The Cow

Yes, we buy a cow for our family for the winter months:) Sounds kinda crazy but I have an aversion to beef that is treated with hormones and that comes from a skeevy slaughter house. So last year I found a grass fed, organic, local farm that sells cows. They raise them in the spring and summer and in the fall you can order them. Then they send the cows to a local butcher and deliver them to your house. We were so happy with the quality of the meat and the price was pretty good for organic, grass fed beef. This is the link to the farm that we found but I am pretty sure if you google it you could find one anywhere.

www.neptunefarm.com

The health benefits to grass fed beef vs grain fed are dramatic. Click here to read all about it! These are just a few of the benefits of grass fed beef:

• A natural source of omega 3 fats High in CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
• Full of beta carotene
• Loaded with over 400% more of vitamins A and E
• Virtually devoid of risk of Mad Cow Disease

Not only is it better for you but I think the taste is so much better, too.

Boosting supply while nursing

Unfortunately, I've never been one of those women who have an abundant supply of milk :( Usually in the first 3 months I have tons of milk, but for some reason my supply starts to drop after 3-4 months. I really don't know why! So after nursing 2 babies (currently still nursing the 2nd at 1 year) I've found many ways to boost my milk supply.

First off, if you are just starting out with a newborn it is so important to see a lactation consultant and make sure baby has a good latch, is not tongue tie etc.
Also, nurse nurse nurse as much as you can to build your supply in the beginning. Do not feed formula while you wait for your milk to come in. Colostrum has everything your baby needs so there is no need to supplement while you wait for your milk. Sleeping with your baby, holding your baby, wearing your baby, looking at your baby... these are all natural ways to boost your supply.

Check out http://www.kellymom.com/ & http://www.drjacknewman.com/ for great information about breastfeeding.

Here are some ways to boost your supply: They WORK!
-hydrate, hydrate hydrate--- water.. TONS of it. Also many women swear by drinking gatorade

-eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein (65-100gms per day)

-rest & nap with baby

-oatmeal

-I've "heard" steak boosts supply, but I never noticed that.

-brewer's yeast - powder or capsules. I prefer the capsules bc the powder tastes like POO!

-lactation cookies (oatmeal cookies- yum!) http://www.momaroo.com/723074952/lactation-cookies-for-nursing-moms/

-HERBS- fenugreek 3-4 pills taken 3x daily-- You will know if you are taking enough when you smell like maple syrup, blessed thistle - 2-3 pills taken 3x daily (works great if taken along with fenugreek), alfafa, red clover, & marshmallow root

-Mother's Milk Tea, More Milk Tea, Red Raspberry Tea

-pump or nurse more. If baby will not nurse (like my active 6month wouldn't) then add some extra pumping and/or pump immediately after nursing.

-Power pumping- hook-up as you would for a normal pumping session, pump for 10-20 minutes, rest 10 minutes, then pump another 10 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes, then pump again for 10 minutes. The mother does this for about an hour, once per day, to increase supply.

-Domperidone-- by prescription as last resort. I never went this route. Just wasn't into the "drug" thing, but I hear it works!

I may be forgetting some, but using some or all of these methods will CERTAINLY boost your supply.

Happy nursing!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin season is among us, so I just had to give these muffins a shot!
I used whole wheat flour instead of white and used about 1/2 cup less sugar than called for. They are amazing!!!!

http://annies-eats.com/2010/10/08/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/

Some "natural" cleaning remedies

We use a lot of Seventh Gen cleaning products (all purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner, toilet cleaner), but I also like to use some other natural cleaners as well. Thought I'd share what I have found works well.

Stainless steel-
- Olive oil - not good
- Straight Vinegar- not good
- Mixture of baking soda, 7thGen dish soap & water (makes a paste)- Works GREAT on stainless steel and really makes it shine.

Porcelain Sinks
- straight baking soda- Works great

Wood furniture, tables, beds etc
- Olive oil - works great and leaves a nice shine (I have an olive oil sprayer for cooking so I just use that for cleaning too)

Glass & Windows
- 1/2 Vinegar 1/2 water - (the obvious one) - works great

Tile Floors
- 1/2 HOT water & 1/2 vinegar - works great - Mop with this solution and then mop over again with just water. Kind of a pain with the 2nd step but it looks great afterwards

Clogged drain
- 1/2 cup baking soda down drain followed by 1/2 cup vinegar -- I'm actually trying this one today... I'll let you know how it works

Vegetable Popsicles

As most kids are, my 2 year old is obsessed with popsicles. I mean OBSESSED. There are some days that she asks for popsicles 4x a day. My general rule is 1 popsicle a day, but sometimes after 45 minutes of screaming "popalila" I do cave.

It's taken me all summer to finally get popsicle molds. I've been giving her Dreyer's (Edy's) all fruit snack popsicles. They aren't bad... but they aren't fresh either.

All the requests for popalilas got me thinking... I really should add some vegetables to my homemade popsicles.

Since I know she loves green smoothies, I figured spinach was the way to go.

So today I plan on making my veggie fruit popsicles.

I think my recipe will be:
-frozen blueberries
-fresh banana
-honey
-spinach
-little water?

I have no idea how they will turn out, but I'll let you know if she likes them!

Pumpkin Raisin Pancakes

Tis the season to eat pumpkin right? I love pumpkin!

I'm gonna give these pancakes a shot this weekend... I'll let you know how they turn out and how the girls like them!

Pumpkin Raisin Pancakes and more presented by The Cook's Cottage and Suites

Pumpkin Raisin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
3 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
1 cup raisins

Preheat griddle. Into a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and allspice. Add pumpkin to eggs, beating to blend well. Stir in sugar, milk, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to this mixture, stirring well. Mix in raisins. Ladle batter onto heated and slightly greased griddle. Bake until golden brown on both sides