Amazon Mom - Life and Money Saver

As I sit here pondering the changes forthcoming in my life I imagine all the hoots I will have. I envision how funny it will be the first time Hubs has to change a 3am diaper, the cackling hysteria the first time Baby H surprises him with his own private water show, the toots, the giggles, the blow outs. Then I envision the inevitable day that we have run out of diapers at that special 3am changing. Dish towel? Paper towels? Knapkins? The receiving blanket? Just lay him in the bath tub and hose him down?

Shopping this past weekend in hat Megaopolis known as Costco, we must have looked rather obvioulsly overwhelmed by all the diaper options. We probably sat in that back corner of the warehouse giant discussing the liklihood that H will stay in newborn or size ones for some time and how many jumbo packs to purchase of each. Two moms stopped by and took pity on us, easing our furrowed brows.

{We purchsed two giant New Baby Starter Boxes from Huggies It has Newborns, Size Ones and a box of wipes. Done and I am starting to feel prepared for H's debut.}

The mom to five kids shed some light on a great deal though. She said she subscribes to Amazon Mom. They offer deep discounts on diapers and send you a month's supply  each...well... month... so those sleep deprived panics are averted.

It is free to sign up and Moms, Dads, Uncles, Aunts, Grandparent, whoever are all eligible. You get 30% off selected diapers and wipes, 15% off many other items in the Baby store,  free 2-day delivery with Amazon Prime, free returns, and emails and updates galore. We use Amazon a lot in our household. In fact, we used Amazon for a Baby Registry (plus  Buy Buy Baby for those who prefer in-store shopping). I take joy in having to only leave my house for food and fun rather than shopping chores. Sign me up... when Baby H is born; I'm not losing a single day of the three-month free 2-day shipping!

The Joie of Baking

I love to bake! I really, really love the smell of fresh from the oven bread. The process of baking bread brings me joy. There are long periods of waiting, short bursts of kneading, patience and care, all leading up to a fantastic reward.

It has been a little while since I have last made bread. First thing this morning, I was in the kitchen creating a starter (dry active yeast, warm water and a very, very light sprinkle of sugar). Today I made French Baguettes from this recipe which according to the recipe poster is from the bestseller, French Women Don't Get Fat. Here is the gist of it (produces four thin loaves).

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1. First, gently stir in 1 tsp. of active dry yeast into a half cup of warm water (i also sprinkle in a pinch of sugar to get the yeast really going). Wait about 10 minutes, watching for the yeast to bubble to life. In a large bowl, stir together 4 cups of all-purpose flour and two tsp. of salt. Add in the yeast mixture (should look like a beige slurry). Mix together until smooth and sticky.

2. Knead dough pushing and folding the dough for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. You may end up adding up to a full cup of flour if our dough is too sticky. It should be glutinous but not sticking all over your fingers. Form it into a ball.

Just moments before, this bowl had a magnificent dome.

3. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl (I actually spray a sheet of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray, placing the dough blob on top of it while I wash and then spray the same bowl I mixed it in). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or damp tea towel and let it rise, doubling in size. I usually put mine outside on the patio for two hours so the heat amplifies the bubbling power of the yeast during the warmer months or leave on the stove in the kitchen for up to three hours in colder times.

4. One your dough has puffed up sufficiently, uncover and punch it down a couple times, releasing some of the air. Line two cookie/baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide your dough ball into four equal parts. Roll each mini dough ball into the familiar baguette shapes. Let them rise again on the baking sheets for about a half hour, on the stove top as you preheat the oven to 450 degrees. They should have doubled in size.

Work in Progress

5. In a small bowl, mix together an egg and 1 Tbsp. of cold water. Score the tops of the loaves diagonally with a sharp time several times, then brush with the egg mixture. Sprinkle your favorite herbs, sesame/flax/sunflower seeds, rock salt, any topping you desire. **I topped one with Herbs de Provence, one with sesame seeds, kept one plain, and the other with a light dusting of rock salt. Place two ramekins filled with water on the baking sheet before placing it on the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Then drop the temperature to 400 degrees, baking another 5-10 minutes. Repeat with second pair of loaves. 

You can wrap, bag and freeze the bread for quite some time, defrosting on the counter top just before you are ready to slice up and enjoy. Soups, salads, dinners, bruschettas, mini sandwiches will resonate with the love you put into it.

Morning Veg

I have decided to eat up all the lettuce in my lil garden-built-out-of-love. Made a delicious salad last night. Happy with its crisp flavorfulness, I plucked another chunk from the earth. I gently tossed it into the sink after ripping off the dirt-clod root. Rinsing the leaves with running water, smelling the earthy smell, handling the big ol' caterpillar... the WHAT?!

I screamed! I mean, it was squirming around all one inch of him. Bleeghghh! I shot it with the detachable faucet washing it down the drain with my fears. Immediately, I felt bad for the poor little guy. Maybe I wasn't awake enough to be picking vegetables at 7am? Maybe that should be a night prep for the next day's lunch? Maybe waking my temporary roommate up with a blood curdling scream wasn't the nicest either.Sorry Kenda :)

I made her a breakfast berry smoothie to make up for it. I buy my way out of freaking people out by providing them with food. Getting some Vitamin C in during the AM doesn't hurt me either ;)

Lettuce in the back, carrots in the front and cucumbers on the side YUM!

 P.S. Wrote this two weeks ago, but for some reason never published. Slacker!

Own Private Water Show

It may not have been Bellagio-level musically timed awe-inspiring awesomeness, in fact there was no awesomeness. Not even a bit. The geyser shooting from my house on Friday evening was pretty spectacular, though, and my dog thought the new pool formed over my patio-grass-rocks-(used to be dry)waterfall was pretty awesome. I, however, did not share the sentiments of my fuzzy four-legged friend.

In fact, I freaked as I was blasted in the face with icy cold water as I repeatedly tried to find where the break in the pipe was located. I ran around the house and cut off the water supply. Yes, a pipe froze, then subsequently burst in Chandler, Arizona.

This actually brings me to {Day Three} of the reasons and ways I love my lover.

I love my lover because he is good at just about anything. 

He has never played the role of a plumber, 

yet he miraculously made it happen that on Sunday morning, 

we were finally able to take a shower. 

(God Bless showers!)

I may have asked him to look like a plumber, crack and all,

but he assured me this was serious work and while he wasn't going to try to have plumber's butt

he wouldn't NOT try.

Always trying to make me happy, what a guy!

{Day Four}

I love that he wants to protect me and shield me from unpleasant things.

Even though, I feel I should know everything in the world,

I love and appreciate his shining armor.

He is my hero.

{Day Five}

I love my lover's eyes. 

They are so expressive! 

Deep deep brown, 

with little crinkles at the corners 

that tell me when he's really happy or just faking it. 

I love those little crinkles!!

I'll do a few "days" tomorrow, too. So I can get all caught up!

Listening to: "Gravity" by John Mayer

Reading: "Million Dollar Mermaid" the autobiography/memoir of Esther Williams

What I did on my day off

Ordinarily, days off from work are spent lounging around, soaking up the do-nothing attitude of holiday. Ahhhhhhhh........ so refreshing, so lazy, so lovely.

That was NOT the case on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday. Oh no no, little ol' me created a massive Honey-Do List.

Happy Husband was off at work, slaving away on all sorts of engineering feats and conquering mind-boggling blueprinty marvels. It was just little baby dog and me against the dust I felt had taken over my home. This dust may have been imaginary (reading the monster sized book on Victorian domestic life may have corrupted my malleable mind into believing that cleanliness was next to godliness and my home is closer to a demon sanctuary than a gateway to the pearly gates). My day began at dawn. The sun crested the horizon as I laid my eyes upon the pyramids of white and darks on my bedroom floor. Job Numero Uno: Vanquish laundry. Reward: eat breakfast. I washed, folded, iron, hung hubby's clothes and mine. I undid the bed and laundered the sheets, only to replace them after they dried. I admit I really, really, really wanted to jump back into the bed. Is there anything more inviting than warm, fresh from the dryer, comfort-smelling sheets? Nine o'clock and my booty scrambled downstairs. This task was completed before my morning coffee, y'all!

Next up on the agenda: Vacuum and mop downstairs. This is no little undertaking. We have a lot of tile and a dog, who I feel sheds with the intent of creating little hairy clones of himself. I pulled the oven out of its little kitchen niche and dove headfirst into the greasy yuckfest. I used a lot of cleanser, kids. That place has been sterilized, fo' sho.' As son as the incredible baking-machine was back in it's place, I hit the "Self Clean" button and crossed that off my list too. (Crossing things off lists is how I measure my day's successes.)

Forever and a year later, I wiped down baseboards. This is a particular nemesis to me. I just stare at dirty baseboards, cringing at the thought of the germs just waiting to infect me with their contagions. ** I know I am neurotic, but I prefer to call myself "quirky". Soon after, I became famished. I ate my lil sandwich in the living room, upon glancing upward I saw, THE HORROR!!, dust bunnies clinging to my fan blades just waiting to drop into my cherry pomegranate Crystal Light. Lunch was over. Ten minutes and a slightly renewed fear of falling on my head with no one to call an ambulance later. Added to the list, scratched off the list. The living room was purified.

I shredded documents, I filed files, I checked facebook, I watched sixteen minutes of the "Bad Girls Club" marathon on O. At 2 p.m. Puppy-Love and I were at the vet getting his boosters and heart worm test. As soon as me and my magically well behaved pooch came home we vacuumed the bedrooms upstais, dusted the blinds, fan blades and vacuumed out the beds (a tactic I picked up from watching "How Clean is Your House?" on the BBC. You have no clue how nasty your bed is until you've seen that show). At 3:15 p.m., I created a manzanita branch masterpiece for my bedroom using the branches left over from the wedding in May 2010. One bandaid and seven rubber bands later I began cleaning out the "second room."

This room is empty. It has no purpose except to store wedding related items, crafty related items, an old dresser from before our new bedroom set, boxes of boxes, boxes of engineering notebooks, boxes of engineering binders, and very neat stacks of really old papers (my biggest pet peeve is papers- receipts, recipes, coupons, printouts, scratch papers - they haunt my dreams, seriously). Now we are down one box of boxes and all that paper and the crafty supplies are are neatly tucked away where I cannot see them, but will think about them.

When the Happiest of Hubbies came home, the house did not necessarily look any different, as I tend to be pretty neat, but he said it smelled "amazing," before asking "What's for dinner" with a wink and a smile. I melted (one part exhaustion, one part lovey-dovey feeling).

Good CLEAN fun!

Its still a happy new year

3 Days into Eleven...
1. Have not had a diet coke, or any soda for that matter. May have replaced one bubbly addiction for another more Crystal Light-y one. (must work on overall obsessive tendencies)
2. Have decided that cleaning up my potty language should be more of a priority (one should not have to apologize to one's self mid-swear tirade in crowded parking lot in car ... alone)
3. Ate a banana today so will be tall and skinny like said banana (so far just looking white and goofy - and kind of squishy actually) like banana. I find role models in interesting places, no?
4. When I thought I broke my foot (again) on NYE, I cursed that oh-Ten year. When I rolled my ankle this morning I said, "Thank goodness I didn't break my face." This is taking a positive stab and being more positive and less whiny. I'll take what little successes I can get in this road of personality change.
5.  Applauded my nearly halfway mark in the 500 page "Inside the Victorian Home," until I realized that reading how the mantra "cleanliness, is next to godliness" became so popular during that era while I sat next to a pile of laundry three feet high (yes, I, too wish I was kidding).
6. Brought "Ethnic Cuisine" into Sprouts Farmers Market, but did not buy any of the delicious and exotic ingredients (Happy Hubby said no to lemongrass and vermicelli rice noodles, but yes to sweet potato and bacon. He is most certainly a meat and potato man).

Have adapted a word-of-the-day game to play with Hubbs (though I think I am the only one playing). Today the word is "pandiculation" meaning: yawning and stretching. "{Coworker} must have had a rough night judging by all the pandiculation going on over there."  tee hee hee

Listening to: "You Have Me" by Gungor

***Really really loving this book, by the way. I am fascinated by how people lived before the invention of modern necessities like toothpaste and toilets.

The Joy of Baking!

Let the Season of Sugar officially commence!

Every December, as far back as I could remember, I bake Christmas cookies - a lot of them. I have done the tried and true recipes (the chocolate chip, the oatmeal, and the holiday staples - sugar cookies and snickerdoodles). A few years ago, I dove into Mom's cookbook collection and selected the Betty Crocker Cooky Book from the 60s or 70s. I cannot praise that masterpiece of baker's delight enough!

I have tried to recreate a couple German cookies that I fell for during that year: Zimtsterne and Pffernusse. Hubster and I love spiced cookies and these two have a real zing! Zimtsterne, so heavenly-cinnamony,  are rolled out then cut into star-shapes and basted with an eggwhite-wash before baking. I have also seen them iced.* Pffernusse have a good dose of black pepper in them, but that heat is subdued by the dusting of powder sugar on the outside (after baking). The cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg make this a real warming treat in a white snowball.

*My Zimtsterne were a bit different because I do not own a cookie cutter that is not in a Halloween shape. So I made mine into a drop cookie, making them a softer-pillowy texture unlike the hard and crunchy texture they are "supposed" to be. Also, the photo above is from audrinapatridge.com (I am writing this at a time inconvenient for plugging my camera into computer... tee hee hee)

Wunderkleen!

Behold ladies and... well... ladies! I have discovered a miracle solvent to clean just about anything! Okay it is a powder that is not a solvent, but it certainly solved a cleaning dilemma we have faced.

Our fantastic kitchen knives cut cut about anything with the greatest of ease. I use them all (bread knife, paring knife, fish knife, santuku knife, slicing knife, chef's knife, etc) and Happy Husband uses the steak knives to cut it all. All of this chopping/slicing/dicing/mincing/julienne-ing has caused these beloved kitchen features to accumulate rust spots here and there (okay, I admit that the steak knives are fine and it is only the ones I use that have the blemishes).
 
The genius customer service-guy at Home Depot (if you have a cleaning problem thay are the dudes to talk to!) suggested Bar Keepers Friend to keep my gear spotless. Grab a rag - not a kitchen towel, like I did, dampen, then dust it with the powder. Scrub the knife for just a few moments, washing off after no more than a minute. Voila! My wedding present knives look as good as new!

But wait! There's more that this "Friend" will take care of for you! My glass cooktop (inherited from the previous owners of our home, who apparently burned food on the stove surface more than cooked food in a pot) has been cleaned to better-than-when-we-bought-the-house condition! Our everyday stainless steel flatware shines and sparkles! Hoping I can get my hands on Hubby's golf clubs to get them twinkling soon!

Go here for a coupon (it's 55 cents, but for such an inexpensive product, that discount creates a real bargain!)
If I didn't work myself into such a scrub-a-dub frenzy, I would have taken some before and after photos.

XOXO

30-Day Challenge...going strong

Le Jour Deux
Why is my blog named what it is?


I chose Domestic Manifesto because I have found myself adhering to more and more "domestic" mores recently. I cook, I clean, I do windows... I have said that I want to one day have a coup and take over the PTA (first need to have children, so we are thinking this is a more long-term goal) and reign supreme as the next coming of Martha Stewart. The 'burbs have no idea what is in store for the future. I think of my life and all that it has come to encompass recently: I am a suburban homeowner, a wife, a mother to a very hairy dog, I work full-time. I am a friend, a daughter, a sister, a companion and a lover (tee hee hee, that word).

Amongst all this domesticity, I have decided that I must not lose track of who I want to be. I have created this manifesto as a guide (for myself) to remember and appreciate inward reflection, the loving of self and other, the appreciation of all things creative, the importance of laughter and making and maintaining of memories. This is my public declaration of my very own domestic principles.

(image taken from SodaHead.com)

Eat Your Heart Out Betty Crocker

Apple Pie-liciousness

Behold, an apple pie from scratch! You can tell it is from scratch because my crust, well... it looks a lil cracked and well, crusty. I call it a homestyle look. It was delicious and syrupy and appley and hard to pass up on seconds (which I don't know if I have the willpower to do again).

Here is the recipe:

• Pie Pastry (you can find a recipe online or buy in the grocery store) enough for top and bottom of 9" pie plate
• 7 cups apples, cored & peeled & sliced (I used Granny Smiths; cut somewhat thin so your pie doesn't overflow with lumpiness like mine did, unless you want that homestyle look)
• 2 Tb. lemon juice
  
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 Tb. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 Tb. (heaping) all-purpose flour
• 1 Tb. butter
  
• 1 egg, beaten
• a little extra white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and make sure your apples are room temperature.
   
2. Prepare crust. One sheet should be in pie plate and the other laying flat
   
3. Toss lemon juice over apples in large bowl, set aside. Mix together sugars, spices and flour in small bowl. Once thoroughly mixed, toss into apples, coating them.
   
4. Pour spiced apples into prepared pie plate. Dot butter randomly over apples.
5. Place second pastry sheet over apples, crimping the edges together to seal. Brush the beaten egg over the pastry then sprinkle a little sugar over the top. Cut little slits to vent the pie.
6. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes then an additional 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool before serving.
7. Devour!
   

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The Happy Husband and I built a raised garden this weekend. His mother grows incredible vegetables in her Illinois garden, and I desperately want to prove to myself that I, too, have a green thumb. I am skeptical that growing things is really within my realm of realistic talents as I am batting about 500 right now (having killed an un-killable bamboo, doesn't shine very well on my record).

We built the garden approximately 2 feet tall with an arc of 7 feet all the way around. We stacked heavy precast concrete stone pavers, dug irrigation for the drip system, and mucked around in the stinkiest garden soil all weekend long. Now I just need some seeds that will survive the 30 degree-possible Arizona "winters" and random ambushes by my little baby dog.

Listening to: "Shark in the Water" by VV Brown

Concert in the Park

Last night, Happy Husband and I went to a Concert in the Park at Freestone Park in Gilbert (Lindsey and Juniper - just north of Elliott) from 630-800 p.m. Celtic band, Brazen Heads were playing and what seemed like all the children of Gilbert were dancing. It was really a heartwarming sight and wallet-friendly as it was free! We made a picnic of it, eating toasted sandwiches and apples atop a blanket under a tree. Try looking in your area for city/town sponsored events like these, they are great ways to meet your neighbors, too!

Listening to: "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver

Two Courses

Here are a couple of meals I have made recently that went over very well in my Happy Household.
Not a lot of work!

Clam Sauce over Thin Spaghetti
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Butter
Pinch of saltWhite Pepper, to taste
1/2 bunch parsely, diced (or as I like chiffon)
2 servings Whole What Thin Spaghetti
1 can o'clams
Shredded Parmesan, to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions (usually boiling 5-7 minutes). Drain and put aside. Sweat your onion and garlic in pan with 1/2 T. butter. When become translucent add in clams, oil and remaining butter. Reduce (if too watery, wisk in some all purpose flour until become more saucey). Toss in your pasta, coating in all of the buttery and garlicky goodness. Sprinkle in parsley. Dump your portion on your plate, garnishing with remaining parsley and shredded parm. Slice up a hunk of french bread for sopping up the sauce and serve it on the side.
There you have it! Dinner in 10 minutes with little to no effort, but always sounds impressive.


And for dessert...

Delicious Summer Treat!

Kiwi-Strawberry Tart

A sleeve of Graham Crackers, crushed into dust ;) (should yield about 1.5 c.)
3 T. melted butter (or nonfat plain yogurt, for you health conscious ones)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix above ingredients and press into 9 inch pie pan (might help to dip your spatula into water before using it spread into pan as the mixture will be a bit sticky. Bake 5 minutes.

Mix 2 c. skim milk (or almond milk, yum!) into Jell-o Instant French Vanilla Pudding (I also add in 1/8 tsp vanilla for extra oomph). Mix and let it st up. While waiting for that, slice 1 kiwi and approximately 10 strawberries. Once the pudding is set, spread evenly into crust, topping with rings of strawberry and kiwi.

Use whatever fruit is in season. I made this during summer so the farmer's markets were bursting at the seams with fresh berries.

Bon Appetite!

Listening to: "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

The Miracles of Miracle Whip

I stumbled across a website listing the many uses of Miracle Whip, the mayo-like salad dressing. Happy Husband purchased some a while back, and we rarely if ever use it. Today is the day I discovered one of its non-edible uses: polishing silver!

I slimed the white stuff on a silver spoon we use to dish coffee grounds into the coffee pot or espresso press each morning, and massaged it in, followed by a quick scrub with baking soda (I am already a Power of Baking Soda convert) I made into a paste. The spoon looked like brass (way gross) and now it shines like new.

Voila!

Its the tangy zip that does it.