Corn Chowder Recipe

The corn chowder I made for dinner tonight was so good I thought I would share the recipe! It actually came out of looking for a veggie to serve with fish (the only meat I had left in my freezer). It turned out to be more of the main dish but it was so worth it!

Ingredients:
-2 potatoes
-1 can of sweet corn
-1 medium onion (diced)
-1/2 T minced garlic
-2 T butter
-flower (seasoned from my fish with garlic salt and seasoning salt)
-4 Cups Milk
Seasonings to taste
- Dried Parsley
-Salt and Pepper
-Peprika
-Nutmeg
-Cayanne Pepper

Dice, Boil and Drain potatoes. Meanwhile, melt butter in pan and cook onion until translucent add minced garlic partway through. Next, add 2T flower, and a bit of milk if needed, and cook until bubbly. Add the rest of the milk, bring to a boil and let boil for a minute or so. I decided it wasn't quite thick enough so I added a bit more flower mixed with water until it was the desired consistency. (I probably added a good 4 T total instead of just the 2). Next, add the cooked potatoes and corn. add seasonings and let simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Mine was fairly spicy, but I enjoy spicy food. the sweetness in the corn really makes this a sweet and spicy dish! Very tasty! You could also add celery when cooking the onion. The recipe I deviated from also called for cooked bacon. I just didn't feel like cooking bacon (which is odd for me, but I'm pregnant, so you never know what I am or am not in the mood for).

Homemade Protein Bars

 Here is a great recipe I am trying for the first time:

8 Scoops Protein Powder
3 Cups Oats (plus extra if blending)
1 Package Instant Pudding
2 Cups Milk


If you want to make it healthier, use Sugar Free/Fat Free Pudding and Skim Milk. I didn't want to make them cost extra and since this was my first time trying them I thought I'd just use what I had on hand. I only had to buy the Protein Powder.

I put the oats into a blender because I wanted a smoother tasting bar instead of using whole oats. I added the rest of the dry ingredients to the blender to make a consistent mixture. Then added the milk. I thought the batter looked a bit runny, so I blended up some more oat flour and added that. Spray a 9X9 baking dish and spread the batter into the pan. Refrigerate until solid.

I've read a bunch of other recipes and am eager to try more :) This one seamed the most simple but I will definitely post more when I make them. :)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

So... one of my latest experiments is using homemade Laundry Detergent. I recently FB messaged my sister being a self-proclaimed-spokesperson for the stuff, but after writing her and realizing that i pretty much just wrote a whole blog post in the stupid message... I am almost going to copy and paste it onto here for my fellow readers!

My favorite resource for Laundry Soap recipes is this: http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/


However, I do not use the recipes on here. I'll tell you my recipe when i get there... But first, Let me tell you about my experience using the stuff first.

I started using Homemade Laundry Detergent about a month ago... I have coin laundry here in our apartment, so I tend to over-pack my washing machines... which is probably not the best for getting clothes clean, but what can I say, I'm a cheap skate. Anyway, I have noticed that my clothes are JUST AS CLEAN and good smelling as using store bought laundry soap. The recipe I use is powdered, I have always been a bit leery about powdered because I've had bad experiences with store bought powdered dish washer soap... but I tried a batch anyway, and HELLO works JUST FINE! it all dissolves in the hot water (i wash everything on hot)

The first thing I DID notice is that sure enough, there is not too much scent left on your clothes at all. No stinky dirty clothes smell (I have toddlers, everything ends up smelling like pee before it gets washed) but no flowery, lovely "Freshly Cleaned" scent either. Because no scent was added to the detergent. Yes, the bar soap I use is pretty potent, but that smells goes away in the wash.

I Read a blogger who used homemade laundry soap and also uses cloth diapers (GO CLOTH!) and has had great success with it. I have also had great success with mine. I haven't had to strip the diapers (cloth diaper lingo) because there is no lingering soap scum that builds up on the fabrics. It is all natural, has no extra dies or fillers or crap... It's better for your skin than the "Free and Clear" detergents out there. I'd go so far as to say, just as good as, or better than, Dreft! So, good for babies, and for those allergic to other detergents. (pansies) jk.

So, here's where we get to MY recipe. (this is NOT an exact science, people, as you can see by the MANY recipes in that aforementioned website) Some recipes work better for some people because of their washers, or hard water, soft water, chlorine in their water... etc... find what works for you. I haven't done a whole lot of experimenting with mine, but I figured I'd start out easy and change it if necessary. (hasn't been necessary so far)

I use 1 bar of Fels Naptha Laundry Soap, 1 Cup each of Borax and Washing Soda. (All of those ingredients I found at Walmart in the laundry isle. I did NOT find them in Pick-n-save.) I am going to also try adding 1 cup of Baking Soda in my next batch. I got a $1 cheese grater for the bar soap. The blog I read said to use a food processor to further grind up the bar soap, but I don't want to put it in my food processor that I use for food, and I am to cheep to go out and buy one just for this. I have not had a problem with the flakes melting in the hot water. Maybe if you use a colder cycle you might... (but if you use cold water, you might want to try a liquid recipe instead). I like the powdered recipe because I don't want to have to "Cook" my detergent. It is more condensed in volume and uses less per wash in powdered form (because it's not watered down). I also don't want to have to carry a large container of liquid soap down 2 flights of stairs along with my loads of laundry. WHICH is why I only do them in single batches, instead of the larger batches in some of the recipes. I use 3 tbsp per load instead of 2. Mostly because I tend to over-load my washers because of using coin laundry. (yes, again, I'm cheep)

So, here's the break down. First off, I found on Amazon a bottle of Tide Free and Gentile HE for $10 (on sale from $15). This bottle of liquid detergent will do you about 32 loads. That ends up being about $.32 a load.

Borax $12 (9.5 cups)
Washing Soda $9 (7 cups)
Baking Soda $3 (8 cups)
Fels Naptha $.86 (1 bar)

If I were doing a big batch, I'd probably throw out my 1C:1C ratio and just do a box of each Borax and Washing Soda and 8 bars of soap. Lets make it easier on ourselves, lol. (but again, I do small batches because I don't want to carry a large batch down the stairs every time I do laundry. That, and I don't want to have to grate 8 bars of soap all at once... painful.)

So, the total cost for 1 large batch of laundry soap would equal about $30. And that would yield you about 36 cups of soap at 3 tbsp each load (you could use 2 tbsp, but again, I overload my washes). This works out to about 192 loads. That's about $.15 per load. that's about HALF the price of regular detergent!

The other thing I have done is added a little bit of Tea Tree oil to the soap for scent. But it takes quite a bit for the scent to linger after the wash. So, to save my oil, I think I'm going to put some drops onto a piece of fabric and throw that in as a "Dryer Sheet". That way the oil won't get washed out and will still leave its scent on the clothes. You could use any oil you already had, or go out and buy some. Lavender might be nice or something. I'm sure there are aromatherapy scent blends out here you could use. But this step is completely unnecessary. It is only for leaving your clothes with a SCENT. the clothes are clean either way.

I have also read about Scent Pouches like pot-pori for your clothes that you toss into the dryer as well. But I already have the oil and don't want to have to add another thing to my list.

So... There ya go!

Any questions, comments or concerns?

Chocolate Fix in a mug!

So, i needed a chocolate fix.

I came across this recipe online for a brownie in a mug:

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/3 teaspoon vanilla
small handful of chocolate chips (optional)


Mix all the ingredients in a mug (or soup bowl) and microwave on high for 1-1 1/2 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy right out of the mug.



Definitely a favorite of mine during this pregnancy. Who wants to wait 20 minutes for your oven to heat up, then wait 30 minutes for your brownies to bake. and then enjoy one or two pieces and have the rest sit on top of the stove waiting to be eaten...? NO ONE!

I win!

SECURITY!

Of all the moms that I know, I don't know ANY who are as strongly opinionated on this subject at I am... so, I'm just going to voice my opinion, and possibly open up a can of worms. oh well.

I have a huge issue with "Security" blankets, "Favorite" stuffed animals, and Pacifier use beyond a year. Let me give you my reasons.

I feel like Security blankets only allow your child to be shy and hold back. Besides, as an adult trying to get a child to interact with other children, it drives me NUTS when you have to work around them. It is like giving the kid a free pass just because they have that crutch that is NOT NECESSARY! I mean, if you never pushed that blanket on the child they wouldn't have this issue. I am pretty sure it starts innocently enough. When the baby is crying, you give her a blanket. Since it worked you kept doing it. Then when the older child gets emotional at all, you ask if they want their blanket. And when the child is 2 or 3 you are still asking them if they want their blanket, only this time, it's not the child who is ACTING like they want it, you just are doing it out of habit. And now your kid has a complex and can't participate in social activities because he or she has to have one hand on that blanket at all times. I know I'm probably 90% wrong, but these are the things that go through my head.

And as for that Favorite Stuffed Animal. Let me tell you... If you allow your child to get SO attached to a toy that you are having to take it from another child to give it to your kid so they stop screaming... you have another thing coming. Allowing your child to have that one toy that is theirs, and theirs alone... you are teaching them that they do not, in fact, have to share. That if they want something bad enough, they just need to make a stink about it and they will get it eventually. That their friends/siblings don't really get to share their toys. Isn't that sending mixed signals? And if you DO allow your child to become this attached to something, DO NOT bring it out in public... i.e. sending it to a social activity as a "security thing". This causes all KINDS of problems when another kid gets a hold of it. Your kid WILL set it down eventually, then another kid will pick it up and start playing with it. Is it this kid who is wrong? No, your child was finished playing with it for now. He should share and let the other kid play with it for a while. I HATE it hen an adult takes that toy away and says "Oh, this stuffed animal actually belongs to Bobby. Sorry." and takes it from the kid who rightfully picked it up and gives it to the screaming kid. I mean, COME ON! If you would just cycle your toys every once in a while, if you see that your child is growing attached to one toy, let it retire for a while until he loses interest. This doesn't allow your child to be so attached to a toy that you have these kinds of issues. And if someone does come over to play with your kids toys... that is the POINT of having friends over, to SHARE your toys... duh!

And Pacifiers... they just are annoying. I mean, I see the point of them when the child is an infant. Don't get me wrong, my kid used one. But once she turned 6 months I quit giving it to her during the day. She ONLY got it at night or at naps. By one, ONLY at night, NOT at naps. and the only reason she kept using it until she was 2 was because she was sharing a room with me and her sister at the time. But again, ONLY AT NIGHT. I refused to allow her to have it in when she woke up. Not only would that create speech delays and oral malformations... blah blah blah... that's not what I did it for. Allowing your kid to have a pacifier when it is not necessary again gives in to the "Security" item. The item that is Theirs and Theirs alone. It separates them from the group, it isolates them from any form of communication and socialization, and it gives them that "crutch" and an "excuse" to be that way. It's like putting a sticky note on your kids forehead that says "I am still a baby, you should treat me like it."

Again, these are my opinions, (there are plenty more where they came from). I am sure that all my mommy friends who read this will either completely agree or get defensive and completely disagree. But no matter what you did with your child (or plan to do) it is your decision. I would never judge you based on how you do things with your kids. These are just my opinions. take them or leave them.

love you all!

New Recipe

Hey all, I invented a new recipe from what I had in my fridge/pantry.

This recipe started out because I had a tube of Pork Sausage that needed to be cooked.

Spinach Sausage Pie:

Ingredients
-1lb ground pork sausage
-1 can spinach (drained)
-1 brick cream cheese
-1 can Beefy Mushroom soup (Campbell's)
-2 tubes crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350F. Brown sausage in pan, add spinach, cream cheese, soup. Do not add water. Let ingredients mix until cream cheese is melted and thoroughly combined with other ingredients. Drain liquid from mixture and set aside (you will use this as a sauce to top the pie).

Roll out 1 tube of crescent rolls onto a greased bar pan (I just got new stoneware pans, so I used the medium bar pan from Pampered Chef). Pinch edges together to form one crust. Top with sausage mixture. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Roll out second tube of rolls and use as a top crust for the pie. Bake until crust turns brown and flaky.

Let cool for a few minutes, cut into pieces and serve with extra "sauce" on top. DELICIOUS!!!

This Picture does not have sauce on top. oops.

Red and Yellow, "African American" and "Caucasian"... or something like that.

When you have to fill in that race bubble on tests and stuff you only get a few choices, "Caucasian" "African American" "Asian or Pacific Islander" or "Other". This has always bothered me.

I never understood why we, as white people, have to refer to black people as "African American". For one thing, not all of them come from Africa. There are Black people in Asia, Europe, South America, North America... pretty much every where. So, if someone emigrated from India to the U.S., why are they still considered African American? Maybe I am just missing some fact, but it has never made sense to me. Also, most of America's black population has been born and raised in the U.S. and were not immigrants, nor were their parents or grand parents... and their heritage is just as muddled up as most white Americans.

I just recently learned that the term "Caucasian" stems from the Caucasus Mountain region of the Middle East."It comes from the idea that the inhabitants of the Caucasus displayed the ideal human features. Therefore, the inference was made that this region was the birthplace of mankind. This is all based on the inherently racist idea that white people exhibit the best human characteristics!" (http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/24649) This is a completely Racist ideology. Besides, I did not come from the Caucasus Mountains, did you? And, weather you believe in the Bible or not, science has proved that the humans stem from Africa, not Europe.

So if we are going to be calling black Americans "African Americans" shouldn't we be calling ALL Americans "African Americans"? In which case, we need to use a completely different set of vocabulary to make the distinction between "Black people" and "White people" (and don't tell me that we don't need to make a distinction... you use the word "brunette" or "blonde" or "red head" to describe different people, you NEED to have a word to describe someone's skin color as well. If God did not want us to be different, he would not have made different races of people... duh) I think the best word to describe "White people" is "White" or "Peach" if you want to be more specific. (or tan, or lobster... lol) And the best word to describe "Black people" is "Black" or "Brown" or "Light Brown" or... You are describing the color of their skin, not their ancestry.

Now, if you ARE talking about their ancestry, then YES you need to be specific. But for the most part, when you hear people use the term "African American" or "Afro-American" they are usually generalizing the term and referring to the person's outside appearance, not their heritage.

Please forgive me if you think I am being ignorant. I have ZERO intention to offend anyone. And if you think I am wrong, please feel free to correct me. HOWEVER, please do so in a manner that is respectful. I have a huge thing against people stating their opinions in a way which disrespects the beliefs of others. We can be civil and still have differing opinions.

yeah, that's about it.

You are Bad!

Is there a difference between the phrase "You are bad!" and "That was bad!"?

Let us think about this for a second. If you tell your child "Bad Girl!" or "You were bad." you are telling them that they are a bad person. If you tell your child "That was bad!" or "What you did was bad." you are telling them that they made a bad decision, that their actions were bad"

God does not make "Bad People". What God made was perfect, but we have a sinful nature. Meaning, we make poor choices sometimes. but making bad decisions does not make us bad people. Especially when you are talking about a child. A child whose brain can not make logical decisions yet. Who is incapable of making good choices. Isn't that why it is illegal for a person under 21 to drink alcohol? they don't have a fully developed brain and are not able to distinguish a good decision from a bad one? I am not saying they should have no consequences for their actions. on the contrary. I think every decision a child makes should have the proper consequences. How else will they learn to make good decisions if they don't get reprimanded for the bad ones?

I do not want to tell my 2 year old that she is a bad person. She is only 2! I do not want her growing up thinking she is worthless and can't do anything right. I do not want to instill in her a sense of worthlessness. If a child is told all her life that she is bad, what is to keep her from continuing those bad choices through adulthood? If there is nothing she can do to make herself a better person, why try? Why not just do what you want and live for yourself? If you call me a bad person, then I will act like a bad person!

If you tell your child "What you did was bad." or "That was bad!" you are telling them that their decision was poor. You are letting them know that they are not a bad person, but that they made a mistake. Giving them the opportunity to change their ways and make a better decision next time. Especially if you tell them "I love you, but what you did was wrong." this lets the child know that they have not lost your love, but just because you love them does not mean you can overlook their bad choice. God loves his children, but he gives us consequences for our actions. That does not mean he does not love us, just that we need to see that what we did was wrong.

Also, constantly giving positive feedback for good actions is a GREAT way to show the child what she SHOULD do, so that when she does mess up she knows she can still do good things as well. Saying things like "That was Very Nice!" or "Good Girl for...!" are great ways to give positive feedback and encourage good behavior.


ha! this did start out as a sort of rant. and ended up more like a child development lesson. oh well.

Those are my thoughts for the day.