"Make Your Own Monday": Granola Bars

If you have met my oldest child, Samuel, you may be aware that he is one of the worst eaters on the face of earth. I'd buy the kid a fresh lobster if he would only try it. Just one BITE. But No.

"Granola bars" are an entire food group for him. Or maybe the food group is actually the cereal group, but anyway....he eats a lot of granola bars.

I've been making my own fresh granola for quite some time now, so I don't know why it took so long for me to realize that I could, in fact, make granola bars as well.

Especially considering that the type he favors, the chewy kind with chocolate chips and what have you, are LOADED with sugar and artificial ingredients. Once I realized how easy it was to make them, I felt guilty for letting him eat so many garbage ones.

I googled "chewy granola bar recipes" and looked at several recipes to determine the best way to go about making some of my own.

First I melt just a little butter in a large bowl. I then added peanut butter and honey. Add a dash of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, whatever you like. For the kids' bars, I use oatmeal, rice crispies cereal, and wheat germ. Stir. Spread. Bake. Cool. Cut. Eat. You might want to try some different combos to get your preferred texture and thickness. My husband and I like the crunchy granola bars...so...I spread them thinner and bake them a bit longer when I make them for us. The trick to this is to find what works for you. If you like the chewy granola bars, you will want your mixture to be moist going into the oven, put in a smaller pan, and perhaps baked for a bit less. (Hint: add more goop for moisture and sweetness.) I feel like each time I make these they are different but still good.

YOU control the mix-ins. The boys love chocolate on theirs, so after baking, I sprinkle some semi sweet chips over the top of the hot granola and then spread thinly over the top. I think that cuts down on the actual chocolate but makes them seem very fancy. Christian and I are currently on a coconut kick, so the last batch I made for us were a lot like the crunchy oats and honey variety available in stores, but with some coconut and craisins.

Oh look, here they are:

Left is the "kids" granola bars before chocolate chips (I LOVE them too) and the right is the grown up version. They are both on cookie sheets, but the peanut butter ones are thicker :-)

If they are crumbly, which sometimes happens to me, I bag them up and put the crumbs in Greek yogurt.

Yes, there is still sugar. You may or may not use chocolate or nuts. But it's totally in your control.

My entire family is just crazy for these. And considering the main ingredient is oatmeal, I feel like I'm probably saving money, because you can get 9 pounds of oatmeal for less than 5 dollars if you buy in bulk. More importantly, they are DEFINITELY healthier than the kind I used to buy.

If anyone is interested, I will measure out my next batch and publish a more specific recipe. Or you can be brave and try it! Anyone?

Fluff Talk Friday 1: Considering Cloth

If you know me, oven only online...you know that I LOVE cloth diapers! Several friends of mine have recently asked questions about cloth diapers, and some of them have even decided to use them! YAY! I'm happy about that. I think cloth diapers are starting to be quite trendy....which is also a big YAY!

What you might not know: I didn't cloth diaper my oldest child, Sam.

I didn't know anything about cloth diapers. No one even suggested them as an option to me.

Honestly, when I envisioned cloth diapers, I pictured a "burp rag" folded and pinned on with a big pin.

I thought they would stink.

I thought they would entail a large time investment.

I thought they would keep me tied to my house and washing machine.

((((If someone HAD suggested them, I probably would have tuned them right out, no matter what they had to say. If that's how you're feeling, you can stop reading now. Cloth diapering isn't for everyone, and that's ok. But if you have ever even THOUGHT about it....even just a little...even if it was just thinking about burp rags and pins....take some time to read this.))))


THEN....along came Brayden. Brayden, to this very day, has some of the most sensitive skin I have encountered. We tried diaper after diaper after diaper for several weeks, each one resulting in a rash or infection. My friend Becca had had a baby a few short weeks before I we welcomed Brayden and suggested cloth.

Boy, was I ever hesitant. When I started researching diapers, I was OVERWHELMED. So many options. Some expensive, some very cheap. Detergents, styles, wash routines....

Becca suggested a brand of diapers, so I figured I had nothing to lose in ordering a sample package and seeing what it was all about. When they arrived, I was still feeling quite skeptical.

My husband was even more hesitant than I was. We were really unsure about the whole concept.

We were really uneducated.

Thank you, Becca.

Wow.

Let's just say, the next week, the mailman delivered a significantly larger box filled with cloth diapers, a diaper sprayer, and a wet bag.

I think that package cost around $350. Brayden wore those same diapers until he was potty trained. The only time after starting cloth that we experienced any sort of rash was when he would eat something acidic, like oranges or something with tomatoes....

If I could go back in time, I would not hesitate to cloth diaper Sam. No matter how many children we have, they will all wear cloth. Emma wore disposable diapers when she was in the hospital getting treated for jaundice and the staff was measuring her output....I HATED that. To me, a disposable diaper smells terrible when it is clean. I kept thinking that she was wet, but it was just the smell of the disposable diapers. After using nothing but cloth, the diapers Emma wore in the hospital smelled like a vat of chemicals.

As for the "work" involved, well, if you're human, you're probably doing laundry anyway. Do you stand in front of your washer while it's running? I don't. I toss them in, walk away, and that's that. They do take a bit more time than a regular load of laundry. I quickly worked 2-3 loads of diapers/week into my regular laundry schedule. I wash mine first thing in the morning. I do one cycle without detergent to get out any residual yuckies (I spray any solid waste with the diaper sprayer, which is somewhat like a mini shower, before putting in the wet bag.) Then I do a cycle with detergent and an extra rinse. Sometimes I will do a cycle after that with a bit of vinegar to freshen them up. When it's sunny, I dry them out in the sun. (FREE and refreshing.) When we go somewhere, I carry a wet bag, into which I put the dirty diaper when I change the baby and bring home. No big deal.

I don't know why I had all these issues built up in my head.

Here are some reasons to even just THINK about cloth:

• Great for baby skin. This is the reason I decided to switch, and then I learned that:
• AWESOME financial benefits. If I factor in shipping, some detergent, and some extra diapers that I ordered when there was a good sale, I spent less than $500 total diapering Brayden, starting when he was about 5 weeks old. I have spent even less than that on Emma so far. (This is not accounting for electricity.)
• Cloth diapers greatly reduce the likelihood of those dreaded baby diaper blow-outs. This doesn't seem like it makes sense, but trust me, WAY less leaking!!
• More options than disposable diapers. Colors, brands, varieties, thickness levels. They are quite customizable. I have a good friend who uses diapers made by work at home moms. I prefer a specific brand of all-in-ones. Oh, and these options are good from newborn through potty training. If you're a mom, you can probably find a favorite too!
• Many cloth diaper websites do reward programs in which you can earn more diapers. Lots of work at home moms also do special promotions. So they don't necessarily have to be expensive to accumulate.
  
• They don't stink up your trash, or in turn whatever room in which the trash can is located.. If they do stink, you wash them. Chances are high you'll be washing them every 2-3 days when your baby is small, so they don't have much chance to get stinky.
• Speaking of trash...if you pay for trash service...um...no diaper trash. One thing I do remember about using disposable diapers is how quickly our trash cans would fill up.
• Also on the trash subject: better for our environment. Nothing to send to the landfill other than perhaps some plastic shipping material.
• I would personally consider them MUCH more convenient than disposables. I mean...I NEVER run out of diapers. I remember waiting anxiously for Christian to get home from work with a new box of diapers and using the stash in the diaper bag in hopes that I wouldn't use the last one before he got home. That never happens now....
• And not to be vain-sounding...but....let's face it...THEY ARE SO STINKING CUTE ON BABY TUSCHES!!
  

IS your brain still going..."But....but....but....????" Shoot me your questions and I'll see if I can help!

(Just wanted to restate this: I realize that cloth diapering isn't for everyone, and that's ok. I do not want to be pushy. Just wanting to get some brains thinking about it....)

Proudly, I am a:

I was just thinking about this shirt. I saw it right after Emma was born. For some reason I thought it said "Homeschoolin'" as well. The website I saw it on also has some other outrageously appropriate shirts about pregnancy and breastfeeding!

I would feel silly actually wearing it (at least in public)....but I love it!

"Make Your Own Monday": Broth/Stock

I go through a LOT of broth when I cook. I make soup once or twice a week, because it's cheap and healthy. I use it for other recipes as well. If you like to cook, you probably use broth or stock often as well.

Although certainly convenient, I find several problems with store bought broth:
It's expensive. If you're lucky, you can get the quart boxes on sale 2/$5
It's high in sodium.
I have yet to figure out what "natural flavors" actually ARE.

I have been making my own broth for a few years now. As a vegetarian (I recently began eating fish, for the record), I use mainly vegetable broth. (There is NO SUCH THING as vegetable STOCK. Stock implies the use of bones.) Here's a snapshot of my last batch:



I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. Maybe because I spilled over a quart of it all over my counter/floor. I am still grumbling about that!


Making broth is so cinchy that you won't believe you ever PAID for it. (Well, of course you have to pay for the ingredients. But it's highly likely that you already have all of the ingredients in your cupboards and/or fridge.)

Think of it kind of like making tea. You steep all the flavor out into hot water. The first time I made broth, I did follow a recipe. Since then, I just use what I have. This particular pot includes:
a few onions, halved, skin on
a few cloves of garlic
a few carrots, cut into 3-4 pieces each (ends trimmed)
a few stalks of celery
about a TB of whole peppercorns
salt
some thyme I had hanging out in the fridge

I fill my dutch oven with water, put the stuff in, and let it simmer away for several hours. Then I strain the stuff (basically aromatics), jar up the broth, and use at my leisure. One of the best parts: my house smells SO GOOD while it is simmering...reminds me of Thanksgiving.

Simmering seeps out all the flavors, colors, and nutrients of the vegetables.

Really. Yes, it's that easy. (Spill warning! It could happen.) You can use whatever you want to make this. I sometimes make a spicy Asian version (which I then use to make Asian-inspired soups and sauces for stir fry) into which I put a chili pepper (if I have one), soy sauce, and a chunk of ginger. Put your own twist on it. As one of the Food Network chefs, Claire Robinson, says, "BYOC: Be your own chef!" SO GOOD.

You control the flavor. You control the sodium. No MSG. Good way to use up ingredients that are just sitting in your fridge.

Think about it this way: the most expensive ingredient I put in there was peppercorns, which is something I ALWAYS have. I used about a TB, so it is still inexpensive. Even so, let's round up and say they cost a whole dollar. Carrots are cheap. Celery is cheap. Onions are cheap. You get my drift. You can make a whole gallon of broth with 2-3 carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery, 2-3 onions, etc. Use what you have. If you have herbs in your fridge, use those too. It's a free for all. If you want to break down prices of individual vegetables, you probably make 1 or 1-1/2 gallons of vegetable broth for $3. Store it however you like. I tend to put mine in jars for easy pouring. (Did I mention that I spilled a little over a quart of my last batch? ha.)

Same principles apply to making meat-based stock. If you roast a chicken for dinner one night, don't throw away the carcass. Even if you just make bone-on breasts, keep the bones. You can freeze the bones if you don't have time to make your stock right away. What a great recyclable way to cook. Cover it with water, add your aromatics, and simmer for a long time. Strain the "stuff". Any meat on the bones will cook right off. You will have to skim the top. (FYI, the stuff you skim off is edible, but if you simmer instead of boil and skim it off, your stock will be crisp and clear.) Same for turkey (my husband L-O-V-E-S turkey noodle soup after Thanksgiving!) Beef broth can be very rich if you want to add a splash of red wine or smoky with a few dashes of Worchestire sauce or even A1!!! (I have ever made any kind of seafood or fish stock, so I can't offer advice on making that type of stock.)

Can you tell I get really excited about broth/stock? It's so easy. It's so cheap. It has a wide variety of uses in the kitchen. (Don't let your brain stop with soup. Make your rice using stock instead of water sometime. Yum. Go from there.) It's one of those things that really lets you do what you want to do and allows you to control what you're cooking with and putting back into your body.

Try it. Let me know how you make out!

"Make Your Own Monday": Salad Dressing

In recent history, I was horrified to discover that an ingredient in my favorite fat free salad dressing is "corn syrup solids".

No thanks. The only reason I buy corn syrup is to make pecan pie. Which, unless someone orders one from me, I only make once or twice a year. Because my husband and I LOVE pecan pie, so it is a dangerous thing to have hanging out in the fridge.

Here's the thing about salad dressing. The fat free varieties are just NOT good for you. Fat free does not always equal healthy. They take out the fat, only to load up on sugar, sodium, artificial flavoring, etc. I have been doing some research, and in the long run, healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and real butter, although they contain more fat, are so much better for you than vegetable oil and other fake fats, like margarine. I know, I know. I KNOW. America is obsessed with low fat! *I* have even been on this band wagon. I've had good success with following a low fat diet. I have learned, though, that loading up on low fat foods can be detrimental in the long term. But that's a different discussion for a different time. Back on topic....don't be afraid of the olive oil!

I love a good salad. I can't believe it took me nearly 30 years of life to realize how much better tasting and healthier homemade salad dressing is....let alone how easy it is to make. The BEST thing about making your own dressing is that it really allows to you to tailor it to your veown tastes by adding different spices, herbs, acids, etc.

If you're a vinaigrette/Italian fan, making dressing is especially simple. Keep in mind 1 part acid (citrus or vinegar) to 2 parts oil. I almost always make salad dressing with evoo. But you can use sesame oil or whatever you like. Then you layer in flavor with herbs and spices. Go from there. Explore different combinations. You may but don't have to, add a pinch of sugar or honey. Favorites at my house include balsamic vinegar/olive oil/basil/garlic, lime juice/rice vinegar/ginger/honey/either sesame oil or evoo, red wine vinegar/olive oil/basic Italian spices...the possibilities are truly endless. Christian likes one that I make to marinate pork that is apple cider vinegar and mustard seeds with a touch of oil. I don't usually measure my vinaigrette ingredients, but feel free.

The very first vinaigrette I made was the balsamic basil one made above. It is by far a Capo Cucina favorite. But here is an easy and delicious starter Italian recipe:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon each fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley (or make up your own combo, other ideas would be marjoram, basil, or tarragon)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup evoo

Whisk together. Seriously. That's ALL you do. I use fresh herbs in the summer because I grow them myself, but in the winter, I typically use dry. It's all about finding the flavors you like!

Ranch lovers, it's your turn. Ranch scared me more than oil/vinaigrettes for some reason. But making a savory ranch dip or dressing is just as easy as making an oil-based dressing. AND the fat does NOT have to be as high as the bottled variety to taste just as good, and in my opinion, BETTER. I like the tangy base of buttermilk for mine, which adds a nice flavor and creaminess without a ton of fat. I have used both Greek yogurt and mayonnaise in mine. I prefer the Greek yogurt just as an added nutrition boost, but again, this is about your own taste preference. I suppose you could use sour cream as well. I start by adding a healthy plop (about 1/2 cup) of either mayo or Greek yogurt to a blender. For my own dressing, I add some chives, a clove of garlic, a dash of hot sauce, a dash of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. I blend and then add small amounts of buttermilk until it's the right consistency. I like my ranch dressing a bit on the thicker side so it can double as a dip. But that's just me. :-) You can also add things like cheese and bacon, but I'm a classic ranch type of gal.

You will taste these dressings and wonder why you ever bought it in the store, trust me. So easy and uses things you probably already have laying around. I'm sure if you google it or search "ranch dressing" at foodnetwork.com, there are even more varieties of dressings/dips. You MIGHT even discover yourself eating more salad!!

Making it from Scratch.....

I would like to start a series of entries about keeping things natural in our homes. Both food-wise and other items. Is anyone else interested in this? I was thinking I could do "Make Your Own Mondays" or something like that. It would mainly hit upon things that people simply don't know that they can make on their own or don't know how....or maybe think it is too complicated or requires specialty equipment....

I could also do something on weekends that might require more time involvement, like making pasta from scratch.

When I mention making this or that from scratch, I get many comments to the tune of "I'm too busy" or "I like the convenience of...." I'm here to show you that you're not too busy, you can save money (and time, which is priceless), and you will feel good about it!


The food is especially important to me. And before I get started, let me just say, I do have some processed food in my cupboards. Please....I'm a busy mom and wife....and I have one child who lives on cereals, anything crunchy and salty, and vegetarian bacon. But I make as much as I can from scratch. I don't find most convenience items very convenient. If I can make something at home using ingredients I already have, especially living where we live, it is not worth a drive to the store. By the time I get my kids ready (which involves getting them dressed, going potty, changing Emma's diaper, packing the diaper bag, and loading them into the Suburban), drive to the store, herd all 3 of them wherever I need to go, pack them back into the car, and drive home, where I have to unload not only my kids but the groceries, I probably could have saved myself time and money by making it myself. (That said, of course we go grocery shopping like anyone else, but we buy smart. Or try to, at least.) Most of these things are easy to make and cheaper than buying....things that you probably have in your homes...laundry soap, stock, yogurt, crackers, baby wipes, salad dressing, etc....and most times, I bet your homemade version will taste so much better that you will wonder why you ever paid for the prepared store version!

As a mother, and a woman who desires to be healthy, I worry over food additives, chemicals in our food, cleaning supplies, and bath and body stuff. When I make my own things, I know the ingredients, which provides peace of mind. Challenge: go read the list of ingredients on something in your cupboard. And I mean some kind of prepared food. Salad dressing or another condiment, hot cocoa, coffee creamer.....Do you have a cake mix? (I do not, so I can't list ingredients here to compare to a recipe.) Scary, right? And here's the thing: throwing together a cake is SO easy. It takes you maybe 2 minutes longer than dumping a mix into a bowl and adding oil and eggs. And it allows you to control your own sugar, sodium, fats, etc. (You do not want to get me started on how "low fat", "low calorie", whatever!!!!, is not usually good for you....many people buy these things blindly without reading the nutritional information....not saying I never buy these things, just saying, be aware of what you're eating.) This is something I learn more and more about, so it is a journey we can take together.

As usual, I'm babbling. I feel passionately about this topic. Who wants to learn more? Anyone?

Distractable

I have gotten into a very bad habit. Which is ironic only because it is the result of my intentions to be a productive individual.

Productive individual. My husband is always reminding me that the "mere" act of surviving a day with 3 children, one of whom is homeschooling, one of whom is very curious, and one of whom requires me to sit down with my breasts exposed and/or be carried around often, is MORE than productive. He points out that I make meals, clean messes, do laundry, wash dishes, read stories, do school with Sam while simultaneously corralling/engaging Brayden and entertaining Emma, and so much more without ever adding THOSE things to my personal daily to-do list. I tend to beat myself up if I don't complete anything else, whether it be chores, exercise, or anything else.

I guess that paragraph was unnecessary. See, I told you I was feeling quite unfocused lately. Back to the bad habit.

I start one project after another, without completing the first thing I started.

This has resulted in piles of stuff to be "put away". Jumbled closets. Messy school shelves. Unorganized DVDs/entertainment area. You get the picture.

If you know me....you probably know my feelings about clutter. I get twitchy just thinking about these messes.

I let my slight OCD get in my way on this one. I start out VERY enthusiastically. I organize as I go. I sort things into categories. I make neat piles. That end up ALL over any flat surface I can find. I think part of the problem is that I get WAY too involved and then can't finish in the time I have available, and then I get discouraged, feel I let myself down, and have a hard time restarting a project. Did I mention I have a curious child? Next thing I know, he's doing his own sorting......which us not nearly as neat as my own sorting, but as far as he is concerned, it is efficient and entertaining!!

I admire several of my friends who are purging/organizing divas. You know who you are.

MUST......CLEAN......THESE.....PILES.

A.J.

THIS is my beautiful friend Megan's first-born biological son Andrew, who goes by "A.J.":


Isn't he handsome? This photo was taken when he was 11. He is now almost 19. Megan delivered a healthy little boy on February 24, 1993. A.J. was adopted by a Michigan couple, named Freddy and Ramona, who vowed to stay in touch, send photographs, etc. This, however, is the last correspondence Megan received about A.J. Megan is not even sure that A.J. knows that he was adopted.

This year, as A.J. approaches his 19th birthday (the same age as Megan was when she had him), Megan would love to be reunited with her son.

Megan is one of the moms to whom I look up to the most. 19 years later (8 years after this picture), she has a happy marriage and 11 more healthy children, who are so well-loved, well-mannered, and adorable that I could just cry thinking about it. Giving up a baby for adoption was NOT an easy decision to make at her young age, and giving up a son so that he would "have a better life than she was able to provide" is NOT a cliche. Her decision was borne of love, and only love.

I cannot imagine the heartache faced by Megan's beautiful soul every day. A void that, although she leads a full and loving life with her family, can be filled by no other solution. She smiles, she loves her babies (sorry, Domenica, Gianna, Cade, etc if you are reading this....I know you guys aren't "babies"....but to your mom, you are HER babies), she experiences the ups and downs of being a wife, mother, daughter, HUMAN....but the thought of her son never leaves her mind, or more importantly, her loving heart. The Woolseys are ready to meet A.J. and fold them into the mixture they call their family!

Please, readers, pass this on. The modern marvel we call "the internet" could truly assist Megan in locating this boy. He is now 19 years old. Last Megan knew, his family resided in either Pontiac or Plymouth, Michigan State.

Praying for a miracle so that Megan's deep desire comes a reality!

40 Weeks

40 Weeks ago today, I looked like THIS (above) for MOST of the day. It was the ONLY day I did NOT want my sweet girl to arrive, and it was the only day in the then recent weeks that I actively spent trying to NOT go into labor. 18 minutes before midnight on April Fool's Day, Emma Jane came crashing into the world. (Literally....her sweet little face was bruised.)

I was full of trepidation when the ultrasound confirmed that we were being blessed with a daughter. After 2 boys, I was very used to seeing blue. Pink was overwhelming to me. So many ruffles. So many bows. Glitter. Shoes. HORMONES in 10-13 years. (haha!!) Still, I was THRILLED to see a healthy babe...

Here's my little diva at this exact moment, 40 weeks old:
Love those rosebud lips, her little birth mark, and her blankie!

Raising a daughter is more intimidating than raising a boys. At least if you ask me. Do you SEE what girls are wearing? I recently saw some pictures of someone I love on facebook and thought, "NO WAY, in a million trillion YEARS, will Emma wear something like THAT." I don't care how thin you are, some clothes fail to flatter anyone.

Boys seem easy. I know I am raising them with good morals and that they will, most likely, be just like their dad. And let's face it, he's a clear winner. Gentle, patient, smart, loving, etc. I intend to raise Emma with the same morals and values. I hope she marries someone just like her daddy. BUT. Girls seems so much more susceptible to outside influences. Body image symbols flashing everywhere. (Shopping for clothes, even at a young age, that are made for skinny girls, and like I said before, I don't care how thin someone is, "trashy" is not flattering.) The need to prove themselves. Men treating them poorly. So much baggage. I'm not saying boys won't have baggage, just that from this momma's point of view, girls are more likely to accumulate more. I pray that Emma will grow up to be smart above all else, enabling her to make wise decisions for herself.....she is surrounded by strong women, family and friends who are the same as family, who are providing excellent examples of "the good life." PRAISE GOD!

My life has changed since having a daughter. Not that having Samuel and Brayden DIDN'T change me, of course it did. But Emma is like an extra extension of me. I'm more conscious of myself as a woman because I know I am Emma's biggest influence. (I know this because I am basically a different version of my own mother.) Everything I do and say impacts my children. Every day I pray for God to guide my steps, bend to His will, and provide a happy and safe environment for them all. I am so thankful for the opportunity to raise both boys and a girl (so far) and look forward to the next 40 weeks of their young lives.