CARROTS!

Well. . . I was going to wait until Palmer's 6 mo appointment on Monday to ask the doc what 1st fruits and veggies he recommends, but. . . I got a little antsy, so sue me. Palmer had no major allergic reaction and showed no signs of serious illness after I fed him a very orange meal of carrot puree! It just so happened that I had carrots in the fridge and some afternoon time to kill, so I decided to go for it. (I did consult a baby food making book and check that carrots were OK for a 1st food according to them.)

The book said steaming is the best way to cook the veggies and fruits to make sure all those good nutrients stay intact. After steaming, baking or boiling are the next best alternative, and microwaving works, but is not ideal. I boiled my peeled and chopped carrots because I don't actually have a steamer basket or other steam contraption. They simmered with the lid on for about 15 minutes, went into the blender with some of the cooking liquid, and voila- puree! I did a taste test and man are carrots sweet, even with nothing added!

Since I wasn't planning to make baby food til next week, I don't have my ice cube trays yet to freeze portions in. I ended up using some ramekins and mini prep bowls covered in saran wrap. I have read that a really easy and cheap way to store your homemade baby foods is to freeze them in ice cube trays and pop them out into labeled gallon ziplocs. I have a feeling my freezer is going to be packed! Am I crazy for thinking this is fun?

Palmer LOVED his carrot puree so much that he ate two heaping tablespoons of it! Towards the end I got the bright idea to add some rice cereal in along with a little breastmilk to thin it out. He gobbled that orange goop right up. Here are a couple pictures of my little guy enjoying his meal immensely!