Tuesday AW

stoneycakes

My DS is being awesome this morning.  He's playing with his mega blocks and letting me bump and drink coffee.  Love him!  Anyone else have good stuff to share?

stoneycakes

Also, I made homemade mayonnaise yesterday and it was really good.  Like really, really good. 

unaveragejane

DS is alternating b/n playing well and having small come-aparts. He is now super excited that he found 2 sand shovels (he loves to collect similar items) and is attempting to dig through the French doors so that he can go outside to play. I think I'm going to go hop myself up on some caffeine and get the kitchen cleaned this morning.

stoneycakes

Since this is a random thread, I'll ask here.  How do you guys go for walks/hikes with your two year olds? Stroller, carrier or let them walk themselves?  We used the carrier a ton last year but he was still really into being held and couldn't walk on his own yet.  I'm wondering what this summer will bring.

Amores0121

I would push a 2 year old in the stroller probably, but I guess it depends on the kid, whether they like to be pushed or not.  I pushed my 6 yo DD in a stroller last month to take her on a walk, so yeah. Flame me all you want, she's still my baby! ">

TJ1979

stringy813 said:

stoneycakes said:

My DS is being awesome this morning.  He's playing with his mega blocks and letting me bump and drink coffee.  Love him!  Anyone else have good stuff to share?

M loves her new megablocks. Yesterday she just took them out of the bag one by one, and then put them back in the bag one by one. Over and over. I literally almost fell asleep on the floor.

OMG why haven't I thought of this?  She hasn't had much interest in trying to build with them, but she loves to take things out and put them back into things.  Weekend plan!  You know, since I'm clearly not having a baby any time soon.

unaveragejane

I use a stroller. DS doesn't care to be carried much, and I couldn't tote him for long if I tried. I have been super pleasantly surprised at how calm he is in the stroller (for up to about an hour) so long as I keep snacks and random toys handy to give him along the way. When our stroller group stops to do weight-bearing exercises, he usually wants to hold one of my weights and attempt to do the movements. It's pretty cute! I'm going to have to find him a little one pound weight to hold.

ElleBeeDub

For walks where there's a sidewalk/paved path, we have a tricycle with a handle that I push him in (he doesn't really like the stroller). We also just got a framed kid pack for DH to use when we go on actual hikes.

TJ1979

@MK How cute!  Looks like she was a trooper!

tjkdlhb

@Chickypoo2468

What a beautiful smile she has!



Re: Mayo - I tried this and ended up only wasting ingredients..... I need an immersion blender.  Maybe I'll start dropping hints to DH...I almost want to borrow a blender first, to try it because I don't know if I would use it for anything else...

Re: Stroller/walking/carrying - I'm thinking this year we will probably use the stroller mostly, but DD may want to get out and walk a little.  I think it will be mostly take a step, stop, pick up stone, look at stone, pick up another stone, throw a stone, bend over, pick up pinecone, hey look a bird - chase bird, stop, take another step, turn around... We're pretty lucky in that there are a few trails around that should be okay to use a stroller with...  I'll need someone else with me though, because I'm afraid of being attacked by bears or coyotes.

ElleBeeDub

And my happy for the day is that I finally finished dying all my flats they're washed, folded, and ready for a baby bum! Sorry for the upside down pic. I don't know what went wrong

tjkdlhb

@ElleBeeDub

What did you dye them with?  I've got a bunch of birdseye napkins that end up looking stained... I'd like to make them a different colour...  did you just use fabric dye from a craft store or something else?

stoneycakes

Chickypoo2468 said:

Also, I made homemade mayonnaise yesterday and it was really good.  Like really, really good. 

How????! I'm too scared of salmonella but I really want to so this. We love mayo.

You can look up the stats, but from what I understand, getting salmonella from eggs is pretty unlikely.  But you can actually pasteurize your own eggs if you want to be really careful.  I've never done it, but you need just put them in water of a certain temperature (I think 145?) for a few minutes.  I'm sure you can google the exact recipe.

I made the mayo in my KA mixer using a Julia Child recipe.  It takes about ten minutes and you have to really babysit it for about the first five minutes, but it was much easier than I thought.  I was always afraid of messing up mayo because I know you can, but the recipe was really detailed so it was fine.

Here's a link to almost the exact same recipe I used.  I only used 2 egg yolks and 1 1/4 cups of oil, so I used slightly less seasoning. And I forgot to put the boiling water in at the end, but it still seems okay in the fridge today.

https://www.food.com/recipe/perfect-homemade-mayonnaise-julia-child-386457

ETA: I just noticed that recipe calls for 3-5 T of vinegar.  I only used the first tablespoon and then drops here and there to thin it out.  I think it would be way too vinegary, even with 3 yolks, to use that much. 

stoneycakes

@tjkdlhb, you can use a KA mixer, an electric hand mixer or a whisk and some muscle for the mayo! No blender required.

tjkdlhb

I tried it with an electric hand mixer and it just ended up being a mess!  I might try again with a whisk...

stoneycakes

tjkdlhb said:

I tried it with an electric hand mixer and it just ended up being a mess!  I might try again with a whisk...

I think what makes it harder with a hand mixer is it's difficult to control that teeny tiny drizzle of oil into the bowl while you're already mixing with one hand. I bet it would be easy if you had someone help you.  One person mixes, one person drizzles.

JEPES1348

stoneycakes said:

Since this is a random thread, I'll ask here.  How do you guys go for walks/hikes with your two year olds? Stroller, carrier or let them walk themselves?  We used the carrier a ton last year but he was still really into being held and couldn't walk on his own yet.  I'm wondering what this summer will bring.

Haha, I was JUST thinking about this. We're not even TTC (yet) and I'm already trying to figure out the potential logistics of having 2. When LO outgrows the Beco Gemini, will she still like to be carried? Or a stroller? Would a double stroller make more sense? With future LO #2 should I get a woven wrap, or use the Beco and have a Tula for LO #1? So I was shopping for Tulas and a Girasol. I won't actually go through with it; I'll wait and see what LO's preference is. I think I just like fantasizing... and spending money ">

stoneycakes

MK, the recipe doesn't say how long it lasts, but it does say that it has a tendency to thin out after several days in the fridge and that there's a technique to stiffen it again.  So I guess it's good for at least "several days."

Amores0121

@EllabeeDub Love the colors!

The only thing making me smile today is that DD is finally having her first school "play date" this week. I talked with the mother last night and met her this am.  Plus for me b/c now I don't have to hire  a sitter while I tutor, she's just going to her friend's house Sat am and that's when I tutor. I'm so happy for her, up until now she's just played with friends/family members outside of school.

Other than that, everything else is making me crabby. I'm at the point in my pregnancy where everything just irritates me. I feel like a crotchety old woman. And I'm getting impatient b/c we put in an app on Friday for a duplex and still haven't got a response from the owners. Meanwhile, we have to move by June 30 and have no clue where we're living. Oh and DH injured his knee yesterday-the same knee he had surgery on 3 years ago and can hardly walk. So now he's trying to get in for an MRI.

 

 

~X(

Rrrrrachel

Didn't maple say things with raw eggs were good for a week in the fridge?

TJ1979

Rrrrrachel said:

Didn't maple say things with raw eggs were good for a week in the fridge?

And so it begins.  We need @mapleme, and she's busy having herself a baby.  We all knew this day would come.

unaveragejane

stoneycakes said:

MK, the recipe doesn't say how long it lasts, but it does say that it has a tendency to thin out after several days in the fridge and that there's a technique to stiffen it again.  So I guess it's good for at least "several days."

(Cue giggles at stiffening techniques)

Amores0121

Oh also, my sis bought me my chevron print cover and my prefolds off my registry, so I'm happy about that.

Aurora_Borealis

stringy813 said:

If you are meaning hikes in places where you cant stroll, I'd bring the carrier and let him choose - then if he gets tired you can carry him, or he can try to walk.

DH & I are huge hikers and this is what we do. Last weekend we did a 5 mile loop and DD hiked on her own for about a mile at the beginning and 3/4 mile at the end. The rest of the time she was in the Kelty.

ElleBeeDub

tjkdlhb said:

@ElleBeeDub

What did you dye them with?  I've got a bunch of birdseye napkins that end up looking stained... I'd like to make them a different colour...  did you just use fabric dye from a craft store or something else?

I actually used Procion MX dyes (you can buy them from a few different places online, I know jacquard has a kit on amazon with everything you need). They require soda ash for a chemical reaction, so they actually bond to the fabric. The colors last longer and tend to be more vibrant. Also, it's not recommended to use "traditional" dyes (like RIT) on diapers because the urine can cause chemicals to leach out on baby's skin. Anyway... You can also check out dharma trading company for a massive selection and more info.

stoneycakes

Aurora_Borealis said:

stringy813 said:

If you are meaning hikes in places where you cant stroll, I'd bring the carrier and let him choose - then if he gets tired you can carry him, or he can try to walk.

DH & I are huge hikers and this is what we do. Last weekend we did a 5 mile loop and DD hiked on her own for about a mile at the beginning and 3/4 mile at the end. The rest of the time she was in the Kelty.

Does she actually ask to go into the carrier when she's tired?

stoneycakes

TJ1979 said:

Rrrrrachel said:

Didn't maple say things with raw eggs were good for a week in the fridge?

And so it begins.  We need @mapleme, and she's busy having herself a baby.  We all knew this day would come.

Sorry guys.  I'll try to sit in the "resident foodie" throne while she's gone.  I know I'm a poor substitute

stoneycakes

Chickypoo2468 said:

Meh. I don't wNt to make it weekly

Yeah.  I don't know that I would switch to making it entirely homemade.  The only reason I made it is because we're doing the Whole 30, so we aren't eating soybean oil right now.  But it's definitely something worth trying.  Especially since you have chickens

KLXVI

L has slept through the night for four nights in a row. I know saying that will probably jinx me, but I'm enjoying it for now. I also have to give a few presentations today so I am thankful for good sleep. We are still bedsharing and I still wake up multiple times a night to check on him, though. He also hasn't been going to sleep until 10 pm lately.

Mandmeesh

Top hat came today! And so did our tax refund. Thank the effing lord. Also M is napping very sweetly. And I'm enjoying mocha flavored java ~O) and working from home.

stoneycakes

LLOL, MK!  You clearly don't need this but I have this egg cookbook and it's got some great ideas:

https://www.amazon.com/The-Farmstead-Egg-Guide-Cookbook/dp/1118627954/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1400608004&sr=8-6&keywords=egg+cookbook

TJ1979

Y'all!  My grandfather just texted me to see how I am doing.  I told him I was hanging in there, and just waiting for this baby.  He told me that she sure is taking her time, then he told me that when my Nana was born, her mother was in labor for 3 days, and my Nana weighed 12 lbs!  He reminded me that they didn't induce babies back then, and Nanny was just fine.  I thought that was so sweet of him to check up on me, and his story about my grandmother and great grandmother was inspiring!  9 days or less y'all, I can do this!

unaveragejane

TJ1979 said:

Y'all!  My grandfather just texted me to see how I am doing.  I told him I was hanging in there, and just waiting for this baby.  He told me that she sure is taking her time, then he told me that when my Nana was born, her mother was in labor for 3 days, and my Nana weighed 12 lbs!  He reminded me that they didn't induce babies back then, and Nanny was just fine.  I thought that was so sweet of him to check up on me, and his story about my grandmother and great grandmother was inspiring!  9 days or less y'all, I can do this!

Oh my gosh, your grandfather sounds like a doll! Will you share??

TJ1979

unaveragejane said:

TJ1979 said:

Y'all!  My grandfather just texted me to see how I am doing.  I told him I was hanging in there, and just waiting for this baby.  He told me that she sure is taking her time, then he told me that when my Nana was born, her mother was in labor for 3 days, and my Nana weighed 12 lbs!  He reminded me that they didn't induce babies back then, and Nanny was just fine.  I thought that was so sweet of him to check up on me, and his story about my grandmother and great grandmother was inspiring!  9 days or less y'all, I can do this!

Oh my gosh, your grandfather sounds like a doll! Will you share??

He pretty much kicks ass!  If you're ever in West Texas, look him up!

ElleBeeDub

You know... I'm actually planning on being in West Texas (not West, Texas) in September...

jcwinsto

El Paso, Vanhorn, Fort Stockton? 

TJ1979

Meet you there @ElleBeeDub‌!
Not that far west. A teeny tiny stop light called Rotan, Texas.

ElleBeeDub

@TJ1979 That's only two hours from Lubbock! Easy peasy

TJ1979

@ellebeedub OMG we should totally meet up!  I mean, it's only an 8 hour drive for me.  Totally doable with a toddler and a NB right?

TJ1979

Come on... It'll be awful!

unaveragejane

I looked up how far it would be for me, just for s&gs, and I got all excited when it said 4 hours and 50 something minutes. Then I realized that was flight time. Yeah, Google Maps, because I have a Cessna sitting in the backyard for my own personal convenience... /:)