Yogurt for Boogie

I love to give Boogie yogurt every day because I believe that it will help keep his digestive tract healthy.  So far, we haven't had any stomach sickness (or, for that matter, any sickness!) so I'm going to assume it works until we have a problem.

I started out buying the little individual cups of YoBaby from Stoneyfield Farms.  The plain is, in my opinion, the best way to go.  I add our own fresh fruit puree for flavor sometimes, but we take it plain most of the time.  I think it is important for him to not get used to having added sugar in yogurt.

I realized one day that I was spending too much on yogurt this way.  Those 6 cups, about 4oz each, cost about $2.99.  That's about 24oz, or about $.13 cents per ounce.  If I buy the 32oz organic "cream top" (whole milk) yogurt for $2.99, it's only about $.09 per ounce.

Because it is "cream top" yogurt, you do have to stir it up well to mix the cream in, but you need to do that with the little cups as well because they do the same thing.

I typically freeze half of the yogurt so that it keeps longer, because he isn't eating 32 oz of yogurt in a week, and after 6-7 days I start to feel like it's not fresh enough anymore.

So I freeze 4 6 oz glass bowls with about 4oz of yogurt in each one and when there is only about 1-2 servings of yogurt left in the original container, I take one out of the freezer.  They sometimes take a whole day or longer to completely thaw (my fridge is cold, what can I say?)

I'm still a fan of the individual cups for travel.  If we are going to be out for lunch, they fit nicely into a cooler bag made for holding a bottle/sippy cup.  Our glass bowls with the lids fit well, too, but they are a tight squeeze.  In general, though, I recommend feeding yogurt with no added sugar at least 90% of the time so that as your kids grow older, they are not accustomed to that extra sweetness.  You can always add fresh fruit puree and it will naturally sweeten without additional sugar.  Boogie even likes veggies with his plain yogurt, such as sweet potato.  The other day he wanted his broccoli mixed in!



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Staying organized with Boogie's meals

I stay organized, making sure Boogie gets at least most of what he needs day to day with a simple dry erase board my mom bought on clearance at an office supply store a few months ago.
 
I took some Sharpie markers and created a "chart" listing the main food groups and how many servings he needs per day, and then added a box for each serving.  I use a dry erase marker to check them off after meals.  I also have a blank at the top for what day it is so that if my darling husband gets up with Boogie on Saturday morning so I can sleep in some, I know later whether he has started a new day or forgotten, and then I can ask him what he had for breakfast.

It's also nice because some mornings when Boogie and I get downstairs, said darling husband has written in the new day with something cute like yesterday's, "show your tongue off day!", to which he added in between the other food groups, "show your tongue 50-100/day," and several boxes to check off.

Recently, my father taught Boogie to stick out his tongue when someone asks, "Where's your tongue?"  It's a lovely habit I look forward to trying to break.  He LOVES to show off his tongue!  We are trying to teach him to point to his nose in response to, "Where's your nose?" but so far he just sticks his tongue out, proving that he is really not aware that the thing he is sticking out is called a tongue.  But he's getting there :)

Typically, Boogie gets a serving of baby  porridge for breakfast and 1-2 servings of fruit, sometimes mixed in but usually separate.  Lunch is 3-4 oz of plain whole milk yogurt with another serving of fruit, a piece of toast, and some veggies.  Some days he doesn't eat that much, though!  Dinner is generally veggie-loaded with 2-3 servings (depending on how much he has had earlier), some whole wheat pasta, more cereal, or a whole grain that hasn't been pureed prior to cooking (like quinoa or rice), or some whole wheat bread or pita.  Some days he gets chicken either in "meatball" form or just cooked bits.  The other day I put a bit of sweet curry powder on the chicken and he loved it!

Boogie also gets an egg 3 times a week, usually scrambled, for breakfast.  He also enjoys tofu, beans, and now hummus.  I try to go easy on meat-based proteins because I think its good to not get him used to meat every day, or even several times a day, while he is young.  He also loves bits of cheese, but who doesn't love cheese??

UPDATE - My darling husband reminded me that if you draw over over the sharpie marks with the dry erase marker, it will remove the sharpie marks.  So if you want to try this, make sure you make the boxes big enough to draw an "x" inside without touching the lines.

Also, when it inevitable gets skuzzy looking, use rubbing alcohol to remove the old sharpie marks instead of buying the pricey white board cleaner.



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Save money on organic juice by not buying it

I save money on juice by not buying it.  But that doesn't mean Boogie only gets to drink water.  Mostly, he is still getting his "drinks" from mama, but I do offer him a sippy cup of water (and sometimes when I'm feeling lazy I just put water in a cup and hold it for him) with every meal and he typically drinks about half an ounce to an ounce.

But I do give him what I call "juice."  When I cook apples to make apple sauce, I save the cooking liquid, strain it, and freeze it in ice cube trays just like I do his purees.  I do the same with pears, peaches, mango, etc.  Soon I am going to add veggie "juice" as well, though I will probably mix it with apple or pear at first so that he can get used to the taste.

I suppose I could just not ever give him anything but water, but I offer him a cube of "juice" mixed with water (I estimate it to be about 25% fruit liquid) has the same effect that straight juice does as far as his, ah, diaper issues.  His pediatrician told me to give him straight juice if his stools are firm or if he seems constipated, but I just cannot fathom buying a bottle of juice and then throwing most of it away.  I did this once, and ended up boiling and freezing it into trays and it was a bigger pain in the bum that just freezing the cooking liquid, since I'm already in baby food mode.

This way, any nutrients that come out in the cooking water, go right back into Boogie later :)

And when he starts drinking veggie "juice," my hope is that he will get accustomed to drinking things that are not sweet.

As you can see above, one batch of apples also yielded about 14oz of "juice."  This lasts us a good two weeks and its FREE.



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Using the Apple Method for other baby foods

Using the same method as with The Apples, you can also make:

Pears
Peas
Sweet Potatoes*
Winter Squash*
String Beans
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots**
Parsnips
Beets**
White Potatoes

I could go on but I think you get the idea. If it is more cost effective to buy bagged frozen fruit,m especially when they are not in season, you can also simmer frozen fruit right from the bag until it is thawed and, if baby is new to the game, nice and soft. Then puree as usual.


*I prefer to bake or roast sweet potatoes whole (350 until very soft), scoop out the flesh, and puree. With Winter squash, I cut in half, scoop out the seeds and whatnot, and bake at 350 until a fork can go right through it, then scoop out the flesh and puree. I believe they are more flavorful this way, but boiling is fine. Steaming is also a good option.


**Carrots, as well as spinach, beets, and other foods can contain high levels of nitrates. Some people believe you should not make these foods yourself for your baby. If you like, you can skip making them and buy them jarred or frozen, but I find that fresh carrots are one of the least expensive baby foods and my son will not eat the jarred kind and neither would I. So I recommend waiting until at least 8 months to introduce them and dumping the cooking water and using fresh filtered or purified water for pureeing them to avoid adding nitrates back into the baby food.

Hello, Coconut Oil? I LOVE YOU. That's all.

Seriously, I do. I purchased a bottle of coconut oil yesterday, which is surprisingly easy to find (at Whole Foods) and I was even a little taken aback by how many brands there were. I went with the Whole Foods 365 Organic Virgin Coconut Oil because the price was right and it was precisely what I was looking for so why pay twice as much? Sometimes I wonder if I am frugal or just cheap.... I have been wanting to try it for a while, every time I hear or read about difference uses for it. I wonder if bloggers realize they come off sounding like the stuff is a miracle cure all. I bought it less than 24 hours ago and I am already hooked. It really IS amazing stuff!

My original intentions were to make a bug spray for my son that is safe for him, at 10 months, and works for me and my husband as well. I also figured I would make a spray for the dog for fleas and ticks, as well as mosquitoes, so I can avoid chemical exposure (he has liver disease, so its probably not good for him to have spot on treatment anyway, even if we didn't have the kiddo around) for all of us. I bought eucalyptus oil, sweet orange oil, and citronella oil, and already had some good tea tree oil on hand for the dipes. 

I figured it was a good time to check out coconut oil as a carrier oil, and for some reason was somewhat surprised that it is solid at room temp. Won't work for the dog, but it sounds like a fairly easy way to use it on the kid! Came home, melted 1/4 cup and added my oils (I'll give up the exact proportions when I know whether they are effective and have finished with my tinkering). I poured it into a leftover tea tin and left it to set. Meanwhile, I dabbed a bit of it on Boogie's back, up and down his spine, so I would be able to recognize any reactions easily. 

Wow. That stuff leaves baby oils and lotions in the dust! It rubbed in smooth, left him nice and soft, and the best part is...I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS IN IT. 

I then proceeded to run into the kitchen where I left the jar of coconut oil sitting innocently on the counter and start rubbing it all over my arms. Oh, the smell is heavenly. If you like real coconut scent, you will love this stuff. It isn't overpowering and it doesn't linger so I imagine I can use it for years without getting coconut overload. 

I tasted it as well, of course, since it can be used for cooking. I like that it is food-grade so if my kid finds it and decides to eat it, I only have to worry about his saturated fat consumption. If he drinks lotion, I have a whole host of other worries. It seems to be fairly tasteless, which is kind of a disappointment. I will have to compare the nutritional info to butter before I give that a shot, but I have heard it is fantastic in brownies. 

Oh, and I also rubbed the plain stuff on some dry patches on Boogie's skin that he has had all winter. Nothing has made much difference to them until last night. They are no longer visible, though you can feel the dry spots. No reactions to his skin so I suspect after 1 or 2 more applications he will be rid of them finally! I also plan to rub a bit on his scalp tonigh durring tubs as he has a dry scalp, possibly caused by the use of baby shampoos. But I'm working on that. My own skin is also nice and coconut-glowy. Interested in a recipe for Homemade Deodorant that uses Coconut Oil? Check out Jessica's post on How About Orange, one of my favorite crafty blogs :)

3 lbs of organic apples for $3.69 = Cheaper than a jar

The contenders?

3lbs of Organic Fuji Apples (which, by the way, smell amazing) for $3.69 at Whole Foods

vs.

Earth's Best Organic 12-pack of 2nd Foods Apples - $10.99 (12 4oz containers = 48oz).*

You don't likely need to buy anything to make baby food other than the food itself. I'm starting with apples, because they are so easy and most other baby fruit and veg purees can be made with the same method. Also, at 10 months my son is moving away from purees and this is one he still really loves. I'm pretty sure I will be making applesauce for years to come....

So its easy to get started. If you have a blender, food processor, or food mill, you are set to go. If not, then I was wrong and you will need to get one of those things. But the plus side is that you can use any size food processor - even those little bitty ones - and the results are the same. You may find you prefer smaller batches, or you may find that you just have to puree in batches. Peel your apples and core them. Cut them into whatever size chunks you like, as long as they are roughly the same size.

Place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until they are nice and mashy. Use a slotted spoon to pull the apples from the water and put them in your food processor or blender with as much of the cooking water as it takes to puree them to your desired consistency.

For "Stage1" foods, you will need to add most if not all, and maybe more water. Personally, I believe that "stages" are something baby food companies made up to make sure you spend as much money on baby food as possible for as long as possible. I don't generally add more than I need to to get the food pureed and instead I look at the texture. Boogie started with very smooth purees and moved slowly to chunkier ones. Apples can be pureed as much as you like forever since you will probably give your baby applesauce for years to come.

Spoon the puree into ice cube trays and if they have covers, cover them and freeze. We have some handy dandy Tupperware trays with lids that my mom bought off Ebay for fairly cheap, but they are currently in the freezer full of kale puree (yes, my baby LOVES kale puree!), so alternatively, you can put them in whatever trays are handy and wrap them in plastic wrap or foil to freeze. Just make sure if they are at all liquidy (as most purees are, no matter how little water you have added) that they are level.

I forgot to take pictures of my ice cube trays. Oops...

When they are solidly frozen (overnight is generally about right), pop them out and fill up a freezer bag, label it with the date and contents, and stick it back in the freezer. A deep freeze is super helpful with this as your collection of baby cubes grows!

I ended up with 32 ounces, or thereabouts, which translated into about 32 ounces of food, or about $.12 per ounce. Earth's Best jars work out to about $.29 per ounce. Not bad. If you ar elooking for a "stage 1" consistancy, you will probably add enough water to bring it to about 40oz or more, making your cost per ounce less than $.10.

*I like Earth's Best. This is for comparison only. Because their products are organic, whole grain, and do not contain (to my knowledge) any added sugar or salt, I believe they are a better alternative to conventional jarred baby food. But I believe that fresh, homemade whole food is best.

Cloth Cost

There are a hundred websites at least that can break down for you the cost of cloth diapering versus disposables, but sometimes the reality is somewhat different.

Prefolds are cheap and actually not all that difficult, but as your baby gets older, it can be difficult to get them on and off of a squirmy baby. The all-in-one kind are pricier but they don't necessarily last and washing can be more complicated.

Washing gets more complicated if you use anything with synthetic materials. We use cotton terry diapers so we can even bleach them if we need to (which was nice when we came down with a nasty bout of thrush and yeast rash last fall). But I also have 4 pocket dipes that we use when we are out and about sometimes, since Boogie is at the "I will do whatever I have to to move in the opposite direction of what you would prefer," stage. A two-piece system is just a little more difficult on those silly fold out changers in public restrooms.

So what's the real cost? We spent about $600 all together, not including the ongoing washing-related expenses, which I find to be somewhat irrelevant. I don't notice the difference, really. And I usually fill the load with wipe up towels, burp rags, kitchen rags, etc. We try to use as many cloth towels instead of paper towels in the kitchen as we can, so I always have other things that can go in with the dipes.

At about $10 a pack for disposables, that's only 60 packs or roughly 30 weeks. Although, I don't really know how many disposables most parents go through in a week so maybe that's optimistic, or pessimistic? I realize that you can get most name brands or even store brands for less than that if you are vigilant, use coupons, etc. but those diapers make my son break out in a really nasty rash. So we use chlorine-free/dye-free/fragrance-free Earth's Best on the occassions when we need disposables (like on a trip to NJ last month when we really couldn't fly our stash with us) and they run about $13 a pack here, so I'm extra greatful not to be buying diapers.

The real cost to me isn't just in what you pay for disposables. You actually would need to spend a lot on top of the line cloth diapers before you would spend more on than on disposables, especially if you then use disposable training pants...plus you can't re-use disposables for the next baby, etc. and so on. And if your kid is like mine, you'll be spending plenty on rash creams, too.

The real cost is health. Like I said, my son breaks out terribly with "conventional disposables" (if that isn't a contradiction in terms). But he didn't always. From the time we brought him home from the hospital, he was in disposables off and on for about two months. Our diaper system was too big for him at first. I had a dozen prefolds, so we did use those after about 3 weeks, and then we sowly transitioned into cloth full time over about a month.

The problem started when we hadn't used the disposables in a while and put one on him to get pictures made in a onesie that no longer fit over a cloth diaper. For maybe 10 minutes he was in that diaper. MAYBE. And when we took it off (okay, wasteful to take it off when it was dry but I don't like the chemical exposure more than I care about the environment), there it was - a bright red angry rash covering every single inch of where the diaper touched his skin, even down to the papery bits that hang off the elastic around the legs, and all the way up to the top the whole way around, even over his legs. And he hadn't even peed in it. 

So the question isn't why my son broke out like that. Obviously, it had something to do with the chemicals and fragrances in the diapers that he wasn't used to. The real question is why don't other babies break out when they start out in disposables and live in them for 2-3 years? The answer lies, of course, in the month or so that my son was not exposed to disposable diapers at all before that photo session.

So maybe your baby doesn't seem bothered at all by disposables. Maybe s/he never even gets diaper rash. I can't tell you how many disposable diaper using mamas have warned me that cloth diapers cause diaper rash, and have been then shocked to hear me tell them we just don't have that problem. In fact, he has never had it aside from a bout of thrush, except when he has been in disposables.

But do you want to just assume that it isn't affecting your child because there are no outward signs? Personally, I don't like to assume that because I can't see something, it isn't there. Only I had the opportunity to see it, know it is there, and be greatful that I was already doing something about it. It took about a week for that rash to clear completely. The pictures are cute, but they weren't worth it.