Mommyhood Essentials

Dehydrated Persimmon Slices

2012-01-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

We have this gorgeous persimmon tree in our backyard. The fruit of the hachiya variety is very astringent and makes your tongue feel furry if eaten straight off the tree. However, if you do something to them, they are quite tasty.

This year we did not have a very good yield because of a freak hail storm in October that dented the fruit causing them to rot faster than normal otherwise they hang like beautiful ornaments on the tree all winter long. I love this tree and this year I am learning that they are for more than making cookies, or looking pretty on the tree.

We had a few lone persimmons left on our tree that the birds hadn't decided to eat. However they weren't quite ripe enough to turn into puree. A friend told me to dehydrate them. So I did. Oh. My. Goodness! Such a great - dare I say it - genius idea. If you like dried apples or dried papaya, then you will most likely enjoy these.

It is so very easy to dehydrate these. All you need is a trusty dehydrator and something to slice with. Really that pretty much is it. I sliced the fruit horizontally into slices about an 1/8 of an inch thick and placed the slices on the dehydrator trays. Don't they look so pretty?

I plugged the thing in and at the end of the day they looked like this.

The kids insisted I do this with more of them next year. I will do their bidding. These are so good, I wish I had more fruit on the tree.

Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas

2012-01-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

We love quesadillas around here. Any excuse to eat melted cheese is welcome. When you make a plain cheese quesadilla with nothing else, it is so boring. And if you make it with a corn tortilla, it is even more boring. However if you add fun and exciting things like black beans or chicken or avocado or olives or… well I am sure you get the idea. One of our go to additions is black beans and corn.

Here is what you need:

Tortillas one for each quesadilla, you can use any kind of tortilla you wish. If you use corn, be aware that they will break in half very easily when they are not heated.

Butter or margarine.

Grated cheese. I have cheddar in the picture but any combination of cheddar, jack, pepper jack, Colby or even mozzarella will do. I use about ¼ cup per quesadilla I think. I never measure, I just sprinkle, er um, pile it on.

Frozen corn about 2 cups

1 can of black beans drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon or so of taco seasoning (store bought or you can make your own.)

Here is what you do:

In a bowl combine the black beans, frozen corn and the taco seasoning. Heat the mixture in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove just until the corn is no longer frozen; a minute or two in the microwave and probably about 5 on the stove.Spread a little butter on one side of the tortilla and place on the hot griddle or pan (about med high?) Whatever temp you would use for grilled cheese. On the Griddler (it’s like a Panini press), I set the temp to medium high.Sprinkle some cheese on the tortilla and then spoon a few table spoons of the bean/corn mixture on one side. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top of that and then gently fold over the side that doesn’t have the mixture. Let it cook for a few minutes until it is golden brown and then flip.

The second side only needs a couple of minutes.
The quesadilla is done when the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden on both sides.
You can put these on a Panini press and get the lovely grill marks with no need to flip. Just prep and then close the grill. They cook in half the time and look cool with the marks.

We eat these with salsa and sometimes sour cream or guacamole or even refried beans.

Gluten Free Persimmon Cookies

2012-01-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

We have a great persimmon tree in our backyard and we love baking with them, especially cookies. These cookies are moist and spread more than many persimmon cookie recipes I have found instead of staying like little cookie mounds. I like that you can eat them in more than just a bite or two. They are great plan or with a simple glaze spread on top.

I am still a novice when it comes to gluten free baking so I was extremely excited that they came out exactly as I was hoping.

Gluten Free Persimmon Cookies

Ingredient List:
1 ½ cup Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix (or other gluten free flour mix)
¼ tsp baking soda (if your flour mix doesn’t have baking soda in it, you will need to increase this to ½ tsp)
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 TBS butter
2 TBS applesauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup persimmon pulp
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 350
In a medium bowl mix the butter, applesauce and sugars together.
Add the egg, persimmon pulp, vanilla extract, maple syrup, spices and baking soda. Mix until completely combined.
Stir in the baking mix.
Your mixture will seem a bit wet kind of like thick muffin batter. This is what you want. If it is too dry add more applesauce or persimmon. If it is too wet, add a little bit more baking mix.
Drop by small cookie scoop onto a parchment lined (these will stick to the pan without it) cookie sheet. Make sure to leave room for them to spread out a bit.
Cook for about 10 minutes. Since ovens vary you need to keep watch. The edges should be golden brown when they are ready.
Glaze the cookies when cool if your heart desires. Mine always does.

Apricot Honey Glazed Chicken

2011-11-21T22:45:00.001-08:00

I made this chicken dish the other night. It was really yummy and I thought I would share. Also it is so incredibly quick and easy one could make this any day of the week. It is sweet and tangy and if you like heat you can add some cayenne to it for some sweet heat. This is great with rice pilaf and sauteed green beans. Or you can even use this as your meat for a great stir fry.

The Grocery List
4 Chicken Breasts
2 TBS Apricot Preserves
2 TBS Honey1 Manderin - or 1/2 an Orange
Salt & Pepper

Here's How to Make It
Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle them with some salt and pepper if you like. Some chili pepper right now would had a touch of heat to this dish. What ever you feel like. Throw them into a pan that has been drizzled with a touch of oil or sprayed with non-stick spray. Brown them on both sides and cook them until they are about 95% done. Then drizzle in the honey and plop in the apricot preserves and zest the outside of a mandarin and squeeze in the juice. If you are using an orange just use half. Stir it up with the chicken and let the mixture reduce and thicken. It takes a few minutes which is why you don't want to thoroughly cook the chicken before adding the sauce. Over cooking chicken is what makes it dry and nasty. You want juicy and yummy. When the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cook, take it out of the pan let it rest a couple of minutes and serve. That's it. So simple and yet so good.

The Best Zucchini Pancakes

2011-07-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Pancakes are a favorite in our house. I love making new and improved recipes on old favorites as well as make up completely new ideas. Last night we had these:

Zucchini Pancakes. I made them with just straight all purpose flour which is out of the norm but I put zucchini in them so that cancels out the unhealthy right?

Now, I am going to tell you the secret ingredient to amazingly awesome zucchini pancakes. Are you ready?

It's a lemon.

I know, I know you were going to say zucchini but that would be the obvious ingredient in Zucchini Pancakes. Lemon give the pancakes a burst of freshness and also helps make them completely light and fluffy which is, to me, the sign of a good pancake. (Aside from the taste of course.)

And these are light and fluffy and completely delicious. Topped with butter and swimming in syrupy goodness. Oh yummmmm.

Zucchini Pancakes

Ingredients

4 cups Flour (I used AP but you can use any combo of flours that you want)
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 scant teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 cups Milk
1/4 cup Oil or Melted Butter
4 Eggs
1 Lemon
2-3 Zucchini (depending on their size or 1 monster zucchini)

Grate the zucchini using the smaller holes on your grater. I use short strokes so the zucchini pieces are smaller. You want about 1/2 cup of grated zucchini per cup of flour or a little more if you want more zucchini in your pancakes. Whatever you are in the mood for.

In a bowl, dump in all the dry ingredients and stir them up. Add the zucchini.

Make sure your lemon is really clean and zest the entire lemon rind into the mix.

Stir it up a bit to get it all mixed.

Juice the now naked lemon.

Add all the wet ingredient to the bowl.

Stir it all up just until it is mixed. DO NOT over mix the batter. This is so crucial to getting perfectly light and fluffy pancakes instead of dense and chewy.

Make sure your favorite pancake pan or griddle is hot. The best way is to see if water can dance. If it has no moves, it isn't hot enough, if it sizzles and disappears then it is too hot.
Grease the pan ever so lightly if you need to then pour the batter by scant 1/2 cup fulls onto the pan.
In a minute or two they will be ready to flip when the edges start to dry out and you see bubbles starting to appear on the top.
Flip them gently and let them cook about a minute more, the bottom will be be all nice and golden and the middle will spring back if lightly pressed.

Stack them high slather them in butter and drench them in syrup. Then dig in.

Lemony Vanilla Cupcakes

2011-07-16T00:11:00.000-07:00

I have the great privilege of making cupcakes for a friend's wedding and it was time to practice. First I had to find a recipe that would be perfect for her wedding, one that tastes amazing but is simple, elegant, and fun at the same time. This task involved much time perusing the yummy food blogs and evaluating every recipe to see if it was worthy. I finally decided that I didn't really like any of the recipes for the occasion at hand and decided to write my own recipe. Oh my heavens, I am so glad I did. These turned out so yummy, they don't need frosting. Though some vanilla buttercream topped with candied lemon rind would be oh so perfect for them. However I didn't make any and it's late so I probably won't make any but it is on my list of things to make now. However with all the yummy foods I saw tonight, that list has grown from very very long to longer than Santa's List. (No kidding, Like these homemade Samoas. I stocked up on these when the Scouts were selling them, but I am sure I'll run out before March.) Anyway back to these cupcakes. They are lemony but not too lemony and vanilla-y but not over poweringly so and they aren't too sweet. They have a nice moist crumb which is perfect for a cupcake. I should just keep the recipe for myself but that would do the world such a disservice. Really these must be shared. So easy so quick and so yum. Phrases like, "These are the best cupcakes I've ever tasted!" were uttered at my house tonight as my loyal taste testers inhaled the small portions I gave them. So without anymore stalling, here is the recipe.

Lemony Vanilla Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt1 lemon
1/4 cup milk (I used evaporated milk to make it creamier.)2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour

Turn on your oven to 350 (remember oven temps and times may vary.) And line a muffin tin with cute cupcake liners.
Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Put the milk in a smaller bowl
Grate the lemon zest into the large bowl with the butter and sugar.
Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the bowl with the milk and let it sit for a minute.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the butter, sugar, and lemon zest.
Using a mixer, cream the butter/sugar mixture until it is light a fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the milk that now looks a bit lumpy. (It's okay don't freak out or anything, you made your own buttermilk.) Mix that all up.
Now add the flour a half cup at a time to the butter mixture alternating with the milk mixture beating in between.
Okay that was a tad confusing wasn't it? Here is how you do it. Add 1/2 cup of flour then mix it all in. Then add a bit of the milk mixture and beat that all in. Then add 1/2 cup of flour and mix. Then add some milk mixture and beat that in. Then the last 1/2 cup of flour and mix. Then the last of the milk and mix.
Don't over mix or you will have tough chewy cupcakes, which is not what you are going for.
Then scoop the batter into the muffin tin with cute liners. I use my large cookie scoop for this, it is the perfect size. Pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. I turn mine after 10 minutes to make sure they are cooking evenly. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Let them cool and enjoy with or without frosting.

Toaster Oven Snickerdoodles

2010-10-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

I love snickerdoodles. I love cinnamon, cookies, and I love saying the word, “Sinckerdoodle.” So I absolutely love these cookies.

The other night (a few months ago because I forgot to post this when I first wrote it), I was in the mood to bake some cookies but the house was the temperature of Venus (okay not quite but it felt like it) and turning on the oven was not something I wanted to do even though I really needed to bake out some frustration and snickerdoodles would be perfect. So, I decided to bake a small, tiny, miniscule batch of cookies in the toaster oven. Genius I tell you, pure genius. The toaster oven doesn’t give of nearly as much heat as the oven, I get to bake, and I get to eat snickerdoodles. It was the perfect plan. Except the recipe I have for Snickerdoodles makes a whole lot of cookies. Normally I bake big, really big so that is usually not an issue but when I only want a few cookies and I want to cook them in a small toaster oven I had a problem. So… I had to do some math equations first and reduce my recipe. It’s a good thing I love math. I thought I would share my little recipe that is perfect for the toaster oven.

First things first, prep your pan. I always use parchment paper on my pan when I am baking. It helps the bottoms cook more evenly, and keeps them from over browning before the middle and top of what I am making is cooked through. Parchment paper also always helps with clean up. I could do a whole post on the benefits and uses of parchment paper. The stuff is awesome.

Now on to cookie making. Gather your ingredients.

Ingredient List

¼ cup butter
¾ plus a few tablespoons flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg white
½ tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cream of tarter
Pinch of Kosher Salt

2 TBS sugar
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream the butter, and brown sugar until light a fluffy.

Add the egg white, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tarter and salt.

Mix until thoroughly combined.

Add the flour and stir until it looks like cookie dough.

Add a few more tablespoons of flour if it is too thin and sticky. Be careful not to add too much or you will have dry cookies.

Then scoop little mini cookies with a small cookie scoop. And chill for a bit, just until they are firm enough to work with.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a little bowl.

When the cookie dough is firm enough to handle, put the little balls of dough into the bowl one at a time making sure the entire cookie is coated in cinnamon sugar.

Place them on the cookie sheet for your toaster oven.

Cook the little morsels at 350 for about 6-10 minutes depending on your oven.

Take them out when they are golden brown and let cool.

Then serve them up in a pretty little dish that compliments their cuteness. Like this frosted martini glass that I coated the rim with cinnamon sugar.

Cheddar Rosemary Biscuits

2009-10-12T22:06:00.001-07:00

I have a slight love or maybe addiction for biscuits. Pillowy soft on the inside a slight golden brown crust on the outside and light and fluffy all the way through. Okay, I’ll admit it I know I need help. Tonight I made minestrone soup and I really wanted biscuits but wanted them to have an Italian flavor to them. However, I also wanted cheddar biscuits. It was an internal conflict I would quickly resolve with the creation of a new kind of biscuit.

Cheddar Rosemary Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter – cubed (cut into cute little squares)
¾ cup milk
1 Tbs lemon juice
½ tsp dry rosemary
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 cup finely shredded cheese (use the small grates on the cheese grater)

Combine the milk and the lemon juice and let sit. I measure the milk and then put the lemon juice in the cup and let it sit. This is how you “make” buttermilk. I don’t buy buttermilk anymore because I can never seem to use it fast enough. Anyway…

In the bowl of your food processor (if you don’t have one don’t worry, I can walk you through this) put the dry ingredients and the cubed butter. Make sure you have the blade in place first. Pulse everything together until it resembles course crumbs. Pour the mix into a mixing bowl. Add the cheese and mix it in evenly.

Okay if you don’t have a food processor, skip what you read above and just put everything into the mixing bowl.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture by using a pastry blender or two forks.

Make sure everything is well mixed now.

Add the cheese and mix it in evenly.

Then pour in the milk and with a fork gently incorporate it into the dry mixture. Mix just enough to make everything wet and hold together. Do not over work the dough or you will not get light and fluffy.

With a large cookie scoop also called a #20 disher, scoop the dough and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (If you don’t have parchment paper you really should get some, it makes all baked goods cook better on the bottom and the clean up is so easy.)

Make sure you space them apart a bit to account for them rising a spreading a bit. Place them into a 350 degree oven (You did turn it on before you started, right?) allowing them to bake for about 12 to 15 minutes. Check them at 10 minutes to help you gauge how long they need to stay in there. This makes 12 light and fluffy golden pillows of yumminess.

If you want more, this recipe does double easily. Or you can mix everything but the milk mixture ahead of time and put it in the fridge and make them the next day in no time.

Chicken Enchiladas

2009-07-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

This dish is great with rice and corn. My kids love these enchiladas and eat everything on their plate when I make this dish for dinner.

1 ½ cups sour cream
2 green onions chopped
1/3 cup cilantro chopped
1 small garlic clove minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bag spinach leaves
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips and cooked thoroughly
2 cups shredded cheddar/jack cheese (or more, I really don't measure this out)
10 flour tortillas or 14 corn tortillas
1 jar salsa

Prep chicken first. I like to have it already prepped and frozen then you just have to thaw it in the microwave.
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish with a bit of oil or cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, green onions, cilantro, cumin and if you want you can add Ortega chiles or a jalapeno chopped if you want.
Set up an assembly line to assemble the tortillas. If you are using corn tortillas, you will want to warm them up first so that they will not break when you are rolling everything up.
Assembly line: tortilla -sour cream mixture-spinach-chicken-cheese
Take your tortilla and spread a semi thin layer of the sour cream mixture on the whole thing.
Add a layer of spinach down the middle.
Add a layer of chicken strips down the middle.
Sprinkle the tortilla with cheese.
Roll it up loosely and place seam down in the pan.
Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. I can get ten enchiladas out of this.
Cover the pan with foil and cook for about 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and sprinkle with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Cook for about 10 more minutes. (I just turn off the oven and leave it in for 10 minutes.)
Serve with salsa and cilantro or chopped tomatoes or whatever you like.

I adapted this recipe from 101 Wraps and More's Chicken Enchilada recipe.

Potato Rolls

2009-04-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

These rolls are so light a fluffy they practically melt in your mouth.
Total prep time from start to finish is about 2 1/2 hours.

Potato Rolls

1 small russet potato peeled and cubed
¾ cup water
¾ cup milk
1 TBS lemon juice
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 ½ tsp)
3 cups all purpose flour plus extra for kneading and dusting the rolls
2 TBS sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter

Boil the potato and water in a small saucepan until it is soft and fork tender (about 10 minutes).

While the potato is cooking combine the milk and lemon juice and let sit so it can clabber.

Pour the cooked potato and water into a large bowl and mash the potato.

Stir in the sour milk and let it cool for a few minutes. It needs to be about 110° to keep the yeast from being killed.

Dissolve the yeast in the potato and let it stand for about 10 minutes.

Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to hold itself together.

Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface.

Cover and let it rest for five minutes. (I just put the bowl upside down over the top for this as the dough is fairly sticky.)

Uncover and knead the dough for about 5 minutes or more until it is smooth and elastic using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.

Form the dough into a ball and put it in a lightly butter bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place.

Let it rise for about 1 hour, until it is double in size.

Punch down the dough and put it out onto a very lightly floured surface.

Shape it with your hands into a rectangular log. Cut it into 16 even pieces.

Cover with a towel and let them rest for about 5 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter it.

Roll each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheet.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rest in a warm spot for about 20 minutes or until they are double in size.

Dust the rolls with a bit of flour.

Cook in a preheated 375° oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and puffy.

Mommy's Pumpkin Pie Recipe

2008-10-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

Here is my recipe for Pumpkin Pie. As this is pumpkin season I felt it appropriate to post. And it goes well with a pumpkin unit study.

3 unbaked 8 or 9 inch pie shells

1 ½ - cups sugar
1 TBS - ground cinnamon
1 tsp - ground ginger
¾ tsp - ground cloves
1 tsp - ground nutmeg
4 - large eggs
1 - 29 oz can pumpkin or 3 ½ cups pumpkin puree
2 - 12oz cans evaporated milk
1 - 8oz block softened cream cheese

In a small bowl, combine spices and sugar.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until well combined and very smooth. Add the eggs and beat until combined, then add the sugar mixture and mix thoroughly.

Carefully add the evaporated milk and continue beating until combined.

Carefully pour into the unbaked pie shells dividing mixture equally into the 3 shells.

Bake in a 425 preheated oven for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350 and finish cooking for about 45 minutes. Center will be set but may still jiggle like a cheese cake, or quiche. You do not want to wait until the center is completely firm as it will keep cooking after you take it out of the oven then be over done. A knife inserted into the middle will come out clean.

If making pie ahead, freeze the pumpkin and the shell separately and then thaw when ready. Make sure to mix the pumpkin mixture before pouring it into the shell.

Quick & Easy Rolls

2008-09-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

I love baking, it is a great stress reliever for me. Here is another baking recipe of mine that I thought I would share. These are quick and easy even though they look and taste like you spent all day on them. They need less than an hour of rising time and cook in about 15 minutes. So, you only need about an hour and a half total including clean up. So nice.

Quick & Easy Rolls

2 ½ -3 cups All-Purpose Flour

3 TBS Sugar

1 envelope Rapid Rise Yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

¾ tsp Salt

¾ cup Warm Water (105-115 degrees)

3 TBS Melted Butter

1 egg

In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast together with a fork.

Add water, melted butter, and egg.

Stir with a wooden spoon until it is a well-blended sticky mass.

Stir in more flour if needed to form soft dough.

Knead the dough until smooth and elastic on a floured surface. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from being too sticky (being careful not to add too much or it will become dry).

Shape dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled (or buttered) bowl. Turn the ball of dough around so that it is coated on all sides.

Cover the bowl with a damp towel (I like to use a tea towel for this) and place in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly grease a muffin tin and a half - this makes 18 clover rolls.

Punch dough down and divide it into 18 balls. I cut it in thirds (3), then third the thirds (9), then half each of those thirds (18).

Divide each ball of dough into 3 or 4 parts and place them in the muffin cup.

Repeat with the rest of the balls.

Cover with a damp towel again and put it in a warm area. (I usually put it on a cooling rack on top of my stove while the oven is preheating.) Let it rise for about 20 minutes.

Bake rolls for 10 to 15 minutes. The tops will be golden brown and they will sound hollow when tapped.

Brush the tops with melted butter.

Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Quick & Easy Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls

2008-07-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

I love making bread. Sometimes I do not have enough time to make bread but these only take a couple of hours total. If I start these at 4pm I can have them o the table with dinner at 6pm. You can freeze these but I don't think I have ever had any left over to freeze.

Quick and Yummy Dinner Rolls

1 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup+ White Flour (Plus more for kneading, dusting)

3 TBS Honey

1 envelope Rapid Rise Yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

¾ tsp Salt

¾ cup Warm Water (105-115 degrees)

2 TBS Melted Butter

1 egg

In a large bowl, mix the wheat flour, salt, and yeast together with a fork.
Add honey, water, melted butter, and egg.
Stir with a wooden spoon until it is a well-blended sticky mass.
Stir in the white flour adding more if needed to form soft dough.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic on a floured surface. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from being too sticky (being careful not to add too much or it will become dry).
Shape dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled (or buttered) bowl. Turn the ball of dough around so that it is coated on all sides.
Cover the bowl with a damp towel (I like to use a tea towel for this) and place in a warm place to rise for about 20 minutes.

At this point you can start the rest of dinner, change a diaper (wash your hands!), chase the baby, clean up the A&D ointment she found in the zipped diaper bag that she discovered how to use a zipper on and you had no idea.

Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Punch down dough and put it in the greased pan.
Pat the dough down into an even thickness then cut it into 16 squares.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cover with a damp towel again and put it in a warm area. (I usually put it on a cooling rack on top of my stove while the oven is preheating.) Let it rise for 20 minutes.

Again more dinner prep can be done. Or you can put away all of the puzzles pieces into the correct boxes after the baby decided that it would be more fun to put all of the puzzles together at the same time. Oh wait that takes so much more time. It might be easier to pull your hair out and cry. I know I did.

Lightly dust the top of the rolls with flour.
Bake rolls for 10 to 15 minutes. The tops will be golden brown and they will sound hollow when tapped.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe can be doubled easily.

These rolls can be frozen.

Wrap individual rolls in plastic wrap. Place all wrapped rolls in a zip-top freezer bag. Reheat them by taking them out of the plastic wrap and wrapping them in foil. Place in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Product Review - Avent Breastpump

2008-07-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

A good breast pump is essential for any mom who decides to nurse their baby. When I was first figuring out which breast pump to buy, I was pregnant with my first. This was 9 years ago now and it was slim pickings. There were not very many affordable choices and the expensive choices were only available through a lactation consultant. There were not many lactation consultants around at that time either.

Medela and Ameda breast pumps have been the preferred choice for many years but they are not that affordable. Something I have found is that most times, expensive does not actually mean better.

As I researched as much as I could about all of the pumps available at that time, I discovered a common thread. The moms I talked to said that they had the best pump around but they also said that it really hurt to pump out. The reviews I read said that the most expensive pumps that you could buy at a store were supposedly the best you could get. So… I knew I needed to either save up some extra money or find a better alternative. I found my pump at Target. I read the box that said it had massaging “petals” that helps stimulate milk flow. The box also said that this manual pump was just as effective at expressing milk as the electric ones. To top it off, it was less than $50! That is why I bought the Avent Isis breast pump. It was new to the US but had been around for a while.

I have to tell you, it is awesome. It is fast, effective and overall comfortable. Also, I have had mine for 4 kids and it still works. I love that you can pump directly into the bottle you want to use. I love that it is compact and easy to figure out. I also love that it didn't break the bank. I love nursing my little ones and I love that I can pump when I need to without it hurting. I know that many of the more expensive brands have improved tons since my son was born. I have seen many companies try to mimic what Avent has. This tells me that I made the right choice (not that my experience didn't already tell me).
If you are a nursing mom or will be a nursing mom, let me encourage you that nursing is one of the best decisions you can make for your baby. It is a lot of fun once you get the hang of it and there are great lactation consultants out there who can help you out when you have problems and questions.

Menu Monday - Cheesy Pasta Bake

2008-07-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Quick and easy meals are essential for any mommy to have in her survival kit. This is a perfect dish to make on a busy day. It is great for potlucks and for blessing new mommies with dinner as it travels well and makes great left-overs. I usually have all of the ingredients on hand so I can throw it together any time I need something quick and easy.

Cheesy Pasta Bake

16 oz bag of Penne Rigatte pasta
3-4 cups spegahtti sauce (meatless) - I just use a 26.5 oz can
1 small can sliced black olives
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grate parmasan cheese

Boil pasta according to package.
In a 9x13 pan, mix 1 1/2 cups mozarella, the parmassan, almost all of the olives (leave out a few to sprinkile on the top.) and the sauce.
Add the cooked, drained pasta making sure it is throughoughly mixed.
Sprinkle the rest of the mozarella and the remianing olives on top.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Serve with a green veggie and bread.

Tips for Summer Outings

2008-06-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

With the summer heat here I thought it would be appropriate to list 13 things to help with a summer outing. Whether you are just going to the park for an hour or going to an amusement park for the day, these tips should help you survive your day.

Bring a sippy or bottle of water for each little one. If you have a newborn and you are going to be out in the sun/heat, it is okay to let them have a tiny bit of water if they are hot or sweating. Tiny meaning no more than an ounce.
Bring extra water if you are going to be out for a long period of time.
Snacks! It is important to make sure you have food for your munchkins if you are going to be gone around a normal eating period for them. Mini carrots, apple slices, grapes or raisins if your little one can handle them. If they are too small for those whole grain crackers, bananas, or cheese sticks are also good snack choices.
Sunscreen. I like Aveeno sunscreen. Remember to ask your doctor about sunscreen on newborns.
Hats or sunglasses. Protect their eyes from the sun and hats help shade the face.
Something to cover up the seat in the car. I use a neat sheet for the back bench of the mini van and receiving blankets on the 2 car seats in the middle row. If you don't cover the seats they will be too hot and can actually give your baby a burn.
If you are doing a lot of walking, don't forget a stroller. And if you like your baby carrier.
Diapers and baby wipes. I love baby wipes and use them for so many more things than just changing diapers.
A change of clothes is important in case of accidents.
Plastic bags to contain messes.
Appropriate shoes. If you are walking or playing at the park, tennis shoes are the best shoes. (It really bothers me when I see kids at the park in flip-flops. That is an accident waiting to happen.) If you are going to the creek, water shoes are a must.
Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke so if your little one becomes over heated, you will know it. Learn what to do too. (I think I will post on this next.)
A squirt bottle with water in it. This is good if you know it is really hot and you need to cool down.

If You Give a Boy a Pancake...

2008-06-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

My son loves pancakes. He would eat them every day if I allowed. However, he is not a fan of produce. So... I put the produce in the pancakes. (genius I know) I have put everything from apples to zucchini in my pancakes. I thought I would share his favorite pancake of all:

Pumpkin Pancakes

4 1/2 cups flour*
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBS baking powder
1 TBS cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
3 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 TBS melted butter
2 TBS lemon juice
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Combine all of the dry ingredients together. Dump in all of the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened. You will see lumps, this is okay just drop the spoon/whisk and walk away. Resist the urge to stir the lumps out. If you stir too much you will have tough flat pancakes not fit for the dog. You want light and fluffy pancakes fit for your family and friends. On a barely buttered hot griddle pour 1/3 cups full of batter. Cook until the edges are set and you see bubbles on the top of your pancakes then flip. If the batter is too thin, add some flour a little at a time. If the batter is too thick add a little milk. This makes about 16 pancakes.

*Use any flour you think will taste good here. It can be all-purpose, whole wheat, graham or any combination. The more whole wheat you use, the more milk you may need.

Enjoy!

Butcher Paper is Essential

2008-05-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Butcher paper is an essential for this mommy. Why? Because butcher paper has a thousand and one uses. When we do a project like painting or dyeing Easter eggs, I put butcher paper on the table as a protective barrier. It works great at keeping the mess clean up to a minimum. A couple of years ago we used butcher paper as Christmas gift-wrap. I had the kids use cookie cutters as stamps. The kids stamped all over the paper in red and green shapes like trees, stars, bells, and other Christmas shapes. The kids had so much fun and they were so excited to use their wrapping paper for the presents they were giving. I have put two rows of butcher paper on top of each other on the wall to use like bulletin board paper and the kids filled it up with bulletin board projects. The kids love being able to show off their handy work like that. On Friday, the kids each got a large piece of the butcher paper and a bunch of tempera paint and I told them to have fun. They all painted whatever their little hearts desired. Their masterpieces are going on their bedroom walls for all to see.

If you do not have a roll of butcher paper, I highly recommend you get some. You can also make really, large paper airplanes with it. I have not tried it but I think that will be our next fun project. To see if ginormous paper airplanes can fly.

Menu Monday - Biscuits - yummy!!!

2008-04-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had Crockpot beans with ham. And my garlic cheese biscuits. (My version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits).
Here is that yummy recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup butter

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Measure the milk and add the lemon juice to the milk still in the measuring cup. Cut in the butter that needs to be cold but soft enough to cut in. (Cutting in is when you take a pastry blender and cut the butter causing the flour to coat the little pieces of butter. Or you can take two knives to do the same.) When the flour looks like a bunch of white peas, stir in the cheese with a fork to lightly but evenly mix it all together. Pour in the milk/lemon juice at once and stir with the fork very lightly until mixed. DO NOT over mix the dough. You do not want to handle it any more than necessary to keep the light a fluffiness of the finished biscuit. Scoop out the dough with a #20 disher also known as a large cookie scoop it has the capacity of 3 tablespoons. Place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 to 12 minutes depending on your oven. They are done when they turn golden brown and yummy. While they are baking - melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic (this depends on your taste for garlic) in a little bowl. As soon as the biscuits are done, brush them with the garlic butter.

And enjoy! This recipe makes 12 exactly and is really easy to double. This recipe is so quick and easy you can make it last minute for dinner any day of the week. I love biscuits of every type and will make some whenever I get the chance.

Menu Monday - Polenta

2008-04-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Polenta is a frequent meal at our house. It is a family favorite, the entire family loves it. Two of my brothers-in-law had this served at their wedding rehearsal dinners. My kids ask for it frequently. It is inexpensive, filling and most importantly, very tasty. It is a traditional Italian dish that has a lot of American variations now. In one of my many cookbooks, there is a recipe for Polenta but they called it, "Corn Meal Mush" - now that's an appetizing name (just kidding). It is funny and sad that someone would think so lowly of this yummy dish to call it something so unappetizing as mush. Basically polenta is grits Italian style. The basic ratio is 1 cup polenta corn meal to 4 parts water with a little salt and butter. However, I never leave any recipe alone and have my own recipe for polenta that has received rave reviews at the annual family reunion on my hubby's side.

My Almost Famous Polenta

8 cups water
2 cups polenta (corn meal)
2 tsp salt
4 TBS butter
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a pot, boil the water and the salt.
When the water is boiling slowly add the polenta while stirring constantly.
Turn the heat down to med-low to low depending on your stove.
Stir constantly, keep stirring, that's right stir some more.
Okay, now stir some more.
Oh, did I remember to tell you to stir?
Okay, you get the idea you need to keep stirring.
Stir until the polenta becomes the consistency of mashed potatoes.
Then you can stop stirring for a minute but no longer. Okay, maybe 90 seconds but really you don't want to wait too long in between stirs.
From the point of the mashed potato stage, you need to cook it for about 20 - 30 minutes.
Add the butter and the cheese making sure you stir in all the way in.
You can serve it immediately or let it "set up" for a more firm consistency. I prefer it right away but hubby prefers it set.
Top with your favorite red sauce. (My favorite is the sauce my father-in-law makes.)

A note about the importance of stirring. If you fail to constantly stir as you are pouring it into the boiling water, you will end up with lumps - not good eats. If you fail to stir after it hits the mashed potato stage it will burn to the bottom of the pan - also not good eats but more importantly it takes forever to clean the burnt polenta out of the pan. Trust me on this you don't want to do this. It is not a fun job.

Dessert Menu Monday - Chocolate Cake

2008-03-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Kinza has an Easy Bake Oven and occasionally we pull it out and bake with it. On Saturday, we made chocolate cupcakes and Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Cake Surprise. I refuse to buy the little packets of barely edible mixes that cost $5 a pop so we use whatever I am already making. I let the kids put little pieces of chocolate in the middle of the pad and then put cake batter on top of it.

If you have never cooked with your kids I have to tell you, it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can do. I am now, going to share my recipe for chocolate cake mix chocolate cakes. I do not follow the box instructions for any cake I bake. For chocolate cake, I add a secret ingredient -- coffee. Here is how you bake a cake with kids.

In the morning brew your normal pot of coffee, but make sure you have some for the cake. Me, I always brew a full pot and then probably leave the last 8 to 12 ounces by the time I decide I have had enough. (Remember I do share with hubby so I am not actually drinking 52 ounces by myself.)

Put the baby down for a nap so you do not have to worry about her putting her hand in the bowl, or getting upset because she does not get to stir.

Get the Easy Bake out if you are going to bake with that. Make sure you plug it in to warm up.

Preheat your oven to what ever the back of the box says.

Get out the following ingredients:

Chocolate cake mix (I like the ones with pudding in the mix.)
Milk (I use milk instead of water.)
Eggs (However many the box says. Bring them to room temperature if possible.)
Butter (Use this instead of oil and melt it first so it is cool when the kids use it.)
Coffee (I substitute part of the coffee for the milk. My box said 1 1/3 cup of water. So, I used 1 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of coffee.)
Hershey Miniatures if you want to put a surprise in the middles

Make sure you have:

Measuring cups
Mixing bowl
Wire whisk
Greased pans (whatever you choose)

Make sure the kids have washed their hands.

Now I let the kids take turns putting in the ingredients.

Kid 1 - Pour cake mix into bowl
Kid 2 - Measure and pour milk into the bowl less 1/3 c
Kid 3 - Measure and pour coffee.
Kid 1 - Crack egg into mixture.
Kid 2 - Crack egg into mixture. Fish out the eggshell while they are not looking.
Kid 3 - Crack egg into mixture.
Kid 1 - Pour melted butter into the mixture.
Kid 2 - Start stirring
Kid 3 - Take a turn stirring
Kid 1 - Finish off the stirring
Mommy - Make sure the cake has been stirred enough.
Kids - Put their surprise into the little disks they call pans for the Easy Bake.
Mommy - Carefully put a very small amount into the little pan for the Easy Bake Oven. I am serious. Do not over fill. Only 1 or 2 tablespoons will be plenty!

How do I know this? I overfilled all three of them. Yep I didn’t learn my lesson the first time. Cooking with the Easy Bake takes a lot of time if you have many kids wanting to do it. You can only cook one pan at a time. And, if you overfill, it takes longer for them to cook. Then in-between each pan you have to clear out as much of the mess as you can.

Get the baby who decided to wake up early from her nap. Get the baby distracted with other things so you can finish up and clean up the mess.

Then put the rest into greased or lined muffin tins and bake as directed. Then clean up like a mad woman as you only have 2 minutes to get it all cleaned up before the baby decides she really wants your attention.

Don't forget to take them out of the oven when they are done. And voila! Dessert. I don't bother frosting them. I save frosting for special occasions.

Okay, so I am sure everyone is saying to themselves, there is no way I am putting coffee in my chocolate cake. Coffee makes chocolate taste more like chocolate. It also helps keep the cake from being too sweet.

Cooking with your kids is essential to mommyhood. And chocolate cake is a fun and yummy cooking assignment.

Menu Monday - Tortillas

2008-03-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

I accomplished making tortillas this weekend and was able to cross it off my list. Momma Bug asked if I would give up my recipe and I am more than happy to. I got the gist of this recipe off the Internet and after making them 3 times with this recipe, I have tweaked a bit.

The Hardware needed to make tortillas:

A large bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
a flat place to roll them (I use my kitchen table and a Tupperware pastry mat with a good ledge for hanging them off the side)
A wooden spoon
A Rolling pin - the best to use for tortillas is one made out of wood and is like a dowel. In fact a dowel works perfectly.
A griddle or pan
2 - 3 Tea towels
Spatula for flipping

The Ingredients needed to make tortillas:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup to 1 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBS canola oil

Here is what you need to do to make tortillas:

Stir dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Fold in the oil.
Gradually stir in the warm water to form a crumbly dough. Depending on the humidity and your flour you may need less or more.
Knead the dough until it holds together, then continue kneading until it is smooth and no longer sticky. I like doing this in the bowl itself because it is less of a mess until the very end. Knead for about 5 minutes - Do not overwork the dough or you will have tough and chewy tortillas.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a log like shape for a more constant size when dividing.
Divide the dough into 12 to 18 pieces depending on how large you want your tortillas. Soft taco size is 18 pieces and regular burrito size is 12.
Form each one into a ball. I use the tips of my fingers and roll the top part underneath all around. I have no idea ow else to say it. But that was how I was taught when I was 6.
Place each ball on a tea towel and keep covered. If it is really dry outside you might want to mist the top of the towel with a little bit of water to help keep them from drying out.
Let the balls rest for about 15 minutes to a half hour. During this time you can clean up the prep and change the babies diaper. Then get your griddle ready.
On your work surface, flatten the ball out a little bit. You can use wax paper to keep the dough from sticking if you need to. (If you have a tortilla press, then you can use that.) Then roll it out with the rolling pin really thin.
After you roll one, you will need to place it somewhere. This is where the edge of the table comes in. Hanging it off the edge of the table helps keep it stretched while you roll out a few more.
Place your tortillas on the griddle my griddle lets me do 2 or 3 at a time, a pan will only do one at a time. The griddle should be medium to medium high.
Each tortilla will only cook for about 30 - 45 seconds on each side (now you know why you want to make a bunch and then cook them). You want them to stay soft and only the little blisters from puffing should turn any sort of golden brown and delicious.
When done, place them in a tortilla keeper or in between 2 tea towels. The best place to keep them warm is to place that towel in an oven that has been heated to 100 degrees and then turned off.

Some Rolling Tips

Don't apply too much pressure at the beginning or you will wear your self out.
Start form the center of the dough and roll outward.
Turn the tortilla often as you roll it so it will stay in some sort of round shape.
Stretch the dough slightly as you pull it off the rolling surface. And/Or when you are placing them on the grill.
Applying pressure on the middle of the rolling pin will help get them as thin as you want them to be.

You can double the recipe and eat them all or freeze some for later. You might want to separate them with wax paper for freezing so they do not become one tortilla stacked unit.
They keep well in a zip-loc baggy for about a week if they last that long.

Thirteen Uses for a Receiving Blanket

2008-02-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

Receiving blankets are so essential to Mommyhood. Many lists for new mommies say you need 4 of these I have at least 12 and have needed more. Even when my munchkins are no longer babies, I still use them and so do they for all sorts of things.

Swaddle an infant.
Use as a large burp cloth.
Substitute as a changing pad.
Makes a great sunshade for a stroller or infant carrier
Train the baby/toddler to stay on one for a period of time. - Blanket Training
Fort and house making.
Cover the car-seat on a sunny day. - Always cover your car-seat when the baby is not in it so it is not hot when you put the baby in it.
shield the baby from a dirty cart, car-seat, highchair…
It can become a diaper in desperate situations.
They make great super hero capes.
Use it as a nursing cover.
Pin it up over the curtain for extra darkening of a sunlit room.
An emergency bath towel.

I am sure I have missed several ways you can use a receiving blanket. What have used yours for?

Thursday Thirteen In My Pantry

2008-02-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

13 Essential Items in My Pantry/Freezer

A peak into my kitchen here. I believe that the freezer is just the coldest part of the pantry. I also believe that a well stocked pantry is essential to life. If your pantry is stocked you can save money because you always have soemthing to make. A well stocked pantry means you are always able to feed company and anyone who is hungry. If you find yourself in an emergency, then you know you won't go hungry.

1 - Canned Fruit (Baby Gia's favorite food right now)
2 - Rice - White, Brown and Wild
3 - Dry Pasta - You name the type and I probably have it or it is on my list to get more of.
4 - Dry beans - I have several types.
5 - Canned Tomatoes - Sauce, Paste, Puree, Diced
6 - Flour - Right now, I have unbleached white, stone ground whole wheat, and graham.
7 - Cream of Soups - I know not the most healthy but they are important.
8 - Canned Tuna - The only fish I eat, I really cannot eat fish but tuna I can handle.
9 - Spices & Baking Essentials - I have everything well stocked so that I can always be ready to cook or bake anything.
10 - Coffee - Whole Bean in 4 different flavors in the freezer with some in the pantry I am currently using. And, chocolate covered coffee beans. - Because Coffee is essential.
11 - Meat frozen in meal portions.
12 - Sugar - Right now I have brown sugar, regular white sugar, raw sugar, confectioner's (powdered) sugar and granulated fructose. - I have to be ready for any dessert I cook.
13 - Chocolate - Cocoa powder, baking chocolate bars unsweetened, white chocolate baking bar, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, hot cocoa mix, Nesquick, boxed chocolates, bag of individually wrapped chocolates. - Because Chocolate is Essential

I have more stuff in my pantry but as this is a Thirteen list I guess I should stop.

Book Tag

2008-02-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged by Mama Archer. I was tagged at Mommyhood Adventures but decided to post it here because of the book I happened to pick up.

Here are the rules for this book tag.

Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
Open the book to page 123.
Find the 5th sentence.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.

This book was on my desk, I had just gotten it back from my sister-in-law and wanted to show the girls some stuff in it. The book I picked up is titled Home Comforts The Art & Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. Now you see why it was so appropriate for this blog. This book is a must for anyone who did not have the benefit of being taught how to truly keep a home. So here it is page 123 is in the chapter called To Market, to Market.

Next, buy refrigerated things, such as milk, cheese, fresh meat and poultry, and fruits and vegetables. Last, buy hot cooked foods and frozen foods. Do not buy frozen foods stored above the freezer line or protruding above the top of a freezer display case.

Okay time for tagging some blogging friends. I would love to find out what you are reading lately. Make sure you comment back after you have posted so I can see. Have fun.

Morgan
Help Meet
Diane
Jeanette
Thelma

Nursing Mommy Essentials

2008-02-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired to start participating in Thursday Thirteen. It is such a fun ~~little~~ huge meme. My very first edition on this blog is dedicated to every new and aspiring nursing mom. I have nursed everyone of my blessings in fact my 14 month old blessing is showing no desire to ween (however mommy really is ready.) So without further ado Mommyhood Essentials Thursday Thirteen 1st Edition

1. Lansinoh - Lanolin is a nursing mommy’s best friend found in a little purple tube.

2. Nursing pads - I cannot tell you how many times I have been very thankful for these. Leaking all over my shirt is not a good thing.

3. Comfortable Nursing Bras - you need two types. One type for the day and one type for night. I use sports bras at night; they are the most comfortable and are easy to nurse in for those midnight, 2am, 4am, and 6 am… feedings.

4. A Great Breast Pump - I love my Avent breast pump. It is inexpensive and works wonderfully. I have had the same one for all of my kids and it still works great. It is comfortable and was the first pump to have the let-down stimulating feature that many have now.

5. Nursing PJ’s - These are a must for easy nursing at night. I bring my little ones to bed with me and nurse while sleeping. If you cannot afford nursing tops, you can easily make them from oversized nightshirts. Just cut slit where needed, and then sew the top together at the neckline so it is like a giant pleat. Also if you nave button shirts, you can use those by unbuttoning the top buttons.

6. Milk Storage Bags - Lansinoh makes some really good bags. They are great to store in the freezer and have them at the ready whenever you will not be with baby during a feeding. Or if you want Daddy to have a turn.

7. A Pillow - I have used a boppy and I have used a regular pillow for my lap support at the beginning. I actually prefer a normal pillow. But I have to heal from an incision and I think that has a lot to do with it. Boppies have to go around the waist right where I do not want anything near.

8. A Nursing Blanket - I have a great blanket that is just a basic piece of flannel that has edging on it. I have made and used one that has the strap around the neck and found it was not all that much better. In fact, I really hated the strap. Flannel is great because it does not slide very easily and if you have a large 1-yard by 1-yard blanket, and then you have plenty of coverage. The only time flannel does not really work, is when it is over 90 degrees and it is just hot. Then even the lightweight blankets are not very comfortable.

9. Burp Clothes - They make great emergency cover-ups if you do not have your blanket. And of course, you can put them over your shoulder to burp. The key is to have good clothes. I have plan everyday cloth diapers that work great. I have made even better burp cloths that I love so much. They are a little bigger than a cloth diaper and the sides have curves to contour to the neck. They are flannel on top and terry on the bottom. They are also very cute.

10. Comfortable Daily Shirts - With nursing comes the inability to wear some shirts. Usually the cutest of your wardrobe, because of your new chest size. And also, the fact that something you just cannot nurse in. I had to have a bride’s maid top altered so that I could nurse in it once.

11. A Small Heating Pad - You need a small heating pad for those times at the beginning when you become engorged. It helps with let down. You can also use a warm washcloth if you are not that bad.

12. A Support Person - someone who knows about nursing. Weather it is a lactation consultant or a close friend who has nursed more than one kid. (The more experience the better)

13. Your little gift form God. - You cannot nurse without the other person involved in the wonderful journey.

Laundry Trick

2008-01-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick little tip for keeping all the baby socks under control. I use a delicates mesh washing bag to keep them all accounted for as they travel through the wash. Just thought I would pass that on for any mom who is tired of searching for those tiny little socks every time you wash them.

Menu Monday - Dinner

2008-01-14T22:41:00.000-08:00

I am going to try my hand at Menu Mondays that some bloggers do. I have no idea at how consistent I will be at this but I am going to try it.

So on tonight’s menu is one of my favorite meals to make because all my kids love it, it is over all healthy, and it is really easy to make. Oh yeah and did I mention, it is not pizza or hamburgers, it is real food - yes real adult food you can make for company. I found the idea in a magazine several years ago but I have made it my own only keeping the over all idea of the dish. Okay I have kept you wondering long enough. The dish is in our house called "Cheesy Chicken."

The Ingredient List (No real quantities because it depends on how many you are feeding and frankly unless I am baking bread, I don’t measure)

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Breast is best but thighs are fine.)
Seasonings (I use some salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, whatever strikes my fancy when I am making it.)
Olive Oil (or canola if you find out that you ran out and it never made it on the shopping list)
Canned chopped tomatoes with garlic, basil & oregano (Italian style)
Mozzarella cheese

Okay so what you do is...

Get the baby entertained by playing with the kiddos.

In a skillet, drizzle enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and turn it on to about med-high.

Season the chicken on both sides and place in the hot pan.

Brown for about one minute on each side.

Remind the kiddos that they are on baby duty and redirect the baby to play with the kiddos. (Sometimes baby goes in her chair with her own cooking supplies but tonight she was being cranky and the kids were able to keep her happy.)

Turn down heat to medium.

Pour in entire can of tomatoes including juice over the top of the chicken. One normal sized 12 oz can will cover 3 pieces of chicken and cover the pan with a lid.

Check on the kids because they have become way too quiet.

Start grating about 1 to 2 ounces of cheese per piece of chicken or you can slice a piece per chicken but it takes longer to melt and does not really get that gooey cheesiness. 2 ounces will completely cover, 1 ounce is like a sprinkling.

The chicken from this point only takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook usually, sometimes a little longer, if the pieces are thick, so you need to check it and make sure they are cooked.

When chicken is done, sprinkle (or thoroughly smother) the cheese over the top and recover. Also, turn off the heat.

While the cheese is melting, you can finish making sure everything else is ready. (Make sure you time everything so the chicken will not be over done waiting for the rest of the meal to be ready.)

I serve this with either light pasta with pesto, or brown rice. It is also very good with spaghetti squash. Make sure you have a veggie too. (Now we all say, “Yes Mommy." :p )

By the time you are done, if kids were not involved this meal takes about a half hour to make, with the usually kid wrangling involved I would say no more than 45 minutes.

Happy eating!

Coffee Innovation

2008-01-12T22:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have to tell anyone who enjoys their freshly ground coffee in the morning what to do if tragedy strikes and you have no power. That was the situation I found myself in a week ago and as I am every morning so desperate for coffee. I used my hand chopper! Below is a picture of one just like mine. I now love it more than I did ever before. I already use it for so many things like chopping nuts, chicken salad (when I am making a sandwich for one), hard candies for sprinkles on desserts, onion mincing, garlic mincing (when I need more than a couple of cloves), chocolate and the list can go on forever but it was the first time I ever thought about grinding coffee in it. But, my honey and I so desperately needed coffee to survive such a crazy day and we all know necessity is the mother of innovation. I put some beans in it and started chopping. It was great! I however would not suggest trying to go for a very fine espresso grind, as I am sure that would take forever. I was able to get a great "grind" for our coffee press cups that we have. I have to say my little hand chopper saved the day.

Bath Time

2008-01-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

Today was a two-bath day for Baby G and I thought about how much I love our little inflatable bathtub. I bout this one when Vincenzo was almost one and I still have it. The only thing that has worn out on it is a slow leak somewhere on the bottom section of it that makes the cushioning on the bottom - no big deal. It has survived three kids and I am confident will survive the fourth. When we first had Vincenzo, we got a bath seat because everyone said to get one and quickly decided we did not like it because it could easily come unsuctioned to the tub, it was difficult to put him in and take him out, and you could not really clean him in it. A friend suggested getting the inflatable tub and I am so glad I took her advice. It is a perfect fit until they are about two then they are big enough for the big tub on their own. In our last home, I was able to give Baby G a bath in the shower because I had this little tub. I use a showerhead that is on a hose so that it is easy to fill the tub and I keep it on the gentle mist so I can easily rinse her hair also. I have found this to be the easiest way bath a little one. No mess, little fuss and Baby G loves her bath time.

Bath time Checklist

Inflatable tub
Heat sensing ducky to make sure the water is not hot
A couple of toys (no more than 3 at a time)
Hooded Towel (make sure it is a fluffy, soft, bigger one so baby doesn’t get cold)
Wash Clothes (I always grab 2)
Baby Shampoo
Baby Wash (Or you can get the 2 in one, but with curly hair, it does not really work well.)
Changing station ready with lotion, diaper, and clean clothes.
A dirty baby - or not so dirty…

Junk Mail Can Be Essential

2007-12-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last couple of weeks packing for our move. With all the breakable items, I of course am wrapping it all in newspapers. But, here is the kicker - we do not get the paper. We did not ask anyone for extra newspapers and we did not have any stashed away for this occasion but we have plenty of newspaper to wrap everything in. Why? you ask. Because the wonderful US postal service delivers daily so many junk ads that, we have enough to pack the entire house.

With that, I must say thank-you to all the grocery stores and value shopper add people for delivering all the packing material I need for my move.

6 days and counting.

Laundry Baskets

2007-11-17T20:16:00.000-08:00

Did you know that laundry baskets could be track and field hurdles? I found this out tonight as my munchkins decided to do the hurdles in the hall with the laundry baskets.

So funny, laundry baskets have so many uses in this house from containing laundry or miscellaneous objects both inside and outside the house, to being a baby buggy (Gia loves being pushed around the living room in the basket like she is a race car driver), to being a transportation device for pies, cakes and other yumminess, to track hurdles. The kids worked up a sweat trying to see who could jump them the most. A most amusing night I had to share.

Baby Gear Galore

2007-11-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

As Baby G is quickly approaching the 1-year milestone, I have been putting away all the infant gear that we have but do not need for her anymore. I am being reminded again, of how much stuff a baby can need. So, here is probably a partial list of the things we have and how much we actually use it with each kid. Now mind you I am just putting it all away in storage so that if/when the next bundle of delight comes I will be ready. And let’s face it baby stuff is expensive. I think I could have bought a small country with all the money spent by others and myself on all the baby gear we have.

The bassinet. - I love my bassinet we have had it since the Big Boy was born 8 years ago. This one I have actually disassembled and reassembled for each kid. It has been a very important piece of furniture in our house. They only use it for about 3 months but for those first 3 months, we use it all the time.

The front pack. - Okay, I have never found a front pack that I can say I absolutely can’t’ live without. I own 3 and none of them are great only because my babies come out the size of many 1 month olds and I am small framed. I was given a wrap to try with Baby G like a Mei Tai that I found to like a lot.

The Bumbo - I love this thing! It was recently recalled because parents did not use common sense and did not read the warning that said very clearly not to use on a raised surface. Ours stayed on the floor and we used it until just recently. I highly recommend this to every parent.

The floor mat that has an activity bar. - This is only used for such a short time that an expensive one is not worth it at all. I took the toys off the activity bar so she could play with them longer than the mat that she stopped liking as soon as she could roll and scoot around.

The bouncy seat. - I love the bouncy seat! This is so useful for the first 4-6 moths. As soon as babies can sit, by themselves, it is not a good idea to use anymore but it is a great invention with the vibrations and as long as the activity bar is detachable and does not have too much going on, it is a great item. All of my kids loved the bouncy seat.

The activity gym/seat thing. - Okay for all the other kids we had this really cool bouncing car but after Hannah, it was so worn out that we had to get rid of it. The older kids all used it until they were almost 2. This time we had to get a new one. We got the jumperoo that is like a Johnny Jump-up without the doorframe. Unfortunately, Baby G has decided she no longer likes to be in it so I am going to disassemble it also.

Our swing - Believe it or not, but I am still using my swing with Baby G. She loves the swing so much still and because she is still under 20 pounds, I can still use it with her. So that will stay out for a while.

We still use the pack and play, the changing table, and the high chair of course so those will stay out. We also have a portable swing, but we stopped using that with Baby G a while ago because she would climb out of it even with the strap on. Oh and of course, don’t forget about the crib. But, that of course is in use for at least another year.

Tonight's Dose of Chocolate

2007-11-10T22:53:00.000-08:00

It is raining here and finally cold. Last night I was so cold I went to bed with a heating pad at my feet. Tonight I am warming up with a beautiful cup of hot cocoa. Tonight it is my daily dose of chocolate. So how do I make my perfectly beautiful cup of cocoa? Well… with just basic packets of hot cocoa on hand, I can still make a cup of cocoa that tastes like it is made with the finest ingredients.

My cup of choice is first rinsed with hot tap water to get the cup hot to start with. Then I put my cocoa in the bottom of the cup. I slowly add some flavored creamer to the cup while stirring vigorously with a fork. This incorporates air and gets all the powder dissolved. Then I carefully pour in the very hot water while still stirring. Now, I do not vigorously stir, as splashing or worse spilling very hot water is not a pleasant experience especially if chocolate is involved.

When the cup is full, I sit back, and enjoy. The top of the cocoa is foamy and thick and the flavor of the creamer makes the hot chocolate so rich and yummy. It tastes designer however, it is so much better because I did not have to leave the house to get it.

A Coffee Saga

2007-10-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and proceeded to make myself a yummy latte. Or, at least that was the plan. I went through the normal routine of filling up my moka pot with water and the necessary amount of freshly ground beans. Assembled the unit and placed it on the stove. I then poured the milk into my great little milk frother. I frothed the milk and put it into the microwave to heat it up. Got my favorite latte mug ready for the yummy goodness that was being made with such care and love. Pulled out my Toffee Nut Creamer put just a touch of that on the bottom of the cup. Then I patiently waited for the coffee to brew. However, it was not brewing as it should. By this time, the pot should be finished and ready to pour but when I peaked into the top of the pot, it was not even close. The coffee was not coming up the little spout. It was just sputtering pitifully. So… I guess I overfilled the little cup that holds the coffee grounds. I did not think it was too full but I was so very wrong. A few minutes later, I was extremely determined to save my little latte that I add some more Toffee Nut to my latte cup and poured the pitifully sad amount of coffee that actually sputtered through the spout into the top of the moka pot into the cup of creamer. I added the frothy milk and then took an anticipatory sip. Hoping, wishing, optimistic that the precious coffee I just brewed even though it was equivalent of sludge (yes that is a technical term) would taste at least semi delectable. Like maybe one of the lattes you get from the vending machine at a gas station. No such luck. Sadly, it was bitter and frankly disgusting. I was ready to cry. I wasted precious coffee and did not get to enjoy my morning cup of delightful bliss that I was so eagerly anticipating. My wonderful hubby saw my sadness and offered to go get me a latte. Yeah! So, I got my yummy delightful cup of bliss, Pumpkin Spice to be precise. And with that, my day got a little better.

Starbucks has some very yummy Latte flavors here are my absolute favorite : Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice, and Cinnamon Dolce.

Quiet Times

2007-10-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

One of the most important essentials of mommyhood is time with the Lord in the Bible. Seriously, I am very sure one cannot be a successful parent without Christ. And with that being said, spending time with Him is crucial. I feel like I never have the time to spend time with God but I try to make sure I do anyway every day, even if it is only for a few minutes. I know that those precious few minutes are going to be the best few minutes of my day. Without that time, I really am no good to my kids. I can have no patience at all and will be distracted without keeping myself focused on the Lord. Usually that time does not get to happen until the end of the day but I take it. Just reading a little bit can bring me back into alignment and will guide me in finding the answers I need with whatever I am dealing with.

God’s Word is amazing. It is living and transforming, it is written and spoken, it is history and present and future all wrapped up into one. It applies to life as much today as it did when it was written. I need God’s Word in order to be transformed. If I am not transformed and renewed in my mind and sprit, no matter how much physical rest I get I will not be capable of being the best mommy for my munchkins.

So with that, I challenge you as much as I challenge myself - if you are not already. I challenge you to read just read a Proverb or a Psalm. Alternatively, pick a book of the Bible and just read 10 verses or 15 verses or whatever. Begin reading with a simple prayer that God would speak to you through whatever you are reading. Then read. Try to remember what you read throughout the day or the next day so that you can find ways to apply whatever you read to your life. That is how the Word is active and living in us. If we do not apply God’s Word to our life, it is just words on a page.

Romans 12:2

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Psalm 63:1

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”

My Crockpot - My Personal Chef

2007-10-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

I love my crockpot! If you do not have a crock pot - you must get one. I use mine at least once a week on most weeks. It is my personal chef. It slaves away all day for about 8 to 10 hours cooking for my family and friends. All I have to do is "tell" it what I want for dinner. I can throw practically anything into it and get a yummy dinner.

Today, while it cooked our dinner; I cleaned up the house a bit, did a load of laundry, schooled the kids, checked emails, played with the kids, took the kids to the park for PE, and then hung out with friends that came over for dinner. I know I did more today but now I cannot remember. When our friends came over for dinner, all we did was put on the potatoes for mashed potatoes and steamed the veggies. And all day, we had the wonderful smell of dinner. I use my crockpot often when we have friends over, it helps me out tremendously so while they are here I can focus on them and hang out instead of trying to finish up the meal and get stressed.

So would you like to know what was for dinner? Well here it is a very simple dinner.

3 - 4 lbs cheap thin cut steak like top round or what ever is on sale. It can be a tougher cut because you will be cooking it all day.
1 cup of water
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
2 envelope packets of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

First, get your morning coffee. Get your munchkins their breakfast so they aren't upset with you that you are making dinner in the morning when it is breakfast time.

Second, put a crockpot liner in your crockpot so you don't have that much to clean. (Have you seen these? Very cool plastic liners that are made by Reynolds. I love them, yes they cost a little bit of money but, if you have ever had to scrub the crockpot a few days later because you put it in the garage to get it out of the way and then forgot that is what you did with it, you will understand. - Okay, okay cut me some slack, sometimes I can be very ditsy.)

Third cut the meat into smaller portion sizes. I cut each one into six smaller pieces but you can go as big or small as you want. Throw them carelessly into the pot. Don't worry you can't hurt their feelings.

You can do this the night before if you remember. Just cut it up and put it in a ziplock baggie in the fridge.

Mix all the other ingredients together and pour it all over the little cuts of meat. Think of it as a long luxurious mud bath for your meat. - Just kidding.

Cover the pot.

And then, VERY IMPORTANT: PLUG IN THE CROCKPOT AND TURN IT ON TO LOW for 8 hours

If you don't plug it in or forget to turn it on, you will hate yourself in the middle of the day when you realize - it's not cooking. Dinner is not being made and you have to come up with plan B. I hate plan B. It is never as good a plan A.

The meat will be tender and seasoned and yummy. The gravy will be done. No flour or cornstarch to mix in. No constant stirring to make sure the lumps are out. Nope, you have perfect gravy and perfect meat. Then serve that with the mashed potatoes and well need I say more? Oh yeah, and don't forget to eat your veggies.

Healthy Recipe - Trailmix Cookies

2007-08-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe for a healthy cookie. Believe it or not I have tweaked this recipe for 10 years and think I have it just about right. The beauty of this recipe is that if you want, your cookies can taste different every time! I wanted a healthy cookie that still tasted like a cookie but that packed some extra nutrition. These do take a little bit of time and extra ingredients but they make a larger batch of cookies than many recipes. I wouldn't suggest doubling it though unless you have a really large mixing bowl or are just really ambitious. I make half the batch then freeze the rest for later already shaped into little cookie portions so all I have to do is put them on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven.

Also - These make a great project with the kids. And for anyone homeschooling, with all the measuring out of ingredients you can have a lot of fun with fractions and adding them together. And then there is the obvious nutrition lesson. Take them shopping with you to buy the ingredients and you get more home economics and math! Oh the endless possibilities - in my house we make everything school so I have gotten creative in what counts as a lesson for what subject. It takes longer to do but is so worth it in the end.

Ingredients -- Okay I know the list is really long but remember they are packed with nutrition and really yummy!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs brewers yeast powder* (optional)
1/4 cup wheat germ*
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter - softened
2/3 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky your choice)
1/3 cup granulated fructose* (OR 1/2 cup sugar.)
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup each of 3 of the following yummy additions -raisins, mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, carob chips, craisins, macadamia nuts, or coconut - endless possibilities.

Preheat oven to 350 and put some parchment paper on your cookie sheets for easier cookie removal.

In a small bowl, combine both flours, baking soda, salt, brewers yeast, wheat germ, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, and fructose until creamy. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Slowly add flour mixture (or quickly if you like cleaning flour off the flour, yourself the cabinets... flour is really hard to sweep up and then it just sticks to everything if it gets wet and man who needs another mess) to the mixing bowl. Then add the oats and your 3 choices of yummy additions. By this time, you will probably have had to turn off your mixer. This dough does get thick so watch your mixer and if it is sounding like it is working hard turn it off or you will blow your motor - ask me how I know.

Let the dough sit and rest for 5 - 10 minutes or longer if you have a crying baby who decided to wake up and nurse and then the other munchkins decide tat they need you to fix them a snack because lunch was 3 hours ago and you realize you forgot to turn the crockpot on this morning after loading it full of dinner... well you get the idea. It needs to sit so they are moist.

Now you scoop them onto the pan placing them about 1 to 2 inches apart.

If you are using a small cookie scoop/#60 disher/1 tbs, then you can bake them for about 8-10 minutes until they well are done. I am sure you know what a cookie that is done looks like. Not mushy but not dark brown unless you like your cookies cooked beyond the golden brown and yummy stage.

If you use the large cookie scoop/#20 disher/3 tbs then, you need to cook them for about 12-15 minutes.

If you froze the dough first, then you should place them on a pan and let them thaw while the oven is preheating. Then cook as normal. Let the cookies cool before eating them just for the sake of saving your taste buds.

I love to enjoy these cookies in the morning with my coffee. My kids love these cookies well all the time.

Makes almost 3 dozen large cookies and over 4 dozen small cookies.

* A note about some of the ingredients.

Brewers Yeast Powder is found in the natural food section it is kind of expensive (about $10 for a jar) but a little goes a long way and it is really packed with nutrition. I put a couple tablespoons in muffins, waffles, pancakes, cookies (obviously) and anything else I can sneak some into. If you are nursing, you can make smoothies and put 2 tbs of this in your smoothie and it helps with your milk production while providing you essential nutrients. Also in that smoothie if you can handle it, add some wheat germ (i wouldn't suggest 1/4 cup unless you lie to eat your smoothies with a fork)

Granulated Fructose is a natural fruit sugar. It is metabolized differently than regular sugar so your blood sugar doesn't rise quit as rapidly and you can use 1/3 less than normal sugar.

Wheat Germ is found usually in the cereal aisle in a jar with a red wrapper. Not very expensive but very nutritious and I add it to so much stuff. Also, for nursing moms it helps with your milk production.

Hmmmmm now I really have a craving for a cookie. Well I know what I am adding to my to-do list, make more of these. They don't last long in my house.

Very Important Resource

2007-08-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is very important. Fisher-Price just recalled so many toys due to lead paint it is really frightening. I can imagine that there is some poor 4 year old somewhere who just had his entire toy collection removed from his room due to this recall. Earlier this summer Thomas The Train toys were recalled due to lead paint. Much to my son's sadness he had to give up one engine out of his collection. Pacifiers were recalled just last week. Okay but these pacifiers should NEVER have been sold in the first place. People are buying normal safe pacifiers and then sticking on the little crystals all over them and then selling them online and at flea marts and craft fairs and such. These are so dangerous! Really what are people thinking? So here is the point of this little rant. You need to be very careful and make wise safe choices when it comes to your kids but even then, something you think would be safe like Fisher Price toys or Thomas the Train can turn out to be not so safe.
I sign up for recall alerts and strongly suggest that every one not just parents do too. So many items get recalled now days it is sickening. It makes me think of what my grandparents say, "They don't make things like they used to." But then again even some really old items are dangerous, like old chests that can automatically close and latch shut while a kids is in it and cribs with slats too far apart that a baby can become trapped.
Here are the links to the recall information sites I use. Sign up for their emails you will not be sorry. Many times you won't have to worry but then there are the recalls you see that you are very thankful you signed up.

http://www.cpsc.gov/index.html

http://www.recalls.gov/

The Bamboo Skewer - A Great Little Tool

2007-07-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

I know that a bamboo skewer isn't normally included on the list of things you need as a mom but in my book it is. Skewers are great multitaskers that I use often. The latest trick I have discovered they are good for is cleaning out the plastic straws in the kids straw sippy cups. I cover one in dish soap, then insert it into the straw. Then I roll the straw against the palm of my hand using the skewer end as a handle to make sure the entire interior is clean and guaranteeing that every part of the straw gets a good scrubbing. Rinse thoroughly and then I'm good to go. I feel so much more comfortable giving the cup to my kids now knowing that the straw isn't harbouring any unseen nastiness.
I also use the skewers to test baked goods when a toothpick is just too short.
I have used them as stakes for plastic wrap tents over desserts.
Of course the expected way - for kabobs of all sorts.
I have used them to reach in spaces that couldn't be reached any other way.
I have used them to poke little holes in cookies and play dough creations.
The list goes on and on.
I just had to share with everyone my new found trick of how to clean a sippycup straw.

What an Amazing Invention!

2007-07-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a Bumbo? It is this really cool little invention for babies that I have now had for about 2 months. Whoever came up with this is a genus! It is just a round piece of foam cut out so a baby can sit in it without falling over! There are little cutouts for each leg and a high back. It is the neatest little seat. I use this thing on several occasions every day with Baby G who is now 7 months old. She loves it. Even though she can sit up by herself, she can sit in this thing for long periods of time just playing with her toys. The kids love playing with her while she is sitting in it. And she loves the independence she has in it. Now, I know I can never really leave her alone in it but I really love the fact that I can put her down and know she won't go anywhere while I switch the laundry or quickly inhale my lunch. I have cleaned the kitchen while she happily plays in it and well that right there makes it worth every penny.
The cool part is that it is so portable! We take it everywhere so no matter where she is we can put her down in a safe place and she can sit upright and enjoy everything around her. It is so stable that even when she trys to get out of it, it doesn't tip over. She actually tipped her bouncy seat over when she was about 4 months trying to get out of it. It is so easy to clean too. Just wipe it off. I wish I had this with my other munchkins it would have been really nice to have. But I will enjoy it with this one for many months to come I am sure. Here is a link to the website so you can see for yourself what this little baby seat looks like. -- Bumbo
I have put this on my list of baby essentials right up there with car seats, strollers and highchairs.

I Love This Bottle

2007-06-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have to blog about my new favorite bottle. Baby G was not taking any bottle we tried very well. Now granted, we only tried two different types but she did not really want either of them. Avent came out with a new type of disposable liner bottle, the Avent Tempo. I love all of the Avent feeding system products. Their type of nipple was the nipple Baby G was taking the best so I decided to try it. She loves this bottle; I love this bottle I cannot say enough about this bottle.

Here is why I like it so much. The liner size is perfect. For any bottle, if you fill up the water to the amount you are supposed to when you are using formula, you will not have enough room for the powder. Not so with this bottle, the liner accounts for the fact that adding a scoop of powder for every 2 oz of water is going to increase the volume of the liquid the bottle needs to hold. There is plenty of room to add water, powder, and then mixing it up! I love this about all types of Avent bottles. Then, there is the nipple system. When our other munchkins were little, Avent disposable bottles had to use a different nipple than their regular bottles. It was a clear blue color instead of all clear, not this one. Therefore, when I am sleep- deprived as I usually am, I am not trying to figure out if the nipple is truly clear or a clear blue color.

Why I love disposable over conventional bottles is because of how they work. It is very simple, if the baby sucks on the nipple, something will come out, if they do not suck on the nipple, there is not a lot of dripping action. Baby G did not like that when she wanted to pause the sucking action, even while using the newborn nipple; the bottle was still delivering the goods. She controls everything with how much she wants and how fast she wants it. The liner works just as mommy does. There also is not any extra air to suck in or a change in air pressure as the liquid leaves the bottle. Some babies have no issue with this, while others do. My baby G already has an extra gassy tummy most of the time and I really do not want to contribute to her tummy discomfort.

We do not use bottles very often but when we do, I do want it to be a pleasurable experience. She prefers to have only mommy’s milk and none of the fake stuff either which means I pump often so I can keep up the supply for her. I have only ever used the Avent Isis Manual pump for all four of my little ones. Because it works well, and is comfortable. It is always fast and easy to take the time out to fill a bottle when I need to. However, more on that… in another blog.

A Mommy's Ode to Coffee

2007-05-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

Oh coffee, how I adore you. Really and truly, coffee is my friend and pretty much most moms I talk too say the same. I do not think I could survive without my morning cup, my afternoon cup, or my daily munching on chocolate covered coffee beans. I love coffee in every form including the smell of it roasting, grinding, and brewing.

I love my coffee maker to make normal cups of coffee. I have an inexpensive reliable one. It makes good coffee and is always there when I need a pot. Now they have them in little one-cup sizes but mine, is the 12 cup.

I love my moka pot. This little contraption makes Italian style coffee that is like a mild espresso. You use it on the stove top like a tea kettle I can drink the coffee straight up but prefer other wonderful concoctions I can make with it. I make all my lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and frappe drinks with the deep rich coffee that comes out of my little moka pot. Hot iced or blended, any time of the day I can have a yummy satisfying drink with out leaving home and it does not take up any counter space. I was blessed with a wonderful little device called a caffe frother. This little glass beaker has a little plunger thing that makes wonderfully foamed milk. The foam is so tight and thick you can draw little chocolate syrup designs on top like the fancy coffee shops that do the beautiful latte art.

I enjoy my coffee press. When I am on trips, I take along my single serve French coffee press so I can have fresh coffee anywhere. All I need is some coffee already ground and hot almost boiling water. The press gives you a strong, rich French style coffee. If you put in the sweetener or Coffee Mate before you press, the coffee becomes infused with the flavor quit nicely.

I eat coffee beans almost daily. I love chocolate covered coffee beans. And not the ones that are more chocolate than bean. I do not know what it is about the crunchy slightly bitter with the sweet that makes them so appealing. I love beans in all sorts of food too. Like ice cream, of course, comes in a variety of coffee flavors.

Putting instant espresso powder or actually brewed coffee in chocolate-based desserts brings out the chocolate flavor. Just a touch of coffee in fudge, brownies, chocolate cake, mocha cookies (well just the name says coffee in those) will enhance the flavor of the chocolate so it tastes more chocolaty - not sweet like milk chocolate but actually chocolate flavor. Coffee and chocolate go hand in hand.

Coffee is also relational. You can invite a friend over for coffee any time at home. And have - get this - adult conversation! Yes, actual meaningful conversation with another adult. In addition, coffee is so easy to make and clean up after, you do not need to worry about the mess it would create. If you can get a sitter, you can go out to coffee also and escape the house. Getting out of the house is necessary for any young mom who is staying at home to take care of little ones. Really, I have found that even though I prefer to stay home and not go out, I do need to leave occasionally.

I consider coffee essential to my mommyhood sanity and stamina. Without it, I would probably be a cranky mommy and I know I would have a bad headache. So, go brew a cup and savor it from the aroma of it brewing to the last drop in your cup.