When you turn 17 months old...

... you stay up late playing the night before.

... you drink your milk after you finish every piece of cereal.

...you get to eat your favorite fruit for breakfast.

 

... you lounge with a good book.

... you go to a local diner and dip your french fries in ketchup.

... you get a special bowl of ice cream and LOVE IT.

... you spend the rest of your afternoon at the park before nap time.


Happy 17 Months Harlow!

OAMC: The Beginning

I'm very excited to start Once A Month Cooking, or OAMC, this February! If we can get our garage cleaned and organized this weekend, then we will be able to purchase a new freezer and give it a try!

In one day, I will be cooking and baking enough meals for a month and then freezing them! On the menu will be breakfasts and dinners, and since we are only a family of three we will use the dinner leftovers for lunches the next day. From what I have read, this will save us money, time, and will be healthier overall. I am super excited and nervous to take this on, but I am READY!

So far, I have decided to make Toaster Pastries, French Toast, Egg Casserole Cups, and Ricotta Pancakes for breakfasts, and pulled pork and spaghetti for dinner (my own recipes). I still have a few more dinner recipes to add, but I think it's a good start! I would love recipe recommendations as long as they are healthy, can be changed to organic ingredients, and freeze well!

Reconnecting With Our Harvest: An Essay

Supporting the local economy, while at the same time buying healthy food for my family, is very important to me. I am lucky to live in an area that has a wonderful farmers market and a co-op, where I can purchase locally grown and created organic goods. One of the last papers I wrote at WSU (GO COUGS!) was on this very concept. If you can get past the quotations and citations (necessary for the assignment) it has very useful information for people wanting to learn more about farmers markets and how they benefit society.

Organic Stewed Cinnamon Apples

Harlow loves apples. She REALLY loves them.

And I have loved making her organic homemade applesauce and stewed apples for almost a year. In fact, with the help of my Beaba Babycook and The Baby and Toddler Cookbook, Harlow has never eaten baby food from a jar!

Organic Stewed Cinnamon Apples are one of our staple recipes that we make almost weekly. Start with any type of organic apples. We prefer Braeburn, but I couldn't resist these gorgeous Red Delicious apples from Washington (home sweet home) that I found at our local co-op.

Peel and cut four apples into bite sized pieces, and place in a saucepan.

Fill the saucepan with water, then sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon over the apples and gently stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn the heat down to low and simmer until the apples are soft enough for your little one.

After the apples have cooled, serve and devour!

The apples can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator safely for 3-4 days.

17 Months

As I’m writing this first blog entry, I am listening to one of my favorite sounds: Harlow talking to her baby animals in her crib as she falls asleep. Tomorrow she will be 17 months old, and I think we will celebrate by going to the park and out for ice cream. I’ve come to realize that it’s memories like the ones we will make tomorrow – the little special moments we share every day – that are the sweetest. Hopefully you will love to read about them, and our other family endeavors, as much as I enjoy writing about them. Harlow will certainly be the shining star of this blog, although I plan on including my wonderful husband, Seth, as well as entries about everything from cloth diapering to organic living in beautiful San Diego.

Happy reading, everyone!