Dandelion Farm

She made my day!

2011-07-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

So after my last post, I was walking throught the mall with my best friend feeding Smiley. A lady who was working in a jewelry store stopped me and told me I was wonderful. :) She told me stories about nursing her two children and told me to keep doing what I'm doing and not be ashamed. She repeated to me over and over again, "You're wonderful. You're wonderful."

Thank you random jewelry store lady. You made my day. As a matter of fact, you made my week!

The Quiet Roar of the Breastfeeding Mamas

2011-07-10T18:20:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in a dentist office waiting room with my mom and two kids. Smiley was hungry, so I fed him. I did not have one inch of skin showing, but a woman sitting next to us asked me if I had a blanket or anything to cover up with because her son (who was sitting next to her watching TV) was a teenager. Now believe me, I had a list of wonderfully snarky comments to say to her:

"Well I guess by now he should know what they're for."
"Sure. Here's the blanket. You can cover his head up with it if you like"

And so on. But I didn't say any of them. I simply said, "No."

I think that "No" is one of the most powerful words there is, and it is enough. There is no reason for me to make a snarky comment, no need to explain myself, and ABSOLUTELY no need for me to cover up. "No" is full of grace, but got my point across powerfully.

Am I sometimes uncomfortable nursing in public? Yes. But for every time I do it, I pray that another young mother sees me and gets the courage to do so as well. Or a not-yet-mama sees breastfeeding as beautiful. Or a child sees that it is normal. I hope that someone is encouraged by me.

It makes me sad that people think a nursing baby should be covered up. If I had been feeding him a bottle no one would be offended. But I refuse to give up what is best for my baby because of someone else's discomfort.

I will continue to nurse in public uncovered, and if you are a breastfeeding mama reading this I want to encourage you to do so as well. You make a difference toward making people more comfortable with nursing, toward normalizing it. If you personally do not nurse, make it easy on other mamas. Smile at them. Talk to them about their babies if they seem open to it. Just please do not ask them to cover up. Every step we take toward normalizing nursing encourages it in mamas who have not yet decided to nurse.

Things About Smiley

2011-06-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

I know, I know... most people don't wait six weeks plus to announce the birth of their child, but I've been busy, so:

HE'S HERE!!!

I thought I'd just share a little list of things about Smiley:

1. He was born after only four hours of labor. I was only at the hospital for one hour before he was born. The doctor didn't make it in time for the delivery. A resident caught him.

2. He is the happiest baby there ever was. He has smiled since the day he was born, thus the name. And he saves his cries for when he really needs them. :)

3. He has black hair and blue eyes (really blue. I don't think they'll change colors).

4. Big sister loves him very very much.

5. And so do we. ;)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T08:00:00.004-05:00

Smokers Pollute Everyone's Air

2011-04-08T13:31:00.002-05:00

Image: andyket
Because it's my blog and I can rant if I want to.

Smoking annoys the tar out of me. We don't frequent businesses that allow smoking. We will not eat in a restauraunt with a smoking section, even if it is enclosed. I can still smell it. I really hope that Texas becomes smoke-free soon. I love going to towns where there are smoking bans, because I can eat in whatever restaurant I want! Our current town has a grand total of two non-smoking restaurants. Poo.

But what really annoys me are the obnoxious people who do things like smoke on playgrounds. Or in laundry rooms. Seriously?! What is the point of washing your clothes if you are going to stink them up with smoke before they even get done? And stinking up my clothes, too, is just wrong.

And playgrounds? Go away people! My child does not need to smell your stink. I don't care if you move downwind. That's fine with me. But get your butt off the playground!

I don't even like walking through parking lots and having to walk by cars where people are sitting inside smoking. I can still smell it! Even with the windows up! Even people smoking in their own yards bothers me if it's near me. We used to have to go inside because our neighbors smoked in their backyard and it blew on us.

I suppose that people have a right to kill themselves and smoke if they want to, but ya know what? I have a right... my CHILD has a right to clean air! If you are going to kill yourself, do it in your own dang house where I don't have to breathe it.

Thank you.

Preparing for the new baby

2011-04-05T13:14:00.000-05:00

Image: handmaidenbymaria

We are well on our way to preparing for the new baby. I realized suddenly that we have just over a month left to get ready... and we were not even started yet! It's harder to get ready for your second child, because you are so busy taking care of the first one! I haven't really had a lot of time to celebrate the fact that we are going to have a new little one, what with hubby's new job, a big move, and a sweet little girl to take care of.

So yesterday I cleared out some room in Doodlebug's cabinet and washed and folded all the tiny little baby clothes we've been given or had saved. I got them all sorted by size and the very tiniest are ready and waiting in the cabinet for our baby boy to come home. It was so strange to think that Doodlebug used to be that size! We will need to do some remodeling in the RV so we can fit a chest of drawers before winter (winter clothes take up more space), but for now there is room.

There is so much left to do, and I seem to be in a fit of nesting. It has been very hot here, so I'm trying to get things done during the heat of the day when we have to be inside under the A/C anyway. I still need to preregister for the hospital and pack a bag for myself, as well as a bag of special toys for Doodlebug (she will be in the delivery room with us most of the time). If anyone has any recommendations for an AWESOME toy for a two year old that's pretty quiet I would appreciate them.

I've been trying to keep up with my blog and pre-write some posts, but obviously I'll be pretty silent for most of the month of May. I still have April, though!

A farm girl, an RV, and a dream

2011-04-02T14:30:00.001-05:00

I just had to share these adorable pictures of my baby! You know Sunbonnet Sue? Well this is Raincoat Doodlebug! These are from the last time we went to visit my parents' farm.

Doodlebug loves to water the garden, collect eggs from the chickens, feed the goats and the dog. She likes to do anything to "help" her Grammy and Gramps with farm chores. She even has her own cute little set of real garden tools from Lehmans so she can help. She is learning to not be afraid of the geese (and so am I!). It is so cute how she tells them, "No! No!" She calls chickens "ooh-oohs" (as in cock-a-doodle-doo) and ducks "meep meeps" (which really is more accurate than quack, I think).

Seeing how she loves doing the farm chores makes me long all the more for our someday homestead. One of the best things about having the RV is that someday we can buy land and we won't have to worry about the house. We can either build ourselves or spend as much time as we need fixing something up while we live in the RV.

Still dreaming...

An easy, low clean-up meal for tough days

2011-03-30T14:15:00.001-05:00

I know? Appetizing, right? But really, I swear it's yummy!

I am a big believer in using reusable everything. But there are just days when a girl has got to use paper plates. I'm talking about days when the kiddo is sick, hubby is tired, and mama is too darn pregnant to cook or clean. But what is the point of using paper plates when you have to wash the pots and pans anyway? Eating out gets expensive (not to mention unhealthy!). So what's a girl to do?

Enter the foil dinner!

Basically, I just threw a seasoned hamburger patty, chopped up potatoes (wash them first!), carrots, onion, and cabbage in a piece of foil and threw it in the oven at 350-400 for however long it takes (an hour for me, but my oven is slow). I'm not normally a big cabbage fan, but it is super yummy in this. It takes on the flavor from the meat.

Serve on recycled paper plates with plastic silverware (I know, bad greenie!) and the only dish you have to wash is the knife you used to cut veggies!

Spaghetti Squash Dinner

2011-03-27T15:07:00.002-05:00

This is a really easy and super DELICIOUS grain free meal. Plus it smells like pizza while it's cooking!

To cook the spaghetti squash, you just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds like a pumpkin, lay the cut side down in a pan and add a little water. Bake it at around 350-400 for an hour (depending on your oven). Or you can put it in a glass pan (cut side down with a little water in the bottom as above) and microwave it for around fifteen minutes. This comes out a little more clumpy, but it was good in a hurry.

In the meantime, put a little olive oil, half a chopped bell pepper, half a chopped onion, and a pound of ground beef in a pan to cook on the stove. Add liberal amounts of minced garlic and italian seasoning, plus a little salt and pepper (you can just do this to taste). Cook until ground beef is browned and add a can of mushrooms (or two!), a can of diced tomatoes, and a can of tomato sauce. Keep warm.

Scrape out the inside of the spaghetti squash (it will look like stringy noodles) with a fork. Add to your pan of sauce, stir, season as needed, and serve with parmesan! This is way better than regular spaghetti!

A Grain Free/ Low Sugar Birthday Party

2011-03-24T14:47:00.001-05:00

We recently celebrated our little Doodlebug's 2nd birthday!

We have been making an effort to eat as little grains and sugar as we can, but I still wanted to have a special treat for her big day. I made cupcakes from this muffin recipe (minus the lemon juice) and added a frosting made with cream cheese, super dark chocolate, cocoa, and a little agave nectar.

And if anyone is curious, Doodlebug got play-dough, a Mr. Potato Head, and a musical instument set. :)

A Pantry Organizational Project

2011-03-21T14:57:00.000-05:00

Before

After

I cleaned out our pantry when we decided to go grain free to make the things we use most often more accessible. Yes, there are still some grainy things in there that we needed to use up, but for the most part we can find what we need now!

Homemade tortilla chips

2011-03-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

Golden piles of goodness!

Homemade tortilla chips are so much cheaper than store bought! And if you happen to have WIC, you can get your corn tortillas through them. Plus they are so stinkin' delicious! There seriously are no words for them!

Making your own tortilla chips is super simple. When I made these I went through a tortilla chip phase where I made some every day. Just heat up some oil in a pan, cut corn tortillas into fourths, and fry until golden. Scoop them out to drain on a towel and sprinkle with liberal amounts of salt.

Is it a health food? Heck no! But it's yummy!

Blender Ice Cream

2011-03-15T14:35:00.001-05:00

Yes, this is a terrible picture, but I'm a terrible photographer, so there you go!

This is the perfect treat for a hot summer day! 1 bag of frozen strawberries, 1 pint of heavy whipping cream, and liberal amounts of sugar, all blended together. Delicious!

The Hidey Hole

2011-03-12T15:04:00.000-06:00

This is Doodlebug's own personal space. I think every kid needs a place to go and hide and just be alone to play or calm down or whatever they need to do. We happen to have the perfect spot! The passenger floorboard!

What is it like to live in an RV?

2011-01-22T15:33:00.000-06:00

We have lived in the RV for two months now (good grief I need to update my blog more often!), so I thought I would answer this question since I finally sort of know.

Keep in mind all RVs, locations, and situations are different, so this would vary depending on your situation. For example, we live in an older RV, so there's more maintenance. It is also small, so more space would make a difference. And we are docked. Things would be much, MUCH different if we were travelling all the time. So without further ado, a list:

~It is small. Very small. We are constantly getting rid of things we realized we didn't need or just didn't have room for. Even still, it is somtimes hard to find places for things we DO need, like toilet paper. It's also a bit of an adjustment to get used to such a small kitchen. On the other hand, sometimes smallness is good, because:

~It is easy to clean. I can clean the whole RV from front to back in twenty minutes. But:

~It is hard to KEEP clean. The thing gets trashed in two minutes. One toy on the floor feels like three. Because the floor is so small, the carpet always looks dirty (when the dirt is all spread out in a house it doesn't look so bad, but when it's all consolidated into one spot... well, it looks gross).

~Doing laundry stinks. This applies for anywhere without a washer and dryer, though. I just got spoiled to having my own in the house.

~Showers are... interesting. We have a decent sized tub/shower, but the hot water doesn't last very long. One day I had just enough hot water to get my hair all soaped up before the shower started shooting little ice balls at me! (Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it was COLD) I don't know what I would have done if hubby hadn't been there. He warmed up some water in the microwave so I could rinse my hair and then I finished my shower in the park showers. We have been showering there ever since. Our shower is currently being used as a closet.

~It takes a bit more maintenance than a house. We have to move it every month to fill up the propane tank, and start it every couple days to charge the battery (because of a glitch in a fuse, most RVs don't require that). Not really a big deal, but more than a house.

~I love it! Except for the showers and laundry, I really love living in the RV. Doodlebug has lots of places to play and climb and hide, and we spend quite a bit of time outside. Spending less time cleaning means more time with my little girl!

I'm sure I will probably add to this the longer we live here. I am truly enjoying the experience, though.

Simplifying our Stuff

2010-12-04T13:13:00.001-06:00

We previously lived in a very large three bed, 2 bath home complete with dining room and garage. We had a lot of stuff. I didn't take pictures every step of the way, but here are a few from the process.

This WAS our office. (No, it didn't always look like that. I was moving, okay?!)

This is what is left! Pretty nice, huh?

Even after several weeks of purging stuff and one HUGE garage sale, it got down to crunch time and we had to haul our stuff to my inlaws house just to get the house empty. That left me with two days to go through all this:

What a mess! I managed, though, mostly by myself while hubby worked. I'm pretty impressed with myself, if I may say so. Everything here either got packed into the RV, stored, or thrown away. I slightly altered Flylady's 15 minutes at a time mantra. I told myself I could just do one box or bag, then I could stop. But once I got started I didn't want to stop working! Plus, having a two day timeline helped. :)

Healthy Habits for December

2010-12-01T13:36:00.000-06:00

The habit for the month over at Flylady.net is pampering yourself. Boy, do I ever need this. In the midst of a tough first trimester, a toddler, and the biggest move of my life, I totally let my healthy habits go. I honestly never even want to look at fast food ever ever again!

So as a part of pampering myself I have decided to add back in some of the healthy habits my body has been missing. I started today with a green smoothie.

I have three goals for December:

Drink a green smoothie every day.

Take ALL my supplements.

Drink enough water.

That's it! I'm not taking anything away (I will NOT give up caffeine when I'm this stressed. Nosirree.). I don't want to feel like I'm depriving myself right before the holidays. I'm just adding a couple of simple things that I know will make me feel a ton better.

Does anyone want to join me? Post your healthy habit for December in the comments!

Our New Home

2010-12-01T13:12:00.001-06:00

So I finally got around to posting pictures of our new home. I decided that if I waited for it to look perfect that I would never post them, so please ignore the mess!

Obviously we haven't decorated or anything yet. These lovely curtains are circa 1983!

This is our living area. That shelf is really a bed, but we needed it for storage. I need to get it cleared off soon.

I am undecided about decorating. We will be in the RV for a few years, so I want it to be comfortable, and I could easily redecorate the whole thing for a couple hundred dollars, but part of the reason we are living here is to save money to pay off debt. So I sort of think we should use the money for that? I haven't decided yet, and I can't paint right now anyway, so I think I'll just wait.

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

A Big Humongous Update and Life in an RV

2010-11-27T18:47:00.000-06:00

Hello there everybody! I'm sorry it has been so long since I've posted. We have been super super busy and blogging has been pretty low on the priority list.

After a terrible four day search for a home in our new town, we gave up. I jokingly mentioned that we should just get an R.V. to live in, since we will hopefully be moving back to our true heart home soon, and hubby went for it. So we bought an R.V.!!! We got rid of a ton of stuff, stored way too much, and moved into the R.V. We've been in it for a week today, so there's been lots to get used to. I don't have pics to share right now, but I promise I will soon.

Hubby is still in training for his job, so his schedule is sort of irregular. And our WiFi doesn't work very well here, so my posts will still be pretty far between for a couple weeks. After he gets started with a regular schedule I have been promised regular blogging time on his days off, so you'll hear from me a lot more often.

I am hoping to actually be able to regularly commit to my blog, growing and improving it. I don't want to overwhelm myself. My first job is wife and mommy, of course; but you can expect at least two posts a week. I've got lots of things going in my head about our purging of stuff, simplification, life in the RV, etc. I hope you'll subscribe and see me again soon!

A New Path

2010-10-03T11:22:00.000-05:00

So remember those big changes I mentioned in my homestead update? Time to get them all out.

First and foremost, we're going to have another baby! I am due in May, and we are very excited. Doodlebug is going to be a great big sister. I don't think she really understands what is going on, but it's so cute to watch her feed and kiss her "babies".

Also, we will be moving soon. I am having a little trouble adjusting to this one, as neither of us has seen the town we will be moving to, and I've never lived this far from my family of origin. Plus, when we moved here I really thought that this would be our forever home. But, hubby got offered a job and it is a great opportunity for us. We will be making a scouting trip soon, and I really hope it is nice there. I am determined to be content no matter where we go, so I am going to make the best of it. Even if we end up in an apartment, I will still be homesteading. It's more of a mindset to be as self-sufficient and live as sustainably as possible, and you can do that anywhere.

So there you go. Big changes coming for our family. Keep us in your prayers, please.

Frugal Decorating: Tea towel curtains

2010-10-03T11:11:00.001-05:00

These are my new curtains. Sorry, I'm not too great a photographer. But I had this idea and my mom came and helped me implement it. The towels were a wedding present from my grandmother, embroidered by her, and I've been saving them because I didn't want to mess them up with everyday use. I had an old curtain that didn't really fit the window hanging here, and it looked awful.

The bottom towels are just folded over a tension rod and safety pinned, and the top ones are tacked up on the underside of the overhang. They give us just enough privacy and really brighten up the room.

Cost: Free! I had everything I needed for this!

Homestead Update: Fall

2010-09-27T15:08:00.003-05:00

Photo Credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

It's starting to feel like fall on the little homestead. The squirrels are riotous from all the acorns falling, pecans are starting to show on the trees, and the nippy air is a pleasant change from the hot Texas summer. So I thought the change of season would be the perfect time for a little update.

Summer seemed like a season of not-so-successes (I won't call them failures. It's only a failure if you don't learn from it). We moved in in April, so our garden was a little late and we didn't have time to examine the yard and find the right spot for it. We have SOOO much shade. Nothing grew. My mother-in-law did give me a tomato plant that grew for a while, and I got one green tomato quiche out of it. Most of my produce came from the farmer's market or my mom and mother-in-law.

I had a clothesline, but I also had terrible allergies. The clothesline is still waiting to be hung indoors, and we have been using the dryer. Feels like a failure, but I have learned that I need to hang my clothes inside.

As for fall, I had a lot of plans for clearing flowerbeds to plant strawberries, propogate roses, and grow garlic, but those will have to wait. We may be seeing a lot of changes in our family in the not too distant future, so my project focus will be on organization and simplification. I'm hoping to get the garage cleaned out and organized over the fall months.

What sort of things did you do this summer? What are your goals for the fall? Leave a comment!

Five websites that have changed my life

2010-09-14T17:35:00.000-05:00

1. Gentle Christian Mothers-- This website has taught me the meaning of "gentle discipline" or "grace-based discipline", which is a method of teaching children that focuses on helping rather than punishing. I have also learned a lot about natural foods, health, and general crunchiness. :) Not to mention all the awesome mama's I have met there.

2. Flylady-- I'm not reading the emails anymore (they do get a bit overwhelming), but Flylady's persistent, "You can do anything for fifteen minutes" has changed the pace of our home. I don't feel like I have to spend a whole day keeping house. If I can just unload my dishwasher and throw in a load of laundry, I'm off to a great start!

3. Walk Slowly, Live Wildly-- I don't know if I can actually say that this blog changed my life, but it's my favorite, so I had to throw it in here. I could spend hours exploring Sara's blog and being inspired by her. Make sure you check out her sections on consumerism and the compact... totally inspiring!

4. The Story of Stuff-- We have greatly cut down on our conspicuous consumption after watching this video (noticing a trend here with the consumerism?). Totally worth the twenty minutes.

5. Keeper of the Home-- Stephanie has been teaching me (and a whole lot of other people) the basics of a whole foods diet. I'm not there yet, but I'm working on it.

I hope you enjoy some of these!

Are there any websites that have revolutionized your thinking or changed your life? Leave a comment!

Aspects of literacy in very young children

2010-09-03T15:11:00.003-05:00

Photo credit: emilywjones

This is part two of a two part series on literacy in very young children. If you missed it, be sure to see part one here.

There are many aspects of reading that we, as adults, take for granted, but we should not overlook their importance in the learning of young children. Here are a few:

1. Repetition- Children learn by repetition (as do adults, of course). It may seem boring to you to read the same book over and over, but to a child it is comforting. They pick up something new from the book every time. I quite often will sit and read the same book to Doodlebug six or seven times *in a row* before she gets bored with it and goes to pick another book. Don't try to force them to move on. Read the same book repetitiously knowing you are encouraging your child to learn.

2. Rhyme and Rhythm- Children love rhyme and rhythm. We as adults appreciate (or at least recognize) more subtle patterns of words, but very young children need something a little more obvious. A young child can recognize that "cat" and "rat" sound alike, even if they cannot understand why. Books that sound like music are also fun. We often sing our books rather than "read" them.

3. Character- It is important to fully develop the characters in eve the most simplistic children's story. Give the characters voices. Make animal sounds. Talk animatedly. This draws very young children into the story (Oh! Mommy's excited! Maybe I should be too!), and helps to distinguish one picture from another as characters.

4. Illustrations- Give young children time to look at the pictures. For older children who are actively learning to read, it is okay for them to guess what the words say by looking at the pictures. This teaches children to use context clues, an important skill they will need later in life.

Five Ways to Give Children a love for reading

2010-08-31T15:16:00.001-05:00

Photo credit: emilywjones

I believe that reading to very young children is of the utmost importance, but most articles I have read have focused on teaching an older child to read. I want to focus on the importance of reading in VERY young children (as in babies and toddlers). This will be the beginning of a two-part series on Literacy for very young children.

1. Read to them. A lot. Read children's books. Read adult's books. Read fiction. Read non-fiction. Read magazines. Read newspapers. Read cereal boxes. Just read. Out loud and often.

2. Give children access to a variety of materials. Doodlebug is only 18 months old, but she has constant access to children's books and supervised access to other materials. If I am reading a magazine and she wants to look at it, I let her. I let her hold it, point at pictures, and turn pages until she starts tearing it up. Then it gets put away until later and she can look at a board book, instead.

3. Listen to books on CD. They are still absorbing the words, enjoying the story, and building vocabulary by listening.

4. Let your kids see you reading. Not just on the computer (speaking to myself here). My brother and I always saw my mom reading, and we wanted to do it, too.

5. Go to the library. It was one of my favorite places as a child. We would explore the different sections and find new literary loves. My mom always had us pick a classic off the shelf before any others.

How do you encourage love of reading in your kids?

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Composting

2010-08-28T12:40:00.000-05:00

I truly want to reduce my waste for the sake of the planet. I researched composting... and researched... and researched. You are supposed to have an equal mix of green matter (your table scraps, veggies gone bad, etc.) and brown matter (dead leaves, newspaper...). Most people do this by having two bins: a compost bin and one to just hold brown matter. When they throw in their scraps, they add in an equal amount of brown matter. This is actually the RIGHT way to compost, and the best way to get rich fertilizer for your garden relatively quickly.

Yes, those are Sun Chips bags.

I, however, only had one bin and I was not about to go out and buy a new one. So this is my compost pile. Really I just chunk in anything that is supposed to be composted, but in no particular order or balance. I'm not real good about chopping things up into small pieces like I'm supposed to, either. You can see the newspaper on the right; it's really supposed to be shredded.

I have a terrible unbalance toward green matter, but in the spring when the pecan fuzzies fall (those of you with pecans know EXACTLY what I'm talking about), I'll add them in as brown matter and everything will balance out. Doing things this way is not going to make super fast compost to amend my garden with, but eventually it will all decompose and stay out of the landfill.

So now no one has an excuse for not composting. It's not any harder than taking out the trash!

Mommom's Chicken and Dumplin's

2010-08-26T11:03:00.002-05:00

I forgot to take a picture... yet again. Oh well. Just imagine these in all their yummy deliciousness.

This is adapted from my grandma's recipe.

Boil your chicken carcass that is leftover from another meal to make stock. Pick off all the meat you can and throw back in the stock.

Mix in a large bowl:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt (I use Celtic Sea Salt)
Lots of pepper (I don't measure, but about thirty shakes from my shaker... yeah, it's a lot)
2 tsp. baking powder (use aluminum free kind!)
1/2 cup light flavored oil (I use light olive oil, but you could use veggie or canola oil if you prefer)
1 1/3 cups milk

Stir to make dough. Then either roll it out (it doesn't have to be pretty) and cut into small squares or if you are cooking one handed (as I often am) you can pinch off a little and smoosh it flat between your fingers. The point is that it needs to be pretty flat, not a big ball. Drop squares into boiling stock and boil for 25 minutes. You may want to add more salt and pepper to the soup depending on taste. Let cool and serve!

If somebody tries this let me know! I'm sure you'll love it!

Waste Not, Want Not in the Kitchen-- Bacon Grease

2010-08-24T11:28:00.001-05:00

I know bacon grease is not the absolute healthiest thing in the world to eat, but when you cook bacon (and nitrate free bacon is EXPENSIVE), there's a lot of grease left to throw away. I have been trying new ways to use it up. Here are two:

~Use it in muffins. Prepare a basic muffin recipe (I like the one in this book), but substitute bacon grease for the oil. This makes a really savory muffin that hubby loves (I can't eat more than one. They are really strong tasting.).

~Season green beans. We have been using fresh or frozen green beans and I think that they are kind of bland. But if you boil or steam them and then saute some chopped onions in bacon grease and stir in the green beans, they are absolutely delicious!

How do YOU use up leftovers?

Waste Not, Want Not in the Kitchen-- chicken

2010-08-20T13:47:00.004-05:00

I am constantly learning to waste less in the kitchen. Right now I don't do a big weekly meal plan because I never know how much of something I will have leftover, and I need the flexibility to use up the leftovers. Here is how meals went down last week with chicken.

Day one: Roasted chicken, bread, misc. veggies (made carcass into stock)
Day two: Chicken and Dumplin's (We always have tons of broth leftover from this but not so many dumplings, so the broth usually goes to waste... not this time)

Day three: Chicken pot pie. I just used the tiny little pieces of chicken I had leftover with a bag of mixed veggies and the Chicken and Dumplin' broth as gravy in a pie crust.

I also used my tiny little leftover bits of pie crust. Just tossed them in the toaster oven to be tasty chips/cookies.

Stay tuned for my yummy chicken and dumplin' recipe!

Stepping Away From the Computer

2010-08-11T14:16:00.004-05:00

I have been making an effort to step away from the computer more. Too often I would put Doodlebug in front of the TV so I could have a "break"; aka computer time. No more. It's not like I was using the computer an unholy amount, but that I needed to step back and invest that time in real life.

A week or so ago I purposed to only use the computer when Doodlebug was asleep. Not only that, but I would have Bible-reading time before I got on the computer. I thought that there was no way I would have time to do everything I wanted to do online in just the short time that is naptime, especially if I had to read my Bible first. I thought I would have to cut some things out.

But I haven't. As I have used my time to invest in my family, God has multiplied my "me time". I have been able to (somewhat) maintain my blog, keep up on my reading and forums, as well as get some other things done. Yesterday I was able to take a nap in peace, knowing that I didn't have to get on the computer. I would "catch up" later.

Doodlebug is definitely more important to me. Do I still sometimes want to sneak a peak at the computer to see if someone left a comment on my blog or something? Of course. But it goes off when she wakes up from nap and no matter what it's not coming back on. I don't miss it, and I wouldn't trade those moments with her for anything in the world.

In the end, I just have to remember this: I don't want my daughter to grow up and remember my face glowing in the light of the laptop. I want my daughter to remember my face glowing with the light of life.

Keeping Cool When It's Hot Out

2010-08-05T12:34:00.004-05:00

It has been hot hot hot here lately. We are big on going outside and making sure that Doodlebug spends lots of time in nature, but it's been too dang hot lately. I really don't want her to spend all day sitting in front of the TV. So I thought I'd compile a list of ways to keep cool when it's super duper hot out (I'm talking 110 degrees kind of hot).

~Go out early. I don't worry about the chores or anything else until we've had some outside time. We have breakfast and then head straight out to take advantage of the cool time.

~Stretch your time with water. It starts getting warm and we fill the baby pool. I can sit with my feet in the pool and relax while Doodlebug plays, and she can stay outside longer. (Don't forget to water your plants with it when you're done!)

When it's time to come inside:

~Bring out the "special" toys. You know? The electronic ones you hide because you don't want to hear them. Sometimes this helps us to get by without the TV. We also rotate our toys, so now is a good time rotate some new toys out of storage.

~Get out of the house. Go to the library, the children's museum, etc. I'm sure you can come up with a list of places in your town. Just go somewhere with air conditioning.

~Go somewhere novel. And I mean in the house this time. For us this means opening up the guestroom for play. It's a whole new world for her to explore.

~Play with them. Rather than trying to accomplish a bunch of stuff, why not take a break and enjoy your kiddos? Build a fort with pillows and blankets, play with blocks, have a tickle fight... anything to enjoy each other and keep them happy.

How do you keep your kids happy when it's too hot out to play?

"I don't have time."

2010-08-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

I saw some time management "expert" on TV a few weeks ago, and while I don't normally care for "expert" advice, she had one particularly good point. Rather than saying, "I don't have time," you should say, "It's not a priority." If it rubs you the wrong way to say it, you should re-prioritize. Her example was a child asking you to read to them. If telling them, "it's not a priority" hurts you, then you need to take the time to read to them and get rid of another obligation.

I have spent a LOT more time reading to Doodlebug since I saw this, but I have also applied it to other areas of my life: primarily money.

Rather than saying, "We can't afford it," I have been trying to say, "It's not a priority." Because the fact is, we COULD afford to eat out, buy more stuff, etc. But it's not important enough to put ourselves in debt or other financial jeopardy. Spending money is just not a priority.

This also justifies some things that I do spend time/money on. I spend a ton of time reading to Doodlebug and playing outside. Others may think this is a waste of time, but to me these are the basis of a happy childhood. We also spend more money on natural/organic foods when we can. These are a priority because I think they are important for the health of our family.

So consider your priorities the next time you think you don't have the time or money for something. Chances are you could make the time or save the money if it is truly important to you.

Bounty

2010-07-30T17:55:00.002-05:00

From today's farmer's market:

A dozen eggs, a pile of peaches, and four patty-pan squash (I've never tried them before). All organic. Less than nine dollars! Our farmer's market only consists of two booths, but it is TOTALLY worth it to stop. Just because you live in a small town doesn't mean you can't buy whole foods.

What I REALLY Want

2010-07-24T22:00:00.003-05:00

I received an email from Flylady recently with the quote,

"Self-discipline is remembering what you really want."

This quote has really inspired me in my mothering. When I want something that is not particularly good for Doodlebug (or myself), I try to remember what I really want.

*I want to sit Doodlebug in front of the TV so I can have a break, but what I really want is for her to grow up with a creative mind that doesn't require TV to be entertained.

*I want to sit on the couch and eat dinner with the laptop in my lap, but what I really want is for Doodlebug to have the routine of eating meals at the table as a family.

*I want to eat a whole package of oreos, but what I really want is to be healthy, to teach Doodlebug to be healthy, and to have a high fructose corn syrup free diet.

*I sometimes want to go shopping and spend boo-koos of money (rarely, but it happens), but what I really want is a simple life, financial freedom, and contentment.

This little sentence: "Self-discipline is remembering what you really want," has changed my life. It has helped me to remember that my main priority (no matter how lazy I feel that day) is to take the best care of Doodlebug that I can, to be the best mommy I can be. It has truly helped me to remember what is important in life.

A Use-it-up meal

2010-07-21T13:52:00.001-05:00

I meant to take a picture FIRST, but quiche doesn't last long around here.

Quiche is a regular at our house. Typically we have it with squash and spinach, but it is great for using up whatever you have lying around. This one had random chopped up potatoes, squash, and red peppers that were left over from kabobs earlier in the week, plus a ton of green tomatoes. Doodlebug loves to pick tomatoes, but she's not big enough to understand that you are supposed to wait until they're red. :o) So we had green tomato quiche.

Quiche is really a super easy meal. Make a pie crust (I use an oil pastry because it's fast). Throw in random veggies. Top with cheese. Pour beaten eggs and milk over the top and bake. For a really detailed method you can see the article in The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

A Special Treat

2010-07-20T08:13:00.000-05:00

Chicago-style hot dogs.

Nitrate free hotdogs.

Mustard, relish, tomato, onion, celery salt and a pickle.

I actually hate most of those ingredients, but all together they are wonderful!

Next time I'll make my own buns, though. Small town grocery stores don't carry a lot of HFCS free, whole wheat products.

Chocolate pie

2010-07-12T16:07:00.005-05:00

A couple of days ago my husband had a bad day at work and asked if he could have a chocolate pie. Because I love him I said yes.

And then I whipped up this baby.

From scratch.

And I beat the meringue by hand. I don't have a mixer.

BY HAND.

Can I have my wife of the year award now, please?

Excalibur dehydrator giveaway

2010-07-09T13:22:00.001-05:00

Passionate homemaking is giving away an Excalibur dehydrator right now. This is, like, the mother of all dehydrators, so head over and enter to win.

http://passionatehomemaking.com

Works for me Wednesday-- softer towels

2010-04-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has ever dried their clothes on a clothesline knows that line-dried towels are sort of... crunchy. So what's a clotheslining girl to do?

I fluff my towels as hard as I can about ten times before I pin them to the line. They aren't as soft as tumble-dried, but much softer than just pinning them up straight out of the washer. Plus it's a really good workout.

Learning to Walk

2010-04-20T14:51:00.004-05:00

All the places I have ever lived have been extremely unconducive to walking. Either there were rednecks in large pickups trying to run you over, or everything in town was so spread out you'd have to walk hours to get anywhere. So in the previous places I've lived, walking was associated with... well... homelessness. When you would see the same people walking all the time, you think, "There's that guy who walks," and you recognize them because they walk everywhere.

Now we have moved to the perfect little town, and everything is within walking distance. No one tries to run you over, and I don't fear for my daughter's safety as she rides in the stroller. So we've been walking. Not just for exercise, but to run errands, go shopping, whatever. I can't make it very far yet, but I figure I'll get better as I go.

But I feel like I'm having to learn to walk. I don't want people to look at me and think weird things! *blush* Now why on earth do I care about that?! Maybe they can think, "There's that lady. The one who walks for exercise," or "the one who cares about the planet," or "Look how sweet! That mama took her baby for a walk!" I guess it's a different culture here, where people actually CAN walk safely. Maybe no one here associates it with homelessness like they do in previous places I've lived.

And so, I'm learning to walk. Learning to not care what other people think of me. Learning to take care of myself, and my daughter, and the planet.

Welcome to the Homestead!

2010-04-19T17:46:00.002-05:00

Hello. For those of you who don't already know me, I'm DM (aka Doodlebug's Mommy). I also blog at Doodlebug's Planet, but honestly I wrote myself into a corner by ONLY talking about environmental issues. This blog is about my life. My husband, daughter and I just recently moved to the perfect little house in town, and I am very excited to have my very own "suburban homestead." We'll talk about simplicity, homemaking, food, frugality, and honestly, whatever I feel like talking about that day. Having a sweet little girl and a busy life, I can't promise to write every day (or even every week for that matter), so make sure you add me to your feed reader to keep up with the posts. Thanks for visiting!