Category Archives: baby food

Best Baby Shower Party Games Part 2

Yesterday I wrote a post about baby shower games. Apparently some people don’t think my suggestions are appropriate for a baby shower. Some of you wanted more helpful advice. Although I do not normally urge anyone to take half my posts seriously, I must say I was being serious in my previous post. I genuinely thought those would be great games for the occasion.
However, for those of you who wish to take a more traditionally route, here is a list of common baby shower games I have had fun with in the past. They are also the ones my guests seem to have enjoyed the most.
Dirty Diaper Game
In this game you melt mini chocolate bars in diapers and everyone passes the diapers around attempting to decipher the type of chocolate smeared within. It sounds a bit off putting, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was.
Simply place a mini chocolate bar inside the diaper and put it in the microwave for 15 seconds and then mush it around. Some types of chocolate bars take longer to melt, increase the time in 5 second increments as to not destroy the whole thing. Also make sure you have the master list in order to remember what is in each numbered diaper.
Guess the Baby Food
Baby food looks pretty weird. Even when you have a baby already it can be hard deciphering what is what without peaking at the label. In this game you have a bunch of numbered baby food jars, sans labels, and everyone takes turns trying to figure out what food is in each one. Basically it is just like the game above with a different substance. Again, don’t forget the master list, otherwise it can get tricky (even the taste test will fail when you are trying to tell the different between mashed up peas and mashed up broccoli).
Baby Name Game
This is not what you think. Everyone gets in a circle. The person starting has to say a name that starts with a letter A. Then the next person has to say a name that starts with a B. And so on. You only have three seconds to come with a name. The last person still in, wins. You can add a twist and genderize (I think I just invented a new word) the game according to what you are having (if you know).
Baby Bingo
It is just like bingo, but instead the cards include baby themed pictures like bibs, diapers, bottles, etc. You can make your own (which requires way more artistic ability than I have) or you can buy a stack at the nearest party store.
Baby Pictionary (Because I love Pictionary and I will be damned if I can’t include it)

 

Just like the real game, but baby themed. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you should already know my crazy rules. Or you can play the normal way. Either way, it is good for a few laughs.

I will be attending at least one more baby shower in the next month, and I am looking forward to it, regardless of which games will be played (if any).
What is your favorite part of baby showers? What are some of your favorite baby shower games? 

How To Make Baby Food: 5 Easy Steps

We all hear about those super moms who make their own baby food from scratch. We all wonder where they get the time and energy, as if babies did not demand enough already. I used to wonder about that. I heard stories about so-and-so making all of her own food, feeding her baby nothing but organic foods, unlike the store bought, processed, stuff full of preservatives that I was feeding my kids. I also heard that making your own foods can help eliminated food allergies by not exposing children to chemicals early on.I finally gave it a try. The first time around I could have sworn giving birth to another child would be easier than making a batch of baby food again. However, as I did my research and repeated the processes a few times, I worked the kinks out, and found that it can be a fairly easy way of feeding my kids healthier food. Not to mention it is cheaper than baby food (especially when you get to stage 3 foods).

Here are 5 easy steps for making your own baby foods.

1. Find 4-6 ounce containers that can go from freezer to microwave.

This is a one time start up expense. Buy as many as you think you will make at a time. For example, I make baby food for 2 weeks in advance, so I need 14 containers for breakfast, 14 for lunch, and 14 for dinner. I have found one of the biggest mistakes people make is that they try to make food only a day or two in advance. This is more work.

2. Buy in Bulk

Find the store where they have fruits, vegetables, and meat on sale, and buy in bulk. You may have to go to separate stores for this. Depending on the size of the containers you bought, and the type of fruits and vegetables you will use, you will have to experiment with yield. Even though I definitely suggest making the food in bulk, the first few times you may want to start small to get a feel of how many fruits and vegetables you will need. Once you get the right ratio, you will want to make more each time to minimize the amount of time you spend cooking vegetables and cleaning the kitchen counter, utensils and appliances.

3. Boil Everything (Except Fruit)

Since you bought everything, just get a couple of large pots out and boil all of your vegetables and meat. You can boil each type of vegetable in a different pot, or you can do a vegetable mix. You can also add boiled noodles to your vegetables for a pasta primavera recipe. Make sure to boil your meat all the way through.

4. Blend Fruit

While your vegetables and meat are boiling, you can blend your fruit. If you need to peel them, do so first. Then cut them into chunks and put them in your blender with a bit of water (bananas and berries are an exception; do not use water with them). Blend until they are the consistency desired. Start out with just a few drops of water and gradually add more as needed.
Put the freshly blended fruit into the containers until all of them are full and now you have all of your breakfast foods ready. Just place them in the freezer and pull one out each day. Stick it in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds until thawed enough to eat. You do not necessarily want your fruit to be hot like lunch and dinner dishes.

5. Blend Vegetables and Meat

Essentially do the same for your vegetables and meat that you did for your fruit. Use the vegetables for lunch foods, and do a mix of vegetables and meats for dinner (unless you are a vegetarian and would like to raise your child the same, in which case skip the meat and add anything else your pediatrician may recommend).

You now have homemade baby food! Trust me, it gets easier each time.