The Big Clean (Part 1)

If you are anything like me, the end of winter signals the end of your quasi-hybernative state, and heralds the arrival of the chirpy voice of your inner early bird. That voice tweets loudly in your ear..."Time to clean!  Organise!  Open the curtains and the windows!" I confess that I am guilty of not always bothering to open the bedroom curtains on the long dark nights and short dark days of winter, but spring is here! The days are getting lighter and longer, and there is less room for excuses. (By the way, I use the phrases "the end of winter" and "spring is here" loosely....a couple of days ago was the first day of spring, and it is currently a blizzard outside!)

Fortunately, we are Jim is currently in the process of remodelling and re-purposing our downstairs bathroom/mudroom/coat closet into a utility room and bathroom with a shower.  This means I will no longer have to go outside to get to the washer and dryer. Yay! They are currently in a small outside room that also houses a multitude of spiders/cobwebs. ( I keep telling myself that not having to fight the spiders or the elements will make it easier to keep on top of the laundry....we'll see!)  Unfortunately, this means I will not get to indulge my inner perfectionist while spring cleaning, due to the contents of that area being spread throughout the house. On the plus side, I'm told that this is a good exercise for my inner perfectionist.  (Her mantra is "If you can't do it perfectly, don't do it at all!"......... Lots of things don't get done around here).

Upon pondering how to go about my usual day or two of spring cleaning and organising, I realised it will be a little trickier to find a large chunk of time to clean now that our little family contains a third member.  A family member who would, undoubtedly, leap at the opportunity to put the nozzle of a spray bottle of bleach into his mouth. (Good parenting dictates that I must not allow him the chance to do so).  Sadly, I do not have the energy, the time, or the motivation to break the actual cleaning down to span two weeks worth of nap times. I need a large chunk of time, and I need a plan of attack. (EDIT:  Remember that thing about not spreading it out?  I spoke too soon, because there is no way I'll be able to get a large enough chunk of time to do the whole house. I'm focusing on one room at a time, whenever I have a couple of hours...a.k.a. nap times). So, here are my tips on making the Big Clean happen. 

1. Drink some coffee.  (And then drink some more coffee).
2.  Put a date on the calender for the Big Clean. (Set aside a day, or in my case two,  that you will plan on getting your cleaning done)
3. Use your childs nap times (or whatever time you find in a day) in the week or two leading up to the Big Clean to declutter and organise. This isn't hard for me, because I think organising is fun.  (I know....I'm weird. There will be lots of pictures to come of all the stuff that I have labelled).
4. Try to get on top of your "normal" weekly cleaning and laundry in the week leading up to the Big Clean.  
5. If you have small children and it is possible, GET A BABYSITTER for the day, or even just for a few hours... You can also utilize nap time! (If you are anything like me, you really, really love your child(ren).  But, man oh man, do you feel like Superwoman when you aren't thinking about dirty diapers and choking hazards while trying to accomplish something non-baby centred).
6. Make a mental note of any particular area that bugs you or would make you cringe/gag if your child were to touch/lick it.
7. Make a list, or find a good list online, of cleaning tasks to accomplish.  Here is the list that I am following this year. (If you don't already know this about me, you will learn how much I love a good list).
8. Prioritise your list, so that you can tackle the most important areas first.  
9. Make sure you have all the cleaning supplies you will need.
10. Create an Organization Station
11. Write a blog about how you will clean all the things, so that you have to actually do it on the day you have planned.  (This is to ward off the temptation of taking an extended nap....especially if you have a babysitter for the whole day ).

I have a friend coming to babysit tomorrow, which means productivity and energy should be at an all time high!  Wish me luck!

 What are your tips on getting ready for the Big Clean?  Do you like to tackle it all at once, or do you like to spread it out so that it doesn't feel too overwhelming?

5 Cliche Questions People Ask New Moms...

...and 5 questions you may want to ask instead.

Having recently become a mother, I'm astounded at the number of people who will ask you the same 5 questions about your child and your role as a mother....over and over again. Upon further consideration I find some of these questions may be somewhat insensitive if not slightly inappropriate to ask a woman who is not a close friend. Let me explain...

Question #1: "Is he a good baby?"

Now, in actuality, the person asking this question probably assumes that the answer to this question should/will always be "yes, of course, a very good baby" or some other such half truth. (All babies are good babies.... at least some of the time!) The reason this particular question might be quite touchy for certain moms is simple: they may have a 'high maintenance' baby. Maybe their baby screams for no reason for hours every evening. Maybe their baby refuses to ever be put down. Ever. Maybe their baby wakes multiple times at night. Every. Night. It could be any number of things that just mean that their baby requires that little bit of extra care and attention, and that maybe their baby is a "difficult baby".  The point is...it's a loaded question which could cause Mom herself to wonder whether her baby is "good" or not...and if not, is she a bad mother?

Question #2: "Does he sleep well for you?"

Luckily I have been blessed with a baby who is, on the whole, a good sleeper. So, I have been guilty of asking other people this question myself. However, having been inducted into the 'circle of moms', I now realise there are many MANY (many,  many) women who are not so fortunate. As a result, this question may drum up feelings of inadequacy, frustration, or downright hopelessness. Why do we think its okay to go there? I, for one, will try not to ask this question unless the mother I'm speaking to is either a) a close friend,  b) is volunteering information on the subject of her child's sleep patterns, or c) she started it.  (I'm currently feeling a little bitter about this one, as we seem to have taken a slight step backward in the sleep department over the last few weeks).

Question #3: Does he eat well?/Are you breast feeding?

Having put my foot in my mouth once earlier in the same day with the sleep question, I met another mom and fumbled about for something that was seemingly less harmful...I came up with this little gem. Unfortunately for me, this mother's (wonderful sleeper) baby happened to be really fussy when it came time to chow down on the milk. These days, health care professionals tend to recommend breast feeding as the best source of nutrition for our babies. "Breast is Best!" and all that.  Don't get me wrong, I think breastfeeding is fantastic. The only problem with this trend is that some mothers who choose not to or are unable to breastfeed for whatever reason, may be made to feel like less of a woman or a bad mother. I have found this to be especially true here in the U.K. Sad, but true nonetheless. Breast feeding is hard. Really hard at first. I wouldn't blame anyone if she had to give it up after day 1, or even if she chose not to from the outset. Also, with varying opinions and experiences on the length of time women choose to breast feed their children, it may be best just not to ask. (Especially if you are someone who may feel the need to offer unsolicited advice...no one asked you).

Question #4: Is baby doing 'x' yet?

This question mainly applies to other mommy friends....we all do it. But we shouldn't fall into the baby development competition trap. I feel like there isn't really much more to be said here. No one likes "that" mom... though we all ask these typed of questions at times, and it is usually innocent. It's not always a competition, but again, it would be easy to inadvertently offend someone if you draw light on the fact that their child should be speaking Chinese already now that they 5 months old just because yours is...(In case you were wondering, Elijah is also fluent in Spanish and Russian).

Question #5: Are you enjoying motherhood?

Now, this one is tricky. People generally ask this thinking only about the smiling babe in your arms, and the smile on your face. The answer, 99.9% the time, would be yes. Absolutely yes. However, please refer back to the earlier questions. Maybe this particular mother has a baby who hasn't slept more than an hour at a time. For a month. Maybe she feels as though she is letting her child down by being unable to breast feed. Maybe today is the first time she managed to actually get out of the house (and/or shower) for the last two weeks. Motherhood is beautiful, but it is also challenging. On any particular day, this question may solicit tears from a mother who loves her child desperately, but also finds that the constant demand of motherhood can be quite daunting.

So if these 5 questions should be the new taboo, what should we ask instead?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. How do you like to spend your time with baby?

2. Are you grabbing some sleep when you can? (If you MUST ask about sleep).

3. Isn't it nice just to hold them while they are little?

4. What sort of fun things is he doing now? (Without going on to brag about how your 7 month old knows the alphabet and can ride a bike without training wheels).

5. Is there anything I can help you with?

*(Don't ask the last one unless you mean it...but if you mean it, and you think "It would be nice to offer to help her", then offer!  I don't know many mom's who would turn down the chance for a healthy, home cooked meal that they didn't have to make, or 30 minutes of "me time" at home).  

A Taste of Home....Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

One of my favorite foods from the states is buffalo chicken wings, and I have yet to find anywhere here in the U.K. that does any decent version of these. Well, with yet another craving knocking at my door (anyone care to venture what time of the month is coming up?! HA!), I set to work.   I was surfing Pinterest yesterday, as I often do on the weekends, and decided to try this recipe for  Crispy Buffalo Chicken.  This girl has some really delicious looking recipes, and some of them contain the nutritional information.   She has lost 135 pounds (!!!), she loves cooking and food, and has maintained a happy healthy weight for years.  If that's not inspirational I don't know what is?!

 I followed her recipe exactly, but I cut the chicken breast into 1 inch chunks, so that it was more like chicken nuggets than chicken tenders.  Also, because I cut the chicken smaller, I found that I needed slightly more of the egg mixture and breadcrumbs, but there was still plenty of flour left over when I was finished.  I liked that the chicken was shallow fried, so you still get the nice crispy texture, but with less fat.  I also like this because you can measure precisely how much oil you are using.

Step 1: Assemble ingredients, and cut chicken breast to desired size.

Step 2: Dip the chicken breasts in the bowls in order and add to the pan to fry.

 Step3: Bake the chicken for 5-10 minutes (or until heated through...because I cut the chicken small, it was already cooked after I fried it, but it took a few batches of frying.  So, I stuck it in the oven for 5 minutes so that it would all be hot at the same time.)
Step 4: Toss the cooked chicken in the hot sauce and serve with celery, carrots, and ranch or blue cheese dressing.

(Once again, you can find the full recipe and instructions here.)

If you wanted to make it healthier, you could leave out the breadcrumbs.  (I tried this with a few of the chicken pieces, and they were still really tasty..they would make a nice buffalo chicken salad!) You could also skip the frying, and just bake the chicken...but, let's be honest, we both know it wouldn't be quite as tasty. 

Overall, this was a major success.  It totally satisfied the urge for buffalo wings, and although it wasn't as healthy as some of the other recipes I've tried recently, it was definitely healthier than the version you'd be able to order in a restaurant (if you live in America).  One thing I would say, is that this recipe required quite a bit of love (read: time), but in the end, it was totally worth it. 

EDIT:  If you aren't going to eat all of these at once, I recommend not coating all of them in hot sauce before re-heating. Just bake them, and then freeze/refridgerate what you aren't going to use. I re-heated some for Jim in the oven for dinner, and they dried out.  If I had left off the sauce in the initial process, I could have re-heated them first, then coated in the hot sauce. 

Ooey Gooey Brownies (with 1/10 the fat!)

So, I have been having a major chocolate attack these last few days.  I really wanted a nice chocolaty dessert the other night, so I thought I would make some brownies. After my semi-success in tricking my taste buds with the Guilt Free Pizza earlier this week, I googled "Healthy Brownie Recipes" or something of the sort, thinking that google would say "Ha!  Try Again, Stupid!", but lo and behold we got results! (Thanks to Skinny Taste....check it out!)

Now, these brownies still aren't technically "healthy" , but they are gooey, delicious, and have no added oil or eggs.  All you need is a box of Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, and the secret ingredient.  What then, you say, is the secret ingredient?  Are you guessing......?

Nope, that's not it.

That either.

Or that.. 

Okay, okay.  I'll just tell you, because you will never guess. The secret ingredient is......(imagine a drum roll here):

An entire can of black beans.

Would you ever have guessed? It sounds weird and gross...I was VERY sceptical! (I even bought a pack of "backup" treats, since I had friends coming over....we didn't need them!) Honestly though, you can't tell.  If you like your brownies light and fluffy, then this recipe isn't for you.  But, if you like to take your brownies out of the oven a little early so that they are a nice and soft and chewy, then you are going to love this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 Box Betty Crocker (or your favorite brand) Brownie Mix
1 Can Black Beans in Water

Method:
1. Drain the beans and rinse them well.
2. Add the beans back to the empty can and fill with water
3. Blend the bean/water mixture in a blender until smooth
4. In a large bowl, combine bean puree with brownie mixture until smooth.
5. Bake according to package instructions
6. Allow to cool, and enjoy!*

I cut my brownies into about 20 little brownie bites.  If I had made them according to the package instructions (using an egg, water, and 30ml of vegetable oil), the entire recipe would have contained about 33g of fat (About 1.5g fat per individual brownie bite).  Subbing the black beans meant that the entire recipe contained less than 3g fat.  (About 0.1g fat per brownie bite).  So, even though there is still plenty of sugar, you've saved a lot of fat by subbing the beans. You get the extra bonus of some daily fibre, and you can still satisfy that craving for chocolate!

*Please enjoy in moderation. Consuming large amounts of black bean brownies may result in public flatulance, frequent lavatory visits, and general embarrassment for everyone involved.

Guilt Free Pizza (with Cauliflower Base)

MMmmmmm....Pizza.  It has all my favorite things...gooey, melty, cheesey cheese.  Fluffy, yummy, doughy base.  Pepperoni, tomato sauce, and toppings galore.  Unfortunately, it is also packed with carbohydrates, calories, and fat....boooo! hiss!! Pizza is honestly my worst temptation food.Unfortunately for my waistline, I could quite easily scoff down 1500 calories worth of pizza without batting an eyelid. I know....it's shameful.  Another unfortunate circumstance is that I am watching my figure lately (HA...what else is new?!), and 1500 calories worth of fatty, yummy, carby pizza is not on the cards for me any time soon.  So, I've concocted this recipe in order to trick my taste buds into thinking that they are tasting their favorite food, when in fact I'm feeding them a substitute with a much lower fat and calorie count (see the end of the post for nutritional values). All the while, this guilt free pizza helps to satisfy the craving.  (Though, I have to warn you, the first mouthful of the cauliflower crust is slightly weird, because it looks so much like normal pizza crust but doesn't taste the same..Once you get past that, it is great!)
  
Ingredients:

For Pizza Base:
1/2 head of cauliflower (grated in food processor)
2 eggs (or 4 egg whites for less calories)
30g (1oz) half fat mozzarella cheese
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
optional:
25 g (~.8 oz) whole wheat breadcrumbs
optional for baking surface:
5 g (~.2oz) Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp olive oil (or other oil)
Toppings:
100g (~3oz) pizza sauce
50g (~1.5 oz) reduced fat mozzarella cheese
10 g (~.3 oz) feta cheese
A few sliced mushrooms
1/4 chopped bell pepper
A few sliced black olives
Crushed red pepper to serve
(EDIT: These are just the toppings I used...it was a little bland, so next time I would probably use a little more sauce, and maybe substitute a bit extra feta for some of the mozzarella, and add sun dried tomatoes.)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220 C or 450 F.
2. Place baking paper onto a cookie sheet or pizza stone, and brush on 1/2 tsp olive oil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese onto the baking paper. (or spray with low calorie cooking spray if you choose to omit the Parmesan cheese and olive oil)
3. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, and then press evenly onto the baking paper. (I did mine about 1cm thick)

Cauliflower Crust Prior to Baking

4. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  

Cauliflower crust after baking

(I actually doubled the recipe, and made two batches of crust, cut this one into 4 slices and put it in the freezer. Supposedly it should be okay to freeze and then use another time...I guess we will see!)

5. After you bake the crust, add your pizza sauce and toppings, then just pop it back in the oven, or under the broiler until your cheese is bubbly, and starting to brown, and voila! Enjoy tricking your taste buds!

The finished product

 You can have 1/2 pizza as prepared with roughly the following nutritional values:
Calories: 326 Fat: 15.9g Carbohydrates: 24.8g Protein: 28.9g Dietary Fibre: 7.6g Weight watchers ProPoints: 8
(Here is a little perspective, you would be able to eat 1/2 of Domino's, classic crust, pepperoni pizza for almost triple the values of calories, carbs, and fat....yikes!)

And, of course, I couldn't finish the post without some pictures of my sous chef!

My Little Helper

...and his handy work!