I decided to try making Natalie's baby food myself. The store-bought baby food is okay...I don't mind the fruits and some of the veggies, but some of it really grosses me out - especially the meat. I opened a jar of "chicken" and I swear it smelled like tuna. Anything that is NOT tuna that smells like tuna is bad news in my book.

I bought a baby food maker from Sur La Table and it was only $39.99. It steams and puree's and I really like it so far.

I started out making sweet potatoes. I couldn't believe how much better they tasted than the store-bought (and I thought the store-bought wasn't bad!). The second time I made sweet potatoes I used some that were "on their way out" if you know what I mean...I thought since they were going to be steamed and pureed anyway, it wouldn't matter. But it really does make a difference in flavor...the fresher the veggie/fruit, the better it tastes. It makes me wonder if baby food companies make most of theirs with not as fresh produce.

So far I really like making my own baby food. I try and make it in batches on a day and freeze for the week. I recently tried blending regular oatmeal with cranberries and apples (thanks for the idea Andrea!) and it came out pretty good! I also blended a beef roast w/ sweet potatoes and it came out super good too.