Japanese Yam, Brown Rice and Coconut Milk

So the other day I was shopping at Whole Foods looking for sweet potatoes.  I didn't find them but I did see some Japanese Yams.  They looked just like regular Yams to me so I bought them.  Little did I know that when you peel them, the inside is white!

This frightened me at first because I have never cooked these before and I worried that my little one would not like them.  I steamed them anyway and did a quick google search on the Japanese Yam.  

Simultaneously I steamed some organic brown Basmati rice in coconut milk, I use the unsweetened kind for my cooking.

When they were all done I tasted the yam and to my surprise it was sweeter than a the sweet potato I was used to.  I mixed the rice and yams together in the food processor and added more coconut milk to make a nice thick puree for my baby.  She loves it, and I like it too.

My work flow for home made babyfood

Although my little one is a year now and most times she eats what we as a family eat, I still prepare separate food for her for several reasons.  One, unfortunately we still eat on the run a lot and I don't want to give my precious baby fast food at such a young age.  Also sometimes I cook with a lot of spices and/or I'm frying something is too much grease.  I posted earlier how when I started making babyfood, I used a specific babyfood maker.  Well once that had to be returned I used a different work flow and I wanted to share it here.

First I steam 3 foods at a time using a double decker steamer.

I usually put rice in the nice little grain basket I had from the Baby Brezza accessories.

The rice and some vegetable can sit on one level and I usually do yams on the bottom level.   After they steam for about 30 minutes I put the yams and veggies receptively in the food processor for blending.  I sometimes add a little water if it's too thick.

Then I add it to her little food containers and freeze!  I can usually make about a months worth of food or more at a time so it's not too much work at all.  I use a few different food containers, like the ones from Babies R Us.

I also use this time to make little popsicles for my little one.  She loves pears, apples and I even use yams to make little frozen treats.  These are great for teething, self feeding and just a nice fruit treat.  No added sugar or preservatives!

The Baby Brezza and Me

I knew I wanted to make my own baby food when I was pregnant.  I looked up different appliances to use and found just one made by a French company called Beaba Babyfcook. 

This product steamed and pureed the food all in the same appliance. I watched youtube videos and all, but felt that $150 dollars was a lot for such a small appliance.  

Then I heard about the Baby Brezza, this was just like the Beba, except you didn’t have to stop to remove the steam basket then put the food back in to blend.  It did it all at once: genius!  This was the product I had been waiting for.

 I was so exited when they were finally on the shelfs at Babies R Us.  I went out to buy one immediately.  I started out making apple sauce, yams, carrots, string beans, etc.  It was going great, until a little part fell off of the bottom of the bowl.  This part was integral because without it attached it would not blend.  So I went to Babies R Us to exchange it for a new one.  I started my baby food making again, this time mixing it up:  sting beans and carrots, apples and pears, then during the blend mode it would make this funny noise.  Then the blender just all together stopped working.  Ah.  Back to the store.  Exchange.  

The customer service rep asked if I wanted store credit or a new machine.  My eyes glanced over at this FOA baby food maker that cost around the same price, and considered trying a new machine, but I had already gotten used to this one so I just exchanged it again.  I continued making delicious baby food for my darling, and then after like two weeks, the dam machine just would not turn on.  I tried using different outlets, unplugged it and plugged it back in over and over, and nothing.

My heart was broken, seriously.  I took it back to the store for the final time and this time I did ask for store credit.  I was tired of lugging the box back and forth.  Tired of wondering if it was going to work this time.  Tired of prepping food and then being disappointed that something went wrong.  I don’t know why I felt so attached to this product.  I really wanted it to work for me but it didn’t.  

A few days later I pulled out my Oster steamer that I have had for years in the cabinet and my regular food processor and just started making her food from there.  And you know what?  Came out just fine!

Quiona

So this week I finally introduced grains into my little one's diet.  Well actually a seeds, but some still put it in the grain category.  I made a cereal from Quiona flakes, and it was pretty easy to make.  Just boil water, then add flakes and boom, in about a minute it was done.  I fed it to her plain and she ate it but made a face like, um mommy what is this ish?  So then I mixed it with mashed bananas and it was all good.  

I like Quiona because it is naturally high in iron, no fortification necessary, plus it's got protein and a lot of other naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.  I tried some with butter and sugar added for my own taste and it's not that bad.  I think I may be able to get used to it.  I have used regular Quinoa in beef soup and I loved it!  But for now it's a great food for baby.