I have been obsessed with making my own baby food since my first son was born. Actually, I think my obsession first started when I was a little girl and I saw the movie Baby Boom but, whatever. C’mon, you know you wanted to buy a cottage, move to Vermont, and jar homemade applesauce too. Well…maybe that was just me. But I digress…

 

I won’t go into all of the reasons why I feel that making your own baby food rocks, but my main reason for doing so was to make sure that my baby’s first experience with food was as healthy, fresh and flavorful as possible. I wanted to choose the ingredients and be able to control the quality of the food that passed my baby’s lips. It was and still is important for me to expose them to different flavors and textures and cultures through the recipes I create. And I knew that making my own baby food was the best way for me to do all of this while also having some fun in the kitchen at the same time. I truly believe that a heathy relationship with food starts at the very beginning of  a persons life and it is that relationship (good, bad or otherwise) that is directly related to our overall health. What we eat matters. Period.

 

I know some people feel they are too busy or not savy enough in the kitchen to take on making their own baby food. I can assure you, no advanced culinary skills are necessary and I’ve been on both ends of the mommy-hood spectrum— full-time working mom outside of the home (with my first son) and chicken without a head work-at-home mom (after my second son). With both lifestyles, it’s been possible for me to take on homemade baby food. Truly, the process is simpler than most people think and not at all overwhelming if you start with the right information from a trusted source.

Hands down, my favorite resource for all things baby food is WholesomeBabyFood.com— one of the webs top rated baby food  sites. It’s really a one stop shop in the sense that not only are you getting recipes, you’re also being provided with invaluable information on allergies and detailed guides on how to introduce each food. From infant to toddler, you cannot get a better resource and it’s all just a click away. The site has been my go-to place for years and years and has never let me down. Which is why I was ecstatic when I learned that Maggie Meade (the sites creator) had published a book entitled The Wholesome Baby Food Guide.  based on her uber popular website. Go Maggie!

 

The book contains 150 easy-to-make recipes and tons of useful information on cooking techniques and storage tips. Maggie gives parents the courage to feel confident in the kitchen with her whip smart humor and gentle motivation. She’s not preaching here, she’s right there with you. She’s been there and done that with THREE BOYS! The guide is simply broken down into three stages—4-6 months, 6-8 months and 8 months and beyond. The recipes are simple to make but sophisticated and tasty enough to delight the entire family (love that!). And with dishes like Sweet Potato Custard and Baked Pear Crumble on the menu, this might very well become your new favorite family cookbook.

 

Sounds like an amazing book, right? Well thanks to the good people over at Grand Central Life and Style Publishing, I have a copy to giveaway. This is actually my first giveaway. Ever! And Im super excited to be able to give one of these fantastic books away to one of my amazing readers. Entering is simple but be sure to read the jargon below before doing so.

 

TO ENTER:

To be eligible to win, leave a comment below telling me what your favorite food was as a kid. That’s it. That’s all!!

 

THE RULES:

  • Contest begins on Wednesday, February 15th at 4:00pm EST and closes February  18th- 10pm EST. One entry per participant, please.
  • Contest is open to all US residents but prize cannot be shipped to PO Boxes (sorry!).
  • Winner will need to provide email address and physical address so that prize may be shipped out.
  • A winner will be selected by the Randomizer tool on Random.org and contacted via email. If winner does not respond within one week of being contacted, a second winner will be chosen.

 

*This prize is valued at about $15.99 plus shipping and will be shipped directly to the winner via Grand Central Publishing Co. I have not received any monetary compensation or any freebies (other than a review copy of the book) in relation to this post. All opinions are strictly my own.