Cloth Diapers?!

Why I wanted to cloth diaper...

Cloth diapering?! What, why?! That's pretty much the reaction I got when I first began mentioning it to friends and family. It seemed as if everyone thought I'd be up to my neck in poop and pee everyday...LOL! Here's the thing, I mean regardless of what type of diaper you go with (disposible or cloth) you are still supposed to put the solid matter (POOP) in the toliet before you wash or throw away. Bet that's news to many of you.

I figured that if I was going to be dealing with poop and pee why not save $$$ and put some cuteness on my baby's bum. So I began many many months of research. There was so much information and opinions. What diapers are the best, what's the best wash routine, how many diapers should you buy...
Oh, and all the lingo...AIO, pocket, AI2, fitteds, snaps, hook and loop, aplix, velcro, flats, prefolds, covers, PUL, ect... Eventually, I began understanding what I was reading and decided to start making my first purchases. I bought a few bamboo pocket diapers, some newborn diapers and some detergent.

Well I've been cloth diapering for over a year now and am very happy with my decision. It's been a bit of a learning curve but I really love it. My baby has a cute fluffy butt and I feel like I've saved some $ too! Although, I should mention that cloth diapers are addicting and you may find yourself buying way more than you need. They're just so darn cute!

Grocery Haul at Costco 1-14-13

So hubby and I went to Costco yesterday for our 2 week shop. Instead of showing you pictures I thought I'd just record what I bought for a change of pace.

Grand Total: $280.00

Turkey Meatloaf My Way

Ingredients
1-1¼lbs ground turkey
1 cup italian style breadcrumbs
½ cup milk
½ cup pureed or finely pulsed carrots
2 celery ribs, finely diced
1 small onion or ½ a large onion), finely diced
½ cup freshly grated parmesean cheese
¼ cup ketchup, plus a little extra to spread on top
4 slices thick cut bacon
salt to taste (just a lttle as the cheese and ketchup both contain a fair amount of salt)
pepper to taste

Directions
Pre-Heat oven to 350℉

In a large bowl add your breadcrumbs and soak with the milk. Dice your onions and celery. In a skillet add about 2Tbls. of olive oil and heat on med-high. Add the onion and lower heat to medium. Cook for about 8 min stirring occasionally. Next add the celery to the skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, add the turkey to the soaked breadcrumbs. Throw the cheese, carrots, ketchup, salt and pepper in too. Add the cooked onion and celery to the bowl too. Now mix with your hands until just combined. Put the meatloaf mixture into a 9×5in loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Smooth mixture until even and top with just a tad of ketchup (enough to just give a light glaze on top). Now lay your bacon on top of the meatloaf, try not to overlap.

Bake at 350℉ for about 55 minutes until cooked through. After it's done baking I like to brown up the bacon by turning the broiler on high and letting the bacon get nice and crispy. Note: keep an eye on the bacon because it can burn very quickly under the broiler.

Let sit for about 10min or so. Enjoy!!!!

A New Year and A New Mind Set

As 2013 begins I am so full of ideas and wants for this new year. I know that we all have such grand expectations for the new year and ourselves, but I think for this year, I want to keep it simple. Here are my resolutions:

1. Make a family binder where I can keep all our family information (monthly budget, monthly family calendar, meal plans, shopping lists, cleaning schedules, ect...)

2. Eat more veggies

3. Be more organized

4. Spend more time outside with the kids

5. Be more relaxed and pamper myself occasionally  

Costco Trip and 2 Week Meal Plan

Well today the family and I headed to Costco to stock up on some groceries to last us the next two weeks. Here is what we bought:

1. Costco Rotisserie Chicken $4.99
2. Beef Stew Meat $23.00/ 5.5lbs.
3. Romaine Hearts $2.99/ 6 hearts
4. Celery $2.99/ 4 stalks
5. Cuties $5.99/ 5lbs.
6. Bananas $1.39/ 3lbs.
7. Strawberries $5.99
8. Low Sodium Bacon $11.99/ 4lbs.
9. Eggs $5.98/ 4 dozen
10. Milk $5.19/ 2 gal.
11. Heavy Cream $6.49/ 1/2 gallon
12. Goldfish Crackers $???
13. Quaker Oats Breakfast Bars$???
14. Towels (2 Bath Sheets) $18.98
15. Hand towels (4) and Wash Cloths (4) $18.98

Total Spent $145.00

2 Week Menu Plan
Turkey Meatloaf with rice and a veggie
Baked Chicken with roasted potatoes and broccoli
Parm Crusted Tilapia with pasta and veggies
Italian Sausage Spaghetti and Salad
Beef, rice and bean burritos and salad
Pizza with a veggie or salad
Beef Stew or Beef Barley Soup over rice or pasta
Hot Dogs and Rice with onion or Hot Dog Fried Rice (my own experiment)
Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry over rice
Pork Chops with Baked Mac n Cheese and Green Beans

There are 10 items here the other 4 nights will be leftovers

Brownie Time

Chocolate Chip Brownies

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
2 cups of chocolate chips (your preference)
3 eggs
1¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup of granulated sugar
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375℉

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pot heat 1 cup of the chocolate chips with the stick of butter. Stir them together until completely melted and smooth.
2. Remove pot from heat
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and slowly add to warm chocolate mixture while constantly stirring until incorporated
4. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda and vanilla to chocolate mixture
5. Mix until fully incorporated
6. Stir in chocolate chips
7. Pour batter into a greased 13×9in pan and bake for 18-22 minutes at 375℉
8. Remove from oven and let cool in pan
9. Enjoy!

Costco Shop and Menu Plan (8-1-12 thru 8-14-12)

Okay so this week I'm going to be posting my Costco shop (should last me 2 weeks +/-) and menu plan for the next two weeks or so :-)

So this is the Costco shop

2 Rotisserie Chickens $9.98
Baby wipes (900ct) $19.99
Nature Valley Granola Bars $12.79
Golden Potatoes (10lbs) $6.99
Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend $5.99
Thin Sliced Deli Ham (3pack) $8.99
Drumsticks Ice Cream (16ct.) $8.99
Eggs (24ct) $3.69
Daisy Sour Cream (3lbs) $3.99
Whipping Cream (1/2 gallon) $4.79
Low Sodium Bacon (4lbs) $10.59
2% Milk (2 gallons) $5.19
Ruffles $5.29
Sara Lee Bread (2 loaves) $4.99
Asparagus (2.25 lbs) $5.99
Strawberries (4lbs) $5.99
Bananas (3lbs) $1.39
Organic Spinach (1lb) $3.59
Artichokes (4ct.) $4.99
Burrito sized Tortillas (30ct) $2.89
Pork Loin Chops ($3.49lb) $16.89
Beef Chuck Roast ($3.99lb) $20.03
Ground Beef 88% lean (6+lbs) $18.09

Total $194.31

2 Week Menu
Chicken Salads
Burritos
Chicken and Gravy over Biscuits
Fried Rice
Stir-Fry
Roast
Mexican Beef Stew
BBQ Chicken
Spaghetti
Stuffed Zucchini

* The rest of the nights we will be having leftovers or will be having dinner with family