My sweet little Mack is eight months old today. Time is really flying! For the past couple months I’ve been busy in the kitchen making special foods just for him, and it feels like deja vu – I swear it was just yesterday that I was doing the same thing for Evelyn. Unfortunately, he isn’t the kind of enthusiastic eater his sister was. I don’t want to call him picky because I am absolutely terrified at the prospect of having a child who won’t eat my homemade food. Let’s just say he has a mature palate. He’ll eat the food I make for him, but only if the food is interesting, inspired and time intensive.

Pureed sweet potatoes? No thanks. Sweet potatoes pureed with blueberry and homemade yogurt? Giddy up!
Applesauce? Heck no. Homemade applesauce with a little cinnamon and nutmeg? Why, of course!

One of Mack’s current favorites is also quite seasonal. I steam fresh pumpkin and puree it with some homemade apple sauce I jarred in September. He can’t get enough of it.

The little guy also seems to be quite fond of the many soups I make. A quick whir with the immersion blender makes any soup easy for him to eat. On Sunday I made a hearty potato soup the whole family enjoyed.

My Potato Soup
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, washed and cut (leave the peels on)
5 tablespoons butter
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
5 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1 bay leaf
A few slices of bacon, cooked till crisp and crumbled

Drop cut potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Remove from heat and drain. Put potatoes in a large bowl, and return pot to stove.

Drop butter into pot and melt over medium heat. Add celery, carrot and onion. Cook until the vegetables are softened. Whisk flour (or cornstarch) into butter-veggie mix until well incorporated. Add chicken broth, two cups of water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.

Add potatoes and milk. Stir well, mushing up the potatoes a bit to thicken the soup. Ladle into bowls and top with bacon. To add an extra kick, I shook in some spicy Tony Cachere seasoning (after I pureed a batch for Mack!).