Happy Birthday Sweet Princess

Happy 6th Birthday Zoe Lynne!!
You make everyday brighter and so much more fun and interesting!!! You are a great big sister and wonderful daughter! We love you so much!

Adventures in Cloth Diapering

So, a few weeks ago, I started thinking about cloth diapering. I've actually been thinking about if for a long while, since Teagan was a baby, but just didn't get that into it. When I started researching it this time around, I really got into it - it is something I can do to save some money (though, at first, as you are buying diapers and getting used to the laundry, it may not seem like it!); it's leaving a smaller footprint on our environment and it's not like Harper is in daycare - the only people changing her diapers are me and Duffy!

I've gotten some mixed reactions from people in my mom's generation (and some from my generation too!) - why would I think of doing this with the ease and convenience of disposables? It was a lot of work when I did it, why would you want to do all that extra work? It's so messy, disposables are so much easier. Am I crazy? First of all, cloth diapering has come a long way from when I wore them some 32 years ago - there are no pins if you don't want them; there are a ton of options as to the type of diapers you can use; some of the systems even come with disposable inserts! And I don't do any toilet swishing! I use a dry pail and wash everything every other day! And yes, maybe I am a little bit crazy, but then, aren't we all???

I'm not so die-hard that I don't see the benefits of disposables. Traveling is a perfect example! I am primarily going with the Flip system because the covers are totally awesome! The stay dry inserts work fabulously and they come with a disposable insert option that is reasonably priced and works great! So, I'll keep you posted on our adventure. For now, it seems to be going good!!

Pretzel Jell-o

Ok, for those that have never had it - don't knock it until you have some! It is AMAZING and addicting! A family favorite in this house!!

Pretzel Jell-o Recipe

Crust

3 C. broken pretzels

3/4 C. melted butter

3 T. sugar

Mix together and press into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, cool.

Filling

12oz cream cheese, softened

1 C powdered sugar

1 8oz tub Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese & sugar until smooth. Fold in cool whip and carefully spread over pretzel mixture.

Topping

1 6oz raspberry or strawberry jell-o

1 large pkg. frozen raspberries or strawberries

2 C. water

Dissolve jell-o in boiling water. Stir in frozen berries, stirring until jell-o begins to thicken. Spread over cool whip mixture in pan. Refrigerate until set. Cut into squares to serve.

Family Photos

We had pictures taken this past November and I realized I never posted any! Our friend Shannon's sister is an awesome photographer and we were lucky enough to catch a break in the weather one weekend when she was visiting!!

Check her out on the web: www.erinvey.com

Marymere Falls

We are so lucky to live where we do. We have so many options for outdoor activities and it seems like they are all in our back yard! 2 weeks ago we packed up a picnic lunch and we out to Lake Crescent to do the 1.5 mile hike to Marymere Falls. The girls had a blast checking out the trees, river and the falls. I packed Harper and she did great until the end - she started screaming about the time we ate lunch and didn't stop until we were well on our way home!

Still here

We are still here, still alive and still doing stuff - just doing lots of stuff and having a hard time finding the time and motivation to sit down and blog. I will do it this week though - I have some pictures of the our hike yesterday, the busy girls and more!



A quick update to keep you interested:

• Zoe had her first visit to the dentist (her first appt. just for her actually) and everything is great. She even got to play dentist with Dr. Birch - he is so awesome!


• Harper is scooting herself all over the place and nothing is safe! She is into talking to you and is really funny! The big girls try to get her to come to their room by tempting her with her toys!


• Duffy has been on a route where he's had the last 4 Saturday's off! It makes for a long Mon-Fri. but it has been nice having the extra day off. Only 1 more week though then it's back to his normal schedule.


• The big girls are busy, busy, busy with school and loving it. Zoe is learning to read like a champ and it's funny when she askes what words mean, she never gives you the context! Teagan like to think she can read. She had "Hop on Pop" the other day and told Zoe she could read it; she just sat their whispering to herself!

I will post again this week, I promise! I have a few recipes to do and some pics to post!

Tasty Tuesday

So, my friend Melissa wanted to try something this year, Tasty Tuesday, as a way to share recipes that we are trying, family favorites, and our old stand-bys. I love the idea - I'm always looking for new recipes (we do Meat-Free Monday, so I'm definately looking for great vegetarian recipes) and I love to cook, so, I'm jumping on the band-wagon and sharing a recipe every week as well.

Red Bean and Quinoa Chili

Recipe from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. (my new favorite cookbook!!!)

This is a one-dish meal you can make in 45 minutes. Try serving it to guests – they’ll love it!

Ingredients
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup tomato sauce or canned tomatoes
1 cup water
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained

Garnish ingredients (optional)
Chopped cilantro
Low fat or non fat sour cream

Preparation

• Heat oil in skillet on medium heat.
• Add onion, salt, garlic, pepper and spices, saute for 5-10 minutes.
• Add rinsed quinoa and stir in.
• Add corn, tomato sauce or canned tomatoes and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together for 20 minutes.
• Add beans to other ingredients, simmer another 10 minutes.
• Top with cilantro and/or sour cream, if desired.

This is a great meat-free chili and Duffy didn't even miss the meat. We topped with avocado's and cheese as well.