Homemade Baby Food Made Easy

Good Day Carolinas: Yo Mamas!

The idea of making your own baby food can feel a little overwhelming, until now. I shared some of my favorite homemade baby food tips with Page Crawford on Good Day Carolinas and even learned some of Page's favorite tips:

            Untraditional Tools

o   Immersion Blender.  All of baby’s first foods have to be pureed and the easiest way to puree everything from a single serving of avocado to a week’s worth of sweet potatoes is with a plain old immersion blender.  That’s right, you don’t have to use an expensive food processor or fancy baby food maker, just pull our your old immersion blender and give it a try!  TIP:  You can also use your immersion blender right in the pot you used to steam your food which will save you a few dirty dishes.

o   Palm Peelers.  When it is time to peel a batch of sweet potatoes or carrots, your wrist may start aching just at the thought of it.  Enter one of my favorite homemade baby food making tricks – the palm peeler.  These peelers fit, as you might have guessed, in the palm of your hand so your wrist won’t get tired while you are peeling.  The best part is how easy the palm peelers are to find, you can even pick one up at your local dollar store.  TIP: To skip the hassle of peeling a prep work all together, pick up frozen, organic, peeled and diced veggies at your local grocery store which can easily be steamed and pureed!

o   Self Feeding.  When it is time to let baby try to feed herself, give NumNums dips a try.  These cool new alternatives to a traditional baby spoon allow your little one to feed herself at a much earlier age without all the mess.  And we all know that feeding baby is a messy endeavor.

Repurpose

o   Ice Cube Tray.  When you are making a batch of baby food it is important to prepare to freeze some or all of the food in single serving sizes.  The easiest way to freeze single servings is in a traditional ice cube tray.  Simply puree your batch of baby food and transfer it into an ice cube tray or two to place in the freezer.  Once the baby food cubes are frozen, pop them out of the ice cube tray and into labeled freezer storage bags.  When it is time to feed baby simply defrost your cubes.

For all of Jennifer’s tips pick up your own copy of her Tips for the Clueless Chick books and follow the Clueless Chick on Facebook and Twitter. 

Until next time,
Jennifer
aka Chick #1

The Papa Spud’s Experiment - Weeks 2 & 3

Ok folks, are you ready for TWO weeks of Papa Spud’s updates?!?!  That’s right, this sneaky Chick did some strategic ordering to stretch out two weeks worth of Papa Spud’s over the holidays to feed the whole crew and then some.  Plus this is the week that you are all starting new diets, vowing to be healthier in 2015, etc. etc. etc. so it’s easier to get your attention ;-)  Don’t worry, you’ll thank me for my sneakiness.

First off, in Week 2 of The Papa Spud’s Experiment TWO boxes arrived!

It turns out I just ordered bulky foods, but still it was ridiculously exciting.   And yes, when only one box arrived for Week 3 of The Papa Spud’s Experiment it was a bit of a bummer, until I opened it up that is.

Week 3 was the first time I included meat as part of my box which is such a cool and unique benefit of using Papa Spuds.  The meat arrived fully frozen so I happily popped it into the freezer for future use. 

Honestly, I’m overthinking the meat a bit.  I am so sure that it is going to be fabulous I don’t want to waste it on the wrong recipe.  Ridiculous? Yes.  Surprising? No.

What were my favorite things about Weeks 2 & 3?  Well, I’m glad you asked.  I was able to spice up the ordinary, strategically stretch my boxes over multiple weeks and make a few amazing dishes for Christmas dinner!

When I selected my first Papa Spud’s box I made the mistake of thinking only of what I could make it that week.  With the holidays around the corner, I knew that most of my meal planning would revolve around Christmas dinner.  I realize this will sound a bit silly but until that point it hadn’t occurred to me that much of what I ordered would last for more than just a few days and thus began my strategery!

Sweet Potatoes

One of my favorite side dishes at Thanksgiving and Christmas is Sweet Potato Casserole and I knew that it would be even better with fresh local Sweet Potatoes and boy was I right.  Since I would be feeding the whole crew for Christmas dinner, I ordered sweet potatoes in my Week 2 and Week 3 boxes to ensure that I had plenty.  The results were nothing short of scrumptious:

Spicing up the Ordinary

Another fun thing about new fresh fruits and veggies delivered to your door every week is that you can not only try something new, but you can re-experience the ordinary.  For me, it is the little things that make the biggest difference, like the amazing lettuce I have gotten which has gotten me excited about sandwiches, yes sandwiches.  There was the traditional Turkey sandwich:

The good old fashion tuna sandwich which was in fact fabulous:

And the piece de resistance, the day after Christmas leftover turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich:

Speaking of cranberry sauce, which too was made even better this Christmas thanks to some awesome oranges from my Papa Spud’s box:

The makings of the perfect cranberry sauce

The actual cranberry sauce yumminess! 

An Even Better Ordinary

My boys also insisted that I share some of their favorite parts of the Papa Spud’s boxes from the past two weeks.

The little man has be loving his cute little tangerines because he can peel them himself:

Little one-friendly tangerines from Papa Spud's

The big guy has also been loving the fresh apple he finds in his lunch box every day:

A Papa Spud's Apple - perfect for school lunches!

AND I still have some red potatoes that we’ll be diving into this week in addition to some fun new party cooking!

If you have any fun recipes you want me to try, send them my way: info@cluelesschick.com

Until next time,

Jennifer

aka Chick #1

P.S. Another HUGE Clueless Chick thank you to the lovely ladies at Clairemont Communications for connecting us :-)

New Years Party Tips

Good Day Carolinas 12.31.14

Throwing an awesome New Years bash at home is really quite simple with a few of my favorite tricks that I shared with Page Crawford on Good Day Carolinas:

Perfect Party Favors and Simple Decorations

o   Celebration in a Bottle.  The perfect way to ring in the New Year is by sending your guests home with a mini bottle of champagne.  These adorable favors can be found at your local wine store or ordered online and can be quite affordable if you are willing to settle for sparkling wine.  To dress up the bottle you can simply add a pretty ribbon or gift tag and you have the perfect New Years party favor.

o   Countdown to Decorations.  Don’t forget to literally ring in the New Year at your party.  Create a fun focal point near where you will be watching the countdown by setting out a number of clocks.  Set all of the clocks with alarms to go off at midnight.  The ringing of all of the bells simultaneously will get your crowd roaring!  Plus it will bring back fun memories of the opening scene of Back to the Future :-)

DIY Noise Makers

o   DIY Shakers.  You don’t have to spend a fortune on throwaway noisemakers this New Years, all you need are plastic containers and dry beans.  Here I’ve used old drink bottles that have been washed and dried then filled with dry beans.  To add a little decoration, I covered the bottles with black cardstock and added bright white ‘2015’ stickers.  Kids and adults alike will love using these simple shakers to make a little noise on New Years.

o   Countdown Balloons.  Another fun way to ring in the New Year is by popping confetti filled balloons!  All you will need are balloons, a permanent marker, a funnel and confetti. Use the funnel to fill each balloon with confetti and when the balloon is inflated use the permanent marker to write 2015 on it, or the hours leading up to the countdown if you plan to pop a balloon ever hour leading up to midnight.  Just be prepared to clean up the confetti! 

For all of my tips pick up your own copy of my Tips for the Clueless Chick books and follow the Clueless Chick on Facebook and Twitter. 

Until next time,

Jennifer

aka Chick #1

DIY Holiday Gifts

Holiday gift giving can be tough, picking out the right gift within your budget for your friends and family can be very time consuming.  And, it is officially last minute so you better get cracking!  Here are some sure-to-not-fail DIY holiday gifts you can put together yourself to make the process a bit more personalized:

Mason Jar Magic

o   A Jar Filled with Goodies.  When it comes to creative, reusable gift packaging, nothing beats a mason jar.  They are simply perfect.  Whether you are giving out homemade peppermint bark, store-bought cookies or a year supply of lip balm and lotion, a mason jar makes the perfect container.  Simply fill the jar with your chosen treat, twist on the top and add a cute bow.  It is simply magic.

Relaxation in a Bag

o   At Home Pamper Kit.  Give your overworked girlfriends the gift of a relaxing evening with a beautiful bottle of bubble bath and a comfy new nightshirt.  You can even add a few chocolates, a candle or a new pair of slippers.  The options are only limited by your budget, which makes this the perfect gift ideal for any budget!

Family Fun Night

o   Cookie Baking Kits.  If you are looking for a small gift the whole family can enjoy together, or you have a friend who loves to bake, create a cooking baking kit.  All you need is a cookie mix or recipe, decorations and a cute cookie cutter.  This gift is also perfect for any budget from $5 to $100 and will help the recipient make some fun holiday memories.  TIP:  This is also the perfect gift to send to family across the country that you won’t be able to spend the holidays with – it will give them a little taste of home.

Accessory Loving Wine Lady

o   Wine and Socks.  If you have a girlfriend or buddy who has a bit of a sock addiction, go ahead and feed it!  Find a nice bottle of wine and a pair of fun knee-high socks and wrap the bottle with the socks.  Simply place the bottle inside one sock and use the other to tie a cute bow around the neck of the bottle.  Your friend will think of you while they are enjoying the wine and every time they wear their new favorite socks.

For all of my tips pick up your own copy of my Tips for the Clueless Chick books and follow the Clueless Chick on Facebook and Twitter. 

Until next time,

Jennifer

aka Chick #1