Crock pot recipe #1

Now that it is getting cooler out, and the 'Summer of Bar BQ' is over, I feel the need to cook hot dinners for the family. But, with two boys running around the house, and often needing a referee, who has the time to cook a big, healthy meal? Well, that's where the crock pot comes in....what an amazing invention. I think all new moms should receive one as a baby shower gift. So, to make life easier for all of the moms out there who are in the same predicament as I am, I have decided to include some tried-and-true crock pot recipes on The Sanity Spot. Your kids will thank you... your husband/partner will thank you...and everything can be done in the morning while the little ones are napping or at school:)

Enjoy!

The first recipe is from my friend, Pam

Beef Brisket and Couscous

3.5 - 4lb beef brisket (cut in half to fit in the crock pot)
1 can beer (she used a bottle of Pacifico)
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tsp prepared mustard
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 small green or red bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Couscous (follow directions on box)

1. put brisket in slow cooker
2. combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat
3. cover and cook on low 8-10 hrs
4. remove meat and slice thin
5. serve on rolls or over couscous

Top 10 Sanity Savers for Moms

This list is for all of the moms out there who are looking for a little sanity...

10. Clean Well All-Natural Hand Sanitizer - clean away playground dirt and other gross residue without poisoning those kiddos with nasty toxins.

9. Fruit smoothies with kefir - my friends call it 'bug juice.' If you have a picky eater, fruit smoothies with kefir pack quite a protein punch with much less sugar than adding yogurt. Get all of those vitamins and minerals in before 9am.

8. Dinosaur Train and Little Einsteins - I don't feel so bad plopping my kids in front of the TV for an episode (or 5!) when they can now recognize a Van Gogh painting, hum multiple classical tunes, and point out a Stygimoloch.

7. Date night with your partner - no kids, uninterrupted dinner, maybe a movie. Your partner will thank you!

6. Strong coffee - changes a grumpy mommy into a peppy mommy! Your kids will thank you!

5. Trader Joe's - "Find the Monkey and Get a Treat"... must have been thought up by a mom who really needed to get the grocery shopping done. Thank you!

4. Good crock pot recipes - greatest invention EVER. Seriously, my house is "Crazy Town" at 5pm...like I could even attempt to cook a meal at this hour.

3. Play dates with friends who have kids as crazy as yours - I can only truly relax when I am with friends whose kids are as embarrassing as mine.

2. Girls' Night Out - Mom or not, all women need a little TLC from their friends. No Kids Allowed!

1. Diapers.com - the greatest time-saving web site out there (they even keep track of previous purchases and have a completely 'green baby' section)

Memo from a football-season widow

After your baby is born, it is always a challenge to find ways to continue doing the things you did pre-baby.... going to the movies, shopping, finding time to yourself, etc. My hubby's biggest challenge is finding a way to watch football without being interrupted. Our first son, Ben, was born in July....right before football season. This first year was awesome. Jason would stay home, watch football all day, and snuggle with his baby boy. Once Ben was mobile and Ryan was born, it became a constant battle over the TV, who changes the diapers, and anything else that interrupted 'precious' football-watching time.

Now I know that I am NOT alone. Most of my friends are also 'football-season widows' - women who have no visible husband from Sunday morning through Monday night. After all week with the kids, all I want is a few moments to myself during the weekend and football season totally robs me of this personal time. It is BUNK!

So, I have found a few solutions, that I would like to share with all of you other 'football-season widows' out there.
1. Hire a cleaning lady. Now you may wonder what this has to do with football. Well, it is simple... the weekends were usually a time for me to clean my house. Now that I am in charge of the kids on the weekend, during football season, I don't have the time nor the desire to clean my house on the weekends. Now I don't have to and I don't feel a bit guilty about it.
2. If your kids nap, sneak out of the house during nap time. Your husband is still in the house so it is not like you are leaving your kids home completely alone.
3. Find a bunch of friends, with kids, who are also 'football-season widows.' On Sunday night, send all of the husbands to one house to watch football and have all of the moms and kids go to another house for dinner and hanging with the kids. As moms, we will be happy for the company, help with the kids, and good food. The kids will be happy to have some playmates and different toys to play with. The dads will be happy to have some uninterrupted time to watch football with some noisy guys. It is a WIN-WIN situation for everyone!

Lastly, as soon as football season is over, take a much-deserved moms' weekend out-of-town with your 'football-season widow' friends and have the dads stay home to take care of the kids!

A little breastfeeding-support advocacy

How many of you out there needed the help of a lactation consultant or rented a pump? How many of you actually had those services covered by your health insurance? I know that my lactation consultations were absolutely invaluable, considering I saw my LC with both of my boys and attended her support groups multiple times....so valuable that I paid out of pocket! Well, we in California are in the process of trying to pass a bill that would make insurance cover:

• lactation consultation by an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
• the provision of quality breast pumps, as part of their health care service plans or insurance policies that provide maternity coverage.

Hello??? That is a no-brainer!

We are still waiting for the Governor’s signature on our bill AB 513. He has until October 11 to either sign the measures into law, let the bills become law without his signature or veto the bills. I know that we all are super busy....hey, we are moms....but we also know how to rally behind a very important cause. Please send a letter of support as soon as possible. We need to have our bill files full of support letters!

Hopefully one day all women will have free access to professional lactation consultants and pumping equipment!

Here is a fact letter about AB 513

Here is where to find a sample letter of support