I Tried My Hand at Making Bagels

I haven't been buying bagels recently - mostly because I feel like they aren't the most healthy breakfast option, but also because they are on the pricey side. So when I saw a recipe for bagels in my new favorite book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter, I decided to give it a try. Not only is it cheaper, but you can control the ingredients.

I forgot to take any photos of the of the beginning stages, but that's all just measuring and mixing - not too exciting. Of course, I did my own substituting - I wanted these to be a little more nutritious, so I subbed one cup of white flour for wheat.

Anyway, here is my dough, after it has all been mixed.

And here it is, after I've kneaded it for five minutes.

Five minutes doesn't sound like very long, but when you set the timer and all you actually do is knead dough, it is quite a work out!

Anyway, here it is, rising for an hour.

After that, you punch the dough down and then make it into 10 perfectly round, equal balls. Since my motto is "good enough," you can see that my balls are neither equal nor perfectly round. Didn't seem to matter in the end, though.

After that, you stick your thumb through them and round them into bagel shapes. Who knew it was so easy?

Here was the part that made it fun - you bring a large pot of water to boil and then add malt barely syrup. But do any of you actually keep that on hand? The recipe said you could use dark brown sugar instead. Alas, I didn't have that either - but the light brown sugar seemed to turn out okay.

Once the water is boiling, you drop the bagels in there three at a time.

You leave them in that boiling water one minute on each side, then lay them on a tray and while they are still wet, you put on the toppings you want. I did some with salt, some sesame, some plain and some with cinnamon sugar.

Bake them until golden - man, did they smell good while they were cooking!

Here is a close up of the cinnamon sugar - doesn't it look delicious? It is. =) I tasted that one first. Since then, we've tried the rest and they are all yummy! And not too hard!

Up next? Pita. Or maybe English muffins. Hooray!

Some Small Frugal Choices, One Large Non Frugal Expenditure

Ian asked me recently to get him a scooper for his coffee making each morning. So I went to Target to see if I could find one. All they had there were the teaspoon measuring utensils sold in sets, for $8. So, I decided to check out the Goodwill to see what they had in the way of scoopers. And guess what? I found the perfect coffee measure for just $.29. Check out those savings!

I also went to the Goodwill looking for an Easter dress for Ruthie. All of her clothes are hand-me-downs from older cousins, which is great. But there is only one dress in her current size, and it's very summery. If Easter Sunday is warm, it could work, but it's been pretty cool round these parts recently. The annual Easter egg hunt (I'm sure lots of pictures will follow, so stay tuned) is at my parents house, outside. However, no luck at the Goodwill for a dress. Since Ruthie's past three months though, I might be able to find something in the next size up set of clothing. We'll see.

And now onto the confession - we made a very unfrugal decision this past weekend. I got an iPhone. I used to have one for the consulting work I was doing for my former company, but they recently needed it back. The day after I gave the phone back, my personal phone, which I've had for over 4 years, turned off with this error message: "Use Genuine Battery - Power Off." I have no idea what that means, and apparently neither does anyone at Verizon. We couldn't get the phone to turn on long enough to even get my contacts out (if you're reading this and you haven't sent me your phone number, please do!). Anyway, since we knew I was giving the work phone back and that my personal phone was having trouble, Ian and I began to talk about options. He really wanted me to get a phone with email, so that I could do my work and not feel like I had to be chained to the house. (I will tell you, being able to email about a rental inquiry while you're in line at Disneyland is pretty great.) But because of this blog and all my self-proclaimed attempts to be frugal, I was feeling really guilty about it. So we had decided to put things on hold and think about it.

But then my phone died and we had to make a choice quickly. I decided to go ahead and give the data plan a try - the truth is, the iPhone itself wasn't expensive. Because I had my phone for so long, I had a $50 credit toward a new phone and when I turned in my old phone, I got a $100 gift card that I could apply right in that transaction. And, when I went to my former company to return the phone, my boss handed me an envelope from Christmas that got lost in his desk. Yep, my Christmas bonus (I use the word bonus loosely - it isn't that much, but it certainly helps!). So, I got the phone, case and protector things without putting out any of our own money. It was actually cheaper to get an iPhone than a non-smart phone. See how they play you?

Anyway, I could justify the data plan with the idea that being a quick responder to work emails gets me more work and thus more commission, which I do think is accurate. But the real truth of it is that I like having email and internet on my phone and I wanted it.

So, we'll see how we do with the extra $30 a month. I do still have a little buyer's remorse at times - when I think about ways we're cutting cost, it seems silly to have added a cost. We did ask Verizon if we can change our minds, and we can; we can cancel the data plan at any time.

In the meantime, I'll still be able to provide all you avid readers wonderful photos of Ruthie, since I take those exclusively on the iPhone.

There. I feel better now that all that is off my chest.

House Wife Workout

I did not go to the gym today (that would probably be because I don't actually have a gym membership). But I am still wanting to work on the pregnancy weight, so I'm trying to work out more. Today, though, as I did my regular routine, I found myself thinking of the workout I was getting just by doing my chores.

I give you A House Wife Workout:

Cardio:

• Walked to the store, pushing Ruthie in stroller
• Played tetras with our groceries to make them fit into the bottom of the stroller
• Walked home
• Total: 1 hour and a half

Quads:

• Put away the groceries with a 14 lb baby strapped to my front, bending deeply from the legs to put away apples, yogurts, broccoli, etc
• Total: I would say I did about 25 squats

Arms:

• Squeezed the juice out of 15 oranges using my hand held (non electric) juicer
• Folded three loads of laundry
• Scoured the kitchen sink with comet
• Shook the kitchen and bathroom rugs
• Swiffered the kitchen and bathroom floor
• Cleaned the bathroom
• Total: I would say I did the equivalent of 4 reps of 15 with a 7 lb weight

Back:

• Carried a 14 lb baby in the Bjorn while I make a batch of granola and changed out the laundry
• Total: Not sure how to measure this, but if I keep this up, I'll have the sleekest lower back in town!

Not too bad! If only I didn't want to eat so many cookies, this might actually make a difference! =)

I Feel So Grown Up

I just called for my first baby sitter. Baby sitters, really. Things are busy the next few weekends. This Saturday night we are going to a dessert at our church, so I called a girl that Mary has used before to see if she could babysit. Then I called another girl for the following Friday, since Ian and I got invited to a fundraiser for a group called Treasures, which helps women coming out of the sex industry. Our friends Roe and Jim are hosting a table and invited us to join them. So, Ruthie will be staying with her first babysitter.

It truly doesn't seem like that long ago that I was a babysitter. How crazy now that a girl will be coming over to my house and I'll be leaving her instructions on how to take care of my daughter.

It's amazing how something so ordinary can make you feel so old.

Clare Sunukjian Matthias

Yay! Last night we got to meet the 14th Sunukjian grandchild, our newest little niece (which is amazing, considering we have a niece that is only two weeks old).

Here is Clare- isn't she cute?!


And here is Ruthie and Clare together. Does anyone besides me see future BFFs?
We had a great time visiting the new parents. Mary and Mike seem to be doing great. Clare is so darling - she looks like a cute little turtle, and Ruthie looks like a giant. Good times!

And in this corner, weighing 13 and 1/2 pounds...

It's Ruth Nellie!

On Monday, Ruthie turned 3 months. To celebrate, we weighed her. And she came in at 13 and a half pounds! Considering that most babies are 12 lbs at three months, I'd say she is doing great! It's pretty incredible to think that for the past year, I've sustained her life entirely out of my own body. God sure knew what he was doing, huh?

(In case you're wondering, she's in that wrap because she's about to go to bed.)


What a big girl!

New Girl Cousins - Yes, Plural!

I mentioned in a previous post that Ian's sister, Heather, just had a baby girl. Finnley Meredith Matthias joined our family on March 7th and we're so excited!

Here is Ruthie and Finnley - as you can see, Ruthie is already showing Finnley the ropes about how to lift up one's arms. Finnley is catching on!

And in other very exciting news, my sister Mary just had her baby, and it's a girl too!!! I'm so excited. I was trying to play it cool, since we didn't know what she was having, but I really wanted it to be a girl so Ruthie and she could be friends. And I know Mary wanted it to be a girl, too. How great that our wish came true! Clare Sunukjian Matthias was born this morning at 9:15, and I can't wait to meet her. I am anxiously awaiting a phone call from Mary telling me I can come.

I can just see the three of them now, Ruthie, Finnley and Clare, playing, growing up together and being good friends. And I can see Ruthie pulling rank, bossing everyone around just because she's a few weeks older. =)

I'll be back later with a photo of Clare, as soon as I get my hands on her!

In the meantime, I leave you with a Ruthie photo.:

Movie Musings

Last night we saw Ides of March. It's a political drama with several actors that we really like - George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling and Paul Giamani. I was excited to see it, since I usually like movies about politics and the actors were all so strong. While we were watching it, I was very interested and engaged. But after the end of the movie, I felt, I don't know, blank. I don't want to give it away in case any of you want to see it, but it's a pretty brutal look at politicians and the ending is especially harsh.

I know not all of life is rosy, though I do tend to be on the optimistic side. But there were no redeeming characters in this movie. There was no one you could cheer for. I think I've learned that even if a movie is sad or full of brokenness, if I have just one character to root for, it's all right. If you're in the same boat as me, you may want to pass on this movie. There were some profound truths in it for sure, but some things you just don't want to be reminded of, you know?

Life with Ruthie

Apparently, I have the maturity level of a junior higher, because so many of my posts have to do with bodily fluids. But seriously, look at this photo:

Impressive, huh? We weren't even into the park on Sunday when we had to have a complete costume change. Ian did the honors, since all the bathrooms in and around Disneyland have changing tables in both the men's and the women's restrooms. Just another reason we heart the Magic Kingdom!

The past few weeks have been action packed with Ian's side of the family - his sister and family both moved into a new house and had a baby! So we've been hosting grandparents and cousins and helping pack and move and oohing and awing over a new baby. I'll try to get a picture of her up soon. Ruthie is no longer the littlest cousin - now, she has Finnley Meredith Matthias to teach the ropes to!

Anyway, here is Ruthie, snoozing on Grandma. Having all that company wore her out!

Apparently, "tummy time" is very important for a baby's development (not to mention, it can help prevent the flat head syndrome!). So, we try to give Ruthie some tummy time every day. Sometimes, she likes to be propped up on my nursing pillow. Pretty cute, eh?

One of Ruthie's favorite things to do is stand - she thinks she's such a big girl. Here she is a few nights ago at dinner. Aw, look at my cute family!

It's a strange thing, really. We knew we wanted to have kids and we were so excited when we found out we were pregnant and thrilled when Ruthie finally came. But nothing could have actually prepared us for how wonderful it is. This little girl brings us so much joy. Thank you, Lord, for our sweet pea!

Life With Ruthie

We try to fight it, we really do, but we are already turning into those parents who think their baby is the brightest and the best. But you look at these pictures and tell me that she isn't amazing. I dare you to.
And how do you choose? I know these photos are almost the same, but she's so stinkin' cute in both I couldn't decide!

Talk about not being able to decide - check out these photos of our smiley bug-a-boo!

We love our girl!

You Know What's Awkward?

Discussing health plans based on their maternity benefits with a total stranger.

Since leaving full time work, we've had to get health insurance for me and Ruthie (Ian's school doesn't cover families). Because we are also trying to be frugal, we got a pretty cheap plan that doesn't currently include maternity benefits. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but then we got our bill from having Ruthie. $20,788!! Of course, with my DLBA insurance, our portion was only $1,500, but it sobered us up. If we get pregnant sooner than planned, we could be in real trouble.

So, I decided to call the insurance broker and see what our options are. Apparently, the law is changing so that in June, all health insurance plans will have to include maternity benefits. The guy was basically like, "Just don't' get pregnant before June." It was a bit of a strange conversation, trying to assure him we had no immediate plans to get pregnant, but also acknowledging that things are always in our control. Anyway, awkward.

You know what else is awkward? Going to Target and buying one item (to remain unnamed because it's embarrassing enough to even hint at it). But after receiving aforementioned bill, that one item seemed like a REALLY good idea.

Frugal Cooking

It is high time for an update on my frugal cooking attempts. I have become a fairly regular maker of granola, for several reasons. A - Store bought granola is expensive. B - It often contains items I pick out, such as raisins. C - Store bought granola has high fructose corn syrup and other not-so-good-for-you items. The beauty of homemade granola is that it solves all those issues - it's cheaper and way more delicious, plus I control the sugar and fat contents. Win, win, win.

Plus, aside from the stirring (which when you don't have a pooping baby is really not that bad), it's pretty easy. Here are the basic ingredients for the kind of granola Ian and I like - oatmeal, sesame seeds, coconut, almonds, honey, brown sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla:


Of course, since I follow no recipe exactly, I sub out a little of the honey for molasses. I did it the first time out of necessity (we didn't have as much honey as the recipe called for) and Ian and I both liked it so much that I always do it now. And I use less brown sugar than it calls for, because this recipe is already pretty sweet. Also, it technically calls for canola oil, but I don't always have that on hand, so I use vegetable oil. You just mix the dry ingredients and melt the oil and honey/molasses/brown sugar together.

Stir it all together and throw it on a pan lined with parchment paper (makes cleaning SUPER easy).

Out it comes, 20 minutes later (plus a few stirrings), clumpy, crunchy and delicious. Of course, I have a reusable container that just gets filled up each time after I make it. Yummy!In this particular batch, I also threw in some wheat germ and oat bran, because, well, I had it and it sounded virtuous. It came out great!

I am also in the process of making my own vanilla. I bake a lot and vanilla (real vanilla) is expensive. Plus, my sister Sarah wanted to try it out, so we ordered some beans from Madagascar (did you even know you could order beans from that far away?) and man, oh, man, do they smell incredible.

Here are the bean pods:

I had no idea the actual beans were so tiny. But once you slice open the pods to scrap out the beans, they are like tiny little black pin heads.

Anyway, in go the beans and pods into a jar (yes, saved from a used up jar of olives) and then you pour vodka over it. I had NO IDEA vodka was the liquid in vanilla. I guess I never really thought about it before, but isn't that interesting?

Seal the lid, shake the contents and wait...three months.

In May, we should have some delicious vanilla.

Note to self - do not wait to make vanilla until you are out.

I will report back and let you know how it turns out. Or better yet, if you live nearby, why don't you come over from some cookies in May?