Homemade Baby Food...Yes you!

The Loin Fruit

There are several reasons for making your own baby food.  It's cost effective.  You know exactly what's in it and therefore what is going into your baby's mouth.  And, you get bragging rights.  Now the last thing isn't the reason you should make your own baby food but it's pretty fun to say that you did.  However, you then have to admit how easy it is slapping that pride you felt for a second into outer space.  Don't lord your baby mama skills over people.  That's rude.

Before I started making food for the loin fruit, my son's unofficial name, I did a ton of research.  I read all sorts of things and decided this was something I could handle.  I like making stuff (except my own food...another story entirely) so this seemed like a natural step for me.  We didn't start the loin fruit on solids until he was 6 months old.  You can start earlier.  It's your prerogative.  After talking with my pediatrician and doing my own research, I decided to wait until 6 months to hopefully avoid unintentionally aiding my child's immune system into developing food allergies.  I skipped rice cereal because my ped said it wasn't necessary.

Using the 3 day rule, I started implementing new foods.  The 3 day rule just means that you introduce a new food and then wait 3 days or so to be sure your child isn't having any issues with it.  We started with smashed bananas.  He freaked.  The loin fruit loves to eat.  He doesn't care when or where.  He wants it all.  I personally believe the whole "babies will stop eating when they are full" is crap.  Loin fruit never stops willingly.  He nurses (the girls are woefully inadequate in the milk production arena but I keep giving it my best shot), downs an entire bottle, and then dives head first into whatever I set in front of him.  It has been a whopping 2 months since we started solids and here's a list of his meals so far:

1. Bananas
2. Apples
3. Pears
4. Mango
5. Blueberries
6. Avocado
7. Peaches
8. Strawberries  
9. Peas
10. Green Beans
11. Cauliflower
12. Broccoli 
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Yellow Squash
15. Butternut Squash

Now that we've gotten these foods established I regularly mix them up.  Sometimes it's blueberries, peaches, and mangoes for breakfast.  Dinner has been cauliflower and green beans, straight broccoli, and even yellow squash and peas.  He eats solids at breakfast and dinner.  I think we'll start including lunch here shortly but I'm in no rush and since he doesn't know any better I'm keeping it that way.

Loin fruit, like the honey badger, don't care.  I haven't had any issues with food refusal yet.  He eats whatever.  Recently I added rice circle things to his repertoire.  Those things are good.  Seriously, have you ever tried them? I'd eat them myself in a pinch.  I discovered with that loin fruit's main objective with the snacks is to grasp them tightly.  I don't know that he cares about eating them.  I believe it is all about controlling them...wonder where he gets that?    

I have to state that I am not an expert on child nutrition.  I am not a doctor.  I cannot diagnose or treat your child.  I don't want to.  Don't ask.  I am just putting all this out there in case someone reads this, chooses my route, and then has a problem.  TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR PEOPLE.  Read my blog because it's fun.  Get your medical advice from a trained professional not a neurotic mind traveling gardener.

My next post will be a basic how to.  How to prepare your own baby food.  What you need to do so.  Ways to save some bucks and hopefully feed your creative spirit in the process.

Shall We Soap?

I adore smell goods.  My three favorite places are the Indian River Soap Company, visit them at Indian River Soap Company , Michaels craft store, and Home Depot, homedepot.com.  My mind literally explodes with possibilities every time I walk into these places.  My wallet and husband do too. This post has nothing to do with Home Depot by the way.  I just thought you might like to know where you can buy my presents.   I might be on a first name basis with the folks who run the garden center at the HD; I'm just sayin. Today's project involves making your own glycerin soap.  Before you scoff, let me assure you it is super easy.  I just the good ole "Melt and Pour" method.  Here are some links to pages that will assist you in this endeavor:
Handmade Glycerin Soap

Lavender Rosemary Recipe from Herb Companion

 What You'll Need:

1. Glycerin Soap Base
2. Essential Oils
3. Herbs from your garden to make a tea infusion (not necessary but super fun to include)
4. Soap Molds

Step 1:  Buy a chunk of glycerin soap.
I buy mine at Michaels but there are tons of online outlets from which you can choose.
I prefer glycerin because it is easy and very moisturizing.  I like knowing that what I am putting on my skin is simple and love knowing that I actually made it.

Step 2:  Purchase some essential oils.
I really like the NOW brand of essential oils Now Foods.
I purchase my oils at my local health foods store, Paradise Health.  You want to make sure you are getting the highest quality ingredients and although you may pay more I believe it is worth the money.  These oils are highly potent and long lasting.

Step 3.  Pick some herbs from your garden

Lemon Verbana, Rosemary, French Lavender

Don't freak out if you don't have a garden...yet.  You can purchase lots of fresh herbs right from your grocery store.  I particularly enjoy using Lemon Verbana, Rosemary, Lavender, and Peppermint while concocting my soaps.  The types of herbs and oils you use will be entirely dependent on your preference.  See how great this is.  An adventure in which you get to be the sole creator and consumer. 

Step 4:  Get yourself some soap molds
Honestly, my favorite thing to use is a washed out coffee creamer carton.  My nifty sis-in-law Leigh told me this trick.  I love the size of the soap that comes out.  However, if you want to make a marbled looking soap you can't use this.  You'll want to purchase some kind of mold.  Be creative!!  Your soap doesn't have to look like soap.  It can be whatever you want it to be.

The Soap Making Process:

Step 1:  Begin your herb infusion (if you are using fresh herbs)

Rosemary Lavender Infusion and Lemon Verbana Infusion

To make an infusion, put your herbs in a container that will safely hold boiling water.  Boil some water.
Pour about 1 Cup of water over the herbs and let them steep for 10 minutes or so.  Enjoy the smells wafting from your counter top while you move on to the next step.

Step 2:  Melt the glycerin down

You'll want to determine just how much soap to make before you melt it down.  I like using 16oz, roughly half a carton, because it fits nicely in my creamer cartons.  Using a microwave safe container, put your glycerin chunks in and melt down in increments of 40 seconds. 







Step 3:  Pour the water from the tea infusion into the melted glycerin and add your essential oil/oils.
Lots of recipes have exact measurements for this.  I don't.  I just dump the oils in until there is a freakishly strong scent emanating from them.  I like to be bombarded by smells.  This is your call.  Whatever you feel like, do.  Isn't it nice to have permission to do whatever you want.  You are welcome!

Step 4:   Pour the mixture into your carton or mold.  Let cool.  I like to put mine in the fridge to speed up the process.  This only takes about 30 minutes or so.  Then I take the hardened soaps and put them in the freezer for a few minutes to help get them out of the molds.

Soap 

Step 5:  Take a bath and congratulate yourself on how awesome you smell.

Step 6:  Give some away.  You'll have more soap than you can possibly use so why not make someone else smell good too?

Happiness to Share

GARDEN ART

Necessary Imperfection for the Restless Soul

 

Apparently re-purposing is the new fad.  I had no clue.  I regularly use my old crap to make new things and my project for today was no exception.  I love to sit outside in my yellow adirondack chair and dream.  I regularly practice pretending and go on adventures to fictional locales.  I've traveled the world sitting in my chair.  

 

One of my most favorite things is the hodge-podge garden refuge I created in my backyard.  I sit in my chair and pretend that I have a luscious garden that feeds an entire community.  I am not a master gardener.  Not even close.  However, I love the wilderness I have created and now am enjoying sassing it up with homemade projects.  Primarily because I cannot keep spending money planting things.  I don't have a ton of planting space.  Why not make my garden even more me but putting a bunch of stuff in it?

 

 Today's project is making "Garden Art" from your old stuff.  This whole venture took about 20 minutes.  I tend to get creative ideas and then just start moving.  I don't plan...sometimes to my detriment but more to my pleasure.  This creation was no different.  I have several old window frames living against the walls of my house so I decided I should paint one.  No real reason to do so apart from my baby is asleep and I need to make something. 

 

What you need:  An old window frame (or picture frame, mirror, etc.), Painter's tape, plastic bags (who doesn't accidentally leave their reusable grocery bags in the car and return home with too many plastic ones instead), spray paint, nails, and a hammer.

 

Step 1:  Tape Your Frame

 

 It doesn't have to be perfect.  Don't freak out.

Step 2:  Remember that you don't want to get paint on the glass panes after you've already taped the frame so scrape something together to fix the problem.  Enter plastic bags.

Plastic Bags and Tape

 

Step 3:  Spray paint (it doesn't have to be a work of art people).  As you can see, I started painting before I applied the plastic bags and I forgot to remove some of the excess painters tape so the frame isn't evenly coated. 

Red is my favorite color

Step 4:  Hang the frame.  Remember to keep it crooked as an homage to reality.  Perfection in not the goal but rather a life well lived.

Hang the frame.  Let it stay lopsided.