Weaner!

We weaned our Biggest Girl this weekend. After 18 months of exclusively nursing (the bottle was never a hit), I haven't nursed her since Wednesday night. What I had expected would be a soul-wrenching, tear-filled, booby-aching journey turned out to be quite the opposite. The Biggest Girl (did you already know this?) is a total rock star. With only the tiniest bit of strife, she has moved on to a life beyond the boobies. My guess is that it all went so well because we were both ready. I was ready. I was ready months ago. It just didn't seem like the right time, though, so I kept nursing. I had no idea if she was ready or not, but it really seemed like she was. She only nursed for a total of about ten minutes a day and it was purely for comfort (bedtimes).

Oddly, I think the whole weaning thing was far more difficult on me than her. I expected her to have such a tough time letting go, but she's totally chill. She's letting Mr. Mallard put her down for her naps now and hasn't made a single attempt to gnaw through my clothing to get to my boobs. I, on the other hand, am a bubbling vat of emotions--ranging from bliss to the deepest sorrow. It's the most depressing liberation ever.

Some things I learned:

1. If the time is right, weaning is a piece of cake.

2. Having a second body around is essential. I don't think this would have gone as smoothly if Mr. Mallard hadn't stepped in to put her to bed and stayed so cool while she told him exactly how she felt about his presence (at first).

3. If you are only nursing (or pumping) once or twice a day, the agony of engorgement can be almost entirely avoided.

4. Cabbage leaves are your boobs' best friends. Maybe it's because they're cold. Maybe it's because the leaves fit almost perfectly in the cup of your bra. I don't know what it is, but I tried the Cabbage Leaves in the Bra trick on the one evening my boobs were feeling a little hefty and the relief they provided was both instant and delightful. I actually sighed aloud and started wondering if any of the day spas have a Cabbage Wrap (Cabbage Roll?) Treatment. If, at any point, you find yourself in a state of boob-related discomfort, get a cabbage. Trust me. It's heavenly.

5. The Biggest Girl's appetite was nearly non-existent for the first two days of weaning, but she has more than made up for it in the two days since. She has also become more vocal about telling me she's hungry.

6. We ran and jumped and hiked and sang and just plain wore her out before we put her down and that made the job so much easier. She was too pooped to protest. Not entirely too pooped, but pretty close.

7. I married the most amazing man on the planet. I know a lot of you think you might have married the most amazing man on the planet, but you didn't. I did. And I've never been more proud of our little family than I have been over this holiday weekend.

I'm still waiting for all the milk to dissipate, so I have no idea what I'm going to be left with when this is all done. My poor boobies. Thankfully, I very rarely have the urge to go streaking these days.

Buy Nothing Day 2009

It's that time! Take a stand by doing nothing--could it be any easier?

Buy Nothing Day is a challenge to consumers to stop consuming for 24 hours and it just happens to fall on one of the busiest shopping days of the year--Black Friday. The idea is that we don't really need the crap that's on sale, but we're so programmed to want it that there's a knee-jerk reaction by most that leads us blindly to the mall, credit card in hand. Buy Nothing Day is a chance to liberate yourself from over-consumption and the debt that follows, as well as do the planet a favor by just chillin' at home, rather than driving from store to store to collect a bunch of disposable goods.

Give it a try--don't go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. This means no grocery shopping, no ducking out for anything. No online shopping, either. Don't spend a single penny. Keep your hard-earned money for yourself. Appreciate the things you have. Spend the day with your family, instead. Unplug yourself from the machine and just be for a day.

Our commitment to participate in Buy Nothing Day was permanently engrained in us when a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death last year at 5am on Black Friday. In the rush to get in the doors for the oh-so-great bargains, the Wal-mart customers knocked down and killed an employee. He died and the store remained open. The same people that pushed to get past and climb over his dying body got to finish their shopping and suffered no consequences for their truly horrendous actions. All in the name of Christmas...the most wonderful time of the year, right?

Right...

Banana Wheat Germ Muffins

Adapted from Eating for Pregnancy

I got 24 mini muffins and 9 regular muffins out of the batch

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 all-purpose flour

1/3 cup toasted wheat germ (see note)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup applesauce

1 egg

1/4 cup soy milk

3-4 large, mashed ripe bananas

Oven on to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, applesauce, egg, and soy milk. Once they're mixed, add the bananas and mix until blended.

3. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and, again, mix well.

4. Fill up your muffin tins and pop 'em in the oven. Mini muffins will cook for about 10-12 minutes, while regular muffins need about 25 minutes.

5. Cool slightly and enjoy. Store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge (or freeze them).

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Toasting wheat germ=So easy. Just put the wheat germ in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and stir it often. The moment you can smell the toasty smell of wheat germ toasting, take it off the heat and stir it around a bit more. Let it cool for a few minutes before you add it to the rest of the ingredients. Simple, right?

At any given moment, we have at least 3 or 4 bananas in the freezer. As soon as they reach the perfect banana bread ripeness, I stick them in the freezer--peels and all--usually one or two a week, at most. When the urge to bake strikes, I pull them out and let them thaw for an hour or two in a bowl on the counter. They're mushy and messy when you unpeel them, but they work just fine in recipes.

You can also add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, if you like, but they're a bit of a choking hazard for us still, so we just make due without. Some mini chocolate chips would be delightful, though, and not at all hazardous.

Victory!

Turns out the toughest part of making curtains is choosing the fabric!

Just in time for the season finale of Project Runway, I finally busted out the sewing machine and made the kitchen curtains. Since it was the first time in almost thirty years I sat down to sew and, since the curtains turned out fabulous, I'm pretty sure I'm ready to be a contestant on the next season of Runway. Maybe...

I found some great instructions here: click.

Here's the formula I used to measure the fabric:

• ______Desired finished length of curtain (A)
• + ______ Header (B)
• + 1/2" to turn under top raw edge
• + ______ Hem amount (C)
• + 1/2" to turn under the bottom raw edge (or the hem amount for a double hem on sheer fabric)
• = ______ Total length

Once I had my measurements, I folded the edges over and ironed them before sewing some simple straight lines.

The sewing machine was great! It was so easy to use...I guess that's why they call it the Singer Simple. It's nothing fancy, but I'd highly recommend it as a starter machine. I even threaded and installed the bobbin without incident.

Walking into the kitchen this morning, I couldn't help but smile and do a little dance...

I did it! I made those curtains!

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I had The Force on my side.

Tupelo Honey

I never deliberately remember to turn the show on, but we always end up listening in and I couldn't be more pleased. It's Tupelo Honey and it comes on Tuesday nights from 5-7pm PST on KRVM. The show, hosted by Shotgun Majors, boasts "Sticky-sweet Americana music" and I'm pretty sure it's got to be the most happy-inducing show on radio today. As we sit down for dinner on these rainy winter nights, this music just makes our little world that much cozier. Where the stereo is generally just something in the background, this is one night of the week we actually turn it up and really listen. Such a pleasant, old-timey way to spend the evening--hanging out with the family, listening to a radio show. Simple pleasures, I guess...

The playlists are available on the shows blog (located here: click), along with instructions on how to download the playlists from iTunes. You can listen to the station online, as well, by going here: click. It streams 24/7, so there's always something on.

Hippie Pancakes

Okay, so they're actually Wheat Germ Buttermilk Pancakes, but that doesn't sound as fun, does it? These have become a weekend staple here in Casa de Mallard.

Makes about 20 4-inch pancakes

2 eggs

1/4 cup applesauce

2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

In a bigger bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Now whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just blended.

Fry 'em up in your favorite pan (or use your awesome griddle) and enjoy!

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So, there are a few little notes (aren't there always notes?!)...

1. If you can't have dairy, mix one tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with one cup of your favorite non-dairy beverage (soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and so on) and let it sit for ten minutes. Use this mix the same way you would the buttermilk. For example, in this recipe, you'd need two cups of "milk" with two tablespoons of cider vinegar or lemon juice. Additionally, if you don't have buttermilk (and you can have dairy), you can use the same little recipe with regular milk, if you choose. Just make sure you let it sit for ten minutes and all should turn out well.

2. You can use 1/4 canola oil in place of the applesauce, if you like. We've tried it both ways and really prefer the applesauce version.

3. Get your wheat germ in bulk, if you can, preferably from a store that has a rather quick turnover rate in their wheat germ bin (think Whole Foods or, even better, a local Co-op). This allows you to buy a small amount and use it before it goes rancid (which it does rather quickly, if you aren't using it a lot). It should smell nutty when you take a big sniff. If it smells musty at all, toss it. Store it in a tightly-sealed container in the fridge for best results. And pat yourself on the back for eating it because it's loaded with nutrients and fiber.

4. These pancakes keep so well for a day or two. Cool them to room temperature and store them in a container in the fridge. When you're ready for breakfast the next day (or a snack), pop 'em in the toaster to reheat them. They reheat to a crispy deliciousness that will come very close to their original glory. Just make sure you keep an eye on the toaster while they're toasting. The Biggest Girl ate two whole pancakes yesterday morning and is making quick work of the leftovers this morning. Smear a little peanut butter on top for an even tastier treat!

Pork Chops and Wild Rice

There should be a picture of this meal, but there isn't--we ate ourselves into a food coma and I couldn't operate the camera in such a bloated state. This is one of my favorite winter meals. My mom got the original recipe from a friend twenty years ago and I've adapted it over the years to satisfy my own craving...

In a 9x13 baking dish, mix:

1 cup wild rice blend

1 cup brown rice

1 Tablespoon each--Garlic Powder and Italian Herb Blend (dried)

A bit of salt and pepper

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (we use Amy's), plus enough chicken stock to make a total of 3 cups of liquid.

On top of the rice/soup/stock, scatter a sparse layer of sliced crimini mushrooms.

On top of the mushrooms, nestle as many pork chops as you can fit without overlapping.

Top the chops with a hearty layer of sliced mushrooms, cover with foil and bake at 350 until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and the pork chops are done. I want to say about an hour, maybe? It's going to depend a great deal on the cooking time for the rice you choose. Let it sit, covered, for about 10 minutes and then eat up!

A few other notes:

1. A good Cream of Mushroom (read: not Campbell's) will make a big difference in the flavor.

2. I used about twelve good-sized crimini mushrooms last time I made it, but I have no idea what that translated to in pounds.

3. You can use button mushrooms, if you prefer, or mix crimini and button...whatever you like.

4. If you use a clear baking dish, it's easy to see if the rice has finished absorbing all the liquid without having to pull the pan out of the oven and lift the foil and all that...

5. This dish is made even more heavenly when it's served with steamed asparagus or sauteed spinach and a crusty bread of some sort.

6. The leftovers are deeeelicious.

7. Oh, yeah! You can use either bone-in or boneless pork chops. We've had tremendous success with both.

8. In place of the chicken stock, you can use beef stock or veggie stock. Water will work in a pinch, as well.

I think that's it.

Enjoy!

BHG-Thanksgiving contest

Happy November! Already! Jeepers!

Better Homes & Gardens is still giving away the kitchen. This time, the focus appears to be on Thanksgiving-related items (roasting pans, baking dishes, carving sets, and the like). As always, they're offering the chance to win 5,000 smackaroos. Click here to enter: click

I should say, too, that their newsletters are actually pretty useful. Tons of home improvement and decoration slideshows and great recipe ideas. At the very least, there are lots of pretty pictures.