Happiness is Measured in Hiccups

Bradford and my mother gave me a sewing machine for my birthday.

I asked for it. I wanted it. I got it.

I am not one to thoroughly understand the task at hand before beginning to undertake it. I do not study manuals. I do not read through books before beginning. I start. I wing it.

[This is why my first knitted scarf took six months to finish].

I want to sew cute bohemian dresses for the Lils. I want to sew outrageously creative appliques to go with my knitting, to place on onesies, to wow the world. Maybe that is a bit ambitious? Maybe not.

So - I started sewing - without knowing exactly how to work the machine. Without understanding the exact concepts involved in making something with fabric. Without much.

My first projects -

I made this dress out of an old t-shirt of mine. It is soft. But, it is also a bit rough - meaning, my sewing is a bit rough. But, I think it turned out okay, seeing as how I am new at this. This tutorial guided my way.

I am inspired by Little Blue Boo. I like the idea of using old t-shirts to make something new. I imagine I will continue to go in that direction. Also, I like the idea of incorporating appliques onto knitted items and vice versa. I have plans to try that in the future as well.

On a related note, I have been making all of Lil's food since she started eating solids. Lately, I have been getting inquiries on this subject, so I decided to share.

I worried that making Lil's food would be terribly inconvenient, but it has not been in the least. I find it to be easy and extremely rewarding. I enjoy it!

This book has served as a guide.

I would recommend it.

Why do we choose to make her food? Several reasons.

We know exactly what she is getting in each bite (not only what - but how it was prepared, where it was prepared, etc).

We rarely (very rarely) eat anything canned/jarred. It didn't make sense to us to feed Lils jarred/canned food when we ourselves don't eat it.

It is very important to us that Lils tastes vegetables, fruits, grains and the like in their fresh, unadulterated form.

And, we want her to experience different textures, rather than just a smooth puree.

Making the food takes very little time.

We purchase fresh and raw veggies and fruits when we can. If for some reason we can't get fresh and raw, we buy frozen. We always go organic.

Our primary method of cooking the fruits and veggies we feed the Lils is steaming. We leave peels on when we can. Then, we either puree in a blender or smash with a fork for a different texture. We usually make several batches in one sitting and separate it into refrigerator containers and freezer containers. For the freezer, we purchased silicone baby food freezer trays, which work great. The food freezes into portion sizes and can be popped out easily and placed into lidded storage containers if you intend to keep it frozen longer than a few days. Just defrost and feed. [We end up freezing more than we refrigerate to avoid waste (the Lils can only eat so much)].

Some things, of course, don't need to be cooked - like bananas and avocados. She eats these things in their natural state and loves it!

I really enjoy introducing new foods to Lils. It frustrates me that we can only introduce foods one at a time, every three or four days, but I do what they tell me. I can't wait until we can really start exploring with food combinations and herbs and spices. Delish.

So far, for those keeping record of such, Lils has eaten the following: rice cereal, oatmeal, prunes, avocados, bananas, peas, zucchini, green beans, squash, carrots, and plain, unsalted rice cakes.

Next up - spinach, apricots, apple sauce, and mint (to accompany her green beans and the like).

Two related asides:

(1) We do feed Lils baby cereal and oatmeal that we did not make at home. Also, she has eaten jarred prunes, because I was intimated by the prospect of cooking her prunes at home. But, not any more! I found a good recipe that - I hope - will help me.

(2) We do intend to raise Lils as a vegetarian. We are committed vegetarians. It is a very important part of who we are as individuals, as a couple, and now as a family. We have spoken to pediatricians regarding this choice, and we have been told that a vegetarian lifestyle, properly done, is, in most circumstances, more healthy than a non-vegetarian lifestyle. This is no surprise to us, but we wanted confirmation where Lils was concerned.

Until next time -