Harvest Share Food Box week 2

So we just picked up our second box...

I wished the picture would tell how yummy it looked!

This week the featured item is Kale.

There is also Garlic Scapes! I had never heard of it before getting some in the box. I already used some to add to one of my smoke salmon-radish dip!

The featured recipe is Kale Chips! Although I have eaten kale before I had never tried to have it that way. (I know, I know... somany people on my friend's list swear by it!) So we baked some... not only did it look and smell yummy.... it tasted great! A perfect by the pool snack!

An added bonus... Hudson LOVED it.

Buying local... 20 weeks of summer

So a few weeks ago, we received a pamphlet in our mail box about a Harvest Food Share Program. 20 boxes full of locally grown fruits and vegetables for 20 weeks. We do have access to a farmer's market near by, but in the last few years, I was something surprise to find out that what we were buying was not always local... (Happened with corn, more than once...) I researched the program a bit more and read lot's of positive reviews... we decided to give it a try. There were two different size boxes available. We took the biggest one (28$ a week) and decided to share it between two family (so 14$ each family a week). With the weekly box, we receive a feature item and a recipe to go with it. We are also provided with information about each product (which farm it comes from). 

This week we went a head and picked up our first box. I will be honest, it was a lot smaller than we expected... and a lot smaller than the pictures I had seen from last year. We were explained that the season was a bit delayed because of the weather and that they would make up for it in the next few weeks. (Fair enough!) That being said, I quickly did the math and we really were getting our money's worth. 

I decided for the next 20 weeks (as much as possible) to post a picture of the box. We will also attempt to make every recipe provided. If you would like more information, you can visit the facebook group. All the recipe can be found there in their "Note" section.

So this week's feature item is Rhubarb! The recipe is a rhubarb custard pie! Mom and I with Hudson's help got it ready in no time! It looked delicious and tasted amazing! Definitively a recipe we will make again!

For dinner tonight, we also had some of the pepper, mushroom, zucchinis and spinach. Now everything was good, but let's talk about spinach!!! Seriously... I didn't even know spinach could look as leafy and full of life as the one we received. It really did not look like what we buy at the grocery!! And let me tell you, they were GOOD!!! At this point, I have to say we are really excited about the box and can't wait for the next one!

Mamaroo review!

Hudson at 15 weeks in her Mamaroo.

Having spent way too many hours on babycenter during my pregnancy, I was bound to discover frivolous new products! But when I faced a 2 weeks old baby with severe reflux, I quickly jump on the internet to find a WAY so that my baby could get any sleep! That's when I found out about the Mamaroo. You know that expensive space ship looking swing that "Moves like you do". I have to admit, it was a budget breaker but I needed some sleep bad and so did the baby. So in a heartbeat I put all of my hopes in the modern looking swing and willingly shelled out the 230$ needed. I thought... if baby doesn't like it I could always returned it. It took less than 2 days for me to have a verdict on the pricy swing!

I went back to the store but not to return my Mamaroo! Instead I went to buy a second one! Yes! One for my house and one for grand-ma's house (ok I have to admit, grand-ma paid the second one). From the day the mamaroo entered our house, my baby started sleeping.

4 weeks old Hudson in Grand-ma's mamaroo

You will only imagine how much distress I was in when after 3 weeks of use my mamaroo's base started doing a weird hiccup motion. Suddenly I was stuck with an expensive non working swing and a very tired and cranky baby. And to make matter worst, the retailer we got it from was of no support because we could not find our receipt. So I called the customer service in the US. I must have been on the phone for a big total of 5 minutes! Even better, 3 days later a new base arrived at our home! The customer service was stellar! (Other companies should learn from them!!) Not only was the Mamaroo a great product but the company that makes it is equally great!

My daughter is now 15 weeks, and even though she now sleeps in her crib, her naps are still in her mamaroo!

But let's get down to business! Here is a more objective review!

Pros:

• I love the design! I am not much into baby looking items. The sleek look of the mamaroo looks great even in my dinning room!
• It takes less than 5 minutes to assemble. Only 1 screw needed.
• Very easy to operate. (I actually use my foot, so no need to bend all the time).
• Has built in speakers with white noises or the possibility to plug your MP3
• Takes very little place in a room.
• Easy to adjust the inclination even when the baby is sitting in.
• The customer service was amazing!!!! 

Cons

• I wished it was a bit more quiet. The swing itself is a white noise provider.
• I don't have the new mamaroo plush... so the fabric on mine was actually very cold in winter and very stiff. I ended up sewing some mamaroo microfleece covers for it.
• The quality from the speaker is not the best
• Some people complained that it was not fast enough to entertain their baby. (Personally I though it was just fine)
• I wished there was an option to turn the LCD light off at night. The blue light is strong and can get a bit annoying. 
• I wished the seat could go into a completely flat position. 
• When changing the seat incline, the noise of the clasp is enough to wake up a baby.

In all, I absolutely love my Mamaroo! I do recommend it to everyone I know. It's a great product backed up by a great company.

Note : In the top picture, I removed the over head mobile. Although I love the actual design of it, we never used it as our daughter did not seem to care for it. In the top picture, the mamaroo is also covered by the microfleece cover I sewed.

***Up-date*** I just thought I would provide an up-date on this review since apparently it is my most popular post!

We used the Mamaroo all the way until my daughter was 13 months. Yes I know it says not to put in a baby that can sit on her own, but even at 13 months, my daughter loved her mamaroo (especially for nap time). My daughter at that point was 19 lbs and 27 inches so well under the recommended size. After being used extensively (pretty much every day) both Mamaroo are still working great! They are now being store waiting for baby number 2.

After writing this review, I was provided with the new plush covers. What a difference!! They are soft, come in beautiful pattern and best of all... they do not get cold or stiff in winter time!

I have been really busy with life, but I will try in the next couple months, to include a tutorial on how to sew your own cover (which is very handy with a reflux baby)

Cloth diapers reviews part 2

Motherease

I bought my first Motherease product just after my 3 weeks old daughter got second degree burns from using disposable diapers.  (You can find that story here). I was at Serenity Birth studio in Horshoe Valley when I found the bamboo sandy Motherease fitted diaper. It was love at first sight. It was so soft and luxurious, exactly what my poor daughter's burned bum needed! I bought two and was eager to try them. As soon as I got home I prep them and put it on her. I used my Super Bright Bummies cover with it. It was a perfect fit. The two snap on each side made it so easy to put it on. It was also very easy to adjust. I used the diaper from about 7lbs to 10 lbs and never had a leak or a blowout from it! I then bought 5 of the size up (S) (The sandy are a two size diaper so the size small fits 8lbs-20lbs) in cotton and two of the Airflow covers. My sandy Motherease have become my go to daytime diapers and to this day I have never had a leak or a blowout from them! They fit great on my growing little girl! I especially like the fact that even if I use the biggest setting and leave the diaper fairly loose on (which is great with a gassy baby), because of the particular design, it still won't leak!

However, because they are a true cotton diaper, they do not keep the moisture away from the babies skin, because of that, I make sure to change the diaper as often as possible (I don't use them if I know I will be on the road), and I have made it into a habit to use a Bummies fleece liner. I also have to add that they stain very very easily and I am still having a hard time to destain them. The farmer stick does not seem to work on it either. Hopefully the sun will do the trick in the spring! I should also mention that the bamboo one for newborn lost it's luxury feeling very early on (but still worked great) and there is a very limited cover pattern selection.

That being said, of all the cloth diapers I have been using this is by far my favorite one! Motherease sandy is a diaper I can truly depend on. Easy to use with no fears of leaks! I truly recommend this brand (and it is from Ontario as well!!!)

Pros

       Great fit!

       No leaks!

       Easy to put on and adjust!

       Two size diaper (so you get to use it for a long time without the bulk of the OS)

       Buy Local!

Cons

        Stains really easily

        Limited choice of prints for covers.                                                                                                    


Fuzzibunz

I was so excited to get my Fuzzibunz! I had hear great things about it. So many people seemed to swear by them. So I tried my really hardest to like them. But the fact is that I barely ever use the ones I have now. Essentially they are a pocket diaper so very similar to Bumgenius 4.0. They have snaps and are OS (You adjust the size by pulling on the elastic around the legs. ) Unfortunately I was never able to adjust them properly enough that I would have no leaks. No matter what I have tried, I always get leaks or blowout on the sides around the legs. I also have a very very hard time stuffing the insert. The pocket is very narrow and my hand hardly fits through the middle area. Because of the narrow pocket, it is also hard to add more inserts in there. One positive I noted, was the quality of the actual insert. Very absorbent! (To get the best of both worlds, I have been using my Fuzzybunz insert with my Bumgenius shell!) I also found that even on the smallest setting, the diaper was not overly bulky on my 8lbs baby which is a good thing when you try to fit a cute outfit on top of it. Personally, for the same price, and for similar product, I will stick to Bumgenius.

On a side note, Fuzzybunz has just come out with a new diaper and has updated their warranty on their diapers.

Pros:  Great insert.

           Pretty trim for a OS diaper

Cons : Leaks!

            Hard to stuff.                                                                                                                                   

Cloth diapers reviews

Bummies

I use the newborn prefolds (24 of them) and 4 covers. The reason I bought this (as a set) was because of the low cost. It was just under 80$. I was not so keen on using prefold and thought I would prefer AIO. But I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how easy to use prefolds were. Easy to clean, easy to store, and easy to carry around. I had leakage problem the first few days, and it did take a while before I could fold it properly in the cover but now after less than 2 weeks, I could do it with my eyes close! I do have to say thought that 4 cover is not enough and decided to buy 2 extra ones. I find the trim on the bummies cover would soak up the urine and stay wet. For extra protection, I would add one Kushies insert inside the prefolds. I used the size newborn covers from just under 7lbs to around 9 lbs. The prefolds, I used them until my daughter was around 11 lbs with a size small bummies cover. The size small covers still fit but I do not use the prefolds anymore. For the covers, I used both the Bummies Super Bright (Shown on the picture) and the Whisper wrap. I found that the Super bright cover was giving me a trimmer fit and a better protection.

Pros: Prefolds are really easy to wash.

         Good value for your money.

          Not too bulky under clothing.

 Cons : My husband finds it too complicated to put on.

            Lots of leakage problem

            The trim on the cover soak in the urine.                                                                                         

Rainforest babies

In all fairness, I have to say the ones I have are hands me down! So Tuna is the third baby wearing them! I had never heard of this brand and I am unsure as to how easily available they are. I have to say, they fit great on my skinny baby (size small) and they are really easy to assemble. 

A cute colorful insert snaps on both ends. Unfortunately, they leak... they leak.... they leak.... I still use them, but only if it is for a short period of time.

Pros: Durable.

         Easy to assemble.

         Washes really really well.

Cons: Leaks!

Bumgenius 4.0 snap OS

Even though Tuna has reached the minimum weight, they are still too big. I did however used them a few times and can't wait to fully rely on them. Why? Because I love how the insert soaks in all the moisture and leaves the outer layer almost fully dry! However I do have to mention that they are bulky on little ones. (My husband loves them once assemble. He likes how easy they are to put on.)

Tuna is now 13 lbs. We have been using our Bumgenius 4.0 snap OS for 4 weeks now. I love them! They are my go to overnight diaper. They are easy to assemble and the pocket is large enough so you can easily add inserts. They also wash really well and the stains are not to hard to get rid of with a farmers stick.

On the down side, the insert does not suffice for overnight use. I usually add another insert that is 2 layers of microfiber and one layer velour. Most leaks I have encountered were up the back as oppose to around the legs. 

Pros: Keeps baby dry.

       The fact that they are OS is great!

          Very little leaking problem.
          Great fit on older infant.
          Love the designer series!

Cons: They are expensive!!

          Takes a little longer to assemble!

           Very bulky on the little one.
           One insert is often not enough.

'Tis the season to be cooking!!

From one disaster to another


Kuhn Rikon Stainless Cookie Press
and Decorating Set with Storage Box.



Off course with Chirstmas just around the corner, I have been cooking. The countdown is on, as I have to bake 78 cookies for my workplace cookies exchang on Friday December 10th! This year I wanted to outdo myself and went a head and bought the Kuhn Rikon Stainless Cookie Press and Decorating Set with Storage Box. I tried it with two different recipies and I was so please of the results. Easy, pretty, tasty cookies... that is until I tried washing the stainless steel tube. The tube is lined with a plastic inlay and the cookie dought easily gets between the layers. I tried cleaning it out. Impossible. I let it soak for a few hours, nothing to do about it. So broken heartedly I returned it to the store. After checking the manufacturer's web site, I realised many people seemed to have the same problem.

After  talking with friends, I found out that a good brand to buy would be the Norpro Brand of product. I was also told to avoid the Pampered chef brand. Unfortunatly, it is too late for me to pass an online order for this year, but I will look into getting one next Christmas.

I decided instead to stick to what  I do best and that is: make chocolate!! I went for an easy, white chocolate candy cane melt that I poured in silicone christmas mould from Dollorama. I use to buy chocolate mould from Bulk Barn but I find the silicone one work better and can be used for fudge, jello, candy and ice (off course). I didn't see the need in buying expansive mould from cooking store as the dollar store one work perfectly well!

I then proceeded in making the dought for some chocolate cookie sandwich with candy cane filling. A quick easy recipe I found online. Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies But just as I was ready to roll them in little ball, I found there must have been worms in my mom's flour... back to square one, I had to throw away the dought and head back to the grocery store.

I will give it a second chance on wednesday so check back for the results!!