Homemade Baby Food Pure and Simple by Connie Linardakis (2001, Paperback)

I bought this book because at 10 months old my son started losing interest in commercial baby food. The varieties & textures seemed to bore him so I was looking for recipes that he might enjoy. Though this did not turn out to be the recipe book I expected, I found it to be a great resource -- especially for parents who want to avoid commercial baby food all together. There are a lot of great basic recipes which include ingredients I would've never thought of feeding my baby, such as leeks, avocados and chick peas. There are not as many recipes for older babies, which is why I say it did not fit my purpose. Still, there is great info about baby food preparation and proper storage. Once I had this info, I was really able to create my own recipes that are suited for my baby's development. Linardakis also does a great job of explaining all of the vitamins, what they do for the body and what foods are good sources of those nutrients. I found this to be very interesting and helpful.
Overall, Homemade Baby Food Pure and Simple is a great resource, especially if you read this book before your baby begins solid food. One side note: The author is a huge supporter of breastfeeding, and it is mentioned several times throughout the book. As a nursing mother, this did not bother me, but if this is a sensitive issue for you, it may make you uncomfortable.

I read a few reviews and the blurb about this book, and it sounded like it was going to be straightforward and easy to follow. I like that it gives a lot of easy recipes for how to make the baby food purees - more recipes than several other books. Overall, I think this resource was informative, helpful, and worth purchasing. The one thing I didn't like was that I thought the information before the recipes was too long-winded - and a little repetative, but it was helpful. I felt like I had to read that before I could start making the baby food, and that took me longer than I would have liked.