Mmm...Frozen Food Cubes

Not only am I one of these moms, I'm also one of those moms.

Those homemade-baby-food-making moms.

After this experience with Turkish rice cereal, I decided to be done with buying pre-made baby food. I mean really, how hard could it be to make some baby food?

Turns out, it's not that hard at all! We got the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron before leaving the States, so I decided to consult it and figure out just how to make my own baby food. It's a great book; it gives a breakdown of how to make your own baby cereals, at which age babies can have certain foods, how to cook them, and a whole lot of other stuff. I haven't even had time to look at a lot of the book, but what I have looked at, I like!

So, for the last three months I have been a baby food making machine! Well, not really, but I have made everything that Lane has eaten, with the exception of some baby cookies that I bought one day while we were out, and some baby toast that she likes smeared with cream cheese.

Now that Lane is able to eat a lot of the same foods that we eat, I make less puréed baby food than I used to. I used to make zucchini, green beans, pumpkin, apples, pears, potatoes, and a lot of other things. Now I pretty much stick to apples (she eats them every morning for breakfast, either on top of pancakes or mixed with oatmeal), pumpkin, and zucchini. I like to have pumpkin and zucchini in the freezer for those occasions where we are eating something that Lane can't have yet.

You may think that making your own baby food is difficult or extremely time consuming. But...it's not! Here's how I do it:

First, chop up whatever you're making: zucchini, green beans, fruit, etc.


Apples, ready to be chopped.


All chopped up!

Next, if you're doing a veggie, steam (you retain more nutrients this way, but some things, like carrots, take forever to soften if you steam them) or boil it until it's very soft. If you're doing a fruit, I personally never cooked any of them for Lane...I just made sure they were puréed until pretty smooth.

When your veggie is done cooking, purée it in either a food processor or a blender, or use an immersion blender. In my experience, the regular blender works best for things like peas or green beans that have skins which don't get very soft even when cooked to death. Add some water (use the water you cooked the veggies with to add nutrients lost in the water) and purée until smooth. The immersion blender works best for things like zucchini or pumpkin, which get pretty soft when cooked and probably don't need added water. And the food processor works best for things like apples or pears, which have a high water content already but would not purée well in a blender.


Just toss your fruit in and pulse until puréed!

After your fruit or veggie is sufficiently puréed, spoon it into ice cube trays.


Puréed apples.


Three apples (two large and one small) got Lane 11 "portions"(two cubes) of apples.

Put your fruit or veggie in the freezer and freeze until solid. Run water on the bottom of the trays to loosen the cubes up. Crack them and put them in freezer bags and store for up to two months.


A picture from when we had a large variety of frozen food cubes.

So, there you go! It's really not been that difficult, and not that time consuming, either. It takes me an average of about 30 minutes (not including cooking time) per food, including the washing, chopping, puréeing, putting into the ice cube trays, and so on. As long as you do a large quantity, you could spend just 30 minutes to an hour per week and get between four and eight different foods for a month.

There are a few things I really like about making my own baby food:

1) I know exactly what's in it. I know that I washed the vegetables, that the potatoes weren't squishy and covered in eyes (that is what you call the black spots where sprouts grow, right?), and that the produce actually tasted good when I froze it.

2) It's nice to have a portion size of one cube, because then I can either mix three or four different things together (like sneaking in a small avocado cube, since Lane doesn't really like avocado) or I can just give her one kind of food. I don't have to keep up with lots of different baby food jars sitting around my refrigerator, and I don't have to worry about Lane getting a balanced diet, since I can mix-and-match as I see fit.

3) It's cheaper! I don't know how much jars of baby food cost in the US, but here they're about $.50 each, at least. I'm not for sure on the math, but I'm pretty sure that three apples, which equals 11 servings of apples, is cheaper than $5, which is about what it would cost to buy it pre-made.

4) This stage really only lasts for 4-5 months. Making homemade rice or oatmeal cereal is a piece of cake and not time-consuming in the slightest. Making purées is a bit more of a commitment. However, since babies don't start eating anything besides cereal until six months of age and then by 9-10 months of age they can gum a plum or a cooked carrot or potato, you really only need to purée food for them for a few months. Looking at it as a short-term commitment makes it seem more doable!

I'd like to encourage all of my pregnant or new-mom friends to try out making your own baby food when the time comes. When Shannon and I have another baby one day we'll see if I still think that making my own baby food is worth it (since I know I'll be keeping up with two kids and not just one!), but for now...it's totally worth it!

A Multi-Colored Bottom

I'm one of those moms.


Some of our cloth diaper supply.

Which moms?

Those cloth-diapering moms.

Before Lane was born, and I think even before I was pregnant with her, we (ok, I) had decided that we wanted to use cloth diapers. You may think I'm insane: my mother certainly did! But, let me assure you, cloth diapers have come a long way since we were babies! Gone are the days of having to change the baby every single time he/she pees. Gone are the days of pre-folding. Gone are the days of soaking diapers in a bleach solution.

Nowadays cloth diapering is easy. There's an outer shell which is waterproof, so it prevents leaks and mess from getting on baby's clothes. There's an inner layer which absorbs liquid. And there's a fleece lining that goes against baby's bottom and wicks away moisture. And they come in cool colors.

Yes, it's still messier than disposables. It's a little stinkier. And it's definitely more time-consuming. But it's a whole lot cheaper. And it's better for the environment. And we can use them with kiddos number two, and three, and four, and so-on.


Clean diapers, ready to be snapped and stuffed.

Lane has 27(!) cloth diapers (we registered for them on cottonbabies.com instead of lots of other stuff since we were moving overseas). That's enough to last her almost an entire week, or at least six days (or, if we have another baby close to Lane and they're both in diapers, it'll be enough for three days for both of them). We usually do put a disposable on her at night (lessens the likelihood of diaper rash) and when we know we're going to be out for more than a couple of hours.

When we put a diaper into the dirty-diaper bag, we hold our breath for the 20 seconds it takes to untie the bag, toss it in, and tie it back up (pee-yew!). Once a week I breathe through my mouth while stuffing the washing machine with the diapers and then spray some air freshener. I wash them once on cold with 1/4 the laundry soap of a regular load. Then I was them on a longer, hot, cycle, with 1/4 the laundry soap of a regular load. Next I hang them out to dry.


Diapers, diapers, everywhere!

After they're dry I toss them in the laundry basket and snap and stuff them as I have time: while watching a movie, keeping an eye on Lane, or catching up on my blog subscriptions. Rarely do I feel compelled to snap and stuff them immediately, although if we washed all of them I may do a few right away so that Lane can start wearing them again.


Easy as pie: Bumgenius one-size diapers which grow with your baby: velcro for girth and snaps for rise.

Shortly after we arrived in Istanbul on the 4th of July, we bought three packs of diapers (they were on sale: buy two, get one free). We used them exclusively the first two weeks since we were living with five other people, but since then, we only use them at night or when we'll be out for a long period of time. We still have half of the disposables left. We spent $20 on diapers five weeks ago and still have half of them left. I can hear Lane's savings account accumulating change that I didn't and won't spend on diapers.


Is that a blue diaper peeking out from under Lane's bib?

I love the feeling of being responsible and taking a few extra minutes to save loads of money and waste. I hate the five minutes of stinkiness I deal with every week and that some of Lane's outfits don't fit her correctly (this is getting better as her booty (and the rest of her) gets bigger!). How about you? Do you use cloth diapers or would you ever consider it? What do you like or not like about them?

Earth Day Challenge

In honor of Earth Day:

I'm not a tree-hugger. I don't eat only farm-raised, grass-fed beef. I don't drive a hybrid. I do try to be wise with my money and my time, and to be aware of how I have an impact on this world. I'd like to direct you to a previous post that I wrote with some easy steps that you can take to reduce your carbon footprint on Earth. I'd also like to encourage you to resolve to do one thing differently in the upcoming year (until next Earth Day). Buy reusable grocery bags, use a metal water bottle or coffee mug, start recycling, whatever. It doesn't matter to what you choose to do. What matters is that you do it.

We must be careful not to place the creation before the Creator. We must also be careful to be good stewards of what God has entrusted us with: in this case, it's our world. Take care of it. Stop being a self-centered, busy, selfish American and get over yourself and do one small thing differently this year to make an impact. How big of a deal is it, really, to use reusable grocery bags instead of plastic ones? How time consuming is it, really, to toss recyclables in a separate trash bin and put them out with the trash to be collected? How much effort is it, really, to bring your own coffee mug to Starbucks? What does it say about you and how much you value the creation that God placed you in if you're too lazy to do small things to take care of it? Baby steps go a long way when lots of people take them.

10 Easy Ways to Go Green

I'm in the process of trying to get our school to allow the City of Raleigh to put recycling "bins" next to the dumpsters in all of the apartment complexes. I wouldn't call myself "granola" or anything, but I do care about our environment and think that as Christians we should do our best to take good care of it. I believe the same about taking care of our bodies, just in case you're wondering. Anyways, I think that Shannon and I do a lot of small things that are good for the environment that many people overlook. This may be somewhat from living overseas, or it may be because I was an Environmental Science major in college for awhile, or it may be because my youngest brother calls me a hippie for wearing Birkenstocks. I'm not exactly sure where this passion came from, but I wanted to give all of my readers a few easy ways to "go green." They're small steps, and I have taken all of them and can testify that they're not that difficult to do, but if we all did them they would make a huge impact on the earth.

1. Recycle! If there are recycling facilities within say, five miles of your house, or if the garbage man picks up a bin along with your trash, there is really no excuse for you not to recycle. Sorry if I offend you, but if you refuse to recycle when facilities are easily accessible, you are basically saying, "I'm too lazy to take care of the world God put me in." Ouch. Plastic NEVER decomposes. Neither do glass or styrofoam. Did you know that your shampoo bottles, milk cartons, cereal boxes, glass pickle jars, tin cans, aluminum cans, shaving cream containers, laundry soap bottles, newspapers, magazines, and old books are all recyclable? Simply rinse out your shampoo bottles in your dishwater or bathwater after you're finished. Take the plastic film out of pasta boxes. There is no reason to put these things in a landfill when they can be used to make something!

2. Switch to cloth bags. When you go to the grocery store, bring your own bags. Leave them in your car and when you get home and unload your groceries, put them by the front/garage door so that you'll remember to take them back to the car on your way out. Not only do cloth bags save you from having a million plastic bags at your house, but they're also stronger and you won't have to worry about the bags breaking. If you do end up with plastic bags at your house (which we all do), use them or recycle them! Use them for trash bags in the bathroom or office, or take them back to Walmart and let them be recycled!

3. Get a water-saver kit. You can go to Home Depot and for $10 buy a kit that includes a new shower head and three sink aerators. These are simple to install and reduce the water outflow from your faucets and shower head by at least 50%. And they still give good water pressure.

4. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. But make sure to take them to a proper disposal facility, as they should not be put in the trash with the rest of your garbage. If every American switched just one of their light bulbs to a compact fluorescent bulb, we would save enough energy to light three million homes for an entire year. HOLY COW! Compact fluorescent bulbs save energy, last longer (up to ten times longer), and don't cost that much more. Yes, they are more expensive, but not by much. Buy one pack the next time you need light bulbs and replace the bulbs in the room where you turn the light on the most. Then the next time you need to buy bulbs, buy another package. Buying them in small increments will not break the bank!

5. Reuse plastic baggies. Even if you only use each baggie one extra time, you will cut the number of baggies you throw away in HALF. If you use them for something like chips, there's no need to wash the bag after every use. If you use it for a sandwich, wash it and turn it inside-out to dry. Not only will you save the environment, you'll save money.

6. Walk when you can. Say you're at a shopping center and you're going to pick up your drycleaning and go to the store. Park at the store and walk down to the drycleaners. Walk back to your car, hang up your clothes, grab your cloth shopping bags, and go to the store. You'll get some exercise, not emit as many fumes into the air, and save money on gas. Amazing!

7. Save water. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or shave. There's no reason to let good water run down the drain while you're brushing your teeth. Turn it on to rinse out your toothbrush. You can also collect water from the sink in a gallon-jug while you're letting it warm up to do dishes, wash your hands, wash your face, and so on. Leave this jug in the refrigerator and use it for drinking water. This way you don't have to let the water run while you're waiting on it to get cold. Or just use ice! Get a bucket to collect water in the bathtub while you're letting the water warm up. Use this water to water your plants, or dump it in the washing machine. We can fill our washer about halfway up once for every 2 loads we wash!

8. Don't throw things away. There is usually a use for something. Hold a yard sale and make some money. Take wearable shoes to Goodwill. Tear up old shirts to use for dust rags, or keep a couple for those times you're going to paint, work on the car, etc. You can usually recycle computers, printers, and old electronics. Refill your ink cartridges instead of buying new ones. Try to find a use for things before throwing them in the trash. And think about how long you'll actually use something before you buy it.

9. Carry a water bottle or coffee cup with you. When you go to church and get your coffee you can eliminate the need for a paper cup with a plastic lid by having your own cup. It's stronger, won't clog landfills, and will keep your coffee hot longer. Invest in a good water bottle and keep it in the car. Then when you go to the mall, church, or out for fast food, you can bring your own bottle in for water/juice/soda. You'll save yourself money on buying water while out-and-about (fountain water generally tastes the same as bottled) and you won't end up throwing a plastic bottle/cup in the garbage at the mall or restaurant.

10. Don't buy styrofoam cups or plates. When you're having a picnic, buy paper. No, they're not as strong. But they'll disintegrate within the year. Styrofoam? Never.

So there you have it. Michelle's simple guide to green living. It's a far cry from organic clothing and furniture, but they're easy steps to take. Try to start doing at least one new one. When you're used to it, adapt a new one. Soon they'll be natural, and you'll be a greenie just like me!