Olsen Baby Food

1. Cut acorn or butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds
2. Place halves face down in a pan and cover with an inch of water
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour - be sure the “shell/skin” puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash “meat” out of the shell
4. Place squash "meat" into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
5. Add water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency.
6. You can also peel the squash, scoop out the seeds and then cut into chunks and boil/steam until tender (like when boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes) then follow steps 4 and 5 - this way is most difficult however and rather time consuming!

Boiling/Steaming Sweet Potatoes for Baby Food:

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small chunks
2. Place chunks into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover potato
3. "Steam" boil until tender, be sure to check on the water level.
4. Reserve any left over water to use for thinning out the sweet potatoes if desired.

Microwave Sweet Potatoes: (we prefer to not use a microwave for cooking)

1. Wet and wrap sweet potatoes with microwave safe plastic wrap.
2. Poke holes in the wrap with a fork and microwave for 10 minutes or until done.
3. Remove skins by slitting the sweet potato lengthwise when cooled then scoop out the "meat". Use a liquid from your preferred source to puree or thin the sweet potatoes.

Place cooked sweet potatoes into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
Add the reserved water or other liquid as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency

Hint: Plunging the hot cooked peas into a bowl of ice cold water is known to help make a smoother puree of peas for baby food!