OUR KIDS NEED DADS

Sometimes moms think they can do it all... but honestly we can't.... No matter how awesome a mom is, she can't replace a DAD!

Some of my fondest memories were wrestling with my dad... racing him... running as fast as I could, hanging from his incredibly strong biceps, being flung into the air and, caught in his arms.  He taught me to take risks, to challenge my safety net, and to even be reckless sometimes... These things are a bit outside of my nature and I needed his push to do things that were challenging.

Dad's have hard jobs, they have to go out in the world, compete in a sometimes ruthless and harsh world (and yes I know many women do too).  But they summon up the strength and push forward defying all the critics and the all the forces that could, and often do, combine against them.  Sometimes dads are riskier playing with their kids and sometimes we'd get hurt... but it was worth the risk.  We survived and the experiences we gained were priceless.  Sometimes men ignore risks and/or don't weigh all the possibilities of what could go wrong... but as a man working in a dog eat dog world... sometimes you have to slap on your big boy pants imagine that you're invincible, forget about the risks, and go for it.  Sure it might be terrifying but that's the essence of manhood.  And time and experience has proven to me that all those cliche phrases like man-up and take it like a man are well founded.

I always compared my Dad to Popeye because I thought he had such incredibly strong forearms... Yet he was not one who encouraged us to eat our vegetables.

Why Won't the LDS Church Ordain Women?

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I don't usually address super-controversial subjects on my blog, but I recently had a moment of clarity regarding the issue over women holding the priesthood in the LDS Church.  I felt a strong need to share.


Regarding the Ordain Women Movement: The Lord has designed the church to meet the needs of his children. If it wasn't meeting our needs, I'm sure counsel would be given to change it. I can see why changes were made so blacks could receive the priesthood. The growth of the church in predominantly black areas warranted a need for such change. I suppose if the majority of men in the church were not fulfilling their priesthood responsibilities, then the Lord would find a way to bring the blessings of the priesthood to the people of the earth (that might mean ordaining women).

 I feel that we need to have a little more faith in our priesthood holders. I don't feel that the demands of the priesthood are more than they can handle. If women feel so strongly that they (or others in the church) are unable to receive blessings of the priesthood, they should be pleading to the Lord for an answer. I would hope their spouses, fathers, home teachers, or priesthood leaders could help fill that need.

 If the current system was suddenly unable to further the work of the Lord, then yes I suppose He would (through his prophets) make changes in the church. I do believe that the church is not a democracy but it is His church. We need to have faith in His divine plan: He will insure that His work (the salvation of his children) WILL continue forward (which is the point of having an organized church in the first place). This is my testimony on the matter. Amen.


I know my blog is called Do-It-Yourself Mom
I don't mean that every mom should do everything alone (although there are many things we can). For some things we must rely on each other.  Sometimes this takes great faith and humility.  I've often heard the saying 'No man is an island.'  Well, no woman is either. 


If you want further information LDS.org has several articles about the topic.
These 3 in particular:
Mormon.org: Why Don't Women Hold the Priesthood in the Church?
Women and the Priesthood
Church Asks Activist Group to Reconsider Plans to Protest at General Conference

Move Over McDonald's: My New Favorite Breakfast

(Not that my favorite breakfast was ever from McDonalds this dish just reminds me of the McGriddle--although it's so much better.)

Okay so recently I discovered this ingenious idea of putting precooked crumbled sausage (which I keep in a ziploc bag in my freezer) in my pancake batter. They are so much tastier and better than chocolate chips...plus I love syrup on my breakfast meats.  Today I took it to the next level... Adding cheese.

SAUSAGE CAKES WITH CHEESE

The process goes like so... take a bowl of your favorite pancake batter (like my new favorite: Whole Wheat Pancakes).  Add a few handfuls of crumbled breakfast sausage (I've used venison and turkey and they are both tasty).  Fold in.  Spoon onto hot griddle (300-350 degrees F). 

Turn with a spatula once bubbles start popping on the surface of the pancakes.

Add some cheese to half of the pancakes (I used Colby Jack because I have it and it's super gooey).

When cheese is all melty and pancakes are fully cooked stack a non-cheesed sausage cake on top of the cheesy one and drizzle with syrup.  If you want a less messy version (for the kiddos or for on the go) add the cheese right after removing from griddle and dip into syrup on the side. This is how Caleb prefers to eat his pancakes, although he was a little wary of the cheese concept.  You can also just let the hot gooey sandwich set for a minute and eat it by hand when the cheese sets up.

I first tried my maple/molasses syrup but decided that chokecherry syrup was much tastier.  I live in the chokecherry capital of the world, so I have my own but a friend of mine sells it.  Check out her FB business page Vintage Delights.  Her Chokecherry Chocolate syrup is also amazing on almost anything you can think to put it on.

The variations are endless... you could use any breakfast meat (like cubed ham or bacon pieces)  any cheese (like medium cheddar or even feta) and top it with anything you like (any flavor of syrup or even a chile sauce or salsa for a southwest kick).

ENJOY! 


Tips on making the Pancakes:  I whisk the egg, add the milk and vinegar, and then whisk in the warm melted butter (don't add the hot butter straight to the egg or else it will cook it).  I've made these enough that I have the batter ready by the time the griddle is hot. The recipe makes enough to feed 2 hungry adults.  I usually double the batch and have some for me and my kiddos with quite a few extras to keep in the fridge.  My husband is not a big breakfast or pancake fan but he snitches them (since I've been making them with sausage) out of the fridge and eats them cold.  If he doesn't devour them for lunch or a late night snack we zap them in the microwave (about 10 seconds/pancake) and have them for breakfast another day.

You could also cook up like 3 batches and freeze them (wait til they're cooled or the steam will cause them to freeze together.)  Then you can have a super tasty easy breakfast in a flash any day of the week (no need to buy those pre-packaged over-priced breakfast sandwiches).

Leftover Turkey?

My all time favorite leftover turkey recipe is this excellent Curried Turkey Salad

Curry, Craisins, and Turkey.... so tasty.  I'm going to chop up some turkey and freeze it until I get some craisins (plus I've been eating a lot of turkey lately).  For the chutney (which is hard to come by in the west) I've used a generous measurement of whole cranberry sauce, mincemeat, or apricot jam.  I'll likely use some tart chokecherry jam that I made this year.
Here's also a link on making your own curry.

I recently made some  

Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili 

It is some excellent chili but it doesn't taste super pumpkin-y but the pumpkin gives it a nice thick and smooth texture.  The second time I made it I used a large double can of pumpkin and I left out 1/2  of the chili and cumin (because it was a little spicy for the kids).  Made it for about 10 people (8 adults 2 kids) and they certainly polished it off.  Served with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

 What are your favorite ways to eat leftover turkey? (besides with leftover stuffing and cranberry sauce...mmm).  Please share your recipes in the comments below.

Excellent Pumpkin Cake with Light and Creamy Frosting

I made this cake and took it to church for a potluck dinner. I got rave reviews. The recipe was easy so I wanted to be sure to share it.


I started with a Pumpkin Cake I found on Allrecipes  I altered it a little, so here's my version.

Pumpkin Cake III

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin (or a 15oz. can) or cooked & pureed pie pumpkin
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3 tsp ground ginger 

Directions (from Allrecipes)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine sugar, oil, and applesauce. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Spread batter into prepared 12x18 inch pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

FROSTING 

Found in a Facebook share from this gal: https://www.facebook.com/melody.mclaughlin1 ---she has lots of good looking recipes on her wall...) 

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EASY HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

This is SOO delicious. It WONT melt at room temperature like regular whipped cream!
It's VERY stable. Its wonderful used for frosting a cake or even dipping fruit in it! Not TOO sweet.
Very versatile!

**This recipe makes 5 cups**

1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened [I used neufchatel)
1/2 cup white sugar [yes regular granulated sugar]
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract [I used orange extract because I didn't have almond on hand]
2 cups of heavy cream

Directions:

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer.

Once all in the bowl, mix on medium speed until smooth.

While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream.

Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

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I slathered this over the sheet cake and then using a star frosting tip did a zigzag border around the outside edge.  Simple yet so tasty.  I'm not sure if this frosting is sturdy enough to hold up a multi-layer cake, but if you try it out let me know.

ENJOY!

Controlling Eczema: Bleach Baths...

Okay, so you may be very skeptical of this post.  I was when I stumbled upon an article about Eczema and the mother mentioning this.

 http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-treatments/bleach-cure-eczema.htm 

I thought... hmmm that's interesting.  I was becoming frustrated with my 2-1/2 y.o.son's eczema early this spring and was getting frustrated because I knew that he was getting a lot of secondary infections from the inflamed skin, so just moisturizing as his pediatricians constantly suggested was not cutting it.

My husband often suffers from athletes foot, I don't know what it is but he was getting it this spring (most likely from an old pair of boots that he wears on outings--that increase in frequency in the spring). He uses the same bathtub that the kids bathe in.  I was noticing that DIY-son's common eczema patch under his knee (usually flares up when the weather warms up--from sweat/or irritation or just wearing shorts) was looking patchy like a fungal infection. See image below.  His has never gotten this bad but I could see raised borders and circular patches.

source: http://www.pennmedicine.org/encyclopedia/em_PrintArticle.aspx?gcid=000877

 So I started putting Clotrimazole Cream (name brand Lotrimin-original formula) on his itchy patches... Oh they really itch him (especially when he sweats or goes more than a couple days between baths).  But,  I worried that every time I bathed him he was getting re-infected and often scrubbed the tub before bathing him. And because we have a rubber mat in this bathtub at our new home (no texture on the bottom of the tub) I was trying my best to scrub it too and to be sure everyone draped it to dry off between use.  It was becoming such a pain and I was getting so paranoid that this vicious cycle would never end.


I started searching on the web for ways to treat/prevent eczema and preventing/treating secondary infections.  I stumbled on that first article then I looked for more articles on bleach treatments and found this article that describes studies that were done.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/news/20090427/bleach-baths-may-help-kids-with-ezcema

I thought I would give it a try, so I measured about 1/4 cup of bleach into his baths about half full and I felt so much better about the rubber mat and all the fungus it could be harboring... My daughter thought it was fun because it seemed like they were at the swimming pool.  I bathe him first and then I add more hot water (to warm it up more and she likes a deeper bath) before my daughter gets in.  Then her bath is much more diluted.

Within a couple days I was seeing results and his flare ups actually went away for much of the summer.

Our Regular Routine:
I bathe my son about every other day (about 3-4 times a week) If/when my son would get a patch under his leg or around his wrist I found it helpful to scrub the patches with a washcloth and mild soap while in his bleach bath to help remove and break up the rough dry and flaky skin.  Then following his bath I apply the anti-fungal cream first (if the flare-up has lasted a while and I suspected a secondary infection---which are becoming much less often) and then I use Aveeno extra dry skin lotion or an eczema cream (see my earlier recommendations).  I apply the lotion especially to his limbs and a little on his face (using a good water-barrier type lotion after each bath really helps strengthen his sensitive/delicate skin and prevent flare-ups).

The best part is, I generally only feel the need to scrub the tub about once a week!

Seriously adding a little bleach to my son's baths have really made a difference in our lives.  I wish I had started it when he was younger... (I'm not sure how early you may want to do this... maybe after 8 months or so... or when they start bathing in the community bath tub starting with very little bleach).

If his skin is looking really good I often don't bother with a bleach bath and maybe only do it once a week.  Eventually I'm sure he'll grow out of his eczema like his sister did (although hers was more mild).

For now, this is really making a difference and if your child is suffering from eczema it's worth a try (not like we never take our children to a chlorinated swimming pool---- which some people notice clear up eczema and acne conditions too).

Please share this with mothers that have eczema tortured children... I wish someone had shared it with me long ago.

Let me know if it helps!

DIY-Mom

Transitioning from Crib to Bed... thumps in the night.

This do it yourself tip was one I developed out of necessity.  I wish I had figured it out when we put my oldest into a twin bed.

First of all, I advise keeping your baby in a crib as Long as Possible.  It is nice to have them contained and you don't have to worry about them waking and wandering the house.  My 2.5 yr-old has been able to climb out of his crib for a while now.  I think his older sister showed him some tips to climb out.  She's very helpful like that. At first I just told him very firmly not to climb out of his bed when I put him down.  He's pretty obedient when he knows I'm serious.  It worked pretty well for a month or two although he got out a few times when his sister got to him first. He didn't seem to hurt himself (luckily he's pretty cautious about getting hurt).  But it was definitely time to make the transition.

my little guy posing in his big boy bed

Tasty Whole-wheat Snickerdoodles

Okay cookies really aren't too healthy, but you gotta indulge sometimes.  I love it when I find wholesome wholegrain goody recipes.

Recipe found here:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whole-wheat-snickerdoodles-i/detail.aspx

This is a really quick blog entry.  I just had to share.

I made these twice.  The first batch disappeared way too fast.  I made a double batch the second time (which it's really easy to have allrecipes calculate the measurements).

MY EXPERIENCE with this recipe.
I used Wheat Montana White Whole Wheat flour.  I froze the dough for 5-15min before rolling it in the cinnamon/sugar.  I used more cinnamon than sugar and got a nice dark crackled finish.

These cookies are heavenly straight out of the oven but I think they get even better after cooling and stored in an airtight container.  So soft and chewy and they kept well for 4 whole days (I'm sure they'd go longer just haven't had them around long enough).

King Arthur makes a white whole wheat flour... I've used it before very similar:

My Past Birth Stories

This is a long post.  Maybe you are not interested in reading about it.  Giving birth is amazing.  I have 2 very different stories.  I wrote both stories shortly after I had each child.

Becoming a Mom Again and Choosing a Care-Provider

Both of my kids at about 1 wk old.

So we let out our little secret yesterday.  We're having another baby due mid-November.  I have a few followers on here that I know don't use Facebook so I wanted to share here too. I've been pretty distracted figuring things out over the past few months.  It's hard to write posts when you've got baby on the brain (and you don't want to share yet).

Things Get Complicated 

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup Recipe Review

This soup is right up my alley.  Tasty, simple ingredients, quite healthy, and crowd pleasing.  I'm adding it to my meal repertoire.

 http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cauliflower-soup

I was looking for something for dinner tonight and I have a whole cauliflower from my Bountiful Basket that needed to be eaten.  I searched cauliflower soup and this was the first recipe that I had all of the ingredients and it just sounded tasty and simple.  It was.  I was very excited because it also called for carrots and celery (which I also have an abundance of).  The best part was that everyone at it up and some asked for more.

      

I made it without the hot sauce (because I only have smoky flavored Tabasco) plus DIY-dad and I usually add the spice to our own servings.

Served with tuna salad and a choice of bread or crackers.

Unrelated BLOG NEWS: There is only one week left to use my promotional code  on Halftee.com. 

 

What's a Flexitarian?

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I feel like I am already becoming a Flexitarian and I just found out what one is: I stumbled on a blog written by a woman explaining how she eventually became a vegan. I don't feel that veganism is necessary, but I want to consume much less meat.  I've watched a lot of documentaries on the food industry, the poor treatment of animals, and the unsustainable nature of our nation's animal product over-indulgence.  I've been eating less meat and I really would like to stop purchasing meat from large meat producers.  Kellie (from the blog) read this book by Michael Pollen, In Defense of Food  (he also is behind the film Food, Inc which is in my netflix instant cue :o)

When your child swallows a foreign object.

Caleb swallowed a quarter yesterday.  At first I did not believe him.  I've never been worried about quarters.  We have them in the cup holder in our car.  I occasionally let Caleb look at the pictures on them. I always told him not to put them in his mouth.  Kids put everything in their mouths! You can't trust them. 

Make your Own Laundry Soap

GOT LAUNDRY SOAP?

I know this is all over the internet.  I avoided doing it myself because I couldn't find a definitive 1 right way to do it.  I moved around a lot in the last couple years and I figured it's just one more thing I don't have time for.  The fact is, I do.  It is not time consuming.  It's like making a batch of cookies once every couple months.
READ TO THE END FOR MY LATEST UPDATE!!

Are you Hungry for Change?

So, I know it's that time of year when we evaluate our life and try to take better care of ourselves.

I recently watched a documentary called "Hungry For Change"  (it's available on netflix).

 http://www.hungryforchange.tv/

  Do you ever feel like you can eat all day long and still be starving?  Processed foods are high in calories and low in nutrients.  They leave our bodies overfed and yet starving for what it really needs.

Making Thanksgiving a little more Wholesome

This was our feast last year, I know my rolls were white (cheated and used Rhodes and they didn't have w.w. at the store)

I know that Thanksgiving is a feast and I'm all about pigging out on occasion.  I'm trying to focus on the quality of the food versus the quantity this year.  Here are some of my suggestions for a more wholesome feast.

Leave the skins on in your mashed spuds.  Generally I dice the spuds nice and small so the skins are not long and stringy.  Boil the potatoes until tender and then I drain (saving the liquid).  I use my hand-held mixer to mash them up in a big bowl without adding liquid first. Then I add some of the hot liquid back and some warm milk.  Don't really need to add butter especially if you are having gravy.

Healthier Pies. Make pumpkin pie or open top pies with my Hybrid Pie Crust to add some whole grains to your desserts (this also makes them more filling :o).  I'm also leaving out 1/4 of the sugar from my pumpkin pie recipe so it is less sweet and more pumpkin- nee.  I'm also making a blackberry (berries have so much wholesome fiber and anti-oxidants) pie that I'm going to use white whole wheat flour (extra-fine ground whole wheat) for the crust and add a minimum amount of sugar.

Whole-Grain Rolls or multi-grain.  A nice warm roll doesn't really need extra butter on it either...

A Veggie/Relish tray.  My mom always has one of these sitting out for us to snack on while we wait for the big feast.  Pickles, carrots, olives, celery, broccoli, cauliflower... all good.  This is also a good way to give your digestive track a jump start for what's to come.

Drink water.  No need to add extra calories with beverages.  Drinking water helps clear your palate to taste all of the wonderful foods and drinking periodically will help you feel fuller faster and help everything go down smoother.


Enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday!

What healthy ideas are you involving in your Thanksgiving Feast?

Is Sugar Poison?

So I've been trying to eat healthier for a while. Last fall I started adding more complex carbohydrates (whole grains etc.) to our diet and trying to replace all of the refined foods. I also have been balancing our meals better with more fruits and vegetables (larger portions and eating more proportionately in relation to the grains and proteins in our diets.)  I worked on it throughout the holidays but when the new year began I resolved to do even better.  I find that making lifestyle changes are difficult and I try to do it gradually for my sake and for the sake of my family (don't want to put them in shock).

Inexpensive Handsoap

 

Hand soap can be expensive. Especially if you have kids and they use way too much.  I've found that the foaming hand-soap dispensers are nice because my daughter can catch the soap easier and doesn't let it slide down the drain unused.  The best part about foaming soap dispensers is that you can refill them for 1/3 the cost of regular soap. 

I Invented a new Ice Cream Topping

So we were eating ice cream the other night and I'm always looking for something interesting to add to my ice cream.  I looked through my cupboards and this is what I created... WARNING: this is very addicting!

Making Baby Food

Have you tried baby food lately?  Okay some of them are okay, like most of the fruits.  But what about the vegetables?  They are nasty.  Green beans, and peas are so gross.  Why would we feed this stuff to our kids.  No wonder so many kids hate vegetables, because their first experience is with soupy way overcooked sludge.  I know I don't like canned peas, but fresh and frozen peas are fantastic.
I started making my own baby food for my daughter because of the price of those little jars.  I actually made mine from a lot of frozen vegetables because they were available and affordable.  They taste 10 times better than the baby food in jars.  With a pot, a steamer basket, my blender, a couple ice trays, and ziploc bags I was in business.  It was so much cheaper and tastier for my kid.