Saturday, October 20, 2012

Sweet Pototo Cornbread

I love cornbread this time of year!  I searched and searched for a recipe that included everything I had in the house.  It was near impossible, so I made my own recipe.  Below is the final recipe I came up with.  Enjoy!!!



Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 3/4 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
  • 2 tablespoons of butter 
  • 1/4 cup of milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons of honey (optional)

Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf tin with cooking spray.
  • Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
  • Peel sweet potato and chop into large pieces. Boil until tender. Drain and mash. Add melted butter, milk, and egg and stir to combine.
  • Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms.
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  • Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.

For this recipe, I used sweet potato that I oven baked and pureed in a blender.  It works that same as boiling and mashing the sweet potato.
Chasing Tiny Feet

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Xylitol Products Review


Xylitol..hummm.  I have heard of it, but I do not know a lot about it.  What is it and how does it work?  Are there advantages of using it and is it safe?  I am here to answer some of your questions.

Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute that research has shown can improve the health of your teeth and mouth.  It has been clinically proven to be a natural enemy of bacteria.  Where does Xylitol come from?  It is referred to as wood or birth sugar because it typically was manufactured from birch trees.  Today, it is mainly extracted from corncobs.  Interesting....other natural sources of Xylitol include plums, strawberries, and raspberries.  Pure Xylitol looks like sugar because of the white crystalline appearance.  It even tastes like sugar but has 40% less calories than sugar.  Plus, only one-third of the absorbed Xylitol gets metabolized by the body.

So. how does Xylitol work?  Xylitol is not metabolized by mouth bacteria, and as a result, no acids are produced in the mouth that can cause tooth decay.  The sweetness stimulates saliva flow, which neutralizes any acids that have been formed and rinse away excess sugar residue. 

Are there any side effects of using Xylitol? Xylitol was approved by the FDA in 1963, and it has no known side effects for humans; up to 40 grams per day have been noted to have little more than a mild laxative effect.

So what products are available that use Xylitol?  Xlear makes all things Xylitol and are the Xylitol experts. 

The first products I tired was Kid's Xlear Saline Nasal Spray.  Just about since the day Amanda was born, her nose has been perpetually stuffed.  Like many infants, Amanda also suffers from reflux.  My doctor told me that babies with reflux often will have a stuffed nose as well and the best treatment is to use saline.  It is the best way to helps to improve mucus flow and relieve nasal irritations without medication.  So, in trying Kid's Xlear Nasal Saline Spray, I noticed that it did help to soothes and moisturizes the nasal passage and sinuses while washing away dust, pollutants, and irritants.   The bottle was easy to use on Amanda too.  The easy to use squeeze bottle specifically designed for children and infants.  It is safe for all ages and non-habit forming. 

I also tried Spry Dental Defense System.  This System combines Xylitol with other wonderful flavors to create a wide range of products, including gum, mints, and toothpaste. 

I started off with the Spry chewing gum.  The gum is available in Cinnamon, Spearmint, Peppermint, and fresh fruit flavors.  This sugar free gum is sweetened with 100% Xylitol.  I enjoyed each flavor more than the next, with the fresh fruit flavor being my favorite. 

I moved onto the mints.  These are also sugar free and made with 100% Xylitol.  I enjoyed these mints very much.  With flavors like Lemonburst, Peppermint, and Berry Blast, there is something to choose from no matter what your mood is.  I loved the fruit flavored ones, but prefer the peppermint to freshen my breath throughout the day. 

Spry Xylitol Peppermint toothpaste comes in a tarter control formula and is fluoride and sugar free.  This minty paste tasted great and left my teeth feeling like I "just came from the dentist clean". 

I think my favorite product was the Sparx Xylitol Candies, of course.  This candy was a great way to satisfy my non-chocolate cravings.  Sparx candies are small candy "dots" that are high in Xylitol and have natural fruit flavors and natural colors.  I loved the sweetness of the candy and the cool, refreshing feeling it left in my mouth.

To ensure the effectiveness of Xylitol, you should "strive for 5".  That means you should try to get 5 exposures of Spry Xylitol per day using any combination of gum, mints, toothpaste, Sparx candy, etc.  Finally, I can enjoy my candy while helping to reduce the risk of tooth decay!

Thanks to Mama Cheaps, Xylitol sent us a free sample of the products reviewed above in order to facilitate the review. All opinions are 100% our own.


Chasing Tiny Feet

Monday, October 15, 2012

Nomie Baby Review




This Summer my family traveled to the shore to enjoy a few days of fun in the sun.  We took Mason to the beach at 5 months old, so we figured we could handle Amanda at 6 months old.  Well, there is one major difference between my two children...and it can get messy. 

I'll keep the story as "clean" as I can.  However, I am sure there are many of you that can relate to what I am about to say.  On the way home from our most recent family vacation, after 4 days of not pooping, Amanda decided to unload.  No problem, right?  We will just pull over to the Arby's.  We were planning on stopping anyway to get lunch.  I'll change her there.  Well, little did I know that at this particular Arby's location, that there was no changing station.  Ok, no problem.  Back out to the car I go.  I decide that I will just change her there.  Easier said than done! 

I unbuckle Amanda and take her out of her seat.  Not only did she leak through her diaper, she completely destroyed her clothes and car seat.  Have you ever tried to clean a car seat with wipes?  Not fun, my friend.  And, not only did she get the car seat, it leaked through the belt slots and I had to totally take apart her seat to clean it.

So, here we are.  A hot summer day, in a parking lot trying to change a very messy 6 month old.  Not ideal to say the least.  If I had my wits about me, I would have taken pictures of this ridiculous scene.  I can laugh about it now, but when me and my husband were in the middle of it, I didn't see the humor. 

Why go through this story?  There is one thing that would have made this scenario so much better..a car seat cover.  If I had one, all I would of had to do was take the cover off, put it in a bag to wash when we got home.  Plain and simple! 

Nomie Baby car seat covers would have really come in handy on this trip!  The Nomie Baby infant car seat cover is mess-proof, spill-proof, and leak proof.  More than that, they are super easy to put on and take off your car seat.  Made to slip on your car seat, all you have to do is bring the straps through the velcro openings for a perfect fit.

I was lucky enough to review the toddler size/convertible car seat cover.  Like the infant car seat cover it is washable, mess-proof, spill-proof, and leak proof.  Nomie Baby toddler seat covers also have a protective waterproof lining. 

 
The light blue color car seat cover fit perfectly over our Britax car seat.  I had to adjust the straps a little when I first put the cover on, but once I got the straps through, I was ready to have Mason jump on in.   The quality of this cover is superb!  This I loved that the material is super soft and comfy for Mason.  He loved it and was very excited to see the face lift that his seat received.

What more do I love about Nomie Baby car seat covers?  They are:
  • Protective: Spill-proof, waterproof, leak-proof
  • Soft: breathable cloth on toddler's skin
  • Easy: Remove cover in 5 seconds. Velcro and elastic make it easy!
  • Safe: Fabrics have passed flammability and lead tests.
  • Washing Machine & Dryer Friendly

Nomie Baby also makes an infant and toddler cozy stroller blanket.  Since the weather has turned cooler, I have been bundling Amanda up before putting her in her car seat or pacing a blanket over her.  I hate to put her in a coat, then in a car seat.  I find that the straps never really fit properly.  I also hate tucking a blanket around her.  Inevitable, she kicks out of it and it winds up on the ground.  That is why I LOVE Nomie Baby's cozy stroller blanket.  Not only can it be used for the stroller, but it can double and be used in the car seat.

Since receiving this blanket, I have had Amanda nice and cozy in her car seat.  I honestly do not have to worry about a coat or jacket when she is in her seat because this truly keeps her warm.  The infant stroller blanket is fleece-lined with a wind resistant outer layer to keep your baby warm.  The stroller blanket zips around your baby, keeping your infant safe from harsh winds and the cold weather.

Like the car seat cover, the stroller blanket goes on and off easily for cleaning.  It is also washing machine and dryer friendly!  I would recommend this blanket for anyone with and infant this winter.  We will definitely be using it on both her car seat and stroller when out and about.



Thank you to Nomie Baby for sharing thier wonderful products for me to review.  All opinions are 100% mine.


Chasing Tiny Feet