help with home made baby food...

[kiki22]

i'll just start of with i want to try to make home made baby food but have no idea how i'm 37 weeks pg so obviously this is going to be 7 months away but my gran has offered to buy me a blender or food processer to make the food in as a baby present she'd like to buy it now since it's the sales but i honestly have no idea what i'm ment to buy. Can anyone advise what i'm looking for?

do you know what? i'd wait until you have the baby, see what he or she is like. you might decide that you want to give BLW a try (it's basically where the baby feeds themselves, they're totally capable after 6 months, see here www.babyledweaning.com) so you won't need a blender.

On the other hand, if she's keen and you don't have a blender, i'd advise a stick one, they're so much easier to clean. and if you do BLW in the end you can use it for soups, so it won't be wasted.

she is very keen she's pretty much decided she's going on sunday to buy one lol i thought i had months to think about this but no no must be done now bless her :)

Mine kept her mouth firmly shut for the spoon. But she seems to be really good with her fingers and can pincer risotto, noodles kind of things by 8mo. That said I love both my food processor and hand blender. The hand blander is easier to use to purée small amounts of food.

I used a cheap hand blender from Argos and it did the job perfectly. I used the Annabel Karmel weaning books and thought they were fab - both my DC loved most of the recipes from them.

Can't you think of something you need more importantly to guide her towards buying for you. A blender you're not going to want for 7 months seems a bit silly - guide her towards something else.

What Aitch and FredFredGeorge

Much better to see how you feel in a few months. Your gran might not be aware that you don't need to do puree - if you want to then that's fine, but if you don't then that's a total waste of your gran's money even if it is a sale item. It does seem daft to get equipment now that's going to be gathering dust in your kitchen for the next 7 months or so, when there might be stuff you need sooner.

Blenders are pretty cheap anyway - stick ones you can pick up for £5 and they don't need taking apart and faffing with to clean - you unplug and bung the end under the tap and that's pretty much it.

yup, my blender cost a fiver. it's great. i've got a big food processor thingy as well but lord it's a faff to clean. if she's determined to get you one, kiki, get a nice stick with attachments like a whisk etc. very handy for cream cakes.

I have every thing i could possibly need have been given so much and have a huge family between us this baby is the first granchild on DP's side and second on mine so lots of excitment i'm struggling to find things for everyone who wants to buy us something lol.

My gran is quite set in her ways wants to buy me a blender and teach me to make all sorts of baby food tbh even if baby doesn't eat it i'd be happy just for the quality time with my gran :)

get her to teach you how to cook the family favourite meals... if your gran teaches you 'her' way of weaning you and the baby will be under terrible pressure to do it like that. esp if she is set in her ways. i would seriously take this as my opportunity to send the message that a lot of things might have changed since she did it.

Get a stick blender. It's a very useful kitchen gadget, for making soups, sauces, pastes and milkshakes. I really really love mine

She would never expect me to do it her way or comment if i didn't she has always taken the approach with her children and granchildren it's your life do as you please she will show you how she does things if yo ask and if you don't do it that way is fine.

I have memorys of my niece (5) as a baby sitting eating my grans home made baby food giving it yummy more more num num num licking her chops so it must be good lol

Ah so you are referring more to family food since your niece is 5. I'm sure she's a great cook. And there's nothing wrong eating nursery favourites like cottage pies or rice puddings as an adult!

lol I need to read more carefully :) What Aitch is saying is that because we are weaning so much later now, you can actually move directly into lumpy food. If you want to use a spoon, there are things like cottage pie and bologese. If you don't, then cauliflower cheese might become a favourite.

i don't want to come over as methuselah here but you haven't even had the baby yet and she wants you out on Sunday picking a blender, so that she can show you how to wean your baby... i predict interference on a grand scale.

What Aitch said again. You say your Gran is 'set in her ways and wants to teach you' but that 'she wouldn't expect you to do it her way'

I'm sure your Gran is a fabulous cook, and is going to be a mine of information for you - which is fabulous, but be wary of anyone who isn't up to date on weaning information trying to teach you how or what to feed your baby. Someone who weaned a baby even as far back as 20 years ago may not be up to date with current information and therefore advise you to do things which aren't advisable now - even if you ask them for their advice, what they might tell you mightn't be considered safe or appropriate now.

Far better to get her to teach you some family favourites which will come in much handier as you can get to eat them and share them with your own little family forever, rather than Gran's famous carrot and pea puree for babies, which you'd only get to make for about a week anyway Lovely way to spend a weekend.

I started with tiny bits of puréed veg, mashed avocado and so on, but once we were talking proper meals, I just puréed whatever I cooked for us (with no added salt) ? stews and casseroles, poached fish and veg, grilled (skinned) chicken and mash, curries, etc. Worked okay. I don't think the "up-to-date" thing is actually a valid point and I'm all in favour of avoiding those ridiculously expensive little jars of sludge.

If you feel you really have to have one then go for a stick blender so you can do soups and other stuff with it instead of baby purees once your baby has been weaned.

I was bought a top of the range magimix when I got married. i checked on line and it was over £300. But it is amazing, and the smallest bowl is perfect for making baby food. You can get the food completely smooth, and is also great for dips, soup, cakes, pates, making bread, grating. Love it. There are much cheaper ones though. And even if you do BLW, it will get lots of other use.

I already had a stick blender with a 'mini chopper' food processor attachement. It was good for just giving a wee portion of food a quick blitz to break the food down a bit if DS was struggling with bigger lumps.

Kind of like this but cheaper.

www.amazon.co.uk/Multiquick-3-MR-320-Omelette/dp/B000IJ0VY8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1325867408&sr=8-9

That way you haev a hand blender with an extra bit, rather than a special thing. THe wee mini chopper is quite good for makign breadcrumbs and curry pastes and stuff when cooking :)

actually that is the one I have -but mine was only about £30 so must have got it on offer.