Oh the things rolling through my head! Not enough time to write it all though, so I will concentrate on one topic.
Weightloss. Ugh.
It has been 7 years since I could shop in the misses department. It's been 7 years since I felt good about how I looked. Over these years I have learned more and more about health, and made lots of changes. However, for whatever reason, I still didn't lose much weight.
Since I follow the Nourishing Traditions principles, we do eat fat, but not excessive. (although I did actually put some butter on my delicious roast beef already laced with its own fat- I didn't realize it though, as soon as I did it I asked my husband "Did I just butter my meat?" And he said, "It's probably going to taste pretty good!") LOL. Still, for someone needing to lose, it's probably important to watch fat better than I do.
Still, there are SO many things I could do, but it's really hard for me to accomplish more than just basics on a daily basis, so I can't do something really intensive.
Here's one idea I got from a magazine- alternate days- for one 24 hr period you really cut calories, then the next day you don't, and alternate back and forth. That way your metabolism never has a chance to get used to what you're eating and burn it faster, plus you have days where you are 'allowed to cheat' or whatever. One day I could cut out all sugar and starchy carbs, then the next day allow some.
Then, there's the other diet I tried almost a year ago, which did work. I ate 6 little meals a day in balanced protein/carb proportions- all whole foods, no sugar or processed foods.
Many people I know are taking a diet pill made from herbs. I tried one last week, a HALF of one, and it still made me feel like I had a coffee buzz. That way I wouldn't have to change what I eat a lot, just eat much less of it. My own mom and several people from church are using it with good success and no side effects. (except in the beginning, you get that buzz feeling then it goes away)
What did I do before I had children to lose the weight? Ate mostly raw foods, absolutely NO processed anything except on my free day, and properly combined protein/ carb foods. Kinda hard right now.
Then my sister is doing the 6 week Total Body Makeover and is losing fast! She is the same size as me, but 6 foot tall, so she looks thinner.
My main obstacle is that I so love to bake. Even though I make changes to the recipes to make them healthier, I still like to eat them. Every time I have baby, the hormone changes make me crave sugar and lots of food in general. Thankfully I've only gained a few pounds back since I had the baby, but I sure have been eating a lot! I didn't care about food while pregnant, but I'm loving it now! I've even managed to get some weight on my little husband- took 8.5 years, but I finally did it!!! He's so funny, he doesn't know what to think about his first roll of fat :)
Even if I make the healthiest treats possible, it's still tempting to eat way more than necessary. But I want my girls to have yummies to eat, especially since it will keep them from getting processed junk. And bread...how I love making and eating homemade bread....
So all of this is in my head right now. Oh and there's the topic of exercise! I know it's better to lift weights and develop muscle because muscle burns fat even at rest, but I have no equipment and don't want to go to a gym even though we have one close by that I can afford that care of children. I just don't wanna go right now. I can walk in my neighborhood though, but I need shoes first...I can't use my exercise tapes because my VCR isn't working!!! SEE!!! Guess I can run in place on the carpet :)
Welcome to my brain :) Hope it's not too scary.
September 29, 2009
September 28, 2009
September 24, 2009
Melting Pot of topics
More than likely I will not finish this post in one sitting. It may get written in spurts.
First off, be sure to go back down and look at my post from Tuesday. I updated it with the recipe and pictures. I didn't really get to enjoy the process because I was trying to throw it together since I had my littlest girls and my niece clamoring for my attention :)
Second, life has been busy this week and I don't like it! I mean, I don't like everyone being in a rush trying to get out the door or me scrambling around to get my chores done etc. Part of it is because of doctor appointments etc, which can't be helped. And part of it is because I'm never sure when Samantha will wake up to eat or be fussy or if she's going to sleep at night or not. I've been trying to put together a plan to help calm things down a bit, so far, no good.
I have certain things I do each day, maybe not always at the same time. I think another problem is I get sort of 'anal' (sorry if that's offensive) about the house because, I'm the one doing it all. It just dawned on me that my children are perfectly able to do some stuff around here now. They are going on 7, 6 and 4 years old. Many times it's just faster for me to do it rather than try to get them to do it. Hmmm, how to get them motivated?
I think I'll make a chart of chores, and if they do it without complaining/crying they get something. Nothing major, just a sticker on the chart, then if they get 7 in a row or something, then they get something special. Think it'll work? There's no point in me working myself ragged just so they can destroy it again, and I want a tidy house. Should be possible huh?
So I am changing my goals. The hardest part of the day is the afternoon when everyone gets home from school. They're hungry, want to get all the toys out, usually start fighting a bit etc. Meanwhile I am tired as well, trying to finish up laundry and dishes and cooking etc. and trying to keep the house from being destroyed. I need to be checking their folders and making the next day's lunches but I usually don't get to it till later.
Now, early in the day, I am going to get the hard stuff out of the way. For me that is dinner, the clean up, and laundry. I don't mind starting and switching the laundry, but I do not particularly enjoy folding and put away. I have 4 girls who go through many clothes. It's very daunting at times when a large laundry basket is mounded over with clean clothes to be folded and put away. I also must do the daily food preps, such as making formula, separating cream from milk, making whey for the formula...this doesn't take too long, but it MUST be done.
That way, if nothing else happens, the important stuff is done :)
I mentioned last Saturday that I was alone with the kiddies. Leiah had an assignment to complete for Monday making a 'face' of her. She also had to make a poster with things on it about her. So, just to show you that I am fun sometimes and allow big messes (or in this case, sticky glue ones) here are some pictures.
Forgot to take a pic of the finished project. It was really cute with button eyes, yarn hair and my attempt at drawing the rest of the face :)
I had no idea, but in this area, all the schools have had an H1N1 flu epidemic! They even closed one school down. However, our school is taking great precautions such as cleaning all the buses everyday, sanitizing doorknobs and desks TWICE a day etc. It's not a big deal, I think the main symptoms are a fever and cough for a few days, but it can get serious if you have health problems to begin with.
I am not worried, because we already took our flu shot- when we got born again it's no longer I who live but Christ in me, therefore I've had a blood transfusion :) Jesus was never sick, and His Word says ' A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.' So long as you dwell in His secret place. Psalms 91
And so, I must conclude this post with a plethora of Samantha pictures, and then get moving on today's work, which is large and must get done early because tonight is Open House at the school.
Can you believe she is 6 weeks old? She looks just like daddy here! Notice the reddish hair-just like her sister Alexa! Matt has dark hair on his head, but his facial hair is red, that Swedish blood coming out I guess.
Look how chubby and squishy she's getting! I haven't weighed her yet, but she sure is getting heavier!
This is how I feed her when I need my hands. I use the playtex drop in bottles, so I can push all the air out. Baby can still drink the bottle even if it's not tilted upright. So, I propped it with some blankets and she held onto it! I just make sure she doesn't lose it and burp her when she needs it. I've only done this twice so far, but it sure does help when you've got pasta boiling needing to be drained or something needs to come out of the oven.
First off, be sure to go back down and look at my post from Tuesday. I updated it with the recipe and pictures. I didn't really get to enjoy the process because I was trying to throw it together since I had my littlest girls and my niece clamoring for my attention :)
Second, life has been busy this week and I don't like it! I mean, I don't like everyone being in a rush trying to get out the door or me scrambling around to get my chores done etc. Part of it is because of doctor appointments etc, which can't be helped. And part of it is because I'm never sure when Samantha will wake up to eat or be fussy or if she's going to sleep at night or not. I've been trying to put together a plan to help calm things down a bit, so far, no good.
I have certain things I do each day, maybe not always at the same time. I think another problem is I get sort of 'anal' (sorry if that's offensive) about the house because, I'm the one doing it all. It just dawned on me that my children are perfectly able to do some stuff around here now. They are going on 7, 6 and 4 years old. Many times it's just faster for me to do it rather than try to get them to do it. Hmmm, how to get them motivated?
I think I'll make a chart of chores, and if they do it without complaining/crying they get something. Nothing major, just a sticker on the chart, then if they get 7 in a row or something, then they get something special. Think it'll work? There's no point in me working myself ragged just so they can destroy it again, and I want a tidy house. Should be possible huh?
So I am changing my goals. The hardest part of the day is the afternoon when everyone gets home from school. They're hungry, want to get all the toys out, usually start fighting a bit etc. Meanwhile I am tired as well, trying to finish up laundry and dishes and cooking etc. and trying to keep the house from being destroyed. I need to be checking their folders and making the next day's lunches but I usually don't get to it till later.
Now, early in the day, I am going to get the hard stuff out of the way. For me that is dinner, the clean up, and laundry. I don't mind starting and switching the laundry, but I do not particularly enjoy folding and put away. I have 4 girls who go through many clothes. It's very daunting at times when a large laundry basket is mounded over with clean clothes to be folded and put away. I also must do the daily food preps, such as making formula, separating cream from milk, making whey for the formula...this doesn't take too long, but it MUST be done.
That way, if nothing else happens, the important stuff is done :)
I mentioned last Saturday that I was alone with the kiddies. Leiah had an assignment to complete for Monday making a 'face' of her. She also had to make a poster with things on it about her. So, just to show you that I am fun sometimes and allow big messes (or in this case, sticky glue ones) here are some pictures.
Forgot to take a pic of the finished project. It was really cute with button eyes, yarn hair and my attempt at drawing the rest of the face :)
I had no idea, but in this area, all the schools have had an H1N1 flu epidemic! They even closed one school down. However, our school is taking great precautions such as cleaning all the buses everyday, sanitizing doorknobs and desks TWICE a day etc. It's not a big deal, I think the main symptoms are a fever and cough for a few days, but it can get serious if you have health problems to begin with.
I am not worried, because we already took our flu shot- when we got born again it's no longer I who live but Christ in me, therefore I've had a blood transfusion :) Jesus was never sick, and His Word says ' A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.' So long as you dwell in His secret place. Psalms 91
And so, I must conclude this post with a plethora of Samantha pictures, and then get moving on today's work, which is large and must get done early because tonight is Open House at the school.
Can you believe she is 6 weeks old? She looks just like daddy here! Notice the reddish hair-just like her sister Alexa! Matt has dark hair on his head, but his facial hair is red, that Swedish blood coming out I guess.
Look how chubby and squishy she's getting! I haven't weighed her yet, but she sure is getting heavier!
This is how I feed her when I need my hands. I use the playtex drop in bottles, so I can push all the air out. Baby can still drink the bottle even if it's not tilted upright. So, I propped it with some blankets and she held onto it! I just make sure she doesn't lose it and burp her when she needs it. I've only done this twice so far, but it sure does help when you've got pasta boiling needing to be drained or something needs to come out of the oven.
September 23, 2009
Yesterday I baked Sour Cream Spice Cake. Tomorrow I'll get the picture and recipe up. Life has been CRAZY the last three days- good grief!!! I have not had any time online at all. I never know what Little Miss is going to do in the evenings, so I don't even have that time to blog. So bear with me everyone- recipes tomorrow- I plan to try another one out as well.
It's after midnight- why am I up when the baby is asleep??
It's after midnight- why am I up when the baby is asleep??
September 22, 2009
Goodies to Come!
Sorry I've been missing. I had all four children by myself Friday and Saturday and have had zero time on the computer since then as well. At 5am this morning, while feeding the baby by candlelight, (power went out) I thought up a blog post!
My mom went on a shopping trip this weekend and of course, instead of buying something for herself, she buys for all the grandkids and kids, which includes me :) This is what she got for me:
I am loving this book. Not only are there loads of great looking recipes, and they're from generations of women passed down, but they're based on basic pantry ingredients. There are recipes in there from the Great Depression, War time, the turn of the century, late 1800s etc. The recipes can be made with staples- flour, sugar, eggs, butter, leavening, cocoa powder etc. and sometimes nuts or chocolate. Many times I will want to make something, but it calls for stuff I don't keep on hand or is a little expensive. (like marshmallows or evaporated milk or butterscotch chips)
So, in order to properly use this book, I think I will start a weekly blog post of a new recipe to try and how it came out. That way you can have the recipes for 'free' :) I am actually thinking of doing a 'virtual' tea party as well with some treats someday. Fun idea huh? Stay tuned to see what I'm going to try out today, which will be from the pantry since I'm getting low on ingredients.
*********************************************************************************
Okie doke, I'm finally updating here. The day I wrote the post was crazy, but I managed to bake a cake and some bread somewhere in there. I just made my regular bread recipe, which I have missed, and it turned out great! See!
I always forget to slash the loaves before baking, then they rise really high and rip open a bit. Makes it hard to slice.
So, I made the Sour Cream Spice Cake recipe from my new book. It was easy and relatively frugal. However, it's not really a cake, but more like a quickbread. It wasn't the best for dessert, but it was wonderful for breakfast the next morning! Just the right amount of sweetness, and if I'd used healthier ingredients, it would be a great breakfast 'cake'.
Just out of the oven, no sugar.
After it cooled, dusted with powdered sugar and ready to serve to the fam.
The Fam awaiting their treat :)
The Recipe for Sour Cream Spice Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t cloves
1 t allspice
1 t baking soda
1 cup raisins (I used golden)
1/2 c butter
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 cup sour cream (I used homemade cream cheese from yogurt)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle of the oven. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with wax paper and grease with butter or vegetable spray. Dust pan with flour and tap out excess. (I forgot this step and it was ok)
Sift together 1 3/4 cups of flour, the spices and baking soda. Toss 1/4 cup flour with the raisins. Cream together butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla mixing well. Add the dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Fold in raisins and 'plop' batter into pan.
Bake approximately 1 hour or until the a knife or toothpick tested in the center of the cake comes out clean.
This would be great with some sweetened cream cheese spread on the slices. I was going to do that, but we ate it all before I could!!
My mom went on a shopping trip this weekend and of course, instead of buying something for herself, she buys for all the grandkids and kids, which includes me :) This is what she got for me:
I am loving this book. Not only are there loads of great looking recipes, and they're from generations of women passed down, but they're based on basic pantry ingredients. There are recipes in there from the Great Depression, War time, the turn of the century, late 1800s etc. The recipes can be made with staples- flour, sugar, eggs, butter, leavening, cocoa powder etc. and sometimes nuts or chocolate. Many times I will want to make something, but it calls for stuff I don't keep on hand or is a little expensive. (like marshmallows or evaporated milk or butterscotch chips)So, in order to properly use this book, I think I will start a weekly blog post of a new recipe to try and how it came out. That way you can have the recipes for 'free' :) I am actually thinking of doing a 'virtual' tea party as well with some treats someday. Fun idea huh? Stay tuned to see what I'm going to try out today, which will be from the pantry since I'm getting low on ingredients.
*********************************************************************************
Okie doke, I'm finally updating here. The day I wrote the post was crazy, but I managed to bake a cake and some bread somewhere in there. I just made my regular bread recipe, which I have missed, and it turned out great! See!
I always forget to slash the loaves before baking, then they rise really high and rip open a bit. Makes it hard to slice.So, I made the Sour Cream Spice Cake recipe from my new book. It was easy and relatively frugal. However, it's not really a cake, but more like a quickbread. It wasn't the best for dessert, but it was wonderful for breakfast the next morning! Just the right amount of sweetness, and if I'd used healthier ingredients, it would be a great breakfast 'cake'.
Just out of the oven, no sugar.
After it cooled, dusted with powdered sugar and ready to serve to the fam.
The Fam awaiting their treat :)
The Recipe for Sour Cream Spice Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t cloves
1 t allspice
1 t baking soda
1 cup raisins (I used golden)
1/2 c butter
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 cup sour cream (I used homemade cream cheese from yogurt)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle of the oven. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with wax paper and grease with butter or vegetable spray. Dust pan with flour and tap out excess. (I forgot this step and it was ok)
Sift together 1 3/4 cups of flour, the spices and baking soda. Toss 1/4 cup flour with the raisins. Cream together butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla mixing well. Add the dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Fold in raisins and 'plop' batter into pan.
Bake approximately 1 hour or until the a knife or toothpick tested in the center of the cake comes out clean.
This would be great with some sweetened cream cheese spread on the slices. I was going to do that, but we ate it all before I could!!
September 17, 2009
How to stretch a tough piece of meat
Before I had the baby, I thought I was getting a great deal on some roasts. It was buy one get one for 1 penny! Who could resist that? The first one I did in the crockpot with the traditional onions, carrots and potatoes. A little tough much....
So, I finally defrosted the other one this week to do something with. I was going to cut it up and do beef stew or stroganoff, but I just really wanted something different. Then I remembered when I did the Jewish Feast meal at my church, the first time, I used beef instead of lamb because I couldn't get it, and did a middle east spice rub. Hmmm, that sounds interesting. That's what I did and it was yummy!
Here's the recipe:
Blend together approximately a tablespoon of garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, a splash of cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon and I guess that's it. Rub on the meat, heat a large pot on medium high, add 3 T olive oil and sear meat on both sides.
Chop some onions and carrots while the meat is searing, then add to the pan. Dice about 1/3c dried apricots and add that to the pot with a handful of golden raisins. Add enough liquid to come up half way up the meat. I used a combo of water and chicken stock that I had. Cover and simmer a few hours. Since this meat was so tough I sliced it after awhile and then added it back to the pot to simmer until it would shred easily with a fork. We ate this on brown rice garnished with chopped cilantro.
So, this was so good I ate just meat when the rice was gone :) Anyways, there was still a good bit of meat left, around 2 cups, and I decided it would work well for chili. I had frozen cooked beans in the freezer and a brand new container of chili powder, why not?
This morning I chopped more onions and some bell pepper, threw that in the pot with extra garlic powder, cumin and chili powder, then added 1 small can of tomato paste and probably two cups of cooked pinto beans. Then I added the liquid- water and chicken stock and started cooking it. I just had a taste and it was really good. I will serve it with sour cream, cheese, chopped tomatoes and avocado and tortilla chips.
On another note, I was super woman this morning! I cleaned the ENTIRE house- not just basics- the dusting, windex, vacuum all rooms, sweep and mop all hard floors, bathrooms, trash, changed sheets/bedding, refilled soap dispensers, bleached the kitchen sink, AND, did kid laundry AND baked cookies. Oh, that includes the usual make beds, tidy up, give Sarah a bath because she covered herself in diaper rash cream and feed baby Samantha several times. Wow- amazing what some coffee and a vitamin and a real breakfast will do. Well, honestly, it was God, because it's a miracle.
Samantha slept all night Tuesday! She went from 11pm to 6am without feeding! She did wake up last night, but I couldn't get her to take a full feeding at 10:30, so that could be why. Sure was nice to have continuous sleep.
Sorry there are no pictures- I didn't think of writing this post until after I started the chili. Maybe I can take one later...don't hold yer breath!
So, I finally defrosted the other one this week to do something with. I was going to cut it up and do beef stew or stroganoff, but I just really wanted something different. Then I remembered when I did the Jewish Feast meal at my church, the first time, I used beef instead of lamb because I couldn't get it, and did a middle east spice rub. Hmmm, that sounds interesting. That's what I did and it was yummy!
Here's the recipe:
Blend together approximately a tablespoon of garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, a splash of cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon and I guess that's it. Rub on the meat, heat a large pot on medium high, add 3 T olive oil and sear meat on both sides.
Chop some onions and carrots while the meat is searing, then add to the pan. Dice about 1/3c dried apricots and add that to the pot with a handful of golden raisins. Add enough liquid to come up half way up the meat. I used a combo of water and chicken stock that I had. Cover and simmer a few hours. Since this meat was so tough I sliced it after awhile and then added it back to the pot to simmer until it would shred easily with a fork. We ate this on brown rice garnished with chopped cilantro.
So, this was so good I ate just meat when the rice was gone :) Anyways, there was still a good bit of meat left, around 2 cups, and I decided it would work well for chili. I had frozen cooked beans in the freezer and a brand new container of chili powder, why not?
This morning I chopped more onions and some bell pepper, threw that in the pot with extra garlic powder, cumin and chili powder, then added 1 small can of tomato paste and probably two cups of cooked pinto beans. Then I added the liquid- water and chicken stock and started cooking it. I just had a taste and it was really good. I will serve it with sour cream, cheese, chopped tomatoes and avocado and tortilla chips.
On another note, I was super woman this morning! I cleaned the ENTIRE house- not just basics- the dusting, windex, vacuum all rooms, sweep and mop all hard floors, bathrooms, trash, changed sheets/bedding, refilled soap dispensers, bleached the kitchen sink, AND, did kid laundry AND baked cookies. Oh, that includes the usual make beds, tidy up, give Sarah a bath because she covered herself in diaper rash cream and feed baby Samantha several times. Wow- amazing what some coffee and a vitamin and a real breakfast will do. Well, honestly, it was God, because it's a miracle.
Samantha slept all night Tuesday! She went from 11pm to 6am without feeding! She did wake up last night, but I couldn't get her to take a full feeding at 10:30, so that could be why. Sure was nice to have continuous sleep.
Sorry there are no pictures- I didn't think of writing this post until after I started the chili. Maybe I can take one later...don't hold yer breath!
September 16, 2009
A Matrix Fan
My husband and I really like the first movie in the The Matrix series. We're both dumbfounded with the concept and how they did it. Yes, it was one of the things that connected us in the beginning of our courtship. Anyways, my friend showed me this video yesterday and I thought it was really neat.
Laugh it up
This video so describes me and my husband. I guess we're nerds! You are learning about my sense of humor. I've noticed that people have very different ideas on what is funny. I guess it depends on your background and where you're from. Generally, if I'm watching a movie, I want it to be funny or have lots of funny in it. That is a relief for me, to laugh. Life is serious enough, so I want some funny! Stuff i watch: Saturday Night Live ( the old ones from the early 90s), Seinfeld, Monty Python, Cosby Show, Andy Griffith, The Three Stooges, we used to watch Family Guy until they started making lots of bad jokes about God.
Favorite movies: The Princess Bride, Dumb and Dumber, Without a Paddle, The Matrix (not funny, but good), Facing the Giants (faith building!), Ace Ventura, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Army of Darkness (very slapstick comedy), Happy Gilmore, Tommy Boy, Wayne's World and so on...got an idea of my funny side yet?? And of course, I know lots of Weird Al's songs :)
This is part of the attraction between my husband and I. Most girls that I know do not find these shows/movies interesting or funny. I'm one of the few that does. Our sense of humor connected which actually began our courtship--- when Matt came over one day and I was watching Monty Python, it was like the choir of angels sang for him I guess. He knew if I found that funny, then I was likely the girl for him! LOL!
So here's the video, can't get it out of my head! Thanks a lot Amanda! (my friend who passed the video to me)
Oops, I can't embed the video on my blog. You'll have to go to youtube and watch it, sorry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp6eswhgOKk
*******Edited to Add- I actually intended to take this post down because the video I linked to is rather PG-13, which I forgot until I watched it again and I didn't want to offend anyone. That's why I put the Matrix one up, but duh, I forgot to take this one down. If no one is offended then I'll leave it.
Favorite movies: The Princess Bride, Dumb and Dumber, Without a Paddle, The Matrix (not funny, but good), Facing the Giants (faith building!), Ace Ventura, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Army of Darkness (very slapstick comedy), Happy Gilmore, Tommy Boy, Wayne's World and so on...got an idea of my funny side yet?? And of course, I know lots of Weird Al's songs :)
This is part of the attraction between my husband and I. Most girls that I know do not find these shows/movies interesting or funny. I'm one of the few that does. Our sense of humor connected which actually began our courtship--- when Matt came over one day and I was watching Monty Python, it was like the choir of angels sang for him I guess. He knew if I found that funny, then I was likely the girl for him! LOL!
So here's the video, can't get it out of my head! Thanks a lot Amanda! (my friend who passed the video to me)
Oops, I can't embed the video on my blog. You'll have to go to youtube and watch it, sorry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp6eswhgOKk
*******Edited to Add- I actually intended to take this post down because the video I linked to is rather PG-13, which I forgot until I watched it again and I didn't want to offend anyone. That's why I put the Matrix one up, but duh, I forgot to take this one down. If no one is offended then I'll leave it.
September 14, 2009
My favorite day
This is my favorite kind of day.
It's cloudy and a steady rain is pouring outside. I don't have to go anywhere, I have PLENTY to do inside. One task is making a large pot of soup, probably a Mexican-chicken type soup and some jazzed up cornbread. I'd love to bake up several things, but I must concentrate on the high priority stuff first :)
I like Mondays. Usually. The weekend is a nice break from the weekly 'grind', but then it seems everything I worked on during the week gets demolished in one day on the weekend. At one point of frustration I actually asked my husband, " Am I the maid?" He promptly got to work picking up after himself. Normally I wouldn't mind as much, but it has only been a month since I had a baby and surgery, and I am the primary caretaker of her. However, my beloved husband made all the meals this whole weekend, just because it seems the baby always needs to eat when I need to cook.
Back to Monday. I usually have the same work awaiting me on Monday morning. The girls' massive amounts of clothes need washing as do mine and dh's. It's probably not that much clothing, just that I have four girls to launder! I used to follow the clean schedule on Candy's blog, so on Monday's I would clean my stove and all appliances and do laundry. All those things need cleaning, but I didn't even put that on my list of MUST do's today.
I'm in the process of creating a new plan for us instead of just writing a daily list of tasks and keeping things afloat in my brain :) I'm still thinking on it...
About the baby wrap, I bought it. It's one LOOOONNGGG piece of stretchy soft fabric. After you tie it on and put the baby in, it sort of feels like the baby is inside your shirt. It's very comfortable and snug. For more info go to www.sleepywrap.com It cost $30 and there are lots of colors. I felt it was necessary because now that I have 4 children and only two hands, freeing them up when going out would be nice. I chose this green color in case we ended up with a boy and also if my husband wants to wear it.
The peanut butter cups! I got the recipe from the Nourishing Gourmet, click it on the left hand sidebar. I had to modify it though because something WEIRD happened to my chocolate the first time. This is what I did:
I used 1 cup all natural peanut butter- melt it with 1/4 coconut oil and about 1/4 c raw honey. I also added a pinch of sea salt because I love the salty with the chocolate. I had to melt it in a double boiler to get it mixed because my peanut butter was old :( Once smoothed out, I spooned it into a mini muffin pan. Then you put this in the freezer till solid, around 30-45 minutes.
The recipe calls 4oz unsweetened baking chocolate that you sweeten with the honey, but, mine seized up into a brick! Luckily I had some semi sweet chocolate chips, so I melted those and and spread it on the top of the little cups. Pop it back into the freezer. To eat, just use a butter knife to pop them out. You can let it thaw a minute or so, or start licking on it like a popsicle :)
I LOVE peanut butter anything, and Reese's are my absolute favorite candy with Snickers a close second. At Christmas I adore making the ritz crackers filled with peanut butter and dipped in chocolate- salty, chocolaty and peanut butter!!! So, I am very glad to have a healthy dessert to keep around for those cravings. I'll try to just keep a good quality dark chocolate on hand for this though instead of the baking chocolate. I'll reserve that for, baking!
Ok, I'm really getting the itch to cover my home in fall colors! Every time I need to run to the store I have to go drool over the fall decor. I did buy a tablecloth last week, so this week I'll try to get some candles and some flowers and whatever else I can fit into the budget :)
Also, I would like to have an 'Open House' discussion. What I mean is, I need to 'cozy up' my kitchen and make it more homey. I might take a closer video of it to put up here and see what you all can contribute to give me some ideas. It feels pretty sterile right now because I have a huge blank white wall and fluorescent lights. Whatever I do it needs to be simple- no major painting or wallpaper- since my time is needed elsewhere right now.
It's cloudy and a steady rain is pouring outside. I don't have to go anywhere, I have PLENTY to do inside. One task is making a large pot of soup, probably a Mexican-chicken type soup and some jazzed up cornbread. I'd love to bake up several things, but I must concentrate on the high priority stuff first :)
I like Mondays. Usually. The weekend is a nice break from the weekly 'grind', but then it seems everything I worked on during the week gets demolished in one day on the weekend. At one point of frustration I actually asked my husband, " Am I the maid?" He promptly got to work picking up after himself. Normally I wouldn't mind as much, but it has only been a month since I had a baby and surgery, and I am the primary caretaker of her. However, my beloved husband made all the meals this whole weekend, just because it seems the baby always needs to eat when I need to cook.
Back to Monday. I usually have the same work awaiting me on Monday morning. The girls' massive amounts of clothes need washing as do mine and dh's. It's probably not that much clothing, just that I have four girls to launder! I used to follow the clean schedule on Candy's blog, so on Monday's I would clean my stove and all appliances and do laundry. All those things need cleaning, but I didn't even put that on my list of MUST do's today.
I'm in the process of creating a new plan for us instead of just writing a daily list of tasks and keeping things afloat in my brain :) I'm still thinking on it...
About the baby wrap, I bought it. It's one LOOOONNGGG piece of stretchy soft fabric. After you tie it on and put the baby in, it sort of feels like the baby is inside your shirt. It's very comfortable and snug. For more info go to www.sleepywrap.com It cost $30 and there are lots of colors. I felt it was necessary because now that I have 4 children and only two hands, freeing them up when going out would be nice. I chose this green color in case we ended up with a boy and also if my husband wants to wear it.
The peanut butter cups! I got the recipe from the Nourishing Gourmet, click it on the left hand sidebar. I had to modify it though because something WEIRD happened to my chocolate the first time. This is what I did:
I used 1 cup all natural peanut butter- melt it with 1/4 coconut oil and about 1/4 c raw honey. I also added a pinch of sea salt because I love the salty with the chocolate. I had to melt it in a double boiler to get it mixed because my peanut butter was old :( Once smoothed out, I spooned it into a mini muffin pan. Then you put this in the freezer till solid, around 30-45 minutes.
The recipe calls 4oz unsweetened baking chocolate that you sweeten with the honey, but, mine seized up into a brick! Luckily I had some semi sweet chocolate chips, so I melted those and and spread it on the top of the little cups. Pop it back into the freezer. To eat, just use a butter knife to pop them out. You can let it thaw a minute or so, or start licking on it like a popsicle :)
I LOVE peanut butter anything, and Reese's are my absolute favorite candy with Snickers a close second. At Christmas I adore making the ritz crackers filled with peanut butter and dipped in chocolate- salty, chocolaty and peanut butter!!! So, I am very glad to have a healthy dessert to keep around for those cravings. I'll try to just keep a good quality dark chocolate on hand for this though instead of the baking chocolate. I'll reserve that for, baking!
Ok, I'm really getting the itch to cover my home in fall colors! Every time I need to run to the store I have to go drool over the fall decor. I did buy a tablecloth last week, so this week I'll try to get some candles and some flowers and whatever else I can fit into the budget :)
Also, I would like to have an 'Open House' discussion. What I mean is, I need to 'cozy up' my kitchen and make it more homey. I might take a closer video of it to put up here and see what you all can contribute to give me some ideas. It feels pretty sterile right now because I have a huge blank white wall and fluorescent lights. Whatever I do it needs to be simple- no major painting or wallpaper- since my time is needed elsewhere right now.
September 12, 2009
Just some pictures
I meant to put this one up the other day- me and the baby all wrapped up! I love this thing and so does she.
All the kids with smiles!
A dark shot of my post partum body.
This special meatloaf I made for my husband- he loves meatloaf. This is Tyler Florence's ultimate meatloaf, complete with a specially made pepper and tomato relish inside and on top of the meat and topped with bacon! Dee-lish! And huge!
We had mashed potatoes, green beans and homemade 'Reese's Peanut butter cups', but they were actually healthy! I forgot to take a picture though...maybe later, there are still some left.
And one MUST conclude with a picture of the baby, awww, how sweet!
All the kids with smiles!
A dark shot of my post partum body.
This special meatloaf I made for my husband- he loves meatloaf. This is Tyler Florence's ultimate meatloaf, complete with a specially made pepper and tomato relish inside and on top of the meat and topped with bacon! Dee-lish! And huge!
We had mashed potatoes, green beans and homemade 'Reese's Peanut butter cups', but they were actually healthy! I forgot to take a picture though...maybe later, there are still some left.
And one MUST conclude with a picture of the baby, awww, how sweet!
September 11, 2009
Goofy morning
Hey everyone! Guess what? It's 9:30 am, I'm still wearing my nightgown and all I've done so far is feed the baby and eat breakfast myself. And I think I have terrible bed head, LOL! Sarah, the three year old, has nothing on but panties.
Ok, so I'm not on top of it today. But I worked super hard the last couple of days and have been battling headaches and a sore throat. I am SO glad it's Friday. During the week life is routine, but harder than the weekend because I'm by myself. Yesterday evening before my husband got home was WILD!
Anyways, I'm sorry my background is too dark. The only way to change it is totally re-do the template. But if it's too dark, there were some others I liked so I can change it. Maybe is there a way to brighten your computer screen? I can press the Function key and F8 and it brightens the screen. But if it's a big problem I'll change it-let me know.
Aren't yall excited that fall is coming? I sure am...by now all us Southerners are whining because we are TIRED of being HOT! The air conditioning ain't cheap either, and it's not like you can cut down on that, at least I won't! I made a pan full of cinnamon apples as a side dish yesterday and the children gobbled them up...ok,so I gobbled them up too. Yes it's time to burn the pumpkin spice and mulled cider candles, bake pumpkin and apple goodies, put the mums and scarecrows and pie pumpkins out on the porch and BURN. Is that weird? To me, when I smell someone's pile of burning leaves it instantly speaks fall to me. I think of weinie roasts on Halloween and all the burning my mom loved to do in the cooler weather. Yes, my mom likes to burn stuff a little too much, but she's never lost control of the fire but one time, and we didn't want that tree anyways, lol! Just kidding, we saved the tree.
Goof ball this morning huh? I was going to post how I've changed my philosophy on meal planning and scheduling, but I can't seem to get my brain to go that direction and now I'm getting nervous about not being dressed yet in case someone were to come over, which no one usually does, but you never know. Not to mention I have laundry to do, always, dishes to do, I'm sure there is something that needs to be soaked or cultured, my bed needs making, the bathrooms need a cleaning, the floor needs moppin', the house needs dustin' and just about every glass surface in the house is totally smudged up.
Guess I should go huh? I need to put more pictures up- maybe can I do that today. Of course when I usually say that on my blog, I almost never get to it, so don't hold yer breath. I love you all! You're all so sweet!!! Have a good Friday!
Ok, so I'm not on top of it today. But I worked super hard the last couple of days and have been battling headaches and a sore throat. I am SO glad it's Friday. During the week life is routine, but harder than the weekend because I'm by myself. Yesterday evening before my husband got home was WILD!
Anyways, I'm sorry my background is too dark. The only way to change it is totally re-do the template. But if it's too dark, there were some others I liked so I can change it. Maybe is there a way to brighten your computer screen? I can press the Function key and F8 and it brightens the screen. But if it's a big problem I'll change it-let me know.
Aren't yall excited that fall is coming? I sure am...by now all us Southerners are whining because we are TIRED of being HOT! The air conditioning ain't cheap either, and it's not like you can cut down on that, at least I won't! I made a pan full of cinnamon apples as a side dish yesterday and the children gobbled them up...ok,so I gobbled them up too. Yes it's time to burn the pumpkin spice and mulled cider candles, bake pumpkin and apple goodies, put the mums and scarecrows and pie pumpkins out on the porch and BURN. Is that weird? To me, when I smell someone's pile of burning leaves it instantly speaks fall to me. I think of weinie roasts on Halloween and all the burning my mom loved to do in the cooler weather. Yes, my mom likes to burn stuff a little too much, but she's never lost control of the fire but one time, and we didn't want that tree anyways, lol! Just kidding, we saved the tree.
Goof ball this morning huh? I was going to post how I've changed my philosophy on meal planning and scheduling, but I can't seem to get my brain to go that direction and now I'm getting nervous about not being dressed yet in case someone were to come over, which no one usually does, but you never know. Not to mention I have laundry to do, always, dishes to do, I'm sure there is something that needs to be soaked or cultured, my bed needs making, the bathrooms need a cleaning, the floor needs moppin', the house needs dustin' and just about every glass surface in the house is totally smudged up.
Guess I should go huh? I need to put more pictures up- maybe can I do that today. Of course when I usually say that on my blog, I almost never get to it, so don't hold yer breath. I love you all! You're all so sweet!!! Have a good Friday!
September 9, 2009
I'm beat...
Sorry, no post today. I am just plain ole worn out. Sleep deprivation is really, really taking its toll on me. That combined with going from pregnant to not, and then recovering from surgery...plus I'm really fighting my inclination to be a perfectionist- this is why schedules don't work for me. I get to involved in completing everything regardless of if my body is telling me to quit.
I have the best husband- last night he did all the night duty so I got a full night's sleep for the first time in like 2-3 months :) Super-husband!
Anyways, as usual I probably over-did-it so I'm bushed again!
!
Oh, and Robyn, can I be invited to read your blogs?? I've been looking for you for a long time! I loved your blog.
I have the best husband- last night he did all the night duty so I got a full night's sleep for the first time in like 2-3 months :) Super-husband!
Anyways, as usual I probably over-did-it so I'm bushed again!
!
Oh, and Robyn, can I be invited to read your blogs?? I've been looking for you for a long time! I loved your blog.
September 8, 2009
Answer to a question and a recipe
To Joy Comes in the Morning~
Having researched the homemade formula for awhile, cost was an important factor. I have a local source of raw Jersey cow milk for $6 per gallon. There is another farm that is selling it for $5 a gallon as well. If baby goes through two per week, well gee that's only $12. A large container of Enfamil cost me around $25.
Now the extra ingredients are expensive the first time you buy. If you buy the kit on the radiant life website, it's over $100. However it averages out to about $4 a day. Similac costs $4 a day. I got around the large amount by purchasing as much as I could locally, and then order what I couldn't find.
So, $12 + $28 (7 days x $4) = $40 a week. Considering the superior nutrition she is getting, this isn't bad. Plus, I don't buy disposable diapers every week. In fact I've only bought one package so far because we use cloth and she is really starting to fit in them good. I do use some for outings and occasionally at night though. Eventually when she starts drinking more (like this morning, she drank a 4oz bottle and still acted hungry and drank 2 more oz!) she'll go through the milk faster. But then it won't be long before she starts eating some solid foods and that will cut down the milk consumption a little.
For three days in the evening Samantha would gulp down her bottle (7-8pmish) then immediately start crying off and on for several hours. We usually didn't get her back to sleep till midnight or so. It was her tummy or gas because she wanted to eat but would start crying, then burp tons, calm down a minute, then start up again. I didn't have all the ingredients for the formula yet, but I had about half of it. I really felt like I should go ahead and mix up what I had and then combine it with the Enfamil. She has done so much better- no crying jag because of gas.
It made me feel really good to listen to what I was being told (by the Holy Spirit) and act on it. I admit I did feel a little nervous about making the formula, because of all we've been conditioned to believe about milk etc. But after reading many articles from www. westonaprice.org about it and the testimonies from other parents, I felt it was the right thing to do.
When the rest of the stuff gets here this week, she'll be on the homemade 100%. I haven't figure out how I'll travel with it yet, I guess I'll just need to pack it with ice packs or something. Anyways, I look forward to seeing how she does in the coming weeks and will be sure to update. By the way, she is 4 weeks old today! Wow...
I didn't get a chance to make any home remedies yesterday or take pictures- I was just plain ole busy with other stuff and didn't get to it.
However, I will share a recipe I tried yesterday for salmon cakes. The only problem with them is I didn't make enough! Next time I need to double it :)
Salmon Cakes
1 can of wild Alaskan salmon
1 medium baked potato, peeled and smashed with a fork
1 egg
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 t sugar (I forgot this)
1/4 c of chopped onion
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup or more of grated parmesan cheese
oil for frying (I used coconut oil)
Just mix everything up in a bowl from the top list with a fork. Spread the breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish (like a pie plate). Scoop the salmon mixture with an ice cream scoop, pat it into patties in your hand, then roll in the cheese/crumb mixture. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet and cook the patties 2-3 minutes on each side or till browned.
My family literally gobbled these up, with ketchup of course. I served it with a macaroni salad with a homemade creamy dressing, steamed and buttered broccoli and raw milk.
Having researched the homemade formula for awhile, cost was an important factor. I have a local source of raw Jersey cow milk for $6 per gallon. There is another farm that is selling it for $5 a gallon as well. If baby goes through two per week, well gee that's only $12. A large container of Enfamil cost me around $25.
Now the extra ingredients are expensive the first time you buy. If you buy the kit on the radiant life website, it's over $100. However it averages out to about $4 a day. Similac costs $4 a day. I got around the large amount by purchasing as much as I could locally, and then order what I couldn't find.
So, $12 + $28 (7 days x $4) = $40 a week. Considering the superior nutrition she is getting, this isn't bad. Plus, I don't buy disposable diapers every week. In fact I've only bought one package so far because we use cloth and she is really starting to fit in them good. I do use some for outings and occasionally at night though. Eventually when she starts drinking more (like this morning, she drank a 4oz bottle and still acted hungry and drank 2 more oz!) she'll go through the milk faster. But then it won't be long before she starts eating some solid foods and that will cut down the milk consumption a little.
For three days in the evening Samantha would gulp down her bottle (7-8pmish) then immediately start crying off and on for several hours. We usually didn't get her back to sleep till midnight or so. It was her tummy or gas because she wanted to eat but would start crying, then burp tons, calm down a minute, then start up again. I didn't have all the ingredients for the formula yet, but I had about half of it. I really felt like I should go ahead and mix up what I had and then combine it with the Enfamil. She has done so much better- no crying jag because of gas.
It made me feel really good to listen to what I was being told (by the Holy Spirit) and act on it. I admit I did feel a little nervous about making the formula, because of all we've been conditioned to believe about milk etc. But after reading many articles from www. westonaprice.org about it and the testimonies from other parents, I felt it was the right thing to do.
When the rest of the stuff gets here this week, she'll be on the homemade 100%. I haven't figure out how I'll travel with it yet, I guess I'll just need to pack it with ice packs or something. Anyways, I look forward to seeing how she does in the coming weeks and will be sure to update. By the way, she is 4 weeks old today! Wow...
I didn't get a chance to make any home remedies yesterday or take pictures- I was just plain ole busy with other stuff and didn't get to it.
However, I will share a recipe I tried yesterday for salmon cakes. The only problem with them is I didn't make enough! Next time I need to double it :)
Salmon Cakes
1 can of wild Alaskan salmon
1 medium baked potato, peeled and smashed with a fork
1 egg
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 t sugar (I forgot this)
1/4 c of chopped onion
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup or more of grated parmesan cheese
oil for frying (I used coconut oil)
Just mix everything up in a bowl from the top list with a fork. Spread the breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish (like a pie plate). Scoop the salmon mixture with an ice cream scoop, pat it into patties in your hand, then roll in the cheese/crumb mixture. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet and cook the patties 2-3 minutes on each side or till browned.
My family literally gobbled these up, with ketchup of course. I served it with a macaroni salad with a homemade creamy dressing, steamed and buttered broccoli and raw milk.
September 7, 2009
I'm back on the normal computer!
Hey everybody!
I finally am back on the nice FAST computer and had time to look at everyone's blogs. You all are have made such pretty updates! Great job. I especially love the fall looks that everyone is doing. I am greatly looking forward to fall myself, but have run into a big problem- I have no idea where my decorations are! I think they are somewhere in the storage building...but, it's not gonna be easy to get to. Plus, for me, I don't do fall decor until closer to October. That's when it really starts looking and feeling like Autumn here.
I need to do some work on this blog. I need to make links for all the videos I've done and add labels to many of my posts and change the background. I'd also like to make it easier to access certain posts as well. Hang with me!
I am starting to feel more normal now, thank the Lord! I still experience some incision pain, but not very often. See, it takes a month or more just to feel somewhat healed. This is why I did NOT want the c-section. I am hoping to get myself organized on paper soon- yes, the Home Management Binder is going to get an overhaul!
Today I am finally going to dig into my herbs and make some homemade elderberry syrup. You can buy this stuff at the health food store for about $8 per 3-4 oz. I have enough to make a quart I think for $10! Maybe I can take pictures. I might be able to get my husband (since he's off today) to fix a clothesline for me. I'd love to hang out the cute diapers on it! See, I told ya I'd be back to my self soon :)
Saturday I trekked to the dairy and bought lots of raw milk. I am going to make Samantha's formula this week from this recipe:
I finally am back on the nice FAST computer and had time to look at everyone's blogs. You all are have made such pretty updates! Great job. I especially love the fall looks that everyone is doing. I am greatly looking forward to fall myself, but have run into a big problem- I have no idea where my decorations are! I think they are somewhere in the storage building...but, it's not gonna be easy to get to. Plus, for me, I don't do fall decor until closer to October. That's when it really starts looking and feeling like Autumn here.
I need to do some work on this blog. I need to make links for all the videos I've done and add labels to many of my posts and change the background. I'd also like to make it easier to access certain posts as well. Hang with me!
I am starting to feel more normal now, thank the Lord! I still experience some incision pain, but not very often. See, it takes a month or more just to feel somewhat healed. This is why I did NOT want the c-section. I am hoping to get myself organized on paper soon- yes, the Home Management Binder is going to get an overhaul!
Today I am finally going to dig into my herbs and make some homemade elderberry syrup. You can buy this stuff at the health food store for about $8 per 3-4 oz. I have enough to make a quart I think for $10! Maybe I can take pictures. I might be able to get my husband (since he's off today) to fix a clothesline for me. I'd love to hang out the cute diapers on it! See, I told ya I'd be back to my self soon :)
Saturday I trekked to the dairy and bought lots of raw milk. I am going to make Samantha's formula this week from this recipe:
MILK-BASED FORMULA
Makes 36 ounces
Our milk-based formula takes account of the fact that human milk is richer in whey, lactose, vitamin C, niacin, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to cow's milk but leaner in casein (milk protein). The addition of gelatin to cow's milk formula will make it more digestible for the infant. Use only truly expeller-expressed oils in the formula recipes, otherwise they may lack vitamin E.
The ideal milk for baby, if he cannot be breastfed, is clean, whole raw milk from old-fashioned cows, certified free of disease, that feed on green pasture. For sources of good quality milk, see www.realmilk.com or contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
If the only choice available to you is commercial milk, choose whole milk, preferably organic and unhomogenized, and culture it with a piima or kefir culture to restore enzymes (available from G.E.M. Cultures 253-588-2922 or http://www.gemcultures.com).
2 cups whole milk, preferably unprocessed milk from pasture-fed cows
1/4 cup homemade liquid whey (See recipe for whey, below) Note: Do NOT use whey from making cheese--it will cause the formula to curdle. Use only homemade whey made from yoghurt, kefir or separated raw milk.
4 tablespoons lactose*
1/4 teaspoon bifidobacterium infantis**
2 or more tablespoons good quality cream (not ultrapasteurized), more if you are using milk from Holstein cows
1 teaspoon regular dose cod liver oil or 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil*
1 teaspoon expeller-expressed sunflower oil*
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil*
2 teaspoons coconut oil*
2 teaspoons Frontier brand nutritional yeast flakes*
2 teaspoons gelatin*
1 7/8 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon acerola powder*
*Available from Radiant Life 888-593-8333, www.radiantlifecatalog.com
**Available from Natren 866-462-8736, www.natren.com, or Radiant Life 888-593-8333, www.radiantlifecatalog.com. Also, please note earlier versions of this web page called for 1 tsp of bifidobacterium infantis--this was a typo.
Add gelatin to water and heat gently until gelatin is dissolved. Place all ingredients in a very clean glass or stainless steel container and mix well. To serve, pour 6 to 8 ounces into a very clean glass bottle, attach nipple and set in a pan of simmering water. Heat until warm but not hot to the touch, shake bottle well and feed baby. (Never, never heat formula in a microwave oven!) Note: If you are using the Lact-Aid, mix all ingredients well in a blender.)
I have most of the ingredients and am waiting on the rest to come in the mail. I am going to make some up today and combine with commercial formula to gradually switch her over. I am looking forward to see how well she does with the whole food, nutritionally superior formula!
September 4, 2009
Some Pictures
Samantha in her dot dress...
The cute diaper cover from Thirsties....
The tiny newborn diaper with a snappi....
The cute diaper cover from Thirsties....
The tiny newborn diaper with a snappi....
September 2, 2009
Back to the Budget
The last few months we've had a surplus in our account for various reasons and I have literally been living with no budget. Very weird but nice :)
Now that we have used up the extra money when purchasing our home, having a baby and all kinds of other expenses, we are now back to having a regular budget :) Don't get the wrong idea, we're not scrimping and are certainly blessed, but it just means I have a certain amount of money to work with now.
The main area I can help with this is in meals. I cooked so many beans and rice meals when we were scrimping that I came to loathe them while pregnant. So I have virtually cooked almost no beans and little rice in the last 9-10months. We just got burned out I suppose. Looking back I'm pretty amazed at how I stretched our food budget. The grace of God huh?
Yesterday I worked pretty hard and was able to buy our food, including things from the health food store for about $130. That sounds like a lot huh? I used to have to keep it under $100 or much less at times. I'm getting better that I was though. I'm trying to get back into making things from scratch, which definitely cuts the food bill.
Our menu, not including breakfast and lunch:
Monday- you saw that, chicken, rice, raw veggie salad
Tuesday- homemade sloppy joe on sprouted wheat buns, fresh corn on the cob and cole slaw
Wednesday- sprouted lentil/veggie soup, cheddar biscuits and jello salad
Thursday- shepherd's pie, salad, green beans
Friday- bbq chicken legs, oven fries, leftover slaw
Saturday- pizza and salad
Sunday- leftovers or ramen
Monday- salmon cakes, rice, broccoli
Tuesday- spaghetti and meatballs (frozen meatballs I bought awhile back) salad, garlic bread
Breakfast choices are: yogurt with homemade granola, homemade banana muffins, instant oatmeal packets or microwaveable sausage biscuits
Lunch is hit and miss right now...working on it- the girls generally take a sandwich on whole wheat bread, some raw veggies or fruit, something crunchy and salty or a sweet treat like a granola bar and a juice box.
So I bought 2+lbs of ground beef, 1lb ground turkey, and 1 large package of chicken legs, plus 1 can of salmon and a package of breakfast sausage links for my dh. I will make this for breakfast Saturday with eggs and stuff. Being the man he is he really likes a hefty breakfast when we have time, and since he's the only man in the house, I must honor that one thing and have mercy on him, lol.
I'm actually looking forward to using beans again and trying new things. I miss being a good innovative cook- she's been hibernating for a looooooooong time :) My husband will be happy too.
Now that we have used up the extra money when purchasing our home, having a baby and all kinds of other expenses, we are now back to having a regular budget :) Don't get the wrong idea, we're not scrimping and are certainly blessed, but it just means I have a certain amount of money to work with now.
The main area I can help with this is in meals. I cooked so many beans and rice meals when we were scrimping that I came to loathe them while pregnant. So I have virtually cooked almost no beans and little rice in the last 9-10months. We just got burned out I suppose. Looking back I'm pretty amazed at how I stretched our food budget. The grace of God huh?
Yesterday I worked pretty hard and was able to buy our food, including things from the health food store for about $130. That sounds like a lot huh? I used to have to keep it under $100 or much less at times. I'm getting better that I was though. I'm trying to get back into making things from scratch, which definitely cuts the food bill.
Our menu, not including breakfast and lunch:
Monday- you saw that, chicken, rice, raw veggie salad
Tuesday- homemade sloppy joe on sprouted wheat buns, fresh corn on the cob and cole slaw
Wednesday- sprouted lentil/veggie soup, cheddar biscuits and jello salad
Thursday- shepherd's pie, salad, green beans
Friday- bbq chicken legs, oven fries, leftover slaw
Saturday- pizza and salad
Sunday- leftovers or ramen
Monday- salmon cakes, rice, broccoli
Tuesday- spaghetti and meatballs (frozen meatballs I bought awhile back) salad, garlic bread
Breakfast choices are: yogurt with homemade granola, homemade banana muffins, instant oatmeal packets or microwaveable sausage biscuits
Lunch is hit and miss right now...working on it- the girls generally take a sandwich on whole wheat bread, some raw veggies or fruit, something crunchy and salty or a sweet treat like a granola bar and a juice box.
So I bought 2+lbs of ground beef, 1lb ground turkey, and 1 large package of chicken legs, plus 1 can of salmon and a package of breakfast sausage links for my dh. I will make this for breakfast Saturday with eggs and stuff. Being the man he is he really likes a hefty breakfast when we have time, and since he's the only man in the house, I must honor that one thing and have mercy on him, lol.
I'm actually looking forward to using beans again and trying new things. I miss being a good innovative cook- she's been hibernating for a looooooooong time :) My husband will be happy too.
September 1, 2009
A Day in my life Part 3
I've had to do this in parts because of the computer :) Very slow...also I was never able to get a pic of me feeding the baby- at about 8:30 the baby changed her schedule on me and then I just got really tired and didn't do anything else worth taking pictures of.
Ok so while I was working on the cooking the girls headed outside to play with Daddy for awhile. He just put their swing set back together Saturday.
Then I toasted some oats, coconut and almonds for the granola bars I plan to make. Next, time to make up some bottles for later.
Alexa burned her chin on the pan because she was snooping around in the kitchen, so we had to tend to that first before we could eat.
We ate dinner, here is a picture of dessert. Matt and I skipped it for now.
Next I had the girls clean up the house while I got Samantha's bath ready and got her cleaned up.
I guess this disturbed her pattern because she stayed awake till her next feeding, which ended up being early. Oh well, no big deal, just rearrange things a bit.
Then it was PJ's, brush teeth, get stuff ready for the next day, prayers and hit the sack. No pics sorry. I spent the next hour holding the baby trying to get her to sleep, then fed her and she was fast asleep after that of course. Then I just went ahead and put my gown on and sat on the couch with my husband and we just talked and watched Andy Griffith till time for the 11pm feeding and bed.
No pictures of this of course :) Certainly none of the 2:30 feeding or the 5 am feeding :)
That's it. Pretty good for 3 weeks post partum huh? Today I gotta go buy groceries and stuff. Later!
Ok so while I was working on the cooking the girls headed outside to play with Daddy for awhile. He just put their swing set back together Saturday.
Then I toasted some oats, coconut and almonds for the granola bars I plan to make. Next, time to make up some bottles for later.
Alexa burned her chin on the pan because she was snooping around in the kitchen, so we had to tend to that first before we could eat.
We ate dinner, here is a picture of dessert. Matt and I skipped it for now.
Next I had the girls clean up the house while I got Samantha's bath ready and got her cleaned up.
I guess this disturbed her pattern because she stayed awake till her next feeding, which ended up being early. Oh well, no big deal, just rearrange things a bit.
Then it was PJ's, brush teeth, get stuff ready for the next day, prayers and hit the sack. No pics sorry. I spent the next hour holding the baby trying to get her to sleep, then fed her and she was fast asleep after that of course. Then I just went ahead and put my gown on and sat on the couch with my husband and we just talked and watched Andy Griffith till time for the 11pm feeding and bed.
No pictures of this of course :) Certainly none of the 2:30 feeding or the 5 am feeding :)
That's it. Pretty good for 3 weeks post partum huh? Today I gotta go buy groceries and stuff. Later!
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