I start my internship in about a month. In addition to the newness of being away from my kids for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, we'll have to navigate a new morning and evening routine. Since I'll be the one in charge of feeding the boys breakfast before they head to daycare, I've decided to experiment with fast, easy, healthy recipes to see what will work for everybody. Babyzilla was really excited to get "cake" for breakfast. I was really excited to see the boys inhale a breakfast food that I can make the night before.
Oatmeal Breakfast "Cupcakes"
3 bananas, mashed
1 cup almond milk
2 eggs
splash of vanilla
2 1/2 cups oats (I use "old fashioned" oats)
1/4 cup berries OR chocolate chips OR cinnamon chips OR raisins
Mix all of the ingredients, except berries/chips. (Batter will be fairly thin.) Fold in the berries/ chips gently and scoop batter into greased/ lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes (15-20 for mini muffins).
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Menu Plan 7/8/13
A few days late but here it is:
Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
Lunch: Cream cheese crackers, strawberries, and carrot sticks
Dinner: At Mimi's
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Eggs and plums
Lunch: Quesadillas with black beans and grilled peppers
Dinner: Black bean and quinoa burritos
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Sausage, toast, and strawberries
Lunch: Left-over black beans, quinoa, and broccoli
Dinner: Pasta with peas and cherry tomato sauce with white beans
Thursday:
Breakfast: Cereal and bananas
Lunch: Macaroni and cheese, spinach, and carrot sticks
Dinner: Crock-pot honey lentils, rice, and spinach
Friday:
Breakfast: Eggs, grits, and fruit
Lunch: Peanut butter crackers, raisins, yogurt, and carrot sticks
Dinner: Tuna cakes, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and carrot sticks
Saturday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins
Lunch: Grilled cheese and soup
Dinner: Sorghum pilaf, curried cauliflower, green beans, and bread
Sunday:
Breakfast:Cereal and fruit
Lunch: Vegetable fried rice
Dinner: Pork roast, roasted carrots and potatoes, and broccoli
Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal and fruit
Lunch: Cream cheese crackers, strawberries, and carrot sticks
Dinner: At Mimi's
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Eggs and plums
Lunch: Quesadillas with black beans and grilled peppers
Dinner: Black bean and quinoa burritos
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Sausage, toast, and strawberries
Lunch: Left-over black beans, quinoa, and broccoli
Dinner: Pasta with peas and cherry tomato sauce with white beans
Thursday:
Breakfast: Cereal and bananas
Lunch: Macaroni and cheese, spinach, and carrot sticks
Dinner: Crock-pot honey lentils, rice, and spinach
Friday:
Breakfast: Eggs, grits, and fruit
Lunch: Peanut butter crackers, raisins, yogurt, and carrot sticks
Dinner: Tuna cakes, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and carrot sticks
Saturday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins
Lunch: Grilled cheese and soup
Dinner: Sorghum pilaf, curried cauliflower, green beans, and bread
Sunday:
Breakfast:Cereal and fruit
Lunch: Vegetable fried rice
Dinner: Pork roast, roasted carrots and potatoes, and broccoli
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Project Sorghum Part 1: The Challenge
A woman in our local mommy group was giving away a partially full 5 gallon buck of sorghum kernels/ berries/ whatever they're called. I pounced on it. I love using new, real ingredients. If nothing else, we need a bucket to hold the 25 lbs of rice we just bought from Costco. After getting the bucket home, I began to realize just how much sorghum was in that bucket. It's about 40 POUNDS of sorghum. "What they heck am I going to do with this?" I asked myself. "Use it," I answered.
Since the bucket is open, I made it a personal mission to use every bit of it before the end of the year. There was just one problem: I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with 40 POUNDS of sorghum. Naturally, I went where any red-blooded American woman goes when she needs ideas- Pinterest. This is what I learned from my 1 hour of Pinterest "research":
Since the bucket is open, I made it a personal mission to use every bit of it before the end of the year. There was just one problem: I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with 40 POUNDS of sorghum. Naturally, I went where any red-blooded American woman goes when she needs ideas- Pinterest. This is what I learned from my 1 hour of Pinterest "research":
- Sorghum is a gluten-free grain that grows well in hot climates.
- It can be made into sorghum syrup. (So not happening in my kitchen, but nice to know.)
- It can be ground into flour and used to make breads. (Good thing we have a grain mill.)
- It's easy to cook. Very similar to rice. Cook it in 3 parts liquid to1 part grain for 50 minutes.
- It can be popped in a pot on the stove! (Think of the old fashioned way to make popcorn.)
- It's really good in curries.
A Child's Prayer
About a week ago, we were gathering for evening prayer like we do (almost) every night. Hubby started to pray, but Babyzilla would have none of it, very unlike him. Hubby asked him what was wrong.
He replied, "I do it."
"You want to say the prayer?"
"Yes"
"Okay."
"YAY!"
We all bowed our heads and folded our arms to listen to Babyzilla's prayer. "Deew Henlee Fadder. Tank oo fuh my famee. Bwess Daddy an Mommy an Mimi an mu bwudder. I wuv oo. Name o Jeesuhs Cwis. Ahmeh."
Translation: Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for my family. Bless Daddy and Mommy and Mimi and my brother. I love you. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
How perfect is that? That came right from his heart. Both good and bad, children learn from the example of the adults around them. I'm so glad to know we're doing at least one thing right.
He replied, "I do it."
"You want to say the prayer?"
"Yes"
"Okay."
"YAY!"
We all bowed our heads and folded our arms to listen to Babyzilla's prayer. "Deew Henlee Fadder. Tank oo fuh my famee. Bwess Daddy an Mommy an Mimi an mu bwudder. I wuv oo. Name o Jeesuhs Cwis. Ahmeh."
Translation: Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for my family. Bless Daddy and Mommy and Mimi and my brother. I love you. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
How perfect is that? That came right from his heart. Both good and bad, children learn from the example of the adults around them. I'm so glad to know we're doing at least one thing right.
Quick Update
Bulldog now has all of his teeth. Pwew! The constant nursing (helps with teething pain), plus 15 month sleep regression, plus not having Internet access for 2 weeks, plus enjoying summer freedom equals a neglected blog.
Bulldog is now walking up and down the stairs! My back is thankful, but my nerves aren't. He's bowlegged and still getting the hang of this bipedal locomotion thing, so he looks like he's about to go tumbling down every time he takes a step. The kid also had the nerve to outgrow his car seat! We have the Graco MyRide 65. We bought it because it has one of the highest rear-facing capabilities of any car seat on the market, and isn't insanely expensive. Babyzilla outgrew it at 13 months because he's freakishly tall (WAY off the charts). Bulldog isn't as tall -"only" 99th percentile- so we figured he'd make it closer to the AAP recommendation of 2 years. We forgot to consider that he's off the chart for weight. (I swear I make breastcream, not breastmilk.) At his 15 month appointment he weighed 35 pounds (the max for rear-facing in his seat). He loves facing forward!
Babyzilla is getting so big! He's 2.5 now. His language has exploded this summer. He loves to dance and help clean up. He helps me in the kitchen (adding ingredients and mixing) and around the house by picking up toys, pushing laundry into the dryer (supervised, of course), sweeping, making the beds, and loading the kid dishes into the dishwasher. I've never drilled flashcards with him. We're learning letters, numbers, shapes, and colors sort of organically. He's picked up most of his colors through my use of language. For example, "Yes, that's a ball. That's a blue ball." One of the TV shows he watches is Super Why on PBS. He LOVES that show, and it's really helped him learn his letters. He knows capital and lowercase a, c, e, g, i, o, p, r, s, t, u, and y. Not too shabby. (While I'm not a huge TV fan, I am a realist. I'm a full-time student AND a mom. When I have papers to write and projects to do, I employ the electronic babysitter for an hour. When I graduate and get a paycheck, I'm making a big donation to PBS for keeping me sane.) He also loves circles and finds them everywhere.
We had a soggy 4th, and our neighbors set off fireworks until 3 a.m.
So that's what we've been up to for the past few weeks.
Bulldog is now walking up and down the stairs! My back is thankful, but my nerves aren't. He's bowlegged and still getting the hang of this bipedal locomotion thing, so he looks like he's about to go tumbling down every time he takes a step. The kid also had the nerve to outgrow his car seat! We have the Graco MyRide 65. We bought it because it has one of the highest rear-facing capabilities of any car seat on the market, and isn't insanely expensive. Babyzilla outgrew it at 13 months because he's freakishly tall (WAY off the charts). Bulldog isn't as tall -"only" 99th percentile- so we figured he'd make it closer to the AAP recommendation of 2 years. We forgot to consider that he's off the chart for weight. (I swear I make breastcream, not breastmilk.) At his 15 month appointment he weighed 35 pounds (the max for rear-facing in his seat). He loves facing forward!
Babyzilla is getting so big! He's 2.5 now. His language has exploded this summer. He loves to dance and help clean up. He helps me in the kitchen (adding ingredients and mixing) and around the house by picking up toys, pushing laundry into the dryer (supervised, of course), sweeping, making the beds, and loading the kid dishes into the dishwasher. I've never drilled flashcards with him. We're learning letters, numbers, shapes, and colors sort of organically. He's picked up most of his colors through my use of language. For example, "Yes, that's a ball. That's a blue ball." One of the TV shows he watches is Super Why on PBS. He LOVES that show, and it's really helped him learn his letters. He knows capital and lowercase a, c, e, g, i, o, p, r, s, t, u, and y. Not too shabby. (While I'm not a huge TV fan, I am a realist. I'm a full-time student AND a mom. When I have papers to write and projects to do, I employ the electronic babysitter for an hour. When I graduate and get a paycheck, I'm making a big donation to PBS for keeping me sane.) He also loves circles and finds them everywhere.
We had a soggy 4th, and our neighbors set off fireworks until 3 a.m.
So that's what we've been up to for the past few weeks.
Friday, June 7, 2013
A Week in Pre-2000 America
There was a time, about a decade and a half ago, when homes didn't have the Internet. At least, mine didn't. I had a flash-back to that time this past week. My darling children pulled the router and modem off the shelf where they are stored, and the router refused to work. We're expecting a bonus paycheck this month, so we'll buy our new router when my husband gets paid. (I'm currently accessing the web via a borrowed signal that Hubby found.)
For the past week, I have been able to check neither Facebook nor Pinterest. When planning my meals, I had to use my cookbooks, because I couldn't access the loads of recipes I've pinned. I couldn't check with my playgroups about playdate locations and times. I couldn't check the weather and news at will. I had to *gasp* wait for the 6 o'clock news. (Kind of annoying since Tropical Storm Andrea was heading our way.) I didn't get to listen to Pandora or my favorite podcasts.
And you know what? I survived.
I cooked old favorites from cookbooks long forgotten. I just showed up at the park. Sometimes there were other moms, but sometimes there weren't. And I survived. I pushed my kids on the swings, and collected leaves. Instead of Pinning things to do with the boys, I did them. We drew with sidewalk chalk and blew bubbles and made forts out of couch cushions. We had dance parties. I got to play these really old things called CDs on my kitchen radio. My boys loved it! When I got "bored", I read a book, or I played some Solitaire and Plants vs. Zombies.
I'm not canceling my internet access any time soon, but this little adventure showed me how much time I was taking from life and giving to the web. It's time to take most of that back.
For the past week, I have been able to check neither Facebook nor Pinterest. When planning my meals, I had to use my cookbooks, because I couldn't access the loads of recipes I've pinned. I couldn't check with my playgroups about playdate locations and times. I couldn't check the weather and news at will. I had to *gasp* wait for the 6 o'clock news. (Kind of annoying since Tropical Storm Andrea was heading our way.) I didn't get to listen to Pandora or my favorite podcasts.
And you know what? I survived.
I cooked old favorites from cookbooks long forgotten. I just showed up at the park. Sometimes there were other moms, but sometimes there weren't. And I survived. I pushed my kids on the swings, and collected leaves. Instead of Pinning things to do with the boys, I did them. We drew with sidewalk chalk and blew bubbles and made forts out of couch cushions. We had dance parties. I got to play these really old things called CDs on my kitchen radio. My boys loved it! When I got "bored", I read a book, or I played some Solitaire and Plants vs. Zombies.
I'm not canceling my internet access any time soon, but this little adventure showed me how much time I was taking from life and giving to the web. It's time to take most of that back.
Friday, May 31, 2013
A Letter to My Teething Baby
Dear Bulldog,
Your gums are on fire, and you have spears being driven through your gums. I shouldn't have any joy because of this, but I do. You see, for a little while there, I was afraid that you wanted to wean, that you didn't need me in that special way anymore. Because of your teething pain, you've wanted to nurse A LOT this week. The milk has analgesic properties, so it helps to soothe your pain, and our extended snuggles provide comfort, letting you know that I'm here for you. By being chained to the couch, your favorite nursing spot, I've been forced to take a much needed rest from my daily routine. As a bonus, your amazing big brother has taken to join us on the couch for cuddles. I get to spend my day watching Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine while cuddling with my two favorite boys.
At night, you want only me to help you get to sleep. Daddy just won't do. In spite of the medicine and nursing, you still hurt too much to fall into a peaceful sleep. So I rock you, and sing you every song I know, and pray over you. I pray with more sincerity than I have in a while. As I try to comfort you, I am comforted by my Father. I get a glimpse of what He feels when I hurt, and I know that He is here for me, just as I am here for you. I thank you for that.
I promise, this pain won't last forever. It will end, and it is for a purpose. It is for your good. Once you have teeth, you can eat really awesome stuff like steak. You're just like your daddy, so I'm pretty sure you'll love steak. I wish I could say that this is the last time you'll feel pain like this, but I can't. Life has many times of great pain, but it doesn't last forever. Try to find the joyous moments in the pain, and remember that the Lord and I are watching over you.
Love,
Mommy
Your gums are on fire, and you have spears being driven through your gums. I shouldn't have any joy because of this, but I do. You see, for a little while there, I was afraid that you wanted to wean, that you didn't need me in that special way anymore. Because of your teething pain, you've wanted to nurse A LOT this week. The milk has analgesic properties, so it helps to soothe your pain, and our extended snuggles provide comfort, letting you know that I'm here for you. By being chained to the couch, your favorite nursing spot, I've been forced to take a much needed rest from my daily routine. As a bonus, your amazing big brother has taken to join us on the couch for cuddles. I get to spend my day watching Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine while cuddling with my two favorite boys.
At night, you want only me to help you get to sleep. Daddy just won't do. In spite of the medicine and nursing, you still hurt too much to fall into a peaceful sleep. So I rock you, and sing you every song I know, and pray over you. I pray with more sincerity than I have in a while. As I try to comfort you, I am comforted by my Father. I get a glimpse of what He feels when I hurt, and I know that He is here for me, just as I am here for you. I thank you for that.
I promise, this pain won't last forever. It will end, and it is for a purpose. It is for your good. Once you have teeth, you can eat really awesome stuff like steak. You're just like your daddy, so I'm pretty sure you'll love steak. I wish I could say that this is the last time you'll feel pain like this, but I can't. Life has many times of great pain, but it doesn't last forever. Try to find the joyous moments in the pain, and remember that the Lord and I are watching over you.
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Saving Money at Costco
3 months ago Hubby and I decided to get a Costco membership. Our boys eat A LOT of fruit. Bananas at Costco are 20 cents a pound cheaper than the ones at Publix. We did the math. We go through 6 pounds of bananas a week. By buying bananas at Costco, we'd save at least $62.40 a year. Just in bananas! The membership is $55 a year, so we knew this was something that needed to happen.
I've been told that prices at Costco aren't any better than the grocery stores. I laugh at people who try to convince me that we're wasting our money there. Yes, if you go off your list, you'll rack up a huge bill from stuff you don't need, and not everything at Costco is a great deal. However, a consumer who is aware of product costs and sticks to his/her list is likely to come out ahead when shopping at Costco. We have neither an extra freezer nor a lot of pantry storage. Hubby and I have bought exactly 2 impulse buys in our 3 months as Costco members. Even so, we've already saved enough to cover our membership and then some.
I don't know all of the prices off the top of my head, but this is a list of things I know are cheaper at Costco than at our local grocery stores. I've included the prices for the items that I know. I'll write down the prices for the others on my next trip and update.
Coconut oil- I love this stuff! A 4 pound jar is about $16 at Costco. A 1 pound jar is $13. I go through a jar a month, so that's $12 a month in savings.
Olive Oil
Lemon juice
Baking soda
Yeast (if you bake a lot)
Rice
Annie's Mac and Cheese (I know it's not "real food," but it's a convenience food that I can live with.)
Flour (if you bake a lot)
Sugar (if you bake a lot)
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Sea salt
Canned organic tomatoes
Canned mushrooms
Bananas- Costco: 3 lbs at $0.49/ lb Publix: $0.69 / lb
Strawberries- Costco: 4 lbs at $1.99/ lb Publix: $2.50/ lb
Onions, red and yellow
Apples
Garlic
Cantaloupes- Costco: 3 for $6 Publix: $2.50 each on sale
Berries of any kind
Fresh organic spinach
Grape tomatoes
Mushrooms
Celery
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- Costco :$2.99/ lb Publix: $2.99/ lb when they're on sale. I love not having to wait for a sale!
Whole chickens- Costco: $0.99/ lb Publix: They were just on sale for $1.29/ lb.
Ground beef- Costco- $2.99/ lb Publix: The cheapest ground beef is $3.69/ lb. Costco's tastes much better, too.
Almond milk- Babyzilla has a dairy sensitivity, so we use a lot of this. The price works out to be buy 2 get 1 free.
Yogurt
Eggs
Freezer bags
Garbage bags
Baby wipes
Children's Tylanol (Kirkland brand)
Gasoline- We save about $0.10 a gallon by buying our gas from Costco, and it saves a trip since it's right there.
I've been told that coffee, dog food, maple syrup, and toilet paper are all good deals at Costco, but I haven't confirmed these as we don't use coffee or dog food and are still using toilet paper from my last stock up.
If your family uses any of the above, a Costco membership might be something to consider.
I've been told that prices at Costco aren't any better than the grocery stores. I laugh at people who try to convince me that we're wasting our money there. Yes, if you go off your list, you'll rack up a huge bill from stuff you don't need, and not everything at Costco is a great deal. However, a consumer who is aware of product costs and sticks to his/her list is likely to come out ahead when shopping at Costco. We have neither an extra freezer nor a lot of pantry storage. Hubby and I have bought exactly 2 impulse buys in our 3 months as Costco members. Even so, we've already saved enough to cover our membership and then some.
I don't know all of the prices off the top of my head, but this is a list of things I know are cheaper at Costco than at our local grocery stores. I've included the prices for the items that I know. I'll write down the prices for the others on my next trip and update.
Coconut oil- I love this stuff! A 4 pound jar is about $16 at Costco. A 1 pound jar is $13. I go through a jar a month, so that's $12 a month in savings.
Olive Oil
Lemon juice
Baking soda
Yeast (if you bake a lot)
Rice
Annie's Mac and Cheese (I know it's not "real food," but it's a convenience food that I can live with.)
Flour (if you bake a lot)
Sugar (if you bake a lot)
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Sea salt
Canned organic tomatoes
Canned mushrooms
Bananas- Costco: 3 lbs at $0.49/ lb Publix: $0.69 / lb
Strawberries- Costco: 4 lbs at $1.99/ lb Publix: $2.50/ lb
Onions, red and yellow
Apples
Garlic
Cantaloupes- Costco: 3 for $6 Publix: $2.50 each on sale
Berries of any kind
Fresh organic spinach
Grape tomatoes
Mushrooms
Celery
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- Costco :$2.99/ lb Publix: $2.99/ lb when they're on sale. I love not having to wait for a sale!
Whole chickens- Costco: $0.99/ lb Publix: They were just on sale for $1.29/ lb.
Ground beef- Costco- $2.99/ lb Publix: The cheapest ground beef is $3.69/ lb. Costco's tastes much better, too.
Almond milk- Babyzilla has a dairy sensitivity, so we use a lot of this. The price works out to be buy 2 get 1 free.
Yogurt
Eggs
Freezer bags
Garbage bags
Baby wipes
Children's Tylanol (Kirkland brand)
Gasoline- We save about $0.10 a gallon by buying our gas from Costco, and it saves a trip since it's right there.
I've been told that coffee, dog food, maple syrup, and toilet paper are all good deals at Costco, but I haven't confirmed these as we don't use coffee or dog food and are still using toilet paper from my last stock up.
If your family uses any of the above, a Costco membership might be something to consider.
It's the Little Things
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Strawberry Bread
For the first time ever, our 4 pound clam shell of strawberries from Costco started getting mushy before we'd eaten all of it. There's a popular adage in our church: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. This was a time to use it up. I searched through my cookbooks for a good way to use up strawberries. I found this recipe in my Food Storage cookbook from the LDS cannery. It was SO good!
Strawberry Bread
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use melted coconut oil.)
2 cups sliced strawberries
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and berries. Mix until just moistened. Spoon into 2 prepared (greased and floured) loaf pans. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in the pans for several minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Bread
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use melted coconut oil.)
2 cups sliced strawberries
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and berries. Mix until just moistened. Spoon into 2 prepared (greased and floured) loaf pans. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in the pans for several minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack to cool completely.
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