It's Less Important Than You Think

I must've done something good: My kids like cleaning

2013-01-21T10:30:00.000-06:00

I'm not talking about true cleaning. I'm talking about, here's a paper towel with a spritz of Pledge on it go and wipe things down.

But the point is, if I want a really light attempt at dust free lower shelves and couch cushions- It's taken care of!

The next step is to teach them how to vacuum. I'll be the smartest mom ever.

How to quit spending so much freaking money

2013-01-19T11:04:00.000-06:00

It's not easy to budget or live under the cloud of fear that come with not living with some kind of budget. Lets be honest. If you're that broke, you quit looking at bills, you quit answering the phone, you spend money to feel like you're not broke. Even the idea of trying to tackle the issue makes you nauseous .

So, clearly you're not ready to get your shit together and really address the issue. Here are a few things you can do in the meantime.

1. Eat more soup.
I big crock pot full of any of your favorite soups can last for 3 days. A dinner and two lunches. That's two $9.00 drive through extravaganzas eliminated.

2. Never light a room you're not in. Seriously- it makes no god damn sense to leave the light on in your closet, bathroom, or hallway if you're not in it. Even if you'll be right back- just turn off the lights.

3. Quit eating in your car. No chips, no burgers, no fries. I bet you if you stop eating in your car, you'll drop 5 lbs and save $30 a month. That's 60lbs and $240 a year.......

4. Invite your friends over to your place on a Saturday night. 3 frozen pizzas and a case of beer is still way cheaper than a $75 bar tab ($75 is the minimum for good and drunk still right?)
You'll save the gas money, you will not pass out on the street, and you won't have to contend with the obnoxious bachelorette parties that come through constantly.

Best Damn Pot of Ham and Bean Soup Ever (I shit you not)

2013-01-05T20:40:00.000-06:00

I'm weak for a good bowl of soup. If it can be eaten with a spoon I swoon. As a busy (occasionally lazy) mom, I appreciate a pot of food that last for days.

We all like Chicken Noodle, Chili, and some people (not me) love Tomato soup. But my personal favorite is Ham and Bean Soup. I don't do anything way out and wacky with my recipe. I stay pretty close to your run of the mill soup. But, damn it is perfect every time.

This recipe does take 4 hours of simmer time. Plus the overnight soaking of your beans. So plan ahead, don't fail me now.

I also make a BIG batch. So get yourself a big soup pot.

Best Damn Ham and Bean Soup:

2-4 c. of "16 Bean Soup" beans
8-10 cups water for boiling
8 oz. can tomato sauce
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 Med. Onion, diced
3-4 carrots peeled and diced
2 lbs ham steak, cubed
sm. can of diced jalapeños- If you're using fresh, I'd go with 1 jalapeño
3 cloves garlic, diced
2-3 tbsp. Salt, pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1-2 tsp. Paprika

Directions

Soak 2-4 cups of "16 Bean" soup beans for at least 24 hours. Change out the water once or twice in that time- I swear it means less gas in the end.
In your big soup pot, add all of the ingredients.
Bring it to a boil and what ever temperature you like.
Let it simmer for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Leave the lid off or half on for the whole time. Add more water if you get nervous about the boil off.

Pretty simple but with fantastic taste results.

Cloth Diapering: A Year in Review

2012-12-26T19:33:00.000-06:00

My baby girl is now 18 months old and we've been cloth diapering since day 1. We've come a long way since that fateful day in July 2011. I love my diapers, I've learned to love diaper laundry. I love how cute my daughter's butt is compared to other baby's plain disposables. When we started I was committed to playing the field, not buying into one style 100%.

That worked great for us. Every baby has a different shape and grows at different rates. I found that at those awkward growth stages, we stuck to prefolds and covers. When she filled out in the thighs we had great success with one size pockets. Now that she's about 22 lbs I find we lean towards fitted AIOs.

eBay, Craigslist, and Consignment

Buying on Ebay, at diaper consignment sales, and off Craigslist offered us the best prices. Locally, my favorite diaper store Top To Bottom Baby have a bi-annual diaper consignment sale called Fluff Again, they've even expanded into Kansas City. Not only could I cycle through the dud diapers and make some of my money back, but I got the chance to find fully prepped diapers I knew I liked. As long as you're willing to take the gamble, Ebay is awesome (and addictive). I know there's a lot of debate about the cheap Chinese pockets you can get on Ebay. They are knock-offs and hurt the American market. yackety shmakety- I bought about 10 of them and we STILL use about 5 of them regularly. They didn't fit right way, and they aren't the kind of diaper I'd use if we were going to be out. But they are great at home, day time diapers. On several of the other more 'respectable' brand name diapers I've purchased on Ebay, I've more than made my money back in resale.
The key is responsible shipping. DON'T GUESS! Weigh your diapers and price accordingly.

Craigslist has also been a cornucopia of goodness. I got 10 Kissaluvs size 2 and 9 Kissaluvs doublers for $50. Most of them had never even been used, not even prepped.

Personal Favorites!

hands down, I love my Swaddlebees Simplex 2.0 fitted diapers. I've had 4 and currently have 2. They're a bit pricey for my budget, but totally worth it. Side Snap diapers are the bees knees, seriously. They are trimmer, and you can size the waist and thighs differently. Some pants don't fit exactly right with the fluffy butts, but side snap diapers tend to fit in there a bit better.

Almost Graduated

2012-12-12T01:23:00.002-06:00

I am taking 7 minutes away from writing my research paper to do a little blog post. I need to keep writing, but if I have to think about railroad passenger cars for one more second my head may burst.

That's right, Railroad Passenger Cars . Not just any old cars. I'm talking about ALL mother fucking passenger cars. Coach, Sleeper, Dining, Observation. You name it, I've got 6 paragraphs on it. Pullman, Wagner, leaf spring, berth- All keywords I wish I could forget.

You know the funny thing? This is not my first research paper. It's not my first 25 page paper. But it is the first time I've been forced to write on a topic so dull and dreary that I actually despise history.

Side note- as of 6PM this evening I'll be finished with my college education. Only took 10 years. Not bad for a mother, wife, and outstanding full time employee.
(dammit, only 4 minutes to type all that)

A favorite of mine.

2012-09-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

Pasta E Fagioli from Veganomicon

2012-09-03T19:44:00.003-05:00

I made this today!

Super excited because it was easy, and delicious.

Reminder: All good things you see are coming from Veganomicon.

I also made breakfast this morning. Basic tempeh hash. Super flavor, great texture.

Last but not least. A classic Riley picture to remind you that there's always a place for silly hats.

A new adventure in vegan cooking.

2012-09-03T11:25:00.000-05:00

I can't hide it anymore. I have a total vegan/creator crush on Isa Moskowitz. She's the creator of Veganomicom (as well as many other cookbooks,but that's my favorite). I am a consta-scanner of her Post Punk Kitchen as well as fervent fan on Twitter and Instagram. Am I starting to sound creepy? Cause sometimes it feels creepy. On top of all that, we live in the same damn city- so I even run into her at a few vegan hot spots in town. I get silent and stare-y EVERY time.
Back to the point though. I finally bought Veganomicon (and Vegan With A Vengeance) for my family. It's my gift to the vegan in my life. No more scouring the internet for recipes.
So please, be expecting photos and links to the fucking amazing meals I am soon to make.
I should also tell you, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm sitting in the Whole Foods parking lot at 7:30 am waiting for them to open so I can make some breakfast.

Follow @IsaChandra

A messy kitchen and the bigger statement.

2012-08-29T17:34:00.001-05:00

Last night I had two goals
1. Make a killer award winning salsa.
2. Make fantastic white chicken chili.
I accomplished both, but the resulting kitchen chaos was ridiculous. I took some pictures to commemorate the disaster. Whatever, it was acceptable- I was both emptying the dishwasher and loading it while putting away various ingredients.
What struck me almost immediately was how I would have reacted to someone else making that kind of mess in my domain. Namely, my husband. I would have shit bricks had I walked in the room at the point of my pictures. And I can assume my tone would have been bitchy and accusatory.
It's not fair and it wouldn't have been nice. But I know it would have been angry. I showed him the pictures and explained my realization. He agreed.
Being a wife is a tricky game sometimes. I didn't fail last night, but I could have. Score 1 for me!

Get creative with potato chips

2012-08-25T18:22:00.001-05:00

I've been getting 8-10 little red potatoes per week in my CSA bag from Wenninghoff Farms . Lately I've been baking them in light oil. Creating either crispy dark brown chips or slightly soft potato slices.
I enjoy adding any number of spice combo. Tonight for about 5 thinly sliced reds I added:

1. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2. 1/2 tsp cumin
3. 1/2 tsp curry
4. 1 1/2 c canola
5. 2 tbsp sea salt
6. Pepper to taste

Mix, coat, layer on baking sheet.
Cook for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Flip them halfway, and remove the smaller ones as needed.

Canning/Pickling Okra

2012-08-19T22:04:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I'm pickling okra and canning it. For those of you afraid of canning, or fearful of slimy okra- be not afraid, for I am lazy and still manage to do it.

I'd like to say quality okra and great fresh spices are the key to great pickled okra. I'd also like to say I take the time to make cute little labels for each jar that have a 'made with love, eat with joy' caligraphy sticker label on them....

I used my brother's left over okra and last year's pickling spice mix for my canning this year. I do have some pointers on okra though.

1. Pick it yourself. I know there's a U-Pick field within 5 miles of you. Find it and utilize your local market.

2. If you can't get it from a field/ farmers market or backyard garden- get it organic. I always feel better when the food I eat is organic (especially when you eat the entire food, skins and all).

3. Size matters- You want pliable, softish okra that's no more than 3-4 inches long. My personal opinion is under 3 is optimal.
4. I freeze my okra before I put it in the jars. I don't know if it's just an old wives tale or not, but I do it every time. I think it makes them crispier.

2 Ways to Prep your Jars

Wash in warm soapy water then rinse and set in a low temperature oven until ready.
- I've seen any temperature from 100 degrees to 250 degrees called for.
Run them through the dishwasher alone, no soap, heated dry. Don't touch them until you're ready to use them.

Okra/other ingredient prep:

I like to include 2-3 garlic cloves per jar - regardless of what I'm pickling.
I use either chilies or hot banana peppers, cut however you like. I like long slices.
In each jar I'll use a dime-quarter size amount of Ball Mixed Pickling Spice
My briney mix is 3 cups white vinegar, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup salt, little pinch of sugar(I forgo the sugar).

Putting it all together!

Sterilize your jars, bands, and keep the lids in hot (not boiling) water.
Bring your briny mix to a boil.
Pull out 1 jar at a time and pack it as full as you can. Careful not to get your hands on the jar insides.
Ladle in the boiling briny mix until there's about 1 inch of space left at the top of the jar.
With tongs or a lid picker uper place the lid on the jar and the band over the lid.
Tighten it down to just what you can do with your fingers. Hot jar and clean lid mean you won't want to man handle the jar to get it super tight.
Place jars in your boiling water bather for 15 minutes.
Set them on a cooling rack or cutting board covered in a towel overnight.

The towel is to prevent air currents hitting your jars and making them crack. You'll hear the telltale lid 'POP' when they've sealed themselves shut!.

Love is A VERB

2012-08-13T22:58:00.000-05:00

I came home from the gym tonight and the apartment was clean. The girl's clothes were neatly folded in individual piles (pants, dresses, shirts, shorts) for each child. The dishes were done. And the toys were nicely piled.

It reminds me that I love being married. And that sometimes I forget that my husband is a nice guy that isn't always trying his hardest to do as little as possible- Yes, I have used those exact words at him.

Love is a VERB- and I ought to remember that when I see it in action.

Work is hard, friends are a challenge, and my kids drive me crazy- But my partner in awesomeness makes it all a little bit easier.

Okay, I know I know, sappy and all said before...... but it also doesn't hurt that he still has a great ass.

A little birdie told me to do it

2012-08-02T19:33:00.001-05:00

I got myself a fun little tattoo yesterday. Of course, for same day tattoos in the Midwest I went to Sailors Grave .

How to Kill time.....

2012-07-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

On occasion, I get really bored and internally grumpy that my loving spouse is busy with college homework or being anti-social. So I need to find quiet, non-stabby ways to clice a few hours from my life. Tonight, it's live blogging my boringness, then tweeting about the live blogging. Seriously, I couldn't be much lamer.

80s Movie Quiz!

DUI protocol ( I've always wondered)

What do people Google? A topic near and dear to my heart.

Vegan Cajun Risotto Bites- video!

2012-07-29T19:03:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I was YouTube scanning. And happily enough I ended up watching The Vegan Zombie for about 20 minutes. My favorite- and also my dinner- were the Cajun Risotto Bites.

Now, did I follow the recipe exactly? No. I didn't follow through and fry the bites. I didn't use home made veg stock. Also, I used a little less rice and a little more stock. Oh, and I didn't make my own Cajun spice.... But what I did use all came together GREAT!

Definitely for a quick and easy dish. Simple enough that I might even teach the husband how to make it.

Vegan Onion Fried Rice

2012-07-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

I'm basically a lazy person. Deep down inside I have pep and spunk- but on a day to day basis I keep is pretty low key and lazy.

My simple weeknight meal that can be 3 ingredients or it an be 7 (depending on what's in the crisper) is:

Onion Fried Rice

2 - 2.5 Cups Cooked Rice
3 green onions (or more if you like), chopped
Minimum 3 cloves of garlic, sliced/chopped/minced
+/- 5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2-3 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Optional:

dab of ginger paste
can of water chestnuts
1 c. frozen peas*
1/2 c. Shallots or Onions, chopped
1-2 tsp. Hoisin sause
Healthy dash of Sriracha

Directions:

Steam your rice.
In a bowl mix 2-3 Tbsp Soy Sauce, Onions, and Garlic
Heat oil in your wok, add Onion mix and saute until every thing's good and translucent.
Turn heat to low and add rice.
stir a lot if it looks too dry add a little soy sauce or even a good dash of water (2tsps)

*If you're adding peas wait until the very end when you add your rice.

Simple, Vegan, and easy to reheat the next day. It's great for clearing out the crisper and super cheap if you're on a budget.

5 TIPS FOR DIAPER RESALE

2012-06-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

Take care of them. Spray well, wash well, and maintain them. Diapers with lots of staining are FAR harder to sell than diapers with wear signs
Be honest and descriptive in photos. If the diaper has a worn spot along the elastic, take a photo. Moms know what will and won’t affect function.
People love to win, so start your bidding price low.
Research and be aware of shipping costs. Shoot- you can use a stamp for anything less than 13oz that’s in an envelope of any size. Yes is easy to just give in and pay for the flat rate box. But personally, are you willing to spend $8 on shipping ever? Nope, me either. The average AIO only weighs like 7 oz. It shouldn’t cost more than $2 to ship in a large manila envelope (from the dollar store). Which leads me to my next suggestion.
Buy your shipping supplies from the dollar store. You get like 5-6 large manila envelopes for $1!

If you're buying smart and taking care of your stash- there's no reason you can't make a majority (if not all) of your money back on the diapers you need to destash.

Cloth Diaper Resale

2012-06-05T00:07:00.001-05:00

Recently I decided to get serious about paring down my diaper stash. I have just too much to justify holding on to the diapers I like less than others. I’ve been at the cloth diapering game for almost a year now, which puts me in the latter half of the stash cycle anyway.

I like to use eBay. It’s where I bought a lot of my diapers, so it’s only right to sell them there as well. What I discovered was that my diapers held up well in the resale market.

I sold a Coolababy, Velcro Pocket OS diaper with insert for $5 + $2 shipping. I paid $8.99 for two originally + like $3 shipping.

So $5.99 originally and sold for $7 used. Not bad at all.

I sold a BumGenius Elemental Organic All in One Aplix for $9.50 + $2.77 shipping. Originally I spent $6.50 + $2.77 shipping. So again, I made more on the diapers than I spent.

I participate in a local diaper consignment sale, which I didn’t sell as much or for as much profit. Maybe it’s a Midwestern thing, but we don’t like to go out and spend money. I had a couple of Kissaluvs Size 2 in that sale and only managed to sell them (unused, just prepped) for $5 each.

Obviously, not all sales are going to yield a profit. But, if you take good care of your stash and present it well, there’s no reason why you can’t make almost all of your money back on the diapers you don’t like as much as the others.

It tastes so good ...

2012-01-07T08:41:00.001-06:00

Today's amazing breakfast juice is
1 blood orange
3 carrots
3 apples
2 regular oranges
Handful of blackberries

Made 4 cups ish

Usually one handed typing is a fun thing

2012-01-06T20:01:00.000-06:00

Tonight, and probably tomorrow, it's a sad thing. My easy going, never crys baby is in full on teething PLUS a cold and an ear infection. She has no voice because of the coughing. And there is nothing more heart breaking that a 6 month old's raspy babble.
Anyway- I've only got one arm because she FINALLY calmed down and passed out on my arm. And there is no fucking way I'm going to wake her up. I'm not even going to attempt to put her down. I've watched two episodes of Portlandia and plan to watch the rest of the first season shortly.

my sleeping baby

A sick baby will break your heart. But knowing that you just have to suck it up and not shake the crap out of them after 6 days of crying - that's killing me. Why isn't her amber necklace making this all go away?

While I was looking for this webcam picture, because I am incapable of saving pictures to logical places, I found this scarey picture of our dog Grimm.

If I survive the day...

2011-12-29T13:25:00.001-06:00

It will be thanks to the amazing juice I made last night. I have a sickness in me that's trying to fill my brain space and lungs with snot. But my juice is lifting my spirits and laying the "beet" down on my cold.

We use a basic Jack Lalanne juicer. And keep in mind I made 4 cups, and that's a lot.
3 whole stalks of celery
2 LG braeburn apples cores and all
5 carrots unpeeled
1 beet with stalk
1/4 lemon unpeeled, which I think should've been peeled.

Its beautiful and tart. Usually I add lots of greens, but I don't when I intend to save it overnight.

Final Review of Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping

2011-11-24T21:37:00.001-06:00

I just finished 10 amazing weeks at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping. I saw results, I feel better, I enjoyed every workout.
The basic set up was 6 days a week, alternating cardio and strength workouts. Cardio days were centered around kickboxing moves. And the strength workouts utilized resistance bands.

Check out the recaps of the first five weeks:
Week One
Week Two
Week Four
Week Five

I bet you're wondering why no reviews of weeks 6-10... Well, I got f-ing busy, so just assume they got progressively harder and I enjoyed them as equally (if not more) than the first 5 weeks.

My results were pretty good. At the end of the 10 weeks I worked off 5 inches (mostly from my gross c-section tummy). I improved my mile from 11:20 to 9:38. I went from 12 to 32 sit-up in a minute. And from 23 to 69 push-ups in a minute. I'm really proud of my mile time and my push ups. My weight went down like 6 lbs but my body fat % dropped like 4%!
People like lists, so I'll give you what I think are the Pros and the Cons of dropping like $400 on a 10 week program like this.

Pros

If you go you will see results. Plain and simple, you can't fail if you show up every day.
It's like a family. Your class and your coach really make it about your success.
the Coaches are great. It's personal but not over bearing. And they use EMAIL! It's the 21st century, I'm glad someone is effectively using email to keep me motivated.
The strength training workouts are just as engaging and fun as the cardio. I didn't think they would be.
a 45 minute workout is the PERFECT amount of time. It's gut busting, sweaty, and extreme. But then you look at the clock and you're 10 minutes to finished.
It's a group workout that isn't cheesy and it certainly isn't dancing.

Cons

It's not easy to drop $360+ on anything you're not sure about.
I was a bit younger than everyone else in the class, sometimes that is awkward for me (oh, I'm 28 BTW)
The nutrition portion/regime was hard to follow as a breast feeding mother. I kind of wish it was more specific, too.
My employer wouldn't reimburse me at all because it wasn't a monthly fee; like other gyms.
oh, and current top 40 pop/dance tracks ALL THE TIME! Egghhhhh...

End summation-- If you want to change your self- Do it at Farrell's. You will love how you feel and you that's worth any cost.

Finished Farrell's 10 weeks, jumped right back into busy-ness

2011-11-21T22:01:00.001-06:00

I have about 6 million great things to say and details to give about my 10 weeks doing Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping. But at this very moment, I'm busy. I've got tons to do, and I recently became addicted to Twitter-- (Follow me @CrunchieMom) .

Finally getting in the swing of Twitter

2011-11-17T19:06:00.001-06:00

So y'all should follow me @CrunchieMom.

I find you totally Encapsulating... Fenugreek !

2011-11-08T11:34:00.002-06:00

Milk supply is a big issue for me. I pump 3-4 times a day at work, and I'm just barely getting the 14 -15 ounces my baby needs for the next day. I'm not building up a freezer stash, and I'm fairly constantly stressed about it. This isn't healthy. I've been taking fenugreek for about a month now. 3 pills 3 times a day, and yes I've noticed some increases, but they don't seem to be consistent and don't last throughout the day. For example, I pump at 9am and get 5 ounces, then at my next two pumping sessions I'll only get 2.5-4 ounces each time. Adding in a 2am pumping and a 4am pumping will always help me cover the spread, but that's stressful- getting up 3 times a night for a baby that actually only wakes once!

The 100 pill bottles last a little over a week. $7.99 a bottle, means that I'm spending roughly $25 a month, minimum. I'm too cheap to not seek out an alternative that doesn't involve as much packaging, and all that crunchy biz.

I came to the conclusion that making my own fenugreek capsules was the way to go. Usually I'm a compulsive Googler of process and theory. But this time I just kind of jumped in. Bought a package of capsules, filled up a bag of bulk ground fenugreek, and brought it all home. Total I spent like $6 and I think I'm set for a while.

My Process
I spoon some out onto a plate. I use a little butter spreader to tap in the powder, then i repeat with the other side of the capsule. I admit, it's not scientific. I'm not measuring or weighing..

Fairly simple stuff.