Seasonal Baby Food

I'm not a big squash fan. I can eat it -- it just doesn't get my mouth waterin'. But they're healthy and cheap and who am I to pass on my palette prejudices to my daughter?

So at market this morning, we picked up a few gourds -- a ginormous butternut squash and a mini pumpkin.

SQUASH

Split in two length-wise, scooped out the insides, and placed cut side up in a casserole pan with less than an inch of water. Roasted at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, scooped out the insides, and pureed in the blender. Separated into individual helpings and frozen most in an ice cube tray for easy thawing.


 
PUMPKIN
Cut off the top, split in two, and scooped out the insides, setting the pumpkin seeds aside. Placed cut side up in a casserole pan with almost an inch of water. Roasted at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, scooped out the insides, and pureed in the blender. 

Emma especially liked these purees mixed with pears or applesauce, on the sweet side of the spectrum, and with chicken or rice on the savory side. I tried adding a little cinnamon, but she was not a fan.

As a bonus for the grown ups, I rinsed the pumpkin seeds; tossed them in butter, sugar, and cinnamon; and placed them on a baking sheet in the oven at 300 degrees for about an hour. I'd never tried roasted pumpkin seeds before, but I'm a big huge sunflower seed fan, so I figured why not, right?

Yeah, they were gone in an hour. I might've shared with Carl.

Proof

Yo, you got more beets, man?

Because some people don't believe a baby would like something as gross as a beet.

There it is. The face of a beet fiend.

And for the record, it's just as difficult to wash off skin as it is clothes - the puree left a bright pink stain on everything it touches, including Emma's chin! She had a pink goatee all weekend, but man was it worth it.

Seven Months

Seven Months Old.

Yep, we officially have a crawler. Emma's like Jack-Jack from Pixar's The Incredibles - superfast, zoom-zoom! One second, she's at the coffee table, the next second she's under the dining room table, and if I blink my eye, she's under her high chair in the kitchen. Yeah, get around 'round 'round.

Likes: FOOD all sorts of flavors and combos; feeding yourself - you've perfected the pincher grasp; and crawling at supersonic speeds!

Dislikes: Cutting teeth (your poor gums are so pink and swollen!). :(

Carl is a picky eater, and there are a few things Mama flat won't eat (seafood) or doesn't like (the gourd family), but Emma seems to have the least-picky palette in the house. We have been trying a lot of different foods with our adventurous eater in a curiosity-driven attempt to find something she doesn't like. New flavors this month included: apricots, avocado, ham, turkey, beets, pumpkin, chicken, and all varieties of Gerber Puff Cereal. All hits. Next up we'll try different breakfast-type foods.

Keep it up, kiddo!