Yeah, so I said this was a cooking blog and not a personal things blog, but with the formula recalls, and all the breast is best posts I've been reading lately, I've been thinking about it. And it does kind of fit in with a cooking blog, being as how it is about eating.
Today I ran into an old classmate who is about ready to give up on the whole breastfeeding thing. I am going to go see her on Saturday, to help her, or at least see if I can, before she gives it up. I find myself on the fence, because I know that not everyone can breastfeed as easy as I did, but you know when something comes easy to you, how you can't really see how it doesn't come easy to someone else? And so I am having issues, with putting myself in her spot, in the spot of someone who can't do it easy, to whom it isn't clicking.
I have to figure out by Saturday how to try and figure out what may be the problem, if it's a latch issue, or if its just a problem of taking too much time, and effort, while a bottle is easier.
When I have talked to people who have latch issues, one of the things I have noticed being a common factor is the waiting to feed. The baby has been crying, or they are doing a feed on a schedule thing. I need to find out if this mom is doing this. I found that if there was ever a time I didn't feed on demand, or feed at the first signs, it didn't come as easy.
Breastfeeding for me was the easiest thing I have ever done in my life. Doing something else just didn't even come into my mind. I loved the bond, I loved the cheapness, I loved it period. Though, by the end, with Ciera, I was beyond done, just because she wanted to nurse so much, and she was so big.
I'm hoping to help this mom, to help her find her breastfeeding groove. To be honest though, I'm not doing it because I hate formula, or because it's recalled, or because I think it's best. I'm doing it because this mom is poor, and formula is expensive. I'm doing it because I want to be able to help someone who really wants to breastfeed. And I'm doing it because I'm hoping someone else can find the joy I found.
She has let me know the baby is fussy on formula, and gassy. Hopefully this will help her with that as well.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Corn Chowder
Bart used my camera cord for his MP3 player, and so, I can't find it to upload my photos. But I made corn chowder today. And it turned out well. It has no recipe though. I can give the basics however.
I took about 5 corn cobs and took all the kernels off of them. I tossed them into a pot of water, about 2 quarts, with a whole onion chopped up, and a handful of my dried garlic. I boiled the cobs with all the rest of the stuff at a low simmer for about 4-5 hours.
Once this was done, I removed all the stuff I boiled, luckily I have a strainer in my stockpot, so all I had to do was lift it up. I remove this and added 2 cups of my frozen bacon, the stuff I use in my other recipes that I've shown here. Then I chopped up 7 potatoes into small bite sized pieces and boiled them with the stock I made. I boiled this for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes pretty much didn't exist anymore, but thickened the soup. Every once in a while you got a bite of potato. After this I added 2 cans of evaporated milk, a stick of butter that I mashed with a cup of flour(I whisked this in) and the corn that I had removed from the cobs.
After this came to a boil, I tasted it for salt content, added pepper, and added a little more garlic. This is the point where you season it to your own taste. It's a bit thin, not a thick stew, depending on how much water you had in the beginning, and how much it simmered down. I had a lid on it, so it stayed pretty liquid and thin.
I added one more stick of butter, because I like the richness it adds, and then served it with bread. It was yummy. The kids liked it, though I added frozen mixed veggies to Ciera's to cool it down. I am going to brain Bart tomorrow to get my cord back. Then I will have pictures.
I took about 5 corn cobs and took all the kernels off of them. I tossed them into a pot of water, about 2 quarts, with a whole onion chopped up, and a handful of my dried garlic. I boiled the cobs with all the rest of the stuff at a low simmer for about 4-5 hours.
Once this was done, I removed all the stuff I boiled, luckily I have a strainer in my stockpot, so all I had to do was lift it up. I remove this and added 2 cups of my frozen bacon, the stuff I use in my other recipes that I've shown here. Then I chopped up 7 potatoes into small bite sized pieces and boiled them with the stock I made. I boiled this for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes pretty much didn't exist anymore, but thickened the soup. Every once in a while you got a bite of potato. After this I added 2 cans of evaporated milk, a stick of butter that I mashed with a cup of flour(I whisked this in) and the corn that I had removed from the cobs.
After this came to a boil, I tasted it for salt content, added pepper, and added a little more garlic. This is the point where you season it to your own taste. It's a bit thin, not a thick stew, depending on how much water you had in the beginning, and how much it simmered down. I had a lid on it, so it stayed pretty liquid and thin.
I added one more stick of butter, because I like the richness it adds, and then served it with bread. It was yummy. The kids liked it, though I added frozen mixed veggies to Ciera's to cool it down. I am going to brain Bart tomorrow to get my cord back. Then I will have pictures.
Break time over
Sorry about the break. School started for Aiden, we went to Seattle, life got kind of busy, I ran out of batteries for my camera, and I'm about to start school myself, as is Bart. Plus, we are looking for a new place to live. All that combined led to lots of ramen noodles, and while I said I'd post everything, I'm not posting that.
Yesterday I wanted meatloaf, and had no hamburger. So I ground up some chicken in the food processor. Then I thought, hmm, chicken with regular meatloaf seasonings might taste weird, lets season it like a baked chicken. Worst idea ever. Even smothered in chicken gravy, this was not a salvageable meal. Hello McD's value menu.
So, time to get back to the basics of cooking. Especially since I shopped wrong this month, and we are actually on a very limited amount of food. I haven't figured out what I did wrong, but it's time to be creative.
Last night I got some nice ears of corn from my father, who got it from his boss. So I shucked it, then I got all the kernels off, and put the naked cobs into a stock pot of water. I chopped up an onion, tossed in some garlic, some salt, some pepper, and a little chicken base. It is simmering away. Later tonight, once I have gotten every ounce of flavor out of that, I will add the corn I got off those cobs, some chicken, a little green chile, and some potatoes. It will be a chicken corn chowder. Oh, and with my onions, I leave the skins on when I am making a stock, it makes the color nicer.
So, that will be coming along, and while I make it, I am taking pictures. I will also have lots of new recipes and old recipes coming up here, because, granted she doesn't change her mind, I am going to be making all the food that will be fed to the people at my wonderful friends wedding. I will be making appetizers, cupcakes, and I will be having so much fun doing it. I am so excited. I am using tried and true recipes, but I will be having a tasting for them at Christmas, so I get to make the recipes so they get to taste it all, and all will come up on this site. So yay, lots of recipes to make.
Well, Aiden is about out of school, and I have to go meet his schoolbus. Tonight, we have chowder. And I am back.
Yesterday I wanted meatloaf, and had no hamburger. So I ground up some chicken in the food processor. Then I thought, hmm, chicken with regular meatloaf seasonings might taste weird, lets season it like a baked chicken. Worst idea ever. Even smothered in chicken gravy, this was not a salvageable meal. Hello McD's value menu.
So, time to get back to the basics of cooking. Especially since I shopped wrong this month, and we are actually on a very limited amount of food. I haven't figured out what I did wrong, but it's time to be creative.
Last night I got some nice ears of corn from my father, who got it from his boss. So I shucked it, then I got all the kernels off, and put the naked cobs into a stock pot of water. I chopped up an onion, tossed in some garlic, some salt, some pepper, and a little chicken base. It is simmering away. Later tonight, once I have gotten every ounce of flavor out of that, I will add the corn I got off those cobs, some chicken, a little green chile, and some potatoes. It will be a chicken corn chowder. Oh, and with my onions, I leave the skins on when I am making a stock, it makes the color nicer.
So, that will be coming along, and while I make it, I am taking pictures. I will also have lots of new recipes and old recipes coming up here, because, granted she doesn't change her mind, I am going to be making all the food that will be fed to the people at my wonderful friends wedding. I will be making appetizers, cupcakes, and I will be having so much fun doing it. I am so excited. I am using tried and true recipes, but I will be having a tasting for them at Christmas, so I get to make the recipes so they get to taste it all, and all will come up on this site. So yay, lots of recipes to make.
Well, Aiden is about out of school, and I have to go meet his schoolbus. Tonight, we have chowder. And I am back.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
We had Ciera's birthday party last weekend. One of the snack items we supplied were these little itty bitty sweet peppers. They were so cute, I couldn't help but buy them. However, they didn't all get eaten, and I didn't want them to go to waste, so I made fajitas. Then I made the fajita filling into a quesadilla.
So, I chopped up a bunch of these little peppers into thin slices, no measurements here, its as many peppers as you want to have in it. When I use normal sized peppers, I usually use one green and one red. Then I slice into thin slices one large onion.
I put these into my skillet with about 2 tablespoons of oil, and I cook until slightly charred and translucent.
After this, I take chicken tenders I have boiled in taco seasoning until done. You can use as much chicken as you want here again, I used about 10 chicken tenders. I chopped this into small bite sized pieces, and tossed it in with the onions and peppers. Then I added half a cup of garlic lovers salsa, though you can use the salsa of your choice.
One this was all combined and blended, I took it off the heat and put another pan on the stove. I put a teaspoon of oil in it, and waited until it shimmered. Then I plopped a tortilla into the pan, gently, and spun it around to make sure it was all the way coated with oil. Then I put a handful of grated cheddar cheese on the tortilla and spread it around the whole thing. I then took about half a cup of my fajita mixture and spread it over half. I wated for it to get crispy on one half, and then turned it over, and got it crispy on the other.
Once this was done, I let it rest about a minute or two so that the cheese stops being quite so gooey. Then I top it with sour cream and homemade guacamole.
YUM!!
So, I chopped up a bunch of these little peppers into thin slices, no measurements here, its as many peppers as you want to have in it. When I use normal sized peppers, I usually use one green and one red. Then I slice into thin slices one large onion.
I put these into my skillet with about 2 tablespoons of oil, and I cook until slightly charred and translucent.
After this, I take chicken tenders I have boiled in taco seasoning until done. You can use as much chicken as you want here again, I used about 10 chicken tenders. I chopped this into small bite sized pieces, and tossed it in with the onions and peppers. Then I added half a cup of garlic lovers salsa, though you can use the salsa of your choice.
One this was all combined and blended, I took it off the heat and put another pan on the stove. I put a teaspoon of oil in it, and waited until it shimmered. Then I plopped a tortilla into the pan, gently, and spun it around to make sure it was all the way coated with oil. Then I put a handful of grated cheddar cheese on the tortilla and spread it around the whole thing. I then took about half a cup of my fajita mixture and spread it over half. I wated for it to get crispy on one half, and then turned it over, and got it crispy on the other.
Once this was done, I let it rest about a minute or two so that the cheese stops being quite so gooey. Then I top it with sour cream and homemade guacamole.
YUM!!
Cheesecake
2 sleeves of graham crackers, crushed
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
4 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
2 cups sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch springform, or spray the heck out of it with pam spray for baking, with the flour added( I love that stuff). Mix graham crackers with butter and sugar. I did this all in my food processor. I put the graham crackers in, made the crumbs, then tossed in the sugar and melted butter, and pulsed it until it was all combined. Once that is done, press it in the bottom of the pan and up the sides. I had enough to go almost all the way up the sides.
Now, for the yummy part. Mix cream cheese and sugar until all creamy and smooth. Then add in sour cream and vanilla. Once this is all combined, add in the eggs one at time, just until incorporated. At this point, yo don't want to overmix. Add in the flour, and once again, go for creamy. Once this is all nice and done, pour it gently into the pan with the graham crackers, because you don't want them coming off the sides of the pan. Put this into the oven for an hour, or until a knife inserted comes out mostly clean. Once that happens, and yes, the cheesecake should be coming almost out of the pan, mix the brown sugar and sour cream together. Spread it carefully over the top of the cheesecake(this hides the cracks). Turn the oven off. Leave the cheese cake in the oven for the next hour. At this point, I put it on the counter for an hour, and then into the fridge, because I wanted it to hurry up and set, so I could eat it.
It was good. The top is slightly tan in color, due to the brown sugar.
Try it. It's wonderful. It's to die for. It's not dense like some cheesecakes, but its not fluffy. It is incredibly creamy.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Amazon
Hi. You might have noticed the huge amount of Amazon.com links on my site. That's because it is a way for me to make money. Yes, that icky word, money. I am not going to ask for you to help me out money wise by putting up a tip jar, or begging, or letting you know just how bad my finances are(you don't want to know, it's too scary.) I will, however, ask, hey, if you use Amazon.com to buy anything, maybe you can think of me, and come to my site, get to Amazon.com through one of my links, and then you are shopping at my Amazon.com store. I then get a very small percentage of the money you spent. That way, you are getting what you were going to get anyhow, and you help out me and my family. It's a win win situation.
Thanks.
Thanks.
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