Hi all!

Leah is nearly 9months now and is on jars with with and fresh food at nursery.

I was to start giving her what we eat but as i have only used jars so far (not just laziness i promise - i run my own business so busy working mummy) so don't know where to start! We have very different meal times so won't be able to just mash what we have and give it to her. She has lunch much earlier (about 12pm) and again her tea is about 4.30pm.

If i wanted to save some of our dinner and freeze it for her to have on another day, do i just leave it on the side until it gets to room temp, then mash and feeze? or do i need to cool it quickly to prevent bugs? And when it comes to warming in microwave, do i have to hear it until piping hot and then wait to coolto kill any bugs, or is it ok to just warm until the right eating temp?

i'm so confused by it all - i really want to make her home food but time is VERY limited so i don't know the best way to go. MIL makes me feel so guilty about feeding her jars as she has her 1 day a week and goes all out with fancy fresh made foods and keeps telling me how she loves 'nannies dinners' as if i just feed her rubbish the rest of the time!

any advice would be greatly appreciated - i have the ice cube trays at the ready but no idea what to do with them!!! xxx

The things you said are exactly right so you do know what you are doing!

If you make something you can keep a portion for Leah in a tub in the fridge and it will be good for 24hours. Or as you say, stick it in the freezer and it will last a few months (stick label and date on) I usually defrost it by taking tub out freezer and leaving it in the fridge overnight, or use microwave to defrost and then heat til piping hot then let cool before serving especially if it has meat in - if its just fruit I just let defrost and then serve.

Ice cube trays are good. Put stuff in cubes and let cool (or let cool on worktop etc and then transfer to cubes. Stick in freezer. When frozen, usually around 5-10 hrs you can pop the cubes out and stick the cubes in a labelled bag so that you can use the tray again for making more cubes.

When I am making potatoes for dinner. I make lots extra and stick them in cubes and freeze. Same with carrot/brocolli. So, I make cubes of separate potato, vegs, meats, fish, pasta, pasta sauce, cheese sauce etc rather than actual meals in cubes. Then I can mix and match by selecting a few different cubes.

It is easy when you have started. I made a chicken dinner the other day and made extra potatoes and vegs too. Filled a few trays - that will last Anna for a couple weeks. It is so much cheaper too and maybe even better for LO. Some chicken dinners in jars have only 6% chicken!

Have fun