Buh-Bye 2015

2015... a year for the books! Let's see, I survived. I now am the proud owner of three little boys, so to make it through the year is quite an accomplishment in itself. 

Other than having a baby, my accomplishments include...

Two weeks later... It is so telling that this is as far as this post got.

Cheers to 2016!

Cloth Diapers are Gross!

I am a total Suzie Homemaker, occasional hipster, urban farmer, and environmentalist.  I drive a Prius, recycle e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, and hang dry my clothes (most days).  I am the epitome of what a true Oregonian is.  To. The. Core.  However, the thought of washing cloth diapers makes me cringe.  It doesn't matter how many disposable diapers would be saved from landfills.  It's just gross and I won't do it.  So, I guess that would make me an occasional environmentalist, because a hard-cord hipster would just suck it up.

My husband and I tried a diaper service with our first born son.  Each week, we got a nice, clean stack of cloth diapers.  We would run the pins through our hair to help them glide through the fabric... the many layers of fabric.  On paper, this sounds so nice and easy, but I left out the part with the screaming, impossibly uncooperative baby.  I left out the part that diaper pins are impossible, it does not matter how many times one slicks them through their hair.  We lasted (correction: my husband lasted) about three weeks.

Two years later, we had another son.  We didn't even try.  This baby screamed more than the first and our stress levels were a bit (understatement) elevated due to raising two little boys.  Excuses, excuses... I know.

Skipping ahead four years, we had yet another son (oy vey).  The thought of trying cloth diapers whooshed out of my mind, just as quickly as the idea stumbled in there.

"There is no way on God's green earth that I will have time to cloth diaper my son, while chasing the older two boys around," I convinced myself.

That was, until my sweet friend nonchalantly told me about her experience.  Diaper services and pins are no longer a required element of the process.  Apparently, there are geniusly designed adjustable diapers that can just go in the wash.  Just as I was about to spit out more excuses as to why cloth diapers aren't for me, she said something that stuck.  She told me that just because you're using cloth diapers, doesn't mean you don't always have to use cloth diapers.

Wait, what?

Going out of town?  Use disposable diapers.  Don't want to mess with them at night?  Use disposable diapers.  All of the handy-dandy cloth diapers are in the wash?  Use disposable diapers.  I'm not sure why this was so revolutionary for me, but it was.  So, you can cloth diaper your child, but if it's inconvenient, it's okay to use a supplement.  It's okay to do what works for you.

Duh.

That was it.  My husband and I were both in.  We planned to save some money and buy a stockpile of 20-24 reusable diapers and a couple wet/dry bags (we did our research).  They cost a pretty penny, but after doing some math we realized that our stockpile would cost the same as one year's worth of disposable diapers.  These diapers should last until our son is potty trained, so in the long run we would be saving money.

Then,  my sweet sister did something wonderful and unexpected.  She threw my husband and me a diaper shower.  Our amazing family and dear friends showered us with both reusable and disposable diapers, wet bags, and diaper detergent.  We were overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness and generosity.  Now, we were all ready.  Well, except for the baby part.

On June 1st, we had our third son, Beau.  Sweet, sweet Beau.  We used disposable diapers for the first six weeks.  That allowed us to get used to our new roommate and for little man to heal from his circumcision properly.  After that, we were ready to give cloth diapers a go.

Here's what we learned...

• STOCKPILE:  Have a stockpile of 20-24 cloth diapers on hand.  That way, you'll have enough to get you through wash day.  We have 14 diapers right now and can't quite get through laundry day and I don't want to wash diapers daily.  We like the BumGenius elemental diapers, but there are many different brands that are just as smart.

• WET BAGS:  Put the used diapers in a wet bag (we like this one too).  You'll want two of these so you can rotate on laundry day.  I even got a smaller one for when we're out for the day.  I may try a metal trash can with the reusable pail liners, because the snap handle of the wet bags doesn't hold when the bag gets too heavy.  Whichever method you choose, get two liners so you can rotate on laundry day.

• NO DIAPER CREAM:  Avoid getting diaper cream on the cloth diapers.  Use either a cotton insert or disposable liner to create a barrier.  When using the cloth liner as a diaper cream barrier, keep in mind that those liners must be washed separately from your diapers.  Ain't nobody got time for that!  We bought a box of disposable liners and they work just fine.

• REUSABLE WIPES:  Since you're using cloth diapers, you might as well use reusable wipes too.  We made ours out of old flannel receiving blankets and fabric remnants from my older boys' homemade pj pants.  (Note: Use regular old wipes to clean up diaper cream to avoid getting diaper cream on your reusable wipes and/or cloth diapers.)

• WIPE WARMER:  Store your flannel wipes in a Prince Lionheart Warmies Wipe Warmer.  It's fancy.  The recipes for wipe solution that come with the warmer work great.  

• LAUNDRY DAY:  Wash your diapers, wipes, and wet bag every two days (at least).  Just throw it all in the wash (that's why you'll want two wet bags).

• GENTLE DETERGENT:  We were gifted the bumgenius detergent.  It works well, but I'm sure my homemade detergent is gentle enough too.  For my homemade detergent, I grate three (3) Fels Naptha bars and mix them with a 4 lb. box of washing soda, 4 lb. box of baking soda, and a box of borax (2-3T./load).

• WASHING DIAPERS:  To wash your diapers and wipes, you'll run three cycles.  1st Cycle:  Half of a scoop of gentle detergent.  Cold wash/Cold rinse or warm/cold.  2nd Cycle:  Full scoop of detergent.  Hot wash/Cold rinse.  3rd Cycle:  No detergent.  Cold wash/Cold Rinse.

• DRYING DIAPERS:  To dry your diapers and wipes, put them in the dryer with a wool dryer ball (add essential oils, if that's your thing) on low heat OR hang those cute diapers out to dry.

• STAIN REMOVAL:  To remove stains from your diapers, line dry on a sunny day.  It's amazing how quickly the stains come out.  Uh-mazing!

• DISPOSABLE DIAPERS:  Don't stress.  It's okay to use disposable diapers when it's laundry day, you have a sitter, you're going out of town, at night, etc.  

So far, this process hasn't been horrible like expected.  The world wide web, our friends, and social media acquaintances have been an invaluable resource - with them, we've just about figured this cloth diaper thing out.    Yah, cloth diapers are gross, but so are disposable diapers.  It feels good to use cloth diapers to avoid throwing so many disposable diapers in the trash.  I feel like I'm doing my part.  My best advice would be to figure out a system that works for your family and your budget; stay organized; and don't stress over what other people are doing/not doing.  That's it.

What do you think?  Willing to give it a go?  Do you have any cloth diaper tips and tricks?  Do tell...

Thanks for stopping by.
Until next time...

Leslie-Anne

Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos

It's no secret that I am not a morning person!  It takes me a good two hours to wake up properly.  As a mama of three boys, I've had to make some adjustments since they usually want breakfast, a snack, and craft time all before 10:00 a.m.  School starts next week and I'm trying to pre plan some freezer meals to give me my edge, so I thought (light bulb) why not make some freezer meals for breakfast?

I'm a genius.  I should make loads of money for these fantastic ideas!  Okay, it wasn't my idea.  I stumbled upon a yummy breakfast burrito recipe a couple years ago and have made them a handful of times.  My boys love them and miss them.  You see, I was pregnant with our third son last school year, so I did barely anything at all in terms of freezer meals or their beloved breakfast burritos.

These burritos will take about an hour to make, but will save plenty of time on those early school day mornings.  Okay, ready to revive your new favorite breakfast?  Here we go...

Ready to start assembling!

Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos 
(adapted from Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer)

3 lbs. breakfast sausage
2 bags of frozen cubed potatoes o'brien
8 cups shredded cheddar cheese (cheddar + jack would be good too)
2 dozen eggs
2 cups milk
1 T. ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 28oz. can green chili enchilada sauce
30 flour tortillas
Foil

Directions:

1. Cook the breakfast sausage in a skillet.  Drain fat.  Set aside.
2. Cook potatoes o'brien in the oven.  When brown, set on counter to cool.
3. Shred cheese (or buy it shredded).  
4. Using a hand mixer, blend eggs, milk, ground mustard, salt, and pepper.  Pour egg mixture in non-stick pan.  I used the same pan as the sausage to reduce the amount of dishes I would later need to wash.  When eggs are scrambled set aside.
5. Line up ingredients on the counter to create an assembly line.  The order doesn't matter, just make sure tortillas are at the beginning and the green chili sauce and foil is at the end.
6. Put approximately 1/4 c. sausage, potatoes, and eggs in the middle of a tortilla.  
7. Sprinkle with cheese.
8. Pour enchilada sauce over everything (approx. 2T.).
9. Roll.
10. Wrap with foil.
11. Repeat until all ingredients are gone.
12. Ingredients will make approx. 30 burritos.
13. Freeze.

To Reheat:

1. Grab a burrito (or two) from freezer.  
2. Remove foil.
3. Place on plate.
4. Microwave for 1 minute.
5. Turn over.
6. Microwave for 1 additional minute.
7. Enjoy.

This tortilla is ready for filling.

Add 1/4 cup potatoes.

Add 1/4 cup scrambled eggs.

Add 1/4 cup of cooked breakfast sausage.

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.

Pour a little green chili sauce on top.

Not much left after assembly.

30 burritos ready for the freezer!

Confession:  This recipe actually made 31 burritos.

Breakfast is served!

That's easy enough, right?  Give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes in the comments.  What variations did you make?  Did you try different fillings?  Do tell...

Thanks for stopping by!
Leslie-Anne

Freezer Meals Made Even Easier

Since having children, freezer meals have been somewhat of a saving grace.  As much as I try to keep things balanced and calm, there are always those days.  You know which days I'm talking about.  Those days were the schedule is over-booked; those days when the kids are not quite cooperating; those days that are just off for one reason or another... When I cannot possibly add anything else to my day, I do not have to worry about dinner, because it's in the freezer.  I just pull it out, thaw, and cook.

For the past couple years, prepping freezer meals has been a whole-day or whole-weekend event.  I plan my menu, shop for deals, find care for the kids (Yah, I said it...I cannot juggle prepping 30+ meals while watching my kids.  Some can do both - I, however, cannot.), and get to cooking, prepping, and freezing.  While this marathon meal prep method has its perks, I've learned that it also has its downfalls.

1. Prepping 30+ meals is hard on the grocery budget.
2. It's time consuming.
3. It makes me tired.

Just because the trend is marathon meal prepping, doesn't mean I can't try something else.  I needed to find something different - something that works in my schedule and is easy on my budget.  So, here's what I came up with...

1. Freeze ONE Additional Meal Per Week:  Add 1-2 freezer meals to your meal planning.  I plan meals and shop every two weeks, so I add two freezer meals to my shopping list.  Usually,  I choose a meal to eat that week and just buy a little extra to put a few duplicates of said meal in the freezer.
2. Make Extra to Freeze:  Many meals like lasagna, taco meat, enchiladas, spaghetti sauce, meat loaf, and marinades freeze beautifully.  Whenever I add one of these meals to the freezer, I make an extra (or split the recipe in two) and pop it in the freezer. 

Every time I make lasagna, I split the batch in two...
one to eat, one to freeze.

I've been trying this new method for the couple months.  It's amazing how much easier this gradual freezer prep process has been on my stress levels and the budget.  Over time, my freezer has filled up with a variety of delicious meals that are ready to heat and eat.

Some of my Favorite Freezer Meals:

• Breakfast Burritos
• Beef and Barley Soup (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Beef Fajitas (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Beef Enchiladas (use your favorite recipe)
• Chicken Enchiladas (use your favorite recipe)
• Mango-Cranberry Chicken (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips (from Fix, Freeze, Feast)
• Chicken Spaghetti (The Pioneer Women)
• Sour Cream Noodle Bake (The Pioneer Women)
• Freezer Chicken Pot Pies (Cook's Country)

Everyday Meals that happen to Freeze Wonderfully (use your favorite recipe):

• Spaghetti Sauce
• Pesto
• Taco Meat
• Enchiladas
• Freezer Chicken Enchiladas (Cook's Country)
• Meatloaf
• Marinades
• Chili
• Bread Machine Mix
• Muffins

Remember to label all food items with the contents and date.  Try to consume your meals within 6-12 months (six months for regular freezer bags and closer to 12 months for an airtight, Food Saver seal).

Looking for more freezer meal recipes?

Favorite Books and Blogs:

• Fix, Freeze, Feast: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family (book)
• Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead (book)
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (book)
• 60+ Healthy Freezer Meals for Busy Moms by Thriving Home
• Prep Freeze Cook Eat by Freezer Meals for Us
• Make Ahead Freezer Meals by Happy Money Saver
• Freezer Cooking! by The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Do you make freezer meals?  What is your prefered method?  What are your favorite recipes?  Do tell...

Until Next Time,

Leslie-Anne

Simple Allergy-Free Valentine's Day Cards

Let's face it, most of us do not have the time to take professional photos of our kids, make homemade crayons, or complete a 15-step card for school Valentine's. The ideas on Pinterest are wonderfully cute (I've even tried a few), but let's keep it stress-free this year. 

I received a letter from my son's kindergarten teacher requesting no candy or home-baked goods for Valentine's due to allergies. At first, I felt bad for the kids who could not enjoy a peanut butter cup or frosted cookie, but then I snapped out of it and realized I had to get creative and fast. 

While perusing Target, I came across a bag of 24 bubble sticks for only $3.00. Since there are only 24 kids in my son's class, I took this as a sign and completed my purchase. 

Spritz Bubble Sticks for $3.00 in the Valentine's aisle.  

I purchased the bag of "boy colors" but there are pinks and reds too.

I found some cute label templates on Avery's Design and Print Online website, printed a sheet, and stick them on the bubble sticks. 

Simple, yet cute labels.

I'm pleased with the end product and even more pleased with the fact that I only spent three bucks and 15 minutes creating these sweet, boy-approved, allergy-free Valentine's. 

Easy Peasy.

What do you do for Valentine's cards?  Do tell. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Leslie-Anne

Pirate Birthday Party

Themed birthday parties are all the rage on Pinterest these days.  Homemade cakes, pinatas, party favors... it's all so creative and cute, but who has that kind of time?  I love throwing a themed party as much as the next crazy, over-extended mom, but let's be realistic.

When throwing a themed birthday party, I keep the following factors in mind... cost, time, and the wow-factor.

Cost

I try to keep a birthday party budget under $100.  That's for food and decorations.  So, we have to get a bit creative and figure out what items will work in this budget.  I can't do everything and that's okay.  Set a budget that works for you.  Remember, sometimes less is more.

Time

I have to remember that I'm a working mother of two (with a third on the way).  I cannot spend my 40+ hour work week making party favors and decor.  It's important to keep time in mind when choosing decorations.  Yes, a hand-made pinata would be awesome, but I really have that kind of time and I'm not really sure who does.  Prioritize what works for your schedule leading up to the party.  Make a list of what needs to be done and pick away at those items while destroying your Netflix queue. 

Wow-Factor

What is the one item that your child would freak out over?  Is is a food item?  A special decoration?  A favorite food?  Keep in mind that kids are pretty easy to please.  My kids tend to love balloons and some sort of costume component, so I make sure to include one of these items in their party.  Everything else is just frosting on the cake, so to speak.

Pirate Birthday Party

My son, Everett, wanted a pirate-themed party, so I got to work budgeting, planning, and putting it all together.  I always start with a google or Pinterest search for ideas; make a list; narrow down my list; gather supplies; and execute.

Decor

• Ahoy Matey! Banner.  I found some burlap, felt, and jute in my fabric box, so this decoration did not cost a thing.  (I'm selling my banner HERE.)
• Striped Table Runner.  I scoured the newspaper for a coupon and headed to the fabric store to snag a deal on a homemade runner. 
• Jolly Roger Flag.  Borrowed from a family member.

Food

• Fish and Chips.  Goldfish crackers and potato chips.  Creative, cute, and entertaining.
• Catch of the Day.  Swedish fish candy.
• Crackers for Polly.  That's easy enough, right?
• Gold.  Hershey's gold chocolate bars and chocolate coins.
• Veggies.  They are yummy, but I don't think pirate's ate many vegetables at sea.
• Captain's Favorite.  My son's favorite food is strawberries, so I filled a big bowl and labeled it "Captain's Favorite."  He was so excited to see a giant bowl of strawberries.  So excited. 

Fun

• Labels for Food.  I used ripped up and crumpled paper bags to label all of the food.  My husband burnt the edges to give the signs an old, authentic look.
• Tattoos.  Pirates are known for their tattoos, so we offered a special just for the day.
• Pirate Hats.  I bought some paper pirate hats online, because I didn't feel like making these from scratch.
• Eye Patches.  These just took a little bit of felt and some elastic.  The kids really had fun wearing these.

As you can see, this is a pretty good combination of homemade, borrowed, and store-bought.  The party really came together and everyone had a great time.  Remember, birthday parties are for fun - not just another way to attempt and one up everyone online.

Pirate Party Pictures

Simple, but perfect for a pirate party.

I found this pirate ship cake tutorial HERE.

The birthday boy.

Fish and Chips 

Captain's Favorite... a big tray of strawberries.

Some Crackers for Polly

The Catch of the Day 

Pirate's Booty... it worked too easily with the theme. 

Free Tattoos

My niece wore her pirate leggings.

Yah, we all got into it.

If you are planning on a pirate party for your little one, remember to keep it simple, make a budget, and, most of all... have fun!

What themed parties have you put together?  Do tell...

Thanks for stopping by!

Leslie-Anne

DIY Bread Mix

Who doesn't love a slice of fresh bread?  Slather some summer jam on top and you are in for a treat!  I salivate over fresh bread as much as any other carb-loving human, but I have to do a bit of planning to make it happen.  I love making food from scratch, because (a) the food is often healthier, (b) it saves a lot of money, and (c) I love cooking by myself and with my men.

Fresh bread, homemade jam, and eggs from our laying ladies... my favorite breakfast.

We are so lucky to live in the greater Portland-metro area.  Not only because Portland, Oregon is gorgeous, but also because we live within twenty(ish) minutes from Bob's Red Mill and (if that wasn't enough) the Dave's Killer Bread Outlet is right across the street.  Apparently, Milwaukie, Oregon is the mecca of mouthwatering bread factories.  Who knew? 

In my dreamland, I would get out of bed before dawn to make my boys fresh bread for breakfast.  In reality, I'm not a morning person and I often forget the amount of prep time required to make a delicious carb-loaf.  On occasion, I buy bread from the Dave's Killer Bread Outlet and put it in the freezer.  But overall, I rarely buy bread from the store, because (a) it's too expensive and (b) too many carbs is, sadly, not the healthiest of life choices.

So, here's my problem:  I love bread.  My boys love bread.  I am too cheap to buy a nice quality loaf of bread, when I know it can be made for (much) less; however, even if I have the ingredients, I don't have the time.  As a result, we rarely eat bread.  That makes me sad and my boys left to just eat jam out of the jar.  (They would do this, if I let them.)

Here's my challenge:  Make a bread mix under $2.50/loaf using high-quality ingredients.  I will tackle this challenge with the Multigrain Bread recipe from the Bob's Red Mill Baking Book.

Buy a copy of Bob's Red Mill Baking Book from Powell's HERE.

 Multigrain Bread

Adapted from Bob's Red Mill Baking Book

1 1/2 C. unbleached white flour

1 1/2 C. graham flour

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C. warm water

1/4 C. molassas

1/4 C. honey

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/4 C. buckwheat flour

1/4 C. rye flour

1/4 C. soy flour

1/4 C. cornmeal

1/4 C. quick rolled oats

Melted unsalted butter, for brushing

Combine yeast, warm water, and other wet ingredients in bread machine.  Add dry ingredients.  Select proper wheat bread setting.  Let the machine do the work.  Enjoy in three hours.  Makes 1 Loaf

Shopping List

1 1/2 C. unbleached white flour*
1 1/2 C. graham flour (3 loaves per package, 2.19**/3 = .73 per loaf)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast*
2 tsp. salt*
1 1/2 C. warm water*
1/4 C. molassas*
1/4 C. honey*
2 Tbs. vegetable oil*
1/4 C. buckwheat flour (12 loaves per package, 4.19/12 = .35 per loaf)
1/4 C. rye flour (12 loaves per package, 3.49/12 = .29 per loaf)
1/4 C. soy flour (12 loaves per package, 4.07/12 = .34 per loaf)
1/4 C. cornmeal (12 loaves per package, 3.09/12 = .26 per loaf)
1/4 C. quick rolled oats (18 loaves per package, 10.45/18 = .58 per loaf)
Melted unsalted butter, for brushing

*I did not count all items into the cost, because some items are staples and I always have them in the house.
**Prices are based on Amazon.com listings.

Getting ready to assemble!

This bread takes a lot of different ingredients and I purchased everything from Bob's Red Mill.  Due to high quality ingredients, the cost tends to be a bit high.  Each loaf ended up costing about $2.55.  That's not too bad for a high quality loaf of bread!  So, I wouldn't call 5¢ over my goal a complete fail.  However, if you have to go out a buy flour, yeast, molasses, and the other "staple" ingredients needed to make this loaf, you may want to consider just buying a premixed bag of bread mix - the cost would be a toss up.

All together, I made twelve bags of bread mix.  I mixed all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (do not include the yeast) and used a funnel to pour the floury mix into quart-sized bags.  I printed the remaining instructions on shipping labels and stuck a label to each bag.  I made one loaf right away (I couldn't help myself) and put the rest in the freezer.  I should probably use them up within a year for ultimate freshness.

I put each batch in a quart-sized bag with a label.

Now that I have a freezer full of bread mix, I can pop a mix in the bread machine in no time at all.  That makes my life pretty easy (and delicious).  My next bread mission will consist of testing out a few different recipes, so we have some bread variety.  I see Honey Oat in the near future.

What is your favorite kind of bread?  Do you have any tips or tricks?  Do tell...

Until Next Time,
Leslie-Anne