| Making your own baby food is simple,
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| | Honey Alert: Do not feed honey in any
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| convenient, and can save you money.
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| | form to infants under 1 year of age.
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| Nutritionally, it's hard to beat the
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| | Serious food poisoning (infant botulism)
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| wholesomeness of foods right from your
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| | may result.
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| kitchen. You can feed baby some of your
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| | RECIPES
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| family's regular foods knowing that they
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| | Here are some simple baby food recipes to
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| are free from the additives and fillers
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| | get you started.
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| found in some store-bought baby foods.
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| | COOKED LEAFY GREENS
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| Family foods, if prepared with salt,
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| | (Makes 10 food cubes)
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| spices, sugar, or fat, are not suitable
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| | Many of the most nutritious veggies,
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| for infants. You will need to prepare
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| | especially the green leafy ones, are not
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| foods separately, or remove the baby's
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| | available in commercial baby foods. It's
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| portion before salt, sugar, or other
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| | easy to make your own.
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| seasonings are added.
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| | 1 pound fresh greens (kale, collards,
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| Making your own baby food doesn't require
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| | etc.)
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| a lot of expensive equipment. At a
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| | 1 Tablespoon water
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| minimum, all you need to get started is a
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| | 3 Tablespoons fruit juice
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| clean pot to cook in and equipment to get
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| | Wash leaves thoroughly. Steam most greens
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| the foods to the right consistency.
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| | 5-15 minutes, leaving the lid off for the
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| EQUIPMENT FOR PUREEING BABY FOODS
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| | first few minutes. Puree in blender with
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| Some foods, such as bananas and other
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| | the waterand juice.
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| ripe fruits, require only a fork for
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| | Total Calories Per Cube: 17
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| mashing. A potato masher also works well
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| | BASIC VEGETABLE RECIPE
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| to puree cooked apples, winter squash,
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| | (Makes 8 food cubes)
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| potatoes, or carrots. Be sure to remove
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| | Do not add salt, sugar, or fat.
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| lumps, pieces of skin, strings, orseeds
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| | 1 cup cooked fresh or frozen vegetables
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| before feeding to baby.
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| | without salt (use potatoes,green beans,
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| A fine mesh sieve or strainer may be used
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| | peas, carrots, yellow squash)
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| to strain cooked foods.
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| | 4-8 Tablespoons cooking liquid, formula,
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| Most foods can be pureed with a blender.
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| | or water
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| Be sure to remove tough peels and seeds
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| | Press vegetable chunks through a sieve or
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| from vegetables and fruits before
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| | baby food mill, thinningwith cooking
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| blending or they will be ground into the
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| | liquid or formula to eating consistency.
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| food. Use a blender to grind a handful of
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| | Or, pureevegetables and liquid in blender
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| uncooked brown rice, cook well until soft
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| | until smooth. Serve or freeze.
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| and smooth, and you have a nutritious,
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| | Note: After trying single foods, good
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| inexpensive cereal for baby. For agood
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| | combinations are potatoesand carrots or
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| source of protein, nut butters (like
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| | carrots and peas.
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| peanut butter) can be made in a blender
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| | Total Calories Per Serving: varies
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| from whole nuts. Thin with water or
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| | FRESH FRUIT
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| formula into a consistency suitable for
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| | (Makes 4 food cubes)
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| older babies.
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| | Try different varieties of fruit in this
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| Raw or cooked foods can handily be
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| | recipe.
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| prepared in a small, hand-operated baby
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| | 3/4 cup ripe fruit (uncooked peaches,
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| food mill. Peels and seeds are strained
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| | nectarines, bananas, pears,apricots,
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| out of the food, and its small size is
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| | apples)
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| perfect for taking to the table or
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| | 1 teaspoon unsweetened fruit juice
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| restaurant.
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| | 1 teaspoon lemon-flavored water (1
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| Some foods are ready to serve baby right
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| | teaspoon lemon juice to 1 cupwater to
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| from the grocery store. Try canned
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| | prevent darkening)
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| pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, instant
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| | Remove skin and seeds from fruit. Puree
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| mashed potatoes, Cream of Wheat or rice
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| | ingredients in baby food mill or blender
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| cereal for quick, ready-to-eat additions
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| | until smooth. Serve or freeze.
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| to meals.
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| | Total Calories Per Serving: varies
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| PREVENT FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS
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| | SOYBEAN PUREE
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| Cleanliness is a priority when making
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| | (Makes 2-1/2 cups or 12 food cubes)
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| foods for baby. Bacteria can easily upset
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| | Serve this nutritious dish to your baby.
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| a baby's digestive system; so anything
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| | 1 cup dry soybeans
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| that touches the food -- your hands and
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| | 3 cups water
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| all equipment -- must be absolutely
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| | 3/4 cup unsalted tomato juice for
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| clean. The same rule applies when
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| | thinning
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| storing, heating, and serving baby foods,
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| | Rinse and soak the soybeans overnight in
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| too.
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| | the refrigerator.
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| Always wash your hands and equipment with
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| | Simmer beans in 3 cups water for about 2
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| hot, soapy water, rinse, and let air dry.
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| | hours. Puree with anyequipment, adding
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| COOKING METHODS
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| | tomato juice to thin.
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| Steaming is one of the best cooking
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| | Total Calories Per Cube: 34
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| methods to preserve vitamins and minerals
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| | FRESH ORANGE SHERBET
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| in foods. Place the food in a steam
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| | (Makes 1-2 cups)
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| basket, sieve, or colander above boiling
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| | Babies will love this dish.
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| water and cook in the rising steam.
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| | 1 sweet orange, peeled, sectioned, and
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| Microwave cooking is another way to
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| | seeds removed
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| prepare foods, especially
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| | 1 cup fruit juice
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| vegetables,which cook quickly in very
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| | In a blender, liquefy the fruit. Add the
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| little water.
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| | juice and blend. Pourinto loaf pan,
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| Boiling or simmering fruits and
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| | cover, and freeze until fairly firm,
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| vegetables is an acceptable cooking
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| | about 1 hour.
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| method but will result in loss of some
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| | Pour back into blender, and blend at low
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| nutrients in the cooking water. Be sure
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| | speed until smooth. Return to pan and
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| to use only a small amount of water and
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| | freeze until firm.
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| save the cooking liquid to thin the
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| | Total Calories Per 2 Tablespoons: 7
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| pureed food to eating consistency.
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| | HOMEMADE FRUITY GEL
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| Since babies do not have a preference for
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| | (Serves 4)
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| salty or sweet, you should not add salt
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| | This recipe uses fruit juice instead of
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| or sugar to their food. It's a good idea
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| | sugar to add sweetness.
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| to keep your child from developing an
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| | Agar, the thickener, is derived from
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| early taste for such additions.
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| | seaweed. It is available innatural food
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| Studies suggest that feeding babies too
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| | stores and food co-ops.
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| much sodium may trigger high blood
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| | 1/2 cup cool water
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| pressure later in life in those
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| | 1 Tablespoon agar flakes
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| individuals who are likely to develop
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| | 1-1/2 cups fruit juice
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| high blood pressure.
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| | 1 cup pureed fruit
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| SERVING AND STORING BABY FOODS
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| | Place water in small saucepan. Sprinkle
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| Pureed foods spoil more easily than other
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| | in agar and stir to dissolve.
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| foods; so baby's food must be used
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| | Add juice and heat for 1 minute, stirring
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| immediately or frozen for future use. If
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| | well. Pour into 4 small cups.
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| you store food in the refrigerator, keep
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| | Place in refrigerator. After 1/2 hour,
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| it in there only 2 to 3 days. If you
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| | stir in pureed fruit.
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| don't use it by then, it should be
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| | Total Calories Per Serving: varies
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| discarded. Remember: refrigeration does
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| | SWEDISH HARD BREAD
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| not killbacteria; it only slows down
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| | (Makes 20)
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| their growth.
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| | Unlike store-bought varieties, this
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| Large batches of pureed foods can easily
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| | homemade version of "hardtack" crumbles
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| be frozen in ready-to-use serving sizes.
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| | and melts in baby's mouth and is great
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| One such method is to pour pureed food
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| | for teething.
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| into plastic ice-cube trays, cover with
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| | 1 cup all-purpose flour
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| waxed paper, and freeze. When frozen,
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| | 1 cup rye graham flour
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| transfer to freezer bags. Another method
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| | 2 Tablespoons sugar or other sweetener
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| is to "plop" drops of pureed food on a
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| | 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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| cookie sheet, freeze, and then transfer
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| | 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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| to freezer bags. These frozen portions
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| | 8 ounces commercial corn muffin mix
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| will keep about one month.
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| | 3 Tablespoons margarine
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| Thaw cubes in the refrigerator, in a
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| | 3/4 cup soy milk
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| double boiler, in the microwave (at low
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| | Mix dry ingredients. Cut in margarine.
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| setting), or in the plastic bag under
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| | Add soy milk. Mix well.
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| cold water. Do not thaw at room
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| | Roll thin, cut into shapes and bake 10-15
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| temperature.
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| | minutes at 350 degreesuntil brown.
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| WHAT TO SERVE
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| | Total Calories Per Cracker: 116
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| Fresh and frozen fruit juice, fruits and
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| | CARROT/APPLE MIX
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| vegetables without added sugar or salt.
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| | (Serves 2)
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| Home-canned and frozen fruits and
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| | This is a delicious dish.
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| vegetables without sugar, salt, or
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| | 1/2 medium apple, cored and peeled 1/2
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| seasonings.
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| | carrot, washed and peeled
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| Whole-grain cereals such as rice, oats,
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| | 2 Tablespoons fruit juice
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| barley, corn, and other grains.
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| | 1 teaspoon lemon juice
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| As with any new food, wait 5-7 days
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| | Puree all ingredients in blender. Or,
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| before adding another new food to see if
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| | grate apples and carrot andmix with juice
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| any allergic reactions occur.
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| | before serving.
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