Burnt Carrots: A Homemade Baby Food Adventure

And it was an adventure to say the least.  I wish I could capture the smell of burnt steaming carrots on the blog, because that's what you got in my kitchen (really the whole downstairs) for two days last week.  It is fading and now smells like a mixture of spring flower mist and burnt carrots.  I just.can't.win.

There is Betty Crocker, Sara Lee, Suzy Homemaker.  And then there's me.  I often pretend I can cook, but in reality I only dream of the homemade buttermilk biscuits and pot roast my Grammie made before her stroke.  She was a divine cook, and one day I will master her vanilla pound cake.

Needless to say, I am the last person you would think is making her baby's food from scratch.  (And I was just told by my sorority sister Melissa that I was also the last person she thought would have kids.)  But I digress.

New batch of carrots steamed (successfully, not burned).  Pureed to perfection in the food processor.  Frozen in ice cube trays.  And we're stuck.

Because I am cheap and bought the cheapest three pack of ice cube trays I could find, the frozen cubes would not budge.  Twisting the tray in opposite directions did nothing but seem to create white creases where the plastic was bending and making my arms hurt.  So you can just picture me massaging the underside of the tray to help the cubes melt just enough to slide into the tupperware.  Only a few remained stubborn.

But the important part is... Claire loves carrots!  No sugar, no salt, just plain carrots.  This made my venture into the world of homemade baby food well worth it. 

Can you see where she was saving a little on her nose for later?  And I am going to continue and pretend she would have not loved store bought carrot baby food just as much, okay?

Not sure how many more times will attempt this adventure since we have a ton of baby food from little Liam (thanks, Sis).  And the kid is already trying to feed herself, to which I reply, "Claire, it's too soon!  You must stop growing up right this minute, young lady!"  (What's that about becoming our mothers?  Yeah, that is so happening to me.)

I hope you take a minute to breathe in the beauty that surrounds you, even if it smells like burnt carrots.