Here is a really easy recipe for making your own organic brown rice ceral as a first solid for your baby fromt he book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron:
Here's the "Super Porridge brown rice cereal" recipe:
-Talk to your pediatrician about fortifying with iron drops if you are exclusively breastfeeding. This recipe does not provide enough iron for a baby 6 months old. Also, the babies digestive system is not mature enough to digest this until at least 6 months old.
- Buy organic brown rice for this recipe.
- Boil one cup of water
- While it's heating to boil, measure 1/4 cup of organic brown rice into your blender or cuisinart and grind well for 2 minutes - make sure you wait the whole 2 minutes so that it grinds fine enough. (* You can grind a big batch of rice ahead of time by storing it in a sealed sterile glass jar in the fridge - it will keep for up to one month, then all you have to do is measure out 3 to 4 tablespoons each time you make it)Also note, that grinding is easier when you do it in 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup increments.
-When the water starts to boil turn the heat down to the lowest setting and sprinkle the rice powder in while stirring briskly with a wire whisk. To prevent a boilover you can also take the pot completely off the burner while pouring in the rice powder and stir for 1 minute until it stops boiling.
-Cover the pot and keep it over low heat for ten minutes.
-Stir frequently to remove any lumps and when you open the lid to stir pour the condensation back into the cereal.
- After the cereal cooks for 10 mins. On low heat it's ready. You should thin it out to the consistency of liquid by adding iron fortified formula, breastmilk, or water. One cup of water and 1/4 cup rice makes a little more than 1 cup of cereal or 2, 1/2 cup servings. You may want to keep the cereal in the fridge until mealtime, or you can divide it into individual microwaveable bowls and refrigerate. Make sure the cereal is covered the fridge so it doesn't dry out.
- Cooked Super Porridge keeps in the fridge for 2 -3 days. If your baby is ready to eat right after cooking it; make sure it has cooled to room temperature before feeding it to her.
-As baby grows you can double the recipe and when the baby is 7 months old you can feed her cereals with mixed graind such as rice and millet.
