Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Pork Tenderloin Recipe Success

I'm always trying to find new ways to cook pork tenderloin. It's always a favorite cut of meat in our household because it comes vacuum packed, giving me a few extra days to get around to cooking it before it goes bad.

I can't take credit for this one, but can't find the link either, so here it is, without me taking any credit.

Maple Pork Tenderloin
1 tenderloin
splash of oil for pan
1 tsp sage
salt, pepper

3T maple syrup
3T vinegar (apple cider or in a pinch rice wine)
1t dijon mustard

Rub the tenderloin with the sage, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown the tenderloin in a pan with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking. This should take about 6 minutes on med-hi. Lower the heat to med-low and cover. Cook an additional 10 min or so until temp is 150F. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Wisk together 2T maple syrup, 2T vinegar, and dijon. Place 1T vinegar in pan and heat until bubble, scraping the pan to bring up brown spots.

Add maple mix to pan and heat until it thickens, return pork and turn for an additional 2 min.

Remove pork from pan. Add the additional 1T maple syrup, heat, and pour the juices over pieces of pork.


I served it with polenta and butternut squash and was tempted to make a cranberry sauce for it. Maybe next time.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Cloth Diapers 101, as promised

Okay, so please understand that I'm writing this for those of you who have already decided to cloth diaper. I'm not going to spend any time trying to convince you that cloth diapers are better for the environment, better for the baby, better for you, etc. You already know this.

In this post, I hope to cover some basic definitions for the types of cloth diapers and covers that are available as well as some places to purchase them and some online resources for more information. Please let me know if there are any glaring omissions, or if you'd like to add something. I plan to lay out a basic outline and then fill in the slots as I have time, so if it looks half-written, that's because it is. Please be patient with me. I have two children and work part time, so this is going to have to be piecemeal.

CLOSURE TYPES:
snaps
aplix (velcro)
pins
snappi
prefold belts

DIAPER TYPES:
Flats:
These are your grandma's cloth diapers. Literally. They are cotton squares of birdseye, muslin, or flannel that have either finished edges or pinked edges. They come in bleached, unbleached, dyed, tie-dyed, embellished, you name it. They are inexpensive, wash well and dry easily. They do, however, require folding to use. The folding can be as easy as making a multilayered rectangle or as complicated as an origami sculpture. It all depends on what sort of performance you want out of them. They can be folded specifically for boys or girls, doubled for toddlers or left singly for newborns. You can add a doubler (multilayered single-unit sewn piece) to add absorbancy exactly where you need it. They must be closed with either pins or a snappi or a tight-fitting wrap-style cover. These can truly be a one-sized diaper that you use from birth to potty.

Flats are sold singly for approximately $1.25 each or in dozens for $15 or so.

Prefolds:
Prefolds are similar to flats in that they are generally comprised of a cotton birdseye. The name prefold comes from the fact that prefolds are sewn to resemble one of the most basic flat-diaper folding techniques, thus saving the parent the time they would need to fold a flat. The are rectangular and have usually 2-4 layers on the outside edges and 6-8 layers in a strip down the center. This provides absorbancy where you need it and less bulk at the hips where you don't need it.

Prefolds come in:
  • bleached cotton
  • unbleached cotton
  • hemp
  • bamboo
  • dyed
  • tie-dyed
Prefolds come in the following traditional sizes and also additional "gourmet" sizes that are more square than rectangular:
  • preemie
  • infant
  • regular
  • premium
  • toddler
You will have to buy several sizes as your baby grows, but at around $20 for a dozen, it's still a very affordable diaper. You will also find many other uses for prefolds both while your babies are young and afterwards. They are truly a useful item to have on-hand.

Prefolds can be folded further by methods such as: (links to come later)
  • diva fold
  • newspaper fold
  • angel fold
  • jelly roll
  • bikini twist
Prefolds are usually fastened with either pins or a snappi, but can be trifolded and lain in a tight-fitting wrap-style cover to hold them in place.

preflats:

Preflats are very similar to prefolds. They are rectangular hemmed fabric with a thicker strip down the center. The main difference between preflats and prefolds is the material they are made of. Prefolds are made from cotton and preflats are usually rayon made from bamboo. Because bamboo fabrics are more absorbant than cotton, the preflat usually has fewer layers both on the edges and in the center than a standard prefold does. The use of prefolds is generally identical to that of prefolds.

Because bamboo rayon is a more expensive fabric to purchase, preflats are usually about $15-20 per diaper. Examples of preflats include PB&E, Cake, and Buckaww.

contours:
Contoured diapers are similar to fitted diapers except that they do not have elastic at the waist or leg openings. They are generally pinned or snappied to fit and worn under a cover. Contours are usually made of cotton. Contures are usually priced in the $6-10 range.

Kissaluvs brand makes contour diapers.

fitteds:
Fitted diapers are much like a reusable version of a disposable diaper. They are shaped to fit your baby with elastic at the waist and leg openings and usually have some sort of closure system built in. Closures are usually aplix (velcro) or snaps but can sometimes be ties, buckles, or some other system. Some fitteds are without closures to allow the parent to use pins or a snappi for a perfect fit.

Fitted diapers can be made from:
  • cotton
  • hemp
  • rayon from bamboo

and may include other types of man-made fibers as soakers (absorbancy boosters.)
The inner layer of some fitted diapers is microfleece or suedecloth to create a layer that allows water to pass through to the absorbant materials but not feel wet on the baby's bottom. This is a nice feature, but introduces non-organic fibers, which some parents do not care for. Also, some babies have shown a sensitivity to suedecloth.

The outer layer of fitteds is usually a printed fabric. Some mothers become collectors of a particular brand of fitteds and try to own all of the prints available. A stack of fitted diapers on a shelf can be quite colorful, if you have an eye for prints, and some mothers use them as decor in the child's room. For this and other reasons, fitted diapers can be the most expensive type to build your stash with. Fitted diapers generally range from $10-$40 per diaper when purchased new.

Fitted diapers can have either internal soakers or external soakers, meaning that sometimes the soaker materials are sew into the layers of the diaper and sometimes they are attached to the body of the diaper by snaps or stitches. Diapers with internal soakers can be easier to put on a baby, especially in the night, but diapers with external soakers dry faster after laundering. A third, less common, style is the pocket fitted. A pocket fitted has an opening at the back edge of the diaper for the parent to insert whatever absorbant pieces they choose.

Fitted diapers do not have a waterproof layer and must be used with a cover or wool/fleece pants.

Examples of fitted diapers include Goodmamas, Sandys (by Motherease), and Bagshot Row Bamboo diapers.


all-in-ones:
All-in-ones, or AIOs as they are referred to, are the closest to a disposable diaper that you can come without actually disposing of anything but solid waste during the cleaning process. They are shaped like a fitted with elastic and a closure system, but also have a waterproof outer layer to hold the contents and moisture in.

The absorbant layers are permanently attached to the waterproof layer and the whole diaper is washed after a single use. Most AIOs have internally sewn soakers but a few have external, flappy soakers to aid it drying time. AIOs tend to take the longest to dry as the waterproof layer also prevents the warm air in the dryer from blowing through the absorbant layers and drying them.

AIOs are often a good choice for newborns, grandparents, babysitters, and daycares as they require the least amount of thinking and preparation for use.

AIOs range in price from $15-$30 per diaper.

all-in-twos:
All-in-two, or AI2s as they are called, are very similar to AIOs except that the absorbant layers are removable. There are two advantages to an AI2 system over an AIO:

  • the waterproof shell can be reused multiple times if it does not get pooped on. You simply snap in a new soaker and reuse the shell.
  • the AI2 soakers often dry faster than an AIO as the lack of a waterproof/windprood barrier allows the warm air to do its work more quickly.
The first of these advantages my be negated when diapering a very tiny baby as the poop of a breast-fed baby is often both liquid and explosively expelled. This means that chances are very good that the baby will poop on the shell with every use, not allowing you to simply snap a wet soaker out of a clean shell.

AI2s generally cost $20-25 for one shell and one soaker, with additional soakers costing $6-$15 each. An example of an AI2 diaper is Grobaby.

pockets:
Pocket diapers are very similar to AI2s and AIOs. They involve a waterproof outer later and usually a stay-dry inner layer, elastic, and closures. However, instead of snapping soakers in or having a sewn-in absorbant soaker, pocket diapers have an opening along the back or front edge that allows the parent to insert absorbant materials. After use, the insert is removed and washed along with the pocket. After drying, the inserts must be repacked for the next use, much like an AI2.

Pockets have the advantages of being quick to dry and easy to put on as a single piece diaper. The disadvantage is mainly in the initial prep-time.

Pocket diapers are usually $15-$20 per diaper and often come with an insert. The most common insert materials are:
  • microfiber
  • hemp
  • bamboo
  • cotton prefold diapers, tri-folded
Examples of pocket diapers include Fuzzi Bunz, Rocky Mountain Diapers, BumGenius, and Knickernappies.

COVER TYPES:
With most cloth diapers, you will need some sort of waterproof barrier to keep your baby's clothes and your lap dry. There are many more options today than there were 30 years ago when my parents were diapering me. Thankfully, there are so many good ones that it's difficult to pick just one favorite style!

pull on nylon taffeta:
Nylon taffeta pull-on pants are the style of cover that most closely resembles what our parents used on us. They are a simple shower cap style pant with elastic at the legs and waist. They pull on and off like undies.

The advantages to these covers are:

  • inexpensive
  • easy to use (no confusing closures)
  • difficult for toddlers to remove
  • compress easily under clothing
They are inexpensive ($2.50-$6 per cover) and are available from a number of companies. They are usually sold in white but can easily be dyed by soaking them in unsweetened Kool Aid. Companies that sell these types of covers include Dappi, Bummis and Basic Connection.


pouf-style pull-on, snap-off:
This style of cover, often called POSO, is a hybrid of the pull-on cover and the wrap style cover. It can be either pulled on and off or snapped on and off, or any combination of the two. This comes in handy when the baby poops and you'd rather not slide the slimy cover down their legs.

These covers are more expensive than pull-on styles and are comparable in price to wrap style covers. Prices are typically $12-15. Examples of POSOs are Mother-Ease Airflow (MEAF) and Blue Penguin POSO.



MORE TO COME:
wrap style (snap or aplix)
gussets and why you might like them
WAHM style
fleece
wool (wraps, soakers, shorties, capris, longies, skirties)


STORES that I can personally recommend:
www.nickisdiapers.com
www.little-lions.com
www.greenmoutaindiapers.com
www.thenaturalbabyco.com
www.sewcraftybaby.com
www.bananapeels.com
www.fishnoodles.com

ONLINE RESOURCES:
www.diaperpin.com
www.diaperswappers.com
www.greenmountaindiapers.com
www.realdiaperassociation.org

Monday, September 28, 2009

Homemade Bread

Yogurt Bread
2 pkg yeast
1.5 C warm water
1C yogurt
1Tbsp salt
5-6 C flour

I made this in my Kitchenaide mixer. I put the yeast and warm water in the bowl and let it get fizzy. Ass yogurt and salt. Mix on 2 and add flour slowly. Allw mixer to kneed the bread for 5-10 min on speed 2-3.

Allow the dough to rest for 30-60 minutes.

Use the mixer to punch down the dough for 5-10 seconds.

Kneed the dough on speed 1-2 for less than 60 seconds.

Shape the dough and place it on a greased sheet. Allow the bread to rise 40 minutes. Make three slashes on the dough and brush with water. Bake for 35-40 min at 400F. Brush with water every 15 minutes.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

The Toddler Wants to Bake Pie UPDATED


For two days now, A has been begging me to make a pie. I have no pie fruit, no cans of pie filling. What to do?! I scrounged around in the cupboard and found two boxes of instant pudding. Can you make a decent pie out of INSTANT chocolate pudding? We'll find out!

Without further ado, the "Toddler wants to bake pie and the cupboard is bare" Pie recipe:

A's Chocolate Pie
10 graham crackers, crushed
1/3 C butter (or whatever's left in the tub in this case)
2 Tbs sugar
2 boxes chocolate pudding
2 squares of baker's chocolate, melted
2 cups milk

Melt the butter in the pie pan in the microwave.

Add grahams and sugar and press into the pie pan to make a crust.

Blend pudding mix with 2 cups of milk with an electric mixer.

Fold in melted chocolate and scoop into the pie crust.

Refridgerate for an hour.



It's cooling right now so we don't know if it's any good, but the spatula tasted wonderful! A went through three clean shirts while licking various chocolate-covered tools, so it will probably be a hit.


UPDATE: Served chilled with cool whip on top, this pie is definitely a repeatable experience. It disappeared and the adults fought over the last two pieces.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

The toddler informed me, upon picking her up from daycare, that she wanted to make cookies. So, we went home and put together some peanut butter chocolate cookies with dark and milk chips. They're in the oven now and I can only imagine that they'll be delicious. The original Dark Chocolate and Chip cookie recipe has been easy to adapt to a number of different variations over the years and all have been fabulous. 8 minutes until we know!

The Chocolate Cookie
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
2tsp vanilla
2C flour
1/2 C cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1-2 C chocolate chips, mixed milk and dark
1/2 C peanut butter

Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Add cocoa, baking powder, salt and flour, mix.

Fold in chocolate chips and peanut butter.

Bake at 350F for 11 min.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Red and Green or White and Red

This week's recipe: Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Corn. We liked it so much, we had it twice! The first time, we used white quinoa with a red pepper, and the second time we used red quinoa and a green pepper. You wouldn't think it would make a difference, but it does! I picked this gem up from the babyfit.com website.

Quinoa Salad
1 1/2 C raw quinoa
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of sweet kernel corn, drained
1 1/2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4C cilantro, chopped
1/3 C lime juice
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/3 C olive oil

Prepare the quinoa as directed on package.

Mix beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Add beans, corn, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, cayenne, and cumin to quinoa and mix well.

Whisk together lime juice, salt, cumin, and add oil while whisking. Add to the salad and salt and pepper to taste.

This tastes even better as leftovers.

The husband requested an immediate repeat, while the toddler turned her nose up the second time I served it. I think that's more about her being 2 years old than her not liking it, though.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Toddler-Adult Translation

"Feek, Mama!" Speaks, Mama! as in Martha Speaks.

"you fink." you think and tell me the answer.

"I need foon." I need a spoon.

"Fwirrel!" squirrel!

"I'm so cold!" Pick me up and snuggle me. I don't care if it's 90F out.

"I need tension." Come sit next to me while I poop on the toilet.

"Here you go! I got the momter!" Here's the baby monitor, I brought it up from downstairs, even though you don't need it up here.

"Next time I listen." Please stop lecturing me. I already had my time out and want to go play.

"I only wub you foh much." I always love you so much.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Sloppy Garden Joes

Another husband-approved dish! This one comes originally from www.babyfit.com. I have made a few small alterations to it, with great success. It has officially been placed on the "make again" list with a recommendation to try it out with various types of BBQ sauces.

Sloppy Garden Joe's Chili
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, not drained
  • 1 8oz. can mushrooms, drained
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • salt and pepper to taste
1. Sauté onions, green pepper and ground turkey in a pan over medium-high heat until turkey is cooked through. I added a little canola oil to the pan to keep the turkey from sticking since I was not using a non-stick pan.

2. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, garlic, oregano, liquid smoke, barbecue sauce and seasonings and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer until the children are down for the night, stirring occasionally.

4. Serve with cheese, if desired.

Serves 8.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Nightly Prayer by A

"Dear God,
thank you for Papa, Nonna, Micky, Minnie. Once upon time I hurt elbow in the morning. Once upon time, once time. Daddy, Mama, Maggie.
Amen."

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Pizza Crust Nirvana

I finally found a pizza crust recipe worth repeating! I have been searching for 15 years for one that I liked! Oh, my, stars! It's grand. The whole family devoured it!

Here it is: pizza crust.

We topped it with:

pepperoni
Italian sausage (chicken, with mozzarella cheese in it)
red pepper
black olives
feta

I used Ragu's jarred pizza sauce, gourmand that I am. LOL. It was divine. Seriously, the toddler ate three pieces all by herself! My husband did not complain about it being too doughy, and I did not complain about it being too hard/crunchy.

Next stop, grilled pizza...


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Nola Bar Update

Nola bars made with Virginia peanuts, m&ms, and raisins are delicious. Also, lowering the sugar content made a notable positive alteration to the flavor. Less cookie-like, more satisfying.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Homemade 'Nola Bars

I tried a new recipe for granola/energy bars this weekend. I think I'm in love.

I got the recipe from Readers' Digest, of all places. Here it is.

I used walnuts, currants, and choc chips. Wowsa. I LOVE it. The sweetness comes largely from the chocolate chips, which surprised me. I think I could leave out the chocolate and then play with savory granola bars. Maybe do sesame and ginger? Craisin and orange zest?

YUM! The toddler approves, too.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

More Adventures in Cooking

I wanted to make banana bread last weekend. I REALLY wanted to make banana bread last weekend the way only a pregnant or nursing mother wants a specific food. I had three ripe bananas and walnuts, so the only thing stopping me was my lack of white flour. I had some, yes, but was it enough to make banana bread?

But wait! I had a whole bag of whole wheat flour! Surely the moistness of the bananas could overcome the dry nature of whole wheat flour and make a good bread, right? I got online and found that yes, indeed, whole wheat banana bread is easy and good. There were a LOT of recipes to choose from, so as usual, I picked the best parts of each and combined them into MY recipe.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

3 large bananas, over-ripe and mashed
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 C molasses
1/4 C honey
1/4 C sugar (white or brown)
1/4 C oil
1 1/2C whole wheat flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C nuts

Mix the moist ingredients together until blended. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the moist and fold them in just until moistened. Do not over mix. Allow batter to rest for 15 minutes.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking oil, add batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350F. Toothpick will be clean when done.

************************************

Our other culinary experience to share with you:

MEATLOAF MOUNTAINS
Chad says I am never to make meatloaf again. I must always make meat muffins... ie Meatloaf Mountains. I can't take credit for this recipe as it's not mine. BUT I can take credit for introducing it to you.

Meatloaf Mountains
1lb ground beef or turkey
2 eggs
1 package of dry soup mix, vegetable flavor
1 squirt ketchup (about a tablespoon)
15 saltines, crushed
2-4 servings of instant mashed potatoes, cooked according to package instructions.

Mix all but the potatoes together. Spray the cups of a muffin tin and divide the meat mixture amongst the cups. Cook at 350F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and divide the potatoes amongst the cups, making peaks on top of the meatloaf. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

Everyone in the family loves them and they are completely toddler-friendly as far as cooking goes. So quick and easy!!!