Sunday Savings Tip: Resurrecting Wilted Produce!!

My goal for this year, instead of dieting, was to get both myself AND the whole family eating better-- more fruits and veggies, more whole grains, less processed junk! I've had a pretty decent success with it-- but it means buying a LOT more produce than I'm used to. It can also be a little bit more expensive (why do fresh, high quality foods cost more than junk?) and watching your money shrivel, dry up or droop all over your fridge is frustrating.

This week really we overloaded on the produce as we had our first delivery from our CSA co-op. I opted for a larger box, every other week to start with, and I found myself trying to stuff : 1 honeydew melon, 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, 3 fuji apples, 4 peaches, 1 pint blueberries, 4 sweet peppers, 2 lbs of baby bok choy, 1 bunch of carrots (with 18" long tops attached!), 2 stalks of broccoli, 1 bunch of spinach and 2 hearts of romaine-- all into the fridge. This was of course on top of the other stuff I had bought last week that hadn't gotten eaten up yet.

I did manage to get it all in BUT some of the veggies got a little buried on the back shelf. I noticed yesterday that both the romaine & spinach were looking much worse for the wear. This is not necessarily anything new-- its easy to forget about fresh produce if its hidden at the back or down in a drawer. 

Many years ago, I saw a tip on how to resurrect limp celery. You make a fresh cut at the base and stand it up in cup or pitcher of cold (or even icy) water. This will get the water back into the tissues of the plant,  restoring the water and crispness.

I decided to give that technique a try with the romaine first as it wasn't too badly off, just a few droopy leaves on the outside of the head. I cut the base of the romaine heart off and dropped the whole head into a large pitcher of icy water (filled about 6 inches high. I just left it alone for an hour or so and when I checked it-- voila-- perky lettuce greens!!

Now for the big challenge-- the bunch of spinach I had was SEVERLY limp-- not slimy though (this technique will NEVER save those kinds of veggies!). Most people's feelings upon seeing this bunch of spinach would have been to take it straight to the bin. I used the same set up as the romaine, cut about 1" off the bottom of the spinach stems and plopped them into the pitcher-- overnight this time (Not for any particular reason except I was tired and wanted to go to bed!).

When I got up this morning, I was greeted by a very nicely restored bunch of spinach!! Not all the leaves were crisped up but I would say about 90%. Much better than throwing the whole thing out!

This technique can also be used for other stemmy veggies like asparagus. I even remember a cooking show that recommended keeping the asparagus in a cup/vase of water inside the fridge.

Leave a comment below and let me know if this technique was helpful to you-- what veggies were you able to save?

Recovering an Infant Car Seat

There are many advantages of having 2 (or more) children. One of the biggies is being able to reuse some, if not all, of #1 baby's things for baby #2! This is especially true for some of the more expensive purchases: changing table, crib & infant car seat.

A brand new seat can cost between $80-300 depending on brand & features. If you are able to reuse the carseat you already purchased for #1, that is a fantastic savings!! But what if #1 was a boy and #2 is a girl?? Or what if the carseat cover is soiled, ripped or stained?? Or what if you just want something different??? That's where recovering your car seat comes in.

When NOT to recover & reuse an infant car seat:

• its been in an accident: NO MATTER HOW MINOR (check w/your car insurance, many cover cost of replacement after an accident) Shearing forces in an accident cause damage (visible and/or invisible) to the plastic used to make modern carseats.
• you purchased it used: driving in a car is about the most dangerous thing you will do with your baby - you don't want to rely on the word of someone else that its been properly maintained and not in an accident it is best to buy new.
• the car seat is past its expiration date: Find the manufacturers sticker (usually on the bottom of the seat) it will have the model #, serial # (important in recalls) and a date of manufacture OR expiration date. If no expiration date is listed, car seats are considered "expired" 6 years after date of manufacture. Why?? Tiny microscopic fractures are present in the plastic due to stress, age and temperature. You will need to buy new!!
• baby #1 hasn't outgrown it yet: Most babies outgrow the "bucket" style carseat at around 1 year of age. At that time, you will need to get them into a convertible carseat (one that can face rear or forwards). Baby #1 should remain rear facing until a MINIMUM of 20lbs and 1 year BUT new guidelines suggest until age 2! (As a ridiculous safety nut, with small babies, #1 was rear facing in his convertible seat until age 3 with NO problems-- he actually complained when we flipped him!)

Getting Started:

You will need:

• fabric-- you can go all one color, 2 or even 3 and it will look great. Keep in mind the colors of the plastic of the seat itself-- finding fabric in complimentary colors will give you more professional results. I used 3: 2 main colors about 1 yard each and 1 accent piece in about 1/2 a yard.
• batting-- choose something that has the same or similar weight as the original cover. (it can be helpful to take the seat/cover with you to the craft store)
• bias tape-- this will give you finished, professional looking results. You will be want to have at least 3 yards of a coordinating color on hand.
• seam ripper -- we will be starting by destroying your old cover so BEWARE!!
• sewing machine -- not really worth it to do by hand. A serger would be VERY helpful but is by no means required. I did it without and got great results!!

For detailed sewing instructions, I recommend this product from an Etsy store. As a person who is somewhat experienced with sewing, I got a real boost of confidence having the step by step guide next to me. If you are more experienced with sewing, you can probably skip buying the pdf.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Make sure you don't have anywhere to drive with baby! Carseat will be unusable during project! Either do it when you'll have a day or 2 that you won't need to drive or have a back up seat at the ready!!  Taking a few photos of the seat cover while still assembled couldn't hurt either, giving you something to refer back to.

Basic Instructions:

• Remove car seat cover from car seat! TAKE A DEEP BREATH and very carefully, using your seam ripper, cut the stitches between all of the individual components of your car seat cover. You may want to begin with the edging and go from there. LABEL each piece as you remove it (upper left, center top, etc AND which direction is up) as this will facilitate reassembly of the new cover.
• Trace each piece onto your fabric AND batting and add 1/2" seam allowance on all sides. *tip: pin new pieces to labeled old ones to keep everything organized and straight!
• Serge or zigzag stitch the wrong side of each new fabric piece to its corresponding batting.
• Stitch together each newly created component-- taking care to get everything back into the proper order and orientation as the original. I suggest putting all the top (seat back) pieces together first, then the bottom (lower seat) pieces together, then attaching top unit to bottom unit. At this point, check the fit of your carseat cover, it should fit as the original did. If not, rip seams and resew as necessary.
• Finish edges with bias tape in a coordinating color. If they aren't too stretched out, transfer elastic loops & hooks at attachment points to secure the cover. Replace cover on car seat!! Enjoy!

Coordinating Accessories!!

• Extra fabric can be used to create accessories:
• Sunshade/canopy: Use this basic technique to also redo the canopy cover on the car seat (omit batting) Remember: disassemble, trace, add seam allowances, cut, reassemble, sew and finish edges!
• Nap Shade/ Nursing cover up: Hem 4 edges of large (about 1/2 yard) coordinating scrap fabric. Make ties by cutting fabric into long thin rectangles about 14" x 1". Sew wrong sides together on 3 sides. Using an unsharpened pencil, poke fabric through hole until its right side out. Press. Turn in unfinished side and sew. Attach to 2 corners.
• Strap covers: Measure distance between seat back and chest clip position, make sure your covers are smaller than this. Measure & mark on fabric scrap 2 rectangles that are the length you measured and 3x the width of the seat strap. Sew rectangles together (wrong sides in). Finish edges with coordinating bias tape. Fold rectangle in thirds over seat strap. Mark with pins where velcro will be added to hold cover on. Stitch male velcro to one side and female to the other. See above project picture for final results.

Project Analysis (out of 4):

Cost: $$$$        Satisfaction: :):):):)         Quality: ***         Green factor: ^^

You can save yourself a good chunk of change by simply recovering your old carseat. This is by far one of the most satisfying baby projects I did-- I got rid of an old ratty cover and got something totally cute for around $20. I loved this new cover and so did everyone who saw it! It was nice to have something "new" just for #2 and it held up as well (or better) than the manufacturers original cover. And, it always makes me feel good to be able to do my part of: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.

Leave a comment below letting me know what you think about this project!!

Homemade Baby Food

For some reason we've come to expect that once our babies reach the 6 month mark, we must begin buying little jars (or tubs or pouches) of ready made baby food. 

Canned baby food is a relatively recent invention, something our mothers surely used but our grandmothers probably did not. The convenience of ready made food is very, very attractive. However, I have found the price (especially for organic labels) to be a bit steep and the choices to be very limited. Apple, pears, peaches & bananas (and a few other combos) are the available fruits. Green beans, peas, squash & carrots are the available vegetables. Personally, I grew tired feeding J. the same few flavors over and over again. After purchasing a few baby food "cookbooks",  I was ready to begin.

The basics of homemade baby food:

Anything you can puree in a blender, food processor or food mill can become baby food.

Young eaters should have single item purees: just apple, just peaches, just peas, etc. (try not to introduce more than 1 new food at a time and wait a few days before trying something else new)

Some simple foods that don't require any cooking at all:

• bananas- mash well with a fork (wait until meal time to avoid brown mush!)
• avocado- mash well with a fork (also a very low allergen food item)
• yogurt - choose whole milk, unflavored, unsweetened varieties

You control the texture: blend longer & add more liquids for thinner, smoother textures, pulse briefly and add less liquids for thicker, chunkier textures for more experienced eaters.

Basic icecube trays make great inexpensive baby food savers. Make food ahead of time, pour into an icecube tray and freeze. Pop out frozen cubes and keep in a freezer ziptop baggie for up to 3 months.  Thaw individual cube servings in refrigerator overnight or in microwave (always check for hot spots!)

• You can also reuse empty baby food tubs & jars but be careful about reheating- take lids off jars and do not microwave plastic tubs unless you are sure of their material.

The wider the variety of foods you expose them to early, the higher the chance they'll be more adventurous eaters later!

Sample Menus:

Young eaters 6-7 months-- simple single purees.

• peel, core & chop roughly 2 apples. Add to a sauce pan with 1/4 cup water. Simmer on low until apples are soft. Add to food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
• repeat above with pears, peaches, apricots, plums, blueberries (reduce liquid), peas, green beans, butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin,sweet potato etc.
• freeze extras
• EASY CHEAT: when I'm just not up to all the peeling, coring, etc, I often buy bagged frozen organic fruits and veggies. They cook up the same and have all the same nutrients (or sometimes even more depending on how far your produce is transported!)
• EVEN EASIER CHEAT: when I don't even have time/energy for cooking up a small batch of food or open the freezer to find I'm out, I might substitute canned foods. Canned fruits and veggies don't even require cooking. Watch out for added sugars and salt!! My favorites: unsweetened applesauce, canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling), canned carrots, peaches, pears. These will all puree up very quickly for a hungry baby!

Experienced eaters 7-9 months -- simple combos.

• After your child has tried the individual ingredients with no problems, its okay to combine them together.
• Favorites: apple/blueberry, pear/blueberry, apple/pumpkin, apple/squash, apple/carrot, pears/carrots/squash (*see below for recipe), chicken/pumpkin*, peach/pear/blueberry*, potato/summer squash/peas, potato/carrot/corn*
• Experiment with texture-- try making purees slightly thicker, adding cooked oatmeal before pureeing or adding cooked rice cereal* to finished puree.

Mature eaters 9-12 months -- adapting table foods.

• Begin experimenting with light spices-- onion, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, basil
• Go easy on sugar/salt
• Offer coarser textures-- rice, pasta, lentils all can add texture-- be attentive to your baby and what he can effectively chew and swallow.

Recipes:

From: Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel

Peach, pear & blueberry

• 1 peach, peeled, pitted and chopped
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 blueberries

• Add fruit to a small saucepan, cover and cook over low heat 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree in a blender.

Potato, carrot & corn

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium potatoes (8oz), peeled and chopped
• 1 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1/3 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)

• Melt butter in a pan and saute the onion for 1 minute. Add the carrots and saute for 5 minutes, Add the potatoes, cover with stock/water, and cook over medium for 15 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Puree.
 

From Blender Baby Food by Nicole Young

Pears, Carrots & Squash

• 1 cup diced peeled butternut squash
• 1 cup sliced peeled pear
• 1/2 cup sliced peeled carrot
• 1/4 cup water

• Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Simmer over a medium heat, covered until all are very tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool, puree.

Chicken with Pumpkin

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast (left overs work well here, just skip oil and step 1)
• 1 cup cubed peeled pie pumpkin (canned pumpkin puree can be sub. here, don't add during step 2)
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (can substitute apple or pumpkin pie spice for all of the above, use1 tsp TOTAL)

• Step 1: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat, add chicken, turning to brown evenly.
• Step 2: Stir in pumpkin, stock, & spices, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is no longer pink inside and pumpkin is very tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool & puree
• NOTE: if you use left over cooked, boneless, skinless chicken (like from a rotisserie) AND canned pumpkin, omit the stock and the cooking!! Just dump chicken & pumpkin puree and spices into the blender until pureed!

Project Analysis (out of 4)

Cost: $$

• It can be a bit of a splurge to get the best, top quality, organic ingredients we all want for our babies.

Satisfaction: :):):):)

• Making healthy food for your children-- it doesn't get any better than that!

Quality: ****

• Its very easy to make food equal to or better than commercially prepared baby foods

Green factor: ^^^

• Controlling the ingredients allows you to buy local, organic, fair trade products that improve the health of our children AND the planet. It also reduces packaging waste.

What I like about this project: Super easy to do! Can do alot at once so I don't have to do it often!

What I don't like: Homemade baby foods do not travel well. Beware the leaky baggie or tupperware!!