I have to admit, I was always a big fan of making my own baby food. Yes, health played a role in it. The fresher the food the better I always thought. If I made my own I KNEW what was going into it and didn’t need a chemistry degree to try to decipher the ingredients.

But once I started down that path, the more I found that it was actually cheaper and easier to make my own than it was to buy baby food in jars. I started my son on avocados, applesauce and bananas (OK and the occasional French fry). As his tastes changed and I got bored serving him the same thing over and over he was included in the family meals…which turned out to be easy since we eat a lot steamed vegetables and plain sorts of foods.

The one accessory that was indispensable was my tiny food mill. Sure, I could have used my food processor but a dedicated food mill turned out to be so much easier. I never worried about making a batch of home made baby food and freezing it for later, I just steamed up a small portion of vegetables or fruit or whatever the recommended food to introduce was and dropped it in the mill.

I have an electric model but a manual one would be great for restaurants and picnics!