Food glorious food!

About eight weeks ago we started weaning Chicken, that is introducing solid foods.  The NHS here suggests introducing foods at six months but as I've found out, not many people stick to that and will begin between four to six months.  This has changed since I was a baby (1980) because my mum found my baby records and the nurse suggested mashed banana at three months - which might explain why at 6 months I was two pounds heavier than Chicken!!  Anyway, I'm getting side tracked, people say I do that easily, ooohh shiny things!

We (well I, Andrew lets me make these decisions so far) decided to go down the puréed food route and I bought Annabel Karmel's book to give me some ideas and promptly set off to the supermarket to buy half of the fruit and vegetable aisle (not quite but you know...)  First up was apple.  Lets just say that apple wasn't a huge hit, she'll eat it now but its definitely not her favourite.  I think one of the reasons for the screwed up faces was that Chicken didn't quite know what we were doing, but once she did, well things have taken off!

Firstly we tried pears, sweet potatoes and apples mixed with baby porridge.  The porridge was great because it made the food more palatable, sweeter and creamier if you get my drift.  She also occasionally had the baby porridge by itself.  At this stage we were only have one or two meals a day.

A few weeks into this I added mashed banana, peas, carrots, blueberries, and baby fromage frais. all of which she's loved!  The only thing that hasn't gone down well  has been this fancy yoghurt I got from the farmers market as a treat, turns out my kid doesn't like posh food!!!

Now all this home made mush is all well and good at home but when we are out  and about I use pouches like  these and to start with only vegetable dishes.  A pouch will last for two meals, and while it isn't cheap, its not super expensive either, and there are lots of great flavours! (in the scale of things)

A couple of weeks ago I decided that it was time to move to three meals a day, and I have to say, my world seems to revolve around feeding my baby, possibly even more so than when she was a new born.  Back then, all I had to do was whip out a boob, but now I have to cook, serve, clean up (way, way too much cleaning up!) and also breast feed in-between, busy busy!

I have to say though, Chicken loves her food!  She gobbles it all up (bar the fancy schmancy yoghurt) and often squawks for more.  This week we've branched out and I made rice pudding and cauliflower cheese, and tomorrow I'm making cheesy fish pie and fish and sweet potato mash.  The opportunities are endless!  There is only one downside, and I think its the first time I've been sad that my baby is growing up.  I'm sad that I'm not the one feeding her any more, perfectly natural I'm sure but sad nonetheless.  Anyway, talk to me in six months when she's walking, four years when she's going off to school, eighteen years when she's going off to university etc etc, and then I'll be sad that she's growing up!

These photos are from Chicken's first feed, sooo much has changed, she now gobbles up all food!  PS Check out Andrew's facials!