WFMW: Book Organization

I'm a book freak. I can't help it. Really, I'm pretty weird. Love the smell of them. Don't like to break the spines. That sort of thing. BUT I also like to read them.  :)  And I want the same for my kiddos.


So we have a "Book Room." That's what we call it. Because I wasn't clever enough when I established it to think of calling it a "Book Nook." Duh. Oh, well. Anyway, it serves its purpose. We have lots of great kids' books. (Keep in mind I used to teach public school.) And a place to read them in peace and quiet. Of course, we pull them out for naptimes and bedtimes as well.

Notice paperback chapter books and Little Golden Books are kept up high, while board books are kept on the floor in a basket. For obvious reasons.

But we also enjoy the library. A lot. And I let the kids each bring several books home with them. Noah is allowed an unlimited amount. ('Cause I'm so sweet that way. Shh. Don't tell the others.) How do we keep the library books from mixing with our own collection and, hence, causing major freaking out on this momma's part when books are due?! 

We keep a small basket next to a bedroom door in the hallway. All the kids have access to it. It's handy for rest time and for bedtime stories. And the books...after they've walked off...have a place to which they can return. If only momentarily.

Some of the books will inevitably be chapter books that will take us quite some time to finish, so those books and any of our own collection that we are "working through" go on a tray in the living room. So that they're less likely to walk off.  ;)


I'm participating in Works for Me Wednesday.

Pineapple Cheeseball

Here's an easy "real food" appetizer (or easy lunch idea):


Pineapple Cheeseball


16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
2 Tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
1 Tablespoon Real seasoned salt (I get mine at Azure Standard)
2 cups chopped pecans, divided


Mix together the first five ingredients plus 1 cup of the chopped pecans.

At this point, I scrape as much off the sides of the bowl as I can to form a somewhat spherical mound in the bottom of the bowl. Then I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Once the cream cheese has firmed up a bit, I carefully add the remaining pecans, pouring with one hand and with the other, pressing them into the cheese. I also save some for the bottom once I've removed the cheeseball from the bowl.

The pecans that fall to the side in the bowl get mushed into the cheese as I form the ball with my hands. I then turn it upside down in the bowl and add the last of the pecans. Keep refrigerated.

I like this cheeseball best with good, sturdy crackers. If you haven't tried these homemade soaked crackers, they're worth a try. My kids adore them!! Just be sure to roll them reeeeally thin. And I add quite a bit more salt than the recommended amount. Just 'cause I like salt. Enjoy!


This post was originally posted at Real Food in Little Rock and is linked up today at Works for Me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday.

How to Cure Cradle Cap

Today I am happy to share this tried-and-true, works-every-time, easy tip for how to get rid of cradle cap. But first...

Did you know that doctors are unsure as to what causes cradle cap, but some think it is often caused by a hormonal imbalance?? That it has nothing to do with how well you wash or rinse your child's hair? Although, that's no excuse for not scrubbing.  :)  Did you know it's considered a kind of rash? I know!! Weird, huh?

Which is why I wasn't ridiculous with panic when I found this little patch of cradle cap on my much-too-old-to-have-cradle-cap child. For some reason, his body was getting rid of impurities, excess hormones, who knows? Detoxing is bizarre. Try it. I dare you.

Anyway, as you can see cradle cap is sorta nasty to look at. And don't even bother with picking it off. You'll be there all day, your child's head will be sore, and the stuff could come back if it's not ALL removed. Besides...ewwww.

So. My tip? (Alright, alright, it's actually our pediatrician's tip. I'll give credit where it's due. But only 'cause we think he's a genius doc.) An. old. toothbrush.

Yep. You heard (read?) me right. Give yourself an excuse to go get a new toothbrush. You probably needed one anyway. ;)  Shampoo the spot, massaging well, and leave it to sit for a few minutes. (Be sure to use a mild shampoo. Or try the homemade version we use! It's also important to note that tea tree oil, which is an ingredient in this shampoo, is one of the home remedies often used to treat cradle cap.) Then take your old toothbrush and scrub. Back and forth, in circles, etc. Don't hurt your child. And be careful if your child actually has some length to his hair, as mine does. But scrub vigorously and fairly hard. And then rinse well.

The next thing you'll need is one of these finest-of-fine-toothed combs they only make for brand-new infants. The teeth, being so close together, will grab any remaining flakes or residue from your scrub fest.

Be thorough. If you get it all now, you won't have to do it again. Just once will knock it out. No need for oils, steroids, antibiotics, or any other over-the-top treatment.

Although, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have your child (if not an infant) eating lots of healthy probiotic foods on a regular basis.

Works for me! (It's Wednesday.)

Homemade Shampoo

It's not really all that crazy when you think about it. Have you ever read the ingredients list on the back of a bottle of shampoo? If I can't pronounce it or have any inkling what part of God's creation it came from, then I have a hard time putting it on my head, the house for my brain. Do I make everything homemade? Uh...(hahahaha!)...no. But because, for years, I've scoured the countryside (granted, an exaggeration) looking for hair care products for my children that did not contain cancer-causing parabens, and I didn't have just a whole lot of luck, I finally came to the realization that it can't be that hard to make myself. And, oh yeah, it helps to read a really great blog called Passionate Homemaking, written by a really clever au naturel gal who tries these things out and then vouches for them. 

My entire family started using this homemade shampoo back around March and, after all this time, I can safely and confidently say that it is good stuff. It lathers. It cleans well. It rinses out easily and beautifully! It saves us money. It doesn't cause me to fret over what chemicals are being absorbed into my beloved family members' largest organ--their skin! And I can't foresee us ever going back to the bottled kind.

So here's how it's done.

You'll need:

1 cup Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild castile soap

2 Tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

3/4 Tablespoon tea tree essential oil and Vitamin E essential oil (a combined 3/4 Tablespoon, that is)

1/4 cup water

I just funnel all the necessary ingredients into a spray bottle. (This shampoo must be sprayed on, as it's very liquidy--nothing like traditional shampoos.) You'll need a decent spray bottle. And voila! That's all there is to it.

Using the baby mild soap means you can use it "across the board" at your house (from Daddy to baby), but it's also unscented, which is a good thing since the tea tree oil is pretty strong all by itself. I actually like the invigorating effect the scent has on me, especially since, on any given morning, I'm the bleary-eyed mama trying to face a day of cleaning and corralling after not much sleep. Ahem... It helps me wake up a bit.  ;)

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.

Black Bean "Burgers"

I'm a sucker for a good burger. So's Paul. We like 'em with lots of dill pickles and...cheese? Yes, please. But we can't afford to buy all the meat we'd like to eat, so one day my hubby got a wild hair and decided to make himself some black bean burgers. (He was inspired by a menu item from Chili's way. back. when. that is no longer available. Of course.) He did a little recipe research, gleaned a few generalities, and then set about dumping ingredients into a bowl. (He's not much of a recipe guy. Measuring spoons? What's that?) But I'm here to tell you he performed some magic in the kitchen that day. Pure magic. And while black bean burgers actually taste nothing like a BURGER, they are exceptional. And they are affordable!! (They are maybe even a little addicting. So don't say I didn't warn ya.)

Here's our version:

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans (or the equivalent of soaked and cooked dried black beans)

Green olives (a handful or so), chopped

Feta cheese (maybe 3 oz.), crumbled

Rolled oats (Have them soaked and ready to make this meal more nutritious)

1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

Couple "bams" of homemade "Essence of Emeril"

Whatever else you'd like to throw in there

Buns and burger fixins

You'll need some sort of food chopper/processor. I start with my olives. Just chop 'em up and set aside.

Next I process my beans. A teeny, little bit of the cooking liquid will help the beans process smoother and quicker. They don't have to be completely smooth. Lumps are perfectly acceptable!

Transfer your beans and olives to a mixing bowl and start adding stuff. I've never once measured the oats, so I apologize that I can't help you there. Maybe 1/2 to 1 cup??? Ehh...just eye it!  :)

We luuuuuuuuv Feta!!

Sometimes I sneak in a shredded veggie. Sweet potatoes work great, too! And the veggie helps the mixture hold together better as well.

You'll end up with a goopy mess that looks anything but appetizing. But hang in there...

You'll want it to be pretty thick. Oh, yeah!! An egg will help it all bind together a little better. Once your griddle is preheated, oil it (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee, etc.--I use coconut oil.) and start scooping out your burgers.

You'll need to use the back of your spoon to sort of flatten and shape your burgers while ON the griddle. (You can't pat them out ahead of time the way you do beef.) As you can see, the burger on the left is shaped, while the burger on the right just got plopped down.

Flip 'em when they stop sizzling and are nicely browned.

I like to serve mine with mayonnaise (make it lacto-fermented if ya can), tomatoes, lettuce (or spinach leaves, in this case), and sliced raw cheese.

Ain't my hubby an amazing man? This is one of my absolute favorite meals. And it's kid-friendly, too!

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday and was originally posted at Real Food in Little Rock.

WFMW: Baked Oatmeal aka Oatmeal Bake

Several people have asked me for this recipe, and I just simply forgot to get around to posting about it. But we had it this morning for breakfast, which reminded me. This is basically MY favorite way of making this. There are several versions "out there," but this specific method is what truly works for me. (I'd give credit where it is due, but I can't for the life of me remember where I got this exact recipe.)

The night before you plan to have this for breakfast, mix 6 cups rolled oats with 2 cups buttermilk. Cover loosely with a dish towel and soak overnight.

The next morning, crack 4 eggs into a bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Then, using a wooden spoon, break apart the soaked oats a bit. They will be pretty clumpy and hard to stir. You just want to break them up enough that when you add your dry ingredients, they will be evenly distributed.

Now add 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon to the oats and mix well.

Melt 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup of coconut oil. (If you don't have coconut oil, use 2 sticks of butter. But know this: virgin coconut oil is SO good for you!!) I melt them separately, but you CAN melt them together. You'll just need to start the butter to melting first, because coconut oil melts FAST, and you don't want it to get too hot. Then set them aside to cool a bit.

Next, take two of these beauties. (Pears are good, too, or any other fruit combo. you'd like. I have a friend who even makes it with chocolate chips from time to time!)

Then chop or grate them. (I grate mine so I don't have to worry about babies choking on large clumps, etc.) Add the fruit and all its juice to the oat mixture.

Butter a 9 x 13-inch pan or, as in my case, a casserole that holds a comparable amount. (You can also smear coconut oil in the pan. Both ways work fine. If I'm using a metal pan, I like to line it with parchment paper first and then butter THAT.)

Lightly beat eggs with a whisk. Then Beat in 3/4 c. honey (or Sucanat). I personally like the rich taste the honey gives it, but it can get expensive using that much honey at once. Today I used 1/2 c. honey and 1/4 c. Sucanat. Just to be wild and crazy and actually branch out!! It was a success! (Whew!) Add the melted butter...

and oil slowly, while whisking quickly.

Now you can add the liquid ingredients to the oat mixture.

Looking good...

Spread the mixture into your buttered pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees.

Once baked and dished into individual bowls, I like to sprinkle with raisins (for those who can eat raisins) and then pour a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream on top. Stir and eat! Of course, Atticus eats his like this. No raisins and no cream usually ('cause he's already drinking rich, whole raw milk).

I've found I can really save time in the morning if I'll go ahead and do some of the steps the night before, like wash and dry the apples (I could probably go ahead and grate them and stick 'em in the fridge, too), measure out the honey (or other sweeteners), set out the dry ingredients and measuring spoons (or even go ahead and measure them out), etc.

There are even more recipes for similar dishes on sites like Allrecipes.com, but THIS recipe is truly healthy, as it includes the grain-soaking step. I've mentioned this before, but soaking grains like oats first makes them as healthy as they are supposed to be. (You might have read that I try to do this in some of my other recipes.) Why soak?? Well, whole grains like oats (or whole wheat flour, brown rice, etc.) contain SO many good things for you--things that we genuinely NEED! But they also contain enzyme inhibitors, which make it difficult for you to digest the grains OR to absorb all those good things (minerals, fiber, vitamins, etc.). You see? Whole grains contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid that make it difficult for YOU to digest them properly and make it next to impossible for you to absorb the actual minerals/nutrients they contain. So, it's sort of pointless to bother with oats unless you're going to soak them. Aren't you glad to know that?

Okay! So. I hope you enjoy breakfast tomorrow...
This Works For Me Wednesday post is brought to you today by We Are That Family. Thanks for dropping by!

Ordering Online Works For Me

I recently "joined" a website I think you'd be interested in checking out.

Alice.

Alice.com, that is.

They carry a lot of common household products. From diapers to cleaning products to snacks. Even postage stamps!! (Anyone else out there HATE going to the post office...with four children...only to stand in a line of ten people...JUST to get some stamps??)

You have to purchase at least six items, but there's no minimum dollar amount. And you'll ALWAYS get free shipping! FREE!!

I mean, if the prices are comparable (or even a dollar or two more) for products you'd need to drive to the store to purchase--things you like to keep stocked up on--then wouldn't you rather someone deliver them to YOUR DOOR?! (Especially considering that most of us will spend $3-5 in gas just to GET to the store.) Well, I don't have to think long and hard on this one. I adore doing my shopping from the comfort of my own home. Adore it. (One year I did every last bit of my CHRISTmas shopping online. Right down to the stocking stuffers!) So, this website definitely works for ME!

Here are some of the items from my first order:

Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (Remember this necessary ingredient from my homemade laundry detergent? So, for those of you who can't FIND it in your local grocery store, here ya go!) $2.76/box

Clorox 2 FREE, HE $4.19 (with online coupon)

Sun & Earth Liquid Hand Soap, Natural $4.68 for 2 bottles (Buy 2, get $0.50 off sale)

Charmin Ultra-Strong, 24 BIG rolls $15.92

Bounty Select-a-Size Paper Towels, 8 rolls $8.41

Glycerine Bar Soap, Unscented "> Clearly Natural Glycerin Bar Soap, Unscented $1.79

Saran Cling Plus Plastic Wrap, 200 sq.ft., $1.61

Tom's of Maine Kids' Toothpaste, Fluoride-Free, $3.32

I don't think the prices are half bad. Do you?

AND you can pay through Paypal!!! Which I love. That way it can be taken directly from my bank account, and I don't have to go a-huntin' for my billfold to get a credit card number.

And y'all! The order arrived in 2-3 business days, just as they said it would. Can you believe that? With FREE shipping?! That is just unheard of!

I am blown away impressed.

Also, my Clorox 2 and soap dispensers were packaged so carefully! Alice had taped their lids shut and then placed them in a gigantic zippered plastic bag. Listen. I appreciate these little details that ensure a pleasant shopping experience for me. I really do.

Joining is free. There are no commitments. No hidden membership fees.

Here's how they do it, according to a direct quote from the Alice website:

"You order from Alice just like you would a retailer, but behind the scenes we work like a marketplace, allowing participating manufacturers to sell directly to you. Not every product on our site is sold direct from the manufacturer right now—we sourced a number of products ourselves to get the Alice.com site up and running—but we add new manufacturers each week onto our direct platform. This direct platform eliminates the retail middleman and saves lots of costs that can be passed directly on to you. And in addition to saving you money, the Alice marketplace allows participating brands to have a direct relationship with you—to reward you, personalize things for you, and work smarter for you. It is a win-win that gives you fantastic convenience AND tangible savings."

The website itself is very user-friendly. One thing I like is that as you place things in your basket, you are given the option to set up reminders for reorder. For instance, you may know you go through a large package of toilet paper every three weeks, so you'd tell Alice to remind you three weeks from your order date that you need to reorder toilet paper. It's all highly customizable to your needs. Anything you ever place in your basket (even things you decide not to order this time around) will be saved as "Your Products." Then all you have to do is go to this list of products, which by the way, is set up to look like a store shelf: the items are all pictured in rows, and you literally drag and drop them in your shopping cart. How nice is that?

Here I am dragging postage stamps over to my shopping cart.

It's shopping made simple. They have everything categorized, AND you can browse by brand name, price, and even "GREEN" products!

I'm not even sure what all one can do on Alice, as it's still a fairly new experience to me. Apparently, you can befriend people (sort of like on Facebook)--I guess for the purpose of discussing products or something. I don't know. That's kind of weird to me, but hey, if you get an Alice account, see if you can befriend me. I'm groovyrainbow. Yes. I know. Long story.

Also, it seems you can keep up with how much money you're spending over time on the site and possibly even what portion is spent in each category. Like I said, I haven't explored everything yet.

So...anyway, Alice? Alice is convenient. Alice is fast. I'll tell you what Alice is. Alice is step number one in the right direction toward my goal of doing away with Wal-Mart in my life for good! 'Cause Wal-Mart. is pure. evil. I'd even go so far as to say it is somehow destroying our country and certainly my sanity with each moment I have to stand in line behind four people with full carts and there are a mere five checkers in the entire store. For Wal-Mart I have much disdain and hatred. I do. (The worst part about it is, you'll probably run into me there sometime. Ugh.) Oh, can I ever escape its evil clutches?!

Head over to "Works for Me Wednesday" temporarily located at Rocks In My Dryer for more tips, hints, likes, and tricks of the trade. But first, go check out Alice.com, y'all. Oh, and be sure to come back here to let me know you did. So my curiosity can be satisfied. 'Cause that's important.