Everything you need to know about making your own baby foodMy son Hayden is the third baby I've made homemade baby food for. By now, even 5 years span between children, I have the routine down pat and could do it with my eyes closed. That statement is not intended as a boast or brag, but to let you know just how simple it can be to prepare your baby's food at home. Many, including myself, feed baby food right out of the jar, and that's great! But if you ever had any desire to make your own food or questions on what to do, or were simply just curious about the process, I thought I'd share with you how I go about making my homemade baby food. The routine, is simple enough, and when done in large batches, needs to only be done every few weeks. Here's how I tackle the job of making homemade baby food.

1. Make It In Batches
First thing's first, and that is to plan to make several different kinds of purees at once, as I truly find that it is so much easier to spend a couple of hours making several batches every few weeks, then to make a batch here

Can it just be spring already? All over the country we've had glimpses of it, but in New York we just got yet another dose of winter. Whatever the weather is like where you are, we're officially closer to April than February, there's a little mint popping up in our gardens, and the days are gloriously longer.

In light of that, we've decided to just call it: Springtime is here! If the view out your window begs to differ, whip up some mint limeade and dream of warmer days. They'll come soon, we're sure of it.

The Menu

Creamy Spring Turnip Soup with Wilted Radish Greens and Bacon by sdebrango

Serves 4-6

For the Soup:

3 cups young turnips peeled and chopped
3 young leeks white and light green parts cleaned very well
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Clean and slice your leeks, I like Amanda's method, clean, trim and chop into rounds and add to a large amount of clean water. The

By Alessandra Bulow, Food & Wine

Fudgy Chocolate-Walnut Cookies During the week before Passover begins, observant Jews will prepare for the eight-day holiday by removing every piece of chametz (food with leavening) from their homes. Then panic will start to take over: "Oh, no, there's nothing to eat except matzo. I'm going to the supermarket to buy every product that's ever been marked with a 'Kosher for Passover' label." The result is often a kitchen full of packaged cookies, cakes, chips, gefilte fish and marshmallows (seriously, how did marshmallows ever become part of Passover?). For a more satisfying and relaxed Passover, without processed foods and artificial ingredients, here are some delicious and unorthodox ways to restock the pantry.

Passover Recipe Ideas

The Passover "Ham" "For Easter, having a ham in the house is like having money in the bank," says Tina Ujlaki, Food & Wine's Executive Food Editor. The Passover equivalent is turkey. You can serve it on the first night of Pesach, and there will be

By Food & Wine

The toasted almonds in this dish add great texture and crunch to the plump apricots and tender chicken. Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Apricots, Olives and AlmondsSlow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Apricots, Olives and Almonds
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots
1/3 cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, toss the chicken thighs with the onion, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken and onions to a slow cooker. Add the bay leaf and chicken broth, cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Stir in the chickpeas, olives and apricots, cover and cook until the chicken is tender and

By Food & Wine

These light, bite-size matzoh balls have a delicious Italian spin--they're made with ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Delicious Passover Recipes

Matzoh Balls in BrodoMatzoh Balls in Brodo
INGREDIENTS
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup matzoh meal
6 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
Tarragon leaves, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, whisk the egg. Whisk in both cheeses, the oil, salt and pepper. Stir in the matzoh meal. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then gently form into 1-teaspoon-size balls.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil with the garlic. Add the matzoh balls, cover and simmer over moderate heat for 30 minutes. Add the carrot, cover and simmer until the carrot is tender

By Food & Wine

If you can't find fish sauce at your local Asian market, a mixture of soy sauce and oyster sauce makes a fine substitute. Serve with lime wedges. Fast, Cheap and Delicious Asian Noodle Recipes

Chicken Pad ThaiChicken Pad Thai
INGREDIENTS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3), cut into 1-inch cubes
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons rice-wine vinegar
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2/3 cup salted peanuts, chopped fine
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, combine the chicken and 1/2 teaspoon of the fish sauce. In another bowl, combine the tofu with another 1/2 teaspoon of the fish sauce. In a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the remaining 5 tablespoons fish sauce with the water, 1 1/2

By Kristian Laliberte, Refinery29

When Padma Lakshmi takes you out to lunch, it's go order big or go home. Like, really big. Like, four lunches big. So, when we spent the day with the Top Chef host, cookbook author, and accessories designer, we ate our way through not one but four of her favorite NYC restaurants in NYC's Lower East Side. Included on her must-try meal itinerary? A whirlwind global food tour, no passport necessary: We sampled spicy, spicy Chinese, some very authentic fried chicken, fresh Austrian Wiener schnitzel, and even some New Zealand pinot noir.

RELATED: 5 Ways To Jumpstart Your Metabolism Now!

Of course, along the way, we got some Q-T with the culinary star herself, whose brand-new, first-ever jewelry collection for HSN, PL by Padma Lakshmi, is available to buy today! And, not only did she dish on her affordable new baubles, the multi-tasking phenom also let us in on everything, from her stay-slim diet and workout secrets (hello, her job is to eat!) and tips

Your kids will never complain about leftovers again! Make meal planning a snap when using leftovers as a second meal with these creative and delicious recipes. By Meredith Steele

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