Monday, July 29, 2013

Kitchen Substitutes

Oh my gosh, I'm blogging again! 

I was searching for substitute ideas on the Internet the other day, but everything I found was so dumb, I decided to make my own. 

So, here are a few ideas I use in my kitchen. 

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Coffee creamer 

Replacement/substitute: sweetened condensed milk 

It only takes about a spoonful for an entire cup of coffee and it's delicious. No nasty oils, and if you chill this coffee, it's the best iced coffee ever. 


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Pancake syrup 

Replacement:

Powdered sugar or sweetened condensed milk 

You will have to use a bit more butter on your waffles or pancakes, but powdered sugar works just fine and is a tasty substitute. 

If you use sweetened condensed milk, don't use a whole bunch, just drizzle a little over it. It melts in with the butter and is delicious. 

Yogurt is also good on/with waffles and pancakes. 

Peanut butter lovers will swear that pb is the way to go.  

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Buttermilk

Substitute:

Milk

This seems like an easy one, but I seriously see people freak out about not having buttermilk for a recipe when milk is just fine. 

If you must have the tangy buttermilk taste, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to regular milk and it will make buttermilk. 

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Oil

Substitute(s):

Apple sauce or melted butter. 

I prefer melted butter taste to oil anyway, and apple sauce works great and takes away all the fat, so, you choose. :)

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I'll add more and try to add pictures to beautify this post soon. 

Anything else you all can think of that you use on a regular basis? 


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Day 7: Five Favorites

Dang, this might be incredibly hard. I live in mommy land, and I definitely don't want to blog about just kid stuff, so, hmmmm, here we go!

1. Coffee. 

This is just coffee with sweetened condensed milk in it, topped with whipped cream. I don't usually have the whipped cream, and if you chill this concoction in the freezer for a while and then add ice, you'll have the most delicious iced coffee ever. So easy!

I have a sick love affair with coffee. I really am not sure how I'd function without it. 


2. Can I put coffee again? No? Uh, my iPhone. 

I'm not sure how I would keep on top of all of our family appointments, plus the kids' school schedules without it. I have never been a very organized person, so the fact that I can plug it all into the phone helps me immensely. Plus, I can take lots of pics of my kids to share, chat with friends, keep recipes, and blog from it like I'm doing now. Even though the Blogger app pretty much stinks. 

And truly, I see so many people replacing their phones all the time, and my iPhones have all lasted well over a few years. I don't even NEED to upgrade when the time comes, which is super nice. 

3. My parish. 

We've only been there a little over a year, but it was one of the greatest moves for our family. We are still trying to become a part of the community, but I guess that takes time. I love the parish and the preschool, and I feel very blessed to have found our home. 

Found this in google search. 

4. Mexican food. 

I don't get a chance to go out to dinner much anymore, thanks to a strict budget, but I love Mexican food. Living in the southwest has its perks in that regard, and I'm not sure how I will cope in Eastern Europe without good Mexican food. I have made restaurant style Mexican at home a few times, but I just can't get the hang of cooking it in a cost efficient manner. 


If anyone wants to take me out for dinner, I'd be good company, I promise. ;) 

5. Target diapers. 

Sorry, I couldn't go this whole post without something related to the kids! 

Target diapers are so cheap, but they are excellent quality. They're also pretty cute.

 We tried the whole cloth diaper thing for a while but the leaks were driving me absolutely bonkers, and I just couldn't handle it anymore. We still have our cloth stash, that we use in an emergency, and I'm going to start using them on my 3.5 yr old that can't stop wetting her bed, but I can't do them full time.

Anyway, if you haven't tried Target diapers, do it! You won't be sorry! I'm a Huggies girl, usually, too. 



This concludes my 7 posts in 7 days with Jen at Conversion Diary! Hope you enjoyed my ramblings! 




Saturday, July 27, 2013

Day 6: Baby Boys

I have been blessed to love 3 baby boys this year. After 8+ years of being a mommy to only girls, this has been quite a shock. 

It's also been quite the emotional roller coaster. Nico is what made us start the adoption process. The messages from God told us it was time to act. He will be my son in my heart forever, whether he ever gets to come home or not.

I am grateful that there are missionaries that take pictures of him every few months. His last pictures were in March so I wasn't expecting any until September or so. But I checked this week and there he was, perfect as ever. 


I am thankful he is outside, that he looks healthy and happy, and that even though it breaks my heart, I can see his photos. 

Right after the ban hit, we found out we were expecting another little boy. He's the only one I am able to actually keep safe until he is here with us. 10 more weeks or so, and we'll have our beautiful Samuel.  


Right after we found out about Samuel, we decided we had to move on with our adoption and continue. There are too many suffering children in the world to give up, and we had nothing to fight for in regards to Nico, so we began the process for "Colton." (I can't use his birth name publicly until after we have court.)

I will admit that it has been hard to open my heart to another child when my heart is broken for Nico. I have a wall up that will not let me get too attached to Colton, and that makes me sad in a way, but I also realize that if my heart needs protection, it's for the best. We should travel in November, and hopefully be home without a hitch 6 weeks later. I pray that this sweet boy will be able to accept love. That The Lord will prepare his heart and ours and that we will have a good transition. 



I pray for the health and safety of all three of my boys. And I pray for my family, that we can give all of these precious babies we've been blessed with exactly what they need to grow up to be beautiful people of God. 

Friday, July 26, 2013

Day 5: 7 Quick Takes Friday


Phew! I don't usually blog all week, so I might not have much to write about for Quick Takes. Life isn't all that exciting right now. Just trying to get through summer alive. ;)

In case you missed the news, we were submitted to "Colton's" country on Wednesday!!! I am so excited/nervous, and so glad we can just wait for a bit before doing anything else. In a few weeks, our crazy activities will begin, and I don't anticipate it slowing down for quite a few months.
We're coming soon, sweet boy!

There are new pics of Nico now. I will be blogging about it tomorrow. I love that I'm able to see him, and that he's smiling, but it makes my heart hurt so much.

Love you forever, my boy.


Wednesday, Cold Stone Creamery HQ had a free ice cream day. I drove the kids over and we had a blast. Even saw some school friends and Amelia's teacher. I was exhausted, but it was fun and oh so yummy.

They had a special "Shark Week" ice cream that all the girls ended up getting. Tessa made the biggest mess with hers EVER. haha

She looks disgusted, but she was really just trying to chew the cold gummy sharks. She also looks bald, thanks to the lighting. lol


If you were going to have 2 boys within a couple of months, what would be the absolute necessities you would be sure to have? I pretty much know what I need and I have a list of things I'd like to have, too. But I always love to see what other mommies think are necessities. 

We are going to have 3 kids in school this coming year (2 in elementary, 1 in preschool), so it's almost time to buy school supplies! We still have over 3 weeks until school starts, but I am hoping the supply list comes soon so we can get started. I don't enjoy the money spent, but I do enjoy the brand new supplies!

I have this blanket, pillow, and sheet to match for Colton's toddler bed, and I'm thinking of forgoing the pricey bedding set for Samuel and getting this for his crib:
I'm not even sure when it will be that they will sleep in their bedroom and not in with us, though. But still, aren't these cute???

Happy weekend!



For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Day 4: Praying with your Spouse

We always hear, "a couple who prays together stays together," but what do you do if you don't know how?

I consider my prayer life pretty healthy. I pray throughout the day, not any rigid schedule, but when I feel I need to or just any time I think of it. I talk too much, even to God. I pray with the kids, of course, and we pray before meals as a family. 

But Kyle and I do not pray together at all. Kyle has only been baptized a little over a year, but it's just something I haven't figured out how to incorporate, and I want to. 

I know that bringing Christ into our relationship even more than He already is, would be beneficial in so many ways. I especially want to get used to praying with hubby before we travel abroad and embark upon a crazy journey in our family. 

What types of prayers or devotions do you do with your spouse? I'm hoping to find something short but beautiful, and maybe work into things that require more thinking and discussion. I'm obviously looking for something Catholic, but I'd love to hear what the rest of you do with your spouses. 


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Day 3: 30 Week Appt

Not much to report except I gained 5 lbs in one month. That doesn't really surprise me, since I wasn't feeling well, and it was super duper hot last month.

But, now I get to go every 2 weeks, I'll have another u/s around 35 weeks, and everything looks great so far (BP, hb, etc).

I look ridiculously tired, because I am ridiculously tired. 

And, since apparently our adoption likes to follow my pregnancy timeline, it looks like we are now in the third trimester for the adoption as well! We were submitted today, and should have travel dates in 5 weeks or so. We will then delay until after baby is born, and go as soon as I'm able. 

I cannot wait to hold both of my boys!!!

And let's sit back and giggle about how "fun" it will be to get a 10 day old baby a passport photo. 

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Day 2: TV

I am exhausted today and am not sure I can even write anything coherent, but here I am! Let's talk about TV. 

We don't have cable. I watch everything through Netflix or on apps on my phone. Watching shows on my phone is pretty annoying, but I don't want to miss the shows, so I do it. ABC and PBS both have apps, so I can watch the Bachelorette and all the lovely BBC shows this way. Hoping some day we will have an iPad to make this a little easier on the eyes. 

We have been watching Merlin on Netflix, and we're just about to finish the 5th and final season. I'm not sure what we will watch when it's over. The episodes are only 45 mins long, so we watch a few per night. Suggestions?

On Tuesday mornings, I usually send the kiddos outside to play on the slip n slide and watch the Bachelorette. Today, I had plans, though, so I haven't watched it yet. To be perfectly honest, I don't really enjoy the "Men Tell All" episodes most of the time. *yawn* maybe I'll update this after I watch it if it's a good one. 

Meanwhile, Grace at Camp Patton posted about some recaps of the Bachelorette that are snortingly hilarious. I was choking on spit through most of my reading. 


Okay, seriously, this post is super boring, even I'm falling asleep. I had a very emotional day yesterday, which I will blog about later this week, hopefully coherently. 


Blogging 7 times in 7 days with Jen at conversion diary!



Monday, July 22, 2013

Day 1: My Weekly Workouts

I am not big on exercise. I've never had a toned body, even when I weighed 123 lbs, and honestly, if if just up my activity a little on a daily basis, I can lose weight pretty effectively. I'm also the opposite of a stress eater. I did, however, stress eat when the Russia ban hit, which has made me worry a little about my weight this pregnancy.

See, at the end of each pregnancy so far, I have been about 200-210. Within a month or two after having each baby, I have been able to get down to around 180, with no effort. (Hooray, breastfeeding!!) I know this doesn't work for all people, but I have found that the MORE high-fat foods I eat while nursing, the MORE I lose. This time, I was able to get down to a size 12 (165ish) right before the Russia ban, and that made me very happy, since pre-kids, I was a size 10. 

But thanks to the delicious Chick-Fil-A and Putin, I packed on 20 lbs in about 2 months... And then got pregnant. 

I usually lose about 10-15 lbs in early pregnancy thanks to "morning" sickness and food aversions, but I didn't have anything worse than nausea this time around, so the Russia weight stayed. I cut out the fast food binging, and have so far only gained about 5 lbs in 30 weeks of pregnancy. 

Anyhoooo, I'd like to share what this fairly round momma considers exercise these days:

1.

Weekly trips to Costco, with 4 kids in tow, in 110° heat. Huge carts? Bulk food lifting? Lots of walking? Surely this qualifies. 

2. 

Sunday mass. With 4 kids in tow. One of which is close to psychotic when people are trying to control her. 

This isn't her in mass, but you get the idea. 

3. 

Leaving the house at all... With 4 kids in tow... Anyone seeing a pattern? And really, it's 5 kids in tow, since one is attached to me. :)

Why am I always wearing this shirt? And why does my phone case match it so well? And man, I need a haircut/style. 

So, anyway, I've obviously never been one to care much, but I do secretly hope that all the running around in Eastern Europe will help me lose a little faster this time around. I was enjoying my size 12 jeans, and I'd love to rock some size 10's again someday.  

I really have no point in this post, but I'm trying to fulfill the blogging challenge over at Conversion Diary, 7 posts in 7 days. So, thanks for reading my rambling. 






Friday, July 19, 2013

7 Quick Takes


1. Charlotte is a total goof these days. 
"I uh shleep uh duh tuuuuuuub!" She said. 

2. I'm 29 weeks pregnant! These last few months are sure to go by slowly, but the rest of this pregnancy has flown by. I was going to put a belly pic here, but I am too exhausted...

3. We've been watching Merlin on Netflix and are on season 3. It's not wonderful, but it's a good enough show with lots of episodes, so it's working for us right now. I can't wait for the bbc shows to come back this fall!! 

Some critiques/observations:
 - they needed a larger wardrobe budget 
 - the Guinevere/Arthur love story. As much as I love it, it's way too unrealistic. 
 - Season 1 was almost the same exact storyline or every episode, just with different characters. 

4. I've been trying to decide what to do about communication with my girls while we're in EE. Amelia and Lily's principal offered to let them use video chat on their computers during the day at school. I'm so excited that they're willing to do this, and I'm hoping it works out for us to be able to talk to them a few times a week while we're gone. 

5. Speaking of their school, we are so blessed. I'm so thankful we made the switch and that we were welcomed so warmly into the community. It's been a wonderful experience. 

6. Any tips for sleeping in the third trimester? I'm not sleeping well lately, and momma lacking sleep isn't good for anyone. I know Tylenol pm or unisom is safe, but I don't really want to take meds every night. 

7. We are still raising money for Colton's orphanage, in order to buy diapers and other goodies for when we go to pick him up. If you can't donate, would you mind sharing? If you click on the widget below, it will take you to the page where you can share on FB, twitter, and Pinterest. You can even grab this widget for your blog! :)



Have a great weekend!! 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

7 Quick Takes


1.  My oldest turned 8 last weekend. My friends took them to Disneyland (I didn't pay for it, trolls). We are so blessed to have nice friends like that, who will treat my kids to an adventure. They had a blast. I missed them so much, but it was good for them to be away for a while. 


2.  I made these collages of Amelia:

Nb, 1, 2, 3
4, 5, 6, 7
8!

3. The littles and I had a very quiet (read: mind-numbingly boring) time while they were gone. But it was nice to be around minimal fighting and just doing baby things for a change. 

4. We did nothing on the 4th of July, which was a bummer, but oh well, I guess. 

5. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and counting down the months. I want my little boy here NOW, and then we will be able to go pick up our 2nd little boy! It'll be quite the busy winter, but I am excited to get it all over with. 

6. The only problem is that we currently live in a sea of pink and purple and sold all of our baby stuff to help with adoption costs. Two different sizes of clothes and bedding and diapers and all the other things (big and small) we need for two boys is a little overwhelming, but we'll manage somehow. Some friends have given us some nice stuff, and I've bought what I can so far, so we're off to a good start. I'm so thankful for my wonderful friends. 

Are there really baby boy things in my house???


7. I need prayers for my girls' school situation. I love the school we're at so much, it's been amazing for Amelia, but we seem to hit snags every year and I really need them to all work out for my sanity's sake. 

Happy weekend!! Hope you have fun plans. We actually do, for once!