This website has a wealth of information on what to feed your baby, how to prepare and store it, etc.
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solids.htmRebecca, if you're planning to make your own baby food instead of buying jarred food, you might consider getting a book to help you out. I've heard good things about Annabel Karmel's book, and I used Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It has tons of info in it and is intended for babies new to solids all the way through toddlerhood. If you plan to make your own, skip carrots, green beans, and peas for now...homemade carrots aren't safe until your baby is older, and it's darn near impossible to get a smooth consistency with peas and green beans. Some of Tyler's first homemade purees were sweet potato, squash, avocado, and banana.
Tannis, you're correct, most people do start with rice or other baby cereal. It's not required, but it does help ease some babies' transition into solid food because it can be mixed with formula or breastmilk, an already-familiar taste, and you can easily control the consistency. It's okay if you're LO doesn't like rice cereal, you can try any other single-grain baby cereal (oatmeal, barley, etc), provided you wait a few days in between introductions to watch for allergies and tummy problems.