Team Pink

Yep.  Baby #3 is a girl!

It will take us awhile to come up with a name.  :)

We had taken a gender test early on and it said boy so we weren't quite expecting to hear little girl.  We are totally excited, though!

She's breech right now which always makes me a little nervous since Miss L was breech.  My doctor knows that I will be watching this like a hawk and will want to work on making sure she's head down soon rather than later.  So, you can be praying that she turns so I have a better chance at a second VBAC.  This helps us to plan a little more for a variety of things so that is nice.  I am excited that even the ultrasound tech though that I would be back to see her because I am notorious for having babies a bit early.  Which means more peaks at Baby Girl!  YAY!

Toad Frog

Yes, I know that it's actually Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel but this is what sweet Miss L calls it these days and it is by far her favorite book.  Well, let me clarify, she likes Frog and Toad in general but loves one particular story titled, Cookies.


OH. MY.

When she is getting ready to go take a nap or go to bed she always asks for "Toad Frog."  Then if you ask her which story she wants to read (it's better to just pick one really) she always says, "Cookie."

What's funny about the whole thing is that she knows where certain words belong in the story.  If I pause to let her fill in the blank, she does.  But seriously, what 2 1/2 year old knows the phrase "will power?"  She's all over it and thankfully the story does an okay job in explaining what it means.  It's pretty funny to hear her say the phrase and then be seriously disappointed when they give all the cookies to the birds -- you know, in order to have LOTS of will power of course.  It's one of those slap your hand on the head type deals and she looks like, "They did what?!?!"  So, funny.  However, all seems to be redeemed when Toad decides to make a cake.  I guess in her world cake trumps cookies.  Let me assure you though, she won't turn down a cookie.  Although, recently she just likes saying the word "pie" so I am guessing she just like dessert.  ha!

I'm doomed.  I hate pie (unless it's chocolate, pumpkin, or a small slice of pecan) and it seems as though my family loves it.  Husband keeps egging me on to make one and now he's turning the young ones on me.

Doomed, I tell ya, doomed!

Pulled Pork with Spice Rub

Well, I am starting to work on some of the "simple" meals in my Freezer Meal plan in order to crank out as many as possible.  Part of me just wants to do it all at once the other part of me doesn't want to do it at all.  But I have to take into consideration time, budget, and the fact that we still need to eat other things.  So, we will take small steps so as not to overwhelm me or my family.

I did the pulled pork first because it required minimal hands on attention from me.  I found a website that recommended a spice rub.  Honestly, I have never done a spice rub on anything before.  I will say, I will be looking for more because this was AWE.SOME.  I didn't have the cayenne pepper but I don't think I was any worse for the wear in not having it.  However, I was a little perplexed that I didn't have any and added it to the spice list.

I will say that I was wishing that this was what was for dinner that night rather than the chicken that was already in the oven.  I set aside some for Husband to have for lunch in a BBQ sandwich.  I was a little envious of his lunch today.  HA!

The recipe called for bone in pork shoulder.  Well, I had a smaller tenderloin that I got on super sale and used that.  I also halved the recipe because I had far less meat to cover.  So, my ultimate measurements were semi-estimates.  I didn't have liquid smoke so I just used the water -- plus, some people have a love or hate relationship with the stuff.  I personally do not care one way or the other.  I froze my meat without the BBQ sauce so I have the flexibility to use for BBQ sandwiches or some other meal.  YAY!!

It is a little spicy and I wonder how my girls will react but I think with other flavors they will be just fine.  So, if you have super sensitive kiddos you may want to cut back on the spicier things.  But overall.... YUMMMM!!

(And of course, I neglected to get a photo of the final product.  Let me assure you it was beautiful!)

Pulled Pork (From The Way the Cookie Crumbles)

(for sandwiches, tacos, pork fried rice, or whatever)

Spice Rub: (from Cooks Illustrated)

1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 cups barbecue sauce

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.

2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow
cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.

5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Let me know if you try this or if you have a spice rub that I should try!

Lactation Bars

These have, by far, created the most buzz from my Freezer Meal Plan.  There are a few comments alluding to it but I have also received several e-mails about them and what they are exactly.  I think I mentioned something to my mother-in-law about seeing them advertised in specialty bakeries for some ridiculous price.  Something like $40 a dozen! (The more I looked it seemed to be the going rate)  My sweet MIL looked online and found a couple of recipes for lactation bars and finally settled on Mama Jeeper's Lactation Bars.  Basically, they are a yummy snack that help promote milk production.  How?  They are chocked full of things that have been known to help with milk production -- flax, Brewer's yeast, oats, etc.  This is helpful to someone (ME) who has a hard time eating a whole bowl of oatmeal of any kind (which is supposed to help with milk production as well).  It's suggested to eat 4 or so a day.  Note you may have to share these with children and husbands. :)  While I have extreme issues with milk production these helped some.  Others swear by them.  I like that they are an easy snack during the ravenous time of nursing that can actually help the issue.  Some people have complained about the extra calories -- I don't worry about too much when nursing. Worry about weight loss, etc after nursing.  Although, some people (not me) tend to lose a ton of weight anyway while nursing.  No, I'm not jealous.  ;)  (Can you say tangent?)

A friend mentioned giving these to new mama's as gifts.  I think that is a lovely idea!  I mention this below but I would suggest this as well for gift giving, wrap them individually and let them know they freeze well if needed.

Mama Jeeper's Oatmeal Lactation Breakfast Bars 
2 c. butter, Crisco, or margarine (can mix and match to equal 2 c.) (I'm all for the butter and not that other stuff)
1 c. granulated sugar
2 c. packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. brewer's yeast (not baking yeast or what's used for brewing beer) or nutritional yeast powder  (use 1/2 Cup)
1/4 c. flax meal (or whole flaxseed milled fine in a coffee grinder) (use 1/2 Cup)
4 c. oatmeal (old fashioned, or as thick-cut as you can find) (We used Steel Cut Oats)
1 bag mini semi sweet chocolate chips 

1 c. nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugars well, then add eggs and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Mix all dry ingredients (except for oats, chips, and nuts) in separate bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients all at once, stirring as well as possible by hand. Mix with beaters until smooth. Add oats and chips (and nuts, if desired), and stir until well blended. Divide dough into five parts.

Line a 10 X 7 cookie sheet (with shallow sides, like a jellyroll pan) with foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray. Spread 1/5 of the dough into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

When done, simply lift out foil to remove the bars. Place another piece of foil into the pan and spray for the next batch. Allow to cool at least slightly before cutting each pan of bars into eighths.

Makes 40 bars 

The dough freezes well so you can make a bunch up and then bake later.  Just thaw dough in fridge and then let warm up a little out of the fridge before putting in the pan.  The final bars freeze well, too.  However, I would recommend wrapping them individually to help keep them fresh when they are being used.  But that is just my preference and it makes them easy to pick up on the way out the door.

I read that someone put a vegan spin on these which if you are creative enough you can totally do.  She mentioned using Mother's Milk Tea as the "wet" part of baking-- which would be another good way to add lactation helping goodness.

Freezer Meals: The Plan

Well, we are gearing up to get ready for baby around here.  There are things that we will need to purchase this time around.  Basically, we will need to get another crib because Miss A will not be ready to move out of her crib when #3 arrives.  That's the biggie... oh... you know... and moving the girls into one room.  That should prove to be entertaining!  HA!

I am planning to make a whole lot of meals to fill our freezer.  We have some things already in there that are being stocked up.  Okay... one meal and some dough for lactation cookies.  However, I am trying to figure out what we need and start cranking things out so I am not waiting until the last minute when I will be large, tired, in the midst of Advent, Miss L's Birthday, and Christmas planning.  I am also trying to find the balance where it won't be in the freezer too long either.  However, now that I think about it I think we are in a good place with that now.

For this week I am working on making some chicken and turkey stock, green chile sauce with all the green chile we have in our freezer, and some pulled pork for sandwiches.  The stock will be an ongoing process as I use chickens for other meals, etc.

So, here's my long term plan... ambitious?  Not enough??

Husband's Lasagna x 2
Italian Meatloaf x 2
My Chile x 3
Veggie Chile x 3
Ren's Chocolate Muffins x 2 (has good stuff like pumpkin, flax, etc -- it's not ALL sugar)
Chicken Pot Pie x 2
Fiesta Chicken x 2
Fiesta Chicken (Green Version) x 2
Spaghetti Sauce x 3 or 4
Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese x 2
Green Chile Enchiladas x 3 (or more at the request of Husband)
Spaghetti Pizza x 2
Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf x 2
Meatballs (not sure how many yet)
Brown Bag Burritos x 1 (makes 20-ish)
Chicken Spaghetti (Pioneer Woman) x 2
Pulled Pork x 1 (more if meat comes on sale again)
Breakfast Burritos x 1 (will probably make more - cranks out about 16)
Chicken & Rice (Quinoa) Burritos x 1 (makes about 8?)
Baked Ziti x 2
BBQ Beef & Bean Corn Bread Casserole x 2
Bacon, Egg, Cheese Biscuit Cups x 1
Ham & Cheese Pockets x 1
Sausage Biscuits x 1
Twice Cooked Mashed Potatoes x 2
Cranberry Chicken x 2
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup x 2
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken x 2
Lactation Cookies x LOTS!

From Costco:
Ravioli (will probably give us three meals)
Fish (will probably make fish tacos a few times)
Chicken nuggets (easy lunch for the girls)

My plan is to buy three turkeys around Thanksgiving.  One for the celebration meal and then the other two hopefully we will cook as soon as possible and just store the meat for whatever.

I will post recipes as I move through them and adjust them.  I am also looking into the best way to post them here.  I continue to find more recipes so I will add them here as I add them to my master plan.

Do you have a recipe I should add to my list?

A Legacy of Love

Several posts ago I mentioned that we had traveled to Colorado for a very special family milestone.

Husband's grandparents were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.  I have to admit that I get a little choked up just thinking about it.  They are an amazing couple and I look forward to telling my children about how their great-grandparents loved so well.

Not long ago we celebrated Grandma Great's (that's how we refer to them to our children) birthday.  Their children had arranged for an a capella group to sing.  They picked one particular song, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, and it took the grandparents back to the days of their courtship.  Grandpa Great had his arm around his bride and tears came to his eyes as he thought on the days gone by and where life had taken them. It was a moment that not many would forget.

So, we fast forward to the celebration of their anniversary and the above moment is etched forever in my memory.  I dwell on it often.  My own grandparents didn't show love like this.  However, my own grandparents didn't love Jesus like this.  I shared with Husband's grandparents what it meant to watch them love Jesus well and in turn to love each other and their family well.  They, indeed, were leaving a Legacy of Love for generations to come.  Their daughters all married and have had long and prosperous marriages.  Their daughters love Jesus.  In turn, many of their grandchildren have married and are showing hearts that are turned to Christ.  While none of the great-grandchildren are quite old enough to be married hearts are tuned to Jesus has done in the life of their family.  It's an amazing thing to see and to be a small part of such a larger family.

When I see Grandma and Grandpa they are not holed up 90-somethings that are bitter at life and only deal with their spouse because they have too.  No, they still attend church, the play cards, and like to be social.  I am pretty sure they have a bigger social circle than I do at the moment.  HA HA!!  I also see a man who still very much loves and cares for his wife and a woman who respects her husband.

This is the kind of legacy that I want to leave my children, grandchildren, and great-grand children.

Foaming Soap Recipe

I like foaming soap.  I am not sure why but I do.  We use a popular name brand foaming soap when washing baby bottles or a quick scrubbing of a needed pan.  THAT gets a little expensive.  So, I searched for recipes from people who are more adventurous than I am in trying to DIY household goods.

I originally found a recipe at iDreamofClean and tried that out.  She says to use about 1/8 of a cup of regular dish soap and the rest of the foaming soap container with water.

I tired this combo and felt like it was still a little too watered-down for my taste.  So, I increased the mount of soap and it was a little better but still not exactly what I was wanting as far as a dish soap goes.  I may try increasing the soap again or I will go back to using the regular name brand recipe for bottles and the homemade stuff quick dishes, etc.  Maybe I have just become a soap snob in that respect.

However, this combo, I believe, is PERFECT for hand soap.  I read another article somewhere about using Dr. Bronner's soap for this very purpose.  Well, wouldn't you know we have a bottle of that stuff sitting around waiting to be used.  So, that will be my money saver for the week (month, and maybe the year!)  I am sure that I will need to work out the ratio a bit for that but I did read that a 4:1 ratio is good (water to soap).

I know that you can buy refillable dispensers but I really like how Method has designed their soap bottles in that a) they don't tip over very easily and b) they have the best design as far as getting all the soap out of the bottle (and that goes for their "regular" hand soap as well.)  So, I think that I will be heading to the store soon to buy some foaming soap and when they run out then out will come the Dr. Bronner's.  Yippee!

Other options to try are doing this with your little ones bath soap if they have a thing for using a lot of soap.  It will make it go a little farther if they like to play with the soap.  Miss L is one of these people so I will be trying this out with her at some point.

One thing to remember though, don't use soaps that are "creamy" as they do not infuse well with air to make the foam and will clog your dispenser.  I didn't do this but I have read about a LOT of people that have.

Have you made your own foaming soap?