My Two Cents on Delivery

There are a million bloggers with their own ideas on advice for soon to be new mothers. Having recently joined the ranks of "Mothers" I thought I would add my two cents.

Things to bring with you when you are in labor:

• A nice big towel
• Quality toilet paper
• Snacks (I loved sucking on mints and chewing gum.)
• Joke Book or Comedy CD
• Book/Magazine/Movie
• Map of nearby restaurants 
• Robe 
• Slippers/socks

Things you will want later:

• Baby book (Or a nice piece of paper for baby's first foot print) 
• Camera to take shots of visitors
• An eye mask (The nurses come in way too often!)
• Onesies in multiple sizes (Sometimes the baby is a lot bigger or smaller than anticipated.)
• A big bag to put all the stuff they give you 

Things to remember: 

• You choose who you let into the room
• Don't stress the small stuff
• Trust your instincts and the doctors medical training
• Be patient
• Report anything unusual
• Rest when you can 
• Write down what happened as soon as possible. (Sleep deprivation does a number on your memory.)

Having a baby is a wonderful experience. Good luck to you.

Think of anything else I missed? Leave a comment and I will add it to the list.

Wilton Cake Class Part 1

One of my life long goals was to take a cake decorating class. So when a local craft store had a 50% off sale on Wilton cake decorating classes and kits I jumped on it and signed up for the first two classes.

After completing the first course I decided to share my thoughts with you. 

• Classes are expensive. Wait until they are on sale. 
• Take the class with a friend. You can share supplies. You also have someone to listen to your snide remarks and reassure you that the frosting blob kind of resembles a flower.
• Buy things online or with coupons. Almost every other week my craft store has a coupon. I use them and buy my supplies slowly. Sign up for the stores email and check your mailbox for fliers. I've saved over $50 by using coupons. 
• Be patient with yourself. Decorating cakes is hard. 
• Make time to practice. 
• Be prepared to bake a lot. 
• Find someone to give your finished products too. I've discovered that my husband doesn't really care for frosted cakes. 

Here is schedule of the supplies you will need to complete Course 1 Cake Decorating Basics. I personally did not buy everything. I'm still adding new things to my cake arsenal when I get a new coupon. I wish that I had been able to find this list before I started my class. Then I could have started gathering my supplies earlier.

Week 1
Pen/Pencil
Scissors
Wet wipes/towel/napkins/paper towels
Plastic bags
Apron
Box for cookies
3-4 Cookies (I would suggest buying a box of oatmeal cookies and frosting the back.)

Student Kit 1
Small tub of Wilton Buttercream Frosting


Week 2 
Pen/Pencil
Scissors
Toothpicks
Tape
Waxed Paper
Plastic bags
Several disposable plastic cups

20 paper napkins
1 c. powdered sugar
1 water bottle
Paper bag (For your trash)
Apron
Student Kit 1
1 recipe thin consistency buttercream icing
1 recipe medium consistency buttercream icing
8 inch cake on a 10 inch cake board
Cake filling (optional)
Piping gel
Cake leveler (Bread knife works as well in a pinch)
Turntable (optional)
Icing colors
10 inch cake board for torting
16 inch featherweight decorating bag (optional)
Tip 789 (optional)
Cake Lifter (optional)
Cake Carrier (optional)

Week 3
Cloth wipes

Pen/Pencil
Scissors
Toothpicks
Tape
Waxed Paper
Plastic bags
Several disposable plastic cups

20 paper napkins
1 c. powdered sugar
1 water bottle
Paper bag (For your trash)
Apron
Colored thin and medium buttercream icing
20 - 2 inch wax paper squares (I cut my own.)
6 plain cupcakes (Bake these from the leftover batter when you make a cake and freeze them in a ziplock bag until you are ready to use them.)
Cake Carrier (optional)

Week 4

Cloth wipes

Pen/Pencil
Scissors
Toothpicks
Tape
Waxed Paper
Plastic bags
Several disposable plastic cups

20 paper napkins
1 c. powdered sugar
1 water bottle
Paper bag (For your trash)
Repositionable glue stick
Colored buttercream frosting
Iced cake ready to decorate
Cake Carrier (optional)
Turntable (optional)

I had a lot of fun. But I still need to practice a lot of my technique. Here is my update on class two.

Baby Food Basics

As a new mother I am learning a lot every day. Baby K is now 6 months old. I can't believe how the time has flown or how quickly he is growing. While he is still small for his age he loves food. He frequently tries to grab mine or anything else he can reach.

After sensing his growing interest in food and frustration with nursing we started him on cereal. Once his body had adjusted to that we introduced more variety. Since his doctor has given us the go ahead we are slowly introducing new items to his diet.  Baby K now loves applesauce, pears, yams, bananas, and avocado. (Please avoid strawberries and honey for the first year.)

My two biggest resources have been other mothers and a book. Hardly surprising since I know a lot of women with babies and I love to read. Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes has been very helpful as I have started making Baby K's food. I feel so accomplished feeding Baby K something I made by myself.* I know it was made with organic produce, has no added sugars or fillers, and tastes delicious.

You actually don't need anything fancy to make baby food. Though to be honest I did need to buy a steamer. I know. I know. What real cook doesn't have a steamer? One who was afraid of vegetables until just a couple of years ago and is slowly adding new ones to the menu. My husband had to show me how to use my steamer. :) It's a good thing I have him around.

The Tools:
Steamer*
Good pot with a lid
Blender
Containers

• Steam your lovely produce. Organic if you can manage. I understand that it can be expensive. 
• Blend it into a lovely puree.
• Place into a container. It will last in the fridge for about three days or the freezer for 3 months.

I generally use a large Snapware in the fridge and dish it into smaller bowls when feeding K. I've been using these Ziploc containers for on the go feedings. But they tend to leak with the runnier foods like applesauce or pears. I might need to invest in the Ziploc Twist & Lock kind. I'm still looking into good alternatives for freezing food. Anyone out there have any good recommendations?

*I am not an expert on baby food. Please consult a doctor if you have any concerns.

**A steamer is great for holding in all the great nutrients your baby needs. Not all produce can be steamed. Some like hard squashes and sweet potatoes should be cooked in your oven. If you don't have a steamer you can use a crockpot with a small amount of water.