Try a Recipe from Norah O’Donnell & Geoff Tracy’s Cookbook, Baby Love

Courtesy St. Martin’s Press

Earlier this week we told you about Baby Love, a new cookbook from NBC’s Norah O’Donnell and her chef husband, Geoff Tracy.

The how-to outlines easy ways to make baby food at home, with footnotes from Tracy offering tips on preparation and more.

“I share certain techniques in the book that teach people to be faster in the kitchen,” Tracy (of Lia’s and Chef Geoff’s in D.C.) tells PEOPLE Moms & Babies.

“It’s important to busy parents.” O’Donnell, 36, agrees. “I was surprised at how easy it was to make our own [food],” she says. “One day when you have an hour of free time, you can bang it out. It’s simple.”

It’s cheaper, too! “From a cost perspective, it’s less expensive to produce the food than it is to buy the packaged products,” Tracy explains. “It’s better from an environmental perspective, too — you’re not producing waste with baby jars.”

Though the couple’s daughters Riley Norah, 2, and Grace, 3, love their fresh fruits and veggies, son Henry, also 3 (and Grace’s twin!) has found them harder to swallow. “I’ve taught him to say ‘No thanks’ instead of ‘Yucky’,” O’Donnell laughs. “We suppose two out of three ain’t bad!”

Regardless, the family is dedicated to filling up on healthful snacks, and they’re sharing a recipe for one with us!

Courtesy St. Martin’s Press

Very Blueberry and Apple, AKA “Don’t eat this on the white carpet Blueberry and Apple”

For children 8 months plus, Yield 32 oz.

4 apples, 1 cup fresh blueberries, 8 oz. water or apple juice

1. Wash and peel the apples (peeling is optional) 2. Cut each apple in half 3. Remove the seeds and stem with a melon baller 4. Cut each half into 6 pieces 5. Look over blueberries for stems 6. Put the apple pieces, blueberries, and juice into a 4-qt. pot 7. Turn the burner on high and cover with a lid 8. Cook for approximately 8 minutes, stirring once 9. Pour everything into the blender; purée until smooth 10. Pour into two ice cube trays and allow to cool 11. Wrap and freeze

— Kate Hogan

Comments

I know this has nothing to do with the story, but I get so skeeved out by men in thong sandals. LOL.

- Michelle Z. on September 3rd, 2010

MIchelle I had the SAME thought. Although he looks a lot less creepy in this picture than in the one where they were in the kitchen.

- Jennifer on September 3rd, 2010

11 steps on how to make applesauce? Really, really?

Making baby food is one of the easiest things in the world. I just throw whatever the rest of the family has for dinner into a blender and voila, baby’s dinner served! That or just steam (insert fruit/veg) and blend.

- babymama on September 3rd, 2010

Oh My God, that is the most beautiful family ever!! The kids are just adorable and the parents are good looking too! They seem very nice and down to earth.

- Erika on September 3rd, 2010

With the twins having names like Grace and Henry (classic names) I’m surprised that the younger one is named Riley, which is a really trendy name. It would have matched better if they had named her the middle name – Norah. But then again, I have a thing about sibling’s names at least sounding like they go together.

- Shawna on September 3rd, 2010

Norah has the best laugh! I love watching her, especially during an election season. She’s super smart and seems very down to earth. Beautiful family. And a chef for a husband? Aces!

- Erin on September 3rd, 2010

@Shawna I named my daughter Riley because it was my maiden name, not because it was trendy. In fact it irks me a bit that it’s so trendy especially when it’s spelled Rylee, Ryleigh or other crazy ways… Norah doesn’t make much sense either considering it’s mom’s name.

I’m sort of over all these “celebrity” cookbooks.

- Jennifer on September 3rd, 2010

Shawna, Riley is actually named in honor of Tim Russert, Norah’s friend and coworker. I think it is a beautiful tribute.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2014918,00.html

Tim Russert’s death must have come as a terrible shock to you at NBC.

It was, and I think about him so often. He died just two weeks before my third child, Riley, was born. And I had started an early maternity leave, so I was out of the office that day. David Gregory was the one to tell me that Tim had died, and of course I ended up going back to the office and anchoring some of our coverage.

Tim was the one who knew, [after] I had just had the twins, [that] four months later I was pregnant again. I was really very embarrassed about going into work and telling them. So I was five months pregnant, and my husband said, “You need to tell Tim that you’re pregnant.” So I finally got up the courage to tell Tim. And of course he was so wonderful and fabulous. He loved children. I mean, anytime my twins would come in, he would literally spend, like, an hour with them, playing with them as they were babies. So he was excited. And he said to me, “If I’d ever had a girl, I would have named her Riley.” And so that day I went home and told Geoff that, and I asked, “Is that a good name?” Geoff said, “Yes, that’s a good name.” Tim died two weeks before Riley was born, so I never got to tell him that we did name her Riley.

- Kristin on September 3rd, 2010

Funny, but this pic looks more like an advertisement from the 1950s than a real family to me… kind of too “squeaky clean”… Pleasantville anyone?

- V.K. on September 3rd, 2010

This is a beautiful family but once again they look waxy but not as bad as the last photo we seen of them ….. they need to fire whomever took these pictures ……

- Bancie1031 on September 3rd, 2010

Those photos are creeping me out!! I don’t know who thought touching them up that much was a good idea. It looks SO unnatural!

- Elle on September 3rd, 2010

I don’t know them at all, but I was reading the blog and read the article you shared Kristen. Oh my gosh….I got tears in my eyes. That is one of the most beautiful stories and the babies name has so much meaning. Amazing.

- Jill on September 4th, 2010

Yeah, this whole “making baby food in steps” thing is way more complicated than what I did as a nanny… Which was to steam vegetables and fruit lightly in the microwave with a teaspoon or so of water, then use the KidCo Food Mill to grind it all up. Chachi ate those carrots and broccoli and cauliflower like it was all going out of style. And it took, like, 15 minutes from chopping, to microwaving to grinding. And I served him the same bowl I used to microwave the stuff.

- Jen DC on September 4th, 2010

Stepford family!

- Rye on September 4th, 2010

They look like a nice family. I don’t get the criticism.

- Tess on September 4th, 2010

they have the most beautiful kids, and I love how each of them have a different head of hair.

- kait on September 5th, 2010

Kristin, that’s such a beautiful story. Thanks for posting it.

It’s a very nice photo, but the thong sandals and bare feet don’t go well with their attire.

- Sheryl on September 5th, 2010

I dont think their family picture or baby names have anything to do with it……… Anyways… back to the main topic…. This cookbook is amazing if you are just starting out making all of your babies food. Ive used this cookbook since Zoey was 3 months old, and love it. All the exposure to a wide variety of food was a goal of mine, and because of the aide of this cookbook i have succeeded. Thank you Geoff and Norah!

- Abby on January 29th, 2012