Today was a pretty good day though. I was able to get quite a bit accomplished at work. I ended up leaving a couple hours early so I could get some shopping done. I stopped home so I could pump and collect some coupons and make my shopping list...then I was on my way. I picked up all of our groceries and necessities for the week. We are starting the cats on a healthier diet…so I picked up some better dry food, and we’re going to try to incorporate some wet food into their diet too. We can’t bear the thought of anything happening to the rest of our animals, so it’s time to be more proactive about their health!
I quickly ran home and started making a few batches of baby food. Amelia has been eating twice a day, lunch and dinner. But, we’ve been giving her the same food both times. I made batches of the food she’s already had…Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash, so she can get those for dinner. I was able to get some dishes done, clean up the kitchen and start our dinner while I made the food. It was a very productive evening. Today is my mother in-law’s birthday, so Christian and the girls hung out with her for a little while, giving me a little extra time to get things done.
I also tackled a new food tonight…PRUNES. Yes, it’s time to give in to the power of prunes! Poor Amelia is still having a tough time going to the bathroom, so we’re hoping the prunes help in the process. Plums/Prunes are high in fiber, low in cholesterol, sodium free and rich in Vitamin A & Vitamin C. As Plums/Prunes are high in fiber and natural sugars, they help maintain bowel regularity. Plums/Prunes are great to help with constipation. Prunes, also known to help maintain bowel regularity and alleviate constipation, are really just Plums that have been "dried". These fruits are recommended to be introduced to baby anytime from 6 months of age.
I chose to use Prunes for my batch, and used a canister of dried prunes. I’m not going to lie…this was a little tougher to make than the other foods. But, I got it done, following this 3-step process!
- Soak dried prunes in warm water until they plump up or steam gently. I had to switch out the water once (again, with warm water) to get them pump enough. May try steaming next time.
- Once plump and tender, toss into food processor or blender and begin to puree. Although the canister said “pitted prunes”, I did find one pit in the batch – so listen carefully when pureeing.
- Add liquid without sparing any – you will need A LOT of water. Prunes tend to become a pasty gluey consistency when pureed and the more water you add, the easier it is to puree to a texture your baby will tolerate.
It took a little longer than other foods, and a lot more trial and error, but the prunes tasted great, and not AS sour as the jarred stuff. We’ll be giving her 2-3 spoons of prunes a day to help with her regularity.
Cost Savings:
- 1 Container of Dried Prunes = $3.49 – Makes Roughly 20 Jars
- 20 Jars of Gerber Stage 2 Prunes = $11.20
- Cost Savings of $7.71
Keep in mind, the prune puree will not freeze into a solid block – and that is OK. The skins should not pose an issue however do be certain to keep a watch for baby's adverse reaction to the possible texture. After freezing my batch, I realized that it is nearly impossible to get the “frozen” prunes out of the ice cube trays. I will just be freezing the lock tight Tupperware of prunes…since they don’t freeze solid, you can take it out by the spoonful, even “frozen”, so that works well.
Here are some before and after pictures of the prunes. And, a cute bath time photo of Amelia.
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