Healthy Eating: Moroccan Chili with Quinoa

This is one of my favorite Rachael Ray recipes that I've adapted to my family's tastes. Her original recipe calls for couscous, but I prefer the texture and flavor of quinoa.


Ingredients:
Chili
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb ground beef*
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
1 medium onion (or half large onion), chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-15 oz can tomato sauce


Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
2 cups beef broth (or water)


Directions:

1. Cook your quinoa in the same way you cook your rice. I use a rice cooker, but you can always use the stovetop!
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once olive oil starts shimmering, add your ground meat.
3. While meat is browning, add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, and paprika. Stir to coat.
4. Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper. Let cook for a few minutes, or until onion and bell pepper start to soften.
5. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes (or until you're ready to serve dinner).
6. Serve atop the quinoa with a spoonful of sour cream, sprinkle of cheddar cheese, or both!

Enjoy!

Just put down the Crackberry...

Photo by Johan Larsson

As a working mom, I find it difficult to unplug myself when I’m home with my son.  I’m constantly picking up my smartphone and checking my work email, personal email, Twitter, and Facebook.  While I may be wearing my son while I do this, I’m definitely not in my best “mom” mode.  Over the past few days, I’ve really started to re-evaluate how I act around my baby.  Here are my thoughts:

Pick a time of day to completely unplug.  Not only does this open up time to really bond with your baby; you are also allowing your brain to just chill out after a busy day.  In my case, I unplug when my son nurses himself to sleep for the night.  I shut down my computer, head to our bedroom, get comfortable, and stare at him, talk or hum to him, or caress his soft baby skin while he drifts off into his milky dreams.

Facebook can wait.  While you may like to be up-to-date on all the latest news with your friends, family, and fan sites, waiting an hour or two (or four!) is possible.  Smartphones make it much too easy to constantly be online, so close your Facebook app and go for a walk with your little one.

Don’t let your online life run your real life.  With the advent of the smartphone, I’ve started to notice I spend less time talking and more time typing.  While this may not be an “issue” for everyone, I’m making a personal pact to stop myself from living online and enjoying every moment with my little guy. 

So, take a look at your life and see if it’s time to just put down the iPhone/Blackberry/Droid and spend a few extra moments building, dressing up, or just cuddling.  Memories are priceless.


Happy parenting...

Cloth Diaper ABCs: Washing Your Wool

Photo by Vincent Desjardins

Don't let wool intimidate you. It really isn't as difficult as it may seem. To start, let's go over the pros and cons of incorporating wool into your cloth diapering system.

Pros:
- All natural
- Sustainable
- Absorbs 30% of its weight
- Breathable
- Cool in summer; warm in winter
- Can be reused if it isn't soiled

Cons:
- Can be more expensive than PUL covers*

*Unless you search Etsy for wool soakers or longies (pants) made from repurposed wool sweaters! It's a great way to recycle and reduce your consumption of new materials. Plus, they are typically more affordable than new wool soakers or covers.

Now, on to the good stuff.

Supplies:
Delicate wash (Such as Eucalan, Imse Vimse Wool Wash, or check Etsy or Hyena Cart for homemade versions.)
Lanolin (Same stuff you use for sore nipples! Make sure it's pure lanolin.)
Towel
Clean, empty sink
Glass or canning jar

Traditional Lanolizing Process:

1. Rinse any solids off of your wool soakers, covers, or longies with cool (not cold) water.
2. Fill a clean sink, basin, or large bowl with tepid (body temperature) water.
3. Submerge your wool items in the sink. 
4. Add about a teaspoon of lanolin to a cup of VERY HOT (but not boiling) water. Swirl the jar to melt the lanolin.
5. Once melted, add about a capful of wool wash (or amount recommended by manufacturer) to the jar.
6. Pour lanolin/soap mixture into the sink and gently agitate. Note: You risk felting your woolies of you scrub them.
7. Let soak for 15+ minutes (or overnight).
8. After soaking, place woolies on a towel and roll up inside the towel. Press on the roll or stand on it. DO NOT WRING YOUR WOOL!
9. Lay flat to dry to preserve the shape.

Note: Using a wash like Eucalan eliminates the need to rinse your woolies. Also, if lanolizing is not necessary, but your baby soiled the wool cover, you can eliminate the lanolin from the process above to clean the wool. Lanolizing is needed about once a month, depending on the frequency of use.  If your wool is leaking, you probably need to re-lanolize.

Alternative Process:

Through my own journey with wool, I have discovered a process that works better for me.

1. Rinse any solids off of your wool soakers, covers, or longies with cool (not cold) water.
2. Fill a clean sink, basin, or large bowl with tepid (body temperature) water.
3. Submerge your wool items in the sink. 
4. Get your hands wet and lather up a wool wash bar (like Naturally Luxe).
5. Dip your hands in the water and gently agitate. Note: You risk felting your woolies of you scrub them.
6. Let soak for 15+ minutes (or overnight).
7. After soaking, place woolies on a towel and roll up inside the towel. Press on the roll or stand on it. DO NOT WRING YOUR WOOL!
8. Lay flat to dry to preserve the shape.
9. Spray with liquid lanolin (like Naturally Luxe or similar product).*

*Not required with every wash as the wool wash bar will replenish your woolies with some lanolin. I only use it when I notice my wool covers are starting to wick to my baby's clothes.

*****

I was initially scared to add wool to my cloth diaper lineup, but now I love my wool covers and soakers! I love that they are breathable, naturally free of harsh chemicals, and are just plain cool.  Take the plunge and buy a wool cover or soaker. Soon, wool will become another cloth diaper addiction. 

Happy Diapering!

Healthy Eating: Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Let me preface this recipe with a bold statement: I hate beans. Hate 'em. Hate the texture, especially. But after trying this recipe, I may become a bean convert.

This post won't be filled with pretty pictures of the prepping, cooking, and serving process because I was dealing with one unhappy teething baby. My kitchen was in disarray and the process was far from fluid and organized. Such is life.

Moving on...

Black Bean Burgers
Adapted from LAURENMU

With the exception of the Frank's Red Hot and panko bread crumbs, I selected organic ingredients for this recipe.

Servings: 4 patties
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chop
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:
1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat (or indoor grill pan), and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. After rinsing the black beans, spread out on a clean dish towel to absorb any extra liquid.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Empty into a fine mesh strainer to remove as much liquid as possible.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Combine egg mixture with the green pepper/onion/garlic mixture.
6. Fold in the panko bread crumbs.
7. In a food processor, pulse the beans until they form a thick paste. (Alternatively, you can mash with a fork, but I think the food processor gives you the best result.)
8. Combine black beans with egg/veggie mixture and form into patties.
9. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.
10. Serve on a whole wheat bun with your choice of toppings.

~ Save time! You can save yourself the prep time on busy days by preparing these in advance. Work through Steps 2-8, then place on a sheet of wax paper and freeze. (Once frozen, you will want to transfer to an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.) They can go straight from the freezer to the grill or oven.

~ Spice it up! You can increase the heat by adding more hot sauce, chili powder, or tossing in a few red pepper flakes.

~ Mix it up! Instead of panko bread crumbs, you can use fine bread crumbs or you can pulse or blend rolled oats until they are the consistency of fine bread crumbs.

Cloth Diaper ABCs: Washing Your Diapers

There are a myriad of websites that will give you tips, advice, and instructions for washing your cloth diapers. Everybody seems to have their own version, so below is a process we have personally found to be effective.

Prepping Your Diapers

Regardless of the type of cloth diapers you have selected for your little one’s bum, all need some type of preparation.

Basic Instructions:

1. Add cloth diaper-approved detergent

a. If using a powdered detergent, add a small amount (e.g. ½ Tbsp) and allow the washer to begin filling with hot water before adding the diapers.

b. If using a liquid detergent, add ½ the recommended amount, add the diapers, and go!

2. Once the cycle is complete, toss in the dryer and dry on hot.

3. See categories below to determine if repeating the cycle is necessary.

Unbleached Cotton and Hemp

Unbleached cotton and hemp have natural oils and waxes that need to be washed out before they reach their maximum absorbency. This can take up to 6 hot wash and dry cycles, meaning wash on hot, then dry, then repeat 5 more times. However, if you don’t have the time (or, if you are like me, patience), you can do 3 hot wash/dry cycles. Keep in mind that this doesn’t fully prep the fabric and you may run into leakage issues, so keep an extra outfit nearby.

Bleached Cotton

The bleaching process strips the cotton of the natural oils and waxes, so preparation requires fewer wash/dry cycles. 4 wash/dry cycles is ideal, but, again, if you don’t have the time or patience to do so, a few cycles will make the diapers usable.

PUL (polyurethane laminate) and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane)

One wash, one dry, and you are good to go. It’s very important that these are dried on hot to seal any needles holes created during the manufacture of the diaper. After the initial wash/dry cycle, you can line dry them, which will help the material last longer. Excessive heat-drying will cause the PUL/TPU break down faster. If you notice leaks with your PUL diaper, run it through the dryer to reseal.

Microfiber, polyester, and suede cloth

One wash, one dry, and you are good to go! These can be dried or line dried. If you run them through the dryer for an extended period of time, they may create static. To reduce static, consider running your dryer for a shorter period of time, removing the microfiber items, and then running another cycle if your other diapers (like prefolds) are still damp. Alternatively, you could try using wool dryer balls, which help speed up drying time.

Washing Your Diapers

Photo taken by: somegeekintn

Basic Instructions

First Cycle

Detergent: Add the detergent maker’s recommended amount.

Load Size: Large or extra large (depending on the size of your washer). Water is your friend when washing cloth diapers.

Agitation: Light

Water Temp: Cold/Cold

Extra Rinse? No

Second Cycle

Detergent: Add half (or less) of the recommended amount.

Load Size: Same as first cycle

Agitation: Heavy

Water Temp: Hot/Cold

Extra Rinse? Yes

Photo taken by: simplyla

Drying Your Diapers

• Remove all PUL/TPU diaper covers and pockets and line dry. Line drying your AIOs can take a very long time, so we recommend popping those in the dryer.
• Set your dryer on the hottest setting.
• Start drying!

IMPORTANT: Do not add dryer sheets! The fabric softeners in the dryer sheets will coat your inserts and diapers and actually make them repel liquid.

To speed up drying times, you could add a clean towel or, even better, add 4-6 wool dryer balls.

A brief note on wool dryer balls: In my opinion, these are an indispensible laundry tool. They speed up drying time, are free of chemicals and irritants, are made from a renewable source, and are safe for cloth diapers! Check out Etsy, RG Natural Babies, or Wooltopia

Dirty Business – What about the poo?

• If your baby is exclusively breast/bottle-fed, you don’t need to worry about pre-rinsing your diapers before washing.
• If your baby is eating solids, shake, swirl, or spray off the poop into the toilet before putting the dirty diaper in your pail or wetbag. Most cloth diaper retailers sell sprayers that hook up to your toilet, making cleaning dirty diapers pretty easy.
• Alternatively, you can use biodegradable liners and toss those in the toilet. However, if you have a septic system, this is not recommended.

Keeping It Clean - What detergent should I use?

Below are the recommended detergents for cloth diapers, however, check the warranty on your diapers. Some manufacturers do not like these detergents and recommend others. If you don't want to void your diaper warranties, we suggest you follow their suggestions rather than ours.

• Charlie's Soap (available in liquid and powder) - Our personal favorite
• Rockin' Green (powder only)
• Allen's Naturally (available in liquid and powder)
• GroVia Tiny Bubbles (powder only)
• Country Save (available in liquid and powder)
• bumGenius Diaper Detergent (powder only)

The Diaper Jungle has an excellent chart detailing the pros and cons of different detergents. Click here or the picture above to go to their site.

Questions? Contact us at naturalbabybulletin [at] gmail [dot] com.

Cloth Diaper ABCs: Nighttime Solutions

In the third installment of the Cloth Diaper ABCs (see the other posts here and here), we will explore your nighttime cloth diapering solutions.

There are three common concerns when it comes to nighttime cloth diapering:

• How absorbent is my nighttime system?
• Will my baby feel wetness against his skin?
• How can I make my nighttime system leak-proof?

*****

How absorbent are my diapers?
As a general rule of thumb, your daytime diapers aren’t going to cut it at night without some modifications. If you are looking to pinch pennies while cloth diapering, these don’t have to be expensive modifications. You can invest in a few doublers, repurposed wool sweaters, or a few super absorbent fitted diapers.

Will my baby feel wetness against her skin?
Depends on the diaper you choose. If you pick a diaper with a cotton or cotton blend interior, your baby will feel the moisture. For some babies, this isn’t a big deal. For others, it’s the end of the world. If you select a fleece, suede cloth, or other synthetic fiber, your baby will feel drier longer. You could also cut out your own liners from a fleece blanket or purchase fleece from a fabric store. This will keep moisture away from your baby’s skin and possibly help you avoid the expense of purchasing different diapers.

How can I make my nighttime system leak-proof?

• Before putting baby to bed, make sure there aren’t any gaps around the legs or waist.
• Double up! Add a doubler to your nighttime diaper. This will increase the absorbency. You can do this with a pocket (easiest), fitted, prefold, or AIO. Keep in mind that you want to keep microfiber (a common material for doublers/inserts) away from baby’s skin.
• Have you thought about wool? Wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight. This makes for a trim, breathable, and naturally absorbent system.

Nighttime Option #1
2-3 pocket diapers, AIOs, AI2s, or other hybrid
1-2 doublers
Optional: 2-3 fleece liners. These may not be necessary if the interior fabric is a “stay dry” fabric like polyester/suede cloth, microfleece/fleece, or other synthetic material.
Instructions: Stuff the pocket with an insert and doubler or two inserts. For AIOs, AI2s, and other hybrids, you can lay the doubler on top. Remember to keep microfleece away from baby’s skin as it will draw moisture out of their skin and could cause a rash.

Nighttime Option #2
2-3 fitted diapers
1-2 diaper covers OR wool soakers OR fleece soakers
2-4 doublers
Optional: 2-3 fleece liners
Instructions: Lay the doubler inside the fitted and top with a fleece liner (if desired). Pull on a wool or fleece soaker or cover with a diaper cover.

Nighttime Option #3
2-3 prefolds
2-4 doublers (or 2 pocket inserts)
1-2 diaper covers
Optional: 2-3 fleece liners
Instructions: Lay a doubler, two doublers, or pocket insert in the center of the prefold and fold the two sides over to cover. If desired, lay a fleece liner on top. Lay inside a diaper cover and you’re good to go! Bonus points if you can rig it so you can pin/Snappi the prefold and pull on a wool/fleece soaker.

Nighttime Notes:

• The number of diapers listed assumes you wash every 48 hours or so.
• If your baby doesn’t poo at night or in the early morning, you may be able to get away with one wool soaker since they dry out so quickly and don’t require frequent washing.
• If your baby is not a heavy wetter, you may not need doublers at all.
• For newborns, you may not need a doubler because the fitted diaper can probably handle their volume. For older babies, we highly recommend adding a doubler. For the heavy wetter, you may need to add another doubler, or opt for a wool soaker instead of your typical diaper cover.

*****

Good Nighttime Choices:
This is not a comprehensive list…just a starting place for you!
Pockets:
~bumGenius 4.0
~FuzziBunz Perfect Fit
~Lollidoo Overnight Eco-Pocket
~Thirsties Duo Diaper

Soakers:
~Aristocrat Wool Soaker
~Loveybums Wool Cover
~Sustainablebabyish Wool Soaker

Fitteds:
~Bumboo Bamboo Fitted (requires a cover)
~Mother-ease Sandy’s (fitted diaper; requires a cover)
~Sustainablebabyish Overnight Bamboo Fitted (requires a cover)

Inserts/Doublers:
~bumGenius One Size inserts & bumGenius Doublers
~Joey Bunz / Joey Bunz Premium inserts & BabyKicks Doublers
~Knickernappies SuperDo inserts, LoopyDo inserts, and hemp doublers

Questions? Feel free to drop us a line at naturalbabybulletin [at] gmail [dot] com

Next up: Cloth Diaper Washing Basics

Cloth Diaper ABCs: Tips for starting your cloth diaper stash.

Are you a first-time family interested in cloth-diapering? A second/third/fourth time family interested in starting cloth diapering to enjoy the cost savings? Or are you just plain tired of diaper rash caused by disposables? We're here to help!

In this post, we break down the building blocks for an efficient cloth diaper stash.

*****

PREFOLDS
Required Supplies:
24-36 prefolds
4-6 diaper covers
Optional Supplies:
2 Snappis (or a package of diaper pins)
Note: You may not need Snappis or diaper pins if you’re using diaper wraps (either hook and loop or snaps). The wrap/cover will keep the prefold secure and will also help keep baby poo where it belongs!

FITTED DIAPERS
Required Supplies:
24+ fitted diapers
3-4 diaper covers
Note: When using fitted diapers, you don’t need as many diaper covers since fitteds hold in messes better than prefolds. Consider it double the blow-out protection!

NEW! CONTOUR DIAPERS
Required Supplies:
24+ contour diapers
3-5 diaper covers
Optional Supplies:
2 Snappis (or a package of diaper pins)
Note: While these may not be “new” in the true sense of the word, they are becoming increasingly popular and more widely available. Contour diapers eliminate the need to learn how to fold prefolds, but are trimmer than fitteds because they don’t have any fasteners. Just like with prefolds, you may not need to use Snappis or diaper pins because the diaper cover keeps everything nice and snug.

POCKETS and ALL-IN-ONES (AIOs)
Required Supplies:
20+ AIOs or pockets with inserts
Note: Most pocket diapers include inserts. Alternatively, you can use prefolds, but they are bulkier than inserts.

NEW! ALL-IN-TWOS (AI2s) and OTHER HYBRIDS
Required Supplies:
4-6 shells
24+ inserts
Note: Again, these may not be “new” in the true sense of the word, but there are more AI2/Hybrid options out there than even a few months ago! The term “Hybrid” simply means the diaper is a hybrid of pocket/AIO convenience and prefold/fitted/contour flexibility.

OTHER REQUIRED SUPPLIES
Doublers. These are usually thinner than an insert and allow you to customize the absorbency of your diapers. These are very handy for overnight and naptime. Material options are microfiber, cotton, cotton/poly blend, cotton/hemp blend, cotton/microfiber blend…the list goes on and on! You will need these for nighttime/naptime or if you have a heavy daytime wetter.

*****

OPTIONAL SUPPLIES
When we say optional, we really mean it. You can successfully use ANY cloth diaper system without buying any of the items mentioned below.

Biodegradable liners. There are a few options for biodegradable liners. Place one of these on top of your prefold/pocket/AIO and it will “catch” the poo, making clean-up a bit easier. We suggest using these for babies on solids rather than breastfed or formula-fed babies due to the consistency of the latter. In addition, breastfed baby poo is water-soluble and does not require a rinse or shake-off before placing in your diaper pail or wet bag.
Fleece liners. These will work in a similar fashion as biodegradable liners except they are reusable and washable. You can purchase these or you can cut up an unwanted fleece blanket or purchase some fleece from a fabric store. This will make poo clean-up easier for babies on solid foods and will act as a stay-dry liner for babies sensitive to wetness. It can also save your pockets/AIOs if your baby has a diaper rash by keeping the rash cream away from the suede cloth.
Disposable (and biodegradable!) inserts. These are GREAT for travel – simply pull apart and flush or just throw away. Lay one of these inserts in any diaper cover as you would a prefold and you’re ready to go. No need to buy a special system to use these. Most are compatible with ANY diaper cover.

*****

We know starting a cloth diaper stash is daunting, overwhelming, and quite possibly, confusing. If you are unsure of what to buy or nervous about spending money on a system that won't work, consider buying one of the many diaper packages available from cloth diaper retailers. Some retailers even let you pick which diapers you want in the package. Alternatively, you can purchase gently used diapers or exercise Nicki's Diapers' 15 day wash and return policy. Purchasing gently used will cut down costs, while the 15 day wash and return policy will help you feel secure with your purchase. If you don't like it, simply send it back!

As always, if you have any questions, please contact us at naturalbabybulletin (at) gmail (dot) com.

Next Up: Nighttime Cloth Diapering