Baby Food Recipe #1: Winter Squash Puree

WINTER SQUASH PUREE

Let me just preface this and any future recipe blog entries with the precursor that I don't consider myself a cook by any means. I do; however, want Lydia to be provided natural and healthy foods. Thus being said, I feel like making her baby food is one way I can ensure she is getting foods with natural ingredients and are the freshest possible.

The book gave this description of squash: "Winter squashes have hard, thick skins and inedible seeds. Butternut squash, acorn squash, and pumpkin are the most popular types, but you can cook any winter squash this way. Roasting brings out their natural sugars and rich flavor. Like summer squashes, winter squashes offer a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but they are especially high in vitamins A and C."

STEP #1: To begin with the Winter Squash Puree, I gathered all my materials. This recipe called for one butternut squash or baking pumpkin. I obviously chose the butternut squash. I have NEVER bought one of these at the store and was not sure what to look for. I felt around all the squash and determined that my chosen squash would suffice. I also required a large knife and a baking pan. Doesn't seem so difficult, huh?

STEP #2: I preheated the oven to 350 degrees. Using my awesome knife, I sliced the squash in half lengthwise. I was amazed at how beautiful the orange coloring of the squash was. I scooped out the 'inards' of the squash much like I would a pumpkin to rid it of its seeds and 'stringy things.'
STEP #3: I then placed the squash face down in a shallow baking pan and filled it with nearly 1/4 inch or water.
STEP #4: I set the kitchen timer for 45 minutes. I then checked the squash with a fork to see if it was tender. I determined that my squash could bake a little longer and waited another 10 minutes before I took it out of the oven. The book suggests anywhere from 45-60 minutes depending on the oven. After I took the squash out, I scooped out all the "meat" from the squash and spooned it into my food mill/processor.
STEP #5: Once in the food mill, I processed it for a couple minutes. It was rather thick. The book requires that I add milk (breast milk or formula) to the squash to get it to the desired consistency. This part was a little tricky because I didn't know how much milk I should add. I started with two ounces and added more milk two ounces at a time until I came to a consistency that I deemed appropriate. I ended up adding 8 ounces of milk to the squash.
STEP 6: The squash puree came out looking like this! I was pretty pleased with the result and the performance of the food mill. It was then time to scoop the food into containers.
STEP #7: I looked all over wal-mart today for ice cube trays to no avail. I then decided on purchasing these GLAD reusable containers. I think they will work out great. I won't have to worry about transferring cubes to bowls for feeding time and they are easy to store. I still like the idea of the ice cubes for when I start making more baby food, but this will be okay for now. I scooped for tablespoons of squash into 11 containers. I wasn't quite sure how much baby food one squash would make, but I was pleased. For a little more than 2 dollars, Lydia has 11 servings of fresh and natural squash.
STEP #8: I sealed the containers and put them in the freezer. I recorded the date I made them on a calendar on the fridge as well as their 'expiration date.' I plan on using the squash as her first meal this coming weekend. My next 'recipe' is sweet pea puree!