Crock Pot Chicken Stock (And Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe)

A few years ago I read Nourishing Traditions (Sally Fallon) and have been making homemade chicken stock regularly ever since. Bone broth is rich in minerals because of the marrow and gelatin, which is why it is beneficial when you're sick. But besides that, its yummy! Use it for soups, sauces, cooking rice or potatoes, to thin baby food purees, and anything else you can think of. The NT way takes up to 24 hours on the stove, but most of us need to leave the house at some point, so I've found that the crock pot works great too.

DIY Puffy Felt Magnets (and Blanket Stitch Tutorial)

This is a project only a mother could love. Meaning, it's a great introduction to sewing for kids AND these magnets are very entertaining (and safe) for babies. I had a lot of fun with the color combinations and got creative with buttons and ribbon as well. But mostly, they made my fridge a colorful wonderland for the baby which means less scaling cupboards and getting underfoot as I'm cooking!

I got the idea from this pin and sort of went from there.  The magnet is inside the felt which reduces the strength of the magnet, so these are good for play, not for holding important paperwork!  And remember things like magnets and buttons are choking hazards so use strong/thick thread and knot everything in place (or just embellish with embroidery) and supervise baby.

Blind Hem Stitch Made Easy

Blind hems look very professional and are used in drapery, pants, and anywhere you don't want to see stitching on the right side of the fabric. Instead of a line of straight stitching, you will see a single tack every inch or so.  It helps to have perfectly matching thread to not notice the tacking at all. By folding the fabric a certain way, the machine straight stitches along the hem edge and then isolated zigzags catch the rest of the fabric. Don't worry, it makes sense once you get started!

Top 10 Pinterest Recipes: Tested And Loved!

I am a Pinterest junkie.  Love it.  It gets the creative juices flowing.  Can you hear the "but" coming? Sorry to say I've tried more than one disappointing recipe from Pinterest, so I want to save you some time and feature ten great Pinterest recipes I've TESTED and LOVED! I saved the best for last so make sure to read all the way to the end.  I'm listing (chronologically?) from breakfast to dessert  :)

{BabyFoodie} Coconut Rice Cereal

I adore all variations of coconut rice, coconut custard and rice pudding.  There's only three ingredients in this sweet and nutritious baby cereal:  coconut milk, rice cereal, and raisins.  Substitute any grain your baby prefers, or make a grain-free "custard" with egg or banana as a substitute.  In case you missed it in another {BabyFoodie} post, raisins are high in iron and coconut is a medium chain fatty acid (digests and assimilates easily) and the lauric acid is as close as you can get to human breast-milk.

{BabyFoodie} Apple, Raisin & Cinnamon Purée

When I learned that raisins are high in iron, something that babies need more of after six months, I started adding them to everything! It never occurred to me to incorporate raisins into baby food. This week I've been making a purée (glorified applesauce) of apple and raisin with cinnamon and adding it to rice cereal. Honestly, it tastes better than sugar-sweetened oatmeal I've had! It's great plain or mix the purée with some organic canned pumpkin or cottage cheese -- my bubba loves it! This might become a staple for baby & the rest of the family. Other things to try it with: banana, oats, sweet potato, carrot, squash...

{BabyFoodie} Homemade Rice Cereal

I checked this website to find out how to make rice cereal, and learned some other cool stuff. Apparently leftover rice is bacteria-prone so it's best to cook at each meal, don't do the frozen meal thing. Also, uncooked rice should be stored in the fridge because it can go rancid without any telltale signs. And of course, we all know that brown rice is healthier than white, but apparently it's one of those foods that should be purchased organic (like the dirty dozen produce list).  Based on what I've read about grains, it would probably be good to soak the rice for a prolonged time to increase digestibility and to remove the phytic acid which is a nutrient blocker.

I didn't start my son on grains until 8-9 months, up til then he only had fruits and veggies and chicken and cottage cheese. We tried rice cereal around 7 months and he had a little reaction (painful gas) so we waited and tried again later. So if your little one is ready for grains, here is how you make and prepare rice cereal...

A Guide To Homemade Baby Food

The foods we give our babies are so important in their development and immune system, and it's a reminder to feed yourself and the rest of the family healthy too! Don't be intimidated by making your own baby food. You don't have to be an exceptional cook or even spend much time in the kitchen. Here is a rundown of what you need and how to make and serve healthy homemade baby food.  (Pictured: homemade rice cereal with apple cinnamon raisin puree)