Okay, it's important to bear in mind that Annabel Karmel is British - she lives and works in Britain, where child feeding guidelines are obviously different. This information is clearly stated in the book. I don't think she has disdain for AAP (American Academy of Pediatric) guidelines ... not everything revolves around America, folks! So keep that in mind as you consider which recipes to make for your baby.

That said, much of the nutritional information in the book is solid, and the recipes are indeed easy, healthy and delicious. I've used it again and again, and I love it - and so does my baby.

This book is a must have for all moms! I went to work right a way once I got the book. My daughter (4 months) really enjoyed watching me make her baby food. Annabel Karmel is brilliant! I have other books of hers and love them. She has great ideas for all ages and makes it fun to provide the best for your child. There is no need to go out and buy all kinds of equipment. She makes it very simple.

This is a good reference for where to start. I was looking for the basics of what to start when, how to prepare each item (steam, boil, no cook, etc.) and a little detail about what combinations work. This is exactly what I got.

I agree with other reviewers that a few of her recommendations are against pediatrician recommendations but I suspect that anyone who actually takes the time to make their own baby food, is likely to do more reading and research than this book alone in addition to talking with their pediatrician.

I got this book but DO NOT believe the ages! Babies ARE NOT supposed to have eggs before 1 year and she says 6-7 months. There are awesome recipes I will use though just not when she says. Also it says you MUST introduce solids at 6 months and really you don't have to in the first year if you're breastfeeding some babies aren't interested! The signs for being ready are contrary to what any nutritionist will tell you decreasing time at the breast or more frequent feedings could mean a growth spurt otr a nursing strike or something else! The true signs are that they are 6 months or older, can sit with a little support, keep their bottom lip out when a spoon is put in, and doesn't push food or spoon out with tongue. These aren't even mentioned!

This book is easy and simple to follow. Meals are easy to prepare and cook. I can normally prepare a "batch" of one meal and let simmer or cook while preparing dinner for the rest of my family. I like that the recipes do not have lots of ingredients in them which makes them so simple. Layout of the book is great and pictures are nice too. Great book overall.

Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook (Organic) I also like this other book.

I absolutely love this book! I didn't realize how much I'd enjoy making my son's baby food from scratch. The recipes are easy to follow with additional tips for substitutions and nutritional information. And they taste great! My son has loved everything I've made so far. I also appreciated the general information about starting solids at the beginning of the book.

I really like the photographs and layout of the book, too. I realize that may not be as important to mention, but I like a cookbook that shows me what the dish is supposed to look like. I also purchased another baby food book for the blender and I haven't used that one nearly as much.

I am a full time working basically single mom. I thought, "there is no way I can add making baby food to my list of things to do! I am just too busy!!" But as soon as I got this book, I began. And it's been 3 weeks straight of preparing my own home-made food for my 7 month old son....who has LOVED EVERY SINGLE THING.
I made the pears-apple-cinnamon recipe...and took leftovers to work for myself! hehe
It is very easy to follow, great recipes, easy to read through, organized well, and I don't have a single complaint. Thank you Ms. Karmel for giving me the tools to do it myself. :-)

A must have when making your own baby food. You can use the recipes to fit your own needs. I used it for a reference when making my own foods. There are basic recipes and some off the wall ones too. Very interesting what combinations of foods you can make. Making your own baby food seems complicated but it's easier than it looks and it's so much better for your baby. I make it a point to taste everything I feed her and you'll be surprised how disgusting jar baby food tastes. It can be quite repulsive. But making your own especially from organic produce is very delicious. Why would you feed your child something you wouldn't eat?

Although I am becoming a better cook, I don't know a whole lot. This book helped me decide what was age appropriate, what was healthy, what to use and how to prepare it. The only reason I gave a 4 instead of a 5 is because a few of the recipes seemed to be incomplete (missing the last step).

I purchased this book because I wanted more ideas on the baby food I could make for my daughter. Some of the recipes are great, others are very basic - I personally didn't need a cook book to teach me how to boil and puree carrots.
Also I found that some of her recommendations are not in line with what my pediatrician recommends. For example I was told by my pediatrician to avoid giving carrots (even organic) because of the high level of nitrates in them, but I find that a lot of her recipes have carrots.

The meat and fish recipes were great, it gave me a good starting point to introduce those into my daughter's diet. I wish there were more recipes with beans and lentils.
I have used a limited number of recipes in this book but the ones I've used were great, and now I use them as a base and make my own variations.

I liked the easy instructions and my little one enjoyed my efforts.
You can use your blender, but I bought a little hand held one to make my baby food.

I had been looking for a book that was resourceful in terms of information about homemade baby foods. This had great recipes to start with as well as nutritional information. I'm looking forward to many happy meals with my daughter! (I also have another of the author's book which was equally excellent.)

I got this for my daughter for her first baby. Don't know yet how it's working.
Not about this purchase but I'm new to ebay as far as buying I did try to sell once. I ordered a baby High chair and the price was really good. So I figured I'd be seeing it soon. Then I got a email from the "seller" and he asked me how I was going to get it in Georgia. I explained the situation and offered to let him keep $5.00 of it and I would pay for the price of sending it.
That was about almost 2 wks I thinkh and I've never heard from him and I've sent emails but they keep coming back. It's not the point so much of the money, is if he is selling to people not to get around real well then maybe he should be notified of this. I did email him about this. I have to close now to get off this uncomfotable seat. I'm not going to be super upset if that money is not seen but how he afverstisers and his rating is like 97 or something. Thank you, Rebecca Sinclair

This book is so great. It has helpful tips on which foods are age appropriate. It tells you how to cook simple things. And has very easy recipes like banana and avocado (which I never would have thought of myself). This is the only baby cookbook you will need. :)

I love this puree book. It has some wonderful ideas, keeps instructions simple and the pictures are great. This is a handy reference for those who want to make their baby's own food.

I've probably used every puree recipe mentioned in the book and they are all great!!! I'm a very careful mom when it comes to cooking a meal for my son cause he is sensitive to some vegetables and fruits, but I find it very easy to remove certain items while cooking a recipe from the book and it still tastes GREAT! I totally recommend it for busy moms like me, who have no time to plan and cook for a meal. The book offers simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store, and the recipes are very healthy and very simple to make!!

We absolutely love it and we're looking for more Annabel books!

This book offers wonderful ideas. I only use a handful of them but the book was still worth it!

I literally have used this book every day since my baby started eating baby food. He's almost a year now and I believe he is the healthiest he could be due to me making his food. I have bought this book for my pregnant friends and recommended it to other moms. You can simplify most of the recipes to make them quicker to prepare if you're short on time. Great buy!!

I have had a lot of fun with this book so far. It's nicely put together and has great visuals too. I have just started feeding our baby solids so I haven't gotten to make much more than the cooked veggies, apples and cinnamon and uncooked fruits such as banana and avocado but this book will come in handy for the stages ahead when he eats more complex meals. It sure saves a lot of money making your own and I feel better knowing exactly what he's eating, how fresh it is and that I am not contributing all those glass jars to the landfills or having to recycle them. I've tried jarred baby food and it's not very tasty. The fresh food I have made I would eat myself so no wonder he goes crazy for it. This is a great little book. You won't be disapointed.

I love this book because it gives me the opportunity to know exactly what's going into my baby's diet. Not only does it provide recipes which use grocery items that me and the husband already buy, but it also includes informative nutrition information about the phytonutrients in the food.

However, be warned that the cheese sauce calls for milk, which due to its high number of proteins can cause an allergic reaction in children under the age of 2. A way around this is to follow the recipe for cheese sauce except leave out the milk and flour - it blends just as well.

I think this book lives up to the reviews here.
Great photos - a must for me. Good recipes for every stage. Simple and good.

Anyone who said these recipes were too complicated are probably use to boxed preservative meals and TV dinners. These recipes are easy, though I do substitute any ingrediant calling for chicken stock with water. One problem is the onions are too strong of a taste for such a little baby so I start to omit it from the recipes.

I do like this book, it has a lot of info. I actually typed in home made baby food and found better things all online but the book is nice.

This nifty little book makes it easy to make the jump from feeding your baby green gloop that grows in jars to feeding you baby stuff that (gasp!) you can make yourself and your baby will actually like. I mean, no wonder kiddo doesn't like to eat something that's been sitting on the shelf for six months. Have you ever tasted some of those baby "foods" yourself? Wallpaper paste. I'm tellin' ya. Wallpaper paste.

Simple instructions make it easy to make and feed fresh organic foods to your baby. Explanations of what foods contain which kinds of nutrition help you make good food choices. Easy freezing instructions where applicable help add to convenience. Everything you need equipment-wise to follow these recipes is probably already in your kitchen. All the ingredients can easily be found at any grocery store.

Also, there is a section on the special feeding needs of preemies, which I was glad to see, since my son was a 32-weeker

In any case, where are you going to find banana-papaya baby food commercially? And that's my son's favorite. He giggles when he eats it.

The only reason I didn't give five stars is because I also have some questions about the appropriateness of feeding certain items to a less than 12 month old, like cheese and other milk products. I share with some other reviewers the urge to be careful with some recipes.

I would have had to give four stars anyway, because of the multiple pictures in the book of the author feeding her baby in a perfect pink 29 layer merengue and bows outfit with no food spatter anywhere. As if.

If you have no idea how to make the home-made baby food then this is a good starter's book. The idea of the whole thing is more or less the same but once you read it and you can do your own alteration.

If you are going to make your own baby food this book is a must. It starts out with simple purees and moves on to a little more substancial foods - all great for baby's first year. I branches out to foods that you wouldn't normally think to feed a baby, i.e. avacados, fish, etc. The pictures are nice and the recipes are easy to follow. I would buy a hand emmersion blender if you don't already have one. I have only found 1 recipe that my son does not like. My family also likes to taste the foods I make from this book. I also like to use the Deceptively delicious book by Jessica Sienfield - I can make the purees for the baby and then also use them in the recipes in Jessica's book.

This book was recommended to me by my girlfriend who has 2 boys who eat really well as a reference for more adventurous recipies. It is well presented and has some great recipies and combination ideas especially once you have introduced some of the basic foods. I also enjoyed the tips and food facts which you are given with the recipies themselves. My only concern was the inclusion of things like tomatoes and citrus fruits (strawberries, blueberries) at 6-7 months as these are possibly allergic foods and I personally wouldn't introduce them that early. However, there is a good introduction that goes over allergies, starting solids etc which is worth reading first. I am sure that this will be well used in the future!

This is a great book and the pictures are a nice touch as well. A friend lent it to me to read and I liked it so much, I purchased one for myself and another two to give as gifts for friends/family. I reference it almost daily for recipes or general information on baby nutrition and preparation/storage of her food.

I love this book. The recipes are easy and so much better for my son than all the over processed food they sell in the store. Easy to whip up on the weekends and freeze to serve during the week!

Out of all the books I have checked out for making your own baby food, this book was the most simple & well organized of them all. It broke things down by ages/stages and was not too filled with "Getting started" topics. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make their own baby food!

I love this book. It is very helpful and not only has recipes but info on the growth and nutrional needs for your baby.

For example, there are recipes with fish and cheese for ages 7-9, while fish are not reccomended for babies until 2 years of age and cheese for babies until 12 months. Then scrambled eggs for ages 9-12 months - babies should not have egg whites until 12 months and the later you introduce them the better. The author might be a good cook, but she definitely doesn't know anything about what are babies NOT supposed to eat to prevent allergies and other problems.

Some of the vegetable and fruit combinations were creative in this book, and it certainly has pretty pictures, but in terms of providing useful information and recipes, it was a real disappointment, and at times even insultingly silly: I.e., How to make banana mush: take a banana, peel it, and mash it with a fork and serve. Now, why would someone need to explain this in a book? I suppose if you really are at a loss in a kitchen, this book might offer some useful advice, but it is not for anyone who has even a minimum of cooking experience.

This book is excellent value and full of great ideas and baby meals. So easy to do and safe in the knowledge that you are doing the right thing for your baby. Would definately recommend this for someone who is just weaning their baby and wants to give them a great start to the world of taste and enjoyment.

Love it. Lots of ideas specially for people that hate the kitchen like me and don't have very good cooking ideas.
The fact that tells you what is suitable for freezing or not is very helpful. I have tried the recipes before giving them to the baby and they actually taste good.

A friend of my husband gave us this book & it has been great. I made the carrots, applesauce, butternut squash, pears & peas (in that order) and our baby eats with no problems. I have tasted everything and it is all delicious. My sister-in-law, who has a 7-year old child and plans to have another baby, tasted the pears and said she will "never" buy any pre-made baby food ever again! Some people in my family think I am trying to be like Martha Stewart, but trust me, it takes no time to prepare, with the assistance of a small electric hand blender/food processor. You will feel good that your baby has fresh, preservative-free foods. I strongly encourage any new mother to try it!

For me this book vas very usefull. It gave me ideeas for so many recipes

This book really got me excited for the babyfood making process. It has great pictures and recipies that sound really good. My baby has tried and loved a few of them so far. The only negative thing I would say is that a few of the foods in the recipies for the younger babies should really not be introduced until later. But as long as you do your research and know what not to give your baby until when, then this is a good resource.

I am happy with the book. I needed advice on which fruits/veggies to start on and which to graduate to. The book leaves me with little to have to figure out on my own! THat's what I need. It tells me what I can freeze and what I can't, what I need to mix with breastmilk or formula and what I can just mash up the way it is. I recommend it if you are going to make your own food! I use it with the baby food processor and it's just right!

this book is great but if you want recipes for all ages (4 months through 3 years or so) get "super food" book by the same author, has many puree recipes as well as alot more.

I wish I had purchased this book when my baby was younger. She is 10 months and loves everything I have made her from this book. Initially she did not want to eat the food - I think because she was not used to baby food that has so much flavor. Now she loves them! I have tasted everything I have made her and would honestly eat these meals myself. When she is older and chewing foods, I will make these recipes is larger quantities for the entire family. I love that the meals can be frozen and I made several batches at once, so there is always a variety of foods at hand for her. I would recommend making the vagetable / chicken broth to use in the recipes - this adds so much more flavor to the foods than just using water.
You won't regret purchasing this book. My husband jokes that our baby eats better than we do:o)

I looked through many books so that I could make my daughter her own food. This book gives a lot of recipes. I'm happy that I chose this one.

I have to say this hasn't solved my issue of not knowing what foods to introduce when...but it is an easy to use cook book. My 7 month old likes everything I've made. It is by a British author, so some of the dishes I don't recognize, and won't make, but for the most part it's really concise and easy to use; the most important attribute for a mom with a baby is quick, easy, healthy, tasty!

I bought this for a friend who is expecting a baby and she loved it! She has a gluten intolerance so this cookbook will be very helpful for her and her husband. They loved it!

I sat in Barnes and Nobles for 1/2 an hour looking at different baby food cookbooks before I picked this one. I'm glad I picked this one because I love it! I like how the book is organized by age of child and lists if the foods can be frozen. I also like that the recipies are really simple, only a few ingredients and very easy cooking instructions. I make 3-4 weeks worth of food in about 2 hours & freeze it. It's cheaper than buying commercial foods & tastes a lot better. I tried the gerber banannas & the ones I made from the book & theres no comparision.

I modified some of the recipies to exclude the dairy & berries until my son is a little older. But overall this is a great book & I've been reccomending it to everyone.

This book is awesome. A quick word of advice for breastfeeding mothers. If you don't plan on feeding your baby a lot of solid foods until fully weaned do not make a lot of this food at one time. I made 5-6 recipes one day to stock my freezer, one month later I'm going to have to toss out some of it to make room for new foods as she is now 7 mo. old and ready to eat heavier stuff. The Trio of Vegetables recipe is a HIT and she voraciously eats it whenever I put that one in front of her. I love it too as it relieves any constipation she may get while breastfeeding.
I bought this book along with the "Blender Baby Food." Both are great, however this is my favorite as I like being able to see pictures. If you want to make your child's food please note, it IS easy and fun to do...I can't tell you how many people gave me a hard time for wanting to make my own and are now jealous that I don't have to go to the store, nor deal with all those empty jars. Ice cube tray's and ziplock bags are all that are needed to store the food. Highly recommended. You can probably get away with just this book as there are SO many recipes I doubt I'll ever get around to making them before she begins eating the real deal!

Great recipes and the baby seemed to like most of them. The pediatrician advised us that we should not feed certain foods to the baby before 1 year but many of those foods are present in dishes in this book. Also, some of the items are, for lack of a better word, oriented around British tastes and are a little foreign to what you might have in a typical American fridge. But all in all, if you want to make babyfood yourself, this is a helpful way to start.

I have yet to try the recipes in this book but have read through it. The layout is very well done, with cooking time, portion sizes and freezing recommendation for each meal. The meals looks rather simple to make, but also flavorful. I'm prety sure this will be a favorite once I actually put it to use.

Easy recipes, nice photos. The recipes are conveniently broken into ranges for age-appropriateness and also an indicator of whether or not they can be frozen.

I purchased this book and immediately tried the first recipe (the carrot puree) My 6 month baby loved the puree, but I didn't know that carrot stain is very hard to remove. It stained my baby's bib, clothes, and even her spoon! I exclusively breastfeed her and carrot is her first solid, so I didn't have any experience with stains at all. I just washed her clothes and bib in Dreft, but the stain stays. I just wish this book warned me about the stain so I could soak the clothes in Dreft before it became permanent.