Chicken

When my little mister reached eight months and meat came into the picture, I didn't know what to do!  I was nervous about grinding meat small enough that he wouldn't choke on it, and knowing how to cook it right, so I just bought Gerber Stage 3 meat meals.  One day I was checking out at the grocery store and my cashier looked at the girl bagging my groceries and said "Chicken and apples!" and made a disgusted face.  I decided if adults grimace, maybe there's something better out there for my baby to enjoy.  Here is what I have come to like the best!

{I should probably say right now that I am not anti-Gerber.  I dislike pureeing green beans and peas so much that I always bought them jarred, and it can be very convenient for travelling, or just to have around when you're in a pinch.  I initially started making baby food because the variety of jarred baby food is so small!  I wanted to give my boy avocado, pumpkin, and some fruit mixes that just weren't available at the store.  Plus some, like carrots, squash and sweet potatoes, are so much cheaper to make yourself.}

Rotisserie Chicken

Yum.  I love rotisserie chicken.  My guess is your baby will, too!  When you buy a rotisserie chicken either get an extra just for baby (which should be enough chicken for at least a week) or share a bit of yours.  Make sure you give baby only the good meat, removing skin, fat, etc.  It should be tender and flavorful enough to tear off pieces and give them straight to baby!  I think it's easiest to get a whole chicken, cut it up saving only the meat baby will eat, and store that in a tupperware in the refrigerator.  You can steal some for a sandwich for yourself, and it's ready to go whenever baby is hungry, cold or heated up.

Crock-pot Chicken

Cooking chicken in the crock pot is an easy way to prepare it for baby!  My favorite way is to put in enough chicken for your dinner and for baby, then add apple juice to almost cover the chicken.  Cook until tender, then drain out the juice and take out baby's chicken and it's ready to eat!  You can then add salsa, seasonings, etc. to the crock-pot and let it cook awhile longer to spice up your dinner.

"A bit of your" Chicken

We all want our children to eat the same thing we eat for dinner!  There are lots of meals you and your baby can enjoy together, even at this stage (just add seasonings and toppings like sour cream and extra cheese on your own plate).  I don't want to post a lot of adult meals kids can eat because I am sure you all have a repertoire of these already, but here are a few chicken ideas:

• Chicken, potatoes and carrots all cooked in apple juice or chicken broth in the crock pot
• Chicken in the crock pot, brown rice, and peas
• Chicken and black beans in the crock pot with avocado and tomatoes (eat yours in a tortilla with sour cream and salsa)