Babylicious

Yesterday during naps (I have gotten both babies on a very similar nap schedule. Yay!), I did some baby themed stuff. First off, I made baby applesauce like Dianne Keaton in "Baby Boom" and second, I finished Caleb's new diaper bag. He needed a new one badly, especially since I was using his sister's old green one that had had so much stuff crammed into it that it was about to fall apart. Plus, I was ready to show off my sewing skills with a cute bag made the way I want it and with the fabric I want. I used Patty Young's  Mezzanine Fabric and The Avilo Tote pattern in extra large size. I used the bag for the first time today for a quick trip out, and I am in love. I was able to fit all of my baby essentials, plus diapers, snacks, crayons, and books for my toddler. I am seriously considering making another one for my little girl to take to mothers' day out and a slightly smaller one for myself for knitting, books, etc.
Next month, Caleb turns 4 months, and I (along with our pediatrician) am a firm believer in starting solids as soon as possible. I tried it with Katie, and she seemed to be a lot happier and satisfied. I also think that it is not necessary to start baby out on rice cereal. It's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but I like doing first fruits and veggies better. With Katie, I started with rice cereal and applesauce. It tasted better and she seemed to eat it more readily. So, without further ado, I have included my recipe for baby applesauce. This recipe can also be easily adapted for pears, peaches, and sweet potatoes.

Baby Applesauce

You will need one 3-5 pound bag of sweet apples (I like Gala, but Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Pink Lady are fine too), a large sauce pan, a food processor or blender, ice cube trays or freezer safe plastic containers.
Place peeled, cored, and chopped apples in saucepan and add just enough water to cover them. Simmer on Medium heat until they are just tender enough to be cut with a wooden or plastic spoon.

 Remove from heat and allow to cool in pan for about an hour or so. Drain and place fruit in food processor.

Pulse until apples are a very thin puree for younger babies. For older babies who are ready for more texture, you can do a chunkier puree.

Spoon into ice cube trays or into freezer safe containers. Cover trays loosely with aluminum foil and place in freezer overnight. Take cubes out the next day and place in gallon sized, labeled freezer bag.

Apples can be frozen up to four months. Take out and thaw in refrigerator overnight or defrost in microwave before serving.  Your baby will love it!

Here are some pics of Caleb's new diaper bag:

Super cute isn't it? I love the nice long straps, the inner pockets (which I custom made to hold 2 bottles), and the overall roominess of it.