Cooking like it's take-out--Mexican part 3

Where I come from, there is this wonderful creation called simple "chile." For most of the world, I'm sure you're imagining beans, meat, chili powder. This is not what I'm referring to. Chili is a wonderful concoction that is part salsa part hot sauce. For YEARS, I've stockpiled this wonderful stuff from the little old lady who makes breakfast burritos at the gas station. I finally decided that tonight was the night I'll attempt to make it myself.

Here's how I did it.

4 dried pasilla chilies
4 dried new mexico chilies
2 chipotles in adobo
3 TB Cider vinegar
Juice from 2 limes (about 4 TB)
1/2 an onion
1/4 cilantro
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cloves of garlic
boiling water.

Place dried chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow them to sit for about 10 minutes while they soften. After they're softened, remove the tops and seeds (you can do this before you soften them if you choose). Save the water cause you'll want to use a little bit of it. Place the ingredients with about 1/2 cup of the "chili water." Puree everything until it's the desired consistency. If you find you need more liquid, use a little more chili water. This definitely packs a kick, but it's wonderful. I used it with my Barbacoa burritos, and I'm saving the leftovers for Pozole on Monday. It's so good, I could eat it with a spoon!

Cooking like it's take-out--Mexican part 2

Cilantro Rice

I confess, Chipotle is not one of my favorite restaurants, but I find the idea of cilantro rice very appealing so I decided to make some to go with our delicious barbacoa.

Here's how you do it.

1 cup long grain rice
2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups of water with 1 chicken boullion cube)
1/4 chopped cilantro
2TB oil or 2TB butter

In a skillet heat the oil and add the rice. Toast the rice to a lovely golden brown. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover skillet and turn heat down to simmer. Allow it to simmer away for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add the cilantro. Enjoy.

Cooking like it's take-out--Mexican

I love eating out. It's one of my favorite things, but when you have five kiddos, it's a rare treat. So, my mission has been to learn how to make some of my favorite things at home. Today, I worked on Barbacoa. What's that you say? It's beef slow cooked in wonderful spices until it's falling apart. You shred it up and enjoy. It's a step up from just plain ole' "shredded beef." I added to it some cilantro rice inspired by Chipotle and some refried beans from scratch. I also made some homemade chili/hot sauce. Yes, my kitchen looks like a bomb went off, but here's how I did it.

Barbacoa

1 boneless chuck roast (you can use bone in or a tri-tip or a brisket). (it was 3-4 lbs)
1TB ground mexican oregono
1TB cumin
2TB salt
1TB pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2-4 TB of vegetable oil

2 chipotle in adobo peppers
Juice from 3 limes
1 cube of beef boullion
4 cups of water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
6 cloves of garlic
1 white onion, chopped
2 bay leaves

Combine all the dry spices to make a rub. Rub all over both sides of the meat. Heat oil in a large saucepan/dutch oven. Brown both sides of the meat. REmove meat. Add onions and garlic and sautee...add water and deglaze the pan (get all the brown bits up off the bottom. Brown=flavor. Add the boullion cube, vinegar, lime juice, bay leaves and meat back into the pan. Skim off any foam that might surface. Place a lid and simmer until meat is falling apart--about 4 hours. I'm betting that this would be awesome as a slow cooker meal as well.

Unparenting.

Unparenting. I have no idea if this idea really exists or if I just thought it up. It came to mind when I was hearing about "unschooling." A concept where children who are homeschooled more or less determine the course of study themselves. I thought, hmmm, I wonder about "unparenting?" Is there such a thing?

When I was a first time mom, I had a whole list of things I wanted my children to accomplish. I also had a plan of "how" I was going to accomplish my goals. Potty training would be when I wanted, they would eat on MY schedule, they'd sleep, they'd speak. They'd be perfectly well behaved. My discipline method was well thought out--I had a plan.

My plan worked. For awhile. I don't know many mothers of multiples who don't exist on some form of routine. Even the most unscheduled mom in the world seems to step up her game with twins. Maybe that's just my perception, but nonetheless, the twins had a routine that we lived by. Boyd came along, and he fit right in with the program.

Sure the routine was great, and it also sucked. Seven o'clock in the evening rolled around, and we had to be home to put the kids in bed. Truth be told, we really needed to be home by 5:30 for the "routine." What little social life we had, died a miserable death. After Tessa was born, the routine started to shift and morph. Actually, a lot of things became looser, more laid back. I couldn't expend the energy anymore...I let them start to run wild.

This isn't to say that we don't follow a routine. We get up around 8. We go to bed around 8, but we aren't locked in stone anymore. Dinner doesn't "have" to be at 5:30. There's ebb and flow in our lives. Is my day any more chaotic? Not really. In fact, I'm more relaxed because I don't feel the pressure of the "checklist" I keep in the back of my mind.

I have a new plan. It's called, "loosen up already." My 3 year old still isn't potty trained, but he takes off his diaper and goes pee. I think the rest of it will fall in line. Yeah, maybe I should make him sit on the potty every 30 minutes, and yeah, maybe I should have him strip naked until he stops having accidents, but I prefer to wait and see if he does it on his own. I think we can take another month or two to see if he does it.

Tess still doesn't sleep. Maybe I should let her cry it out and sleep train her, but I'm kind of waiting to see if she figures it out on her own. Maybe I'm shooting myself in the foot. Maybe I'm just letting my last baby be a baby a little while longer. Or, maybe I'm too sleep deprived to go through the effort of sleep training.

I think I've earned the right to unparent for a little bit. We'll see where it gets us.

Preschoolers no more.

Preschool is officially over for my little girls. They're now getting ready to start Kindergarten. Waaah, my babies are leaving me!

I spent the majority of this past school year debating whether or not to start them. Their birthdays fall at the end of October, so we weren't sure whether or not they'd start school this year or the next. After a lot of hemming and hawing, we finally agreed on registering them for the big K. I'm still not sure if it's the right choice, but it's the choice we made. I think it's the right one for us. Maybe. I don't know.

I'm so sad and happy all at the same time. I'm happy because, let's face it, that's two less kids in the house. I'm sad because they're going to be out of the house.

Motherhood is full of these bittersweet moments.

For now though, we will enjoy our blessed last summer before "school" begins. Our life will change all over again this fall. Things are never going to be the same again. Never again, will we be able to plan our family vacations during October, or spend all day in our pajamas on a Wednesday (during the school year).

You know, maybe homeschooling isn't off the table just yet :)

Sleepless

Tess is nearing her 10 month birthday, and she still doesn't sleep. She frequently wakes during the night, and forget about napping. Today, she fell asleep on the way to Rite Aid. The three minute trip to Rite Aid. She woke up as soon as the car stopped. That was her one and only nap of the day. She used to sleep. She used to sleep ALL night and take naps. She just hasn't slept in a few months...that's all.

Any mother can tell you that when you mention your little one doesn't sleep, people are always FULL of advice. "Give her a bottle." "Put cereal in the bottle." "Have a routine." "Rock her to sleep." "Don't ever rock her to sleep." "Let them cry it out." "Co-sleep."

Do you ever just want to slap those well meaning people? I confess, I used to be one of them. Crap, I probably still am on some "mothering" subjects. Today, however, I declare that every child is different. There is no one parenting style that works for everybody. This isn't because some of us are lazier than others. I've had 4 babies. Three responded to "my system" perfectly. One hasn't responded to ANY system as of yet. Trust me, I've tried it. It didn't work. The next time you run into a sleep deprived mommy--offer coffee, not advice!

Taking the time...

I have amazing kids. They're wonderfully kind to their new baby sister, they love each other, they bring joy and light into my lives.

They're also little hooligans. "Please don't play in the mud, we have to leave in an hour." Five minutes later, they're covered in mud, and have removed all of their clothing. (They're also nudists). Or like today for example.

All three came to me with a bottle of water. "Are you going to drink this water or play with it" I said.

"Drink it"

Cue 30 minutes later while they're in the play room "supposedly" watching a cartoon while I attempt to fold 2 loads of laundry (our daily usage). I run in. My son, slipped and fell...on the 1/4 inch of water covering the floor from their bottles of water. Bedtime came early tonight...

Just when I thought I was going to lose it, I was reminded of how precious they are. A friend posted on facebook of a 2 year old child she knows who was hit by a car in her driveway and passed away. My heart is broken for that unknown family. So, tonight, I'm taking the time to give my kids an extra kiss. I may even sneak a couple into our bed to snuggle tonight. I'm taking the time to count my blessings...Justin, Grace, Isabelle, Boyd and Tessa...

so much for resolutions...

It was my New Year's resolution to blog more often, and to not only blog, but to actually "publish" my blog. You know, actually have someone read it? Well, here it is May, and I'm finally posting.

Tess has started pulling herself up this week, and she is cruising the furniture. She still doesn't sleep as much as we'd all like.

So, here on May 14th, I begin keeping my resolution.

NIP

Nursing in Public

I admit it, I used to be "one of those" people who felt that Nursing in Public was gross. There are bathrooms, there are cars, there are "covers" for that sort of thing. Really, the last thing I wanted to see was another woman's breast in my face. I never said anything, I kept it to myself with the quiet promise "when I have kids, it will be different.

Well, I'm not any different. Although I strive for discretion, I don't do any of the things I thought I would. I have diligently pumped before heading out and taken a bottle for my baby. It never fails that it's never enough. She always wants to nurse. Maybe it's the crowds, maybe we're out longer than anticipated, but there are times that I can't just 'load up and go home' so I have to nurse.

First of all public bathrooms....GROSS. Have you ever been in one that didn't smell like poop? Seriously? And you want me to hang out in there for 20 minutes?

Cars...it was over 100 degrees the day I delivered my baby. Even with the ac blasting, it's hot. It means walking to the car, turning car on, cooling car off, nursing, and then trekking back to wherever I was. If it's a restaurant, well I may as well have ordered it to go. Plus, I usually have my 3 older children with me, the thought of them running around the car while I nurse then carting them back to wherever we were is a bit ridiculous.

Covers...everybody's happy right? You can nurse in the middle of a Mardi Gras float, and no one will notice. Unless you have a baby who hates it. Who will fling it off and rip her head around exposing not the "briefest of flashes" as you latch her on, but your whole entire boob waving in the breeze for everyone to ogle. So instead of being discreet, I became a side show.

I know it offends some people to see a woman breastfeeding in public. I apologize for the people I've offended by NIP. However, the next time you think "that's gross" ask yourself, how long would you hang out in the Walmart bathroom? Oh and while you're in there, eat a sandwich...because that's what you're expecting my baby to do :)

It's been 6 months

It's been awhile since I've posted. My twins turned four, we moved, we moved again. Tess has been teething, the twins started preschool. Boyd still isn't potty trained. We're still "mostly" cloth diapering. I'm breastfeeding. I'm baby wearing. We just started solids. What a crazy 6 months we've had since she entered our little world.

Here are some pictures of our "not so little" family.