Thanks to new blogger and cool girl Ashley Post for giving me the inspiration to post my favorite easy crock pot recipe.
Moms are queens of ease. They need meals that can be prepared quickly with one-hand in under 20 minutes. That's why this recipe is among my top ten all-time favorites.
Beef Stew
Ingredients:
1 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
1 16 oz. bag frozen baby carrots (no need to thaw)
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1-2 lb. boneless beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup water
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup Coca-Cola
Directions:
1. Mix the last 4 ingredients in a bowl (water, onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, coke).
2. Place all other ingredients in your crock pot in the order listed above.
3. Pour soup mixture over the stew meat.
4. Cook 9 hours on LOW or 6 hours on HIGH.
5. Serve with buttermilk biscuits or fresh french bread. Yum!
Send your favorite Halloween photos or video footage to Luvs for your chance to win a trip for four to Walt Disney World or a DVD camcorder. The deadline to enter is November 6, 2007.
I just watched a film from the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty Campaign, entitled "Onslaught." The movie challenges the viewers (presumably, parents) to talk to their daughters about what beauty is (courage, character, compassion) - and what it isn't (plastic surgery, skimpy clothes, skinny frames from scary diets, etc.).
I was inspired.
I admit. I wear jeans and t-shirts almost every day of the week (too often) - unless I have meetings for work or other special events.
That said, I do try my hardest to wear cute jeans and stylish tees with nice boots or sneakers - and a few fashionable accessories.
I was just looking through pictures from a few months ago and came across a series of pictures where I was wearing my husband's undershirts - ug! I need to kick that habit and stick to well-fitting, feminine tees.
My favorite tee is from Nordstrom Rack. The brand is Preview International. It's made of 88% cotton, 7% spandex, and 5% organic cotton (I had to take it off just now to figure that out - that's how much I like this shirt).
Problem? The nearest Nordstrom Rack is two hours away...[I can't even find the t-shirt online. The one pictured is Three Dots V-Neck Tee from Nordstrom].
HELP! Where do you go to find your PERFECT tee? I'm talking about quality, comfortable, STYLISH tees that maintain their shape wash after wash...
Your child could be the next GAP model!
Finalists will receive:
The deadline to submit your photo is October 24, 2007.
Our daughter is almost thirteen months old. Although she doesn't nurse at all during the day anymore (her choice as much as mine), she still nurses throughout the night. Sometimes she wakes a few times to nurse and then dozes off contentedly. Other times, she loves to lie next to me and vie for a prize in an all-night nurse-a-thon (that's rare). More commonly, she nurses just a few times a night.
Facts:
(A) I know she probably doesn't need the "nighttime milk" for nutrients (although she is not a big eater during the day).
(B) It may be that she is nursing for comfort and I suspect that she sometimes nurses to combat teething pain.
(C) For the most part, I don't really mind her wake-ups because she goes right back to sleep, she doesn't cry, and she sleeps from 8:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. without complaining.
(D) I would (sort of) like to wean her so that I have more freedom. Example #1: I could attend an overnight getaway or conference without worry...well, at least not the same kind of worry.
(E) I would rather wait for her to stop nursing on her own, but I'm not willing to wait forever. Maybe until she's 1 1/2 or 2.
How did you wean? Did your baby self-wean? Does your baby still wake up at night to nurse? Share your stories.
(Photo by: katiek2)
I like cooking and I like "eating in." I actually prefer it to going out to restaurants. It's just generally healthier, less expensive, and more delicious.
That said, I have a one-year-old who either wants to be held or entertained - and doesn't appreciate her mama cooking for more than 20 minutes at a time. If she does decide to entertain herself, she almost always wants to set up camp right around the oven or under the stove, which is not at all safe.
For these reasons, I find myself returning to my five favorite recipes every single week: (1) chicken enchiladas, (2) angel hair pasta with tomatoes, basil, and avocado, (3) beef stew, (4) bean and cheese burritos, and (5) soup and biscuits.
These recipes are great, but I need a wider selection to choose from. The catch? I need recipes that can be prepared and cooked in 20 minutes or less (emphasizing the word, less).
Please share cookbook titles or full recipes that meet that criteria. I'm planning to expand my cookbook library within the next month.
(Photo by: *reesie)
Husband: "What has happened to our house?"
Me: "A baby."
Pre-baby, we were two people with successful careers that had a sparkling house and time for hobbies and personal development.
Post-baby, we are two people with successful careers (although now I work part-time from home) that live in a home with cheerios on the floor and baby gear in every nook and cranny.
Somehow, our house just started to fill up. With bibs and bottles, a crib and a bouncy seat, receiving blankets and little clothes, books and toys, sippy cups and strollers, baby carriers and breast pads, diapers and goldfish.
So much of the clutter is unnecessary and unused. So we've decided to intervene:
* We keep only two small toyboxes - one in the living room, one in her room. Everything else goes to the local thrift store.
* We keep three drawers of outgrown baby clothes. Everything else goes to a thrift store or a friend.
* We don't "borrow" baby items "to try" anymore - we have so many things that are laying around our house that we can't get rid of because they belong to someone else.
What do you do to keep baby clutter at bay?
NOTE to Expectant Moms: Are you wondering what NOT to register for to avoid all that clutter in the first place? Check out my list here.
(Photo by: _Harry Lime_)