Green Polka Dot Box (And how to get a FREE membership!)

I just wanted to let you all know about something I recently found out about that I think some of you might be interested in. I'm pretty excited about it myself! I know some folks live in areas where health food stores are hard to come by (or are simply nonexistent), making your food choices limited if you're searching for certain foods that convential chains might not typically carry. Some of you might be interested even if you are near good health food stores because the prices can be high for some of the foods you want/need to purchase. I've got great news for all of you! :)

There is a new "membership discount" store that is opening up in just a week or so, and if you get in now, you can actually get a one-year membership for free this year. Think Sams Club, Costco, BJ's (whatever is in your area)...except that the focus of this store is organic, whole foods! It's called Green Polka Dot Box. As far as I know, this is the first store like this. I've even been wondering when something like this would get going and am surprised it's taken so long, but...at least it's starting now. This is actually just one store at the moment, located in Utah, but you will be able to order online, as well, with good shipping prices (and free for orders over $150). I know when we go to BJ's we can TOO easily spend over $100 at a time, since you're buying in bulk (even with the discount prices). Same would go for here, I'm sure - buying in bulk you can easily spend that much a couple times a year but come away with some really good savings.

Cherries!

I mentioned in my blueberry post that my awesome hubby volunteered (well, actually suggested and then followed through) to get extra cherries for me and a new cherry pitter. Whole Foods was having one of their one-day sales, which I love. They'll put one item on sale for a wonderful price just for that one day. We've gotten whole chickens, grass-fed beef, organic blueberries, and lots of other items on sale this way. It's a great way to stock up, and I always get plenty to freeze for later! If you haven't signed up for their newsletters, you should so you'll know about their one-day sales. They happen maybe once a month? You can also find out about them on their facebook page (here's the main store one and our local store's page). This time, it was organic cherries.

Cherries is another item we try to only get organic. It's not one of the dirty dozen, but it does fall at #16 this year. (I have seen them included in the dirty dozen many other times, though. The list changes slightly each year.) Click here to find the list, and then click "full list" to go to...the full list (not just the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen). But they are pretty pricey, so it's a special treat for us when we can get our hands on a bunch.

AND....I LOVE cherries. I really do. It used to be just tart cherries. Growing up, there were two huge cherry trees in our back yard. I have very fond memories of climbing the trees to collect all those juicy, tart cherries. I would go as high as I possibly could to get as many as I could reach; I was such a tomboy and miss all that running around, climbing trees, getting dirty! Thinking back on it all makes me so happy. And sad that I don't have that yard now. We had the cherry trees and a humongous strawberry patch - I mean, it was huge! (Not to mention the rest of Mom's incredibly huge garden, but that didn't excite me at the time.) ;) What I wouldn't do now to have it ALL in my own backyard... Anyway. Back to the cherries. When I was pregnant with Aiden, I could hardly eat anything because I have hyperemesis gravidarum (meaning: SEVERE all-day sickness - it's actually a disorder, not just getting sick every now and then). So, anything I *could* eat and keep down, I did. For some reason, strawberries and cherries were on that short list. Off-season, Ryan would often be headed to Whole Foods for organic strawberries, so I could eat them every day. Since I was pregnant, we started trying to stick to organic, especially with the dirty dozen list. Can we say expensive?? Bless his heart. Then in the summer, it was cherries. And organic cherries are even more expensive. I didn't get them every day, but I got them when I could. Before this, I didn't like the sweet cherries as well (but that's what was available!), but they grew on me, and I loved them in no time. They're probably one of my favorite summer fruits. So, when they had a one-day sale on organic cherries, I was there, baby.

I bought about almost 7 pounds of cherries when I went. After we got home, Aiden and I could not stop eating these things. He must have gotten his love for them in the womb, seeing as I ate so much when I was pregnant. Haha! (Ryan does not share our love for cherries.) I told Ryan I already regretted not getting more cherries because they were incredibly good! But I was trying to stick to our food budget, so I hadn't bought more...but oh, how I wished I had! That wonderful man I married offered to stop by on his way home, even though it was definitely not on the way, and get some more. He showed up with about 8 more pounds. And he found a pitter on-line, then went and bought it in the store the next day.

I really love this man.

The last couple years, when we have bought some cherries, I've commented that I wonder if we should invest in a pitter. I can eat them fine without one, but I have to pit Aiden's cherries, obviously. But we never really bought enough to make it worth it, and it didn't seem necessary. This year, that child couldn't stop eating them, and I intended on freezing a LOT, which meant a lot of pitting. I'm so glad he bought the pitter! It turns out to be a really nice one, too, so if you're in the market... We recommend this one. I thought based on the picture that it might be kind of cheap, but it really is not. And it works so well. There's even a video on the website showing how it works. It does exactly what it says it does - too easy! A purchase I definitely do not regret. Every time I used it, I couldn't help but thinking, "I love this thing!" No kidding.

Pitted cherries ready for the freezer. The only mess is from cutting them in half, and, as you can see...it's hardly a mess.

These have already been pitted. See how nice they still look! Also, notice all the pits. It took me a few minutes to pit that many cherries. This thing is awesome.

No fancy recipes for cherries, folks. Most fruits, honesty, we prefer to eat just as nature intended...on their own, not messed up with anything else. That really is our favorite way. The cherries we didn't freeze, we just ate. And ate. The ones we froze will most likely be used in smoothies. Maybe some muffins or scones. Or Aiden really likes to eat them frozen. He really does. You should see what he does to the frozen blueberries when I get out a bag to add to smoothies. I've never seen someone eat frozen fruit the way this kid does!

I will add, though...a little bit of homemade vanilla ice cream, some cut up cherries, and a bit of hot chocolate sauce on top. Oh, you cannot resist that. Or I can't, at least. So delicious. If you ever go to Goodberry's around here, I highly recommend getting it with tart cherries mixed in (and then more tart cherries on top!), with or without the hot fudge. It's really equally good, either way. And now I seriously want some. It really is a good thing we don't live just down the street from them anymore... Being able to walk there in a few short minutes was nice but dangerous. *Sigh*

These are waiting to be devoured. They won't have to wait long. At all.

 

Blueberry Season!

I love summer. I think one of the main reasons I love it so much is all of the fresh produce that is suddenly available...all the fruits and veggies you can find at the Farmer's Market and local Pick-Your-Own farms. And yeah, the grocery store, too. I told Ryan the other day, I think the way to my heart is fresh, organic produce. After buying some cherries and wishing I had more, he bought some on the way home and even found (and purchased the next day) a cherry pitter that pits four cherries at once. I was beyond thrilled. Yes, it's definitely the way to this girl's heart...

I'm finally getting him on board with picking our own fruits from some of the local farms, too. Not that he loves doing it, but he's getting better at enjoying it. His biggest complaint is the heat, of course. And then there's the fact that it's "work." And then I have to mess up the kitchen washing the fruit, flash-freezing it in batches, and getting it into containers to freeze, etc, etc. But he's seen the payoff from the last couple years, especially with how cheap it is, so he's much more on board than he was when he first started this tradition I have...

I already wrote a post about what we do with all of our strawberries from the spring. In the summer..it's time for blueberries! We found a couple not-so-nearby places that have pesticide-free blueberries, the closest being about 25 minutes. Blueberries take longer to pick, being so small and on bushes. And with it being smack in the middle of summer, it gets hot, so we go as early as possible! I've discovered it's good to have two parents around when taking a toddler, mostly due to the time issue, the more open fields, and the fact that it's a bit more tedious than strawberry picking. Those berries are much smaller, so it takes longer to get enough! But oh man is it worth it! Fresh blueberries you've picked yourself are just so much better than store-bought (or even those from the Farmer's Market - they're just that much fresher!). Even after freezing and thawing, they're still yummy to just pop in your mouth. And you can't beat the price when you compare picking your own to buying them at the market or the store (esp if you're getting organic - and keep in mind, blueberries is on the Dirty Dozen list, so we get organic).

I freeze most of the berries to use throughout the year. We go through a LOT of frozen blueberries...for muffins, to toss into oatmeal or things like that, in smoothies (we make lots of smoothies!), etc. Aiden loves to eat them frozen when he gets the chance. I also like to make blueberry sauce. It's delicious over ice cream, pancakes and waffles, or in yogurt. And here is the recipe.... Actually, two. One is a sweeter version, and the other uses honey instead of sugar (and much less). Both are good, but I will be honest in that I prefer the first. Yes, it has more sugar, but I easily use less of it because it is sweeter.

Blueberry Sauce
From Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics
Makes 2 cups.
This recipe is for the whole 2 cups, but I always halve this recipe. And it still makes more than enough - and lasts us quite a while! A little goes a long way.

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or as we do, store-bought, because really...)
2/3 cup sugar (you can use a bit less)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4 half-pints fresh blueberries (why doesn't she just say 2 pints??)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (I never ever remember the lemon ingredients...)

Combine the orange juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. When the mixture is translucent and thickened, stir in the blueberries and simmer for 4-5 minutes, just until a few berries have burst but most are still whole. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice and cool.

And the recipe with less sugar...

Blueberry Syrup
From cleaneatingmag.com
Makes 1/2 cup

3/4 cup fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp raw honey
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp arrowroot powder

In a small saucepan, bring blueberries, honey, lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp water to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine arrowroot powder with 1 Tbsp water to form a slurry. Whisk or stir arrowroot mixture into blueberry mixture until incorporated. Simmer for 1 minute or until just thickened, carefully mashing blueberries with a fork to extract juice. Remove from heat and cool. 

Obviously the second one is a bit healthier for you, with less sugar. And really, both are good. When I use some to flavor Aiden's yogurt, I can use a very small amount (very) of the sauce made with sugar, but I need to use a larger amount to get a good flavor when using the honey-based version - and he doesn't need it to be very sweet, either..I just need more to get the blueberry flavor coming through well. Regardless, both are great! Try one, try both and see which you prefer. Or if you know you want the "clean" one, just make it and you won't know any better! ;)

Here are some pictures to get you motivated...

Homemade ice cream with homemade blueberry sauce. Hard to resist!

He didn't even try to resist. ;) In fact, he didn't think he would like it because he's used to plain ice cream. Once he got over the fact that it was on his ice cream anyway and he tried it, he was sold!

On top of gluten-free pancakes (finally found some that taste amazing - you would never guess they were gluten-free...from King Arthur Flour!)

Takes barely any sauce to give the yogurt a great flavor!

Of course, as mentioned above, we don't just serve blueberries via the sauce around here. That's just a special treat here and there. And honestly, our favorite way to eat them...is by the handful. Plain. There's not much better than ripe fruit on its own.

One more picture... While blueberry picking, Camden was playing with a roly-poly, and Aiden was quite interested!

And for more blueberry fun... Here are pictures from our blueberry picking trips this year.

Blueberry Picking

What is your favorite way to eat blueberries??

Meatless Meals: Stir-Fry

We've been trying to cut back on how much meat we use...for various reasons. One is the cost, but we won't really be saving any money the way we're going about this. We'll be buying better quality meat, which costs more, so using less will allow us to buy the better meat that we want and that is important to us (hormone-free, antibiotic-free, free-range, grass-fed) without it hurting our budget. Then there are health reasons. Less meat, more veggies, beans, etc, etc.

I recently asked on facebook for some meat-free meal ideas, and I got a few good suggestions and recipes from friends. I also decided to flip through my cookbooks to see what I could find. And I flipped through my recipe binders to see what meat-including recipes I could make and just exclude the meat. One of those recipes ended up being a simple stir-fry.

We've been making stir-fry a lot lately. I know it's supposed to be quick and easy, but the recipe I use isn't all that quick. Sure, the actual cooking part is, but I buy the veggies whole and make the sauces from scratch, so the prep work takes some time. But the results are sooooo worth it.

This came from my Food Network magazine. The "recipe" is actually a mix-and-match guide...and according to the magazine, you could come up with 11,375 different stir-fries. Pick one of several proteins, make a marinade for it, prep 3 cups of a mix of veggies, make one of the five sauces, and then off you go to actually stir frying. I've made it with shrimp and with chicken, with the clear sauce and the sweet and sour. This time, we went meatless, which also meant skipping some steps, cutting off a bit of the time. For our veggies, we just added more - carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms are our typical veggies, sometimes snap peas are thrown in. This time I had some spinach in the fridge that needed to be used up, so I tossed that in, as well. If you're interested, here is the recipe we used.


Veggie Stir-Fry

Veggies:
I used more than 3-cups. I never measure and think the more veggies, the better.

• Sliced carrots
• Sliced red, yellow, green bell peppers
• Quartered mushrooms
• Small handful of spinach (cut into small pieces b/c I don't like big chunks of cooked spinach)

Sweet & Sour Sauce:

• 3/4 cup chicken broth,
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch,
• 1/4 cup ketchup,
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce,
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar,
• 1/4 cup sugar,
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, and
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Stir-Fry:
Heat wok over high heat, 1-2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil, then 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons minced ginger (or 1 if you're not a huge fan - I discovered that I AM a fan when it's fresh ginger!), 2 minced scallions, and a pinch each of salt and sugar; stir-fry about 30 seconds.

I love how it looks when I'm cooking the ginger and garlic
(we sometimes leave the scallions out, if we don't have them
on hand - tastes fine with or without them!). So very pretty!

Add the vegetables, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook; stir-fry until crisp-tender.

  
Add sauce and stir until sauce is thick and the vegetables are cooked through (won't take long - couple minutes at most). Thin with chicken broth if needed (you shouldn't need to).

Serve over rice. We like to use brown basmati.

Ta-da! Yummy meatless, made-completely-from-scratch stir-fry.

Fresh pineapple is a great addition to this stir-fry!

My older child who doesn't like mushrooms or cooked carrots LOVES this meal, with or without the meat. My toddler eats it like nobody's business. The night I made this with no meat, nobody noticed or said anything about it. Everyone loved it just as much as when I added meat. I loved it more because it shaved off some prep time! My only complaint is that we never have left-overs with this meal! I like to cook large dishes so I can be lazy another night or two (or more!), though it never leads to me having downtime with all the other stuff we have going on. But this dish is always a one-nighter. Maybe I could make more, but even when I think I have enough...nope. I think we have gotten a small lunch for me and Aiden out of it before.

The other night I also made a mushroom stroganoff. Camden, who really claims to not like mushrooms, really liked it! Aiden...he could take it or leave it. Of course, part of the problem was he saw an orange and then just wanted that. Ryan and I really liked it. And again, did not miss the meat. I think it would be even better if we could use regular fettuccine noodles, instead of gluten-free ones (because of Aiden's egg allergy, we need to use gluten-free noodles).

Any favorite meat-less dishes you make? Please feel free to share (comment, email, etc - if you comment, others may find a new recipe to try, too!).

Snapfish Steal

If you're like me and barely ever print up your digital pics....go over to snapfish.com to get in on their promotion they just extended. It was supposed to end tonight and is now going on until the 13th. 50 4x6 prints for just 50 cents (plus tax and s&h, of course). Use coupon code PENNY to get the savings. Pretty good deal!

Sweet Deal on DIAPERS!

Many of you know that we use gdiapers. We LOVE them. I know some of you have expressed interest in possibly trying gdiapers, and there are probably some of you that have never heard of gdiapers. I want to share this really great deal with all of you. We highly recommend gdiapers, whether you like disposables or cloth - if you want to know why, just ask, and I'll let you know. (How many people do you know that LOVE their baby's diapers and actually get excited about them, though? That's got to be a sign of how awesome these things are!) ;)

gDiapers has a new "starter" pack of gdiapers that comes with six gpants and liners (the outter part - not the flushable disposable diaper part that goes inside) for just $70 - most gpants are sold for $14 or so for just one, so this is a pretty good deal to start with. The regular starter pack comes with two gpants, liners, and ten flushables, but this "everyday g's" six-pack comes with just the pants and liners, which is great if you use the flushables but especially nice for those of us that use cloth inserts. By the way - gdiapers now has gcloth inserts, too! If you have no idea what I'm talking about with outter pants, liners, flushables, etc - just take a quick peek at gdiapers.com. :) In case you're a new follower/subscriber, I also blog about gdiapers from time to time - to find my posts and see what is so great about these diapers (and the company!), just look to the right column and click on "gdiapers" under the labels.

But what is even better about this new six-pack is that you can get $30 OFF if you use this code:

g1229Adkins

That's less than $7 per gpant - half what the typical cost is!! It's also less than what you will pay for a USED gpant! These babies have a great resale value, so used still usually costs $10 or more. So, when I say less than $7 each for NEW gpants is a great deal - I am soooo not kidding.

To use the coupon code, add one or more everyday g's six-pack(s) to your gDiapers.com cart, enter the code and click the "redeem" button. The price will automatically drop from $70 (regular price) to $40. What a sweet deal!

Please note, gDiapers.com coupon codes are case sensitive, so make sure to enter the code exactly as shown above.

This code is only good through July 31st, 2009, so don't wait to use it!

I also have paper coupons you can use in stores that carry gdiapers (all Babies R Us stores, online at Target, other local stores, Whole Foods, diapers.com.....) and some informational inserts to share if you want! I recently became a gMum, which means that I get to help spread the word - and savings! :) Just let me know if you're interested, and I'll share them.

Keeping it honest....
I do get credit if you use my code. If enough people use it, I get a gift certificate to gdiapers - and if more people use my code than anyone else's, I get a trip to Portland to the gdiapers Headquarters. There are lots of others with codes floating around, so whether you use it or not, please forward my code to anyone you know that might be interested!! :) I really appreciate it!

PS - That picture of Aiden (taken by my friend, Laura) is the one that my friend, Sharni, has on her website to show off the cuteness of gdiapers (which she is now selling). We buy her gflapper cloth inserts and love them!

Speaking of P.F. Chang's...

It was in the Foodie post if you haven't read that (Aiden likes the meat in the chicken lettuce wraps - that kid is too cool!).

You can get FREE lettuce wraps with the purchase of any entree. I'm not sure how long this offer is available, but the website still works. Just go HERE, put in your email addy, and they'll send you the coupon. If you don't want the chicken, there is a veggie version with tofu!

What's even better? Ryan stopped by to pick up dinner tonight - two entrees for the three of us (Camden is the third) to share...and we got TWO free orders of lettuce wraps since we got two entrees! :) And those things are sooooooooo yummy! I was surprised they gave us two. We thought we would ask but figured they might only do one per order/person. It pays to ask!

The Great Thing About Parenting... DIAPERS

Topic #2...Diapers! Let's share what we do, how we do it, and why... If something really impacted your decision, do tell. Here's the link back to the original post if you're new to the parenting series and aren't sure what this is all about.

I did a post on disposables vs cloth (and gdiapers) a while back. Some of this will come from that post. So, yes, I'm cheating a bit. That's ok. It's my blog, so I'm allowed. ;) That was a debate, though...THIS is not.

With my first son (almost ten years ago...wow!), I never questioned using disposable diapers. It was just a given. I didn't consider how much waste was being produced and what I was adding to the landfills. Or what was IN the diapers and, therefore, going against my son's bum all day long. When I got pregnant this time around, I was in a different place and doing a lot of things differently - I was more green, to say the least. So, when I heard about gdiapers, I was immediately sold! These are a mix between cloth and disposable - an outer cloth pant with a snap-in waterproof liner (not plastic!) and then flushable (yes, flushable! or even compostable!!) inserts. The insert is the "disposable" part - you can toss them, too. They decompose within a couple months, whereas a disposable diaper takes more than 500 years. Anyway, we used these right away with our new baby that was born in August - left the hospital with them on him. And we've never gone back.

gDiapers are kind of the best of both worlds when it comes to the whole cloth vs disposable issue - disposable inserts with cloth pants and a waterproof (that is not plastic so it is breathable) liner. About 18 BILLION diapers go into landfills each year, taking about 500 years to break down. gDiapers take just a couple months to break down. There is an obvious and significant difference there. And there are no plastics, chemicals, chlorine, perfumes, etc. Oh - and no diaper smell!! I mean, if you flush the insert with all the pee and poop down the toilet, you have no diapers sitting around, and therefore...no smell. Some people say that gdiapers are more expensive, but they don't have to be at all! And from what I hear, the cost of disposables is going up lately. The cost of g's is not. Plus, if you use cloth.....well, then the cost definitely does not increase. And more good news - gdiapers is coming out with their own cloth insert within the next couple/few months!!

Some other great things about g's (aside from their obvious cuteness factor!!!)... The company is top-notch! Really great customer service; wonderful, friendly people. Recently, some test Babies R Us stores started carrying gdiapers...now they ALL do!! Target also has them online, as does diapers.com. And many other stores carry them (many Whole Foods and other stores that carry cloth diapers). Check out gdiapers.com and do a search if you want. As I said, they will be introducing a cloth insert very soon. They recognize what their customers want and really try to respond to that. Some folks that sell cloth inserts to fit the g's will be carrying the new gdiapers cloth inserts, so even they don't see this as competition. How great is that?

Aiden in his g's - he clearly loves them!

We have gone a little farther, though. We now use cloth inserts that a lady makes to fit the g's (here is her website in case you're curious - you know you are! We love the gflappers - named that b/c of how they are made to dry quickly - with the organic bamboo velour. Those things are incredibly soft! And in case you're wondering about the whole smell issue, I can honestly say that the only time I smell any "diaper smell" from using cloth is when I open the pail to take out the bag of diapers to put them in the laundry - and really, I can hold the bag closed and barely smell a thing!) . I never would have thought I would be using cloth diapers, but here I am loving it. We use the g's with cloth during the day and BumGenius cloth diapers at night (since he pees a lot but we don't change during the nighttime - they hold a lot and keep him dry), stuffed with some gflappers. I am happy to say that we have not bought him any disposable diapers - oh, wait - we have. We bought one package of Seventh Generation diapers when he was first born, as a backup to the g's since they were a new concept and to use during those middle of the night changes that happen with every feeding with a newborn (so that we didn't need to have a light on to change the "new" diapers). We didn't even use the whole package. I gave about half the package away after we realized he had grown out of them, actually.

Aiden caught helping with the diaper laundry
(yes, they're clean!)

So, here are some of my thoughts on why we use cloth.... And in case you're wondering, I lump g's in with the cloth side b/c they do have a cloth component, the flushables are, well, flushable and decompose so much quicker than typical disposable, and - we use cloth in the gdiapers...

Cost - Disposables are not cheap, we all can admit to that! Cloth has a bigger start-up cost, but that's about it. Yes, you have to wash them, which uses money, but we use an energy efficient washer/dryer, so it doesn't factor in as a higher cost with us. Once you have a supply of cloth, there is no more cost (except for those of us that get addicted to some of those adorable cloth dipes or covers and can't stop buying more - but they are still cheaper than disposables, in my opinion!). It can be a couple to a few hundred dollars for the cloth supply versus a couple thousand dollars for disposables.

Baby's Skin - Cloth doesn't have a bunch of nasty chemicals in it. And you can use organic cloth if you really want. Yes, organic materials can be a bit more, but it still will be less than using disposable during the diapering years. Also, I change diapers pretty often to make sure Aiden's skin is not wet or irritated - and it doesn't cost me any more to do so. I change at least every two hours if not more often. This way, I know that he does not have urine against his skin for long periods, which exposes babies to bacteria and other things that cause rashes and infections.

Environmental Impact - This is a BIG one for cloth. Disposable diapers contribute an enormous amount to our landfills, and they take over 500 YEARS to decompose. Cloth is a greener option b/c you reuse them. You can even use the supply from one child for other children you may later have. Some say that once you factor in the use of water/energy to wash the cloth, using cloth isn't much better than disposables from a "green" standpoint. But this isn't true, especially if you use an energy efficient washer/dryer.

The poop - Ok, ok - cloth can be messy. I know you're thinking that. BUT I don't see this as a great argument against cloth. While baby is exclusively breastfed (I don't know as much about formula fed b/c mine does not get formula), you simply throw the poopy diapers in with the others and wash - there is nothing to get out of the cloth b/c it (sorry if this is gross, but we ARE talking diapers here) is runny and is absorbed into the cloth. Now, once baby is on solids, there is "real" poop, and you can't throw that in the wash, no. Some "swish" it in the toilet to get it off. We have a diaper sprayer, so we touch no poop. Spray and throw in the diaper pail with the others. Simple. Also - I hear most people that use cloth say they hardly ever or never have "blowouts" - and it's very rare with gdiapers. Blowouts are rather common with disposables, though - I'm not just thinking that; I've used sposies and have worked in a nursery...I know it. We never have blowouts - saves lots of clothes that way, too. ;) (Ok - we've had two...one was my fault b/c I put on a smaller diaper for just a moment b/c I had the others in the wash. My prayer that he didn't poop was not heard... The other time, he pooped without me knowing and was bouncing on his bottom...so the bouncing caused some...leakage - but still hardly any! Both times...not the diaper's fault.)

Laundry - Some people think you'll be doing so much laundry if you use cloth. No fun. Well, not-so-much. If you have a baby, you know you are already doing a TON of laundry. Heck, if you have a family of four or more, you do it often. Probably every other day or so. We do. So, what is another load along with that? I wash the diapers every third day, at least. It's simply one other load to do, and it's not a lot of work. Dump the diapers in the washer (I don't have to touch them b/c they're in a lined bag, so I just push them out from the bottom of the bag and throw in the bag, as well), do the wash, put them in the dryer, and then fold. Whoop-de-do, right? :) I feel that it takes just as much time to do this as it would if I had to go buy diapers and take them out to the trash when the pail is full of dirties. I usually load the diapers to have ready while I'm sitting down watching tv or something; doesn't take much time at all and requires little thought. And I spend no time trying to find coupons or the best deal on diapers. If you really aren't into the laundering thing, another option is using a diaper service. This would still cost a lot less than using disposables, from what I understand.

Another issue with laundry is what to launder with, as in detergent. You can't just use any ol' detergent and you can't use fabric softeners. They coat the cloth and will prevent absorbancy. We have looked into this some and use the same detergent for all of our laundry (and it's one that's better for the environment than many typical detergents). We use Country Save and love it so far. We also cut out using fabric softeners and use dryer balls. So the detergent issue isn't really an issue for us b/c we found something that works for the diapers and everything else. This stuff is also better for us with both boys having eczema - and Aiden's being pretty bad and easily aggravated. Once we're not using diapers, we'll still use this detergent, too. Also, instead of bleach, we use Grapefruit Seed Extract in with the diaper load to disinfect.

Potty Training - Ahhhhh...potty training. It is said that babes in cloth potty train earlier. They feel wet when they go in the cloth, unlike when they wear disposables. When Camden was potty training, I did not use pull-ups. In my opinion, they are just disposables that pull up instead of fasten with tabs. I used cloth trainers. And he was trained in NO time. Seriously.

Oh, and we use cloth wipes, too! We actually just bought some microfiber cloths (from Target - in the automotive department, of all places!). They were really cheap and do a great job. So, one more thing we never have to shop for. And we don't have to worry about all the things they put in disposable wipes. This wasn't something we planned on doing (whereas the diapers were planned - well, using gdiapers was planned...cloth was not planned, but here we are!). Our little one had some skin issues when he was born, and we didn't want anything to contribute and possibly make things worse, especially while we were still going through all the tests to find out what was going on. So, it was a very easy decision for us to eliminate any possible skin irritants, such as the disposables and wipes.

For the longest time, we just used water to wet the wipes before using each one. We just kept water in a small squirt bottle on the changing table. Once Aiden started on solids, his poop was thicker, so we felt we needed a bit more to feel like it was really clean. I put a squirt of California Baby Calming wash (that stuff smells soooo good!) in the bottle, along with 1-2 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE). That's it. You can buy special solutions for wipes and what-have-you, but many people use similar homemade solutions. It's easy, cheap, and works. The GSE is great for keeping bacteria away and reducing rashes, too.

***

Ok, your turn!! Share what you do and why. And be sure to vote on the poll (see sidebar), even if you choose not to comment. I would especially love to hear from people that have tried both cloth and sposies.

Remember the rules.... Be nice. No debating. This isn't about what is "right" or "wrong" - just sharing our methods. If you read this on facebook or via email, comment on the blog itself so we can keep the discussion in one place. When you comment, please include your name, as well. :)

PS - If you're interested in gdiapers, visit back soon. I'm going to post the tips and tricks I have learned with fit, cost, and everything else. :) Plus, I'll have coupons....

Cheap Eats!

With groceries, gas, and lots of other things costing more these days, many people are trying to save where they can. One area we're working on is our grocery bill. I realized earlier that we haven't had salmon in a while, and that's typically a weekly thing. Hmmmm - might need to make a trip to Trader Joe's (it's usually cheaper there!). Anyway... In light of lowering the grocery bill, we've been looking through our recipes to see what "cheap" meals we can make. I typically go the homemade route and making things (mostly) from scratch. One of our favorite "cheap" meals happens to be a family recipe that we all just can't get enough of!! It's inexpensive, easy to make, and a definite favorite in our home.

What I want from you is this... I know I have a bunch of readers out there. How? B/c many of my friends and family will say "I saw on the blog..." but we don't have a lot of comments. That's fine. Really. But this is one time we want some! We're sharing one of our favorite meals, so we want you to also share a favorite (inexpensive and simple meals are preferred - but whatever you want to share is up to you!). And for those of you that are familiar with the meal we are sharing (Mom, Bobbie, anyone else in the family?), please share any of your tips, variations, etc. :)

This meal is one that my grandmother, Bobbie, used to make. My mother learned it from her and passed it on to me. So, the extras I have learned - I'm not sure if they come from my mom or from Bobbie (or whoever else). This is a relatively quick dish to make, BUT you will want to do some of the prep work earlier (boiling, peeling, and chopping the eggs) and will need to find a time to do the other parts of the meal b/c you can't walk away while this dish is cooking. You need to stay with it and stir. But it is quick to make (aside from all that).

Goldenrod Eggs
Serves 2-3

Hard boil 4 eggs

White Sauce:
1/3 c flour (If you use all-purpose, add a bit of salt, to taste, once you get the sauce thickened)
1/3 c butter, or less
1/2 c milk + 1/2 c water to = 1 1/2 c total (yes, 1/2 + 1/2 = 1, but just do equal parts or however suits you based on taste)

Melt butter in sauce pan. Mix in flour. Add milk/water a little at a time. When thick enough, turn to low or off. (You need to stay with the sauce and constantly stir it to prevent clumping and sticking.)

Melted butter, adding in the flour. And stirring it all in until it's thick.

Chop egg whites (reserve yolks for later). This can be done ahead of time. Mix egg whites into white sauce.

take your BIG bowl of egg whites, chopped...and add to the white sauce.

Optional:
Melt cheese into sauce (about 2 slices)

Add in dry mustard (or regular mustard in a pinch!)
Add in chopped onion (I've never done this one)

Pour white sauce over biscuits or toast. (We usually use biscuits, but sometimes prefer toast.)

Yummy homemade biscuits!

Crumble egg yolks and sprinkle some on top.

And voila!

Breakfast
(or in our case, dinner b/c we love having breakfast for dinner)
is served!

Notes:
I always double the recipe (or more) b/c we need enough for at least two meals. We love this stuff! I started out always boiling one extra egg (just in case), and have just kept doing this. When doubling the recipe, I'll use between 8-10 eggs. I also no longer really measure the flour, milk, water - I just add until I have enough to get the taste and amount I want. (I hate when people give me a recipe without exact measurements, but once you try it a couple times, you can change it to suit you.) I always add in the cheese and dry mustard - makes it taste really yummy! (Even if it doesn't sound like it would.)

When Camden was younger he did NOT like this. I think it was just the "different" factor, at first. But he is a convert and loves, loves it now. He also loves to help make it. :)

I've made this for a number of people, and everybody has always loved it (or at least said they did - and ate plenty!).

So - here's what you need to do now...

• Leave a comment with a favorite recipe of yours. Bonus points if it's a "cheap" meal (and easy!). Some of you comment on facebook where my blog posts show up in the notes and some of you reply via email b/c you subscribe that way. Please leave a comment here so we can all see the recipe. :) (Or if you want to on facebook, that's fine - more people can see it there.)
  
• Let me know if you make this dish. And tell me what you thought about it!
• Let me know if you make a dish someone else posts (and say what you thought).
  

Can't wait to hear from you! I LOVE collecting recipes from other people!! (Seriously - LOVE it!) But this way, not only will I get some new recipes, but all of you can see what others post and get some new recipes for yourselves!

This is the time to comment - all of you non-commenters!!! ;)