from scratch baby

Giveaway from Sew Fantastic

2009-09-15T06:20:00.001-07:00

I just got a goodie in the mail that I ordered and I am so excited about it. I had seen the Sew Fantastic blog with so many fun things awhile back when Sew Mama Sew had their giveway. I fell in love with her carryall clutch and was waiting for the chance to order one. Well, I finally did and I am already feeling more organized.

AND, when I went to her blog to thank her for it I found that she is hosting an amazingly generous giveaway to celebrate 1000 sales on Etsy. What an accomplishment! And, as someone who would love to have my own Etsy shoppe one day I really am in amazement at her success!

So, stop by HERE to enter the giveway...and if you don't win you should consider ordering one of her carryall clutches from her Etsy shoppe HERE to get yourself organized. Afterall, it's a new school year and that calls for new modes of organization.

* one note: I asked and the $50 bill does not come with the clutch.

My new favorite fridge calendar (and it should be yours, too).

2009-09-12T14:08:00.001-07:00

I was looking for a template for gift enclosures to make for Little E to use on birthday presents, since cards are expensive and often annoy me. Well, no luck (so if you have any you know of let me know), but I did find this great blog (that is now in my favorites) with this awesome calendar. It's already at home on my fridge with dates filled in until next spring. Thanks Cottage Industrialist!

Click HERE for the calendar post on her blog.

Count me in.

2009-09-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

I'm ready to join the pajama party, are you? Sew Mama Sew is hosting a pajama making party as their virtual project for the month of September. I have had a 4 different fabrics set aside to make new PJ's for my boys for a couple of months now and this is just the push I have needed to get it done. As you might remember I wanted to do a make-your-own-PJ-pattern tutorial awhile back but have procrastinated as the pile of fabric to made into PJ's has grown right along with it. SO, here's to a PJ party in the making!

If you are interested HERE is the link for the sew-along.

Headband Tutorial

2009-09-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've been making these headbands a lot lately, as they are addictive to make once you get started. Part of the appeal is that you can't have too many headbands, and also it literally takes scraps of fabric to make them. I had been using the wonderful free pattern found HERE on Heather Bailey's blog, but decided to remake a pattern that would work better for me, as I don't always like the flair of the tie sticking out of my hair in the back. I know this is a very basic pattern and you can probably find a zillion free versions somewhere online, but I thought it would be a great chance to spread my wings and try my hand at a tutorial. Please do extend me a little grace for not being as clear as I could have been with the instructions, AND I know the pictures are a little blurry, too. I am very open to comments, espcially from those that have experience with tutorials. So, here we go:

Step #1::

You will need a rectangle of fabric measuring 17"x4" and one measuring 12"x2". You will also need a piece of 1/2" wide elastic measuring 6". These measurements should fit the average women's head. Play around with the measurements and you could make one for a child or adjust to fit a smaller or larger head.
Step #2::

Fold and pin larger rectangle on the long side with wrong sides of fabric together and sew a 3/8" seam (which should be the outer edge of your presser foot). Make sure to reinforce the beginning and ends of your seams.

Step #3::

Repeat step #2 for smaller rectangle.

Step #4::

Attach a safety pin to the opening of one of the sides of your tube and wiggle it through to turn the tube inside out.

Step #5::

Repeat step #4 for other rectangle.

Step #6::

Iron both tubes flat with the seam in the middle of the back side of the tube. Fold in ends of larger tube only and iron flat.

Step #7::

Take your elastic piece and anchor one side with a safety pin to one of the open ends of the smaller tube. Attach another safety pin to the other side of elastic and wiggle through the tube.

Step #8::

Unattach safety pins and anchor the elastic onto both sides of tube with a few alternating forward and reverse stitches. Don't worry if it's messy, as this seam will be tucked into the larger tube and won't show.

Step #9::

Your tube with anchored elastic should now look like this:

Step #10::

Stick one end of the smaller elastic tube inside a folded end of the larger tube making sure that the seams of both tubes are on the same side.

Step #11::

With your fingers tuck in the ends of the larger tube on each side so they are the same width as the smaller tube. In preparation for sewing you might want to anchor with a pin or hold together with your fingers as you move over to the sewing machine. I don't use a lot of pins, so I find holding it together and laying my presser foot on it does the trick.

Step #12::

Carefully (this seam will show) sew together to anchor smaller elastic tube with larger tube tucked around it using forward and reverse seams. Tie off and trim thread to finish.

Step #13::

Repeat step #12 for other side, making sure you don't get the headband twisted.

Voile! You are done. Here's what a few of my finished products look like:

Update on things creative

2009-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'm still here (for the three people that check this blog out). Between daily electricity blackouts and a cranky child who thinks every time I get on the computer it's his chance to watch Thomas the Tank Engine videos on You Tube I have hardly had the time or energy to update.

Little E and I just whipped up another batch of the Oatmeal Cookies I shared in my last post. We actually omitted the white sugar and just added the brown sugar to cut back on the amount of sugar and they worked great. Not as sweet, but still great. Now, I can certainly feed them to him for breakfast without feeling guilty, right?

I have been crafting a little lately, mostly utilitarian projects like making Little E's long PJ's into shorts (did I mention it's hot as blazes here). We went to my all-time favorite beach with Big E's family two weeks ago and I made headbands for each of the Tia's and Prima's on the trip. Didn't get a chance to take a picture of all of us together and was too rushed trying to get out the door with all of our things beforehand to take a picture.

The big project I have been working on is THIS felt barn with animals. My friend Mandie came up with idea to make the farm for our boys and I just kind of went along for the ride because she wanted to make it. Well, it's been a fun and challenging project for me, because it's a lot of hand sewing and there are so many little pieces. I think I will probably work on it a little here and there and save it for a Christmas present for Little E. I am also making THIS doll for a friend of mine who is having her baby today! I am still sewing on the mouth and need to make the dress, but it should be ready to pass along to new baby Daniela by the time I visit her.

I am still LOVING my time with the women of Cercadillo on Fridays. We are taking a break from sewing for right now as the director is out of town. I have had a couple of requests from relatives and friends to buy or sell the bags the women are making. They would make a great Christmas present if anyone is thinking about it. Each bag comes with a tag that includes the name of the lady who made it. They are selling for $20 and all of the proceeds go back to the women of Cercadillo.

Here is a picture of the bag I actually purchased myself:

Kid-Friendly Cookies

2009-08-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

I made some pretty yummy cookies yesterday. One of Little E's first words was "coco" which is his version of cookie. We buy these cracker cookies here called Marias that are a Latino staple and because they are like a sweet cracker I didn't feel so bad giving them to him. But the other day I was thinking about the nice hint of coconut I tasted, thinking to myself that of course they taste like coconut because I am in the Caribbean. THEN, it dawned on me that they taste like coconut because they are most likely made with coconut oil, the death oil! So, I decided to make cookies from now on (well, mostly from now on), so I can control what kind of oil and stuff we are putting in our mouths. Now, I LOVE to make cookies (thanks to my college friend Julie who I made thousands of dozens of cookies with back then), but they always spread out too much in the oven down here with all of the humidity. So, the other day I broke down and bought the $4.50 chocolate chips, rolled up my sleeves, put on my thinking cap and apron and adapted a recipe so that the cookies would keep their shape and I wouldn't be forced to substitute Crisco, the other death oil. AND, they worked out and are worth sharing. Of course, because they have natural sugar, oatmeal and raisins I feel like they are "healthy". Actually, Little E is munching on a few for breakfast right now...yikes, don't tell that his mama is letting him eat cookies for breakfast!

OATMEAL COOKIES (my own recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

1 cup flour
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/8 cup sugar (I used raw sugar called "Azucar Crema" here)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup of any mix-ins you want (I used 1/4 cup each of raisins and chocolate chips, but you could use nuts or other dried fruits)

Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg. Set aside. Cream butter & sugars together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add to butter mixture egg & vanilla and blend. Add in flour mixture a little at a time to give time to incorporate. Then, add in your mix-ins & oatmeal.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. This recipe will yield about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

ALSO, since I am in a cookie state of mind (as I usually am with my sweet tooth), here is another somewhat healthy kid-friendly cookie recipe I made the other day. I say kid-friendly because it has molasses in it, which is loaded with iron and has immune boosting properties. Of course, that is if you take it by the tablespoonful. It probably loses some of those properties when you mix it with butter and sugar, but oh well. They remind me of the ginger snaps I had when I was a kid at my Grosmama's house (paternal German grandmother).

GINGER SNAPS (from the Joy of Cooking)

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest (I used lime zest)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, & cloves. Set aside. Cream together butter & sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses, zest & lemon juice and blend. Add dry ingredients a little at a time to fully incorporate.

Form dough into tablespoonful balls and arrange on a greased cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. You can sprinkle each ball with a bit of raw sugar if you would like a little extra sweet touch. Balls will flatten in the oven. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. This recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies.

NOTE: Both of these recipes are adapted from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. If you are looking for a classic, informative, basic, never-fail cookbook this is the one you should buy. I have the 75th Anniversary edition. This is the cookbook that has truly taught me how to adapt my own recipes and has never once failed me!

This is a bonus picture of Little E with a mouthful of those yummy cookies I let him eat for breakfast.

Visiting Cercadillo

2009-07-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

My heart is singing today because I just got back from Cercadillo. I have been going out for the past couple of weeks to help the women of the village sew. What a beautiful ministry my friend Ina has with these women. They live in a campo outside of town with no electricity and only water accessible by a well put in by the ministry. The campo consists of very simple colorful wooden houses bleached by the sun that are scattered all along the dirt road and a colmado that does triple duty as the grocery store, hardware store and beauty salon. The bumpy dirt road is lined with people walking on foot as there are very few cars, if any at all. Moms carrying water buckets on their heads from the well, kids running barefoot with sticks chasing our jeep, a group of althetic boys jogging toward the baseball field wearing their hopes for being scouted by the American leagues with every flex of their muscles.

When we drove up to the ministry site today the Bible study was already in full swing, women sitting on green benches and yellow plastic chairs listening intently. A few children were running around from one mama to antother, dirty shirts and shoeless feet smiles a mile wide. The open air pavillion we meet under is painted bright yellow and turquoise with a concrete floor.

After the prayer time ends it's time to get busy and set up the sewing machines and work tables. Eight sewing machines are set up and plugged into the bright red Honda generator that soon hums to life. Everyone retrieves the projects leftover from the past week out of the big blue plastic bin and starts to get to work. Some are cutting out patterns, some are pinning their seams together and some are at the sewing machines. Patterns become bags before our eyes as these women use their new talents to create something they can sell. The money they earn from selling their bags will feed their families.

It's a beautiful thing to see these women learning a new skill that brings them a sense of confidence they can use this to change their future. Some sew with relative ease, while others struggle with the simple things like sewing a straight seam, but all are diligent and eager to do their work. The finished bags made from a pattern I helped create lie in a neat pile with colorful tags attached bearing the name of the person who made them. What a gift it is to help them for a few hours, using the basic sewing skills my grandmothers taught me, helping Yaquelin tear out a bad seam and then helping Dona Carmen (a sweet grandmotherly woman with weathered hands and cataracts) finish her bag on the sewing machine. I've learned new words to help them along...hilo (thread), tejiras (scissors), agujas (needles).

Today I walked away with a new bag sewn by Marleni and a necklace made by Yaquelin, everytime I use them I will think of their faces. But, as tired and sweaty I was returning to my home I wore a smile for the rest of the day because I knew my time spent there nourished my soul. Lending a few hours and a hand once a week is a small sacrifice, and yet I am doing something that is making an immediate difference in their lives. It's hard to say who is more blessed...me or those lovely ladies of Cercadillo.

So loving my new book!

2009-07-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Heather Ross' book Weekend Sewing is no disappointment, friends. Since I received her book for Mother's Day I have made three fun projects! Here is a picture of my new summer tablecloth and napkins. She has directions on how to hem the edge and miter corners to make a tablecloth and a pattern for napkins, which includes a dinner napkin (18X18) and a cocktail napkin (9X9). If made my napkins a little larger than a cocktail, but not as big as a dinner because I always feel like there is too much fabric to deal with in your lap.
I also completed this fun new blouse. I am wearing it today for the first time and am about to retreat to a pedicure as an escape from all the rain and while my son is enjoying day camp. So, I better go and enjoy as much of this precious me time as I can! Oh, and I modified the sleeves making them a little shorter to accomodate our tropical weather.

(OK...so the picture is blurry. I'm too lazy to retake it and want to get out the door. Forgive me.)

Cheers!

Headbands, handbags and friends.

2009-07-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well, despite the fact that we have had spotty electricity over the past few days I have been able to get some good sewing time in...and some it with friends, which is even better. I usually sew alone during naptime, which is an escape of sorts for me. In fact, I often think a great name for a blog would be called something like "Naptime Projects" or "Hey, my kid was asleep and I did this!" I digress...anyway, it's a lot of fun to do a project together.

First, let me share a picture of a whole bunch of fun Heather Bailey Hooray for Headbands. Head over to her BLOG so you can whip a few up, too. So easy, so funny, literally made out of scraps. I leave the elastic out because a.) I don't like elastic in mine because it makes the headband slide up and b.) when you are making them for gifts, as these were, you never know the size of someone's head. These were for a couple of great friends and two daughters of one of them in Nashville who so extravagantly lavished me with a care package last week including magazines in ENGLISH, music for my Ipod and dried herbs I can't find here.

Next, I had a great afternoon with Gabriela, one of Big E's cousins visiting the capital from Santiago for some summer fun. We started out making cards with some assorted stamps and lots of little scraps of paper and ribbon. The real fun started when she picked out some fabric from my fabric pile and I taught her how to make one of my Cercadillo Bags. See HERE for the story of the bag. She was a natural on the sewing machine and I quickly named here the speed demon for her lead foot on the pedal. She loves her new bag and can't wait to tell everyone she made it. Maybe she will learn to love sewing as much as I do.

Then, if that wasn't enough, my friend Kirsten came over for our sewing date. We had plans to make the Summer Blouse from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. She loved my book so much that she put in a special order for one from her visiting mother-in-law, who as luck would have it was flying down for a visit two days later. So, side by side we got our blouses started, but had to postpone until Friday night because the power "se fue" or went out and dashed our plans. It's all I can do to keep myself from picking up where we left off and finishing because I can't wait to wear it I love it so much. Pictures of the finished products to come.

Enjoy your week. Here's hoping you all have a cool glass of lemonade you can drink on a breezy front porch or (what I am dreaming of) an air-conditioned living room.

Market Bag Pattern Giveaway.

2009-07-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hey...look at this awesome bag!

Sew Take A Hike is selling the pattern to make this bag for yourself. What a great idea! AND, she is giving away one of the patterns and a bag in a drawing. Jump on over THERE to check it out and enter.

Guess what? I won! Yea!

Mango Lime Bread

2009-07-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

As I was purusing THIS great blog about baking I found a fabulous recipe that is right up my alley (or island, if you will). I am always looking for fun recipes to use local ingredients and this one really delivers, as it uses mangoes (in season right now) and limes (we have limes, no lemons). I was a little curious about how it might taste, as the ingredient combination was an odd bunch of things to make into bread, but it is so yummy! I am serving it up to a couple of visiting friends with cafe con leche. Wish you could join us.

Mango Lime Bread recipe.

Also, if you are up for a little mango fun, check out my FAMILY BLOG about how to eat a mango.

How to Make Brown Sugar (the old fashioned way)

2009-07-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

I have become a resourceful woman since moving to a 3rd World Country (I like to call it an emerging country). Partly because of cost and party because of limited resources I find myself making a LOT of things from scratch that we readily have available in the U.S. One such thing is brown sugar. The funny thing about not being able to find brown sugar down here is that all brown sugar consists of is white refined sugar with molasses mixed in, AND raw sugar (which we have readily and cheaply available by the pound) is actually made here. I thought I could use the raw kind in my recipes calling for brown sugar, but it doesn't react the same way. For one thing, the crystals are a lot coarser, so it doesn't break down as easily when you cook leaving your baked goods a little cruchier and gritty in texture. You would think brown sugar would be manufactured here, along with the other sugar options we have like raw sugar, refined sugar, and powdered sugar. Well, after a little research I discovered how easy it is to make brown sugar and my problem is solved. AND, I can make cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, and lots of other goodies requiring brown sugar!

For all who want to know how easy it is to make it, follow along:

First, measure out 2 cups of white sugar into a fairly deep bowl with a flat bottom. You will need the extra room for work space.

Next, measure out 3 teaspoons of molasses.

Then, begin working the molasses in with a pastry cutter or a large fork until blended.

That's it! Here's what you end up with:

So easy, works in a pinch when you are in the middle of baking and discover you ran out, and it's economical as one jar of molasses will make at least 100 batches.

NOTE: The ration of sugar to molasses is 1 cup sugar to 1-2 teaspoons of molasses, depending on how dark you want your brown sugar. I use 1 cup sugar to 1 1/2 teaspoons of molasses.

Look what I bought.

2009-07-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to my favorite (and one of the only good fabric stores in this country) today with my friend Kirsten. We have a sewing date set for next week to sew a goodie from my new book Weekend Sewing. Here's what I came home with. What do you suppose I'll be making with all of this goodness? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned and come back to see!

Chinola Heaven.

2009-07-07T06:25:00.001-07:00

That's what I'm in these days. Chinola is what they call Passion Fruit in Spanish and it's in season right now. I thought my favorite fruit was mango, but now I don't know because I am loving the sweet, tangy and slightly tart citrusy taste of Chinola. It's a bit like a mix between a mandarin orange and a mango. You can order jugo de Chinola at most restaurants and up until this week that is how I enjoyed it I was a little intimidated by the fruit not knowing exactly how to pick them out at the supermarket and how to extrac the juice, as it is filled with a kind of slimy goo and black seeds. Well, like most things in my life the fear was unfounded as they are about the easiest fruit to make juice from.

A ripe Chinola looks almost rotten, as it is slightly discolored (most fruit here is because they don't use as many pesticides...can we all say yea for that!) and it's really bumpy and misshapen. Here is what they look like when you buy them:

All you do is cut them open and scoop out the flesh, seeds and all, into a blender:

Add water and some sugar, and strain after it's liquified and this is the end product:

Can I get an umbrella with that?

After enjoying my first homemade batch I was inspired to add a little "passion" to my 4th of July dessert. I made a chocolate bundt cake with a chinola icing. It was yummy.

To make your own "Jugo de Chinola":

1. Scoop out the insides of 4-5 chinola

2. Add fruit and 3X's that amount of water to blender with about a 1/4 cup sugar (you can adjust according to your taste)

3. Mix until most of the seeds have become pulverized

4. Strain into your pitcher and add about as much water as you have juice

5. Enjoy a true taste of the Caribbean

Mother's Day Gifts.

2009-07-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Guess what came today? The rest of my Mother's Day gift from my wonderful husband who allowed me to order whatever I wanted and generously paid the shipping to get in down here. You might remember that part of my gift was a quilting board with rotary cutter. BUT, the other half are these two items...

Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross and The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. So many ideas of fun things to make that I can't wait to get started. With these two books and a Diet Coke, can you guess what I did during naptime? Of course, read through them!

PJ bottoms

2009-06-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Well, scratch PJ bottoms off the my growing list of projects to complete. My pictures leave something lacking, for sure. I wasn't feeling creative, nor was the lighting good, but I wanted to post the finished project. I am going to try my hand at a real tutorial soon and post how I made these. They are so easy and after searching the internet for a free pattern I took two tutorials, pieced together the instructions and made my own pattern. Once you have the pattern you can make them in about 30 minutes, even with trim. I made three out of really soft, cottony men's shirt fabric I found at my favorite Dominican fabric store. And, then just for pure fun I made a girly pair for my 18-month old niece. Big E liked them so much he wants a matching pair for himself. I am waiting for my Mother's Day copy of Weekend Sewing to make down here in the mail before I tackle that one.

And, just for kicks I am sharing this ridiculously, hilarious picture of Little E sporting his new jammies. Big E thought it would be funny to pull them up to his armpits, like an old man. He didn't seem to mind...

On another note, I made some yummy muffins the other day I am going to share the recipe when I have time. And, did I mention we don't have lemons down here, just limes? Who would have expected the Caribbean to be void of a such a common citrus fruit staple? Well, I have been making limonada or limeade lately to satisfy my craving for lemonade. YUM...and I REALLY wanted to make a margarita the other night, but the colmado doesn't carry tequila, so we couldn't get it delivered (although they said they could get me some...haha only in the Dominican Republic...and I was too lazy to go buy some. Definately on my list.

Summer Sanity-Savers

2009-06-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

OK...anyone with kids has absolutely got to look at THIS BLOGPOST immediately. It's from one of my favorite blogs The Long Thread. There are so many ideas for crafts and activities to do with kids of all ages. I am already making a mental list of the things we are going to do....

homemade bubbles

painted picture rocks

vacation memory jar

oobelek

Oh, the fun we are going to have on those stir crazy days!

New Bag!

2009-06-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

I made a fabulous new bag to carry around. I found the tutorial HERE from "My Spare Time" awhile back and had been looking for just the right fabric to make my new bag. I finally found just the right fabric at my favorite store. It was so easy to make! I mean it. Her directions were great. Thanks for the tutorial!

On my list of things in process are:

- headbands for a friend and a new baby from HERE

- PJ bottoms for Little E and my niece from my own pattern

- more fabric boxes from HERE (I am going to download her customizable pattern)

- new dress from a de-constructed dress pattern of my favorite beach/pool dress ever (it's stretchy cotton t-shirt material and I'm a little scared to start because it's new territory for me)

AND, I am slowly collecting old dress shirts from my Big E to make THIS for Little E. It's pretty sad that I am almost happy when he comes home with a dry erase marker stain on his shirt from a teaching mishap.

Fabric Box

2009-06-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well, here's a little something I made this morning that I am super excited about. My mind is swirling with every little thing in my house that needs to be contained by these super cute fabric boxes. There are little trains and matchbox cars that need a new home on the toy shelf, a very unorganized and quite unsightly desk where I am currently sitting, all of my sewing supplies that are stuffed into a box way too small to stay organized, etc.

I found this little goody on the Sometimes Crafter blog. She has very clear and easy directions for the tutorial, and this box literally took a large scrap of two kinds of fabric, plus some stablizer inbetween to make. I need to work on one of the sides with the iron to get it to hold it's boxy shape a little better, but naptime is over and I am working on stolen moments even getting this post up. You know how it goes. She also sells a PDF pattern that shows how to customize the pattern for whatever size box you want. After making this little one I am definately going to buy the downloadable pattern so I can make more in all different sizes.

Just a little side note. You might notice two things about the picture. 1. Little E was pushing his trains around the table at just the right moment to look up and smile for the camera, a new talent of his which I hope is going to make taking pictures of him a lot easier, since most have him sucking his thumb. 2. My new little fabric box is sitting on top of 1/2 of my Mother's Day present...a quilting board with this awesome acrylic grid ruler and rotary cutter. This has made measuring and cutting a breeze. What in the world I did without it, I do not know. The other half of my gift is on it's way and I can't wait to pick it up from the mail service!

A Twist on Black Beans and Rice

2009-06-19T10:24:00.001-07:00

I am much more of a cook than I am a sewer. I love to do both, but I am more confident in the kitchen than I am behind my sewing machine. I have been reading about all of these great summer recipes using in season fruit. Living in the Caribbean it's summer all the time, but there are so many good summer fruits we miss out on...peaches, strawberries (although we do get some in the winter months, nectarines, plums, blueberries, etc.) How I would love a fresh peach cobbler on my table tonight for dinner, but alas there are no peaches to be found here unless you buy them from the canned fruit aisle (which under desperate measures I have been known to do to get my cobbler fix). SO, I thought I would offer a tropical summer spin on an old favorite in our house.

I usually use a fabulous recipe for black beans and rice from my friend Kristi. Today I took it for a little spin around the local block and added pineapple. I would have sided it with a good ripe avocado, but they are a little hard to find around here right now.

Here's the adapted version I created for our lunch:

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple, cut-up into bite sized chunks
juice from 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine water, brown rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and put lid on pan. Simmer for 40 minutes. Then, add can of black beans and return lid to simmer for another 10 minutes. Mix in tomato, red onion, parsley, pineapple, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper. That's it!

We served it with grilled chicken. But, it's pretty good by itself or could be good with fish, as well.

The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup grated cheese, which gives it a creamy, cheesy texture and goes so well with the onion and other flavors. Here are some other ingredients you could add that would taste yummy:
lemon juice instead of lime juice
chopped mango
green onion instead of red onion
and, of course the avocado

Feeling Skirty

2009-06-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am "feeling skirty" most days. I live in a tropical environment and most days I am trying to stay as comfortable and cool as possible. Shorts can sometimes be...less than flattering...although I am liking bermudas these days and have already made one pair of white cropped pants into bermudas. BUT, skirts are always comfy, most always flattering (if you find the right style that works for you), can be dressed up or down, and always fun! Oh, and they are so easy to make, too!

This is my latest:

I found this fabulous fabric at our local fabric warehouse. So many fun fabrics, so cheap...so many ideas in my head...oh mercy. Well, here is a close up of the fabric.

Now, let me tell you a little story about this skirt. I cut a pattern from my all-time favorite A-line-Gap-sale-rack-skirt. I have made it three times already and will most definately make more in the future. All I did was fold the skirt in half and lay it on a big piece of paper. I traced around the skirt leaving a little bit all around to accomodate the seams and hem. I marked where the fold would be (since you actually have a quarter of the skirt that you are tracing). I then cut out two of the pattern in my fabric, making sure to be aware of alignment with the design of the fabric and to lay it on the fold. (If your fabric is a lighter weight you will want to make the same exact skirt pattern in a lightweight lining fabric-see note below). For this skirt I made it a couple of inches longer than the original skirt.

If your skirt has a zipper and you are not making a lining you will want to cut a yoke out of the same fabric for the waistline. I have found the best way to do this is to cut a 6-inch long version of the skirt. You just follow the curve of the waistband and only make it 6-inches long (this is kind of hard to explain, but you want to have a little more fabric weight at the waistband so that it lays flat). Yours might have elastic which doesn't require a yoke. Also, a skirt with a lining doesn't require a yoke either.

The rest of my directions are for a skirt that includes a zipper.

Ok, so you zig-zap stitch or hem the bottom of your yoke, pin it to your waistband right sides together (RST) and stitch. Press the seam open with an iron, turn right side out and press the seam so it lays flat.

Next, you need to mark how long your zipper is and sew up the side of your skirt RST only until that point. Sew up the entire other side of the skirt.

For installing the zipper, I will let you follow the instructions in the package of the zipper or in the instruction manual of your sewing machine. I find that using an invisible zipper is nicer looking and actually easier to sew in.

All you have to do now is try it on and pin your hem length. Turn the bottom under twice and hem.

There you go! So easy! This is my first time to explain something like this, so excuse me if it's not so clear. You can always leave a question in the comments.

Note about lining the skirt: To make a lining, cut two pattern pieces from your lining fabric. Start by sewing your sides together, remembering to leave room for the zipper. Then, pin your lining to the skirt fabric RST at the waistband and sew together. Press the seam open and then turn the lining inside of the skirt and press the waistband flat. You might want to topstitch the waistband to make it lay a little more flat. I don't remember what I did with the skirt I made lining for, but I don't think I did this step. You should have all of the unfinished seams from the skirt and the lining facing each other inside of each other. Next, when you sew in the zipper, you will need to sew it into two layers, both the skirt and the lining. Lastly, you will want to hem the skirt and the lining separately and it helps to hem the lining a bit shorter so it doesn't show at the bottom.

Project Near and Dear to My Heart.

2009-06-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have been volunteering little bits of time with a ministry I have come to adore here in the Dominican Republic called The Cercadillo Project. My friend Ina (who has the coolest name ever, if you ask me) moved here 3 years ago to devote herself to a small village outside of the capital. Cercadillo has no running water, no electricity, no schools, and really no self-sustaining jobs for the people who live there. In the short amount of time Ina has been there she has been able to coordinate a group to put in a city well and start a program where kids can go to school in the neighboring community. If you want to read more about what Ina does click here.

The project that has captured my heart is her sewing and handcraft ministry she has started with the women. All of the men leave the village in the morning to find work leaving the women behind. Some of the women buy meat scraps from a butcher, carry them in a tub on their heads and sell them to whoever they can find keeping the profits they earn, which as you can imagine is not much. Ina had a dream to start some kind of co-op where the women could sell things they make and have some sustainable income. SO, every Friday morning she and a few volunteers set up at her outdoor community center with donated sewing machines and a generator and they teach the women how to sew and make handcrafts. They have been crocheting necklaces lately that they have been selling to volunteer teams as souvenirs. When one woman in the project received $100 pesos (the equivalent of $3.50) for necklaces that sold she started crying saying she didn't know how she was going to feed her family that night and that day she would be able to. This ministry is changing lives and helping people meet critical needs.

I have developed two patterns for a very simple bucket style bag that can either be made long and worn over the chest or shorter to be worn over the shoulder. Soon the women will be able to sew these bags with donated fabric and make ever more money to take care of their families.

As I was testing out the pattern I made several for two friends who work with other ministries headed back to the United States for the summer months. They eagerly agreed to donate the money they would have used to buy the bags from the women to the ministry instead of paying me for making them. So, 21 bags later I think I have the major kinks worked out of the pattern and I've been able to help out both the women in The Cercadillo Project and my other friends. I never in a million years thought that the sewing skills my grandmothers taught me could be used to give back to others and the Lord.

It's an exciting thing and I hope you take a look at Ina's website to see the short video about Cercadillo.

I'm coming back.

2009-06-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

I know I sound like a broken record (which we don't really have in our culture anymore), but now that we are settled into our new life in the Dominican Republic and are finding our own groove I have decided to give some new life to this blog. As my life is growing and expanding each day I am going let this blog follow along. What started out as a blog about making your own baby food is going to grow into much more. I am going to use this blog as an outlet for all of my "from scratch" things from cooking, baking, sewing, crafting, creative play time, and baby and kid food, too. I hope someone will follow along or decide to visit every now and then. SO, here we go...

Cloth Diapers

2008-05-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is an aside from the blogs about baby food. It doesn't really fit with the content of my blog, but I have had so many friends ask me about using cloth diapers lately that I thought I would write a post about it. If cloth diapers are not your thing, no worries, there will be more baby food posts to come.

I started using cloth diapers when Little E was about seven months old. I was opposed to it initially thinking it was too much work and too expensive for a family who has to pay per load for laundry in our basement. Not to mention how expensive it can be to purchase the diapers initially. I started rethinking the idea when he began to use fewer diapers a day and poop less than when he was an infant. I did quite a bit of research asking friends who use cloth diapers what they use and how they care for them and looking on the internet for the perfect combination for our needs. As a result, I was able to buy 12 diapers for $80! That seemed affordable to me, so I took the plunge and bought the supplies. Twelve diapers will last me about 3-4 days, so I am only doing 2 extra loads of laundry a week. And, because we waited we were able to get covers in a size that should last him through potty-training without having to buy more supplies. Like making my own baby food, I take the hybrid approach. I use cloth diapers when we are home and use disposibles at night and when we go out. I find the cloth diapers don't hold as much pee and poop to get us through the night.

Now, I know there are some AMAZING all-in-one diapers out there. They even have snaps on the diaper that make it a one-size-fits-all diaper you can use from the time your baby is born until potty training. Cool, huh? I looked into it. We just couldn't spend the money required to purchase a dozen at $18/each. Perhaps if I had started out with cloth diapers I would have registered for these awesome diapers. I have even heard of people giving diaper baby showers where each guest buys a diaper for the mom-to-be. We couldn't do it this far into the game, so here's what we did...

I started out with a high-quality chinese pre-fold diaper. They are a big, rectangular white diaper with two seams down the diaper vertically dividing it into three parts. You may have used this kind of diaper for a burp cloth. In my research I decided on a high quality version counting on them lasting longer and absorbing more.

I added a fleece lining that I place over the diaper to keep him dry. It's a white strip of micro fleece that wicks away the moisture. I was concerned we might have a problem with diaper rash from all of the moisture, but we haven't had any problems and he stays dry with the liner. And, it catches most of the poop, so it's easier to dump in the toilet, or dunk if it's too sticky.*

I ordered both of these items from http://www.cottonbabies.com/. Their website has a lot of really good information about choosing diapers, how to prepare them to use, how to launder them, how to fold the pre-fold for different babies, and accessories you might want to buy to make things easier (diaper pails, portable diaper pouches, a sprayer that attaches to the toilet, etc.) I'll tell you more about what we do for some of these things in a minute.

The cover we use is from a different website that was recommended by a friend. I was about to order these super cute covers from Cotton Babies thinking I might need 3 or 4 covers and could reuse them if he only peed, however my experienced friend told me they stink if you reuse them and suggested the cover she uses. They are probably the cheapest out there, they get the job done and if something happens to one of them they are easy to replace. With a cover that velcros tightly you don't need to use pins or a fastener, either.

As I said before I ordered 12 of each piece for a total of $80.

To get them ready to use you have to wash the diapers 4-5 times in hot water. They need to bunch up to be ready to absorb. Cotton Babies has great instructions for this process. It only took me an afternoon to get them ready.

Now, about how to care for them. Taking my same experienced friend's advice, I hang an ordinary mesh laundry bag on my back steps. When we have a soiled diaper I dispose of the poop in the toilet if he's pooped, then I bundle it up like you would a disoposible and toss the whole thing in the laundry bag. The covers have a place to velcro the tabs down so they don't stick to each other or the diapers in the wash. So smart. Keeping it bundled keeps the stink factor down a lot. Sometimes I smell a faint scent of ammonia signaling me it's time wash them. Most of the time, though, they don't smell at all until I unbundle them to wash.

When it's time to wash them I separate all of the pieces and throw them into the washer. It smells a bit, but I am used to it by now. They go through 3 cycles in the washer. First, I soak them on cold with a scoop of Oxy-Clean (a mother's best friend!), and a small cap of detergent. Second, I wash them on the heavy cycle with a capful of detergent on warm. Third, I rinse them again with cold water. I find this step keeps them from stinking too much after they are worn. It might be a step you could avoid if you have a better washer. It's important to use the right detergent, because some detergents that have softeners keep the diapers from absorbing pee, resulting in leaks. Cotton Babies has a good list of detergents you can use. To my surprise a few of the detergents are the cheaper brands.

I dry them in the dryer on low heat without a dryer sheet. No dryer sheet follows the same principle as the detergents with softners. Believe it or not they come out clean, white and void of smelliness!

That's it in a nutshell! We have been really pleased with our diapers thus far. I find I have to change him a little more often or else he'll have leaks, and I've had to experiment with different folding methods to make sure the diaper is covered by the cover to keep leaks to a minimum. But, all in all they have been a good purchase for us. We'll be moving to another country soon and I think these diapers will help save us a tremendous amount of money there because disposibles are even more expensive (if you can believe it). Also, I hope to save our supplies and use them with future babies, too.

*I've found my babies poop changes from time to time. Sometimes it's really solid and just falls into the toilet and sometimes it's really loose and requires me to dunk his diaper in the toilet to get the poop off. One of my friends bought the sprayer from Cotton Babies that can attach to the toilet making it easy to get the poop off. It's kind of gross, but the old school dunking method works for me right now.

I'm interested in hearing any of your comments about cloth diapers.

Figuring Out Finger Foods...

2008-05-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

We are about to hit the one year birthday mark, and with only two teeth completely in and the top two about 1/4 of the way in it's getting challenging to figure out what finger foods to serve. I am amazed at how well he could do with only the bottom two teeth, chewing up cheerios, peas, string cheese bits and so on. I think their jaws do most of the work.

I've been working with him to transition to more types of food like we eat...grown-up food. Within a few weeks we will be transitioning him from formula to whole milk. I want to make sure he gets the nutrients he needs once he has made the switch, so offering a wider variety of food seems to be the best plan. What's hard about this is that we don't eat at the same time he does and those darn teeth. I feel limited as to what I can feed him with only two working teeth and two coming in.

Any ideas?

Here are some of his favorite finger foods:

Whole Peas

Cut up carrots

Pieces of cheese (string and american)

Cheerios

Sweet Potatoes

Bananas

Pears

Mango

Peaches

Another thing...

Up until now he has pretty much eaten single or double ingredient foods. Pureed carrots, appesauce and cereal, whole peas, rice and beans, green beans and rice, etc... I have started with some multi-ingredient foods like toddler cereal bars, but want to expand in this area as well.

Any ideas?

Rice & Beans

2008-04-28T12:49:00.001-07:00

I mentioned a little while ago I would share my recipe for baby rice and beans. I started Little E out on mashed beans at 8 months and began mixing beans and rice the following month. I felt like feeding him both rice and beans in one sitting to begin with was a little much for his digestive system. I didn't want to suffer alongside him all night if the after effects were negative! I keep a steady supply of rice and bean frozen food cubes in the freezer. I feed him two at a time every few days or so.

I have heard from a friend who is from Puerto Rico that Latinos don't have a problem with gas from beans because they began eating them as babies. I hope this is true for my little Latino boy, too!

For the beans, I take one can of organic light kidney beans or black beans and rinse and drain them in a colander. I puree the entire contents in my food processor, adding a little water so they can puree evenly. The texture is entirely up to you, puree more for a smoother consistency and less for a chunky consistency, which is great for older babies.

Set aside.

For the rice, I measure out 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of water into a small saucepan. Bring the rice and water to a boil and turn heat to low. Simmer for 1/2 hour or until the rice is done and the water is evaporated. I then puree the rice with water until fairly smooth. I have found that brown rice doesn't really ever get too smooth, but I like the chunkiness. It makes the meal seem kind of hearty to me.

Then, I mix the beans and the rice together. I usually refrigerate enough for 2 days and freeze the rest in food cubes, like this:

Sometimes I need to add a little water before heating to make it a little thinner.

Yum! No salt or spices, but it's still great. I even love the taste!

Yogurt Goodness

2008-04-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

My baby LOVES yogurt! There is hardly anything else that lights up his face as much (except the yellow cheerios box and the sight of his mother, of course!). I started giving him whole milk plain yogurt when he was 8 months old. I mash up 1/4- 1/2 of a banana and mix with 3 heaping tablespoons of yogurt. He goes nuts when he sees me take the container out of the fridge!

I buy Stoneyfield Farms organic whole milk plain yogurt in the big container. It's a lot more economical than buying the little containers that come in a 6-pack, but not nearly as convenient. I'm glad Stoneyfield Farms started making plain yogurt in the 6-packs, because until a couple of months ago they only offered flavored YoBaby! yogurts, which contain sugar as well as fruit.

He is 11 months old this week and still eats a bowl of yogurt just about everyday. I like that it contains good bacteria that helps strengthen his immune system. I will probably try out the YoBaby! flavors soon so we can have a more portable option.

Great Website!

2008-04-21T13:23:00.002-07:00

A friend just reminded me of this GREAT website for making baby food. What's so great about it is the breadth of information they offer. There are a lot of articles about food allergies, how you can take homemade baby food to daycare, and other topics of interest that don't seem to be covered on other websites. They even offer food plans for different age groups, although I wish they contained more specific information about quantities. Check it out, you might find it helpful.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

How much to feed your baby?

2008-04-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is such a hard question to answer and when I started feeding my little guy solids I searched for a chart or something that would tell me exactly how much he should get at each meal. All I got was a headache, confusion and a bunch of conflicting answers. And, here's what I took away from it:

Feed them until they are full and then stop.

But, how do you know if they are full or just want to keep eating? It's hard to discern, I must admit, but I did get better at judging how much he needed as time went on.

As you know, I am a hybrid feeder, meaning I mostly make his food, but do buy jarred foods for eating out, eating with papa and when I am lacking time to prepare a meal. Well, I used the prepared food jars as my guide for how much to feed Little E. Here's what I mean:

A small jar of baby food for the first stage is 2 oz. A frozen food cube in most ice trays is 1 oz. Each measured tablespoon is 1/2 oz. So, using this as my guide I started out feeding him 2 food cubes or 1 jar of food or 4 tablespoons. At this point I fed him one food at a seating.

As soon as he wanted more (which was almost immediately), I would add one more food cube or 2 more tablespoons. When I started increasing his quantities I started adding more variety. I would feed him 2 oz. of pureed peas and add 1 oz. of apples as a dessert.

From there we just kept increasing out quantities as he wanted more food.

How do you know if they are still hungry? They let you know. Crying, yelling, mouth smacking...I just always knew.

Once he was eating 4 oz. at a time I switched to the bigger jars, and I started mixing foods he had eaten together. Apples and sweet potatoes. Winter squash and pears. Carrots and peas. You get the idea.

When Little E was 6-7 months here is an example of meals he would eat:

- 1/4 cup Earth's Best multi grain or oatmeal cereal mixed with water
- 2 pea food cubes, 2 pear food cubes - 2 carrot food cubes mixed with 2 apples food cubes
- 1-2 oz. jar Earth's Best winter squash, 1/2 ripe banana mashed up
(I always offered 2-4 tablespoons of cereal mixed with water if he was still hungry)

Around 7-8 months:

- 1/4 cup cereal mixed with 2 tablespoons organic, unsweetened jarred applesauce, water
- 2 pea and brown rice food cubes, 1-4oz. jar of Earth's Best Apples and Plums
- 3 carrot food cubes, 1/2 smashed banana
- 2 green bean and brown rice food cubes, 1 apple food cube mixed with 4 tablespoons of cereal
(I always offered 2-4 tablespoons of cereal mixed with water if he was still hungry)

Around 8 months and beyond:

- 1/4-1/2 chopped banana pieces as finger food first, then 1/4 Happy Bellies oatmeal cereal mixed with 2 tablespoons applesauce and water
- small handful (3-4 tablespoons?) whole cooked cooled peas as finger food; 1/2 banana smashed with 3 tablespoons organic whole-milk plain yogurt; 2 pea and brown rice food cubes, handful of cheerios
- small handful of chopped cooked cooled carrots, 2 bean and brown rice food cubes, 4 oz. Earth's Best jar of peach, banana and oatmeal, handful of cheerios
- 1/3 stick of string cheese, chopped into small bits, 3 carrot food cubes, 4 oz. jar of Earth's Best Apple and Apricot, handful of cheerios

SIDE NOTES: I worked into these schedules, which means I introduced each food for 3-4 days before adding a new food. I also worked up to the above quantities as Little E demanded more food. I always stop if he seems full, which to him is playing with his food and throwing it over the highchair onto the floor, or disinterest.

Also, you will notice that I feed him a lot of jarred fruit. There a few reasons for this. First, it is either difficult to find during a New England winter or too expensive to buy a variety of organic fresh fruit. Hopefully this will change as summer rolls around. Also, some of the jarred foods offered fruits I could easily introduce using the jarred mixed versions (apricots, plums, raspberries, peaches). These are all mixed with apples.

Feeding plans that worked for us

2008-04-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of trouble figuring out how much and how often to feed my baby when we started with solid foods. We had waited to start him on rice cereal until he seemed interested in food and could sit up in his high chair. Once he learned how to take food from the spoon he was able to move it to the back of his mouth in no time at all with some practice. For Little E that was at 5 months, just after the doctor had given us the OK to start solids. SO, after I introduced the cereal a few times I began to wonder how to balance solid food with breastfeeding. The search I began became the genesis of this blog. So, I thought I would share a sample plan that we used. It will be different with different babies, but hopefully this will be a little bit of a start for some of you just starting out.

8 a.m. - breastfeed or bottle
*12 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle and immediately after offer cereal
4 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle and cereal
8 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle
12 a.m.(if needed) - breastfeed or bottle

*It was at this feeding that I introduced new foods, like winter squash or sweet potatoes in the beginning. I had read that introducing foods early in the day is a good idea in case there is an allergic reaction. If so, then there is still time to call the pediatrician's office.

The above schedule turned into this schedule between 6-7 months (which we are still on at 10 1/2 months) Again this will vary with child:

7:30 a.m. - breastfeed or bottle
9:00 a.m. - cereal with fruit
12 p.m. - yogurt with fruit and veggie (cheerios for dessert)
2:30 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle
5:00 p.m. - cheese, veggie and fruit
7:30 p.m. - breastfeed or bottle

What works for you? I'll keep you posted as we hit the year mark.

HappyBellies Cereal

2008-04-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about my new favorite cereal. It's called HappyBellies and its made by HappyBaby. My friend, Kristi, turned me onto it a couple of months ago and now it's the only cereal I feed my 10 1/2 month old. For one thing it's both organic and whole grain, two things I think are essential in baby cereal. And, the oatmeal version actually tastes like oatmeal. But, an added bonus (and the real selling point) for me is that it has probiotics in it. Probiotics are "good" bacteria that help aid in digestion, as well as crowd out "bad" bacteria. Apparently this helps promote good health and can help guard against allegies, as well. All in all I think it's worth hunting around to find it. I buy mine at Whole Foods and it's only slightly more expensive than Earth's Best, which is the other organic whole-grain cereal out there.

I scoop out 1/4 cup of cereal and mix with 2 tablespoons of organic unsweetened applesauce and water to desired consistency. I then pop it into the microwave to heat a bit.

One other bit of info...in the lid of the cereal container is a coupon for HappyBaby frozen baby food. The coupon makes the food a steal because it's buy one, get one free! As you know, I make most of what Little E eats, but with a coupon like this I couldn't pass up trying it. It's super yummy!

Stove or Microwave?

2008-01-25T10:30:00.001-08:00

Most all fruit and veggie purees can be made either on the stove using a steamer basket in a saucepan, or in the microwave in a covered glass bowl. Some veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash or other winter squash can also be roasted in the oven. Just decide what's easier for you.

For the microwave you will want to add a less water because fruits and veggies steam using their own moisture. You will also want to figure out how quickly your microwave cooks. As a general rule, veggies and fruits steam in the microwave using about 2/3 of the time as on the stove. You can use pastic wrap to cover foods, however do not let the plastic touch the food because it will leach harmful chemicals into the food.

For the stove you will want to make sure you use a steamer basket set above water in a saucepan. The water level should come just below the steamer, but not above the bottom of the steamer. Steaming cooks foods above water using the steam from the boiling water. Steaming is better than boiling because a lot of nutrients are lost when a food is submerged and boiled in water.

Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squashes can be peeled, cubed and steamed using the above methods. Or, you can wash the veggie, pierce several times with a fork, and roast in the oven utnil soft. Some resources I consulted believe that roasting veggies in the oven makes for a sweeter end product. That would be the only reason I would cook in the oven, because it takes a lot more time to roast than steam.

Peas, please!

2008-01-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

I just made a batch of peas for my little one and I wanted to share how easy they are to make! Here's what I did:

I buy frozen organic petite peas because they are pre-shelled and it's difficult to find fresh peas. I actually don't think I have ever eaten fresh peas!

I steamed them in a about 1/4 cup water in the microwave in a covered dish. It took about 10 minutes for one bag of peas. You will want to make sure they are really soft, because that makes a smoother puree.

After the peas were finished steaming, I drained out the cooking water and reserved it for the puree. You will want to submerge the peas in ice water until cool. This step not only cools the peas down so they can be pureed, but it also helps them retain their vibrant green color.

Once cooled, I pureed the peas thinning them out with the reserved cooking water until smooth. Then, I filled an ice cube tray with the peas, covered with foil and popped them into the freezer. After they freeze I will pop them out and store in the freezer, thawing them as I need them.

So easy! And, once you see how bright green the color of these cooked peas is, compared to the darker color of the jarred peas, you will be a fan.

~Age - An excellent first food, 5 + months

~Yield - 1 bag will yield about 10 servings (1 serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

~Nutritionally Speaking - Peas are high in protein, vitamins A & C, and iron

Note: Peas can also be steamed in a steamer basket in a saucepan on the stove. Frozen peas can be refrozen if they have been cooked.

Should I buy Organic?

2008-01-22T12:59:00.002-08:00

I have this dilemma everytime I go to the grocery store to buy food for my family. I can't believe how expensive organic food is! I read an article that helped me understand the cost issue a little better. The article explained that it is more expensive to farm organically and that the crop yields are smaller raising the end price. While I understand this, I get so angry when I stand in the produce section of Whole Foods trying to justify paying $2.99 a pound for apples or pears.

There are pros and cons on each side of the organic food argument. The most compelling argument for me is the pesticide issue. I understand that farmers use pesticides on produce to control insects, mold and disease, but I have also read that the level of pesticide absorption is 4 times higher with babies than with the average adult. I have also read that nitrates found in conventional soil is dangerous for babies because it can cause an unusual form of anemia because they can't excrete the nitrates as effeciently as adults. On the other side, some argue that research has shown that organic produce isn't any safer than conventional. I'm not sure what "safer" means, but I would rather air on the side of safety. I want my child to have the healthiest start possible. I don't like the idea of unknown and unnecessary substances floating around in his young little body.

SO, I have set myself out to find the cheapest way to provide the healthiest food for my child. Here's what I do...when I am ready to introduce a new food I explore the different options (jarred, buying fresh or frozen) and I make the decision from there. Some fruits and veggies are readily available at reasonable prices to buy fresh (carrots & apples) Some foods have a very low rating for pesticides and are not reasonably priced for organic varieties, so I buy conventionally (banana, avocados, sweet potatoes, butternut squash). Others are either not widely available or are too expensive and I buy frozen (peas and peas). And, still others are just not available fresh all year long or are too expensive to justify buying fresh and I make a choice to buy organic jarred (apricots, plums, prunes, pears).

But, my advice is to not drive yourself crazy about this. Make the best choices you can for the food you are introducing. Please learn a lesson from me about this. I have stood in the middle of the grocery store several times wandering from the frozen food section to the produce section to the baby food aisle breaking out into a sweet and anxiously deliberating what decision to make. Do what feels right for you and trust your instincts.

To help you decide where you are on the organic debate, check out these websites:

http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

http://www.ocregister.com/life/organic-foods-food-1962436-vegetables-pesticides

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cheap/20040901a1.asp

And, I am interested to hear if you have found other sources that are helpful.

Why Make Homemade Baby Food?

2008-01-22T12:59:00.001-08:00

Pears

2008-01-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Pears are an excellent first fruit. They are mild, not too sweet and super yummy! When I made Pearsauce for the first time I wanted to not only lick the spoon, but the blender as well. Here's what I do:

Start with 4 pears. After washing peel, core and slice pears. Place them in one layer in a saucepan with a steamer basket. Fill with enough water so that water is below steamer basket and not touching food. Steam on high with lid on saucepan for about 8-10 minutes. Test pears to see if they are done by piercing with a fork. They are done when very soft and easily pierced.

Let pears cool in pan with lid off until easy to handle. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Pears have a high water content and do not need any additional liquid.

Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze to make food cubes.

~Age - An excellent first food, 5 + months

~Yield - 6-8 servings (serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

~What to look for - Bartlett, Anjou and Bosc pears are all good varieties to choose from. Pears tend to ripen from the inside out, so a pear is ready when it is firm to the touch, but not too hard.

~Nutritionally Speaking - Pears provide both Vitamin C and Potassium.

Applesauce

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I made the yummiest fresh applesauce the other day. It was so easy and it tasted so much better than anything you can buy! Here's what to do:

Start with 4-8 apples. After washing core and slice the apples into quarters. Leaving the skin on during cooking gives the cooking water more nutrients. Place them in one layer in a saucepan with a steamer basket. Fill with enough water so that water is below steamer basket and not touching food. Steam on high with lid on saucepan for about 10-12 minutes. Test apples to see if they are done by piercing with a fork. Apples are done when very soft and easily pierced.

Let apples cool in pan with lid off until easy to handle. Scrape flesh out of skin and puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Add some of cooking water to thin out to consistency desired.

Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze to make food cubes.

Age - An excellent first food, 5 months and on

What to look for - Use milder apples with no dents or bruises like Golden Delicious or Rome (Green apples are too acidic for new eaters)

Yield - 8 apples will make 10 servings (serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

Nutritionally Speaking - Apples provide Vitamin C, Potassium and Pectin (good for soothing an upset tummy or diarrhea).

Disclaimer

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Information on this blog is not meant to be taken as medical advice and should not replace the advice given by your doctor or pediatrician.

Independence

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Sometimes feeding our sweet, lovable babies can turn into a wrestling match trying to keep food from flying all over the kitchen, getting on your clothes and into your baby's hair. I can't get over how quickly my laid back, anything goes child can turn into such a protester when he gets into the high chair. He won't swallow his food and it dribbles down his chin, he frantically waves his arms around trying to knock the spoon (full of food) out of my hands, or he'll cry protesting peas one day and sweet potatoes another. Maybe I was too quick to declare how un-fussy of an eater he was when we started solids. He would approach anything I fed him with an open mouth. He still eats pretty much anything I feed him, but when we have an episode it is a battle of the wills between us.

"Mealtime should be fun," I keep telling myself.

I am learning (slowly) to take meals less seriously. The goal is to nourish my child and help him become an independent eater. If I can involve him in mealtime, then he will have a positive attitude toward food. What I am learning is that this is one of the only places in his life where he can assert his independence. He can choose what he likes to eat and if he wants to eat it. He wants to feed himself with the spoon and gets mad when I won't let him. I wish he could understand the reasons I list for him as to why I need to hold the spoon instead of letting him, though!

Here are a few tricks I have learned to make mealtime with my 8-month old a little easier:

- I give him a toy or clean spoon to hold. It distracts him and gives him somewhere else to focus all that frenetic energy.

- I take little breaks in between bites to let him have a rest, play for a moment, swallow his food completely, and take it all in.

- At the end of a meal I give him the spoon with a little food on it to let him practice feeding himself.

- I place a little soft piece of mashed banana or other food on the tray of the high chair and let hom play with it. He will squish it with his hands and I know that one of these days soon he will put it in his mouth reinforcing his independence. This is something you can do once they start picking things up with their fingers. If your baby doesn't have teeth yet, be very careful and make sure the food it tiny and very soft so that it is not a choking hazard.

Are there ways you are involving your babies in mealtime and overcoming the challenges of an independent eater?

Good luck! We're in it together.

Thawing Frozen Baby Purees

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Using a microwave-proof container, thaw frozen puree cubes in microwave on low to medium heat setting. Check every 20 seconds or so to make sure food is thawing and not cooking. BE SURE TO STIR PUREE THOROUGHLY. Microwaves heat unevenly and it is important that puree is stirred to distribute heat evenly. You are simply thawing puree, not cooking it. Baby's cannot tolerate hot food in their sensitive mouths, puree does not need to be any warmer than room temperature. The best way to test food is to put a small amount to your tongue or on the inside of your upper lip to test the temperature.

Storing Fresh Baby Purees

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You can store fresh baby purees in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Storing individual portions in small containers will make mealtimes easier, eliminating extra steps when your baby is anxiously awaiting their lunch.

You will want to freeze any puree you won't use within 4 days. Do this by spooning puree into ice trays. Each section filled to the top will be approximately 2 tablespoons, making measuring portions easy. Cover the ice tray with aluminum foil to eliminate freezer burn before placing in freezer. After food has frozen solid (usually overnight), pop cubes out and store in a zip-lock bag labeled with the food and date frozen. If it's hard to pop out puree cubes, run the bottom of the ice tray under a little warm water and they will pop right out.

Butternut Squash

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Winter squash, such as the butternut, make a creamy, beautiful orange puree and are a perfect first vegetable for new eaters. While they are in season during fall and winter months, they can be prepared and frozen to be enjoyed by your baby all year long.

Wash outside of squash with soap and water. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and strings. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup). Place squash skin side down on sheet. Bake at 375 for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Squash will be done when can be pierced easily with a fork.

Let squash cool so it will be easy to handle. Scoop flesh out of skin and puree in either a blender, food processor or mixer with whip attachment. Add water a couple of tablespoons at a time to reach desired consistency.

~Age - An excellent first food, 5 + months

~ Yield - 1 butternut squash will yield approximately 10 servings (1 serving = 2 tablespoons or 1 frozen food cube)

~ Nutritionally Speaking - Vitamins A, C and B complex; calcium, and potassium