storing baby food

i am a big fan of using these ice cube trays (with covers) for storing baby food. fresh, preservative-free food holds up fine for 2-3 days in the fridge, and about 2 weeks in the freezer. each cube is about 2 tablespoons (1 oz) in volume. as for serving frozen food, i place the frozen cubes into plastic or glass containers each night before bed, so that peanut has enough food for the following day. i recently purchased 16 libbey containers; they are 6.5 ounce glass bowls with plastic lids. they are perfect and hold 2-3 cubes! at 8 months, peanut is eating about 6-9 ounces of food per day. this requires 42-63 ounces of food per week. in an effort to provide a balanced diet with a variety of foods, i often remove cubes from the trays once frozen, and place them into sandwich sized bags. i then place the sealed, sandwich bags into freezer bags (which can be reused over and over), for storage in the freezer. it may be a good idea to label the bags in order to track the age and contents of each bag.

liver

liver is an excellent source of protein for little ones. peanut is 8 months old now, so i have added liver to his menu.

ingredients
1 lb free range, beef liver (free of antibiotics and hormones)
olive oil

instructions
1. heat a few tbsp of olive oil on med-high heat (large frying pan)

2. add the beef liver

3. turn every few minutes (prevent sticking, burning), and continue to cook until blood ceases to pool up on top of the meat (20-30 minutes)preparation
1. cut into small chunks (1x2 inches)
2. place in food processor, and grind or chop
3. add a teaspoon of water if necessary
4. repeat until all meat has been "pureed"storage
1. place in individual containers or ice cube trays (covered).
2. stays for 2 days in the fridge, or 2 weeks in the freezer.

serving
the liver was pretty pasty post processing, so i rolled it into tiny pate-like balls for peanut. he LOVED it - i was truly surprised that he enjoyed it so much.

sweet potatoes

i recently acquired a potato ricer at a yard sale, for $8.50. it's a nice, old, steel one, and i was happy to pay the price tag. i have been wanting one for some time, as it's useful in making gnocchi. now that my peanut is about 8 months old and can handle more texture in his food, i have opted to use the potato racer to prepare his steamed foods, in lieu of a grinder, food processor, or magic bullet.

ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunks
1.5 C water

cooking instructions
steam the potatoes either using a rice cooker or steamer basket on the stove. i prefer steaming to boiling, because i presume that more nutrients remain in the steamed food. don't oversteam - stop when contents are soft enough to deform with your finger.

preparation & storage
1. fill the "basket" of the ricer about 1/3 - 1/2 way

2. press through, and collect the contents on a plate or in a bowl
3. proceed this way until everything has been, um, riced :)

4. place in containers for storage in the refrigerator or freezer. reminder: stores well for 2 days in the fridge, or 2 weeks in the freezer.