Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

It seems morbid and sad to post about this service, but I know it could possibly help someone: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is a volunteer photography organization that provides professional photography to families facing infant bereavement, free of charge. I saw it mentioned on the blog of a family who lost their baby daughter hours after her birth last week (the father is a member of the Christian band Selah). They knew at 20 weeks that she likely would not live after birth, and they continued the pregnancy with trust in the Lord for His providence. (Read their story here).

I hope you will never need this service but want to mention this group in the event that someone you know could benefit from it. There are photographers all throughout the country who do this on top of their regular, paid business. I read a great deal of the website and appreciate their approach to capturing those precious moments after birth when a baby is not expected to live. Testimonials state that having the pictures helped them grieve and remember their child. The pictures are softer and warmer than the point-and-shoot or Polaroid photos taken by hospital staff and are more representative of the precious baby they remember.

Image from organization website.

Splurges

What do you "indulge" in? Especially if you work to be frugal and live on a budget - do you occasionally splurge? On what?

Ryan and I have made a tight budget for ourselves so that we're saving about 36% of our take-home pay every month. There are some things, however, that I love to buy, such as All-Clad stainless steel cookware & Le Creuset cast iron cookware. I don't buy these items very often either but have tried to obtain some classic, versatile pieces over the years. I often find it for less than full price, either with a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon or buying from eBay. I know they will last a very long time and are high quality brands. Ryan and I just used some wedding money to buy this beautiful 8-Qt. Stockpot, new from eBay. It ended up being about $110 lower than the full retail price after shipping. There is an All-Clad seconds sale coming up in a couple months at the factory south of Pittsburgh. Instead of buying a couple other items from our wedding registry at BB&B, I hope to find the pieces at the sale.

We also both love Starbucks Iced Mochas but usually use our blow money on them. It's nice that we save in many areas such as cutting Ryan's hair at home, CVS shopping, selling items on eBay and amazon, taking time to look through grocery store ads, using the envelope system, among other things.

What about you? What items do you really like buying?

Vaccines 2: Books and Sources

These have been recommended to me.

BOOKS

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What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations (Currently Reading)
By Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.R

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child
By Robert Sears

Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives
By Aviva Jill Romm



WEBSITES

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Think Twice
National Vaccine Information Center
Vaccination Information & Choice Network
Generation Rescue

Pittsburgh!

This list was featured in the paper last year with articles surrounding the All-Star game.

Top 6 Things Pittsburghers apologize for in advance:

1) The Pittsburgh Left- If the first car in the opposing lane of traffic has its left-turn signal blinking, be careful. As soon as the light turns green, the driver likely will try to streak through the intersection before you do. Pittsburghers are, for the most part, wonderful people, but they can be awful drivers. [GUILTY!]

2) Liquor stores and beer distributors - You can't buy beer at liquor stores, you can't buy liquor from beer distributors and you can't buy any alcoholic beverage at a grocery store. Beer distributors are privately owned, but they're not allowed to sell you anything smaller than a case. And even though liquor stores are owned by the state, the state still charges an 18 percent tax on liquor. BYOB.

3) Road layout - The geography around here doesn't allow for a grid, but clearly the city planners could have done better than this. Streets seem to stop randomly or, worse yet, turn into a concrete staircase before continuing a block or two later as if this was completely normal behavior for a road. Right angle intersections are precious commodities, and roads have two or three names each, but that doesn't matter because they're often not marked.

4) Pittsburghers' casual relationship with stop signs, speed limits and turn signals - This comes from years of driving under the conditions explained above. It's sort of a passive-aggressive rebellion -- since they can't defy the roads, they defy the rules.

5) Directions from natives who use landmarks you only know if you live here - Nearly everyone who lives in Pittsburgh was born here. Not knowing the location of Gateway Center is as alien to them as not knowing where the sun is. Also, some residents take pride in having spent a lifetime learning the road system, and this sort of thing is their only chance to show it off.

6) Parking prices - Pittsburgh's 50 percent parking tax, increased two years ago when the city went broke, is by far the highest in the nation. When you pay your parking tab, think of it as a lesson in civic engagement -- when you go home, you'll know what happens if you let your local leaders spend every dime in the city's bank account.

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For any of you who visit or used to live in Pittsburgh...can you identify?

Chefs Catalog Free Shipping

Today and tomorrow only, you can get free shipping on any sized order at ChefsCatalog.com using this link. If you have never shopped there, they have an AWESOME selection of kitchen items. There are items you can't find at BB&B, and items that are cheaper than Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table.

We're looking to replace our digital thermometer (maybe with this one?) and may take advantage of this offer. Check out their extensive array of sale items. You can narrow down easily by price or category. This $10 egg plate is pretty and holds more eggs than most egg plates I've seen.

Mother's Day is next month!

Item pictured: Ceramic bowls

Vaccines 1: Intro

A few years ago, I heard that a mother of six typically opted out of some vaccinations for her children and spaced the shots over time. I also recall reading on a message board that a woman was checking out pediatricians for her unborn child, and she asked about vaccinations. The Dr. rattled off something about how the CDC recommends shots at such and such an age, etc. The mother was going to accept the Dr.'s opinion at that but decided to ask the Dr. what she did for her own children. "Well, I skip this one and space these two out..." or something along those lines - it wasn't what the CDC recommended or mandated. It was intriguing.

Fast forward to the present day. Ryan and I would like to have children someday, and I recall hearing about vaccines a little more recently. If we have children and we do nothing besides what the doctor's office routinely administers based on CDC policy,

• What injections will our children receive?
  
• What are they?
  
• Why are they given?
  
• How many diseases are contained in the shots?
  
• What are the side effects?
  
• What warrants each vaccination?
  
• Is there a neurological or developmental affect on the child from the shots?
  
• What are the dangers of the diseases themselves if they are contracted?

I was struck with the need to look into this more and do some research and decide if we would refuse or put off some vaccinations for our children. I've done some reading online, have talked to some friends who have done careful research, and I am reading a couple of books (this and this). There can be too much information on the Internet, and there can also be false information. I hope Ryan and I will be able to make the right decision for what we will do in our family. So far, if we had to draw a line in the sand, we are leaning towards selective vaccination and are not against all vaccinations. In short, what is "recommended" seems to be too many, too soon.

My intent is to blog periodically about what I learn, and there is a two-fold purpose for it. I'd like to sort my own findings and thoughts as Ryan and I work through this, and I'd also like to provide that information to encourage those who read my blog who have young children or may have children someday to consider their understanding of vaccines. I wondered at one point if it was too "early" to look into this since we are not parents-to-be, but I don't believe it is. We'll need to make this decision someday, and I have resources now which can help us. This can be a sensitive subject and I don't intend to tell you what decision to make regarding your family. I will probably ask a lot questions and leave many unanswered, mainly to raise them for consideration. We are looking at this from a Christian perspective, that our kids will be entrusted to us by the Lord but belong to Him, that God has redeemed us unto salvation and gives us wisdom to make decisions.

Stay tuned.

Photo credit.

Farm Share

Ryan and I are thinking about joining a local farm share this summer. It goes into the fall and you can get either weekly or bi-weekly shares of fresh produce. We'd choose the bi-weekly share and get 8-9 varieties of fresh produce every two weeks. I think it will help to increase our vegetable intake!

The farm we are considering is the Dillner Family Farm. I've been interested in this for a little while and was glad to find one fairly close to where we live. We're looking forward to having very fresh produce which will last longer than grocery store produce. The Farm is a CSA farm (community sustainable agriculture). We'd pick up our [already washed] food every two weeks on Tuesday afternoons. There are some friends from church who are doing this farm share too, so maybe something can be coordinated for the pick-up.

This will be a great move for us if we:

1. Eat all the food and don't let any/too much go to waste.
   
2. Lower our regular food budget by the amount per week by the weekly cost (paid up front): $14 a week.

I hope we like everything that comes in the share. Looking at the harvest calendar, I don't care for beets and eggplant, and neither does Ryan. I like almost everything else though and could surely make do with what we don't like. Ryan will become giddy over the sweet corn, especially if we make it with Chili Lime Butter (I always work LIME in somehow....I know, I know!!).

Have you tried something like this or are you considering it? Do you like LIMES? lol.

Dear Deer

This deer has a floppy ear and I can't quite tell what is up. I don't usually get very good close-ups of deer, but the second one turned out well.

Bobby Flay's Pork

The recipe I mentioned last week was a hit!! Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Guava Glaze and Orange-Habanero Mojo is full of heat and flavor. Instead of making it with Island Rice, we had Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and it was the perfect accompaniment. My mom also made the pork and enjoyed it.

Additional notes: I used guava jelly which I found at Giant Eagle. The brand is Crosse & Blackwell with a jar like this. The price was about $3.59. I also brined the pork tenderloin which is my standard practice, and it involves submerging the trimmed tenderloins in a solution of 4 cups water, 3 Tbs Kosher Salt and 3/4 cup sugar, for at least 45 minutes. We cook our tenderloins to 145 degrees and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting. The interior should be a light pink for optimal tenderness.

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We also greatly enjoyed another new recipe, Thai Chicken Saute, which we had with Island Rice. That also was the perfect side dish. According to previous recipe reviewers, I halved the chili sauce. The resulting heat level was ideal for me, and Ryan added a few extra drops to his own dinner. In addition, I added snow peas with the onions, and it rounded out the meal really well. I found the Sriracha sauce at Target for $3 or so.

Two Things

Two foods I greatly enjoy are Iced Peppermint Mochas (Iced Double Tall Nonfat 2-Pump Peppermint Mocha, no whip) and Chili N Lime Almonds. Together? Not so much.

If you like Starbucks or another coffee shop (even if it is your house), what is your favorite drink?

Also, money Saving Mom posted about her favorite frugal blogs. Check it out.

Lastly, ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

Equipment Corner

America's Test Kitchen has a lot of free content on their website, including equipment reviews. They are really interesting to read if you are keen on cooking or kitchen things(especially when the product you currently own comes out on top!). You may need to register with an email address, but it is free.

Go here to see free current season equipment reviews. I was intrigued by the test results of baking/cooking sprays.

There are also recipe tests for free, here, including:

• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Green Beans
• Kansas City BBQ Sauce

Lastly, the Science Desk is also interesting. "What Happens to Alcohol in Stews?" was intriguing.

Picture Post (10)

Anne's son

My sister-in-law, Lori

Steps at The Plaza in Kansas City, MO.

More cool tile at The Plaza

Reflections (with Lisa and Ryan)

March madness

My sister-in-law Liana

The sky really was falling. Or so Ryan said.

Lastly, my husband and his blue, blue eyes

Yams or Sweet Potatoes?

I purchased yams last week to make Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I became curious about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams; I figured there was some sort of variance but never really knew what it was. From what I found online, what I bought last week were not actually true yams but sweet potatoes. These two "flowering plants" are not related botanically, and most stores sell a variety of or two of sweet potatoes, with one of the varieties being tagged as a yam. The terms are often used interchangeably, but yams are less common in the US than sweet potatoes. Apparently, the USDA requires that produce labeled "yams" must also have "sweet potatoes" on the label.

A summary of the description of yams:

• starchy in taste, like a baking potato
• dry in texture
• the skin a brownish, almost black color
  
• non-tapered ends
  
• the flesh is usually off-white
• requires a year of frost-free weather before harvest
• most commonly available in ethnic markets
• Yam Dioscorea Species
  

A summary of the description of Sweet potatoes:

• sweet in taste
  
• more moist in texture
  
• can have a skin that is thin and smooth
  
• can have a yellow or orange flesh and can have slightly tapered ends
• requires 100 to 150 days to harvest
• some varieties remain firm when cooked; some soften. It is the soft variety that is often sold as a yam in the US.
• Scientific name: Ipomoea batatas

The potato in the second picture, based on the above descriptions, is a sweet potato. That is what I purchased last week from a bin that said "Yams $.99/lb."

In conclusion, you are most likely buying sweet potatoes at a typical grocery store, even if they are labeled yams. It seems not all stores adhere to the requirement to include the label "sweet potatoes" with the yam label. Or, I just missed that part when shopping.

An aside: I was doing internet searches for information and came across this picture on flickr that I think is captioned incorrectly. Someone also left a comment saying so, and I found the pictures above from the link in the comment. I believe the commentor is correct in saying the potato on the left in the photo is not a sweet potato but a yam.

Recent Recipes

Moroccan Chicken Thighs: These were very good. I almost substituted chicken breasts but decided to stick with thighs and was glad. It's a flavorful meal, and based on the reviews, I decided to up the spices by half. We ate it with plain couscous, and it yielded three meals for us over the course of the week. Picture from Cooking Light.

White Bean & Tuna Salad: This is a quick, healthy, zippy recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis. We had it last night for dinner along with an oldie but goodie, Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter.

Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Sauce: This is also a recipe from Giada. I made it last minute one evening since I had everything on hand, and we both liked it. I froze the remaining sauce.

I'd like to try the following two recipes sometime soon:

• Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Guava Glaze & Orange-Habanero Mojo by Bobby Flay. I think my favorite rice dish, Island Rice, would pair very well with this dish.
• Spicy Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Mango Basil Salsa & Lime Jasmine Rice. His rice recipe is very similar to Island Rice except the liquid is less (maybe because it's Jasmine rice?) and there is no pineapple. I'm sure it's still very good.
  

Lime 'N Chili Almonds

Ryan and I have recently been hooked on the delicious Lime 'n Chili Almonds from Blue Diamond. In fact, I might buy case of 6 from amazon since the per unit price is about $2.69. I would like to compare the Target price first. There are also other bold flavors such as Jalepeno Smokehouse, Wasabi & Soy Sauce, and Maui Onion 'n Garlic. They also have Salt & Vinegar which might be really good if you like salt and vinegar potato chips (I do).

The nuts have a great kick, and if you let them sit in your mouth for a moment before munching on them, the lime flavor blasts through. And you all know I love me some lime!

Photo from the Blue Diamond website

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

Ryan and I had a new chicken recipe tonight and really liked it. You can find the recipe here from Cooking Light. The chicken had a good kick, and thigh meat is always moist and flavorful. This was actually my first time broiling chicken, and it worked great. The time it took to trim the six thighs was worth it, though if I had less time, it would be good to trim them ahead of time. We also had Chipotle Sweet Mashed Potatoes and a Ceasar salad (from a kit...very good!). Photo is by me since Cooking Light didn't have a photo with the recipe.

Recent pic

Travel Coffee Mug Success

Back in December, I posted about a review by America's Test Kitchen rearding Travel Coffee Mugs. A couple weeks ago, we bought one of the recommended mugs for each of us, made by Oxo. We really like them!! The seal is great, drinking is a breeze, and the beverage remains pretty warm for a while. Ryan has been filling the mugs with boiling water for 5-10 minutes in advance of pouring the coffee. That way, the mugs are heated by the water, and the heat from the coffee doesn't dissipate as quickly. The other day, however, we were getting ready to leave in the morning and I was hurrying. I grabbed my mug to take a drink, thinking Ryan had prepared my coffee. He said "it's not done yet" or something close to that, so I moved quickly to empty the mug of what I thought was the hot water in order to pour in the coffee. Oops!! There was not water, but coffee in it, and I had just dumped my coffee down the sink. There wasn't enough for a second mug so I went without. It wasn't a big deal since I don't have to have coffee every day but it was an interesting moment of wondering who "messed up". I was hurrying and assumed Ryan meant something he hadn't.

Back to the mug itself, we particularly like the locking button to seal the mug closed when not drinking. ATK's complaint over cleaning hasn't been an issue for us. Ryan was content to get any old mug from Starbucks but I of course had to get a well-rated rated mug and had to buy with knowledge, lol, so he patiently waited for me to buy them. I got them both for less than $30 total and saved about $5 off the regular price of each after a 20% off coupon and a mislabeling of the price at Bed Bath & Beyond. (photo from amazon)

Speaking of coffee, Money Saving Mom referred her readers to an opportunity for a free sample of Starbucks coffee. Check it out. I don't know how large the sample is or if they are beans or ground coffee.

Wedding Slideshow

Here is a link to our wedding slideshow!

Sweet Potato Fries

Have you ever eaten Sweet Potato Fries? The first time I had them was when two friends took me out to lunch a few weeks ago. We ordered them at Mojo Bistro here in Pittsburgh and they were fabulous! They were crispy on the outside with a smooth, mellow sweetness on the inside.

Fast forward to my honeymoon in Colorado a couple weeks ago, and sweet potato fries appear to be a staple in that area. I ordered them with nearly every meal and really enjoyed them. The next step is to find a great recipe to make them at home since they aren't as common at restaurants here. If you live around Pittsburgh, do you know of any other restaurants that serve them? (update: a quick search yielded a sandwich shop near us that serves sweet potato fries. It'll be fun to go there with my husband)

I hope to share an online wedding slideshow in a couple of weeks! Ryan and I had a wonderful wedding day with each other and our friends and family, and our honeymoon was all that we hoped it would be. We are thrilled to be married to each other!

Some more honeymoon pics here.