I have acquired a huge amount of Gerber instant baby cereal (rice, oat, and barley) that I do NOT want to feed my baby. I never did baby food, and don't want to start! But, I WOULD like to get some recipes for using the stuff in baked goods. Has anyone tried it? (I suppose this goes along the same lines as using formula samples in quiche and pancakes?) Any specifics or reccomendations?

-- Becky Michelsen (beckymom@kjsl.com), February 01, 2000

Answers

I dont know if this will help but I love the rice cereal mixed with a little sugar and milk .You could probally mix a little in most recipes.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), February 01, 2000.

We used to use it as bushwalking (Australian, trekking - New Zealand, don't know what you call it) food - mix with milk powder, some sugar, water - instant nourishing no-cook breakfast - didn't taste like much, but it was food, and it was fast. Canned fruit would help.

As a cooking ingredient, try substituting some in biscuit (cookie?) recipes, or in moist cake mixes, or as the "breadcrumbs" in poultry stuffing. You could try it in blancmange if you can find a recipe, and if you like blancmange - I don't, but that's mainly because blancmange has about as much taste as baby cereal.

If you're into frugal living, use it with extra water to "stretch" pasta sauces, or to make meatloaf or rissoles - just add a little extra herbs and onion or garlic as well. Most of us eat more protein than we need anyway, and unless you're real careful that also means more animal fat. This could help.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), February 02, 2000.

I bet it would make a good sponge for bread. Mix it with water and yeast, a little honey, and salt, and let it grow bubbly. Then add the rest of your flour and oil, and knead. I would try it.

-- Mary Fraley (kmfraley@orwell.net), February 03, 2000.

I you have baby animals around, baby food is sometimes a good addition to their diet too, esp. if they haven't been feeling well. I have added baby cereal, just enough to thicken it up a bit, to baby goats that are getting over the scours (loose stools). It seems to settle the bowls some, and gives them a bit of extra nutrition (the oatmeal kind is especially good for this). I cut tiny cross slits in an old lamb bottle nipple to feed this combo, as the milk-cereal combo was too thick to go thru the normally sized holes. I like the bread idea--I bet the yeast would really take off!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), February 06, 2000.

Use it to thicken soups, stews and gravies.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), May 31, 2000.

Use it as part of your breading for fish. Use it to thicken things. Use it in meatloaf, sloppy Joe's, stews, taco filling. Add a cup of it to bread dough. Cut it with shortening and a pinch of sugar for pie crusts. Or make potpies w/that as crust. Stir it into mashed potatoes. It is superfine grain; use it wherever flour would be used. Sure, pancakes. Cut it with regular oatmeal for hot cereal. Thicken homemade yogurt with it.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), May 31, 2000.

I use my leftover baby cereal (baby won't eat it now that he's self feeding) in anything that calls for flour. In french toast batter I throw some in with the eggs and milk and vanilla to make a nice batter coating for the bread. In regular recipes I substitute the cereal for part of the flour called for. Its a good nutrient boost to bread, cookies etc. I also use it in the burgers etc for the kids as well as some grated sweet potato because my little ones are picky so this way I can relax and know they are getting as much nutrtion as I can pack into their finicky diets.

-- Alison Proteau (aproteau@istar.ca), September 21, 2000.

Don't know how this would taste, am waiting on a booklet of recipes Gerber is sending me.

2 Tbs Shortening 1/2 C. sugar 1 egg 1tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp water 1 1/2 C. baby cereal

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and water. Mix until well blended. Gradually stir in cereal. Knead until smooth. Pat into rectangle. Cut into 12 1" bars, smooth edges so they will not be sharp. Place on ungreased sheet. Bake 20-30 min or until dry. Store in uncovered container overnight.

-- RAchel (ECase14507@aol.com), January 19, 2001.