Cold Press Coffee

While summer is coming to an end and the smell of pumpkin spice lattes will soon fill the air, I just have to share what I look forward to every morning. I just learned about this a few months ago and now it is my favorite way to brew coffee ever.

This coffee press is filled with coffee that was steeping all night. I press it in the morning to make iced coffee. It is seriously the best way to drink iced coffee. Because it isn't heated the acidity is really low. - I haven't actually tested it but you can tell by the taste and anyone sensitive to the acid in coffee has little to no problem with this deliciousness. - The taste of cold press coffee is so smooth. I was a total skeptic at first but then after I tried it, I was totally in love.

I have seen a few different methods online on how to do this but this is my way. I like it, it is easy and there is no fuss at all. Some say to grind the beans finer, some say to wait a bit longer, some only use special water, and others stand on their head and count to 10 while they are pressing it in the morning. (Just kidding on that last one.) I have seen cold brew done without a press and that just seems like too much work. Especially when I already own a press.

So here is how I make my iced coffee every day.
First I grind my beans pretty coarse. They are a little coarser than for the coffee pot.
Then, I pour the grounds into the press. My press holds 32 ounces so I use 4 heaping tablespoons of coffee beans.
Then I fill it up with cold water.
I cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit until morning.
In the morning, I stir it gently then press the grounds down.
I let the coffee settle for a minute while I fill a cup with ice and a little creamer or vanilla syrup and sometimes a generous drizzle of caramel.
Then I pour the glorious cold pressed coffee over the ice.

Awesomeness In A Cup

Why should you try this method? Well let me give you a few reasons.
When you pour hot coffee over ice, the ice melts and makes it watery.
When you refrigerate hot coffee it sometimes can taste bitter like truck stop coffee.
When you brew and press the coffee cold and pour it over ice, you get smooth, rich, full flavor coffee with no nasty aftertaste.
If you like iced coffee, I highly recomend this method. If you already own a press, then why not try it?

Confession:

I don't just own 1 coffee press. I actually own 3! I have the one in the photo above, then hubby and I each have our own personal sized travel coffee press. If you know me well at all I am sure that doesn't surprise you at all. *grin*

Summer Essential

It's been a hot, dry summer. There is a very essential small kitchen appliance that earns it's keep every summer - our Ice Shaver.

 This is the one I have. We have had this one for years and it is still going strong. This is a great one because it uses everyday ice cubes. The first ice shaver I bought used special circles. I would spend a lot of time freezing circle blocks of ice and stock pile them so that we never ran out of ice. When that one died we bought this one. So much easier to use.

I'm not advertising for them, I'm just showing you the one I bought. But, if I had to buy another, I would probably buy this one again just because it has worked well for me for quite a few summers. With 4 kids and long summer months, that is a lot of ice it has had to shave.







Most days we just shave the ice into a cup and the kids eat them plain. They call them ice cups. I love to shave a cup of ice and pour a cold soda over it or cold coffee, it makes the drink extra cold which always tastes better on a hot summer day.

Sometimes we put some flavored syrup in the ice and make actual snow-cones. We have a bunch of flavored syrups and the kids love getting to choose their flavor or flavors.




Having an ice shaver or snow-cone maker is essential to surviving the summer heat.

Toaster Oven Snickerdoodles

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.

Product Review - Avent Breastpump

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.

Butcher Paper is Essential

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.

Thirteen Uses for a Receiving Blanket

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.

1. Swaddle an infant.
2. Use as a large burp cloth.
3. Substitute as a changing pad.
4. Makes a great sunshade for a stroller or infant carrier
5. Train the baby/toddler to stay on one for a period of time. - Blanket Training
6. Fort and house making.
   
7. 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.
   
8. shield the baby from a dirty cart, car-seat, highchair…
9. It can become a diaper in desperate situations.
10. They make great super hero capes.
11. Use it as a nursing cover.
12. Pin it up over the curtain for extra darkening of a sunlit room.
13. 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

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

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

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.

Coffee Innovation

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

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

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

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

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.

Quiet Times

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

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.

Very Important Resource

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

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!

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

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.