A disapointment and some tacos

As I previously posted, we've been eating gluten again, lots and lots of gluten. Every morning we have shredded wheat or whole wheat scones; for lunch a sandwich; for dinner we have pasta, bread, whole wheat tortillas, pizza. Not to mention all the baked goods I've been making using the wonderfully easy, fluffiness of whole wheat flour, cake flour...yeah I've been going a little overboard. I mean, cake flour?? It goes against a lot of my rules, but tastes oh, so good!

 But, I digress. When we first went gluten free I didn't notice a difference in anyone but Chunks. We didn't feel any better or worse. Mr. F and SweetPea were still eating bread for sandwiches and ate whatever bread products they wanted outside the house, but all baked goods, breakfasts and dinners were gf because it was just easier. So, for the last few weeks we've run our little experiment and Chunks has done great! I began eating it first, and he was fine so we gave it to him, and he did great! We actually had a better week than most! But then, we began to notice a difference in the rest of us. Actually, Mr. F noticed it. Which, for those who know him, know that for him to say he has an issue,he must really have one, because he thinks gf is a joke. I'll spare you the details, but lets just say this has been a painful 10 days at our house. So, we're backing off of wheat...AGAIN. It is a severe understatement to say that I am disappointed. I'm no martyr. I'm not the kind of person who loves having food allergies (yes, I've met people who do). In fact, I feel ungrateful, high maintenance and snobby. I. WANT. TO. EAT. BREAD. I love to cook, I'm a huge foodie and there is nothing I love more than curling up on the couch with a wedge of melted brie and a whole baguette. I am very glad we did this trial though. It's nice to know that Chunks isn't Celiac. In fact, I don't even think he's intolerant. And, now we know that we can have wheat sometimes, just not 3 meals a day. It's nice to know we can go to restaurants and accept invitations to peoples homes for dinner without being paranoid. If they serve bread, it's ok. We can eat it and still feel fine, and that's a huge relief. I can enjoy holidays again, I can go to parties without having to eat dinner first; I don' t have to avoid gluten like it's the plague. So, from this point on, we won't be having gluten at home, except for special occasions,(like Thanksgiving) and everywhere else, we'll do our best. There is a silver lining though, I gained almost 5 lbs from all the bread products, so it should come right back off after a few weeks of gluten free again!

I for one, do not like substitutes. I don't like almond milk, I like cows milk. I don't like tofu, I like meat.  And don't even get me started on cheese substitute and egg beaters, NO WAY. The exceptions to this are almond flour and sorghum flour. For whatever reason, I really do like these just as much as whole wheat or even white flour. So, in trying to find gf, vegetarian meals, I look for things that are naturally gf, instead of an over processed, estrogen filled alternative.
One ingredient that fits this criteria is lentils. I love, love, love lentils and feel that are severely underutilized in America. For those of you who have never had them, I'll give you some background. Lentils are a legume, and are very popular in Indian cuisine. They are high in fiber and protein, and have almost twice as much iron as other legumes. They are also high in Vitamin B and Folic acid and therefore extremely beneficial for pregnancy and women of child bearing age. Beluga lentils are an antioxidant and help protect you against heart disease, cancer and slow down many effects of aging. Wondering why we don't eat more of them aren't you? I serve lentils about once or twice a week. They are a delicious side or main dish and have a wonderful heartiness and almost meat-like quality. These lentil tacos leave you feeling full and satisfied, while not even noticing the lack of meat. They are naturally vegetarian, gf when served with corn tortillas, and can even be vegan if you use the right fixings.

Lentil Tacos:
4 carrots, shredded
2 zucchini, sliced very thinly longways
3 crooked neck yellow squash, sliced very thinly longways
1 package bella mushrooms, sliced thin
2 onions, sliced into thin rings
1 thinly sliced green bell pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup lentils
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin, divided
1 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
corn tortillas
any other taco fixings you'd like

Preheat oven to 500*. Place vegetable broth in a sauce pan to boil and begin chopping vegetables. Once the water is boiling, add lentils, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Bring back up to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Cook for 45-50 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Before cooking

After cooking

About 20 minutes into the lentils cooking, place a few tablespoons of olive oil on a cookie sheet. Place all of the veggies on the cookie sheet and drizzle with remaining Olive Oil. Add 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper. Toss until veggies are well coated. Put in the oven for 10 minutes, then mix and cook another 10 minutes, repeat again for a total cook time of 30 minutes, but check often so that nothing burns. Place lentils and veggies in a corn tortilla with spinach, guacamole, salsa, beans and any other sides you love.

Scrap Quilt

Isn't it fun???? This is whats known as a scrap-buster quilt and I love it. There are a lot of different scrapbusters out there, like this gorgeously color organized quilt, or this fabulously neat quilt. But, after finishing my last quilt for my good friends new baby girl (see quilt here) which took me upwards of 50 hours...I wish I was exaggerating...I needed something crazy to work on. Something that not only didn't need to be perfect, but wasn't even supposed to be perfect. I took one look at all my scraps and wham! It hit me, the perfect quilt. I thought I had an original idea on my hands until I stumbled across a similar version the other day. Oh, well. Nothing new under the sun and all that :)

I love this quilt. The thing I love the most is that I can look at a different scrap and remember exactly what I did with that material. You see, I rarely make things for myself. Once I start a project I need motivation to keep going and usually my motivation is that its a gift for someone else, or something for one of my kids. I love making things for others, it's truly one of my greatest joys to spend hours (and sometimes tens of hours) on a crafty present for a friend. Each scrap on this quilt reminds me of that feeling. Which, is why it's so perfect for the person I'm giving it to.

This quilt is for a friends daughter. I've been meaning to do it for quite some time now (since she was born). This friend means a lot to me. She is selfless, giving of her time and energy to others even when she has very little of it. She is a wonderful listener, always compassionate, full of great advice and never judgemental. She is a great hostess; she fills her home with food, love and warmth and pretty much has an open door policy (but don't tell her I told you). And mostly, she is a wonderful mother. She gives her best to her children and it shows. I miss her. Her daughter is not going to know me like I thought she would. This quilt is a little bit of me to show her that I love her even though she's just a little girl and even though I won't be in her everyday life.

WOW, I'm uber emotional tonight.
Anyways, I finished it today and my friend has no idea its coming and I'm so EXCITED! Almost like Christmas! I'm going to take you step by step on how to make this really versatile quilt.

Some things you'll need:
-A walking foot--you don't NEED this per se...I didn't use one cause Mr F just put my crafting on a $30 per month budget and that's how much the dang foot would have cost me. It would have been considerably easier and probably would look better had I used one.
-A large pile of scraps in all different shapes and colors. My scraps range in size from 1/2''x1/2" to 4x5", really any size will do
-Cotton quilt batting 44x44
-two 44x44(most bolts are 44" wide) solid colored pieces of fabric for the top and back. It can look nice to have a solid front with a print backing but I had solids so that's what I went with
-Thread that coordinates with your backing fabric
-Quilt Basting Spray
-lots of straight pins
-Binding click here for an easy binding tutorial

I'm using a solid pink for the background. I think this would look really good with a solid white too, or maybe a dark grey. I chose pink because 1.) Mr. F's grandma brought me 6 yards of baby pink Egyptian cotton back FROM EGYPT(!!!)...I know, pretty cool right?? and I don't know what else to do with that much pink and 2.) it's for a little girl, so it works :)

First you want to make a "quilt sandwich". Go to a flat surface that will fit your quilt. I used the kitchen floor a lot when I was first starting out, but a large table will work too, anywhere really. It's just easier to keep the wrinkles out on the kitchen floor.

^^This is my "quilt sandwich" You take the first piece of 44x44 and lay it flat and smooth out any wrinkles.

Second, you take a can of this phenomenal stuff called quilt basting spray (found at JoAnns) and starting in the center of the fabric, follow the directions on the can and spray your quilt. Then, a little at a time, beginning in the center, lay down the quilt batting, smoothing out any wrinkles as you work towards the edges. Then do the same thing with the second piece of 44x44 fabric on top of the batting, make sure there are NO wrinkles! This is your chance to make it perfect, cause once you start sewing, its too late. If you want to get crazy, you can skip the basting spray and pin everything together with safety pins, like a real quilter, but things tend to shift once you start sewing and you're more likely to have problems later unless you're a seasoned quilter.

Next, grab all of scraps and start laying them down on the quilt. I created a border first, placing the scraps in different directions and then moving towards the center like a puzzle. I did need to trim them every now and again, particularly once I had filled a lot of the space, in order to make them fit properly. Once you like the layout, place a pin or three in each scrap. Safety pins would be ideal, but, I like to be difficult (sigh) so I used straight pins.

Now you're ready to start sewing. Starting in the center of your quilt, sew a 1/4" seam allowance around each block. Make sure to do a back stitch at the beginning and end. This is where that walking foot would've come in handy. I had to pivot with the needle down at every corner and shove all the bulk of my quilt through the tiny arm space of my machine. Not ideal because things kept shifting since I used straight pins and I had to realign the blocks every time I started sewing. It took forever. But, isn't it nice of me to be working the kinks out for you in advance? It'll be much easier when you do it now.

If you are like me, and you want to do it right now in spite of the fact that you don't have all of the proper supplies (like a walking foot), make sure that you are keeping the fabric very straight. Without a walking foot the machine is pushing and pulling the fabric through for you and that can cause the fabric to shift in ways that will cause it to buckle when you're sewing the last side of each block. If your machine has a function that allows you to put the feed dogs down, do it. It'll save you a lot of grief. Now, just keep sewing the blocks on until you're done.

Side note: If you're thinking to yourself, "how on earth does she have time to quilt with 2 kids?" This is what my kids were doing while I was sewing...destroying my craft room!!! SweetPea pulled every hair bow and every piece of fabric out of  the closet and spread it around the room. Look at the look of innocence on her face! Ha!

Chunks rolled around on the floor while I tried to make sure I didn't drop any pins. Whatever keeps them happy so I can sew!

Next, grab a ruler and your rotary blade and square it up. This just means to trim off all the excess sides and make sure it's a perfect square. Make sure your corners are nice and square so that once the binding is on it still looks crisp.

There are 2 ways to do binding. You can either sew down the front, and blind stitch the back, or you can sew on both sides. I decided to sew it because I despise hand stitching and since this is for a baby, I thought it would hold up through all the washings better than my a hand stitch would. This is a great binding tutorial. I'm not going to do my own because I do it the same way and this one is very thorough.

Once your binding is done, wash and dry it (to get that soft, crinkly, quiltiness and you're done!

Something I've actually followed through on

I am terrible at follow through. I have goals and plans and ideas that I start and never finish. I have really great intentions. I have a pile of crafts upstairs that are half done. I have furniture in y garage that needs to be refinished. I have books that aren't read, rooms that aren't organized and classes that I've signed up for and never taken. Have you ever told someone something ( maybe it's a small thing) and then wished you could take it back? I have. A lot. It's a bad habit of mine that I am painfully aware of and try so hard not to do, but then I go and do it again... I'm not talking about saying I'll meet someone at the park, I follow through on things like that. I'm talking about things like going back to school, going to Disneyland, buying a new house...big things. Things people are going to ask me about later. I really do plan on doing them. I over think things and have a tendency to talk myself out of really great things.
It goes something like this: I get an idea. A great idea. An idea that I'm really stoked on. I think about it, talk it over with Mr. F, and research it. I mull it around for a week or so until I'm 99% sure that I'm going to follow through with said idea. I'm just shy of really committing. I still need to buy it, sign up for it etc. Then, I tell myself that I'm just going to tell one person, and I do. Then, I get so excited that it's happening that I tell my entire circle of friends. It's right about then that I decide, a.) it's a lousy idea b.) that I don't want to spend the money on it after all c.) I'm too busy and/or lazy to do it. Next is the part of this horrible cycle that I hate the most: I have to go back to ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE  and say "oh, forget I've said that, I changed my mind". Sheesh, so embarrassing. I look like a liar, or a flake. You'd think I'd learn, but I know I'll do it again...I need deliverance. I need to have confidence in myself and my ideas, because a lot of times, they would be really great for me.
Enough of that.
On to my real topic.

I get a lot of questions about cloth diapers. Why I do it, how I do it, all sorts of questions that seem so normal to me now, but I remember having them once too. Recently some one asked if I'd be willing to post about them, so here I go...

Chunks in a Happy Heiney X-Small

1. Do you ever use disposable diapers, like for babysitters or the church nursery?
I keep a pile of them pre-stuffed and show them how they work. I don't make them wash them off, or do the "dirty work". The Grandparents don't like them, but they buy their own. Which is fine, since I'm not paying :) I try to always have some around the house just in case I get behind on laundry.

2.)How often do you have to change a cloth diaper?
You have to change cloth about every 2 hours, where as with paper you can go 3-4 as long as its just pee. The beauty of cloth is that you can decide how absorbent you want them to be, just add more stuffing.

3.) What kind do you like best?
Fuzzi Bunz by far. I use the one size which is adjustable, so I only need one set of diapers from 8-30 lbs. which is a real money saver. They are about $20 new and $10-$12 for "seconds". I have also tried bum genius, fuzzi bunz fitted, Happy Heineys, Little Comet Tails and Green Acre Designs.

4.) What is a "second"?
Seconds are diapers with slight flaws. Almost all of my diapers are seconds and it has never effected how they work. They may have a crooked seam, a misplaced snap, a pen mark...who cares? It's about a 40% savings, do it.

5.) How many will I need?
If you get sized diapers (as in sm, med, lrg), you'll need more. About 18-20 per size. That's why I like the one-size option, those same 18-20 will take me all the way to potty training. Also, it really depends on how often you're willing to do laundry. It gets kind of addictive to buy them and find good sales.

6.) Where do you buy your diapers/supplies to save money? 
Kellys closet, FB Seconds, Amazon, Ebay (but be careful), Baby Frenzy (San Diego), Hyena Cart, Clearance and you can always google "local cloth diaper stores" to see what's in your area.There are also websites that sell diapers that are used but still in great condition, if that doesn't skeeve you out too much. This site gathers all of the deals fro other cloth diaper sites and posts updates for you to find all in one place.

7.) How do you clean them? Do you think it's still a good idea if I have to go to the laundromat ($3/load because we don't have washing machines in our apartment)?
I did cloth when I didn't have a washer. I used to go to my moms, for the whole first year. Its a pain. A big pain, and I admit that they sat a lot longer than I would've let them if I had my own and I had to strip them much more often. Then we moved and I had to use the pay machines in a community laundry room which was also really hard but still cost less than just using paper diapers. I didn't mind with 1 kid, but with 2, it was quite a bit of laundry. I now have a washer and dryer upstairs in my home and only 1 child in diapers and while it is much easier, if I had to go back, I still would've done cloth diapers all over again.

8.) In between doing a load of laundry where do you put the dirty ones?
You'll want to get a diaper sprayer. They're available on some of the websites I listed, but they also have one at home depot called Mrs. Bidet, and it goes for about $40. You attach it to your toilets water supply which is super easy. Just spray the poop into the toilet, shake out the stuffing and keep them in a dry pail. I use an orange Home depot bucket ( about $3). For pee, just shake out stuffing and drop in pail.

9.) Do you think they're as good for Chunks as for SweetPea (ie., for a boy as for a girl)?  Is there anything you do differently for each gender?
I feel that they are equally great. Fro what I have both heard and experienced, girls tend to be heavier wetters for whatever reason, so Chunks its easier in that respect

10.) What is the best thing to use as stuffing?
All ClothDiapers come with stuffing. Usually it is a microfiber insert of some sort. SweetPea always leaked through these, even when double stuffed, but it really depends on your kid because some people don't have a problem. You have to see what works best for you. I do one of the inserts that it came with and one Chinese or Indian prefold. They are the old fashioned diapers that people use for burp diapers now. They're organic and untreated, so very absorbent and they become more absorbent as you wash them. It takes about 7-10 times of washing before they absorb the best. I have a friend who bought a package of bright yellow "shammies" from Costco and uses those and swears by them.

11.) If you are changing a diaper in the car or someplace without a toilet what do you do? Or do you always find a bathroom?
I have a wet bag. I have the medium size and keep it in my diaper bag at all times. They don't leak, and I have two so that I can still have one if one is in the wash. I try to find a bathroom for poop, but if not I just stick it in the bag and deal with it at home. Same thing you would do if you couldn't find a trash for a paper diaper. I put a few drops of tea tree oil in the bottom of the bag which keeps it smelling clean and then you just wash it with the regular load of diapers.

12.) Will I need any extras, other than diapers?
 Some people use cloth wipes, but I don't. The only accessories that I use are a wet bag, a bucket, and a sprayer.

13.) How do I wash them?
 You have to follow the washing instructions specific to the brand or else you'll get build up and they will leak. With  Fuzzi Bunz you wash on hot, rinse cold and dry low. The best way to dry them is on a line in the yard in the sun, but that isn't always possible. But, it is the best way to remove stains.

14.) What kind of detergent do you use? I have a few different brands of diapers and the only detergent that they can all agree on is ORIGINAL Tide. DO NOT USE: Free and Clear, scented, or any other additives in the Tide, or dryer sheets. You also can't use diaper creams or powders. A lot of brands recommend expensive detergents that aren't necessary. I've been washing them in Tide for 2 1/2 years and 2 kids and they are still in amazing shape. Most of the complaints I've heard about diapers leaking is because of soap residue. You only need to use about 1/4 of the amount of soap that Tide recommends, they will be clean using that much. Make sure you're stripping the diapers a few times a year.

15.) What does it mean to "strip" diapers?
 Every few months I strip the diapers. After awhile build up occurs and it's just part of the maintenance. I do it 3-4 times a year, but if you don't wash them often or notice they are leaking or trapping odor, you may be using too much detergent and you'll need to strip them more often. Wash the diapers with soap as usual. Then wash ONLY the shells without soap and a capful of plain blue Dawn. You may need to do a few extra rinses to get the Dawn out. Dry in the sun if possible. Next, pour a capful of bleach and a squirt of plain, blue Dawn and wash ONLY the inserts. Dry normally. It makes such a big difference!

If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask! I love using cloth diapers and am so thankful that I started. SweetPea ended up having extremely sensitive skin and would get a rash with even the most "green" disposable diapers on the market and cloth helped so much. Plus, they are SO stinking cute!

SweetPea in a Happy Heiney onesize

SweetPea in a FuzziBunz One size

Chunks in a FuzziBunz Onesize

Gluten in my belly!

GF friends, don't hate me. I ate gluten today. Lots and lots of it. We're trying out gluten for one week for Chunks. I'm eating it, he's eating it, we're all eating it! After 7 months of no gluten (ok fine, I cheated once a month or so) we've been given a week long free pass, sort of. Here's what we're dealing with...He can't be tested for Celiac until he's 2 years old. The test is wildly inaccurate and even more so in babies. If he has true Celiac then we're off gluten for good as a family. Up until this point I let SweetPea have bread for sandwiches and occasionally she gets Cheddar Bunnies because Chunks is too young to understand anyways. Mr. F has the luxury of going out to eat or keeping his own stash of glutenous goodness somewhere in the house. But, Chunks is getting older and I'm not going to make him watch everyone else eat it. But, he may not have Celiac. Maybe he just has a baby intolerance like he did with dairy and he'll out grow it. Or, he might always have an intolerance, it's really hard to say. The reason I'm trialing gluten this week is because some of the research that I've done suggests that babies be given small amounts of potential allergens while they are under 1 yr old and still mostly breastfeeding. Which, means now. He only eats dinner and the rest is nursing, but as he gets closer to 1, he'll begin to eat more real food and my window will pass. If they eat the allergen while being breastfed their little bodies are able to better cope with the problem food and are less likely to have the allergy later in life. So, we'll see how he does this week and then we'll know where to go next. If he reacts badly then we'll stop eating it again and have him tested later in life. Gluten takes about a month to leave your system, so I'm really not looking forward to this next month if he does poorly. Mr. F thinks he's outgrown it all together, we'll see!

To be perfectly honest, giving him gluten, even only for a week, terrifies me. I still remember the hours on end of screaming, how he couldn't sleep lying down, how by the time he was 5 weeks old, he had only pooped a handful of times (sometimes going up to 2 weeks in between), how his face looked when his stomach hurt like he was pleading with me to just make him feel better for a moment. I remember him being in so much pain, he began to refuse to eat because going hungry felt better. I know this sounds like I'm being melodramatic. I know lots of you have had difficult, colicky babies and I'm not trying to have a contest. But, it was SO bad. Little Chunks had 3 pediatricians and 2 lactation consultants stumped. So, we turned to "alternative" sources, namely food. I'm eating small amounts of dairy again and I've been able to eat all nuts fruits and vegetables since December. All that's left is gluten. So, DEEP BREATH...here we go...

I'll probably get sick later tonight. I should have eased myself back into it slowly, but I'm not good at that. I was walking through the grocery store and saw the most beautiful organic Portabella mushrooms (for $3!) and just had to have them. I already wanted to make bruschetta tonight so I decided to make my grandpas fettuccine alfredo and then add my own twist with the mushrooms. Unfortunately the store was out of basil (ugh) and I my seeds haven't sprouted yet, so the brushetta turned into garlic bread. As I was chopping, I began to remember one of my favorite Italian restaurants in San Diego, Arrivederci. It's in Hillcrest and so delicious and also quite adorable. My favorite dish there is a wide noodle pasta with a creamy Marsala wine sauce and huge chunks of mushrooms. So, I decided to make my own recipe using that dish as a guide complete with real pasta noodles and heavy cream. Don't hate me, I'm totally going to be sick tonight.

Here's what you'll need:
2 Tb olive oil
2 Tb butter (or Earth Balance)
2 Tb flour (i used brown rice flour)
1 shallot
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 large cloves garlic minced
2 Large Portabella Mushroom heads and 1 package of baby bellas all sliced very thin
4 oz heavy whipping cream
3 oz Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 Tb fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
pasta

Cook pasta of choice according to package directions. I used fettuccine because it's what I had on hand. Be sure to add a little salt and a splash of olive oil to the water before boiling.
Heat oil and butter in a saute pan until melted. Add flour. Continually stir until slightly browned and has a gummy texture. Add shallots and cook on medium until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Turn heat to low and add mushrooms. Add lemon juice and wine and saute until soft.  Add cream and bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Add pasta to the pan and finish cooking it in the sauce until the pasta is cooked. Add cheese and parsley and toss.
 I hope you like it as much as I did. It tastes exactly like the restaurants version, even Mr. F said he could, "taste the Arrivederci-ness in it" which made me so happy!

Brownies and Chowder

Well  Mr. F and I just polished off half a plate of gf brownies and I don't regret a single bite. My kids were very trying today. Chunks is getting a top front tooth in and daylight savings has everyone all messed up. Something about children crying drives me to chocolate. I kept thinking, "I'll have just one more", and before I knew it, half the pan was gone. I'll probably eat the rest tomorrow anyways.

I made Corn Chowder for dinner and thought I'd share the recipe. This is my own recipe that I've been making for a few years now and it goes really well with these delicious cheese less quesadillas. I have to admit, I was kind of skeptical about them. I don't really care for sweet potatoes-except fries of course-but they were really amazing. I'm going to make up a big batch and freeze it for quick lunches. I couldn't find a chipotle chili at Whole Foods, but they did have a can of chipotle chile's in adobo sauce (CRAZY GOOD) and I used corn tortillas instead of flour and I thought they were even better. I will make them forever.

We're trying to eat less meat which is what inspired this meal. I love meat, but I watched a documentary called Forks over Knives and it got me thinking. I don't agree with most of the movie and upon some research, a lot of it has been discredited, but like I said it got me thinking about the amount of meat we eat each day. A normal day used to include about 2-3 servings of meat plus another 2 or so of dairy. As a side note, I'm not condeming the way others eat, I just want to try things differently for awhile for my family. I really don't care if you feed your family french fries and chicken nuggets 4 days a week-whatever works for you, do it. After all, I just ate 1/2 a pan of brownies!

I'm not willing to give up eggs for breakfast and lunch is hard because of sandwiches, so we decided to cut meat from dinner. Our new goal is to eat 3 lbs or less each week at dinner for all four of us and the meat we do buy will be grass fed organic. Normally, we can't afford organic meat because of how much we eat, but with this new plan, it's totally doable.  It really isn't as hard as I thought and I have to say, I feel much better and have a lot more energy. It's not so much that we're getting rid of meat, I believe that meat is good for you when you're eating the right portions and the right kind; we're trying to eat more vegetables. Most vegetarians are replacing meat with eggs, dairy and carbs. We're just eating less meat and replacing it with organic veggies We're striving to have a more well rounded diet overall. I'm not sure how it's all going to work out, but we're trying it for a month. I'll let you know how it turns out, it may be a huge failure. Like I said, I really really like meat.

Here is my corn chowder recipe:

6-8 ears of grilled corn (if you live near Trader Joe's, they have roasted corn frozen and it's great if corn isn't in season)
3 pieces of bacon
2 celery stalks diced
4 carrots diced
3 potatoes chopped
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
4 cups of chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp sage
1 Tbsp parsley

                                                                             1 Tbsp thyme

                                                                                     1 cup of cream or for a lighter version,cups  

                                                                                     of soy milk (must contain carrageen)

                                                                                     salt and pepper to taste
Sorry about the weird formatting, I can't figure it out :)

Chop and cook bacon in a large stock pot until crisp than add celery, onion and carrots and saute until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients except corn and cream. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are soft. Add corn and cream and bring to a boil. Turn low and cook and additional 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve. It also freezes well and makes great leftovers.



Pincushions are for suckers

Last night I made Shepard's Pie for dinner-which I DO NOT LIKE. The only reason I made it is because I was trying to cook dinner using only 1/2 lb of ground beef. No, we're not destitute, we're just trying to eat less meat. I'll talk about why in a later post. So, I looked up a few recipes and ended up going with Gordan Ramsays' recipe. It was so, so, so delicious, and I highly recommend it. I guess technically it was Cottage Pie, but oh well. I added lentils cooked in beef broth to the meat to give it more substance and it was definitely a good decision. I added fresh green beans and frozen corn and peas at the same time as the carrots and omitted one egg yolk. I also added cheddar cheese since I didn't have Parmesan, but next time I'm going to get rid of the cheese altogether. Make it. You'll be so happy you did.

Time just didn't seem to move at the proper speed yesterday; I kept looking at the clock and only 15 minutes had passed since the last time I'd looked. But, it felt like that during nap time too and that was great. I got quite a bit done during naps (as opposed to staring blankly at the wall for an hour). I finally, finally, FINALLY finished organizing my craft room into a workable space. We moved into this house three days before Christmas, so this has been a work in progress for awhile. Part of organizing the space was making a few pincushions. Why? Well, I have a really bad habit of not paying attention while I sew and I'd rather not have one of my babies become human pincushions. Here is a picture of the "cushion" I've been using the past few years. I'm so embarrassed to actually be showing this...

Pretty bad. I was sewing one day and was frustrated that I kept spilling the box of pins. I found a fat quarter, some quilt batting and tied it in a knot. Not my best, I know. The thing is, to me, making a pincushion is one of the most ridiculous sewing projects ever. They are tiny, but so detailed that they take forever. When I was in Jr. High I saved up forever for a Billabong wallet. It was probably only $20 or so, but I didn't have a job and was 12, so that was a lot of money. Anyways, I saved and saved and when I finally bought the wallet, I didn't have any money to put inside of it! That is how I feel about making pincushions.

But, I needed one. So, I took a major shortcut. I think it turned out pretty cute though.

My craft room has gotten completely out of control. A great way to get things done: I let my kids do whatever they want with my craft supplies(kid safe of course). I shut all 3 of us in there and let them have at it and go plum crazy! which is why it got so bad to begin with. Here's a few pictures...

ouch.

But, here are some of the "after" shots:

The wonderful, amazing, handsome and oh so buff Mr. F (he told me to sing his praises) built this box for me to store all of my ribbon. Believe it or not, I have more in boxes too. We underestimated my ribbon stash. There has to be a better way to store my fabric, but that's all I've had time for so far.

Mr. F also put up the shelves

Doesn't it look better?

Another pincushion that took me about 3 minutes with my glue gun

A few closet shots:

 It's nowhere near what I originally envisioned, but I only spent $10 on this project and doing it all my way would have been hundreds. I can definitely get more done now and it feels so good to be done. I've been envisioning my own space for years and I am so blessed to have it. Thanks for reading!

I get it now

My onions and carrots have sprouted! I feel more joy at this than I thought I would. For years as a teenager I looked at my mother and thought...


Why would you want to dig in the dirt all afternoon....?

I get it now

Why don't you just put away all that clean laundry...?

I get it now

Why do you have so much fabric that you never seem to use?

I get it now

Why are there always toys all over the family room floor?

                                     

I get it now

Why do you hide cookies all over the house?

I get it now

Why don't you do your hair and makeup on weekdays until 3 minutes before Dad gets home....?

I get it now

Why do you need so much coffee to get through your day...?

I get it now

Why won't you just leave me alone...?

I get it now

As a teenager I often prayed that God would keep me from turning out like my mother. And everytime I catch a glimpse of her in my bathroom mirror, I thank God that He didn't answer that prayer...I get it now.



Spring Tunic Tutorial

So, I had my first (I think) bad mom moment with Chunks today. I'm sure I've had others in his 9 months of life, but I can't think of them right now. We're a co-sleeping family--gasp! No, that's not the bad part. Upon thorough research, co-sleeping when done properly and safety precautions are used is actually very safe, just like a crib. You wouldn't put your baby in an unsafe crib (ie., broken, loose crib mattress, pillows etc), so don't put your baby in an unsafe co-sleeping environment, right? (down comforter, extra pillows, large gap between the wall, drunk parent, etc). Here's where my moment comes in. Our room is upstairs and we have a baby monitor for this precise reason, but I forgot to turn it on :( Who knows how long little Chunks was up there babbling to himself before he decided no one was coming for him, so he decided to come get me himself and crawled right off the bed...headfirst! I heard the thud and started running towards the stairs. As I reached the 3rd stair, the screaming began. By the time he was in my arms, the hiccoughing had begun. It was all so sad, it broke this mama's heart! He's fine luckily, but he probably has a headache because he's been in a foul mood ever since. For all of you anti co-sleepers out there: don't worry, we're moving the mattress to the floor tonight and I'm sure your baby has never climbed out of his crib, right? uh-huh.

I decided to make SweetPea a tunic this week and even though I have piles of fabric, I needed something new to inspire me. A friend told me about a local fabric store that carries Amy Butler and Heather Bailey (2 of my favorites) so i decided to go check them out. Well, after driving 35 minutes I was a bit disappointed. She warned me the selection was small, but honestly, they had about 60 bolts of fabric in the whole place and it was all $10.50 a yard! Even for designer fabric, I'm used to paying $7.50 a yard. What little they had was super cute, but the store was just outrageous. The concept is that you pick some fabric and they'll applique something on a shirt, pillow, whatever for you. Pretty cool idea, except that a toddlers basic white tshirt with a heart on it was $40! I've appliqued, it's not that hard. I guess rich people like it though, cause they're in business somehow. The rational side of me said, "get your heiney outta here and just go to Hobby Lobby", but the irrational side said, "I've already driven 35 minutes, both kids are asleep and its all soooo pretty..." I bought 3 yards. Lucky for you, I made a tutorial and it's super easy because I already worked out all the kinks while making the pattern. and trust me...there were kinks. Isn't it pretty? I like to do a lot of pictures for these type of tutorials, so bear with me.

What you'll need:
1/2 yard printed cotton fabric
1/4 yard solid cotton fabric (I used Kona White)
1/8 yard coordinating fabrics ( I used 2 different prints, but 1 would be fine)
a loose fitting t-shirt or tank top
sewing machine, scissors or rotary blade, pencil, and matching thread
Iron and ironing board

Happy face!

Alright, lets start-

 Fold the solid fabric in half and lay the tshirt(also folded in half) on the fold ^^

It's hard to see in the picture, but lightly trace around the outline of the shirt about 1/2" extra on each side. Don't trace the sleeves, just the seam so that you'll have a tank top. For the length: It's going to be an empire waist, so it only needs to be about 2" longer than the armpit hole. (From shoulder to the bottom mine is 7 1/2 inches total. I've left alot of extra room at the bottom for errors, but it will be 6" long once the bottom piece is sewn on). You need 2 of these. One for the front and one for the front lining.

Then, using the back of the shirt as a guide, do the same thing 2 more times(1 for the back, and 1 for the back lining). The neckline should be higher, just like the back of the tshirt you are using as your guide (see next picture).

I prefer using lining on bodices. I know it takes more fabric, but it makes it way easier and faster in the long run, trust me.

Pin the identical pieces together; both fronts together, both backs together. (note how the back has a higher neckline).

Measure exactly down the center of the back piece and cut a straight line and pin.

Sew up all of the sides (neck, arm holes and 2 inches below arm holes)EXCEPT the bottom, leave that open. Do this to all 3 of your pinned pieces and trim off any excess fabric. Remove the pins and turn them all right side in and press with a hot iron.

Line up the front and back pieces, pin in place and sew at the shoulders and sides(chest area). Turn right side in, and press the seams open.

If you have a Serger, serge the seams. If not (like me) use a zigzag stitch to finish all the rough edges so that they don't fray in the wash. My sewing machine and I have a love/hate relationship. It cost me $20 at Target and it's Singer which means its a good manufacturer and is the only reason it has lasted me this long. I've had it about 3 years, but I've used it weekly(or daily) for the past 2 or so. I'm shocked it's still running. It gets REALLY hot after about 30 minutes of sewing and the tension starts going crazy, hence the stitching mess you see above. I usually let it slide if it's an inside seam because I'm too lazy to constantly be adjusting my tension.

The next thing you want to do is grab the fabric that you'll be using for the front placket and the back ties. You're going to make bias tape, even though we won't be using it as bias, you'll need to know how and what it's called later on. Measure out 3,  5 1/2" x 3 1/4" strips. Fold one strip long ways and crease it with your fingers. Open it up and you'll see a faint crease down the center. Take each side of the strip and fold it long ways, in towards the center so that you have 2 perfectly even sides with that finger crease down the middle. Confused? See the picture right there^^. Press down with an iron and make 2 more.

Take 2 strips, flip them over and center them on the bodice side by side, overlapping about 1/4" in the middle and pin in place. Mine are a little uneven, but it won't matter in the end.

Center the last strip down the center of the bodice, in between the first two and pin in place at the top and at the bottom.

So now we're going to make the ties for the back of the dress. It starts out like making bias tape. Measure out 1, 7 1/2"x 2" strip and 1, 8 1/2 "x 2" strips. Make the bias tape just like before. Pin and press.

 The difference is, now cut right down the center where the finger crease is. Do this with both strips, which will leave you with 2, 7 1/2" strips and 2, 8 1/2" strips.

take those individual strips and make bias tape AGAIN (I know, I know...), except this time, make one side overlap the other, and then tuck the rough edge under to make a seam, pin and press in place. Do this to all 4 strips.

Tuck the ends in and pin and press in place.

Sew down the center of each strip. There, done with those, thank goodness! Set them aside for later.

I don't have a picture for the next step, so I'll do my best at describing it for you. Grab the 1/2 yard print that you're using for the skirt. Adjust your machine to the ruffle setting. If you are old school or have a terribly simple machine, like myself, follow these instructions: Set your machine to the loosest stitch length (for me it's 9) and the loosest tension (for me it's 0). Using a 1/4" seam allowance sew a straight line the width of your fabric (about 44" usually). Ta Da! You should have a ruffle. Reset all of your settings back to normal before you continue.

Grab the bodice and lay it on top of the ruffled edge, right sides facing in.

Line up the bottom edge of the bodice and the ruffled edge and pin in place. Make sure it's even and straight across the bottom of the bodice. Also, make sure the placket is tucked in so that it gets sewn in place as well.

As you sew keep the ruffle straight and away from the needle so that you don't accidentally run it over (no, of course I've never done that!). Iron the inside seam down and finish the edge to prevent fraying.

Almost done!

Technically, this should have been done back when you were stitching the lining to the bodice, but, I forgot. So, I'll tell you both ways. Proper way: When you line up both sides of the bodice in back, slip these inside before you sew it up. The long ones are for the bottom, short for the top. All of the strip would be inside of the bodice, so that when you turn it right side in, they'd be on the outside, stitched in place. If all that was a bit too much for you without pictures, or you're like me, and you forgot...The way I did it: Place the short strips 1/4" from the top and the the long strips 1 1/2" from the bottom of the bodice. This way, when we top stitch the bodice, it will also sew on the ties.

Now it's time to do some top stitching. I prefer to do this extra step because it gives the shirt a more finished and professional look, in my opinion. On the front placket, stitch along the edge of the fabric down all 4 edges. Get as close to the edge as you feel comfortable with, of use the right side of your pressure foot as a guide for a bigger, 1/4" look.

Alright, one more piece of bias tape from your other coordinating fabric. It needs to be cut  2 1/2" wide and 1/2" longer than the measurement of the neckline. Ours will probably be different since we're using different shirts as a template.

starting at one of the edges, begin pinning the bias tape along the top of the bodice front. See above pictures. Stitch in place using a 1/4" from the top seam allowance.

Now fold the excess fabric over the neckline and pin down to the inside of the bodice. Trim any extra of the placket fabric so that it all looks neat on the inside too. Then, stitch it all down using a 1/4" from the bottom seam allowance.

Top stitch the arm openings using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Measure your child to see how long you want your tunic to be. I made mine 11 1/2" before it was hemmed. SweetPea is on the tall side for a 2 yr old. The length of 3T pants is usually perfect on her even though she's still a 2T in the waist.

Now that the bodice is the length you want it, pin the open back right sides together and sew it up. Sew all the way up to the solid top part of the bodice and back stitch. Finish your inside seams and turn right side in.

Top stitch down the back of the bodice, securing the ties as you stitch. I used a bright color thread so that it'd be easier to see, but I'd choose white in the future. Next, hem the bottom of the shirt. I used a french seam to keep it from fraying. This means that you fold it under once, and stitch it in place. then, fold it under again, and stitch over that.

I finished it with another another top stitch because I think it looks finished and neat.

All done! Pair with a pair of skinny jeans or leggings for a cute spring outfit