Baby Food Makin'

I have made a lot of my kids' baby food.   This is not to say I haven't bought a lot of it too.   I am not against store-bought baby food.   I don't think it is harmful or anything like that.   Obviously, when you make things at home you know every ingredient and can make it exactly how you want it.   But . . . the main reason I make baby food is cost.   You just get a lot more for your buck.   I want to make it clear that I am not judging anyone who buys the cute jars with the pretty mixed fruits.   Cause I do it too.   Glad we got that out of the way . . .   Now, some people may not want to make their baby food because they think it is too hard or complicated.   This is definitely not the case, so I am here to give a little tutorial of sorts on how I make my baby food.   I won't lie and say it is quick or not time-consuming, but now that I have three kids to load up and put in the car . . . so is grocery shopping.   I am nothing if not always looking for an easy way out, so here is the easiest way to make a ton of baby food and build a stash that will last quite a while.   First - buy the fruits or veggies you want to feed your baby.   I recommend buying at a farmer's market because it can be cheaper and fresher than what you can get at a chain grocery store.   And I didn't buy organic.   Sue me.  

  Lexi hasn't started eating yet, so this is my first batch.   I went with sweet potatoes and butternut squash.   Both are really good choices for first foods and cheap to buy.   The squash cost me about 2 bucks and the 7 sweet potatoes were about the same.   I just washed and poked the potatoes, and then wrapped them in foil before putting them in the oven.   For the squash . . . Just cut it in half length wise and place it face down in about an inch of water.   Cook both for 45 minutes to an hour in a 400 degree oven.  

   They come out looking like this.  

 

This is obviously over-done, but the dark brown is just on the skin.

 

The "meat" of the squash is fine.

 

It is almost impossible to screw this up.

 

Believe me.

 

The potatoes should be soft to the touch.

 

These were pretty small sweet potatoes, so they only took 45 minutes.

 

The larger ones would take a good hour to get soft enough.

 

And you want them super soft for blending purposes.

 

Once the food is cooked you can break out the tools.

 

Now . . . hear this . . . you do not need special tools to cook baby food, but in my humble, three children later, opinion these two things are really nice to have.

 

 

The magic bullet is basically a small blender, but it is super powerful and perfect for small amounts.

 

The ice trays are made of a silicone material, so the food comes out really easily.

 

You can get them on amazon.

 

I scooped all the "meat" out and into a bowl.

 

 

Then I threw that meat into the magic bullet.

 

 

I added some water to the mix.

 

I usually use the water the veggies were cooked in to get as many nutrients out of it as I can.

 

I also put quite a bit of water in the first batches I make, so the food will be easy to eat.

 

As the babies get older I will make it thicker and more "chunky" to help them transition into table food.

 

Once it is blended the way I like it I just dump it into the trays.

 

 

After I fill all the holes I just smooth it out with a spoon and make sure all the little crevices are filled.

 

Then I put the trays in the freezer for about a couple hours.

 

 

That one squash made 28 one ounce squares for my baby girl.

 

That is basically 28 meals for her because one of these is enough to fill her tummy when she first starts eating.

 

Once they are frozen I just transfer the blocks to a feezer-safe ziploc and warm one when I need it.

 

 

 

I will repeat the same process for the sweet potatoes.

 

The whole process for this amount of food takes about 3-4 hours (with cooking and freezing time included).

 

I could have made more, but I thought this was a good start.

 

I think I am going to make applesauce in the crockpot next. 

 

Lasagna

Hi, Friends. Here is your recipe for the week. My husband's family makes their own spaghetti sauce, and they would never let me give that secret away. They also make some excellent lasagna, so I thought I could at least explain how to do that. You can really use any sauce in this same process, but the "Bettelli Secret Sacue" works best.  

Basically, this recipe is just a matter of getting together all the ingredients and layering in a special way.

The ingredients you will need are as follows:

Spaghetti Sauce

Cooked Lasagna Noodles

Sausage and meatballs ground up (we use our food processor)

Mozerella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Ricotta Cheese (mixed with an egg, a cup of mozerella, and a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese)

I made two pans this time, so I don't have exact measurments.

It is definitely something you can eyeball, though, so no worries.

The first thing you do is put a little bit of sauce in the bottom of the pan to keep it from drying out.

Then the layering begins.

Put down a layer of noodles . . . I use four noodles across each layer.

You have to overlap them a bit.

On top of the noodles spread a thin layer of the ricotta mixture.

Then comes the meat.

Then I put a layer of mozerella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Top that off with a little sauce.

Then repeat the process two more times.

I do a total of three layers which makes the perfect thickness in my opinion.

It really helps if you get a cute partner to help you make it.

But it does not help to make this at this time of night.

 You are welcome for the helpful tips.

It also freezes extremely well, which is why I make two at a time.

Put that puppy in the oven for 45 minutes on 350 degrees.

Let it set for 5 to 10 minutes after you take it out of the oven, so it will stay together once you cut it.

I usually serve it with garlic bread and cesear salad.

Absolutely delicious and worth all the work.

BRAT

Well, since I skipped last week's "recipe Monday;" I didn't want to disappoint again. Here is what we have been "cooking" over the last five days in the Bettelli house.  

That is what some would call the B.R.A.T. diet.

And diet it is.

Basically, it consists of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.

I threw the saltine crackers in there for kicks.

They are like the dessert for the victims of the worst stomach flu that ever was.

The Bettelli household was taken hostage over the last five days, but alas, we lived to tell about it.

We all ate the BRAT diet, and although it was bland, we were thankful to keep anything at all down.

I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say it wasn't pretty.

or enjoyable.

or entertaining.

or anything I want to repeat at anytime in my life.

Anywho, if you ever find yourself or your family in this predicament, then I highly reccomend the BRAT diet.

It does wonders I tell you.

I do hope you never have to take me up on my tip, though.

I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Lobster for V-Day

I am aware that Valentine's Day was almost a week ago, but I never paid tribute to my husband and the wonderful meal he prepared for me.  

And salad . . . but that was in a bowl not pictured.

I am actually not a huge lobster fan.

Everyone thinks I am crazy, but I have never once ordered lobster at a restaurant.

However, when I married Tim he introduced me to his specially prepared lobster.

It is absolutely delicious and always cooked perfectly.

In honor of him and his specialty, I decided to have him give my faithful readers his tips on making the perfect lobster.

Maybe you can impress your sweetie next Valentine's Day with this deliciousness.

Step 1:  Use a large knife to crack the middle of the shell in half and expose the meat.

Step 2:  Sprinkle Emerril's Essence on the meat.

Step 3:  Place small squares of butter in two or three places on the lobster meat.

Step 4:  Broil lobster on a foil lined pan until the meat turns light brown.  Usually it takes between 10 - 15 minutes.

That is it.

Can you believe how easy it is?

And totally delicious.

The meat is always cooked perfectly with no undercooked chewiness (that grosses me out).

You will thank me (well, maybe him) when you make this.

BBQ Chicken

Here is your recipe/tip for the week. I can't take the credit for this one . . . it was a tip that was passed down from my mother in law. She has filled me in on how to make a lot of Tim's favorites, and barbeque chicken is no exception.  

Most people slap on the bbq sauce and throw these puppies on the grill.

The problem with that method is the charred taste/look that comes from being on the grill long enough to cook the chicken all the way through.

Mary's (that is the MIL) method is to put the chicken in a roasting pan with nothing on it for 45 minutes on 350 degrees.

After 45 minutes take the chicken out and brush on some barbeque sauce.

(We like the Sonny's brand sweet sauce the best.)

Then let the chicken cook for 15 more minutes in the oven.

Once the chicken is cooked through you brush on another layer of bbq sauce and put them on the grill.

It only takes about five to ten minutes for the legs (or whatever part of the chicken you are cooking) to get the grill flavor withour getting charred.

They come out perfect everytime.

You are welcome.

Ranch Roasted Potatoes (Take 2)

Time for a recipe.

I have already posted this recipe on the blog, but it was before I had this fancy camera.
There were no pictures of the masterpiece, and I know from experience that pictures make the recipe.
You only want to make things that look good.
I get it.
I am here to deliver.
Ranch Roasted Potatoes:
You will need 6 (if they are large) to 8 (if they are small) red potatoes.Cut them up in pieces that are all the same size, but every piece has to have skin on it.Like so . . . 

Put those potatoes in a large ziploc bag with 1/4 cup of olive oil (I know the picture has a 1/3 cup but I used way more potatoes and had to up the ante) and a dry Ranch dressing packet.

Zip the bag up and shake until the potatoes are completely coated.

Pour the potatoes out onto a foil lined cookie sheet (makes for easier clean up).

Roast those puppies on 425 degrees for fifteen minutes.

Take them out and flip them all over.

Put them back in the over for 15 - 20 minutes (depending on how crispy you like them).

Done and Done.

An easy side dish that goes with just about anything.

I make these at least once a week.

I haven't met anyone who doesn't like them.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

It would be a stretch of the imagination to call this a recipe, but it is a dish that can be put together in five minutes flat and please a crowd at the same time.  

Here is the cast of characters (minus the tomato and mozzarella cheese, obviously):

Just slice up about 4 roma tomatoes and a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese on a platter.

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top and then sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire thing.

I usually make it about 30 minutes before we eat and put it in the refrigerator to allow the oil and vinegar to really soak into the salad and give it a nice rich taste.

It is very yummy.

It will make you very popular.

But best of all . . . it is easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Recipe Monday, Friends. I made a new recipe this week and tried to use the forgotten (but still good) food from our pantry. We reorganized our pantry this week (post coming at some point), and I found a bunch of good food that I forgot I had. One of the ingredients I found was wild rice . . . pretty standard, but forgotton in my world. I found a few different recipes for a chicken and wild rice casserole, so I just took what I wanted from each and put together a little something of my own. I thought it came out pretty good . . . Tim said it was good but lacked flavor.  Whatever. The best part about it is that I usually have everything I need already stocked in my house.That is always a win for this mama. I had frozen shredded chicken in the freezer, so I took that out to defrost. 

I always try to keep frozen chicken in the freezer.

I always need it, and it is so nice not to have to cook it before making a casserole or quesadillas or the like.

I cooked up the rice and sauteed some chopped onions.

Then I just mixed the rest of the ingredients and put some bradcrumbs/parmesan cheese on top with slivers of butter.

Then I cooked this bad boy on 350 degrees for thirty minutes.

While it cooked, I whipped up some squash as a side.

And dinner was served.

Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 6 ounce package long grain and wild rice mix

1 medium onion, chopped

Mushrooms (canned or fresh)

2 tablespoons butter

1 10 3/4 cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup

½ cup sour cream

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

¼ cup bread crumbs (or smashed ritz crackers)

Directions:

1. Prepare rice mix according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook onion and mushrooms in hot butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in soup, sour cream, and broth. Stir in cooked rice and chicken.

3. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs. Place butter on top to brown.

4. Bake, uncovered, about 35 minutes or until heated through. Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy!



Pizza, Pizza

Time for a recipe, friends. I don't know if I really consider this a "recipe."  It is more like a "how-to tutorial." I actually made homeade pizza. It somewhat defeats the purpose of Friday pizza nights in the Bettelli house because one of my biggest reasons for instituting pizza night was getting a break from the kitchen. I pretty much cook all three meals every other day, so the Friday night break is well received.(Well, daddy has breakfast duty, but you get the point) However, I do recognize the un-health that comes with a pizza in a pizza joint.And I wanteed to see if it would be a money saver. I have also always wanted to make homeade pizza, so I decided this was the week. This is not to say it will be repeated on a regular basis, because not only was I working in the kitchen.I also got a sweet burn on my arm from my 500 degree pizza stone.Yes, I have the skills of a five year old when it comes to not touching hot things. Anywho . . . on to your tutorial. I didn't really follow one person's suggestions on how to make the best homeade pizza.I sort of took bits and pieces here and there to put together what I thought would turn out best. I bought already made, fresh pizza dough in our grocery store deli.(I had to do something un-homeade to keep things simple) The directions on the bag said to take it out an hour before cooking time to let it rise and all that.So, that was step one. About ten minutes before the dough was ready I let my oven heat up to 500 degrees.I also put the pizza stone in the oven, so it could heat as well.I guess you are supposed to do that with pizza stones.  Who knew? Once the hour was up, I enlisted a trusty helper to roll out the dough on a floured surface. 

Once it was all good and flattened, we put a little of our sauce on it.

I used a can of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic in it.

I like chunky pizza sauce, but you can do whatever you like best.

Then we put that in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes to let the crust get a little crispy.

That was an excellent tip from some good friends of ours.

This helps the dough not be soggy in the end.

Good choice if you don't like soggy pizza, yuck.

Once we took it out, my trusty helper and I added the rest of the sauce and all the toppings.

We like an eclectic pizza in our house.

Ethan takes his with just cheese; George likes pepperoni; Tim gets pepperoni and mushroom; and mommy likes mushroom and onion.

After the toppings are set, drizzle a little olive oil on top.

Then put it back in the 500 degree oven for 8-10 minutes depending on how crispy you like your crust.

Here was our finished product.

I don't like to brag, but it was pretty dang good.

And even though it wasn't labor-free, it wasn't too much work.

I guess it was more of a semi-homeade pizza with the store bought dough and sauce.

Whatever.

We may shoot for an every other week semi-homeade pizza.

 

Soup Weather

Welcome to Recipe Mondays! Each week I will bring you a tried and true recipe that my family eats on a regular basis. I want to give you something that we made the week before, so I will have a picture. Unfortunately, I forgot this week. I am a forgetful person, but I am trying to improve this problem. Anyways, we ate Chicken Parmesan tonight, and I even thought about taking a picture beforehand. But alas, it didn't happen. It is pretty cold in hot Florida this week, so it seems like the perfect time for soup. I am pretty sure I have already posted this recipe, but that was before my blog got big and famous (ahem). It is truly a favorite around here, and it is quick and healthy. Tomato & Tortellini Soup: Ingredients• 2 garlic cloves, minced• 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth• 1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or fresh spinach, which is what I always use)• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (or with green chilis for extra kick) Directions1. In a saucepan, saute the garlic in butter until tender. At this point you can also sauté ½ cup of onion with the garlic to add more flavor (which I always do).2.  Stir in the broth. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini; cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender. 3.  Stir in the spinach and tomatoes; heat through. 4.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top if desired. (and you will desire.)
And since I didn't get a picture to share, here is one from the internet. 

Mine looks exactly like that.  What a coincidence!