and other liquids in the sippy cup.  That way the child associate the bottle with other liquids besides formula and doesn't expect formula when given a sippy.  Also, when the time comes to drop the formula you simply drop the bottle all together and go to the sippy cup (probably a free-flow style at this point but it probably doesn't matter).  I've also read that if you want to give the child formula in the sippy that it is best to introduce the sippy with formula first and then other liquids.  It's really all trial and error I'm sure.

Tips to introducing a sippy cup:
-Wait until a time when your child is rested and in a good mood.  Introducing a sippy cup to a child who is tired, hungry or thirsty may lead to frustration and tears (for both parties).
-Be prepared to try different types of cups.  Don't give up if your child doesn't like the first style you offer them.
-If you are using the valve type and your child has difficulty try removing the valve.  Be aware that this makes the liquid flow fairly quick and your child might need help.
-Demonstrate (without actually drinking from) how the sippy cup is used and making appreciate sounds or slurping sounds to clue your child into the purpose of the cup if they don't seem to understand what is inside.

Water down juice to reduce the sweetness factor and also offer water frequently in the cup so there isn't an expectation for juice.  Don't offer or send a child to bed with a sippy or bottle as formula and juice can cause tooth decay.

Traveling With Baby...

We recently made a trip to Florida to see my parents so I thought I would share some of the things I learned while preparing and while flying with the girls and all of their gear.  Most of these tips are regarding air travel.  Check with your airline and also check with TSA's website for tips regarding travel with children also.

Baby Food - during travel
1.  You can bring pre-mixed formula bottles through security but you can not bring water alone through security (at least from what I read).  I always fed the girls a few hours before our take-off and then made a hot bottle of formula to put in the diaper bag.  It cooled enough to feed them at take off.  Security / TSA never had issues with the bottles, baby food, juice or formula (although they did some extra testing on the formula that they had us observe).

2.  Feed your child at takeoff and descent to avoid earaches or pain.  You can also use a binkie, teething rings and toys they like to gnaw on if you have bad timing.  I brought juice as a "bribe" for my girls to drink if I needed them to.  We fed them at take off but didn't seem to have issues with landing although I had diluted juice at the ready if needed.

3.  TSA security allows for baby food, formula, breast milk and juice for your child in reasonable quantities.  Their site advises on travel with children.  There is not specific measurements only "reasonable quantities" for your need of travel.  I brought a small 8 oz canister of formula, two small 4 oz juices, two 4 oz containers with my homemade baby food inside and some baby cereal with no issues whatsoever.  I also had two 8 oz bottles of premixed formula and 6 extra bottles for feedings.  I found TSA agents to be extremely helpful with our travel.

4.  Be organized and prepared for TSA security check.  Make sure your liquids (including baby food) are pulled out of diaper bags or carry-on luggage.  I packed a separate thermos type bag just to simplify things for myself with the baby food items.  Use your quart size bags and know where you place these in bags for quick pull out and inspection.

5.  Need to make bottles...think Starbucks (or at least we did).  We simply got a small hot water and a larger cold water and mixed them together.  The hot water was scalding though so be careful in the water temp before feeding your child.  Also many other restaurant and eatery style places were happy to provide water if needed but we liked the control over the temperature with Starbucks (plus you can find one in every airport and frequently too).

Baby Food and Needs - at your destination
1.  If you have someone you are visiting it is to your advantage to have them pick up things ahead of time if needed (diapers, formula, food) so that you can save trips and pain when you arrive.  If you don't have someone it is still easier to purchase these items upon arrival (especially as you realize you run out of pack space and weight limit quickly).

2.  I packed ice cube trays and travel containers.  We purchased a few of their favorite foods and made enough to last a week using my parents blender.  You can also purchase take-n-toss type styles that are cheaper.  I brought take-n-toss sippies to the airport just due to concern that security might not allow for the amount of extra bottles and containers that I was bringing (they did with no problem).

3.  I have heard of people using little bags to keep outfits together in their diaper bags to reduce the need to dig for items.  I didn't do this but just packed coordinating clothes for any accidents.  I also changed the girls immediately prior to take off and during layovers while in the airport to avoid changing them on the plane.  For longer flights you would obviously want to change them on the plane and in the facilities on the plane.

4.  Purchase new toys that your children haven't seen or played with.  Also take away their favorite toys for a week prior to travel so that they seem new and exciting again (or at least they are sure to appreciate them).  I chose toys that were quiet and not annoying to show courtesy to our fellow passengers.  I also chose toys that could be used with links or strapped on with binkie tethers so that if my girls tossed the toy or dropped it I wasn't on my hands and knees looking for it.

Other Tips:
- If you are traveling with multiples or more than one child and planning to use "Infant in Arms" (where a child can fly for free on your lap until the age of 2) then I would strongly suggest calling a reservation assistant and also locking in your seats if possible.  I arranged our seats online far ahead of time and everything was fine until we showed up to check in and all of the sudden our seats were not compatible with the air mask capacity of where we were assigned.  My belief is that an agent moved our seats next to each other without checking our special needs (ie Infant in Arms).  We had to hassle the gate agent to arrange our seats closer together as all of our packing was based on sharing a diaper bag and being within arms reach of each other for this purpose.  We also had trouble with this on the flight home when our first flight was cancelled and our new flight was not arranged with Infant in Arms in mind.  Check your seats and check with your gate agent to confirm your seats prior to boarding.

-Bag your car seats or rent them.  If you are renting a car at your destination I have heard you can also rent car seats.  We didn't rent a car or seats but I like the idea and if we travel again I would consider this (depending on the fee).  You can check car seats for free with most airlines.  Also you are allowed to gate check them and if there is a free seat in your row you can also be permitted to use the car seat if it is approved (this does come with the hassle of car seats through security and the airport for a small chance of using them).  I recommend just checking them if you did not purchase a seat for your child(ren).  We double bagged ours in large black trash bags and then used duct tape over the top to wrap around the handle and sun visor of the seat.  Worked like a charm.  Pack extra bags and throw your duct tape in your checked bag for the return flight and you're set.

**some of this is really simple and some of it won't apply to your situation.  I probably missed some things. But how I wish someone would have layed out the basics for me so I didn't have to hunt down the best strategies...therefore here I am laying it out the way I found most helpful**

Favorite Baby Food Gear (so far)...

I thought I would do a little review of baby feeding gear that I have loved (and some I've disliked) so far....

SPOONS
I have only purchased and used these spoons so I guess I don't have a lot to compare them to.  In reading the reviews I know some people are displeased with the handle-heavy design and say it tips out of bowls and makes messes easily.  I have only had this happen once.

I love the handle and design as it makes it easier for me to hold.  I also like that the spoon basin is deeper allowing more food or at minimum holding liquid food better.  I also discovered if you lay them facing down on the counter the basin end doesn't touch.  I usually only scoop a little on the tip so it's not overload but I think these will adapt nicely as my girls become better at eating.

BLENDER (small)
I LOVE THIS!  Mine is a Cooks 5 in 1 Blender through JCPenney ($30 sale or $60 retail) that my parents gave us for Christmas.  This works awesome!  If you only have one child I would recommend one of these.  Typically I can make close to a full ice cube tray with one glass.  It purees like a champ and I have heard that the pulsing action works awesome for once baby is ready for textures.

I also love that the clean up is beyond simple.  Twist the plastic cup off of the base with blade  to dispense baby food then rinse it out and toss in the dishwasher.  The base with blade is also dishwasher safe.  Just super easy clean up.

BOWLS
I have also tried the Nuk bowls and I have settled into these.  The Nuk bowls are good but shallow so I found it harder to mix cereal without spilling.  I also wasn't able to fit as much food in them.

These bowls are deeper.  They are microwave safe.  I pop a few ice cubes of food in them, pop them in the microwave til the food is piping hot and the allow it to cool down while the girls have a bottle.  I haven't really transported food in them yet so I can't comment on the lids.  I have read they are problematic but in trying them out I didn't see an issue.

BLENDER (large)
This is another item that we had in the kitchen for our use that has turned into a baby food making tool.  I am definitely of the opinion that there is no need to spend extra cash when your basic blender will serve your needs perfectly for the first few months your child is on solids.  The more you spend just to make the food the more you are cutting down on your savings.  There are some things I considered (such as a combination steamer/blender specifically made for baby food) but I decided not to spend on something I would only use for 6 months.

I use my large blender for bulk projects.  I have used it for sweet potatoes and green beans.  Works great.  A little more clean-up but more effective for large batches.

MICROWAVE STEAMER
I use a large Pampered Chef microwave steamer.  I'm not affiliated with Pampered Chef but I occasionally purchase items from my sister-in-law.

I really like this.  Not only can I steam baby food in it, I really like putting my own veggies in it to steam.  It is fast and effective.  I have used this for carrots, parsnips and frozen peas.  Perhaps there is a naturalist reason to avoid the microwave but I like my microwave steamer as it fits as much, if not more, than my steamer basket.

PASTRY BAG
I personally like using a pastry bag to dispense the baby food purees into the ice cube trays but I have tried it with a regular tablespoon so I know a pastry bag isn't 100% necessary.  I just feel like it cuts down on the time to go back and forth from the bowl plus cutting down on the mess too.

I use a reusable bag with a medium/small round "dot" tip so I can put my finger over it while I fill up the bag.  Plus since the bag is reusable it is a stiffer material making this possible with liquid purees (it's obvious they were built for icing haha).  I then rinse out and wash the bag and throw the tip in with my nipple/bottle basket and into the dishwasher.

HIGH CHAIR
I LOVE THIS!!  It is super versatile (can be used from infant up to 4 years of age) and considering it's a space saver style it moves in plenty of ways.  I saw a video online for this when the girls were brand-new and knew I'd found my seat.  It has a 5-point harness (can reduce to 3-point when older), it tilts back for infant feeding (5 positions- also nice for subtle tilt when baby isn't quite ready for sitting up straight but is good with solids), it swivels so you don't have to move your chair (7 positions), it has a soft yet washable cover that is reversible, it includes a feeding tray with a removable "serving" tray,etc.  Can you tell I can't say enough good about this?  Only con I have found is that my table has a lip (for decorative drawers) underneath so the chair doesn't slide under.  But I plan to buy some cheap and shorter chairs to remedy this mild problem.

With twins I super-love this.  I can put them in the chair for a bottle and feed them at the same time (with the swivel feature I don't even have to move my chairs) and then when the bottle is done and it's time for some baby food I just tilt it upright again and BAM...ready to go!  Awesome!  I can tell this is going to be an asset as they get bigger.

OTHER:  Ice cube trays (I got mine 2/$1 at Shopko on a summer special bin - awesome for freezer/storage), Freezer Bags (I bought gallon size at my local bulk store - but I would recommend quart size  unless you are freezing bulk), Mix and Masher (effective for soft fruits- avacado, bananas,etc - but so is a fork), paring knives (I like that these are small and effective to trim fruit), vegetable peeler (I use this for vegetables and fruit - peeling fruit while cold helps).  I'll add more or review more as I go.

Baby steps...

I started off my adventure into making baby food for my twin girls with all the prep I could.  I researched online (of course).  There are several websites that provide baby food recipes, ideas and guidelines.  I also asked the advice of baby food veterans I knew.  Here is what I've come to so far: 

Storage: 

This is half the point of making it for me.  Twins equal more food and more expense.  I figure it also means I can make baby food in bulk and not worry about it going to waste (especially if I'm able to freeze it) not to mention convenience (hopefully) and knowing exactly what is going into it.  The advice I got for storage was this...ice cube trays and freezer bags.  Simple enough.  So I'm steering clear of expensive tubs and storage containers unless this method fails me.  

Books: 

Next I decided to buy a couple of books.  Annabel Karmel is a name that apparently becomes pretty well known in infant and child nutrition circles.  She offers books on how to make baby food and meal planning for children of all ages.  Once we get out of this stage perhaps we'll move onto her other editions.  I ended up going with Starting Solids and Healthy Baby Meal Planner based on the reviews I read.  Be advised to always check with your pediatrician if you are concerned about food allergies and when to introduce certain foods.  Some reviews I read on other books stated that recipes called for such things as honey, strawberries and other things that were inappropriate for the age group.  Also a recipe book isn't really necessary.  Mostly you are steaming or cooking fruits and veggies and then pureeing them with breast milk, water or formula.  As your child ages you change the texture and way you cook things, and add in more and more selection. 

Gear: 

Then it was time for gear.  Where to start?  I was told that a hand blender, small food processor or even a full-size blender would work just fine for my first few months.  Later I would need to add in a food mill or ricer in order to get different textures and mouth feel as my twins aged.  I decided to start with the following:  microwave steamer, a mashing utensil, a Cooks 5-in-1 power blender (thanks to my parents from Christmas...not intended for this use so we'll see how it goes), freezer bags and regular ice cube trays (after some debate over lidded ones and a Wilton silicone brownie pan).
*as a side note I have not tried any of the items that are linked.  I linked them based on the reviews I have read and interest in them myself.  I will review items that I do try during my adventures*