A Thanksgiving Recipe for Your Little One

Liz Huber created Sage Spoonfuls to make it easier for moms to create healthy baby food for their children. She started making homemade baby food after her first child was born.  She couldn’t find products on the market that made it easy for moms.  She had to completely improvise, labeling food with masking tape and sharpie pens.  She knew there had to be a better way.  Providing your baby with homemade baby food is such a basic necessity that she wanted to find a way to make it an easy task.  That was when the light bulb went off in her head and the idea for Sage Spoonfuls was born.

Here is one of Liz's favorite recipes for this time of year:

This recipe is suitable for babies 7-9 months and up, toddlers, big kids and adults. Always make sure the consistency of your baby's food is one she can handle and before combining food, make sure she has tried each one individually first.

What you'll need:
1 Winter Squash – you can use Acorn Squash (pictured), butternut squash or pumpkin.
3 Organic Apples – Washed, peeled, cored and chopped. I like to use Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Red or Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji or Jonagold. Nearly all varieties of apple will work,just stay away from very tart varieties, like Granny Smith.
1 cup of Cranberries – Rinsed in a strainer under running water. You can use fresh or frozen, just stay away from precooked or canned.
Cinnamon – try to buy organic cinnamon whenever possible as it is far less likely to have been irradiated for shelf life.

*Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
*Cut your squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers and discard. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet.
*Place the baking sheet into the oven on the middle rack and roast the squash for 35-45 minutes, depending on how large your squash is. It is cooked through when the squash can easily be pierced all the way through with a fork.
*While the  squash is cooking, pour water into a pot until it is about 1″ deep and bring to a boil over high heat.
*Place the apples and cranberries into a steamer basket and place the steamer basket into the pot. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the basket. Cover with a tight fitting lid.
*Steam for about 7 minutes, until the apples and cranberries are soft and cooked through.
*Once fully cooked, remove the squash from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes to cool. Once cool, you should be able to just peel the skin off. Alternatively, you can scoop the squash out of the skin with a spoon.
*Place the sqaush, apples and cranberry into a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, place into a large mixing bowl and blend with an immersion blender until desired consistency is achieved.
*Add desired amount of cinnamon to the bowl and stir to combine. I like to add about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to this recipe, but you can add as much or as little as you like.
*This puree can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
*Enjoy this taste of fall!

Liza Huber Bio

Liza Huber is an award-winning author, wife, mother of 3 (with #4 due in Jan), and CEO and Founder of Sage Spoonfuls. Drawing from her own experiences and the guidance of a leading pediatrician, she designed Sage Spoonfuls to fit the needs of all parents and their busy schedules. Sage Spoonfuls allows parents to easily make, serve, store and take their healthy, homemade baby food on-the-go.

In addition to launching Sage Spoonfuls, Liza has been appointed an Ambassador Mom for the March of Dimes, which is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. Having been the mother of a preemie herself, this cause is very close to her heart.

Liza has also been appointed a Parent Ambassador for Healthy Child, Healthy World and will help to inform and inspire people to take action and create cleaner, greener, safer environments where children and families can flourish. Healthy Child, Healthy World has been a national leader for nearly two decades, igniting a movement of awareness and responsibility.

Liza and her husband, Alex, have been married since 2004. They have 3 children, Royce 5, Brendan 4, and Hayden 18 months. They are excited to welcome baby #4 in January 2013!