Pear & Carrot Purée

This week I’ve made pears and carrots for the baby. Making a  homemade puree for the baby is so easy. This is the first time I’ve joined two ingredients into a single purée for him. I know he’s going to love it. I’ve also made a supply of fresh peas. The bright green vibrant color is magnificent. I actually compared my homemade peas to store-bought peas and there is a major difference. The other stuff doesn’t even taste like food.

I’ve been cooking bananas on the stove and blending with formula to mix in with his oatmeal for breakfast. My little man is eating good and it shows. He is up to about 19 lbs and he’s almost 6 months.

A great book to check out if you haven’t already is The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. It’s full of so many tasty recipes for baby.

This is a very easy make ahead recipe. There is so much you can do with this basic recipe. In my home my husband likes things spicy so I normally add soy sauce, chili paste and some cayenne pepper to his portion. Sometimes I even use half water and half chicken stock if I have it on hand. If I do use chicken stock for the base of the soup I cut back on the number of bouillon cubes I use.

What’s your favorite thing to eat when you’re sick?

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This is a super simple recipe for making finger paints at home. I wanted to stretch the last bit of finger paint my daughter had left in the supply cabinet. There was about a squeeze of each color left and she really didn’t have enough to do anything with but I didn’t want to just toss it in the waste basket. I went with this corn syrup recipe because I had a huge unopened bottle of it in my pantry. There are many variations you can use though and I’m testing them all before sharing with you. I have seen homemade finger paints made of corn starch and powdered milk also.

For each color you want mix

• 3 tablespoons Corn Syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dish soap
• coloring (whatever you have on hand)

For the coloring I tried a few different things. I first squeezed the last bit of finger paint from Jas’s paint tubes into each jar. It was a very tiny amount. I had a little yellow food coloring left so that’s what I used for yellow. For red and blue I used Wiltons icing tint.

I enjoyed this mix the best because it didn’t dye my daughter’s hands different colors. It’s not as sticky has it sounds either thanks to the soap. I’m working a few more variations and I’ll post those soon so stay tuned.

If you have a toddler who loves to put everything in his or her mouth then try this recipe instead.

Heat 2 cups water in a saucepan and add 1/2 cup corn starch, 1/2 tsp salt and  3 tbsp sugar. Stir till mixture thickens. Allow to cool. Pour into jars and tint with desired dye. You might want to start with less corn starch. I made this and found it a little too goopy. I thinned it with some extra water.

Monday: Day 1 — Basic Chores

• Dust
• Sweep
• Mop and or vacuum
• Wipe coffee tables/end tables
• Spray fabric refresher on curtains/rugs/sofas

These basic chores I like to get done at the beginning of the week. It takes me about two hours every Monday morning to get these basic chores complete. I go through the entire house with my feather duster in hand. While I’m walking from room to room dusting I’m also picking up anything I can and putting it where it belongs. I try to never leave a room empty-handed.

Tuesday: Day 2 — Toilets & Pets

• Clean toilets
• Scrub tubs and showers
• Take care of any pets, litter boxes, clean small critter cages, freshen water and food bowls

Get some cute gloves, a pretty toilet brush and go to town. If I have to clean I am going to look cute while doing it. A cute apron helps too. I enjoy putting music on when I’m cleaning. Sometimes I even wear heels to either help break them in or to exercise my legs, it helps, believe me.

Wednesday: Day 3 — Countertops & Errands

• Clean kitchen countertops 
• Clean bathroom countertops
• Grocery shop
• Visit the Bank
• Any other errands

Don’t get me wrong, I wipe my countertops daily but once a week I move small appliances and scrub grout lines. I use coarse sea salt and fresh lemon juice to clean my kitchen countertops. I have grout grooves that need to always be cleaned.

Thursday: Day 4 — Freshen Up

• Put out fresh towels
• Freshen soap dispensers
• Spray air freshener
• Put out something fresh, like flowers or some fresh fruit
• Clean all mirrors

Fresh flowers make a world of difference. It’s so nice going into a room and seeing fresh flowers out. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that bring the most joy. A pretty lemon center piece in the kitchen would be fantastic.

 Friday: Day 5 — Laundry

Fridays are for getting all the laundry done and put away. I start early Friday morning and I run loads all day long. I force myself to fold each load immediately after it’s dried. I enjoy going to bed at night knowing every piece of laundry in my home is clean and put away. It’s always nice on Friday evening when my husband comes home. He gets to help with the last couple of loads. I make sure to leave the socks for him.

Every two weeks or so:

• wash all the sheets & blankets
• wash bath mats and rugs

Once a month:

• clean outside & indoor windows
• move furniture to sweep & dust under it
• clean oven
• clean the refrigerator
• dust ceiling fans & light fixtures

This list will definitely change as our family grows. For now this works and soon I’ll join some small tasks for my 4-year old to complete.