Why I Use Cloth Diapers

I love cloth diapers. I strongly believe that they are better for my babies, better for my pocketbook and better for the environment. Anytime I come across an article extolling the virtues of the cloth diaper I give myself a pat on the back. However, to be perfectly honest, none of those are the reasons that I started to use cloth diapers.

But before I talk about cloth diapering, let me tell you about my Denby Stoneware.

I spent most of my life as a bachelorette eating off of paper plates. As a law student, I survived primarily on Amy's frozen meals, eating them directly out of the plastic packaging after pulling them from the microwave. I hated doing dishes. Why should I go to the trouble of actually buying reusable plates, I reasoned, when it was so much cheaper and easier to use paper ones? I could buy a few hundred for a few dollars. Less money and less effort, right?

But then, shortly after I was married I pulled out the Denby Stoneware plates I'd inherited from my grandmother. They felt so smooth, cool and heavy in my hands. They felt good. Satisfying. I was proud to serve food on those plates. Those plates, I discovered, contributed to a higher quality of life. My meals became elevated from strictly utilitarian events, consumed mindlessly while studying, to enjoyable, purposeful endeavors.

I had a similar experience the first time I encountered a cloth diaper. I was in now-defunct Austin Baby buying a Moby wrap. I picked up a FuzziBunz. The Microfleece cloth felt so soft. I had to resist the urge to rub it on my face. Shortly thereafter, my first daughter was born. I used disposable diapers, but I kept thinking about the FuzziBunz. At $18 a diaper, though, they just seemed prohibitively expensive.

But I couldn't stop thinking about the FuzziBunz. A few months after she was born, I went back to Austin Baby and bought four of them. A few weeks later I bought a few more on Ebay. A month later I bought a few more. Slowly, as I acquired more cloth diapers, I used fewer disposables. And every time I put a cloth diaper on my daughter, it just felt so much better than the disposables. Softer, prettier, not covered in corporate logos. The environment or the money weren't even on my mind. Cloth diapers just felt so right.

By the time my second daughter was born, I'd already built up enough of a diaper stash that I could cloth diaper both girls full-time. Since I started my second on cloth from the beginning, she'd fuss and complain when I tried to put a disposable on her. She was already accustomed to the luxury of cloth.

I'm currently pregnant with my third daughter and eagerly anticipating cloth diapering her as well. I don't really need to buy anymore diapers. She's not even born and I have all the supplies I need to diaper her from birth until potty training, but that doesn't stop me from buying more diapers anyway. I stalk WAHM's on Etsy and Hyena cart, snatching up good deals on homemade diapers. I pull them out of the envelop as soon as they arrive, squeal and rub them all over my face. So soft and squishy. I'm addicted. I'm even attempting to teach myself to sew my own.

Do I still use disposable diapers? Yes. I still use paper plates, too. When life is crazy, I know I have disposables to fall back on for some instant convenience - plates and diapers. But I don't want either to be a part of my daily life. Disposable just isn't who I am anymore. And 99.9 percent of the time I'm not doing it to feel sanctimonious, I'm doing it because it feels so good. I guess I'm just too much of a hedonist for disposable diapers.

Quick Practice

I made it through the standing sequence yesterday before my practice was interrupted by baby aggro.

Starting Over Every Day

I found some studio space for my solitary practice. For the first time in I can't remember how long I practiced all of primary. Here are my observations from today's practice:

• Sun salutations work. Even though I haven't had a full practice since I can't remember when, my daily sun salutations and few postures here and there made it possible for me finish primary without feeling like I was going to pass out. It didn't feel like I haven't had a decent practice in months. 
• Practicing next to a mirror revealed that my revolving standing postures need lots of work. Lots of work. 
• Practicing next to a mirror revealed that my thighs are much larger than I had previously thought possible. Of course, I eat like a sumo wrestler, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

I'd like to return to using this blog for writing about yoga, so I created another blog for when I feel inclined to blog about cooking. 

The Peeps Have Arrived!

Early this morning, we received a call from the post office notifying us that our chicks had arrived. Tom hurried right over and picked them up. They are all in good health and spirits. Eevory was so excited that she started jumping up and down as soon as she saw them.

The house was filled with cheerful peeping and chirps all day long. We set up the brooder in the girls' playroom. They'll stay inside until they are 3-4 weeks old, then we'll move them outside to the coop.

We have an Easter Egger, an Australorp, a Blue Andalusian, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, a Red Star and a Black Jersey Giant. We ordered them from My Pet Chicken.

Tia Karen's Pancakes

As a child, my sister, Karen, was the pickiest eater to ever walk the face of the earth. I've yet to hear of a pickier eater. She spent the better part of the 80's eating little else but Yoplait Custard Style Yogurt. When she did branch out into eating other foods, these pancakes were on her short list.

Nana calls these cottage cheese pancakes, but since Tom hates cottage cheese we have to pretend that there isn't any cottage cheese in them. Luckily, you can't detect the cottage cheese at all. They are light and buttery with a mild flavor that lends itself well to a wide variety of toppings.

After talking to my friend Cecily about how challenging it can be to feed toddlers, I wanted to post this recipe. Among the top reasons why I like it:

1. They're super fast to assemble. I can make them for a weekday breakfast or an afternoon snack. 
2. They're high in protein. I ate a lot of these when I was pregnant and my midwife was always on my case about eating more protein. 
3. My kids love them. 

Nana always serves them with apple sauce. I like mine with apple sauce and sour cream. The girls like theirs with apple sauce and vanilla yogurt. Tom likes his with melted butter. A few weeks ago I topped them with some fancy blueberry preserves Nana and Papa brought us from their trip to Maine and some homemade creme fraiche. 

So let's get started. You'll need:

• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil

Put the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary. The batter will be thin. 

I like to cook these on an electric griddle but a skillet would work just as well. I like to make little pancakes so the girls can pick them up with their hands. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until pancakes appear bubbly and slightly dry, then flip and cook until slightly puffed in the middle. 

I tried to take a few pictures of the finished plate, but Eevory busted in on my little photo session. The girl has priorities. 

Sunday Dinner

We invited Nana and Papa over for dinner last night so I made one of Tom's favorite foods, Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. I used the recipe from Cooks Illustrated's January 2010 issue. Two rising periods makes the crust better suited for a weekend than a weeknight, but if you're going to be around the house anyway, it's a great recipe to try. Tom says that it was more authentic than any of the local options.

For dessert I made Billy's Vanilla cupcakes. These are Martha's favorite vanilla cupcakes and mine as well. With a buttery, tender crumb and boasting a strong vanilla flavor, they're everything I've ever wanted in a vanilla cupcake. Add the fact that they can be made in one bowl and case closed. I don't think I'll ever need another vanilla cupcake recipe.

For the frosting, I used whipped chocolate ganache. It's so easy to make and so decadent. I made the Cook's Illustrated version from Baking Illustrated, but here's a free recipe that's almost identical. To get the whipped consistency, refrigerate until the ganache has the consistency of soft pudding; about an hour in the refrigerator. If the ganache becomes too firm, it may separate as you attempt to whip it. Once it has cooled and thickened, use a standing mixer with a whisk attachment and whip on high for about a minute. Don't over-whip or the ganache will curdle. Just whip until it has lightened and appears fluffier.

You can also skip the mixer and just use it as a dense, shiny, spreadable frosting. You can also skip the cupcake and eat it out of the bowl with a spoon. Yum!

The girls are ready to dig in. Eevy, like her Mama, loves chocolate. 

Roasted Potatoes for Breakfast

Sometimes I feel like a greasy spoon breakfast but don't feel like playing short order cook over the stove or griddle. So, instead of hash browns or home fries, I make roasted potatoes. I promise that with enough olive oil they are just as greasy and crunchy as those cooked in a skillet. While the potatoes are cooking I can make the coffee, eggs, toast and maybe some veggie sausage.

Mia and Papa dug up the potatoes a few days ago at Papa's garden. Homegrown potatoes have so much more flavor than the store bought variety. If you haven't tried homegrown potatoes, you're missing out.

Eevy loves to check on the chickens. I can hardly wait until we have some at our house.

Here's some of Papa's lovely Siberian Kale.