Alright. So first an update on the cinnamon rolls, even though I know that was 2 weeks ago. I just keep forgetting to log in, because I read blogs but I don't do much of it myself. ;)
The cinnamon rolls turned out pretty yummy. Except I'm not sure what I did wrong [really, it was a simple recipe]... maybe I just made them too small? But when I put them in the oven for 20 min @ 400, they burned. So the next sheet of rolls I put in the oven were at 325 for 10-12 minutes and they were a little crunchy on the outside but otherwise yummy.
So... Now I've got a new adventure. I belong to an "au naturale" group on Facebook. Recently I've started cloth diapering hoping to a) save money, b) save the planet. [At least help to!] Plus, the cloth diapers we have these days are CUTE. So much cuter than disposables, I don't care how hard Huggies [how do you do the trademark thing?] or Pampers try. Anyway. Along with cloth diapering I've also decided to start [tomorrow] hand-washing the diapers and covers, and some of my son's clothes if I can. I also must have some hard water because a) stains don't come out of his prefolds, b) the smell sticks sometimes. Yesterday I asked the group I belong to where I can get the items needed for homemade laundry detergent, especially since the stuff they use gets stains/smells out... I bought the ingredients, and tonight I made my first batch. It has to sit for 24 hours before it's ready for use. I'm not sure if that's entirely true, but that's what the directions said. I found the recipe here. Although, unless you're me, apparently this recipe is no secret because I'm finding it everywhere!
You will need these three items:
[at least 1 bar] Fels-Naptha because that's what everyone suggested to me [and what the recipe calls for] and because it's got such a good rep.
1/2 C Borax
1/2 C Washing soda - I don't know what brands it comes in but I bought Arm & Hammer!
And of course you need water. Make that 4, and don't forget your utensils [sauce pan, bucket, measuring cup, large cooking spoon]
For this particular recipe, you'll need to grate 1/3 of the bar of Fels-Naptha into a sauce pan, and add 6 cups of water. Heat it on your stove until the soap has melted. Add the Borax and washing soda, and stir until it has dissolved. Remove it from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into a bucket [I would be safe and go with a 5-gal bucket] and then pour the soap mixture over that. Add 1 gallon + 6 cups [14 cups] water. Let it rest for 24 hours, and use 1/2 C for each load of laundry.
I was also advised [per the site I got it from] that it's not a really sudsy soap, so don't fret if you don't see a lot of bubbles. There's also more info on the site about the chemicals used, and they are all naturally-derived.
Now, I'm sharing this recipe which I haven't yet tried. I've heard good things about it, but I start using it in a couple of days when I have more laundry to do. Wish me luck. :D
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
My first bread-making experience
This is going to be a short post, but it's something I'm very excited about. I've baked several things from scratch, and I've been doing it for 10+ years [and I'm 23, btw] since I was a teenager. -ish. Lately I've really been into appreciating Mother Nature as much as possible. That means cooking as much as I can from scratch. I've even learned to use a bread machine. ;)
That being said... I asked my sister today for some bread recipes, because I've always wanted to learn how this stuff was done before modern technology. Well along with some bread recipes I got one for cinnamon rolls... I have not baked them yet. I have, however, made the dough/rolls. Although I'm not entirely following the recipe, it says to cut them into rolls and then put them in the fridge on a baking sheet. I put the rolls in the fridge on wax paper on a sheet and I'll cut them in the morning when I'm ready to bake 'em. ;) Hope it works, haha. Nobody ever taught me how to knead bread. I think I did alright tonight. I have this pet peeve about being stuck to things.. I absolutely hate dough being stuck to my hands, along with tape, butter, glue, anything that will stick to you, I hate it on me. It doesn't listen when I tell it to get off. ;) Anyway... Despite that I had a LOT of fun making the dough, and it turned out okay. It was a pain to roll out, though, I tell you that. Took the handles off my roller. Would I do this again? Absolutely, I had a blast. Am I going to let clingy things bother me? I'll try not to. :) Although I admit I almost gave up when I thought the dough was too sticky and there would be clumps of flour in my cinnamon rolls. :/
So, the cinnamon rolls are in the fridge and in the morning I'll bake them and see how I've done. My test is not complete yet. But I'm hoping for the best! And thanks Nicole for the recipes. :D
**Disclaimer: Those are not my rolls in the picture. Found it on Google. :)
So, the cinnamon rolls are in the fridge and in the morning I'll bake them and see how I've done. My test is not complete yet. But I'm hoping for the best! And thanks Nicole for the recipes. :D
**Disclaimer: Those are not my rolls in the picture. Found it on Google. :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Damn you, ACOG.
Okay. So yeah, I'm mad at ACOG [American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, for those who don't know what the acronym stands for]. Regardless of whether their influence is direct or indirect, I'm still mad at them. Why? I'll tell you why.
I'm 22; my first nephew was born when I was 9, and I wasn't there for his birth. I was there for 2 siblings' subsequent births [#s 2 and 4] and witnessed a direct-entry midwife in action. [The other 6 were UP/UCs. Yes, I said it, 6.] I kind of kept it to myself but I was really curious about the role of a midwife and I was always excited when my sister had her babies.
Then, almost 2 years ago my husband and I found out WE were having a baby. I did everything I could to make sure I was doing right by my unborn, and sometimes I know I did a little too much. I kept what I learned from my sister in mind, all the while trusting the Certified Nurse-Midwives completely. On the morning of January 17, 2010 I was induced at "42w1d" and wasn't even 2 cm dilated. [Reason: Baby wasn't ready - not quite browned :P] The induction worked but then they decided to use pitocin. Pitocin is an artificial form of oxytocin, the "love" hormone, and it stimulates contractions. The difference between real and fake is that pitocin causes, stronger, harder, faster contractions. The contractions hurt more than if you were to go into spontaneous labor, they are faster, and they can [and often do] put baby into distress. I remember my friend Kelsey telling me, "Sara, whatever you do, if you get the epidural do NOT let them anywhere near you with pitocin!" Well, needless to say I didn't listen. I was started on pitocin around 8 and my waters broke at about 10:30 pm. I was hooked up to a FHM and a pitocin IV drip; I tried the warm portable pool they had; I went to the bathroom several times; I tried hands and knees; the CNM on-call had eaten peanut butter and graham crackers and I thought I was going to vomit; the contractions hurt so much that I accepted an epidural at I believe between 6-7 cm [definitely past 5], and it slowed down my labor. The reason "E" wasn't coming out is because he wouldn't fit through my pelvis, because I was induced when he was too high; he wasn't ready to be born. At one point I had to tell the CNM to slow the pitocin - contractions were too fast. I was sectioned for failure to progress, and possible distress on baby. E was born at noon on the 18th of January, perfectly healthy.
If I had just stayed home and refused an induction, or just gone in when I started labor on my own, I would have been able to go around that cesarean. Instead I did what my CNMs thought was best. All of these medical interventions are not necessary. Not as often as they are used, anyway. Many hospitals have high epidural rates. The national cesarean rate in our country [U.S.A.] is above 30%, where the WHO recommends a minimum of 10-15% cesarean rate nationwide.
Obstetricians are trained as pathologists. That is, they try to fix what ain't broken. They look for something to go wrong, and they can often find something when really it's not there. They try to keep things from happening before they do. Except, birth is a physiological process. It is a normal part of life. It is NOT [necessarily] a medical occurrence. Ladies, we have been having babies for over 200,000 years. Why, all of a sudden, do we need technology to get these angels out of our bellies? Why do we need drugs that often do more harm than good? We have severely deviated from natural when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and babies. It's not just my story; there are more severe cases where women don't get the care they want and need when it comes to their prenatal and birth experiences.
So... what does this have to do with ACOG and OB/GYNs and the health care industry? My state, Indiana, introduced pro-midwifery legislation early this year. Senate Bill No. 342 was read for the first time on January 11, 2011. Today is the last day. It has not made it past the Health Committee. I called and told them my support, asked a few questions, and the rep on the phone told me it's not looking good. This is why I am bummed out. It had been an ongoing thing in the back of my mind, but ever since the birth of my son I was determined to explore a midwifery career. I still can, but there won't be legal protection for certified direct-entry midwives in my state. And when they aren't legally protected, they're often not used. The good news is that there are 27 states that legally authorize Certified Professional Midwives. :/
I'm 22; my first nephew was born when I was 9, and I wasn't there for his birth. I was there for 2 siblings' subsequent births [#s 2 and 4] and witnessed a direct-entry midwife in action. [The other 6 were UP/UCs. Yes, I said it, 6.] I kind of kept it to myself but I was really curious about the role of a midwife and I was always excited when my sister had her babies.
Then, almost 2 years ago my husband and I found out WE were having a baby. I did everything I could to make sure I was doing right by my unborn, and sometimes I know I did a little too much. I kept what I learned from my sister in mind, all the while trusting the Certified Nurse-Midwives completely. On the morning of January 17, 2010 I was induced at "42w1d" and wasn't even 2 cm dilated. [Reason: Baby wasn't ready - not quite browned :P] The induction worked but then they decided to use pitocin. Pitocin is an artificial form of oxytocin, the "love" hormone, and it stimulates contractions. The difference between real and fake is that pitocin causes, stronger, harder, faster contractions. The contractions hurt more than if you were to go into spontaneous labor, they are faster, and they can [and often do] put baby into distress. I remember my friend Kelsey telling me, "Sara, whatever you do, if you get the epidural do NOT let them anywhere near you with pitocin!" Well, needless to say I didn't listen. I was started on pitocin around 8 and my waters broke at about 10:30 pm. I was hooked up to a FHM and a pitocin IV drip; I tried the warm portable pool they had; I went to the bathroom several times; I tried hands and knees; the CNM on-call had eaten peanut butter and graham crackers and I thought I was going to vomit; the contractions hurt so much that I accepted an epidural at I believe between 6-7 cm [definitely past 5], and it slowed down my labor. The reason "E" wasn't coming out is because he wouldn't fit through my pelvis, because I was induced when he was too high; he wasn't ready to be born. At one point I had to tell the CNM to slow the pitocin - contractions were too fast. I was sectioned for failure to progress, and possible distress on baby. E was born at noon on the 18th of January, perfectly healthy.
If I had just stayed home and refused an induction, or just gone in when I started labor on my own, I would have been able to go around that cesarean. Instead I did what my CNMs thought was best. All of these medical interventions are not necessary. Not as often as they are used, anyway. Many hospitals have high epidural rates. The national cesarean rate in our country [U.S.A.] is above 30%, where the WHO recommends a minimum of 10-15% cesarean rate nationwide.
Obstetricians are trained as pathologists. That is, they try to fix what ain't broken. They look for something to go wrong, and they can often find something when really it's not there. They try to keep things from happening before they do. Except, birth is a physiological process. It is a normal part of life. It is NOT [necessarily] a medical occurrence. Ladies, we have been having babies for over 200,000 years. Why, all of a sudden, do we need technology to get these angels out of our bellies? Why do we need drugs that often do more harm than good? We have severely deviated from natural when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and babies. It's not just my story; there are more severe cases where women don't get the care they want and need when it comes to their prenatal and birth experiences.
So... what does this have to do with ACOG and OB/GYNs and the health care industry? My state, Indiana, introduced pro-midwifery legislation early this year. Senate Bill No. 342 was read for the first time on January 11, 2011. Today is the last day. It has not made it past the Health Committee. I called and told them my support, asked a few questions, and the rep on the phone told me it's not looking good. This is why I am bummed out. It had been an ongoing thing in the back of my mind, but ever since the birth of my son I was determined to explore a midwifery career. I still can, but there won't be legal protection for certified direct-entry midwives in my state. And when they aren't legally protected, they're often not used. The good news is that there are 27 states that legally authorize Certified Professional Midwives. :/
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Silly Romans
So I don't have a whole lot of time, but I wanted to make a post. I was trying to think of an idea for my blog title, and I was hell-bent on something mythical. Didn't turn out that way. But, I did remember watching an episode [please don't ask me the title of the show or the channel because I don't remember] on ancient Rome. I purposely digress... ever wondered why it was considered unladylike to wear your hair down instead of up and in a bun? It's not just a fashion statement. I could be wrong about the emperor, but, I believe when Augustus took power, prostitutes were legal but they had to register and could never, ever change their occupation. They had to dress a certain way in order to make their occupation clear. Part of the dress code: They were not allowed to wear their hair up, it always had to be down. So, please don't think I'll always be posting about prostitutes, but I thought it was interesting. :)
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