Pinspiration in the Kitchen- Banana Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

You have a couple of over ripe bananas sitting on the counter.  What do you typically do?  Make banana bread, of course.  But there has to be something else you can do with over ripe bananas, right?  I have asked myself this question again and again.  But usually I end up sticking with a traditional banana bread with walnuts or maybe chocolate chips.  Or I will make Once Upon a Chef's super decadent Chocolate Banana Bread.  


I stumbled across a recipe for Banana Bars with Cinnamon Cream Frosting on Pinterest the other day, and knew I had to give it a try.  Pretty much anything with any kind of cream cheese frosting is a winner in this house. ;)  Click the link for the recipe- http://cookingclassy.blogspot.com/2012/01/banana-bars-with-cinnamon-cream-cheese.html

The recipe called to mix all ingredients (both dry & wet) all together in a large bowl.  I felt like I would be committing some cardinal baking sin doing that, so I did mix the dry and wet ingredients separate & then combined.  I had an extra ripe banana, so I added it in along with about a 1/2 cup extra of flour.  I also threw in a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter.  


I actually brought this to a family barbecue and it was huge hit.  The kids especially seemed to love it- a few of them even went back for seconds.  By the end of the barbecue, only 2 small pieces of the 13x9 inch pan were left.  This is definitely an alternative for banana bread that I will be making again in the very near future.


To go directly to this pin for repinning, click here- 
http://pinterest.com/pin/203295370649518591/

We Didn't Choose to Co-Sleep...

she did.  Co-sleeping really wasn't one of those parenting decisions my husband and I had discussed and considered prior to the birth of our daughter.  We had bought a bassinet and had lovingly set it up in our bedroom.  There was never any question that she would be in our room with us.  But in the bed with us?  The thought hadn't even crossed our minds then.

When our sweet baby girl was born, we struggled with establishing breastfeeding those first few days in the hospital.  And I was actually kind of surprised by it.  We had done everything that my breastfeeding books had told us were crucial to breastfeeding success- she was immediately placed on my chest right after birth; she nursed within the first 30 minutes.  And our progress with nursing went steadily downhill from there.  I knew the importance of skin-to-skin contact in assisting with breastfeeding, and fortunately my nurses did too.  Even though there was a sign in every room on the Labor & Delivery floor that explicitly stated that babies were never permitted to sleep with their mothers in the hospital beds, my nurses encouraged it in our case.  She needed the skin-to-skin cuddles and warmth.  Many of our nursing sessions those first two days were spent with her crying and fussing, and me exasperated, stressed, and sobbing.  But the hospital co-sleeping was helping.  It was getting easier.  And then we came home.

Carina is not the easy-going, self-soothing baby my son was.  She is her own person, with her own temperament.  And she often requires lots of snuggles, babywearing, and closeness.  She may be what some would deem a high needs baby.  I knew that just lying her down in a bassinet at night was not going to work with her.  And honestly when I really thought about it, it made sense.  She had been sleeping as close to me as any person other than my son had for the past 9 months.  And now she was expected to just sleep by herself isolated without the warmth of her mother for the night?  It did seem somewhat unreasonable, even slightly cruel to me.  So, she slept with us that first night she came home with us from the hospital and she has every night since.  

At first, I was leery to tell anyone that we were co-sleeping.  Even to our pediatrician.  I knew bedsharing has had a very bad rap lately.  But I started to share more and more with friends about our choice to co-sleep and started finding that many of my friends who are parents, albeit in hushed tones, admitted to co-sleeping with their kids.  I have received a few reactions of "aren't you afraid of rolling over on her?" or "are you afraid of suffocating her?".  And quite frankly, no I am not.  

Co-sleeping has been wonderful for us so far.  Breastfeeding at night is amazingly easy and relaxing, and often we both fall asleep during it.  If she has slept longer than usual (and of course this makes a mother worry), I don't have to get out of bed and creep across the hall.  I just turn and touch her and know instantly that she is okay and can quickly fall back to sleep.  My husband and I don't miss a single moment of her precious babyhood.  Like that magical moment when she first wakes up in the morning with her smiling eyes and wide grins.  Those early morning moments are my favorite of the entire day...

Lord knows there are nights when I wish that I actually had half of the bed again.  Or that it wasn't necessary to wash the sheets at least twice a week because of baby spit up.  But for now we are sharing our bed with our tiny daughter.  We do have a plan to start weaning her to her bassinet (or probably her crib by then) by the time she is successfully rolling over & holding her head up. Baby girl is a notorious side and tummy sleeper, and I don't feel okay with leaving her to sleep by herself yet.  But for now I will treasure our sleepy moments in the morning. The way she instinctively and effortlessly nurses when she is half asleep at 3 in the morning.  Waking up in the middle of the night to feel her snuggled into my side and my heart melts. <3

Ready to co-sleep?  Here are a few of my recommended essentials:

The Baby Sleep Book is a great resource for any parents considering co-sleeping.  I ordered this book as soon as it was apparent that we would be co-sleeping with our daughter.  The book contains strong research for the benefits of bed sharing, and tips to make sure you are co-sleeping safely.  
The Baby Delight Snuggle Nest is great for parents who may be a little anxious or hesitant at first about co-sleeping.  

Don't Ignore the War on Women...

and what it could mean for the infertility community.  Some may ask how does the conservatives' apparent crackdown on women's reproductive rights affect people struggling with infertility? I mean, they are wanting to make sure more babies are born, right?  So, in theory you would think these politicians would be all for supporting infertility treatments therefore making more births of healthy babies to deserving couples possible, right?  Well, not exactly...


First, let's consider the various states in our country who have recently passed legislation making miscarriages an act that can actually be investigated and found to be a punishable crime by the law.  I have personally suffered two miscarriages, and the thought of law enforcement coming into my home or the hospital to question me about a possible fetal homicide is absolutely appalling.  The heartache, grief, and guilt were intense enough without an accusation from police that I had let this happen to my baby on purpose.  Tragically, miscarriages are all too common in the infertility community.  Women, like myself, who can get pregnant, but have trouble staying pregnant.  Women who have endured fertility medications, in-vitro, and IUI's, donor eggs and sperm, spent thousands of dollars just to ultimately end up losing their miracle babies to miscarriage.  And conservative politicians could possibly end up having these women spend time in jail on top of all of that??  


The personhood bills that have reached several state Senates lately could have lasting repercussions for couples depending on in-vitro fertilization to start their long awaited families.  Often in-vitro results in an overabundance of embryos that are then frozen for possible later use or donation, embryos that are inserted in the mother but never implant, and embryos that are not viable.  Personhood bills could make all of these embryos illegal, even possible victims of murder.  These types of legislation also threaten the use of stem cell research and genetic testing of embryos which could ultimately lead to an explanation and treatment for certain types of infertility.  


The war on women goes much deeper than conservative versus liberal.  Pro-life versus pro-choice.  Eliminating access to abortions is just the gateway.  The possible fate of all women's health issues, including infertility, hangs in the balance.  Please educate yourself.  Inform yourself instead of blindly voting along party lines.  Do not ignore this political war on women.  It could mean having your options to start a family drastically limited.  And for many, to have that dream completely placed out of reach.


To learn about infertility and what it is, click here: http://www.resolve.org/infertility-overview/what-is-infertility/
To learn about National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW)  and what it is, click here: http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html

Pinspiration in the Kitchen- Good Eats Meatloaf

The word "meatloaf" doesn't exude too much excitement.  It is one of those meals that has been a staple on the tables of mothers, housewives, and grandmothers for years.  Most of the time it is just an over sized, glorified hamburger patty.  Like Randy famously said in A Christmas Story- "Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf."


For years I have been on the search for a meatloaf recipe that my family would willingly eat without having to coax them by saying "show me how the piggies eat."  I think that I have finally stumbled upon that very recipe on Pinterest- Alton Brown's Good Eats Meatloaf recipe- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-meat-loaf-recipe/index.html

I actually only made half of this recipe.  I was pretty sure that my husband and I would be unable to eat an entire 2 lb meatloaf in a few days. ;)  And even though the recipe called to just finely chop the veggies in the food processor and NOT puree them, I did puree them.  Great trick for mothers (or wives) of children (or husbands, not naming any names here...) that hate vegetables. Plus, I think the pureed veggies made the meatloaf just that much more moist.


The Good Eats Meatloaf was tasty.  The husband loved it (didn't even notice the hidden vegetables! Shhhhh...) and I actually really enjoyed it.  I didn't even need extra ketchup squirted on top and served on the side for dipping- a first for me when it comes to meatloaf.
The glaze was sweet and just a little spicy.  I think I have finally found my go-to meatloaf recipe. ;)

To go directly to this pin for repinning, click here- http://pinterest.com/pin/203295370649479445/

Foodie on a Budget- Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

As a mother to a teenager and a newborn, time is pretty valuable.  So is saving money and staying on a budget.  Picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and breaking it down for recipes for the week used to be a pretty regular thing for me.  I was definitely saving time, and in my opinion, money.  Have you bought a whole cooker chicken lately? They usually cost as much if not more than the ready made rotisseries at your local grocery store.  What I didn't like about the grocery store roasted chickens is that I didn't really know what was in them.  How much salt and preservatives had they pumped into those things anyhow?


Then I discovered "roasted" chicken from the Crock Pot.  Actually by accident.  The evening I went into labor with my daughter, I had decided to start boiling a couple of large split chicken breasts that I could break down and use throughout the week for sandwiches and homemade chicken noodle soup.  My local Kroger had a great sale on Tyson split chicken breasts (99 cents a pound!) that week.  A half hour into cooking the chicken, my contractions went to 3 minutes apart!  So, my mom threw the chicken into a container and into the fridge.  The day we came home from the hospital, my mom stopped at our house that morning and put the partially cooked chicken breasts in the Crock Pot to finish.  We came home to chicken with a nice crisp on the skin, moist and juicy on the inside, and that fell off the bone, making breaking it down incredibly easy and quick.  I have cooked large split chicken breasts this way 3 times now since we brought our baby girl home, and I have been able to make quick, delicious, and healthy dinners and sandwiches from it for 3 adults for an entire week.


So here is all that you need to make it:

Yep, that is it. A Crock Pot, chicken broth (I use the Kroger Private Selection Organic chicken broth- less than $2 a carton), and a pack of two large split chicken breasts (I always stock up on them when the local Kroger's has their 99 cents sale- the package pictured was only a little over $2!).

Just pour a little chicken broth in the bottom of the Crock Pot. I do this to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the Crock Pot, and to keep the meat moist. I used about 2/3 cup.  Put the chicken in the Crock Pot, skin side up and cover and cook on low for about 5-6 hours.  

Once the chicken is cooked, I turn off the Crock Pot and let the chicken set until it is cool enough to handle.  Then I place the chicken breasts on a cutting board, remove the skin, and break off the meat from the bones in large chunks, and then chop! 

You can use one of the large breasts immediately for dinner (like I did for my husband and I last night) and then refrigerate the rest to use for recipes the rest of the week like chicken salad or a couple of my favorites:
Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie
Avogolemono Soup

Pinspiration in the Kitchen- Baked Spaghetti

Pinterest has inspired me to try new recipes. Not once a month, or just for special occasions.  But every single week.  My husband and son are often my taste testers, giving me a thumbs up or down for each new recipe I put on their plates.  I have decided to start sharing my "winning" Pinterest inspired recipes once a week on my blog- Pinspiration in the Kitchen.  When I try a recipe and it is deemed a winner, I repin it to my Recipes I MUST Make Again... & Again board.  Feel free to click on the link and start following my board.

This week's winner is Baked Spaghetti pinned from allrecipes.com- http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-spaghetti/detail.aspx

To make this recipe a little healthier I used low fat cottage cheese, whole grain spaghetti, and just 2 cups of mozzarella instead of the 4 cups suggested in the recipe.  We found that the 2 cups of mozzarella was plenty.  4 cups may have been overkill.  


This dish was a hit with us all around.  Delicious and easy, and it made a big enough pan that I was able to freeze half of it for a another dinner in the near future.  This would also be a great dish to bring to a potluck or a family gathering, or to make ahead and freeze.

To go directly to this pin for repinning, click here- http://pinterest.com/pin/203295370649448418/

My Wordless Wednesday