Cloth Diapering: Works For Me

I've shared several posts related to cloth diapers over the past 2 years of this blog.  Here are some of them...

Washing and Detergent Instructions
(Antifungal) Baby Wipes Recipe
Diaper Liners
Nighttime Diaper for Toddlers

These are my latest observations on cloth diapering the second child...

The whole cloth diapering process has been less experimental this time around with my second child.  At least, so far.  I imagine there are at least more 2 years of diapering my boy, so there's still time.  But I feel like I know what I like and am just trying to utilize what we already have from my daughter's diapering days.  Therefore, I haven't researched or tried many new things (and it seems there are a lot of new items that have been introduced in the past year!)

For the first 7 weeks after he was born, we borrowed homemade newborn fitteds and covers.  Since then, we have been using prefolds (first the infant size, and now the premiums) with a snappi and covers with him.  I still really like the Imse Vimse covers, but the Thirsties cover and Thirsties Duo wraps are my new favorites for his chunky build.  I am a believer that the build of your baby can affect what fits them best.  If you are new to the game, don't completely commit to one kind before your baby arrives.  When the prefolds and covers aren't cutting it anymore, I plan to switch to our BumGeniuses.  For nights, we are using FuzziBunz One Size. Although, he has started to leak through with the newborn and regular inserts, so I should get some large inserts to replace the newborn sized ones.  This combo still works for my daughter at night, so I am hoping it will work for him.  He also has one of the Thirsties Duo pocket diapers that works great for long outings.  I really like it, so maybe I should try that one at nighttime...Hmm...

When we have diposables on hand (which is almost always, as backup, because I tend to get behind on laundry), we use those for in the diaper bag and/or when someone else might be changing him.

I still enjoy cloth diapering and am glad I chose to do it.  What about you?

Giving Up Sugar

That's what I did for Lent, along with a coworker.  Well, we gave up desserts and candy, really.  My husband couldn't understand why.  He asked me why I don't just eat it in moderation and use self-control.  That's when I realized I really did have a problem and needed to do something about it.  Because I told him that when I take one bite that is all I can think about until I get some more.  Then before I know it, I eat the whole bag/batch/pan/carton, etc.  I was addicted.  It was bad for me.  And I needed to do something about it.  So I gave it up; telling myself that desserts were no longer for me.

I have messed up a few times so far.

• At Bible study one week we had ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce.
• I grabbled some chocolate candy sitting around at church.
• I made chocolate chip bars for my husband's work, and then ate the leftovers.
• My husband brought home donuts one Saturday morning.
• I ate a handful of chocolate chips from the cupboard.  I figured was if I finished them up, then I wouldn't want to eat them anymore...  Can you say flawed reasoning?

But all in all, it hasn't been as tortuous as I expected.  The biggest factor that has helped me is to not keep chocolate in the house, nor any baked goods lying around.  Because I still don't trust my self-discipline, or rather, the lack thereof.  The times when I started eating it, the craving for more came back.  That's how I know I am an addict.

But now, I feel empowered by the fact that I know I can quit it, if I want to, and if I equip myself .

These past several weeks, I have not regretted turning down a dessert.  When I tell myself, "No, that's not for me," I never feel worse for it later.  The regret and bad feelings come when I am not self-disciplined.  The fleeting taste is not worth the bad feelings later.  I do have keep something around to snack on, though.  I still get hungry about 3pm.  I just eat something different.  (I have often found myself eating some leftovers from the fridge or making a sandwich and a glass of milk at this time of day... That's healthier than the alternative.)

To tell the truth, if I had been happy with my figure, as I typically am, I don't know if I would have been motivated to do this.  My motivation was not a spiritual one as it should have been for Lent.  Instead, it was selfish.  They stretchy post-baby gut was harder to lose this time around, and I needed all the help I could get.  If you are wondering if a sugar fast like this could make a difference for your appearace, I will say that it has for me.  Nothing drastic, but I can tell.  But then again, I have been working out more, too, so who knows.

What I do know is....

It is freeing to not be a slave to my addiction.

I may always be a sugar-addict, but I can be a recovering one.

Those have been good things for me to learn.

I am looking forward to baking again, starting next week, after Easter.  But I am going to be putting some limits on myself and what I make and keep in the house.  I'm not sure yet what I can handle... I'll keep you posted.

Menu Plan 3/29/10

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal with Blueberries
Kashi Cereal with Milk

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
Carrots
Fruit

Dinners:
This schedule is a mess because a bunch of stuff we had going on last week got moved to this week.  One thing I'm planning on fixing is Beef BBQ on Wheat Buns with Yam Fries.  And then, just whatever is left on the monthy list from March...

Sorry, no fancy menu....

Hope it is a good week for you!

New Items on My Grocery List

With explanations and disclaimers..

 Costco:

• Organic Whole Chickens (After watching Food, Inc., I never want to eat conventional chicken again.  Watch it!)
• Organic Ground Beef (More epensive and very similar to the kind I buy at Whole Foods, so I will probably go back to the WF kind, but I wanted to try it... It comes in nice neat packages for freezing :)  This kind is grain-finished.  I would like to buy 100% grassfed, but it is so expensive, so this is a compromise....)
• Kerrygold Butter (But regular butter for baking.)
• Tillamook Cheddar (From growth hormone free cows.)
• Organic Eggs (From cage-free, but not necessarily pastured chickens.)
• Organic Strawberry Spread (HFCS free, but not sugar free.)
• Daisy Sour Cream (More epensive than the stuff at Aldi, but none of the fillers/preservatives.)
• Plain yogurt (We like to mix in honey and the frozen blueberries.  From growth hormone free cows.)

I am trying to do my research and not be mislead by the "organic" label...  Am I?

Question:  I have always bought salted butter until the last time I went shopping.  I decided to get some unsalted... But I noticed that the ingredient label for unsalted reads: cream, natural flavorings (?!)  What are the "natual flavorings" in there?  Anyone know?  I don't like the sound of that.  I think I'll take plain old salt, please.  (And then just reduce the salt elsewhere in the baking recipe, if desired.)

Thanks for listening to my thoughts.

April Meal Ideas

I'm brainstorming....

I'm hoping this list will get us through about 3 weeks of April or so??  It's a little lighter fare; you can tell it is more spring-ish.

Several of the dinners do not allow enough leftovers for another complete dinner.  Which means more frequent cooking for me.  I don't know if I am going to like that.

I am determined to stay within the budget this month.  We definitely felt the difference this past month without me baking as much - spent more on other stuff since we didn't have those fillers to snack on or to round out a lunch.  I just did some shopping today and spent the majority of at Costco, Whole Foods, and Aldi.  I think we are going to try to raise the grocery budget.  I am feeling like if we can afford it, it is worth it healthwise to buy higher quality food.  So, I am trying a few new things.  LESS (but hopefully better quality, better for us) meat and dairy.  More fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

As Michael Pollan writes in In Defense of Food, "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants."

We are not even close to becoming vegetarians, nor does he say that is necessary.  But I want to keep these words in mind.

Breakfasts:
Soaked Oatmeal with Frozen Blueberries
Muffins
Soaked Baked Oatmeal (new)
Smoothies

Lunches:
Leftovers
PB&J
Carrot Sticks
Yogurt
Chips & Salsa
Fruit
Almonds
Homemade Granola Bars

Dinners:

Chicken
Chili Cornbread Salad
Hearty Chicken & Rice Soup
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chimichangas/Quesadillas

Beef
Quinoa Medley
Roast Beef Sandwiches
Shepherd's Pie

Other
French Toast
Eggs and Potatoes
Rice & Beans, Cornbread
Pizza (dough)
Potato Soup (new)
Egg Salad Sandwiches

Desserts:
Molasses Cookie Sandwiches (with homemade frozen yogurt)
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache
Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares

Garage Sale Bound

There is still more to add to this.  I didn't get to the linen closet, yet.  And I didn't touch my husband's stuff.  He said make a pile for him to go through.  So I did.

While purging, I try to ask myself, "If we were moving, would this be worth the effort to pack up and haul and unpack?"  (Also known as  The Beautiful/Useful Rule combined with the Have I used it in the past year? Rule)

If the answer is no, then into the garage sale pile it goes.  Doesn't mean I couldn't or wouldn't be able to use it someday...   But that is the mentality that lead me to be a packrat.  Which I used to be, before I was married.  And I don't want to be a packrat anymore.  So I am being semi-ruthless.

Using Up Eggplant?

Try this pizza, the Pioneer Woman's (current) favorite.  It's what we had for dinner tonight.  Of course, I had to add some feta cheese.

Soaking Oats for a Beginner

Ew, doesn't the word soaking sound gross, especially when you are talking about food?  It makes me think... soggy.  I used to reason, Isn't it enough that I am eating oatmeal, do I really need to soak it to make it even healthier?  Then, one day when I was prepping to make these muffins (that I make almost every other week if you haven't noticed), I decided to let the oat/buttermilk mixture soak overnight.  And the result was delicious, smoother, less chewy muffins.

So I first came to appreciate the benefits of soaking for taste and texture, rather than health.  About the same time, our microwave went out.  So long oatmeal, you cheap, healthy breakfast.  I had been hearing about the benefits of soaking whole grains for awhile, mostly from Passionate Homemaking, and no more microwave was the perfect time to give it a shot.  I wanted to try Lindsay's recipe the cheapest, easiest way.  I followed directions, but I used lemon juice for the acid medium, and left out the wheat flour for simplicity.  If you read the comments following the recipe, you find that lemon juice, or even vinegar, are appropriate acid mediums as well.

So 1 and 1/2 cup oats, water to cover, lemon juice (just a splash, or it will be too tangy).  Shake it up and set out overnight.  Add more water in the morning to cook.  Takes about 5 to 10 minutes to be ready in the morning - I usually let it get going on the stovetop while I am getting something/someone else ready for the day nearby.  My husband likes his oatmeal much better this way.  It is creamy and not chewy.  You would think we used milk!  It really makes our oats go a lot further, too.  A cup and a half of dry oats will make plenty for 3 of us.  We typically add some combo of brown sugar/honey/tubinado/cinnamon/vanilla/peanut butter/banana/blueberries (but not all!) after cooking.  I have also found that if there are leftovers, gross as they may look, you can put them back in the sauce pan with a tad bit of water the next day and once they are heated through, will be good to go.  (We buy the old fashioned Quaker Oats, 9 lbs. for about $6 at Costco, and this lasts us awhile.)

I am a beginner when it comes to soaking grains. Recipes with oats are all I have tried so far.  And I don't have kefir or even buttermilk on hand, typically.  So I use water/lemon juice or milk/lemon juice (aka mock buttermilk).  These are the recipes I have tried so far, and have found them to be good for a beginner like me - relatively easy and delicious:

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins (soak overnight instead of 5 minutes)
Soaked Oatmeal
Oatmeal Pancakes (This is my newest favorite pancake recipe.)

If you have aother recipe you think we would like, please feel free to share!

Menu Plan 3/22/10

Breakfasts:
Soaked Oatmeal
Kashi Cereal
Milk

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
Chips & Salsa
Fruit

Dinners:
Monday - Quesadillas
Tuesday - Chili & Cornbread
Wednesday - BBQ Chicken Pizza, Fruit, Salad, Cookies (for Bible Study)
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Lasagna, Salad, Bread
Sunday - Grilled Chicken Wraps (We didn't have these last week.)

Mmm... Organic Peanut Butter

If you glance at our menu plans, you see that we eat a LOT of peanut butter around here.  While I like to eat as wholesome as possible, my husband is not a fan of the no-sugar, need-to-stir-and-refrigerate natural peanut butter.  So our compromise is a sweetened, no-stir version, but concocted without hydrogenated vegetable oil:  typically the Skippy or Jif natural versions.  However, last week while at Whole Foods, I bought a small jar or their 365 brand organic sweetened, no-stir peanut butter.  Can I say YUM?

This is the best peanut butter I have ever had.

It is pricier, around $3.39 if I remember correctly for the small jar, so I probably won't be buying it exclusively.  But, there is a $1 off coupon in the Whole Deal flier (also available in store while supplies last).   So if you are interested, now is the time to try it!

Proof that I Did Something Today

...Before...

Now, this closet isn't completely streamlined with new storage boxes or anything, but it has been purged of useless junk.  Some went to the garage sale stash, some went to basement storage (there was no need for it to be in our son's bedroom closet), some went to the trash.  The floor has been vaccumed and every item inside has been accounted for and is easily accessible.

...After...

  

This closet still contains items belonging to my husband and I, even though it is in our son's bedroom.  Most of out boy's clothes are in his dresser, but a few new ones that he has yet to grow into are hanging here, plus the storage on the yaffa block shelves is his (mostly extra diapers and clothes that he will be growing into in the next 6 months or so).  We are keeping my husband's musical instruments up here (bottom left) so that they are not affected by the cold in the basement.  And all the junky looking stuff on the top shelf is my stuff: wrapping, sewing, craft, and office supplies that I want to be easy to grab.  I condensed all my bits and pieces of fabric and larger crafting items into the tub on the floor (it was freed up when I sorted through all the kid's clothes last week!)  And the bonus of this purging: empty storage containers and shelves - yay!

(These shelves will go to the basement until my boy has use for them when he has a big boy room.  They were just sitting in my daughter's room to be out of the way and I snapped a photo.)

Total time: about 3 hours.

Next, I hit our master bedroom closet.  I swapped out my super wintery clothes for some warmer weather ones, and tossed several worn out or too short shirts in the process.  Results:

1 large bag of trash which included stuff form the other closet, too

1 bag of garage sale clothing

1 trunk of out of season clothes ready to go back down to the basement.

Now I'm off to make some dinner.

Kitchen, Etc.

First, a sidenote:

I had never purchased feta cheese until a few weeks ago when I bought a (large-ish) containter from Costco.  I knew that I liked it okay, but wasn't sure how I was going to use it all, but didn't want to go to another store.  Well, now I've to added it to everything - the quinoa salad it was intended for, the cheesy bow ties (it was an optional ingredient), even a box of Annie's mac & cheese and on pizza.  Yum!

Our kitchen is a five year old, standard builder's grade model, but still I catch myself dreaming about things I'd like to change: the countertops, the floors, the kitchen sink, do something about the broken microwave, rehang the askew pantry door, and repaint the cabinets with better paint, should have splurged for stainless appliances, etc.  Then, I remember that compared to the rest of the world, I pretty much live in a palace.  No more complaining allowed!  So, on a note of gratitude, here is what I do love about our kitchen: Love the cream color on the cabinets.  Love the simple hardware.  Love the working dishwasher.  Love the functional layout.  Love the just-right storage and countertop space (if there was more, I'd make more of a mess or collect more stuff).  Love the natural light that pours in.  Love our dishes and silverware as shown here:

Our dishes and silverware are complete settings of the ones we registered for when we married.  If I were doing it over again, I wouldn't change a thing.  We chose quality stuff, but very basic designs.  At the time, white was boring, but I am so glad we chose white.  And our silverware was plain, but we liked it because it felt substantial.  It still does.

I've had to replace almost all of our everyday glasses, on the left.  (You see our "company's coming" water goblets on the right.)  I've replaced them with PB Classic Barware and want to get more.  They are reasonably priced and have held up very well.

(These cabinets are the few that I didn't have to really clean out, they basically always look like this, except for when items are in use.)

Other random house thoughts:

I'm sure I am in the extreme minority here, but I don't think I am a fan of open floor plans.  I like rooms.  I like separation and quietness.  Now you know.  Anyone with me?  But to contradict myself, our house has a semi-open floorplan, and I like it okay because our house is on the small side and this layout makes it seem more airy.  I guess I was just thinking about this topic because we were at a gorgeous new home last night where the entire first floor was like one giant room with a hardwood floor, and with only our two families there it was loud.

I am no professional decorator, but here's my self-made rule: One blank wall in every room is good.  Doesn't need to be a big blank wall.  Just a spot that could have something on it, but it doesn't.  Gives you room to breathe.

Spring break is here!

Menu Plan 3/15/10

Breakfasts:
Kashi Cereal
Frozen Blueberries
Milk

Lunches:
Sandwiches
Raw Veggies with Ranch Dip
Fruit

Dinners:
Monday - Rice Lasagna, Broccoli
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Salmon Burgers on Wheat Buns, Zucchini
Thursday - Grilled Chicken Wraps, Salad Greens
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Out to Eat
Sunday - Something with eggplant; any good recipes?

Snacks:
Leftovers
Cheese
Raw Almonds
Popcorn
Hard-boiled Eggs

11:45pm

(I wrote this late last night, please forgive my looniness.)

I probably should be sleeping. But this blog has been neglected the past two weeks, and I had some thoughts running through my head as I was brushing my teeth and I want to get them down before they fly away and I forget. That’s the way my brain works these days.

I am really happy to have given up desserts for Lent. It hasn’t been as bad as I thought. I miss baking, though. I have made two things with modified recipes - as in very little sugar. Basically they are like eating bread (to me). For example, I made the butternut coffee cake from Deceptively Delicious with only ¼ cup sugar in the cake, no marshmallows, and instead, some banana added. My mom and sister were visiting. And I made the basic muffin recipe from my BHG cookbook. I used ¼ cup sugar in that, too. Normal people would probably think they taste like dirt.  But I can eat them with control.

Our grocery budget is being blown out of the water this month. Why???

I was excited today to see that Costco is carrying fruit leather again. Only this time, it is the Simply Fruit brand by Betty Crocker, the makers of the original Fruit Rollups. Not quite as pure, but a step in the right direction for ol’ Betty. Now, our Costco carries Sugar in the Raw and unbleached multigrain all-purpose flour, too!

I finally finished the 30 Day Shred. It took me about 75 days, but I did it. I highly recommend it.

Not to be on a Jillian Michaels kick or anything, but Master Your Metabolism was a good read. Chock full of information. It basically lines up with what I already know, but I learned a lot of new information, too. If you are skeptical about if organic food is worth it, this book is for you.

I also read Skinny B*tch for the first time. Foul-mouthed? Yes, it is, so it is not for everyone. I found it to be motivating, though. And a very quick read. I don’t agree with the authors that vegan is the only way to eat healthily. I also don't agree with how much they advocate eating soy.  However, it does inspire me to want to know the origin of the animal products we eat.

Purge week is almost here! I got a head start last weekend and did the kitchen, laundry room, and kids’ clothes. The two worst closets are still left: our closet and the one in our son’s room which has general storage in it. I will share photos. They will not all be pretty, though.

Ok, the clock is about to strike midnight and I am going to turn into a pumpkin. See you later!

Menu Plan 3/8/10

Notes from last week:

The Chicken & Rice soup from last Sunday rocked.  I added some leeks and it gave it a bit of wonton soup flavor (which I love).  I left out the food coloring and used organic chicken paste instead of bouillon cubes.

My husband was not a fan of the Quinoa Salad, but may have liked it better if it had some grilled chicken on it.  However, the next day, my daughter and I really liked eating the quinoa/tomato/feta mixture with organic tortilla chips for lunch.

We all enjoyed the Cheesy Bow Ties a lot.  I added some spinach and chicken to the sauce, but it would still be good without.  I bought one shaker of parmesan & romano mixture from Aldi and used that for simplicity's sake.  I also used some feta, which is optional, but gives it a good kick.

We also made some Almost No Sugar Banana Muffins.  You can tell they are low sugar, but we still liked them ok.  I also made some low sugar cranberry muffins.  I hope to share that recipe, soon.

Now, on to this week's menu...

Breakfasts:
Soaked Oatmeal
Milk
Muffins

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
Chips
Fruit

Dinners:

Monday - Blueberry Pancakes with Syrup, Scrambled Eggs
Tuesday - Shepherd's Pie
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Chicken Pasta Primavera with Sauce
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Spinach & Feta Pizza
Sunday - Leftovers

Spring Break To-Do List

1. Clean out!

Purge the closets and drawers.  We don't have a lot of stuff compared to most homes I've been in, but I bet there is more junk hiding in those places than I think!  A garage sale with my sister-in-law is already scheduled for April, so everything will go to that, and if it doesn't sell, will be donated.  I don't expect to earn much, but am hoping for some money for our summer pool pass??

Spring break is not here yet, but will be in a few weeks!

(inspiration)

Only after I finish can I add to the to-do list.

Plus, maybe all this cleaning will distract me from wanting to bake something.

I will take pictures of the process for fun.