Little City Kitchen Co. Blog

So…you’ve started to make your own organic baby food for little one.  Congratulations!  Now the question is how do you store all this delicious food you made?  We kick of today’s Homemade Baby Food Tips blog series with a few different storage methods and a review of the best baby food containers available today.

Shout out to Nicole L. for submitting this question for the blog series!  She wins a free pack of frozen baby food for her little one.  Enter your questions here for a chance to win.

Freezing in Ice Cube Trays

Using this method, you spoon your homemade baby food into ice-cube trays, freeze it, and then transfer the cubes into a zipper-top bag.

Value pick: So Easy Covered Ice Cube trays

These are similar to traditional ice cube trays, with the added benefit of a snap-on cover that protects the baby food as it freezes and allows you to stack multiple trays in your freezer. $10 for 2 trays.

Wanna Splurge: Orka Cubes

Love these…same concept as above except the bottom of the ice cube tray is made of food-grade silicone.  Instead of twisting and fighting to get the cubes out, you just press the bottom and “pop” each cube goes.  And to boot, they come in super-cool bright colors. $10-$15 each.

On-The-Go

You spoon your baby food into these containers and the whole thing gets frozen.  No transferring, just take one out of the freezer, thaw it, and take it wherever you want.

Value Pick: Fresh and Freeze

Easy to find and inexpensive.  These guys come with special trays to stack containers nicely in your freezer.  They come in a few sizes 1, 2, and 4 oz…don’t get the 1oz because your little one will outgrow in a month!  $10 for 12 containers.

Don’t Recommend: Baby Cubes

This is the only product on here that I don’t recommend buying.  Feedback is that the tops (while conveniently attached) are constantly popping off.  Green peas leaking in the diaper bag…enough said.

Food Grade Silicone

Moving up the scale, food-grade silicone is a great way to store food.  It’s safe for baby, flexible for easy removal, and is pretty much indestructible.

Value Pick: Tovolo Perfect Ice cube trays

A great silicone tray, and they form these perfect little squares of goodness.  The downside is that there is no cover, so use parchment paper or plastic wrap.  They’re easy to find in 1oz size, and a little harder to find in the 4oz larger size.  Use them also for regular ice cubes…they won’t melt for over an hour in your drink!  $8 each.

Wanna Splurge: Beaba Mulit-portion Freezer Tray

We’ve all seen them at Williams-Sonoma, and I must confess that even I lust a little after these because they’re just too cute.  Aside from the cool-factor, they’re crazy expensive so maybe it’s a great gift from mom or the in-laws! $20 each.

I’m hearing rumors that one of my fav brands Lifefactory is coming out with an individual silicone baby food storage container.  More to come on that, but something to look out for.

Freezing in Glass Containers

Even with BPA-free plastics out there, I try and use glass as much as possible.  The most important thing to remember about using glass: check to make sure your glass container is safe for the freezer…it will say on the packaging.
(Note: old baby food jars are NOT safe for the freezer, so toss them in the recycle bin and don’t be tempted to reuse).

Value Pick: Ball 4oz Jelly Jars

The best kept secret…Whether your canning or not, these freezer-safe jelly jars are an excellent option to freeze baby food if glass is your preference.  I picked up a dozen for under $9.00 at my local Ace Hardware.

Wanna Splurge: Wean Cubes

My all-time fav splurge pick are these adorable glass baby food cubes from WeanGreen.  Definitely on the pricy side ($25-$30 for four, 4oz cubes), but again, what a great extravagant gift to have your mom buy!  $25 for 4 containers.

Come visit Little City Kitchen Co. at the Burlingame Farmers Market this Sunday…got some yummy flavors for the kiddos!

Our Scoop on Starting Solids blog series kicks off today with two questions from readers pertaining to introducing solids and cooking with spices.  I’ve enlisted the help of one of our favorite guest bloggers, Dr. Julia Getzelman, founder of  GetzWell Pediatrics, to provide her perspective on these topics.

A reminder to all readers – submit your baby food-related questions by posting a comment on our Great Baby Food Giveaway blog, and if we feature your question, you win a free pack of baby food from Little City Kitchen Co.!

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Question from Lisa M: I have heard conflicting opinions on when the best time to start solid foods really is – is it early or is it later? I think this relates to allergies. So I am trying to understand what solid foods to start in addition to breast milk and when.

Dr G: My belief, and the research is beginning to support this, is that babies are good at deciding when they are ready to begin eating solids.  Sometime between 4 and 6 months most infants will become interested in food.  They will watch intently as mother eats, get excited when they smell food cooking, and may even mimic chewing as they observe others at meals.

When you see these signs, you may begin feeding your baby.  A minority of babies won’t be interested in solid foods until later than 6 months and in those cases should continue to breast feed until they are ready.

Feeding should be a fun process of introducing solids to your baby.  You may begin with any vegetable (or combination of vegetables—think lots of different colors!), steamed, pureed, and combined with a little breast milk or formula to get to a smoothie-type consistency.  The first few times a baby eats, he/she may make funny faces, and may only take a bite or two of what you have prepared.  Don’t let this discourage you.  Just forge ahead and continue offering healthy, organic vegetables to which you might consider adding a little olive oil and fresh herbs.  Most babies like flavor as much as we do!

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Question from Jen A: I am curious about adding spices to my baby’s food, but I am worried that not all are safe for him.  Are there some spices that I should avoid?

Dr. G: Spices contain important antioxidants and other benefits, and babies like flavor.  The more variety you provide to your baby from the get-go, the more adventurous eater your baby will be in the long run.  Other than salt, there is no spice, that your baby may not try.  And keep in mind that a funny face doesn’t mean a rejection.  Furthermore, some babies/kids need to try a certain flavor over a dozen times before liking it.  So don’t give up!

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Julia Getzelman is the founder of GetzWell Pediatrics, and is the only board certified, primary care, integrative pediatrician based in San Francisco.  For more information on GetzWell Pediatrics, check out their website here.

Join Little City Kitchen Co. and GetzWell Pediatrics for free workshops at the San Francisco Birth & Baby Fair on Saturday, June 25th.   Dr. Getzelman will be leading a Vaccines Q&A, and Jill will be leading a cooking demo for parents wishing to make their own organic baby food.

I received some great advice when I started this blog: be consistent, be brief, and be authentic.  Of all of these, the last one about being authentic is the most important one to me.  When I find myself struggling to write, typically this means I’m trying too hard or it’s not the right topic for me.  I then find something else to write about.

Today I find myself in an uncommon (and thankfully infrequent) place.  I’m down.  I mean really buried in one of those annoying valleys I’ve often described to you guys.  I considered either skipping this week’s blog, or writing about a different “happier” topic, although both of these seemed inauthentic to me.

So instead, I decided to channel a little of piece of my funk into some advice I’d give to a new entrepreneur.  Here’s the beginning of what will probably turn into a long list in the coming months:

Get Advice

Surround yourself with free or low-cost talent: Places like the SF Small Business Development Center (SBDC) were/are extremely helpful to me.  Thanks to them, I have a business coach, a marketing coach, help with my bookkeeping, not to mention the various classes I’ve taken on tax laws, social media, accounting, and other relevant topics.  If you don’t have a local SBDC, check the surrounding community colleges or even the city planning offices to see what assistance classes are offered, for example the Oakland BAC.

Get Support

Develop a “tribe” of both personal and professional contacts: Starting a business can be grueling, so having a support system in place makes it a little easier.  It can be as simple as a group of girlfriends getting together for a wine club (shout out to my wine gals!).  On the professional side, seek out other small businesses in your field.  There is typically some partnership opportunity, and at the very least, someone who can relate to what you’re going through.

Get Money

Save a bunch, borrow if you need, and plan for the unexpected: Money is a constant source of concern for any new business owner.  The reality is that you need 1) start-up capital to invest in your business, 2) living expenses for around two years, depending on the business, and 3) some cushion money for emergencies.  Use the Rule of Three; it takes three times as long, and costs three times as much than you originally expect.

Get Happy

Create a “happy folder” and fill with anything that makes you feel good: When I get really down, I open my happy folder and re-read emails that I’ve saved over the years: accolades I’ve received, heartfelt emails from friends, encouraging comments from clients, etc…  Sometimes I have to read for 30 minutes, but I always feel better afterwards.  It’s a way to keep things in perspective and remind myself of what’s important.

Reminder to everyone that I will be launching the Scoop on Starting Solids Q&A blog series next week.  Dr. Julia Getzelman of Getzwell Pediatrics will kick off the series by answering a few questions submitted from readers.

Win a free pack of baby food if we feature your question.
Just post a comment on our Baby Food Giveaway page to submit.

Winning a pack of handcrafted, organic, frozen baby food from Little City Kitchen Co. has never been easier!

We have just launched the new “Scoop on Starting Solids” blog series, a place where readers can ask any baby food-related question to be answered by experts in the field. A broad range of topics will be discussed…anything from infant nutrition to introducing solids and allergy concerns.

How do you win?  We’re looking for your questions…

Submit a question in the comments section below, and if we feature it in the blog series, you win a free pack of baby food.  It’s that easy.

Choose from flavors like:

• Cuban black beans with roasted plantain, mango & coconut
• Jewish potato latkes with caramelized onions, apples & parsley
• Chard & kale with onions, apple & and white sweet potato
  …or any baby food flavor made my Little City Kitchen Co.

Good luck and submit your questions below!

For selling locations and information about organic baby food from Little City Kitchen Co., visit our website or Facebook page.