Cooking With Squash

I have about 6 squash sitting on my counter - different types: butternut, acorn, sweet potato squash and a jamboree pumpkin. I have never used the last two types before but from what i have learned so far about squash is to cut them in half, remove the seeds and roast in the oven. These types are interchangeable (in my mind) in recipes, they might change the taste slightly but the recipe will still work.

The easiest way I find to eat them is after roast

ing in the oven, add some butter, brown sugar or maple syrup and puree. Easy and delicious.

Alittle more strenuous is to make soup. My favourite is Roasted Butternut Squash soup from the Rebar cookbook. I have had many different types and they all turn out pretty good.

A new one

for us this summer was eating spaghetti squash - while roasting the squash, we sauteed onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes (and pretty much anything in your fridge) and then added the veggies to the squash and mixed with goat cheese. Its hard to believe you aren't eating pasta.

I had never baked with squash or pumpkin before, all the recipes I have seen call for canned pumpkin puree but I substituted with fresh roasted and pureed. My latest project was to make some muffins (also from

the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook).

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk ( I used 1 cup minus 1 tsp of milk and 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar for a substitute )

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree ( I used some leftover pureed acorn squash)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup millet (I used ground flax seeds)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup unbleached flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger (I omitted this as I don't really like ginger)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

-mix wet ingredients together

-mix dry ingredients together

-mix wet and dry together - do not overmix

-fill muffin cups (i made 12 large and 12 small)

-bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

I think next time I will probably also add some chocolate chips

If you have any favourites - let us know, I love trying new things!

Where do you look for new recipes? websites? cookbooks? friends? blogs?

-Lauren

Fashion Fridays - Baby edition

Before I had a baby, all baby clothes were chosen based on the cuteness. Now there is also a practical part to my choices.

If 'cute' outfits are two pieces, then its likely that the top will ride up - not so great now that its cold out.

If there is a top tucked into pants - this generally looks weird on babies - but is more practical in the cold

better is if one layer is tucked into the pants and a second layer over top

OR

a one piece jogging suit! I am not sure where this is from (it was a hand-me-down) but its awesome, its so much warmer than pyjamas and yet is basically the same thing. I need to find out where to buy these because they will be on my gift giving list!

Babyli.st Online Gift Registry

Gift Registries are very tricky things:

1. You don't want to ASK for things, generally people shouldn't feel obligated to buy you a gift for a certain occasion - but if they are going to and chances are they want to buy you something, then you want then to be able to buy something that you want and will use.

2. How do you choose what store to register at - often you want something from many different stores and that is where this online register comes in

I found this online registry through friends (and its created by a friend that I went to University with)

Babyli.st check it out.

Its fantastic, you can link to any item that you can find online - ideally things you can buy online and that way people have the options of buying online or instore.

Also, sometimes you know you want an item like a towel - but you don't care which specific one. so you can be specific with some items and more general with others.

Also you can add items like babysitting, meals, and things that aren't typically on gift registries.

It would be great if you could use it for non-baby events......maybe one day.

- Lauren

(Note: We weren’t paid or perked for promoting this gift registry, it was something I have used and liked so wanted to share with you)

Home made Spring Rolls

Each week our siblings in Waterloo try to get together and hang out - the item on the agenda is always eating. This week we made spring rolls.

We had deep fried ones, which consisted of a pork/crab/vermicilli noodles/lots of other stuff since I wasn't paying attention and my brother was adding stuff as he goes instead of following a recipe. He then pan fried them in oil and then continued to cook them in the oven until the meat was fully cooked.

We also made a vegetarian fresh roll with spinach, mint, green onion, sprouts, noodles, mango, green pepper and I'm probably forgetting something.

We ate both with a peanut dipping sauce (which my husband added extra hot sauce to his portion)

They were great, I wish I had made more fresh rolls because I think they would have been great the next day. And when I make them again, I think I will try smaller and the fresh ones tighter.

Have you tried to make anything new lately?

Our CSA season is over

You may remember that we (Leah and Lauren) joined Stevanus Farms CSA(community supported agriculture) which you may have read about it here. The season is now over, it was a fantastic summer, we ate at home more, ate more vegetables and ate things we wouldn't normally buy. Its a little sad that its over - although it will probably take a few more weeks to get through the remaining veggies.

Through out the summer, we have frozen a lot of veggies (green beans, peas, zucchini, beets, and fruit) so we are curious to see how much of it we eat. We have high hopes that we will be able to get through all the frozen food. (and that the food we have frozen will bring us the joy of summer in a meal)

Another thing is that we are going to have to start grocery shopping again - all summer all we bought was basically meat and dairy. Rarely leaving the store with more than a handful of items. It will definitely be harder to shop in the grocery stores again... peppers from Mexico, and spinach from Peru just doesn't seem appealing anymore. We have definitely been spoiled with such amazing produce.

Overall, it has been a totally worthwhile, and budget friendly experience. Check out the CSA's in your neighbourhood, it is beneficial for the farmers, as well as for you and your family

Any suggestions for eating locally over the winter months? Or recipes to try with our abundance of squash?

-Lauren and Leah

Budgeting....the dreaded B word.

The word, budget has always been a tricky one around my household.  I tend to be more of an over-spender and my husband tends to be more of an under-spender.  Makes for a lot of interesting conversations:)

Over the years we have worked hard to come up with a budget that works for us and brings us to a place of balance, a place that we BOTH feel great about!  If you knew how strong minded my husband and I are, you would know that this is no small task!

Part of the challenge for us is that we live on one income.  We have chosen for me to be a stay at home mom for this season of life and I love it - but it requires discipline and sometimes sacrifice where budgeting is concerned.

These days, there are a few small things that have saved me/us a bunch of money.  In the hopes that it might benefit you, I'll share them:

1.  Making my own coffee at home.   It's so much fun to stop at Starbucks on my way out to run errands, but those latte's add up quickly.  Like, really quickly.  Instead, I'm making my own coffee and treat myself to a Caramel Macchiato only when I'm meeting a friend for a coffee date:

2.  Sharing clothes.  I am blessed to have friends that pass clothes down to my girls and I love to do the same for others.  Even my sisters and I have been known to swap clothes from time to time!  For Hallowe'en this year, I have managed to borrow 2 out of the 3 kids costumes that I need, which is saving me a bunch of money.  For the third, I think I am going to check out Value Village :)

3.  Borrowing Books.  I love to read and I love to buy books.  The thing is, books add up.  These days I am trying to borrow books from friends or from the library as much as possible.  At my local library, if you are looking for a book and they don't carry it, you can fill out a request form and they will consider ordering if.  If they do, you get first dibs at reading it.  Pretty cool!

Lately, I have been using this budget and love it.  Totally worth checking out.

How about you?  Do you find it a challenge to live within your budget?  Any advice you can share with me?

De-boned Turkey

Because I have made our family's thanksgiving turkey for the last 6 years or so, I was not upset to pass this task onto my brother, who also happens to be a chef. This year he de-boned the turkey, soaked it in an 'apple cider-salt-probably alot of other stuff brine' for a while and then wrapped it in bacon before cooking it.

It was delicious and so much easier to carve - you were basically slicing a loaf of bread.  Plus, we had bacon as side dish.

For all specifics you will have to ask my brother, but he said deboning was easy - just slide your hands around the rib cage and pull it out. I am not going to ask any more questions, I will just continue to eat it at thanksgiving!

At first I was concerned that I wouldn't have any leftover bones to make soup with - but I just took home the uncooked parts that had not been used, covered them with tomato paste and roasted them in the oven before continuing as usual to make soup.

Did you try anything new this thanksgiving? What are some of your family traditions that you love?

DIY Art

 Every Thanksgiving, my In-Laws have an very creative tradition. D-I-Y Art! I love it!
It has been such a great way for the family to share in an activity together, and to have a beautiful, creative, original piece of art!

It's so simple...
- buy a canvas, (already pre-assembled would be easiest, but my family like to make the frame themselves.. if you are looking for a certain size, it will be best to make the frame... but if you are not as picky on size, you can easily buy a pre-assembled piece of canvas)

- buy yourself some acrylic paint (any art store can help you choose the best kind to buy)

- get your family and friends together to help share in the original piece of art you are about to make

- get creative! play around with different brushes, techniques, colours,

- when finished, leave to dry for at least a day, (then make your frame if need be) Hang it up, and wait for the compliments to roll in :)



This is the art made about 4 years ago. It hangs in our dining room, and we constantly get compliments on it.

-Leah

Cloth Diaper Review

Now for my review on the specific cloth diapers.

Its crazy how many different types are out there! I have tried a few different types and liked some more than others.

Kissaluvs, bummis with snappi and sandys cloth diapers

We primarily used Bummis Prefolds with snappi diaper fasteners. There are a handful of ways to put them on, we did not use the bummis method, but for newborn we liked the bikini twist and then moved to a partial fold. The snappi ties are fantastic and I can only imagine so much better than pins my mom used to use. (There are many websites which show various techneiques such as here). These are sized and so you need to buy different ones as your baby grows, I don't think the "preemie" ones are necessary - you can just fold the infant ones. These were great, I think they are the cheapest option out

there, they do require some skill to put on so that there isn't any leaks. A waterproof cover is needed overtop of the cotton.

Kissaluv's - these were fantastic. They are fitted diapers with elastic around the legs for no leaks and snaps at the waist. These are sized so you have to buy different ones as your baby grows. These are great for newborns as they have a fold down section so that the diaper doesn't interfere with the umbilical cord. A waterproof cover is needed overtop of the cotton.

Motherease Sandy's cotton fitted diapers - These are sized, and so you have to buy different ones as your baby grows. Similar to the kissaluvs but they have two rows of snaps which make you feel like its more secure around the legs but I haven't noticed any difference one set of snaps or two. These are alittle bulkier than the kissaluv's but still great. A waterproof cover is needed overtop of the cotton. These work best with Motherease brand covers.

Waterproof Covers

The beauty here is that you don't have to wash these after every use, unless it gets pooped on, you can put it aside after a diaper change and let it air out and then use it again for the following diaper change.

clockwise from top left: motherease, thirsties, bummis, flip

Bummis Wraps - Some with snaps and some with velcro, they are sized so you have to buy more as the baby grows. You had to wash the cover after each use because it is more cloth like on the inside it absorbs the pee more. I would not recommend.

Flip - this one expands as the baby grows. Lots of snaps for adjustability. Great.

Motherease - snap and velcro versions, the velcro ones have extra elastic at the legs which is great. You need different sizes as your baby grows. Great.

Thirsties duo wraps - velcro at the waist and snaps to adjust the size. Two different sizes. Great.

And finally, All-in-one's (AIO's)

Gro-via and Monkey Doodlez

Monkey Doodlez - These come in different sizes so you have to buy multiple sizes as the baby grows. I believe they are a canadian company, have a fleece lining, seemed pretty good but I found that when she had a big pee - the moisture would soak all the way to the edge and out onto her pants. I did not like these.

Gro-via -These are great, they are one size, so they didn't fit right away, but I think they will grow with the baby until they are out of diapers. My only concern is that the snaps at the waist are on the inside which makes it look alittle more appealing but I think would easier if they were across the outside. (You might have to see one to understand what I am trying to say)

Basically, the only thing I wouldn't recommend is the Bummis wraps and the Monkey Doodlez All-in-ones. But I am sure some people love them, as I said there are so many different types out there you just have to see what works for you.

My fave's are probably the kissaluv's fitted or prefold with snappi with thirsties cover, followed by the gro-via's.

My husbands fave's are the bummis prefold with snappis in a thirsties cover.

One warning is that once you start its easy to get carried away, its a whole new world of shopping! Does anyone have some favourite types I should test out?

Thoughts on Cloth Diapers

Now that we have been using cloth diapers for 3 months, I though I would give a recap of our thoughts and experiences.

Alot of people said that we wouldn't last very long, which probably made me even more determined to continue since I am stubborn, but when we did use disposables one weekend while camping, it didn't seem any easier - you still had to change the diaper and throw it in a bag to deal with later. I found it really hard to tell if my daughter had even peed, so I would just change the diaper anyways, so this means that you could leave the diaper on much longer - but is that really what you want? And an extra load of laundry every other day doesn't really bother me.

Why I choose Cloth.

Most people seem to assume that its for environmental reasons - less waste and although that is great, its not my primary reasons. My mom used cloth for all of us growing up and so it seemed like an obvious choice for me and when I looked into it more, I liked the natural aspect. Would you want to wear a plastic diaper all day? It doesn't breath. I want cotton on my bum so thats what I will use on my baby. Also, you can tell much easier when the diaper needs to be changed which I think is a plus and some people say that cloth diapered babies toilet train earlier. Also diaper rash hasn't been an issue.

We went to a fantastic workshop at extraordinarybabyshoppe in Waterloo, Ontario. They explained all the types (there are ALOT of options out there!), laundry, benefits and also sell lots at there store. They also have a store located in Ottawa.

Wipes.

We primarily use cloths (some sold as cloth wipes, some designated baby face cloths), wet them in the bathroom and then wipe away. Add them to the dirty diaper laundry.

We also use traditional disposable wipes, I like to research the brand on cosmeticsdatabase.com to see the ingredients and potential hazards added. Generally I choose something for sensitive skin with no scent, organic if possible.

Laundry.

We have a front loader high efficiency washing machine. We wash each load of laundry on a normal setting with extra water, hot water, high soil level and add a pre rinse as well. We find the diapers always come out clean and never stinky. Some times there are still some stains but I am not too concerned since they are diapers and always covered by clothes. Some people are more concerned with this and I hear that hanging to dry outside the sun is great as a natural whitener (although I havent any experience with this).

You also have to be careful with the detergent that you use on cloth diapers, many soaps have additives which leave a residue on the diapers which will reduce their absorbency over time.

We use Shaklee Laundry Detergent and Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent. I have been happy with both.

Dryer.

I was intrigued to learn that dryer sheets actually leave a residue on your clothes - I believe all fabric softeners do. With cloth diapers this reduces the absorbency which isn't great. So we have stopped using dryer sheets and switched to dryer balls. Dryer balls bounce around with the clothes and lift and seperate the items reducing static as well as decrease the drying time. We use Nellie's dryer balls and have been satisfied so far, although it is louder than a typical load in the dryer. It takes our diapers about an hour of drying time which is longer than our typical load.

And for all types of cloth diapers - you are saving money, waste and putting something more natural on your babys bum.

Thoughts on cloth diapers? Would you/do you/did you use them? What was your reasons or what's stopping you?