Build Your Own Garden Boxes

We just moved into a new condo and we are so excited and blessed to have found it! It is wonderful! Well, outside our front door is a patio/porch, and I immediately thought about having a little garden there. I just had to figure out if we could do it. Sure enough, we could. So I measured the porch and figured out how I we could do it. It took a long time to work it out...

I decided on two 3'x2' square boxes. As soon as I told my dad the sizes I wanted he went onto homedepot.com and found the wood that would be best for this. He called me right away and we talked about how and when we would make them. Anyway, my dad went out the next day and got the wood for us. Then we went over to my parent's house and build my garden boxes!! Here is what they looked like with the dirt in them and on our porch!! :)

Do you want to know how we built them? Ok, I will tell you! :) 

It was pretty simple thanks to my handy daddy and hubby. 

Disclaimer: I have to admit that I am kinda new at this tutorial thing.

So suggestions would be greatly appreciated on how I can improve :)

Materials:

-Wood (Common Board #2) (figure out how much by how big you want your boxes)

-Something to cut the wood

-Drill

-Drill Bit

-Screws

-Pencil

-Tape Measure

1. First you need to cut the boards into the sizes you want.

We cut two 4' boards and two 2' boards for one of the boxes sides.

2. Then you need to drill holes in the wood.

In order to keep the wood from splitting from the screws.

We did three, one on each edge and one in the middle.

3. Then you need to screw them together.

In the picture below do you see how the longer pieces of wood are on the inside

and the shorter ones are on the outside? Yep, that's how we did it.

4. Next you need to cut the pieces for the bottom of the box.

We cut four, 2' boards for the bottom. Then placed them on the box for the perfect spacing.

We also drilled holes into these boards to avoid splitting the wood.

Leave a very small gap in between the boards so it can drain.

5. Take a break and give your baby kisses :)

That's what I did throughout the whole process!

I CANNOT resist this little boy!

6. Screw the boards onto the bottom.

7. We then put a thinner piece of wood on the bottom.

We wanted the boxes to be up off the ground so that they could drain.

8. And there you go, that's how you build a garden box.

I hope that makes sense to you! More on the gardening thing later..

Comments are greatly appreciated!

Low Calorie Strawberry Freezer Jam

Ok, are you ready for the easiest, most delicious jam ever?? It is also low calorie :) 5 cups berries to 2 cups sugar. I absolutely love this jam and how easy and quick it is! So without further ado-I present to you "Low Calorie Strawberry Freezer Jam"...

Low Calorie Strawberry Freezer Jam

5 cups mashed strawberries

1/2 cup karo syrup

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup Instant Clear Jel

     Mash berries in the blender. Then mix the berries and karo syrup. In a separate bowl mix instant clear jel and sugar. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the berries while stirring (to avoid lumps). Stir until sugar dissolves. Put in a container and freeze.

     2 Costco tubs=about 15 cups berries=12 pints

• I get my Instant Clear Jel here 5 lbs for $12.99. It is also available through Allison's Pantry respresentatives-2 lbs for $5.99. You can also purchase it at providentlivingcenter.com or waltonfeed.com in #10 cans.

I love love love this jam! You can make it with whatever berries you want. I have only tried the strawberries, but you could try blueberries, raspberries, peaches, etc. Good luck! And let me know if you have any questions!

Feeding a 9-12 Month Old

I can honestly say that when Keagan was 9 and 10 months old it was hard to think of things I could give him for meals. It was that awkward stage in an infants life where they don't have teeth and don't quite get how to "gum" the food before they swallow it. Well Keagan was at that point when he was 9 and 10 months. He just barely got his first tooth a couple of weeks ago at 11 months!! But anyway, he was at that stage where he can't eat everything that we eat. So I have put together a list of food ideas for 9-12 month olds. I hope someone benefits from this!!

Vegetables:

Cook until they are soft enough to be mashed

*Carrots

*Broccoli

*Cauliflower

*Sweet Potatoes

*Zucchini

*Peas

*Artichoke Hearts

*Sweet Peppers (all colors)

Fruit:

Ripe, peeled, seeded, cored, cut in chunks

*Peaches

*Bananas

*Pears

*Honeydew

*Cantaloupe

*Watermelon

*Strawberries

*Raspberries

*Grapes (quartered to avoid choking)

*Blueberries (quartered)

*Mango

*Papaya

*Lychee

*Kiwi

*Shredded Coconut

Other:

*Avocado
*Eggs (scrambled, boiled, etc)
*Cheese (clearly labeled as pasteurized)

Meat:

Cooked until it can be shredded

*Chicken

*Turkey

*Pork

*Lamb

*Ground Beef

Fish:

Even if you don't normally cook fish at home-you can use canned tuna and salmon.

*Salmon

*Tuna

*Cod

*Flounder

*Trout

Avoid mercury concerns by keeping the amount less than 1 ounce of canned light tuna for every 12 pounds (body weight) per week. To read more about mercury in fish and how it affects babies go here.

Pasta:

Whole wheat is best

*Any shape of pasta, but you may have to cut them up

Grains:

You could use tomato paste to roll these grains into little balls so that it is easier for your baby to pick up

*Brown rice

*Oatmeal

*Barley

There are so many more ideas out there on the internet! But just think about foods that you eat that are soft and could easily be "gummed"...obviously we know that they couldn't handle a big chunk of steak. Here are some of our favorites:

Oatmeal-unsweetened, made with breast milk, formula, water or even juice. Add small fruit chunks.

Yogurt-unsweetened with fruit chunks added.

Pancakes or Waffles-with pureed fruit on top, try to avoid sugary syrup.

Muffins-just plain yummy!!

Eggs-scrambled

Toast-very lightly toasted bread-plain or with pureed fruit on top

Sandwiches-endless possibilities...grilled cheese, peanut butter (very little amount of peanut butter because they could choke) and mashed bananas, mashed avocado, any type of pureed fruit

Cheese Tortillas-cheese on a tortilla, fold in half and microwave.

Soup-chicken noodle soup is our favorite. usually over cook the noodles and veggies so that they are easier for Keagan to eat.

Macaroni and cheese-we make this from scratch and sometimes like to add veggies to it. Broccoli, peas, carrots, etc. You could also puree any veggie and mix it in with the sauce.

Baked Potato-removed from the skin and mixed with a variety of ingredients. Veggies, sour cream, cheese, beans, etc

Pasta and rice-Keagan loves any kind of pasta and rice too! These are easy to make

Whole Wheat/White Bread Recipe

Ok, I'm sorry that it took me so long to get this recipe up...it was quite a frustrating thing to get my blog all prettied up. I designed it, and I am super proud of myself. With the help of my techie husband, we finally got it exactly how I want it (for now!)..

I went to my ward's activity and we learned how to make bread. The lady that taught us was an elderly woman who has been making bread for many many years. I love how simple this recipe is and how few ingredients are required. It probably takes a little over an hour plus baking time to make. Plus you can do stuff while you are letting it rise. Best of all..it is delicious! We especially like the wheat bread, but the white is good too.

So without further ado, I present to you...The really easy bread recipe!!

Whole Wheat Bread/White Bread

½ cup warm water

2 Tablespoons yeast

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl.

2 cups warm water

¼ cup sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 scant Tablespoon salt

6-7 cups flour

In large bowl add 2 cups warm water, sugar, oil and salt. Add 3 cups flour and stir. Add yeast mixture and stir. Add another 3 cups flour. Stir until it becomes too hard to stir, and then knead with your hands. Add flour and knead until dough doesn’t stick to your hands.

When smooth, put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a towel for 10 minutes.

Knead 5 or 6 times. Cover and let rise 10 minutes.

Knead 5 or 6 times. Cover and let rise 10 minutes.

Knead 5 or 6 times and divide into 2 parts. Shape into a bread loaf. Place into bread pan.

Let rise until double-about 30 mintues. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

*I like to use my Kitchen Aide mixer so I use the paddle mixer up until it gets too hard to stir and then I switch to the kneading hook for the rest of the time.

This is one of the loafs! I can usually get three loafs like this one out of the recipe.