Quick and Easy Pesto Pasta - Guest post from Saving for a Purpose

Guess what I'm doing today? You got it. Tearing apart my house. Today I'd like to welcome Betsy from Saving for a Purpose. She shares a super easy and tasty pasta pesto recipe that is great to pull out when you're in a pinch for dinner!

If you like the Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi you might want to try this recipe it is so simple but so good!

You will need:

Cellentani noodles

Pesto (you can make your own)

mushrooms (if desired)

sun dried tomatoes (if desired)

Not only will you enjoy a delicious meal but you will save money by making it at home!

 This is what I did…  

• Make noodles as directed.
• Drain
• Add the pesto, look below to see what I used.
• you might want to add a little butter or parmesan cheese
  

The whole meal took less than 30 minutes to make and was really good.  This makes a lot of pasta for one person so I enjoyed the rest of it for lunch the next day.  It reheated very well, it is also tasty cold, I couldn't help it and had to sneak a few noodles before it went in the microwave. 

I used Buitoni Pesto with Basil…I added the whole container to the pasta, it was the perfect amount.  I have used a non refrigerated variety in a glass jar and did not like it.  I am sticking with the Buitoni.






Betsy is from SavingforaPurpose.com. She likes to craft, cook, bake and save time and money where it is possible without sacrificing family and fun time.  She tries to help others through her money saving endeavors.  

Want to write for The Pierogie Mama? Send me an email!

thepierogiemama@gmail.com

Moms Who Inspire Me: Bernadet

Welcome to the grand finale of my 3 part series on Moms Who Inspire Me.  If you missed out, here's Gretchen and Ashley.

Bernadet is definitely an inspirational mama to me... because she is my very own! She immigrated from Poland to Canada barely knowing the language in her early 20's. One of the easiest way to describe my mom is by her hospitality. Meals were always created with love and are plentiful. Her home is always open to those who enter and she goes out of her way to make sure everyone is comfortable before she rests. She's been the mama I can snuggle to, even though I've become a mama myself, and makes it a point to keep up with her kids' lives even though we've all grown up and left the nest. Leaving her family behind, she took on the matriarchal role early on and has instilled the great importance of family throughout my life. Even though we're a loud, boisterous and often very blunt family, we can always put our differences aside and have a meal together. That's what family means to me. I love you, Mom!

At what age did you become a mama? 

How was that in relation to when you thought you'd become a mama?

I always wanted to be a mom before age 25 and it happened a little bit before 25

Growing up, what was the part about becoming a parent the most exciting for you? 

Has it changed? 

I think the most exciting thing for me becoming a parent is to have somebody who is part of me and to be able to teach them what I  know about life.

What has surprised you the most about being a mother?

The most surprising thing for me about being a mom was and still is how much I love them, how I can divide my love between one and the other,  and that you can raise children the same way but they have their own minds and they going to react totally differently.

Who was your biggest help? How did they help you?

The biggest help I had was my mom whom I called almost everyday for advice the first year and my grandmother when she came and stay with us for almost a year when you were little.

What has been the biggest challenge of motherhood (easy question, right?) 

and how have you tried to overcome it?

I think the biggest challenge for me is to understand that I can only help and teach them to a point and then they have to experience life. Even though I still want to be the helicopter mom!  I try to overcome that by really listening advising, observing, showing and understanding that they will do what they want to do.

Name your top soothing tip

The best soothing thinkgfor you was to walk with you and rub your back and for your brother Paul was to hold him and rub his forehead over his nose.

What is your kids' favorite meal that you cook?

When you guys were little your favorite thing to eat was noodles with strawberry or blueberry with whipped cream, or Polish kopytka with goulash.

Did you become your mother, take a completely new road or find a clever mix in between?

I don't think so. There are things that I did the same way, but for most of it I did it my way.

Did you have a parenting style that was different from the rest of your family (such as sleep solutions, babywearing, potty training timing) and how did you respond to family who approached you about it?

I don't know much about my parents parenting style when we were little.  One thing I definitely learned that I didn't like when I was a child was to correct  your children in front of other people. And to tell you the truth my parents didn't really have much input in my parenting style because I was way too far from them.

And there you have it.. The original Pierogie Mama (now known as The Pierogie Babcia) 

with my chubby self at about a year old. 

Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I've been attempting to hone my roasted pumpkin seed recipe for the last 4 years. That sounds worse than it is, after all most of the time I only get to work with a few cups of seeds at a time ;)  They'd either end up burned or just too oily. I tried all types of oils - olive, vegetable, butter...and this year I was determined to get it down!

I did a little bit of preliminary research and found a technique that I hadn't tried before.. Boiling the seeds before baking. Weird, right? But apparently it helps plump them up and they get crispier. I also tried using coconut oil and this was perfect for this sweet version of pumpkin seeds.

You will need:
1 T Tropical Traditions Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt
1/3 c clean, raw pumpkin seeds
small pot of salted, boiling water.

You will do:
1. Remove all pumpkin pulp from the pumpkin seeds.
2. Boil in salted water for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 deg F.
3. Drain the pumpkin seeds from the salted water, pat dry on a towel. They don't have to be super dry, just not soaking.
4. Mix pumpkin seeds with melted coconut oil, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. 
5. Spread out onto a metal cookie sheet, taking care that the seeds don't touch each other too much.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, toss, bake for another 10, toss, bake for another 5-10 minutes. The last part will vary quite a bit. Just check on the seeds by sampling one after the first 20 minutes and adjust from there.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Enjoy these alone or ... sprinkle them on top of some sour cream pumpkin bread!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Bone Broth in a Crockpot: Guest Post at Apronista

What do you do with the leftover carcass when you have one of those 

succulent rotisserie chickens for dinner? The bones and "gunky stuff" that are left over are perfect for making bone broth (or chicken stock) in a crockpot! Check out my recipe over at 

Apronista's monthly Crocktober extravaganza! 

I chose a natural birth and why I'll do it again

Welcome to the October 2013 Carnival of Natural Mothering! 

This article is a part of the Carnival of Natural Mothering hosted by GrowingSlower, Every Breath I Take, I Thought I Knew Mama, African Babies Don't Cry, and Adventures of Captain Destructo. This month's topic is Natural Birth Choices. Be sure to check out all of the participants' posts through the links at the bottom of this page.

Please note that my experiences are my own and my opinions may differ from yours. I always welcome discussion and am not offended if you think I'm crazy or my choices aren't what you'd consider for yourself. I do ask that if you choose to read this blog and make comments that you do so in a respectful manner of myself and other commentors here. Thanks for reading my story!

It's entirely possible that my two children will be pretty damn close to being exactly 2 years apart. Penny was born on March 3 and Pierogie #2 "due date" is March 4. When I first became a parent almost 2 years ago, I didn't consider the possibility of jumping back into pregnancy, birth and a newborn so soon. But as time passed and my husband and I took a long, hard look at the relationships we have with our siblings and the relationships we see between other siblings - we knew that we wanted our kids to be close in age. A big part of our decision in being open to a closer age spacing was how my pregnancy and the birth went as well. Our choice for a natural minded pregnancy and an unmedicated water birth in a birth center shaped so much of our experience in becoming parents.

In the few years leading up to our first pregnancy I spent a lot of time researching all the different options we have available to us in terms of approaching pregnancy, birth and parenthood. I soon began to form my opinions of what I believed to be 'safe' and 'unsafe.' Our family was going through quite the baby boom as well, with over 10 babies born in a little under a year and a half, giving me tons of exposure to how different women handled pregnancy and what their birth choices were. A dear friend raved about her experience with a local birth center and I knew this was the choice for us. Don't get me wrong - I am a firm believer in hospitals, doctors and nurses. Medical staff, interventions and technology are there for people who need help or are sick. My husband and I constantly discussed throughout my first trimester if a natural birth in a birth center is the best choice. In the end, after all the standard 'mainstream' medical care for my first trimester we decided that the baby and myself were both healthy, strong and completely capable of a natural birth. Both of our bodies were made to under go this process together and neither one of us was working to sabotage the other. We'd of course always keep the option open for a hospital birth if necessary (and of course our midwives supported this), and thankfully the need never arose.

What was it about natural birth and midwifery care that made it a no-brainer for me to do it all over again?

• I did my research. I looked at both sides of the coin, have spoken to women who have done it both ways. I read birth stories, good and bad, and filed away a lesson from each and every single one. No birth is the same, but I felt that a big part of my personal preparation was to hear about how other women had experienced birth.
• My first trimester with Penny was spent with a midwife at a Kaiser Permanente facility. I saw the same midwife for my visits, but there was very little chance that she would be the midwife at my birth. This struck a very deep chord within me. I was on this journey to become a mother and looked to my midwife was the guide - I felt like I'd spin out of control if I went into labor and a stranger would be there to help me. This was the biggest reason why we chose a freestanding birth center - my first birth center alternated between two midwives, and my current one cycles through three. All of which I will meet several times before the birth, so they get to know us, our desires and I can learn what to expect from them and trust in their wisdom.
• In Washington State more and more hospitals are allowing women to labor in tubs but water birth is still not permitted. When it's time to push, back to the bed you go. I wanted complete freedom in what is the most comfortable way to have my baby. When Penny's time came, I came to the birth center at about 5cm dilated. I slid into the tub, the warm water supporting my body and helping relax my muscles between contractions. Less than 3 hours later, I was holding my baby girl in my arms.
• Our birth center inherently has a calming and tranquil feeling within its walls. I'll have a choice between two rooms (hopefully) and both rooms feature a spacious floor plan, personal shower, large birthing tubs and queen sized beds. Walking into these rooms feels like I'm checking into a boutique spa. I feel supported and important when I am there. 
  
• My choices are supported. There is no 'bureaucratic protocol' to follow. If I don't want a certain vaccine given to my child, if I don't want to be talked to about formula, if I want to keep the cord connected for more than twenty minutes, I'll be supported. 
• Immediate skin on skin contact. I pull my baby up onto me, I can hold him/her for as long as I want. I nurse immediately. No whisking away for tests or measurements (within reason, of course). My baby will never leave my room, nor my arms if I don't want it to. 
• I get to go home at the end of the day! Ok, many of you will think "what?? why would you want that??" but honestly - I just want to get home and get into my bed and snuggle with my family. Another Washington State rule is that there aren't any overnight stays allowed in birth centers (unless they have a 24 hour nursing staff) so you are typically sent home 3-6 hours after the birth. This was a big chunk for me to swallow at first, especially because my friend who talked to me the most about natural birth happened to her her baby in Oregon, where that isn't a requirement.  But I learned and accepted that if there is a reason why you shouldn't go home after those few hours you are referred to a hospital. That means you need more support than your midwives can provide and you should get help. Natural births heal very quickly and a healthy mama and baby will be fine at home at the end of the day.
• After the birth, your midwife comes to you. I won't have to schlep my postpartum butt out to the birth center after 48 hours to go for baby's check up. She will come to me, see us in the comfort of our own home. That's a big help!

Those are just a few of my favorite things about birth centers, my midwives and how my experience went with my first birth :)

Have you given birth in a freestanding birth center? 

What were your favorite parts about the experience?

Bloggers, visit GrowingSlower to sign up to be a part of next month's carnival.