I was invited to attend a MomTrends event recently, focusing on food. I’m not a mom (yet), so I tagged FeistySis to join me to get her opinion on the items presented.
As it turned out, we were in for a real treat, as the food focus was on baby food. FeistySis’s youngest is 3 years old, so he’s past the baby food stage, but we were treated to a tasting menu centered around baby food by Petit Organics… using those real, fresh baby foods to make dishes that adults can eat, to show that what you’d be feeding your baby (if you choose to use this service)… actually tastes good to us too!
One of the SWAG items was the Stokke table top, a tray designed specifically for babies through to older. Basically it’s like a placemat – which I’ve noticed a lot of people use for their children to sort of know where “their” space on the table is – but also a tray. It’s BPA-free plastic, with raised edges so if something is spilled on top, you just pick it up and bring it to the sink to wipe down, instead of it going all over the table. Awesome. I gave mine to FeistySis, so hopefully she’ll speak up with how well they work or don’t work in comments…
One of the items being showcased was the SodaStream, of which I’m already a huge fan. BeerBoor and KC both have one, and rave about it all the time, but I haven’t taken the leap to invest the counterspace in one (poor college student…), though they aren’t particularly expensive, still out of my budget for now. I love using them to make homemade soda though; you can pick how fizzy you want the soda to be, and adjust how sweet, how much syrup you use to flavor your soda. I’ve been using bottles generously ‘donated’ to me by my friends to make elderflower soda (with elderflower syrup from Ikea, which is surprisingly cheap), lemon soda, orange soda… it actually isn’t that difficult to make soda using seltzer from the SodaStream and all sorts of homemade syrups that are lower in sugar, don’t contain preservatives or high fructose corn syrup (I’m ambivalent about that debate, but I know it’s important to a lot of people), and you can set your own sweetness level! Love it! A few machines were raffled off, but I didn’t win. Ah well, just as well, I was carrying too much stuff to carry that, too!
The tastings started with crostini topped with a slice of Brie and apple puree… yummy.
Next up:sauteed baby scallops over parsnip puree
and: cucumber cups with carrot ginger puree
Then: butternut squash & pear soup
alongside:truffle potato and carrot puree on parmesan crisps
Finishing with dark chocolate blackberry frappe for dessert, which our lovely chef, Aaron Diaz, demonstrated. Very easy, and quite tasty as well.
The MomTrends event was fun and informative; I learned a lot about how to use pureed foods in an adult menu, and how important it will be one day to make my own baby food for my own children (yes, I’ve planned that one for quite a long time now…).
Thanks to MomTrends for making it happen!
Please note that I attended this event courtesy of MomTrends. I want to thank them for their hospitality; however, I was under no obligation to post about this event, positively or negatively, and do so of my own free will. You can take that as you will.
TT says
I think Keywee would disagree about you not being a Mom.
so nice to see you and FeistySis bonding.
Feisty Foodie says
Aww, thanks TT! And haha, you make it sound like FeistySis and I aren’t friends. Since we stopped working & living together, we’re a lot closer than we used to be (that was over 8 years ago).
Hungry says
My sis (mother of 2) started pureeing her own baby food after she tasted the store bought kind. She gagged. If she can’t eat it, why would she feed it to her baby? I like that.
Feisty Foodie says
Agreed!!!
chakrateeze says
I made all of Aaron’s, my son, baby food and I highly recommend it. I credit it for his honest enjoyment of a wide assortment of fruits and veggies. (while his openness to trying new foods / cuisines is a direct result of me not limiting his choices to fast food or kiddie menus.) Not only that, but making it yourself is cheaper and very easy. Course, I didn’t have a job, outside of being a mommy, but…?
Tracie
Feisty Foodie says
Agreed. I think this brand of baby food is for those who are super busy (juggling working and being a mom, I imagine), and don’t have time to even puree their own baby food. I appreciate what they are doing; not sure if it fits into my own child raising plan, but it’s a good start for many people out there.
chakrateeze says
Gerber’s (sorry, if this hurts anyone’s feelings) is just plain nasty! Not only does it taste like paste, if you don’t get the first foods it has water, sugar, starches, a little salt, and only a incremental amount of real food value. I am in no way a food snob but, for me, real food wins every time.
Tracie
Feisty Foodie says
Haha, what I mean is Petit Organics, who provided all the baby food used to create the above dishes, is for busy moms. They basically do what you did, except they then package it to sell to busy moms. And they use all organic produce (which you may or may not have done as well). Overall, it’s a great concept, and one of those “Why didn’t I think of doing that?” moments 🙂
Nicole Feliciano says
I’m thrilled that the evening gave you so much material to work with. Aaron really inspired me too. We welcome all kinds of moms on Momtrends–you are always welcome!
T.C. says
Where’s the spinach puree/ baby food? ;P
Skippymom says
Wow – after reading all the comments I feel like a bad Mom. My kids actually liked [store bought] baby food – and they eat anything now [not picky eaters] especially fruits and veggies. The one baby food I refused to feed them was the meat paste. I have to agree, that stuff was NASTY. I wouldn’t give it to my dogs.
All of the food they prepared for this event looks so, so good. Such beautiful presentation. Nicely done.