Posts Tagged ‘Cooking’

I spent this weekend making baby food and am proud to say  that I  have over a months supply currently in my freezer. I’m only really limited to the space we have. Oh, how nice it would be to have a deep freeze!  I so far have butternut squash, acorn squash, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and pears all ready to serve up to my baby boy.  I figure if I designate a day or a three day weekend to making baby food that I’ll have a quite a stock! I really enjoy making baby food and am glad that I can! Seriously it’s cheaper, healthier, and safer! It makes me cringe when I hear stories about harmful chemicals and things like glass being in the ready made baby food in jars that you’d normally pick up for your baby to eat!

So how do I go about making my own baby food? Well, I have a list and I keep the fruit and vegetables in season in mind because you can usually get those at a better price! And that’s all the more reason to stock up! After purchasing my produce, I go from there. You can use the microwave or steam it on the stove till soft. I then put the desired tender veggies or fruit in my blender with a little bit of water. Adding more or less water all depends on what consistency you’d like your baby food to be. I like that it’s so easy and affordable to do. You don’t really need any special blenders of food trays whatever else.  You can easily use regular ice cube trays but make sure to cover them in plastic wrap while freezing to later transport into a freezer safe container or ziplock bag.

I do have a hand held food mill but I consider that easier to use on a daily basis instead of with larger batches. For instance if I wanted to quickly blend up a banana or something like that on the the fly.  I’m swearing by a food processor or blender for bigger batches!

When I’m ready to feed my little guy the food I’ve pre-made, I thaw out a couple of cubes in the fridge that morning so they are good and ready for later. But if I need a few cubes right away, I will thaw them in a bowl of warm water with a small bowl in a larger bowl or inside a plastic bag in the warm bowl of water. I will then warm the food up in my microwave for about 15 seconds always being sure to check the temperature of the food before I give it to my baby because there can be hidden hot pockets!

I’ve only done basic fruits and vegetables so far but in a few months, I’ll probably start adding a little more flavor with spices and mixing it up by creating my own combos. I can’t wait to whip up more baby food soon and I’ll be sure to share my experiences and suggestions here on my blog. Here’s an image/price comparison  to check out in the average difference making and buying baby food.

I rather enjoy cooking all sorts of delicious foods for my family and I try to do so using only the best and most healthy ingredients possible. I admit that I use shortening a lot. I’m always baking biscuits and other things like cookies and pie crust that need it. I know in some cases that you can substitute regular shorting for butter/margarine but in doing so the consistency and the taste of whatever I am baking just isn’t what I am used too.

As of recently, I was introduced to Tropical Tradition’s Organic Palm Shortening. This shortening is derived from palm oil. In its natural state, palm oil is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with most of the unsaturated fat being (healthier) monounsaturated fat. Palm shortening is palm oil that has some of its unsaturated fats removed, giving it a very firm texture, and high melting point. It is not hydrogenised, and contains no trans fats. It is colorless and odorless, and will not affect the taste of foods. Now you can buy shortening at the grocery store that is trans fat free, but it will usually be hydrogenised and not be organic. This is a great product for those who want to use more healthy organic products in our foods.

I honestly couldn’t wait to review this product and kept obsessively checking the shipping to see how soon it would be coming to my door. As soon as it arrived I made my favorite biscuit recipe that evening. I was really pondering how my biscuits were going to turn out. The palm shortening is a lot more firm that the vegetable shortening I usually use. I had to work it a bit more but oh how tasty and fluffy my biscuits came out!

I believe Palm Shortening will become a product that will be used for years to come in my home. I can’t wait to make more things with it! My little girls birthday is coming up in two months and I’m going to try to whip some butter cream frosting up with this shortening!

I encourage you to check out the Tropical Traditions website. Not only do they sell palm shortening, but they also carry coconut oils, coconut flakes, organic flours, sweeteners and nut butters. You can also find more coconut flour recipes at their recipe site, FreeCoconutRecipes.com.

-BUY IT -

You can purchase a tub of organic shortening from Tropical Traditions for 30.65 for a gallon (7lbs).

If you purchase Tropical Tradition any  product from their site, then be sure to use my customer number at checkout. This will get you a FREE book with your order, titled: “Virgin Coconut Oil: How it Has Changed People’s Lives and How it can Change Yours.” At checkout, underneath, “How Did You Hear About Us?”, pull the drop down box to “Referred by a Friend”. Then a box will appear to type in the User ID of the friend (me) who referred you. This number is 5542476. A $25 book, free with your purchase!

Win it!

How would you like to win your very own container of Tropical Tradition’s Organic Palm Shortening? (rtv 40.75)

To Enter: Visit Tropical Traditions and let me know another product that interest you!

Extra Entries:

1. Blog this giveaway, link back to this post. (2 extra)

2. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)

3. Post this giveaway on a Giveaway Linky/Site and let me know where!

4. Email a friend(s) about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)

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6. Become a Facebook Fan of Connected2Christ and leave me a comment there letting me know you are coming from this giveaway.

7. Subscribe to Tropical Traditions newsletter at http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/subscribe_for_special_sales.cfm

8. Follow @troptraditions on Twitter!

Giveaway running till 03/15/11 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant. USA & Canada only.

DISCLAIMER: My thoughts are mine own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for hosting this giveaway or review other than the sample above mentioned.