It’s my first Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the lovely mommies out there!
Here are my wishes for you on this special day:
- That you get to sleep in!
- That your husband makes you breakfast (preferably in bed)
- That you get a much-deserved break from cleaning and cooking and general household drudgery (however short)
- That you get a card with a MEANINGFUL hand-written message that talks about how fantastic you are, how needed, how important, etc.
- That you feel your husband and child/children really understand and appreciate how much you do every single day
Mmm, discs of squished chicken!
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| Cook two boneless chicken breasts in a slowcooker 1 cup water. |
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| Transfer to a cutting board. |
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| Use a handy choppy-chop to mince it up (sort of the consistency of chicken salad pieces) |
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| Scoop the chopped chicken into ice trays or a silicone muffin pan. |
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| Scoop up some of the chicken broth-y goodness. |
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| Pour it into the cups and pat gently, so the chicken is smooth on top. |
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| Pop your tray in the freezer. Dump the frozen chicken discs into a labeled baggie. |
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| When you need a serving of chicken, pop a frozen disc onto a plate, microwave on the defrost setting for a couple of minutes, and VOILA — moist, baby-sized bites of chicken. |
What’s in a name?
When I make homemade baby food, I’ve never been content to just label the bags with the name of the fruit or vegetable. I like to make my own names for my concoctions. It’s pretty much the best part.
Here’s a peek at some the baggies in my freezer right now:
- Apple-Banana Blast (apples and bananas)
- Blueberry Bliss (blueberries and apples)
- Sufferin’ Succotash (lima beans, peas and corn)
- Prairie Harvest (parsnips and turnip)
- Enchanted Forest (blackberries and apples)
- California Mix (brocolli, cauliflower and baby carrots)
The Great Diaper Bag Challenge
My diaper bag was getting out of control.
It was crammed with stuff, suuuuuper-heavy to lift, and I was constantly having to pack it before I left the house. It was not fun.
Here is a partial before shot. It’s hideous, and keep in mind it DOESN’T EVEN SHOW my keys, wallet, sunglasses, coupons, or the 2-3 cloth diapers it contained. I have no idea how they missed the photo. They must have been busy mingling with the hairbands or something.
That’s a lot of crap, right?
Ugh, it bugs me to even see all the junk I was lugging around.
NO WONDER IT WAS SO HEAVY!
Now for the marvelous after shot (that actually includes EVERYTHING) …
I love it! I travel sooo much lighter now, and I still have everything I need. Here’s now I pared down the dreaded diaper bag:
- Two or three cloth diapers were taking up SO much room, and we’re only usually out with Baby Boy for a couple of hours at a time. We just weren’t using them. So now I keep one in the bag at all times, and two slim disposables in case of a poo emergency.
- I’m done with nursing in public, so I don’t need to lug around that cover anymore. Ditto for the nursing pads, as I’m no longer Sprouty McLeak.
- I didn’t need a zillion empty baggies. Yes, sometimes a baggie comes in handy for wet clothes or a diaper or something, but one large one is enough — it’s hidden inside the yellow wet-bag.
- I don’t need a massive amount of spare clothing options for Baby Boy. It’s warm enough now that a one-piece outfit is a fine back-up.
- I don’t need ninety-million snack options. One each is enough for short trips.
- I realized that if Baby Boy is not interested in a toy or book, he won’t be interested in the other three I have packed. Sophie is now the only toy I keep in there, because she doubles as a teether (and is easily washed). When we’re out, there’s so much to see that he really doesn’t care to play with something.
- I don’t need to take my camera unless it’s a special occasion. My new phone has a much better camera than my BlackBerry, and it’s fine for day-to-day cuteness opportunities.
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Heather's Handmade Life 