Making Your Own Baby Food? What You Need to Know

Making your own baby food is a great idea, and it's super simple to do. There are just a few things you need to think about before you get started!

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BABY FOOD TOOLS

All-in-one counter top steamer, blender, warmer, and defroster Steamer basket Stainless steel food mill Baby food mill with non-slip base

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Recipe: Ranch Dressing

Salad dressing is really something you shouldn't waste your money on at the grocery store. Even the best ones have additives you'd never use at home and making it yourself is incredibly easy. Most people are familiar with making oil and vinegar based dressings at home, but the creamier ones, like ranch,  seem a little more complicated. Well I'm here to tell you that making your own ranch dressing is super simple and you likely already have all of the ingredients in your pantry. You can use this dressing any way you would use the bottled stuff and, as always, can personalize it to your own taste.

I like to mix and store mine in a pint sized mason jar. You can use the markings on the side of the jar to measure your yogurt and it looks nice for serving. This means you eliminate a measuring cup, mixing bowl, and serving container when it comes to dish washing time.

Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

1 pint sized mason jar (optional)

1.5 cups pastured, whole milk yogurt (learn how to make your own yogurt)*

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1.5 teaspoons dried minced onion

1 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt!)

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

*Note: If you'd prefer a thicker dressing, you can strain your yogurt in a colander lined with paper towels or a clean cloth set over a bowl. Alternatively, you could use a Greek style yogurt.

Directions

1. Pour the yogurt in the mason jar, using the markings on the side to measure 1.5 cups. If you don't have a jar, you can use a measuring cup and small bowl.
2. Add all of your other ingredients to the jar and mix with a spoon or whisk to incorporate.

How To Make Yogurt at Home

Today I have something super exciting to share with you guys! For the past month or so I've ventured into the world of yogurt making and, let me tell you, it's amazing! Now, if you know me well, you know that I'm a big fan of making things yourself. Store-bought foods usually don't stand up in terms of flavor or what's good for your health. Despite this, yogurt making seemed a little too daunting for me. I mean, super weird people make their own yogurt right? Well I'm here to prove that wrong! Or to prove that I'm super weird. I'll let you decide. For the past couple years, as I've gotten deeper into the real/whole foods world, I've seen things about people making their own yogurt. Some used special yogurt machines and others took a "try this, it kinda works, cross your fingers" type of mentality. Neither of these appealed to me. I'm not into specialty, one-purpose equipment. It takes up space and doesn't give a great value in terms of versatility. Also, the type A and food safety side of me thought that approximate recipes for something that involves GROWING BACTERIA simply wouldn't cut it.

Since Jasen and I got married I've been cooking more than ever (another extra-hungry mouth to feed) and I've been more aware of our food budget. Somehow, the idea of yogurt making came back to the front of my mind. I mean, it had to be doable. Grocery stores are a new thing in the context of human history. Making this stuff yourself was once the normal thing to do. Plus, most store bought yogurt contains an additional ingredient, pectin, to make it thicker. Oh, and did I mention making it yourself is also cheaper? Sign me up! After some perusing on the internet, I've found a method that works well (I've made 4 or 5 batches) and doesn't make me worry about our safety. Plus, it's really not that hard at all! All you need is some milk and a little plain yogurt to start you out. Then, you can use your own yogurt as the starter for subsequent batches.

You simply pour your milk into a pot (I use a non-homogenized milk from this creamery) and get it heating up. A slow and steady heat would probably be best, but sometimes I'm impatient and put it on high. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. I prefer a candy thermometer that clips on the side of the pot for convenience.

A skin can form on top, especially if you're using a non-homogenized milk. Some people throw this out, but I'm not trying to waste stuff, so I just stir frequently to prevent the skin from forming in the first place. Once, your milk reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit (this kills other bacteria that could compete with your culture), take it off the heat and let it cool to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then it's simply a matter of adding your culture (aka yogurt), mixing well, and putting in your oven to do its thang. Make sure you don't add the yogurt before the milk is cooled, or you could kill the bacteria you're trying to grow. Wrap your pot in a towel and turn on the oven light. This creates enough heat in the closed oven to incubate the yogurt. I let it sit over night so it can work undisturbed.

When it comes out, it'll look like this! Mine is yellow on top because the fat in the non-homogenized milk has risen to the top.

Then I simply give it a stir and put it in some jars to be refrigerated. It's super yummy and there is something so satisfying about knowing you made it yourself!

Homemade Plain Yogurt

makes 2 quarts

Ingredients

1/2 gallon of milk

1 tablespoon plain yogurt

Directions

1. Pour milk into a large pot with a thermometer attached or near by.
2. Heat milk until it reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring often to prevent a skin from forming.
3. Allow milk to cool to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring often to speed up cooling and (again) prevent a skin from forming.
4. In a glass or liquid measuring cup, add the yogurt and some of the warm milk. Mix until the yogurt is completely incorporated. Pour this mixture into the pot and mix with a spoon to distribute it throughout.
5. Place pot in the oven uncovered, wrap in a towel, and turn on the oven light. Close the oven and allow to sit for 10-12 hours.
6. Remove pot from oven, transfer yogurt to containers, and refrigerate.
7. Feel awesome about how cool you are that you just made your own yogurt!

How do you guys feel about making your own yogurt? Have you ever tried it before? Share in the comments below!

Recipe: Classic Hummus

I love hummus. It's great for dipping vegetables and also the secret to a killer veggie sandwich. I've tried a lot of brands in the grocery store (and I definitely have my favorites), but I've been on the search for a good homemade recipe for a while. You guys know I like to make everything myself that I can, plus homemade things usually taste better right? On my hummus search I've tried a few recipes and none were inedible, but they still never tasted quite as good as what I could buy in the store. Part of me said just suck it up! It's cheaper and better for you and it doesn't taste bad, just not great. Stop being whiny! But, when you're already doing a lot of cooking, it can be hard to find the motivation to put the time into making something that doesn't even taste that amazing. So, after some experimenting, I've come up with a recipe that, in my opinion, in the best one out there.

Classic Hummus

makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup dried chickpeas or 15oz can (if you canned, start with step 4)

1/3 cup chickpea cooking liquid or water

4-5 tablespoons sesame tahini

2 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Soak dried chickpeas in water overnight.
2. Drain chickpeas, add to a sauce pan, and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then simmer partially covered for 30-45 minutes, or until chickpeas are tender.
3. Drain cooked chickpeas, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid
4. Add chickpeas, half of reserved cooking liquid/water, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin and salt  to a blender or food processor and blend. Gradually add the remaining liquid and continue blending until you reach your desired consistency (sometimes the chickpeas hold on to more water, so adding the water gradually ensures you don't end up with runny hummus). Taste for salt and adjust if needed.

1. Stir in olive oil or drizzle it on top for serving. Enjoy!

Watch the video below to see me make this recipe and hear about some possible variations.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/2rtpO7UJk4k]

Have you ever struggled to recreate a favorite food or recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

Slow Cooker Stock

I'm a huge fan of making your own stock. Vegetable, chicken, or otherwise, it's a great way to save money and inject meals with extra nutrition and flavor. Up until a couple weeks ago, I always made my stock in a large pot on the stove top. I even wrote a post about it. However, I have recently been converted to a new method: making stock in the slow cooker. It's easier, and you don't have to worry about baby sitting a pot or things boiling over.

As I mentioned in my previous post on this topic, I collect veggies scraps as I cook meals and add them to a bag in the freezer until it's stock making time. Things like the ends of onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and asparagus all stay snuggled up in my freezer, along with fresh herbs that were about to spoil, waiting for me to use them. Just stay away from stinky veggies like broccoli or cabbage. Of course you can make your stock with fresh ingredients as well, but the frozen scrap collector version makes me feel much more savvy. I mean, you're basically getting something for nothing. What would have been compost or trash becomes food! Every time I make stock I get super excited about this fact and always tell Jasen about how cool it is. He plays along. :)

To make your stock, simply add your chicken carcass (if using) and your veggies until the slow cooker is full, then toss in a couple bay leaves and salt to taste. I usually do 1 teaspoon of salt, but, remember, you can always add salt when you cook with the stock later, so better to add too little rather than too much here. Pour in enough water to cover everything, put on the lid, and then cook on low for 8-24 hours. I like to do this right after our chicken dinner and let it go over night. It's always nice to wake up to a house that smells like soup.

Filter your stock using a fine mesh strainer or unbleached coffee filter. You can then refrigerate your stock if you'll be using  it soon, or freeze it for later. I've been freezing mine in jars for easy and plastic free storage.

Note: These jars were refrigerated. When freezing, be sure to leave plenty of room for expansion.

You can use your stock to make soup (obviously) or in any recipe that calls for it. It can also be used instead of water when cooking rice or other grains to add extra flavor.

Do you have any money-saving cooking tips? Leave them in the comments below!

DIY: Easy Non-Toxic Goo Remover

We've all had that experience.  The nightmare of the terrible sticker. Maybe it's a price tag. Maybe it's a label. It could be small or quite large. Whatever shape it is, it leaves behind an awful goop that simply won't come off. In the past, I would have reached for a commercial goo remover. In fact, that's almost what I did when we were faced with lots of sticker residue on our wedding gifts. However, once I was in the store and reading the label, I couldn't bring myself to buy the stuff. With all of the warnings on the packaging and the information I found online, I knew there had to be a better option out there. And guess what? There was! By simply mixing two kitchen ingredients, you can create an effective goop-getter without any worries about harsh chemicals.

This is so easy it's barely even a recipe. Ready? Ok.

Simply mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda...

Until it looks like this:

Then poor it in a cute baby jar and let it sit to solidify. You'll be left with a thick paste.

This stuff really does work just as well as the stuff you buy in the store. The coconut oil adheres to the stickiness and the baking soda acts as an abrasive to scrub the gunk away. If you want proof, I've got a couple examples for you.

First is a jar with a paper label.

I slathered on the paste and then let it sit for a bit.

The paper means you have to scrub a little more than if it was just gunk, but here is the final result.

Another example is this plastic container. I took the label off and there was some sticky stuff left behind. Because the container is white you couldn't really see it in the picture, so you'll just have to trust me on this one. :) I rubbed on the goo remover and waited a little while.

And here is the clean bottle!

If you try this out be sure to let me know! Also, if you want to see how I mix this mess together, watch the video below!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/lMGI3MGQ73Q]

Have you made any DIY cleaners? What were your results? Let me know in the comments below!

Homemade Sushi: It's Easier Than You Think!

Like many others, I'm a fan of sushi. This exotic fare can be a nutritional superstar if you choose brown rice over white,

load up on the veggies, and steer clear of the fried options. Also, the nori (seaweed sheets) used to make sushi is something that most of us westerners don't eat regularly and is full of nutrients including vitamins A and C, potassium, iodine, and iron. However, I never thought about trying to make it myself, until now. I'm always telling people to get in the kitchen and try something new, but I must admit, I was a little unsure about how this would turn out. Inspired by a post on 100 Days of Real Food (possibly my favorite food blog), I decided to move out of my comfort zone, get a little adventurous, and make my own.

Guess what? It was so easy! Not to mention lots of fun. My roommates were pretty impressed too. I think my technique could probably use a little improvement, but no matter how they look, your rolls are still gonna taste delicious! Plus, this is a much more economical way to get your sushi fix.

In my rolls, I used brown rice, cucumber, carrots, avocado, and shrimp. I also sprinkled some sesame seeds on the rice. I opted to have the rice on the outside of my rolls. I did try one with it on the inside, but I found that this made it a lot harder to roll up and keep closed because the rice took up extra space inside the roll. If you're using shrimp, another great tip is to straighten them out on skewers when you cook them to make them easier to cut into matchsticks. For dipping, you can use soy sauce or tamari. Tamari is similar to soy sauce, but is 100% soy while soy sauce is soy and wheat. This makes tamari a great option for people who are gluten free due to an intolerance or Celiac's disease. No matter which you choose, make sure to pick a low sodium version and organic if you can find it (soy is often a GMO crop).

For the instructions I used, click here.

Try it out and let me know how it goes! I'd love to hear about your successes as well as any problems or questions. Also, get creative! Don't let yourself get stuck in the mindset the traditional sushi offerings. Have a favorite dish? Try to see if you can recreate it in the form of a sushi roll.

Are you a sushi fan too? Have you ever tried to make it at home?