The Never-ending Newborn Cycle

Eat, poop, sleep, eat, poop, sleep, eat, spit up, scream at Mama, poop 3 times (at least once all over something that now needs to be laundered), sleep – but not long enough for anyone else to get a good REM cycle – and repeat. Add to that some lingering soreness from delivery, soreness from learning to nurse Princess Poopypants (as her daddy often calls her), & the unexpected onset of the baby blues at the end of last week, and there are some days it’s hard to remember that this is exactly what I signed up for. I’m tired is what I’m saying. My husband is tired. 

And yet, when our sweet little girl sighs with complete contentment and snuggles into me when she finishes eating, my heart melts. I watch her with her daddy when he comes home from work and I fill with pride at the thought that I helped make him a father. I kiss the top of her head, smell that precious baby smell, and remember how utterly blessed I am to have her. I’m reminded that this newborn phase is just a short stage in her beautiful life, and it won’t last long. We’re also so fortunate to have so many wonderful people in our lives that love us and adore our baby girl. Her grandparents go out of their way to help us and take any opportunity to snuggle her. Her uncles and (especially) aunties and fawn over her, our church family has brought over meals, & the wonderful ladies at MOPS have offered encouragement, spit up clean up assistance, and breaks for me while they hold her. We are truly blessed, and even on the hardest days in the never-ending newborn cycle remembering that makes me thankful.

Pumpkin Soup

This recipe starts with a story:  Early in our marriage, my husband and I were fortunate enough to afford a bi-weekly delivery of a box of local organic produce. One week in late October, we got a small pumpkin. And, honestly, we were totally at a loss as to what to do with it. At the time, I was working full time and my husband was working part time. And one day I came home to discover that he had looked through our "Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking" and found a recipe for pumpkin soup. I'll admit that I was very skeptical. I am not an adventurous eater by any stretch of the imagination. However, given how proud he was of his ingenuity, I grudgingly tasted a small amount. And it was wonderful! Unfortunately, when we tried to make more we discovered that grocery stores didn't carry pumpkins past Halloween! (I think this has changed somewhat in recent years – definitely you can still find pie pumpkins at Trader Joe's until Thanksgiving, and local farmers markets usually have some as well.)

Pumpkin soup is now a family staple. My five year old will eat bowls of it without any prodding – in fact it's one thing I know she'll eat even when she's going through a "picky" phase. To minimize spills and make it easier for her to eat, I ladle hers out before I add the full amount of milk so that it's a little thicker.

I make it all winter long, using fresh pumpkin from the farmers market. I stock up at this time of year when the pumpkins are readily available. They store well for a few months, and I also freeze some of the chunks after seeding and peeling so that I have at least one batch available for late spring. (It may be possible to use a (large) can of pumpkin, but I've never done so. If you try that option, add the pumpkin after the potatoes and onions are finished cooking, before you puree the soup.)

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 large onion or 2 shallots

1 1/2 lbs pumpkin

1 lb potatoes

1 1/2 c vegetable (or other) stock

1/2 t tarragon

generous pinch nutmeg (optional)

2 1/2 c milk

1-2 t lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Equipment needed:

large soup pot with lid

potato peeler

food processor, blender or immersion blender

conical strainer with pestle (optional)

Directions:

Assemble ingredients.

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds.

Slice the pumpkin halves in thin wedges as if it were a cantaloupe (trust me; it's easier to peel once it's cut in wedges!). 

Peel the wedges and cut the pumpkin into large dice (approximately 1" square, but exact measurements are not necessary in the least!).

Peel the potatoes and cut them into large dice. You want your potato pieces to be about the same size as your pumpkin pieces. Also chop the onion or shallot into large pieces.

Saute the onion (shallot) in the oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until translucent and fragrant.

Add the pumpkin and potato pieces.

Put the lid on and let everything "sweat" for a few minutes. (That means let them cook for a short time in what is essentially steam.) After about five minutes, give everything a good stir, and add the stock. Add the tarragon and the nutmeg (if using).

Cook until the pumpkin and the potato are quite tender – about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Puree everything. You can do this in your blender or food processor, or use your immersion blender. It's up to you and the equipment you prefer. My preference is to use my heavy-duty food processor...

  

...and then to also strain the puree through a conical strainer. (It's totally not necessary to strain it, and my husband thinks I'm a little crazy. What can I say? I like a super-smooth soup, and I learned to strain it this way in my cooking classes.)

Once you have everything totally pureed, and ready to go, put it back in the pan to reheat. Add the milk and the lemon juice and heat over medium heat until warm enough to serve.

Enjoy with warm crusty bread or crackers.

Happy (and warm) Baking!

She's Here!

I wasn't able to put up a blog post last week and here's why:

Isn't she precious?! Our sweet Evelyn was born on Tuesday, October 29 (the day after her due date), and I've been a bit preoccupied ever since. :)

Peanut Butter

(or other Nut Butter - see note at end of post)

(Please note: to make peanut butter you will either need a food processor or a strong blender (or Magic Bullet.)

You probably know by now that I'm kind of a DIY junkie when it comes to food. So when the organic peanut butter that I've been in love with for years started getting outside my price range, I looked for a way to make my own instead of looking for a cheaper brand. Turns out, it's not that hard, if you've got the right equipment. I use my large food processor, but you could also use a particularly strong blender or a Magic Bullet or equivalent. Anything strong enough to puree nuts.

When I started searching, I looked all over for a source for organic raw peanuts, but as you may remember, there was a big salmonella outbreak a few years ago that was linked back to peanut butter. So you can't buy raw peanuts any more. They have to at least be blanched if they're not roasted. (Yes, it would be possible to grow my own, but I don't think I'm quite ready to go that far.) Eventually I settled for blanched because it's a close to raw as I can get.

I buy my peanuts through my aunt's health food store in a 30 lb bag. (I divide up the 30 pounds into smaller packages and store them in the freezer so they don't go rancid before I use them.) The 30 lb bag lasts me for about 5-6 months, but I also use a LOT of peanut butter because I make granola bars once a week.

The peanut variety that you use for your butter is entirely up to you. Variety will affect both taste and texture of your finished product, so you can experiment with different types if you like, or just go with the most convenient. I have been fortunate that the variety I buy is particularly good for making peanut butter, meaning it releases its oil relatively easily and creates a pretty smooth product.

Because there are very few ingredients, I'll just write this recipe in narrative form.

Start by filling your food processor or blender with peanuts. (I've found that I actually have better results if I start with frozen peanuts, but if they're not frozen don't worry, it'll still work.) Sprinkle a little salt over the nuts. Push start.

IT WILL BE LOUD. Earsplitting. Run-away-with-your-hands-over-your-ears noisy. Give it a minute and the noise will subside as the peanut pieces get smaller.

Eventually, you'll reach the point where the food processor doesn't seem to be making any progress. You'll have a big blob of chopped up nuts that don't want to go any further. At this point, I let everything rest for about 30 minutes. (You don't have to...you could just push on and eventually you'll get the mass to puree, but I find that if I let it rest, it's a whole lot easier.)

Turn it back on. Gradually the mass will begin to liquidize as the nuts release their oil. 

 If you like smooth peanut butter, keep going for several minutes until everything smooths out. 

If you like chunky peanut butter, you can stop sooner, but your peanut butter may be more difficult to spread because the oil won't have been fully released. You can add a little peanut oil, if you like, or you can process everything to smoothness and then add some chopped nuts (the latter is the way “they” actually make chunky peanut butter).

If you prefer your peanut butter sweet (I really really don't!), you can add a little honey – just start with a little bit, and add more to taste. Taste for saltiness as well, and add more if you want to.

Transfer your peanut butter to a container and enjoy!

Note:

Since I first planned to write this post I've been diagnosed with a mild food allergy to peanut butter. Fortunately, the allergy level I have is by no means life threatening, and might not really be affecting me physically at all, but it still means I've been experimenting with alternatives. If you have a peanut allergy in your family, you can follow the same method above to make pretty much any nut butter – although so far I've only tried almond. I had to add just a little oil (I used coconut oil, and the result was amazing), and the resulting almond butter is somewhat gritty due to the almond skins, but it's definitely a good peanut butter alternative once you get used to the different texture. I experimented with blanching some almonds to use instead, hoping the texture would be more like peanut butter, but I ended up with almond paste instead of almond butter (too much moisture!). Experiment with your own and see what you come up with!

The Tired Mom’s Creed

I found a new blog recently written by a mom of 3 – I’ve only browsed a few posts, but so far I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read. One of the things I came across was “The Tired Mom’s Creed”, which I’ve posted below. I’m also including a link to the original blog post that includes a free printable version of this little gem…maybe someday we can find a cute craft to do at MOPS that would feature this list. J

Repeat after me:

1. I shall not judge my house, my kid’s summer activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest’s standards.
2. I shall not measure what I’ve accomplished today by the loads of unfolded laundry but by the assurance of deep love I’ve tickled into my kids
3. I shall say “yes” to blanket forts and see past the chaos to the memories we’re building.
4. I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they’re already in their pajamas.
5. I shall not compare myself to other mothers, but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the first place.
6. I shall remember that a messy house at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.
7. I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated dance.
8. I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.
9. I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house full of real.
10. I shall promise to love this body that bore these three children – out loud, especially in front of my daughter.
11. I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.
12. I shall do my best to admit to my people my “unfine” moments.
13. I shall say “sorry” when sorry is necessary.
14. I pray God I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my children’s forgiveness.
15. I shall make space in my grown up world for goofball moments with my kids.
16. I shall love their father and make sure they know I love him.
17. I shall model kind words – to kids and grown-ups alike.
18. I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan – this season of chip bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.
19. I shall always make time to encourage new moms.
20. I shall not resent that last call for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they’ll all be in college.

~ with love from one tired mother to another.

- See more at: Encouragement for Tired Moms

Cream Scones

This recipe comes from one of my baking classes at American River College. Of all the recipes I very specific about the cream that you use. It calls for Manufacturing Cream, which is basically heavier-than-heavy whipping cream. The only source for it that I've found is Smart and Final, where you can only purchase it in a ½ gallon carton. That amount works great when I'm making two quadruple batches of scones for Sunday morning coffee time at church, but it's not so good when I only want scones for breakfast. Substituting heavy whipping cream for the manufacturing cream means I have to add a little more flour and the resulting scones aren't quite as tender, but they're good enough. And it's that substitution that I'm passing on.

learned while getting my pastry certificate, this is the one I use the most - and it's one I get asked for frequently. Unfortunately, the original recipe is

The basic scone recipe can be made into pretty much any variation (flavor) that you want. For instance, I frequently make coconut macadamia chocolate chip scones. Other favorites are (plain) chocolate chip, cranberry pecan, and apricot almond. Pretty much any dried fruit or nut can be used in the ¼ c of “stuff”. (And really, ¼ c is just a guideline – I almost always use more than that!)

Cream Scones
Ingredients

1 cup flour
2½ t baking powder
½ t salt
¼ c sugar

¼ c “stuff” (chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.)
¾ c heavy cream

Instructions
Assemble ingredients.

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. (The lining is necessary unless you happen to be using a baking stone, and even then it's a good idea.)

Combine all ingredients except cream in a large bowl. Whisk together a few times just to make sure everything's well mixed.

 Add cream and mix gently with your hands until it all comes together. (Yes! Use your hands! A spoon or spatula will not get everything mixed, and a mixer will make your dough really tough.)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough feels somewhat stiff. To knead, pat the dough into a squarish lump, 

then fold it in half. 

Pick up the dough, turn it sideways, and repeat.

Pat into a circle or square.

Cut into pieces.

Transfer pieces to baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

After a minute or two, slide the parchment off the pan onto the rack.  Let the scones cool for a few more minutes before taking them off the parchment.

The scones are at their absolute best while still warm from the oven, but you can serve them any time with an hour or two.  They can be stored for a few days in an airtight container, but they will lose their flaky perfection quickly.   It is possible, however, to make the dough the night before and store in the refrigerator, or even a week or so beforehand - store, well wrapped, in the freezer.  If you've frozen the dough, you should let it thaw before cooking.

Happy Baking!

Best Shower Cleaner. Ever.

This is one of my favorites. Mainly because I didn’t come up with it, but also because it’s SUPER easy and you probably have everything you need already. There are certain things I’m a little teensy bit OCD about, and bathroom cleaning is one of them. I have glass shower doors and I HATE the soap scum film that fogs up the doors. And in general I really can’t stand strong chemical cleaners. For one, they never seem to work, and I certainly can’t use them when I’m pregnant. (The sweet husband offered to clean the bathrooms last pregnancy. And bless his heart, he tried, but I might be a little picky about bathroom cleaning) I mean seriously, who needs to use those expensive bottles of nose-hair-burning chemicals when you don't have to?! Ok, enough about all that, here’s the best shower cleaner. Ever.

All you need are equal parts white vinegar and dawn dish soap and if you want to make it even easier, grab one of these handy dish sponge things from the dollar store. Annnnd that's it!

 

Using a pyrex cup or microwave safe dish, warm up half a cup of white vinegar. It doesn’t take long so keep your eye on it! Now mix in half a cup of dawn dish soap. It will start to gel so don’t freak out! Now you can either pour it in that handy-dandy sponge thing, or you can pour it on a regular sponge or brush and scrub away. But don’t scrub too hard, you won’t need to! It almost melts the scum away. I have a brother who is seriously clinical OCD, like we just hope he can find someone who will put up with his cleanliness, and he LOVED this. He swears his shower has never been cleaner. I took pictures of my shower before (I even “let” it get scummy for you) and after but I can’t get them off my camera. Soooo that just means you have to try it out yourself!

 

And the best part about it being just vinegar and dish soap is you can hire out the shower cleaning to just about anyone. One day I'll remind him he actually LOVED cleaning the shower. But until then, I'm just going to enjoy how cute he is scrubbing those shower walls.

I Can’t Do This!

As my due date gets closer (less than 2 weeks away!) and the reality that our little bundle of joy could decide she’s ready for her birthday literally any day now, I have a confession to make: I’m terrified. Yes, the nursery is 100% ready, the hospital bag is packed (along with a list of last minute items to add), the car seat is properly installed in the car and has been checked by the fire department technician, every item on my “before baby” to do list is checked off, and our close friends and family are waiting on standby. I should be calm, collected, and at peace with the imminent arrival of the little miracle that we’ve been waiting and praying for, not just for the almost nine months of my pregnancy, but also for the 18 long and sometimes heartbreaking months of trying that preceded them. 

And yet, some nights I lie in bed forcing myself to breathe through the cloud of fear that overwhelms me when I think about the fact that I will soon be a mother.  I let doubts creep in when I remember the facts I’ve learned and horror stories I’ve heard about labor – and let’s face it, this close to my first delivery, even the good stories sound like horror stories. ;) I suddenly think, “I can’t do this! I’ve changed my mind! I can’t deliver a baby, let alone raise one.” I catalogue my flaws and shortcomings, stacking them against myself as reasons why this is all a big mistake and tell myself over and over that I know nothing about being a mom. The “what if’s” start to push their way into my thoughts, including: “what if I don’t realize I’m in labor?”, “what if she doesn’t like me?”, and “what if I make a big mistake that ruins her life forever?”. In these moments, I find myself on the verge of panic (and of course, the pregnancy hormones don’t help).

And then I look over to see my wonderful husband lying next to me and I realize something: I am not alone. Just that simple thought is enough to push away the “what ifs”, the doubts, and the fear. As my mind clears, another thought surfaces: we are not alone. Not only do we have friends and family that will love and support us no matter what, we have a God that promises to lead us gently through our most difficult paths. Usually around this time, I feel a gentle (or not so gentle) kick or nudge from my precious daughter and I remember again what a miracle it is that she even exists. I feel the joy that bubbled up when I first discovered she was coming, and when we saw her on the ultrasound for the first time, and then when we found out we were having a little girl. I start to think about how soon it may be that I can hold her in my arms, look into her eyes, kiss the top of her head, and smell that sweet newborn scent. The fear fades to the background, still present, but nothing compared to the anticipation and excitement of meeting our sweet miracle face to face. 

So my encouragement to you today is this: always remember that no matter how frightening or overwhelming something might seem you are not alone.