The incredible, edible oat

Growing up one of my favorite breakfast foods was Quaker Instant Oatmeal. I loved picking out my own individually-sized packet from the box of assorted flavors and "making it" myself (aka. adding hot water or milk). My favorite flavor was strawberries and cream, because the freeze-dried strawberry pieces (really, strawberry-flavored and sugar-infused milk sponges of questionable origin would be a more appropriate description) turned the milk pink. Those were the days when I thought pink milk was perfectly normal. Sweet tooth? Oh my, you betcha.

Fast forward thirty years. While my sweet tooth is still going strong, since moving to California eight years ago I've developed a passion for eating simple, whole foods. Foods with ingredients that, as Michael Pollan would say, your great-grandma would recognize (sorry, Instant Oatmeal - you don't qualify). Being a new mom has taken this interest to the next level as I'm now not only eating healthy for myself but want our kids to grow up loving wholesome, nutritious food. (Mom, if you're reading this, I want to let you know I place the blame for those Instant Oatmeal packages  - and the Pop Tarts, Toaster Streusel, and unlimited Entenmenn's Coffee Cake - on Dad and thank you for all of the nourishing, delicious food you cooked for us as kids. P.S. Dad, thank you for the sweet tooth.)

Enter the oat. I'm talking about the real deal, which comes in 32 ounce round cardboard containers (or the bulk bin) from the grocery store. It wasn't until our oldest son was born that I discovered these beauties sitting quietly on the bottom shelf of the cereal aisle. It started with baby steps - buying one container and making fresh oatmeal and a batch or two of granola - and now it's to the point where whenever we walk into Target my son tells me we need to get more oats. Last week we bought four containers because they were on sale. I'm now so familiar with purchasing oats that I can even tell you, down to the penny, the cost of 32 ounces of oats at Trader Joe's, Target, and Walmart.  The best deal? Target at $2.99 for 32 ounces (or $2.69 when on sale).

Oats are not only an inexpensive, healthy whole grain to feed your family, but are simple and fun to cook. It's easy to involve kids in making things like oatmeal or granola as the ingredients are straightforward, typically on-hand and easy to mix together. In our home we make oatmeal a few times a week (which is just about as instant as Instant Oatmeal), use leftovers to make oatmeal pancakes, and every Sunday my three-year-old helps me make a big batch of granola. He loves mixing (and eating) it so much that I think he wishes we made it every morning. Bonus? When baking in the oven it makes our house smell heavenly.

Below are our weekly go-to oat-inspired recipes. Have one of your own? Please share in the comments. I hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Julie

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(Almost-instant) Oatmeal
Makes 2-3 servings.

1 cup regular (or quick) oats
2 1/4 cup milk
Extras: Pinch of cinnamon, handful of raisins or cranberries, honey or maple syrup to sweeten

Add the oats and milk together in a saucepan and place on a medium heat burner. Once the mixture begins to simmer turn down to low. The oatmeal will be ready to eat in approximately 5 minutes, once the oats soften. Add additional ingredients or sweeteners to taste.

Easy Granola
Makes 4-6 servings.

Solid Ingredients

3 cups whole oats
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Liquid Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the solid ingredients in a large bowl. Melt the butter if using. Add the other liquid ingredients to the butter or oil and blend well. You should have about 3/4 cup fat/liquid mix to every 3 cups oats. Mix the liquids into the solid ingredients.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the granola on top and pat into a single layer. The granola will bake for 20-30 minutes, depending upon if you used butter or olive oil as the fat. You can either stir the granola at about 15 minutes when it starts to brown on top, or leave it in the oven undisturbed the whole time (if you do,  keep a close eye on it so it does not burn). Remove from oven when the top of the granola has a golden brown color. The parchment paper on the bottom of the tray will have browned it from below.

When cool, mix in the dried fruit of your choice (cranberries, blueberries, raisins, etc.). Store in an air tight container.

This recipe doubles easily.

Oatmeal Pancakes
Makes about 20 3 inch pancakes.
From the Joy of Cooking.

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat in a separate bowl:
2 eggs

Stir in:
1 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 mashed banana (our family's favorite addition)

Quickly stir this mixture into the dry ingredients. The batter may appear lumpy. Use 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

My first New Year's resolutions

I've never been one for New Year's resolutions. Perhaps the hustle and bustle of the holiday season left me wanting to trash every to-do-list, not make a new one. More likely, I was so caught up in school or work-related goal setting that I thought I had it covered.

This year feels different. Why? I'm kicking off 2015 as a new stay-at-home mom. And one of the things I've realized in the few months I've been in this role is that the success of my time at home with the kids is entirely up to me. Obvious? Perhaps. Difficult to embrace when you feel like tearing your hair out on a daily basis? Definitely.

Being a stay-at-home-mom is everything people say about it. It's an absolute gift to be with my children and help them grow into happy and healthy human beings. At the same time being a 24/7 mom has tested every fiber of my being. I didn't realize I was lacking in patience and compassion. I didn't know that when I was working after my first son was born, my work time was my "me" time. I had no idea my own inner two-year-old could throw an adult tantrum. I didn't know that being a good stay-at-home mom requires an incredible amount of personal discipline, everything from getting up in the morning (when you are SO TIRED) to setting a schedule for yourself and your family to understanding and controlling your moods.

One thing I really miss? Feedback. When you're a full-time mom, often no one tells you if you're doing a good job. There is no formal review structure. No boss to give you a pat on the back (or constructive criticism - which I desperately need now). No meetings in which to be recognized for your work. No one to say things like, "You're doing a great job in the creativity department - I like the artwork on the fridge - but I'd really like to see you develop your silly side."

Feedback aside - because there's nothing I can do to fix that problem - in a recent moment of (rare) quiet I realized that something I can do for myself in this new role is set goals. Things to get me energized and force me to grow as a person. With a new year upon us, I feel excited. I feel like jumping on this opportunity to better myself and my family and - gasp - set New Year's resolutions.

What's on my list? On the family side, I'd like to work on my patience, develop a mission statement for our family (cheesy, perhaps - but I think it will force us to think deeply about our values), do monthly or weekly learning themes for our kids and incorporate more prayer into our daily life. When it comes to personal development/care, I want do yoga at least once a week and take a music class (I took piano lessons for 13 years and directed an acapella group in college - I feel as if a part of me is missing without music in my life). Finally, to keep up with my professional skills I plan to take a photography and/or Photoshop class and blog at least twice a month. (I'm not off to the best start here in January with only one post, but this fresh start in the New Year also includes being kind and forgiving to myself!)

Do you have any goals you're taking on for 2015? I'd love to hear about them! Please share in the comments.

Cheers to a fabulous 2015!

Julie

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Do-it-yourself family photo shoot

To put it mildly, I love taking pictures. Oodles and oodles of them. I would even venture to say it's an addiction. One that's gotten much worse since having kids.

With the holiday season nipping at our heels, a few weeks ago I realized we didn't have a family photo with our newest addition, baby Ben. As you might imagine, I am one of those folks who has joined the Christmas card family photo craze. It's such an easy way to share a family update with friends and loved ones, though truth be told I miss the beauty and simplicity of classic Christmas card illustrations like the ones I grew up with.

It was time to drag - oops, I mean corral - the family outside and snap away!

Since becoming a mom and the Official Family Photographer, I've learned a lot about how to take a family photo. From investing in the right tools to brainstorming ideas to being the family cheerleader, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to take a good picture. But despite the time and effort, the final result is always worth it.

If you're frugal like me and prefer to take family pictures yourself - vs. hiring a professional photographer - I hope these tips will help you make your next family photo a great one.

1. Invest in a good camera: Yes, even a frugal person like me recommends investing a good camera, preferably a digital single-lens reflex camera, or DSLR. These cameras combine digital technology with the optics of old-school cameras and lenses. How much should you spend? These days you can get a DSLR for less than $500, including lenses. For example, you can find a used Canon Rebel on eBay for $250. Last year I upgraded to a Nikon D7000, which is a low-level professional grade camera, for around $500 (minus lenses). I got a great deal on a refurbished model because a newer model - the D7100 - had just been released. Check out websites like Slickdeals.net for the best deals. (Don't have a DSLR in your budget? Any point-and-shoot camera will do the job. If you find you like photography, you can always upgrade later.)

2. White Balance: I've found no other camera feature impacts the quality of photos as much as white balance - except, perhaps, focus. White balance influences the color tone in your pictures, making things like skin tone look natural or sallow. Find the white balance setting on your camera and play around with it to figure out what settings you like the best. There is much you can learn from your camera's manual on how to get started. The time of day and the place you are taking photos - for instance inside vs. outside - will impact the white balance settings, so take your time learning this feature. When using white balance settings for your family pictures, always take a few practice shots to make sure the colors look good.

If you're really up for perfecting the white balance in your photos, find out if your camera has a custom white balance feature. This enables you to set the white balance manually. Recently I invested in an Expodisc to help me do so with ease. The colors look great. Every. Single. Time.

3. Get a tripod: If you want to take your own family photos, this is a must. I've also gone the whole stacking-books-on-a-chair-until-they-are high-enough-to-hold-the-camera route, but it's incredibly frustrating and you never know when you're camera is going to topple off. For around $30 you can get a great tri-pod that you'll use for years.

4. Visit Pinterest for inspiration: What did I ever do before Pinterest? Last year was the first that I visited the site for Christmas photo inspiration and I wasn't disappointed.  Within five minutes I had five easy ideas for Christmas card pictures, including the theme you see below. What did we end up doing for this year's Christmas card? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!

5. Get your props ready:  Props for the photo to the right? A "Merry Christmas" sign from Target and a red Adirondack chair from our backyard. Other props for a Christmas card might be Christmas ornaments, Christmas lights, garland, etc. Gather these together so you're ready to go when the time is right. You might even have a few different ones to try so you have plenty of photo options to choose from.

6. Convince reluctant spouses/kids: Does anyone's husband love to take family photos? Mine needs a little friendly reminder that at least we're not hiring a professional photographer for $400. Also, I've found that promising to keep your "photo shoot" to a reasonable time limit (like 20 minutes) helps. And taking pictures right after a yummy meal. 

7. Dress the part: You don't need to be matchy matchy, but it helps to think about what everyone will be wearing before you snap away. This year I found a great blog post on family portrait wardrobes, which was just the inspiration I needed for the vineyard photo above. Decide if you want everyone to be casual (jeans) or dressy (slacks). Make sure to choose colors that everyone looks good in, which in the winter tend to be colors that brighten skin tone (not, say, light gray). My favorite tip? Start the process by mom choosing her outfit so that she feels and looks good. Then match the rest of the family to what she's wearing.

8. Location, location, location:  In my option, unless you have professional lighting outdoor family photos almost always look better than those taken inside. Scout out a few locations by looking for places that don't have a lot of "noise" in the background. For example, the Christmas photo above was taken in our backyard against a backdrop of trees - not facing the (messy) back of our house. The same concept goes for the vineyard photo above. Straight vineyard rows make for a simple setting that does not detract from the subjects. Don't have a good spot in your backyard? Check out your neighborhood park.

9. Face the light source: For faces to be illuminated and not in shadow, everyone should be facing the biggest light source. Inside? Face a window. Outside? Face the sun. Which brings me to...

10. Choose your timing wisely: Especially if you're taking pictures outdoors, this matters a bundle. I've learned over time that I get the best outdoor photos in the morning or late afternoon/sunset, or when it's cloudy outside. What you want to avoid is the sun beating down overhead and causing people to squint - or casting a lot of shadows.

11. Set up your gear before the family joins you: The time to keep the family focused on taking photos is limited. As much as possible, make sure everything is ready to go before rousing the troops.

12. Take test shots and focus your camera: Before going full throttle, take a few test shots and make sure the photo is framed as you would like it, that everyone can be seen in the photo, and that your camera is focused on the subjects. I can't tell you how many times I've gone through pictures to find the camera is focused on the trees rather than the people. Don't let this happen to you.

13. Put your camera on self-timer or buy a remote: Every point-and-shoot camera out there, and all DSLRs, have a self-timer function. If your camera has the capability, set it to take 5+ consecutive photos each time the timer goes off. You can also invest in a wireless remote if your camera is compatible.

14. Don't be too serious: OK, now is the time to have fun! Get in front of the camera, have everyone smile and start shooting. Take some photos where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera, and a few where everyone is looking at each other or, say, a baby. Laugh, squeeze each other, lean in, etc. My husband has even been known to lovingly pinch my bum to make me smile.

15. Different scenes: Take some photos where everyone can be seen head to toe, some from the waist up, and some sitting (or in another pose). Mix it up a bit because you'll find at the end that certain scenes really click and others don't.

16. Snap away: After five minutes you may think you've taken enough pictures. What I've found is that - especially when multiple people (and kids!) are involved - you get one good shot for about every 50 you take. Our family photo shoots typically result in a few hundred photos, of which ten might be decent (everyone looking at the camera, no funny faces, double chins, eyes closed, etc.). Of those ten, one or two is a winner. While even a hundred photos might sound like a lot, if they're taken at rapid-fire your photo shoot shouldn't take more than 15-30 minutes.

Best of luck with your next DIY family photo session! Have your own tip for taking great pictures? Please share in the comments.

Cheers!

Julie

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Kid, earth & budget-friendly cleaning solutions

I have one sweet word for my bottles of Windex and 409: goodbye!

I  used to think I would never be able to survive without those trusty solutions at the ready. It didn't even occur to me that there were alternatives to traditional cleaners until I started reading books and magazines about frugal, simple living. My interest was piqued.

I started small: a vinegar and water spray to clean my kitchen counters, windows and mirrors. It worked like a charm (albeit with a bit more elbow grease than usual). I also didn't have to worry about my kids eating off of the surfaces after they were cleaned. And, to boot, it was way cheaper than buying a bottle of cleaner at the store. (Not to mention that it didn't require a trip to the store in the first place.) I was sold.

A few years later I am still making a vinegar and water solution for windows and mirrors, but have graduated to a "heavier duty" antibacterial cleaner for surfaces like kitchen counters and the dinner table. No bleach or harsh chemicals here - instead the workhorses are vinegar, tea tree oil (the anti-bacterial agent), washing soda and lavender.

The best part? My kitchen smells heavenly.

Truth be told, there is still a bottle of hallmark blue liquid lurking in my hall cabinet for emergencies. But I'm finding that there are fewer and fewer times I need to pull out the "big guns." The reality is that my homemade cleaners get the job done 95% of the time.

Cheers to a clean and happy home!

Julie

Vinegar & Water Solution

It doesn't get simpler than this. Fill an empty spray bottle with 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Spray on surfaces and wipe down with a clean cloth. A microfiber cloth works wonders on windows and mirrors.

All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner

2 cups hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
15 drops tea tree oil
15 drops lavender oil

Mix ingredients together in a spray bottle. When you add the washing soda to the liquid it will fizz, so make sure you leave space in the bottle for a reaction.

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A Camping Convert

I didn't grow up camping. The story of why includes my mom, rain, and sleeping in a Pinto. My husband also didn't grow up camping but, like most men (yes, I'm stereotyping), loves it. He also likes survival shows and seems to salivate at the thought of being dropped in the middle of the wilderness with nothing but a pocket knife. 

Needless to say our differing views on the topic have not led to many successful camping trips. Not that they were awful, they just weren't vacation material. When asked whether I'd like to go camping or to Hawaii I would answer...wait, is that even a question?

So why am I writing a post on the topic? A few reasons. First, camping is just about the most frugal vacation you can take. As a frugal fanatic I need to give camping a second (and third, and fourth) chance. Heck, I probably need to become camping's poster child.

Second, on our most recent camping trip I did all of the packing and discovered one of the keys to a successful trip: organization. Having everything we needed and knowing where it was made such a difference. No more digging through the dark recesses of duffel bags praying that we'd remembered matches. Or soap. Or sunscreen. Everything was on a packing list and organized into large, clear-sided Rubbermaid tubs. 

Am I Type A? You betcha. Oh, and I should mention that we're most certainly talking about car camping here. No toting all this stuff on a backpacking trip. Not that I know (or most likely will ever know) anything about backpacking. So help me God.

With our car packed so full that our two-year-old thought he was in a pillow fort, we headed off to Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Although only an hour and a half drive due west from Napa, we felt a million miles away as we parked in front of our cabin at the Madrone campground (our two-person tent no longer accommodates our family of four). As far as our eyes could see, tall redwoods reached out and touched the sky. I could feel my whole body relaxing as we unpacked the car, opened a bottle of wine and started on dinner. 

The next few days were pure bliss. Well, as much pure bliss as is possible with two kids under the age of three. We hiked (there is a paved trail in the park, perfect for little ones), went to a kid-friendly beach on Tamales Bay (Heart's Desire Beach), ate lots of smores, and enjoyed a Cowgirl Creamery lunch in Point Reyes Station. Most importantly, we had the satisfaction of watching our two-year-old fall in love with the great outdoors.

I'll be honest. It took me a week to get packed for our trip, but it was so worth it. At the end of the process I not only had everything we needed for our trip to the redwoods, but three pre-packed tubs (cooking, camping gear, and hygiene) that will always be at the ready in our garage. The next time we venture out into the wilderness the packing process will be easy-peasy. So easy-peasy I might even be looking forward to our next trip.

Planning your next camping trip? Download my mother-of-all camping packing list. Most of the items came from our linen closet and kitchen, thrift stores, and a last-minute Walmart run. See something missing, have your own camping tips, or a suggestion on where we should go next? Please share in the comments.

Cheers!

Julie