Mix n' Match

Lately since my freezer has been stocked full of frozen purees and I haven't bought more to make due to vacation coming up we have been doing a lot of mixing of what we have.  I thought I would share what I have tried and what has gone over well and what hasn't.

Blueberry Cereal (just oatmeal with blueberries)
Kendall : 2 stars (she doesn't like blueberries)
Seren: 4 stars

Blueberry Pears (1 cube pears with a teaspoon of blueberries)
Kendall:  2 stars
Seren: 4 stars

Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips (1 cube of each)
Kendall:  4 stars
Seren: 3 stars

Apricots and Pears  (1 cube of each)
Kendall: 2 stars
Seren: 3 stars

Pears, Apple and Mango (2 pears, 1 apple and 1 mango)
Kendall: 4 stars
Seren: 4 stars

Pears and Plums (3 cubes of pear and 1 cube of plum; trying to sneak the plum in on my picky eater Kendall)
Kendall: 3 stars
Seren: 4 stars

Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans (2 cube sweet potato and 1 cube green bean)
Kendall: 4 stars
Seren: 4 stars

*see the trend of who is being the picky eater.  Kendall loves sweet food and veggies but doesn't seem to like anything that is a little tart (ie peaches, apricots, blueberries or her teething pain aid that is cherry flavored)*

Green Bean Puree

I bought fresh green beans at the grocery store, however it is perfectly fine to use green beans from your freezer section as well.  Canned vegetables are not recommended.  I truthfully have never liked green beans from the freezer or can but found that I really enjoyed the fresh steamed ones from this (unfortunately "the critics" did not agree).

If you use fresh green beans snap or cut off the ends and then wash the vegetables.  Frozen can be used without trimming as this has been done during preparation.  Next get a boiler pot or microwave steamer and steam your green beans until very tender.  The water should just begin to enter the steam colander in the pot (keep an eye on your water).  I steamed mine for about 10-12 minutes.  Once they have been steamed do not drain the water (use this water to thin and smooth our your puree).  I scooped out the beans into my small power blender (again I love this) and then proceeded to puree it.  I added more water from the pot to get the right consistency.  I didn't find problems with the "skins" of the green bean but I have read that some find this an issue to smooth out. Some recommend using a seeve or strainer to separate this.  Once this has cooled slightly I added it to my pastry bag and dispensed it into ice cubes trays, setting a few ounces aside for my girls to try.

 steaming green beans

 puree - ready to eat and freeze

Kendall - glad that green beans are over

Seren - also glad to be done with them

**Based on 2nd round of making green beans**

Cost:  $2.33 for 1.17 lb
Servings:  22 ice cubes (or 22 oz)
Prep time:  15 minutes (would be less with frozen beans)
Comparison:  $.11 per ounce (vs $.13 for Beech Nut and $.16 for Gerber - based on 4 oz bottle; price increases for smaller ounce bottle)
Notes: Freezes and reheats well (so far).

Tools:  Steamer basket, boiler, small power blender, ice cube tray and pastry bag

Ratings:
Kendall - 2 stars (2nd try - 3 stars)
Seren - 2 stars (2nd try - 3 stars)