Homemade Baby Formula

Lots of peeps have asked me for this recipe so I am posting it for all time.

I chose this formula because store bought creeps me out - food is not meant to have shelf life - just saying. And I don't believe in grain based formulas or milks. So the search was on! 

Here's my hunk-o-chuck-o-burning-love and my mini loves sippin' formula cocktails ;)

This formula was developed by a scientist and nutritionist who took several samples of breast milk and sent it to a lab to isolate exactly what was in it making it the best food on teh planet for babies, and to therefore attempt to duplicate it as closely as possible. 

On their website they have a side by side comparison of this formula (and a few of it's variations) & breastmilk samples It's astounding!! 

My babies absolutely thrive on it. I used it with Charlotte starting at 9 months because I became pregnant again (but lost that baby - sadness!) And I started using it with William around 14 months when I weaned him and he had suffered a crazy severe mouth injury damaging three teeth. When I rushed him to the Pediatric Dentist she told me he would most likely loose the tooth due to infection & nerve detachment. Not satisfied, I took him to my wonderful nutritionist/chiro (Dr. Eileen Kenny in Altadena, CA) who told me the same thing but if we could figure out a way to get him enough mouth adjustments, Vitamin C and OMEGAs  we might be able to save it. 

I immediately remembered this formula (up until this point I had just been giving him goat milk & molasses as that's perfectly fine as a base) and I doubled the oils and tripled the Vitamin C in his bottles and we were able to totally clear the infection and save the tooth!!! Xray proof! 

Dentist was amazed and called it a miracle and my nutritionist asked me to type up what I had done for her office so they could pass it out to patients seeking a formula after weening. Can't say enough good! 

Raw Milk Formula

_____ = heat in pan   ______ = kept in fridge    ______ = kept in cabinet

Ingredients:

1 and 7/8 cup water (basically 2 cups minus a tablespoon)

2 teaspoons gelatin

2 teaspoons coconut oil

4 tablespoons lactose (milk sugar)

 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

 ¼ teaspoon acerola powder (vitamin C)

 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil – unrefined

¼ teaspoon bifodobacterium infantis (probiotic)

 1 teaspoon cod-liver oil

1 teaspoon sunflower oil – unrefined

2 tablespoons Black strap molasses (Allie’s addition to correct low iron of goat milk)

2 cups raw cow milk* (I use goat milk)

 2 teaspoons raw cream* (optional – I don’t use, see below)

 ¼ cups whey* (recipe below)

Instructions:

1)   Heat first three ingredients (yellow) in a small pot to melt on medium low.

2)   While this is heating place remaining ingredients in a blender – starting with the first 4 (pink) as these won’t dirty your measuring spoon ;).

3)   When you are done measuring the remaining ingredients your first three should be done heating. Stir them well (gelatin tends to stick to the bottom of the pan) and then add to the blender.

4)   Blend – working up to high speed – for about 7-10 seconds or so until you feel it’s fully mixed.

5)   Immediately place in bottles and refrigerate.

6)   To serve (and it must be warm for all the oils to melt again properly) place bottle in a large cup or bowl of hot water for a few minutes, or bottle warmer.

Resources:

Notes: This whole process takes me 10 minutes including getting everything out of the fridge and cupboards and then fully cleaning up after myself. The first few times feel awkward but then it’s no big deal at all & you will embrace your new hippie ways. I keep the recipe posted on the inside cupboard & flip it open when making and have a quick system now. I keep all my products grouped together to make my system faster. Cod liver, sunflower, bifodobacterium infantis, whey, cream, and milk are all on one shelf in my fridge. The remaining ingredients are on another shelf in my cabinet. When I pull them out I keep them in two separate piles on my counter so I can quickly see what needs to be put back where. The recipe says it’s best to make it every day. I personally make a double-triple batch once a week to make my life a little easier but then again my son is 2 and drinks less. I have also heard of people making a few batches and freezing in breastmilk storage bags in their freezer for later use (brilliant).

Products: All products (except perishables) be purchased from RadientLifeCatalog.com. They have a package with everything you need (except perishables). I originally attempted to purchase products individually at other sites/stores and didn’t have a lot of luck - but it’s becoming easier with Amazon & Vitacost now carrying some of it. The raw milk and cream can be purchased from a Sprouts grocery store, several small health food stores, several Farmers Markets and the company we like, Organic Pastures, sells to co-ops and this is the cheapest way to buy. One way to find your local seller is to visit the Organic Pastures website. Or if you are using goat products these are easily attained from Trader Joes or any super market. I like Trader Joes goat products the best (by far!) but they are not raw. PLEASE NOTE: I don’t follow the recipe in their site exactly – please watch the video and refer the the site to get the exact recipe if you are using the goat version.

Videos: There are wonderful video tutorials on the Weston A Price Foundation website at http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula. This site also has a list of FAQs, and wonderful chart comparing this formula to breast milk (this made me feel SO GOOD about what I was doing!), and other great things to read. I watched the video before making it and it really helped.

Whey: It is incredibly easy to make. This process is shown in the video above. Line a bowl with a clean dish towel or a double layer of cheese cloth . Dump one carton of organic yogurt 32 oz (I use goat yogurt) inside the towel. Wrap it up and secure with a rubber band. Hook this strange bundle to a cabinet handle or knob or however your kitchen is set up - so the yogurt can drip into the bowl (I had hubs scream a hook to the underside of our cabinet). The liquid that drips out is whey, what remains will be homemade cream cheese – no waste!) Let this drip for 24 hours. Whey keeps for about 6 months and cream cheese for about a month – both in the refrigerator.. And while is sound super complicated and hippie – it isn’t complicated….it is super hippie J And my husband loves to tease me.

* All of the dairy products I use are goat or goat based. My family is allergic to casin, which is cow milk protein.