I have some Gerber baby food left, mainly carrots and squash and since my daughter (14 months old) has outgrown eating baby food, I would like a creative way to use it in everyday food. I also have some oatmeal and rice cereal that I could use ideas for also (although I think she would be up for eating it as-is still).
EDIT: I have until September 2012 until the food expires.
Potato Balls!!!
You can put anything in potato balls, literally, anything (edible). Mash potatoes w/ "whatever"... roll into balls... and voila. Finger food. That also freezes :)
Also works for solids (I try and use the word literal by it's definition ;). Whole peas, chopped up veggies, chopped up meats, cheeses... you name it.
Spaghetti sauce for veggies/meat. For fruits you can put them in smoothies.
I actually buy pureed carrots when I make a carrot cake, so there one idea for you! Not exactly everyday, but as I type this I think... hmmm... I haven't had carrot cake in ages! Of course there is also the option of giving them the local food panty/women's shelter etc. I'm sure there will be great ideas from many other Mamas. Good luck!
Some things (like pureed prunes and applesauce) you can use in baking recipes to take the place of fats. Adding it in a cake or brownie recipe can make it a little moister and healthier.
The pureed veg can go in mac & cheese, like mentioned below, or spaghetti sauce, chili, shepherd's pie.... anything that has a rich "sauce" component can be a great vessel for these "leftovers."
I put my sweet potato cubes in my pancakes...
There is a recipe on this site for broccoli and cheddar nuggets, that can use up rice cereal as the filler instead of bread crumbs http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/broccolibabyfoodre...
I used leftover homemade baby food in little pancakes and muffins for my son. I would make a big batch and freeze them and pull them out when I needed a quick healthy snack for him or something on the go.
I donated it to our food bank at the Church. They were grateful to have it for the families with babies. Perhaps you can donate it instead?
Yuck....just throw it out.
My mom doesn't care for cooked carrots, but loves the flavor when she does a beef roast! She has been known to toss in a jar or two of baby food carrots just for the flavor when she has no carrots in the fridge!
Yes! I put carrots, squash, and sweet potato baby purees into mac and cheese b/c they're yellow/orange and then my kids don't see they're eating a serving of veggies within their favorite meal. Makes me feel better about serving boxed mac and cheese too (substitute it for the butter).
If it is just a single vegetable I have been known for just tossing it into tomato sauce or any soups/stews. You get a bit more vegetable in your sauce and if you do it one jar at a time no one will even notice. Not even DH did - and he usually will when I am trying to sneak some healthy into his food
