Sloppy Joes

Last weekend we put 4 meat loaves in the freezer. This weekend we made four batches of Sloppy Joes.  The Sloppy Joe recipe was from a post on March 16, 2011:
http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/search?q=sloppy+joe

We love this recipe (even Steve).

It is a lot more fun to help mommy when you can stir with an Elmo Spatula! I had made the cauliflower puree two days ago, so when Camilla and I made two batches at a time it only took us one hour to get all four ready for the freezer. That averages 15 minutes per meal.  Once thawed, they are ready to reheat and serve on a bun.
These spatulas are now on clearance at Williams-Sonoma along with Elmo cookie cutters we used last week to eat our meat loaf.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sesame-street-cookie-monster-elmo-flexible-spatulas/?pkey=cview-all-sale

Hey Camilla....How do you like your green beans and corn now?

I am so tired of the nightly battle to get Camilla to eat anything other than fish sticks or chicken nuggets.  So I took her green beans and corn (one can of each that I had previously cooked on the stove with a little butter) and put them into the food processor with one egg and one cup of Belgian waffle mix.

Ha Ha....I feel so sneaky.

Sunday afternoon and a bag of Sweet Potatoes

One bag of sweet potatoes and five meals....here we go.

First, to make all of the meals we need cooked, pureed potatoes.  Wash and roast the whole bag at the same time at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.

Allow the potatoes to cool and then peal the skins off by hand or scoop the flesh out with a spoon.

 

Now they are ready to puree.  You can do this by hand (the hardest way), in a food mill, in a potato ricer, or in a food processor.

 

Recipe #1:

Slow Cooker Meatloaf.

This is a recipe that I posted on this blog February 2011.  It is easy and very tasty.  It uses 1/2 cup of sweet potato puree per meat loaf.  I want to make four and freeze them so I put 2 cups aside for the meat loaves.

*2012 revelation.  When I made this recipe, Camilla was still on a liquid diet and Mommy and Daddy loved the recipe.  Well, now I have a picky 2 1/2  year old.  So, I made this recipe per the blog.  Then I sliced off a skinny piece and let Camilla cut out an Elmo and Cookie Monster with her new cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma. Then I pan fried the face and decorated with ketchup.

It worked.  She ate Elmo and half of Cookie Monster until she hit the texture of a mushroom.  Reflection: on the next meatloaf I need to puree the entire recipe in the food processor before forming into a loaf in the slow cooker.  This will address all of the texture issues and make it more of a hamburger consistency even though it is full of sweet potato and mushrooms.

Recipe #2:
I used the remaining sweet potatoes for dinner that evening.
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Once I pureed the potatoes, I placed them into a Crock Pot on low to reheat and added:
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Stir occasionally and keep warm.
I served this on the side of a roasted flank steak.

Sunday afternoon: Sweet potatoes and flank steak...then put four meatloaves in the freezer.( I know the grammar rule for words that end in F when they become plural change to V.  But, does Meatloaves look right to anyone?)

 



http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/search?q=slow+cooker+meat

Merry Christmas

A brief reflection on 2012......

The year started out with a baby on the way and Steve unemployed. Steve found a job in February, but started working second shift in April, the same time Rex was born.  To say the year was hard, is an understatement.  Last December, when things seemed to be at their lowest, my coworker/friend Michelle who sells 31 Bags always sells her samples that she takes to parties to clear out patterns that are going to be discontinued or discounted bags that the monogramming was wrong.  I am a 31 junkie as it is, so to add a couple of bags to my collection at a discount is a bonus. One of the bags I really liked was a larger bag, lined with washable material, with a Carolina Blue interior and a Navy exterior.  A perfect, boy diaper bag.  It was in her $5 pile because it had been monogrammed with a bible verse. I thought, heck, a bag this nice for only $5, I don't care what is on it.  I went home and told Steve about it. We are both Christians, but I will admit that neither one of us really knew the bible or all that it empowers us. He told me I had better look that verse up before I started advertising it across town. Point taken. So, I grabbed the bible off the shelf and found Philippians 4 (to be honest I had to look in the table of contents to see where Philippians even was). The bag read "Phil. 4"  so here is what I read  aloud to Steve...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I almost teared up.  With his loss of job and a baby on the way, stressed out was an understatement. I started turning to God more realizing that in calmness and peace there would be answers.  I realized that my life wasn't over. In fact, it is just beginning.  Call it the Christmas Spirit or a lightening of the soul, but that bag was exactly the hope and the "wink" I needed to turn to God for 2012. Steve found a job with Wells Fargo in February.  Steve and I both started listening to KLove only in the house and in the car.  We both felt that it impacted our outlook and was guiding us through hard times successfully. Then in May, doctors found a lump on Steve's bladder.  He had it removed and the verse continued to be a constant song.  Steve was cancer free and back to work after four weeks. A year later, Steve and I enjoy listening to KLove, Joel Olsteen, and we are trying to support our church through large transitions. He still works second shift, but we make it work.  All my expertise at making ahead meals has really paid off.  For most evenings, I do everything by myself. I love still being able to eat healthy, home cooked meals despite the crazy blessing of two in diapers

So, back to my bag.  I went back to school that day and bought the bag for a large $5. Not only was that bag a good deal, I feel like it was placed there to be mine.  Phil. 4 is now my favorite verse. I actually put it on a sticky note on my computer to read throughout the day. I am quite proud to advertise it across town. After all, as we have always said... "I can only do one thing at a time." Right now, stressing out is not going to get any of it done. Do not be anxious about anything....

12 Days of Christmas for your Spouse

In addition to setting up Camilla's 12 Days of Christmas activity jar, I decided to surprise my husband with the 12 days of Christmas gift.  I didn't post this earlier because I didn't want to spoil his surprise.  (That is the naive assumption that he reads my Blog.) Anyways, I started yesterday....with One Waffle Maker.  Here is a free printable pdf of labels to use.


http://todaysmama.com/2011/12/printable-12-days-of-christmas-tags/

12 Days of Christmas Activity Jar

 

Every Christmas, across the nation, people reach out to help and to give to those in need. Now with a Two Year-Old, my goal is ever clear at this time, that I need to be doing everything I can to raise a responsible citizen with a servant's heart.

 

This year for Christmas, I have decided to create a new tradition of activities for the 12 Days of Christmas. Starting December 12th, I will let Camilla draw an activity out of our jar. This was an activity that our Church created recently at a party and I thought the idea was perfect.  The church provided a list of ideas, but I changed a couple of them for things that I knew we were going to be doing soon.  I am really excited about creating a new tradition in our family that is built more on celebrations, rather than presents on the 25th.

1 mason jar
1 paint pen
stickers

I wrote the words "12 Days of Christmas" and then let Camilla decorate with the stickers.
We then wrote 12 activities, each on a different slip of paper, and placed them in the jar.

1. Go to the Library and check out Christmas Books.
2. Color a nativity Scene together.
3. Make Christmas Cards.
4. Make a Christmas ornament.
5. Wrap presents together.
6. Drive around and look at Christmas lights.
7. Decorate a Gingerbread House.
8. Write Santa a letter.
9. Make gift tags for presents.
10. Make Christmas cookies.
11. Make a gift for teachers.
12. Watch a Christmas movie together.


Other things that we have done to help Camilla realize that Christmas is fun, but not just about her.....
1. We had a party at the house where we asked all guest to bring a gift for the Empty Stocking Fund. Toys went under the tree during the party. Although Camilla kept checking them out, we explained who they were for. I'm not sure if she got it, but she did realize that they were not hers.  The next day we took a family trip to the YMCA to deliver the toys. Camilla carried one in all by herself and placed it in the pile.
2. Every time we see a Salvation Army Bell Ringer I am giving Camilla money to donate. It is sometimes only 10 cents, but she's got the idea now that we give money when we hear the "Jingle Bells."

December 13th Update.....Camilla drew out "Make A Christmas Ornament"
I had Camilla finger-paint her thumb onto a Sand dollar.  Then I drew in the antlers and face with a permanent marker and hot-glued a ribbon.  What makes this spontaneous activity work is that you need to look around the house and use things that you have.  I didn't have brown paint, but I had purple and orange.  I had some ribbon that was previously tied to some cookie cutters.  And, yes, I just had sand dollars laying around. (I have a large vase in my room full of shells I have collected over the years.  I wasn't going to miss six shells.)



 

Can you tell which ones I let Camilla do all by herself?

Butternut Squash Baby Food

I recently told a friend of mine, "Do not buy Baby Food! It is so easy to make." I ran upon a huge butternut squash two weeks ago at Aldi for $1.49. From that, I think I made Rex enough squash to last a month and a half.
Baby Food is so easy to make because you shouldn't put anything in it..that's right....don't add to it. Just cook it and puree it so that a little person who is still learning how to use a spoon can swallow without chewing. I also add breast milk to help thin out the veggies to a better consistency.  (You could add water or formula.)

You can see all three stages here:
1. I used the Crock pot. Low for four hours. But you can also steam, roast, boil.  I used the crock pot this weekend because I wanted them to cook even though I had a lot of errands to run.
2. Puree in a food processor, blender, or food mill. I have all three and have used all three.  The food processor is my favorite because it is the fastest for large amounts. Stir in your milk, water, or formula.
3. Freeze in ice cube trays for portion sizes. Then dump, and store in a plastic bag in the freezer.  Every night, Rex gets two cubes of veggies and some oatmeal.

Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

In June, Steve and I with the help of my dad planted about 40 sweet potato plants.  Well, it is time to harvest. 

Once they come out of the ground, we have found that keeping the dirt on them keeps them fresh longer. We lay out a large shelf in the garage and store them here until ready to cook.  Sweet Potato Chicken Soup, Sweet Potato Chili, etc.....  I'll be restocking the freezer over the next three weekends.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am redesigning our garden this fall.  The rows that we have used in the past is too much for me to maintain working full time with two small children.  You can see in the pictures above the amount of grass around the rows. We are moving to more raised beds. I was able to follow Steve in digging up the sweet potatoes this weekend.  As he broke the ground loose to find the potatoes, I moved the dirt into one of our beds that I have built.

I made this bed out of reclaimed, broken cinder blocks that I found free on Craigslist and lying around the yard. It isn't pretty, but it was free and I kept all of these materials out of a land fill.  This long narrow bed is where we hope to relocate our strawberries and plant blackberry bushes. It will become a permanent fruit bed.

Granola

A healthy, no artificial sweetner, version that is easy to make and fits into the Dr. Oz diet recommendations that I have been following lately.

1/4 cup Flaxseeds
6 cups oats
2 cups sliced almonds
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup veg oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients.  Spread on two baking sheets and toast at 35 degrees for 30 minutes.
*When granola is finished, toss the toasted oats with a spatula before letting it cool.  This keeps the granola from sticking together.  Allow it to cool completely before placing into storage.

Awesome with yogurt for a protein rich breakfast or snack.

DIY Yogurt!

As a family, we go through at least $10 worth of yogurt a week. At times, it is the only protein I can get my two year-old to eat and I love to eat a serving every day. Faced with the challenge of weight loss after pregnancy, I have found that plain greek yogurt is the easiest on weight management. Toss in the goal of going organic and my weekly yogurt expenses has risen to over $12 a week. I started exploring the idea of buying a yogurt maker last month in order to cut cost when my friend Elizabeth mentioned making yogurt in a crock pot.  WHAT!!  So I googled....and found some easy instructions.  I don't want to take any credit for this recipe so I have attached the link to this super mom's blog.  I just want to share with you my cost saving project.

I bought a $3.69 half gallon of organic whole milk. This should make enough for two weeks worth of sugar free, organic yogurt. Toss with my homemade granola, and it has helped me to lose another five pounds this month! Not to mention, I get all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that I can feed my child organic yogurt.  (P.S - I chose Horizon Organic because many of our local Rowan County farmers are part of the co op...Holler!)

Here is the link:
http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/06/homemade-yogurt-in-the-crock-pot.html



Here is the finished product: Two Weeks worth of organic yogurt for $3.69 and one handsome
6 month-old. I will say, this yogurt is creamer and smoother than store bought yogurt. Although I'll add a natural honey, vanilla, or sugar substitute when serving to Steve and Camilla, I will not add anything when eating with my homemade granola - its that GOOD!

Follow-up on the most embarassing post of June 5th!

So here is a follow up....
June 5th, Rex was two months old and I was weighing in at 170

July 5th, Rex was three months old and I was 168. Not a very productive month.

August 5th, Four months old and down to 165. Still working out, but worked in a Green Smoothie into my morning routine, a Pinterest recipe. Cut out cereal.

September 5th, Five months old and down to 160. Got a new book in hand, and it seems to be making a big difference.


September 30th, Six months old and down to 155!!  Five pounds away from pre-pregnancy weight.  But, 10 pounds away from 'Wedding' weight...the ultimate goal.  Still rocking tips from the book.


Pictures to follow......

Fall Garden Update

As I mentioned in an early post, I am redesigning my garden this year.  I have two beds ready to go so that I can plant the Fall Garden into the new design. I am utilizing 8x8 beds and packing them in for maximum yield and minimum grass. Then, Steve and I are going to allow the grass to grow between the beds with a four foot path so that we can get the lawn mower in there.

In the first 8x8 I planted:
9 Broccoli
6 Cabbage
8 Acorn Squash

In the second 8x8 I planted:
3 cauliflower
8 Butternut Squash
(There is a lot of room left in this bed because I want to buy more cauliflower and brussel sprouts once the garden store restocks this week.)

Camilla go involved with the broccoli plants.  Can I draw your attention to the pink boots and pink leggings!

Here is a look at the two 8x8s.  I outlined the beds in an L shape with the tall plants. Then I saved the bottom corners for my squash seeds. Both Acorn and Butternut Squash (all winter squash) start from seed and grow on vines. So, these will need room to spread and curl around.

Plan Your Fall Garden

Believe it or not, it is time to plan your fall garden and get the plants in the ground within the next two weeks.  Here is what you need to plant if you live close to or in North Carolina:
Beets
Spinach
Summer Squash for a late harvest
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collards
All Lettuces
Greens
Winter Squash


By the last week of August you need to plant:
Kale
Radishes
Onions

Once you get into September, it will be too late to plant!

I'll post pictures next week of our fall garden going in.

Back to School

Some of us go "Back to School" shopping.  Well, I go "Back to School" cooking.  During the summer I cook anything I can get my hands on and preserve it for the fall.  This way I can have a home grown, home made dinner even on nights that there are meetings after school, ticket duty at the gate, open house for progress reports, aerobics classes that are a MUST, ........
You get the point!


Here is a look at the freezer back in March when I gave it a good yearly cleaning.

Here is a loot at it today, Tuesday August 14th, the last day before our First Teacher Workday Tomorrow!
And, Camilla taking a look.
Just to point out the Squash Pies at the top with loaves of Zucchini Bread, the soups on the second shelf, and gumbos and more soup on the third shelf. The bottom shelf is baby food I made from steamed, pureed squash mixed with breast milk and frozen in ice cube trays for easy serving once little Rex starts to eat next month.

Keeping Inventory!

If you are going to cook in bulk, it is necessary to keep an inventory of what is in the freezer, or canning shelves, so that you don't forget about your hard work and lose it as waste. Some people prefer to keep a list on the front of the freezer with what is inside and mark it off as they go along.  Well, I can beat that! I keep my inventory on a blank calendar. As I make two batches of Potato Soup, I will schedule Potato Soup somewhere on the calendar twice.  This way, not only do I have an accurate inventory, I am also menu planning at the same time making grocery shopping easier and quicker.

Here is a look at September: Tomato Soup, Okra Etoufee, etc... 



And a look at October......

Provencal Simmer Sauce

Last year I created a wonderful recipe for preserving eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes from the garden.  Unfortunately, this year, the yield wasn't as great.  Regardless, I decided to make the recipe to preserve what little bit I did have coming in from the garden late in the summer. Since it only made about 2 batches, I decided to freeze rather than can - a great option for small preservation.

Here is this year's small batch.  At least I will be able to get two meals out of it this fall!

Last Year's Post:
Here is another canning recipe that combines the wonderful flavors of Ratatouille in a ready to serve sauce all year long!

8-10 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 cubes
5 bell peppers, mixed colors, also chopped into 1/2 cubes
4 medium zucchini cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 onions diced
1/2 cut fresh chopped basil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
4 tablespoons plus 3 tablespoons olive oil separated
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt

1. Prepare tomatoes
2. Blanch peppers (boil for 30 seconds then immerse into ice water). This helps to breakdown the coarse pepper skins for the recipe.
3. Prepare canning jars.
4. In a large (7 qt) saucepan, heat the 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 8 minutes.
5. Add zucchini and saute for 5 minutes stirring often.
6. Toss the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil with the eggplant making sure to coat it well. You want the eggplant to absorb the oil. Add to the zucchini along with the salt. Stir well, cover and reduce heat to medium cooking for 5 minutes.
7. Add bell peppers and tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Add both vinegars and bring to a boil.
9. Stir in chopped herbs, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
10. Ladle sauce into sterilized jars with one inch of head space.
11. Process in a pressure canner at 11 pounds 45 minutes for pints and 50 minutes for quarts.


Provencal Chicken using the Provencal Simmer Sauce:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon minced garlic in a 2 qt sauce pan over medium high heat.
2. Add sliced chicken breast strips and brown on both sides about 2 minutes each side.
3. Add Provencal sauce (about 1/4 cup per chicken breast).
4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Serve over Couscous or egg noodles.

Rules for Raised Beds

During the process of re-designing my garden, I have decided to incorporate some raised beds.  I am hoping that they will help me to maximize my garden yield while minimizing my garden weeds and grass. My sister in-law Leslie has mastered the raised bed by utilizing a small space by her driveway where she gets the best sun. She can pack in so many tomatoes and not worry about driving over them.

She layers in her tomatoes in the back and peppers in the front.

Love the owl as a scarecrow - Must find one for strawberries next spring!

Benefits of Raised Beds:
1. Maximizes small planting spaces.
2. Allows roots to easily grow down rather than outward so more plants can thrive in a comparable amount of space = more herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
3.  Creates an optimum environments for growing by creating nutrient-rich soil.
4. Ability to control pests in a contained area.
5. Raises plants to a comfortable level for gardener requiring less bending.

Rules to Consider:
1. Sun  = Choose a site that gets plenty of sun, even if that is by the driveway or in the front yard.
2. Water = Requires less water because plants are closer together and runoff is eliminated.  Morning is the best time to water.
3. Plant Food = Raised beds require less supplemental plant food because there is no run off.
4. Soil = When creating the bed you have control over the quality of the soil. Therefore, choose high-quality organic mixes and homemade compost.
5. Preventing Intruders = I love Leslie's Big Lots white fence liners.  Whatever works!
6. Size = Aim for a depth of about three feet, the average adult reach without having to step into the bed. The length will be determined by how much space is available.

My Garden Makeover

Five years ago, Steve and I bought a fixer-upper in the heart of downtown Kannapolis because of its wonderful location and lot. I remember telling Steve that, "I can fix an ugly interior, but I can't fix a neighborhood or the lot." Thus, we settled on our ranch 'fixer-upper' with an awesome back lot!

This back lot was large enough for us to plant three apple trees, create a 40 X 40 garden, and still have a lot of open green space for future soccer games or baseball diamonds.

Currently, our garden is organized into long rows about two feet wide with about two feet between each row.  The area between the rows never stays clean and by the end of each summer, it is so full of weeds and grass that it is hard to walk through.

I recently read a new book which has inspired me to redesign my garden. The best part about this makeover is that by re-purposing junk I have found from previous owners, and items I have collected from my grand-parents' yards, this project will only cost = elbow grease!

The Complete Kitchen Garden by Ellen Ecker Ogden is the book I purchased for guidance. I found a used copy online for $4.00, but it is also available at Williams Sonoma.

Last week, with the help of my sister in-law Leslie, I measured out the garden and marked it off with landscaper's paint.

I marked off six 8 X 8 boxes with two feet rows on the exterior and four feet of walk paths between all the areas.

I cleaned out the first 8 X 8 box this week because I need to go ahead and plant a second round of bush beans, and start my carrot and spinach seeds for the fall.

The challenge will be to keep the grass and weeds under control in the walking paths. I found this article on Pintrest and will try to start creating this fall:

"The newspaper will prevent any grass and weed seeds from germinating, but unlike fabric, it will decompose after about 18 months. By that time, any grass and weed seeds that were present in the soil on planting will be dead. It’s green, it’s cheaper than fabric, and when you decide to remove or redesign the bed later on, you will not have the headache you would with fabric."

In my new design, I have also allowed for a large open space in the middle where I hope to use my grand-parents' old picnic table.

Perhaps if I can actually keep the weeds down I'll actually want to eat in the garden.

I also have this set from my other grand-parents' house in South Carolina that would look nice in one of the four foot paths.

Finally, I am going to decorate and create an enchanting place to visit with crap I have found from previous owners.

I'm not quite sure what these were used for, but I found two corner fences.  Maybe the previous owner used them to stack their wood pile?

Underneath all of the poison ivy are a collection of cement pavers and bricks that would be perfect to add to the walking paths.  However, I am going to wait till the winter to grab them. I already got one bad case of poison ivy two weeks ago when I was moving the fencing in the previous picture. I don't want to go back to that!

I'll keep you posted as the fall progresses!

Bree



What is The Suburban Challenge?

The Suburban Challenge, for any new readers, is living up to and owning the idea of being a domestic diva while not being a stay-at-home diva. It is the handbook for all of us multi-taskers who want it all - career and domestic bliss.

The key to The Suburban Challenge, if you choose to accept it, is cooking in bulk. You must be willing to cook one time per week and get in 4-7 meals from your time in the kitchen. Rachel Ray preaches this, but cooks a lot of different entrees on one day using similar ingredients. I preach this by cooking the same entree times 4 or 7 and preserving it properly. Traditionally I have frozen these entrees. But lately, I have been able to embrace canning - both water bath and pressure canning.

In either case, you are providing a healthy, home cooked, fresh meal for your family every night of the week while also saving one hour of each day by not having to cook it. With that extra hour you are able to achieve domestic diva status by gardening, working-out, running errands, sewing, playing outside with the kids, crafting, ... whatever your heart's desire. People ask me all the time - "Bree how do you do it all?" Well, time management. Make the most of your cooking time on Sunday, then spend the rest of the week WITH THE TV OFF getting done what it is you seek to achieve. Peace!

Here is my first good reason to have more time....my soon to be two-year-old Camilla.  She was helping daddy wash my car last week in the 90 degree heat while insisting on wearing her winter hat.

Here is my second good reason to have more time....my three month old Rex.  He has fallen in love with his puppy dog that Aunt Beth gave him!

The first beach trip with a baby....

     The first beach trip with a baby was awful!  I remember telling my cousin after the vacation, "It wasn't a vacation for me. It sucked. It is a whole new world now."
     This is not a "How To" article, but rather a reflection on how I went from having The Worst Ever beach vacation to The Best Ever beach vacation in a matter of one year. Last year, my oldest and only child at the time was 9 months old. I was naive, ill-prepared, and confused about vacationing with a baby. Our annual trip to the North Carolina coast included extended family in a large rented beach house for one full week. As the oldest grand-daughter of this motley crew, I was the first to introduce a baby into the dynamics. Our normal routine for the last ten years consisted of the men playing golf three mornings of the week while the women make their way slowly out the the water.
     For me: coffee - jog - coffee - shower - beach.
So, with the naive assumption that the routine would remain the same, I packed the jogging stroller. Here is how last year went:
6 AM - wake-up, feed, Steve off for Golf
7 AM - coffee
8 AM - Jog
9 AM - Feed and shower
10 AM -Beach for 2 hours
12 - Feed and try to put Camilla down for a nap, hang out at house by myself for three hours
3 PM -Feed and back to beach
5 PM - in for dinner

So, other than being exhausted, I was only seeing the beach for about 3-4 hours a day while my family bathed in the sun for approx. 6-7 hours.  I was heartbroken, stressed, lonely, and pissed. I ended up snapping at my husband, he got pissed also, and then pouted for a day. Last year = The Worst Ever beach vacation.

This year positioned itself to be more difficult. Now, Camilla is 22 months old and Rex is 3 months old. Double the trouble! I am not an expert, but I have just experienced The Best Ever beach week with my family. What works for me and a family who enjoys planting our derrieres in the sand all day long, avoids amusements, and cooks in each night may not work for others. As I mentioned, don't pin this article as "How to Vacation with Babies," but rather "What I didn't think about the first year...." OOPS.

My 4th of July Sparkler

1. Your life has changed, so change your normal routine. I was so glad to hear that Steve was not going to play golf this year. And, well, I didn't jog each morning. I just did my four minutes of Tabata instead (see the post "I Get It, I'm Overweight").

Rex and I hanging out while dinner was grilling.

2. Think about what schedule is best for the babies. The best time for Camilla and Rex to be in the hot sun is early day. Since we wake up at 6AM, we were on the beach by 8:30 and stayed till the hot part of the day, 12:30. Then, it was in for lunch and naps, avoiding the hottest part of the day.

Camilla's ready to go back to the beach with daddy for afternoon sun at 4:00.

3. If the family offers to help - Take it! My mom, who doesn't really enjoy being on the beach during the hottest part of the day, agreed to come up for lunch at 1:00 each day, after I had fed everyone and they were down for naps. This gave me an extra 2 hours of sun alone (priceless). Then I called it quits at 3:00 when mom would go back outside. If you don't have a family member to help, this is where you and your partner need to take turns to give each of you your own "alone time."
4. Praise your partner for their talents and preferences. I am really good at sitting in my beach chair and doing nothing for hours - so I was really good at "managing" the tent while Rex slept in the shade. Steve loves to wade in the water, sit in the sand, and get sand all up in his swim trunks. So, since a 22 month old also likes to do this I made sure to compliment Steve on his 'style.' I told him "thank you for playing with Cam. She is special to have a father who will get sand in his junk." And Steve told me on day 2, "Thanks for being a great mom." That was all I needed to hear.

Camilla and her chariot.

5. I nursed Rex on the beach. I don't know why I was so determined to feed Cam inside the beach house last summer. That modesty cost me two hours of 'sun time.' This year I just crawled under the tent and covered up with my super cute new beach cover up.
6.  Buy crap from the dollar store. Before we left for vacation I went and bought a bunch of cheap toys that could be thrown away at the end of each day. This way Camilla had something new and exciting coming out of mommy's beach bag to destroy.

7. It is a whole new ballgame - but it doesn't have to suck. Instead of telling a cousin after the vacation how bad it was, accept change before and prepare. It still can be a vacation for you. This year was for me! With a plan and an anticipation of how it would be - I was ready.

Canning Green Beans and Potatoes

The Perfect Casserole Starter:
Add Cream of Mushroom Soup and dried onions and create a killer Green Bean Casserole.
Add Cream of Chicken Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, and Corn to start a Chicken Pot Pie.
Add Whole Chicken Breast and Cream of Chicken Soup for a great baked casserole.

1. Peel white potatoes and cube into 1/2  inch pieces.  Snap beans.
2. Boil cubed potatoes for 2 minutes. Set aside.
3. Boil green beans for 5 minutes.
4. Pack into hot steralized quart jars mixed half beans and half potatoes.
5. Leave one inch headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice (optional) to each jar. Cover with boiling water.
6. Process quarts for 40 minutes at 11 pounds pressure.